Reports from the Field


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As the farm to school movement grows, this newsletter highlights pivotal policies, news, publications, and events. Please contact us if you have any comments or suggestions.

Please make note of the upcoming deadlines below including the end of this week and the end of the month.

Spotlight

Present at the 5th National Farm to Cafeteria Conference

Do have a project to share for a poster session? Or want to lead a workshop on innovative distribution routes from farm to cafeteria? Then submit now!

The National Farm to School Network seeks proposals for workshops and a poster session at its 5th National Farm to Cafeteria Conference in Detroit, Michigan, May 17 – 19, 2010.

Please note that the overarching goal of the conference is to include information on all forms of institutional food purchasing. Food safety, youth advocacy, infrastructure development, grant writing, economic development, research, food service innovation and much more are meant to apply to Farm to Cafeteria in its broadest sense, including but not limited to K-12 schools, pre-schools, day care centers, colleges, hospitals, prisons and other institutions.

The deadline is Friday, January 15th for submission. Submit proposals at http://farmtocafeteriaconference.com/5e

 

Featured Profile

USDA Farm to School Tactical Team Site Visits

Do you want the USDA to visit your school to help advance Farm to School?

Apply now! Deadline: January 31, 2010

“If you are a school district interested in being considered for a USDA Farm to School Tactical Team visit, please contact the USDA."

Districts will have until January 31, 2010, to send in their request for consideration. All you have to submit is the school district name, city, state, and your contact information. The school’s Food Service Director will receive an e-mail from the USDA Farm to School Team containing more information about the visit.

The USDA Tactical Team will conduct visits to nine schools to learn about a school district's Farm to School efforts including how the activities first began; the relationship between growers and the school district; what obstacles exist or were faced along the way; and the effects the activities have had on the school and the community.

The Tactical Team plans to visit nine sites that offer the following:

* Regional representation of the Nation
* Rural, urban, suburban, tribal schools
* Large and small school districts
* Operating as: self-operated, vended and Food Service Management Company
* Various distribution models
* Representing different stages of Farm to School implementation
* Practicing new or innovative ideas of incorporating Farm to School activities

If you have further questions, please email farmtoschool@fns.usda.gov.

USDA Farm to School website
Site Visit Form

Funding

Welch's Harvest Grants

This year, in partnership with Scholastic, Welch’s will support school garden programs through Welch’s Harvest Grants .

Entries will be judged by experts at the National Gardening Association, and two schools in every state will be selected to receive a Welch’s Harvest Grant. Winning schools will receive a customized indoor or outdoor garden package filled with a variety of tools, seeds, educational materials, and more. Deadline for submission is February 6, 2010.

Apply here: http://www.scholastic.com/harvest/

 

New Midwest RLA

National Center for Agriculture Technology is the new Midwest Regional Lead Agency

Congratulations to the new Midwest Regional Lead Agency, the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT).

As the regional lead agency, NCAT is the hub for Farm to School activities in the Midwest region, which encompasses North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Iowa, and Missouri. In this role, NCAT supports the National Network in areas of policy, information, media, and networking opportunities as well as training and technical assistance for individuals working on farm to school issues. Look for more information about NCAT in the coming months.

Contact:

Hannah Lewis
National Center for Appropriate Technology
521 E. Locust St., Ste. 220
Des Moines, Iowa 50309
(515)288-0460

A Taste of Winter News

Leaders of the Pack: Farm to School Programs Feed Kids Across the Country

by Kathy Shorr. Simple Steps.

Quietly, whether in rural communities or large cities, schools are finding novel ways to feed kids healthier, locally grown food, often cultivated by the children themselves as part of the curriculum. You might picture this as the province of wealthy school districts only, but the hundreds of farm to school programs across the country include places like the Baltimore public schools, where over 83% of the students qualify for free- and reduced-rate meals. Read the entire article.

Tater tots out, apples in

By DREW KERR. Poststar.

Little Debbie has left the building. So have the French fries, the high-fructose fruit snacks, the faux chicken nuggets and the packages of potato chips - items previously available to students in the Saratoga Springs City School District during their lunch hour. Read the entire article.

Farm to School Pen Pals

by vermont grand view farm.

This is the third year that Vermont Grand View Farm has participated in the Northeast Organic Farming Association's (NOFA) farm to school pen pal program. NOFA helps match classrooms with individual farmers who are willing to form relationships with the children through letter writing. NOFA's goal is to increase community awareness of local agriculture, sustainable farm practices, and enhance student learning through local resources. Read the entire article.

 

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