It is well established that having a nutritious diet in early childhood helps build the foundation for a healthy adulthood. Farm to school programming is a wonderful way to help build that foundation in childcare settings. This is why USDA’s Patrick Leahy Farm to School Program is partnering with the Association of State Public Health Nutritionists (ASPHN) to launch FARMWISE, a two-year learning community for state coalitions building farm to Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) programs. 

CACFP, a program offered by the USDA, has several components, one of which provides reimbursement to early care and education (ECE) professionals (those who care for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers) to provide nutritious meals to children from families experiencing low income. ECE professionals who participate in CACFP also get training in nutrition, food preparation, and healthy eating practices, making them ideal candidates to deliver farm to early care programming. It also means a potential for a big impact, as CACFP operators serve more than 4.2 million children daily.

Farm to CACFP programming can also help solve a common nutrition problem in early care: young children rejecting fruits and vegetables, especially when certain fruits or vegetables are new to them. Farm to CACFP activities like gardening, taste testing, and nutrition education help children “meet” new foods outside of meals, which increases their acceptability during meals. Farm to CACFP also helps childcare operators serve more delicious and nutritious meals by offering fresh, locally produced ingredients bursting with color and flavor.

We caught up with Emia Oppenheim, an ASPHN consultant supporting FARMWISE, to learn more about their passion for Farm to CACFP and where they hope to go with this new effort.

“Established evidence has shown the importance of fruit and vegetable consumption for long-term health, respectively,” explains Oppenheim. “Also know that early exposure to fruits and vegetables and hands-on nutrition education fosters healthier eating habits in young children. Farm to ECE programs integrate these elements, providing children aged 0-5 with local produce exposure, food and agriculture education, and experiential learning through gardening, cooking, and other experiences. With FARMWISE, ASPHN and partners will support farm to ECE state coalitions focused on advancing farm to CACFP in their states.”

Asked about what is in store for the program, Oppenheim said the FARMWISE team, which includes the National CACFP Sponsors Association and the National Farm to School Network, is already on the move. FARMWISE recently selected 14 interested state coalitions to start their programs this July. Three coalitions receive funding, and all 14 will have full access to FARMWISE programming. States that will participate include:

• Alabama,
• Arkansas,
• California,
• District of Columbia,
• Georgia,
• Hawai’i,*
• Indiana,
• Kansas,
• Missouri,*
• North Carolina,*
• North Dakota,
• New York,
• Rhode Island, and
• Wisconsin.

*Indicates the three funded FARMWISE coalitions

Anyone interested in learning more and staying in the loop on FARMWISE can sign up for the monthly FARMWISE newsletter, which is starting soon.

Applicant state coalitions submitted workplans focused on policy, system, and environment changes to advance farm to CACFP.

Collectively, states included 61 possible policy, system, and environment changes that may lead to more sustainable farm to CACFP programming. These recommendations included:

• Integrating farm to CACFP into local or state policies such as the states’ ECE Quality Rating System recognizing educators’ work.
• Systematically connecting educators to nearby food producers in order to make local food access easier.
• Expanding and increasing communication and outreach systems to grow awareness of farm to CACFP opportunities; and
• Translating farm to CACFP materials for commonly spoken state languages for greater accessibility.

We encourage readers to stay engaged through The Dirt and follow along with ASPHN’s progress on the USDA Farm to School website.

USDA Continues to Make MyPlate a Household Name

Recently, Dr. Caree Cotwright, Director of Nutrition Security and Health Equity at FNS, collaborated with the USDA FNS Southeast Regional Office (SERO) Team and the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy on a SERO MyPlate Regional Listening Session hosted by the Atlanta Community Food Bank in Georgia. Dr. Cotwright will host regional listening sessions in six other regions throughout the summer and fall. These sessions aim to equip stakeholders to use MyPlate to support nutrition education and increase health equity. Please email Dr. Cotwright at caree.cotwright@usda.gov if you are interested in participating or want to meet with her to share your successes, barriers, and ideas for making MyPlate a household name. She would love to hear from Patrick Leahy Farm to School grantees and the broader local food systems community. She will host a MyPlate Listening Session at the Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior Annual Conference on Tuesday, July 30, at 8:00am ET.

USDA Summer EBT Outreach Toolkit

UDSA Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer Program for Children, also known as Summer EBT or SUN Bucks, officially launches this summer! Summer EBT provides grocery-buying benefits to income-eligible families with school-aged children when schools are closed for the summer. Families are income eligible if they receive benefits like SNAP or TANF or meet the income requirements for free or reduced-price school meals. Most families will be automatically enrolled, but some will need to apply for the program. USDA has created an outreach toolkit to help implementing agencies promote the new program and help ensure families understand how to use their benefits. The Toolkit contains various factsheets, branding guides, and customizable outreach resources. For more information on Summer EBT in your State, territory, or Indian Tribal Organization, click here. 

Shelburne Farms Farm to School Leadership Academy

The Shelburne Farms Institute for Sustainable Schools is offering its first-ever Farm to School Leadership Academy, which will bring together leaders and aspiring leaders dedicated to food systems education in schools and early childhood settings. Participants will explore principles of transformational leadership, systems change, and community support to enhance and strengthen their ongoing farm to school efforts. Educators, coordinators, and leaders working in farm to school and food education in preK-12 settings are eligible to apply.

Team Nutrition Training Grant

On May 16, 2024, USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) released a Request for Applications for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Team Nutrition Training Grants for Meal Pattern Modernization and Retention and Mentorship Opportunities. State agencies that administer the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) are eligible to apply. This grant will help State agencies build capacity for future implementation of the Final Rule-Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent with the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and address the residual COVID-19 effects on staff retention in school meal programs. Through a competitive process, FNS expects to award approximately $9.6 million in total funding, up to $800,000 per State agency, for use over a three-year grant period.