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This Week in Farm to School
September 23, 2021
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Farm to school connects local agriculture, schools, and partners to benefit students, educators, farmers, families, and communities.
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We are pleased to re-introduce the Farm to School Coalition of NC newsletter. Thank you all so much for your patience while we got the newsletter back up and running again! Please send any newsletter articles or resources to kblackb@ncsu.edu.
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North Carolina Webinars & Events |
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Racial Equity in Farm to School Training Series
Virtual Workshop 2021 Session IV: Curriculum/School Food
September 28 // 3-5pm EST
How do we translate what we've learned into learning opportunities for the classroom and/or for our School Nutrition programs? Please join us for session four of our Racial Equity in Farm to School series to discuss this prompt further. This two-hour workshop series will be led by the team from we are.
*Hosted by the Farm to School Coalition of NC
Conversations of Food Justice: Overcoming Barriers to Land Access
September 30 // 4-5pm EST
One of the greatest barriers to just agriculture is equitable access to land. Through a history of land grabs and forced migration, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color have been separated from their land, worsening systemic inequities. Over the past 100 years, Black-owned farmland in U.S. has declined by roughly 98 percent. Savi Horne, Executive Director of Land Loss Prevention Project, and Malik Yakini, Executive Director of the Detroit Black Community Food Security Network, will talk about the impacts of land loss on rural and urban communities and what we can do to break down these barriers.
*Co-hosted by Toxic Free NC and Pinehurst Farmers Market
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National Webinars & Events |
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The Role of Racial Equity in SNAP-Ed Part 1: Bringing Racial Equity into the Conversation
September 23, 2021 // 4-5:15pm EST
In this interactive, 75-minute session, we start a discussion of how SNAP-Ed activities can be implemented to advance racial equity by framing the issue of racial equity in SNAP-Ed, the directive from the USDA, the definition of racial equity and how we can work to engage communities to advance racial equity. We will end with time for questions and reflection.
*Co-hosted by ASNNA Race, Health + Social Equity Committee – Call-to-Action Subcommittee, SNAP-Ed Toolkit Team, and the SNAP-Ed Connection
Emerging Issues in Child Nutrition Reauthorization
September 27, 2021 // 12pm EST
Every five years, Child Nutrition Reauthorization (CNR) provides Congress with an opportunity to revisit and update the Child Nutrition and school meal programs that it authorizes. Programs such as summer and after-school meals, school breakfast and lunch, and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) fall under this umbrella, and their implementation has changed greatly in the last few years in response to COVID-19 as well as technological changes and changing trends in areas as diverse as school food procurement and the spread of telehealth.
*Hosted by the Council on Food, Agriculture, & Resource Economics.
Recorded Webinar: Shifting Power Through Racial Equity-Centered Evaluation Webinar
Evaluation, at its best, has the potential to drive change and uplift and build power in communities. Historically, research and evaluation has been used as a tool to validate the lived experience of impacted communities, instead of answering the questions and measuring the outcomes that impacted communities deem most valuable. Approaching evaluation with a foundation of equity and justice is a vital component in moving towards the National Farm to School Network's Call to Action, that 100% of communities hold power in a racially just food system. Racial equity-centered evaluation requires an intentional approach to understanding the historically extractive nature of evaluation, the importance of self-reflection in the evaluator role, the need for community led approaches, and thoughtfulness in what we aim to measure. In this panel discussion, hear from three leaders in this work who share their perspectives, experience, and expertise in shifting power to communities through racial equity-centered evaluation.
*Hosted by the National Farm to School Network
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Register for the N.C. Crunch 2021 |
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The N.C. Crunch, co-hosted by the Farm to School Coalition of North Carolina and N.C. Farm to Preschool Network, is designed to celebrate agriculture, nutrition, and farm to school activities.
This year's N.C. Crunch is scheduled for Wednesday, October 20, 2021 but you can plan to participate any time during October that works for you in celebration of Farm to School and Farm to Early Care and Education Month. Plan now for produce orders and educational activities and and reach out to local partners who can help. Utilize this opportunity to recognize and thank our agriculture, education, and school and early care and education nutrition heroes who make farm to school activities possible!
Sign up now for the 2021 N.C. Crunch to receive a free guide with tips and resources so that you are ready to crunch this fall.
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Child Nutrition Act Reauthorization 2021
As Congress takes up the next Child Nutrition Act Reauthorization (CNR), we have an important opportunity - the first in a decade - to leverage federal farm to school and other Child Nutrition policies to shift power towards a racially just food system. Together with our network, we can call on all Members of Congress to show their commitment to the well-being of our nation's kids, family farmers, and food-producing communities by strengthening farm to school and advancing racial equity opportunities in the next CNR.
Federal Budget Reconciliation Includes Wins for Farm to School
Congress is currently negotiating a budget reconciliation package that offers new funding for a broad range of issues important to farm to school and early care and education stakeholders. This bill is a rare opportunity to secure significant new funding and advance equity in Child Nutrition, education, worker protections, rural communities, and climate-resilient agriculture.
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The Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS), one of our Farm to School Coalition of NC partners, has created a document of current webinars as well as resources to facilitate engagement and learning around Racial Equity, both in general and especially as it relates to food systems and education.
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National Farm to School Network |
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Be Our Partner! Announcing NFSN’s New Partnership Structure – Last year, National Farm to School Network (NFSN) issued a bold, new Call to Action for ourselves and for the wider food system: By 2025, 100% of communities will hold power in a racially just food system. We share this Call to Action as a pressing need that none of us can reach alone. It’s going to take all of us, and it’s achievable if we each offer our time, talents, and resources to make it happen.
As part of our work to get us there, National Farm to School Network is restructuring and broadening our network of partners to ensure that our organization reflects our commitment to shifting power and achieving a racially just food system. We seek Partner organizations from all 50 states, Washington D.C., the five U.S. territories, and Native nations to join us in moving on our Call to Action.
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Big Green Jumpstart
Deadline: September 28, 2021
Thanks to the support of a generous donor and the resources developed over the last year by Big Green and other incredible organizations like Green Schoolyards America, the Children and Nature Network, and the School Garden Support Organization Network, Big Green Jumpstart is offering $2,000 flash grants to schools across America.
2022 Budding Botanist Grant
Deadline: October 29, 2021
The 2022 Budding Botanist grant is now open! In partnership with the @kloraneusa Botanical Foundation, Kids Gardening will award $1,000 to eighteen high-schools across the United States to support their youth garden programs.
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Farm to School Resource Hub |
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@bug2school
Follow @bug2school feed on Instagram. Each week it will be updated with information about insects that the University of Georgia students are observing in their garden. They also have a small collection of short "garden bug" videos that help students appreciate the arthropods they are likely to find in school gardens.
Share #StrongerwithSchoolMeals Resources
#StrongerwithSchoolMeals educational materials from the USDA Team Nutrition are fun and colorful resources to support the reopening of school in School Year 2021-22. These materials are designed to be used by teachers and other school staff, parents, and students to promote school meals. Included materials:
- One (1) infographic for teachers/parents
- One (1) activity booklet for elementary-aged students
- Five (5) stickers for elementary-aged students
- Two (2) buttons for School Nutrition professionals
- Two (2) Thank You cards for School Nutrition professionals
Article: The Next Chapter for Farm to School: Milling Whole Grains in the Cafeteria
A new pilot in California is purchasing a mill for a school cafeteria, marking the next step in years-long effort to bring local, whole grains to schools around country.
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Like the Farm to School Coalition of NC (@F2SCoalitionNC) on Facebook for more resources and community stories. Tag us in your Farm to School posts so that you can be featured on our Facebook page! |
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