Are you an advocate of universal school meals for all children? The National Farm to School Network has released a new resource as part of our “Who’s At the Table?” campaign, created to support the work of NFSN Partners, food system researchers, advocates, and policymakers.

Check out this webinar for a review of different designs of statewide incentive programs explored in a recent report released on the subject, and learn about support available for policy advocacy and education. Results from a national survey were also shared, highlighting the educational needs and values of stakeholders interested in learning more about procurement incentives.

This handy toolkit will provide you with step-by-step instructions, talking points, and further resources for you to reach out to your local candidates. Take 5 minutes TODAY to reach out to your local candidates and let them know that you care about school meals. 

In 2021, the National Farm to School Network and Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems surveyed early care and education (ECE) providers across the country to better understand current initiatives, motivations and challenges in applying farm to ECE activities in early care and education settings.

This fact sheet explores strategies states can take to integrate farm to early care and education (ECE) into their Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS) standards, including case studies and sample language. 

The Farm to Early Care and Education Shared Metrics resource is intended for farm to ECE practitioners and evaluators to guide planning, implementation, research, evaluation, and reporting efforts. The resource consists of a resource guide, a library of metrics specific to farm to ECE, and an orientation video.

This guide provides descriptions of actionable and timely funding streams, including an overview of the funding eligibility requirements, allowed uses, timeline, flow of funds, and strategies for action.

This curriculum provides activities and resources with which to build rich lessons and experiences that will push students into a further understanding of hydroponics, growing food, caring for the land, and more.

National Farm to School Network's 2021 virtual Movement Meeting featured conversation and action-oriented reflection on how the next generation is working to intersect the food movement with racial justice, environmental justice, economic justice, and other key justice-centered movements.

A list of all the farm to early care and education curricula available through the National Farm to School Network. This list was initially created and most recently updated October 2021.

This Farm to ECE Self-Assessment from the National Farm to School Network (NFSN) and the Association of State Public Health Nutritionists (ASPHN) is designed to help ECE providers and those who work with ECE providers assess their current farm to ECE practices and develop goals and action plans to grow farm to ECE at their site.

Healthier Generation and Kaiser Permanente's evidence-based tool to help schools and districts build learning environments that promote student achievement and support the well-being of kids, staff, and teachers.

‍Discovering Through Hydroponics includes basic how-to information for growing plants hydroponically in your classroom; lesson plans to help students learn the basics of plant needs, plant parts and their functions, and plant life cycles from seed to seed through hands-on investigations; construction plans for simple hydroponic setups; and additional reference materials to support your endeavors.

In this panel discussion, hear from three leaders who share their perspectives, experience, and expertise in shifting power to communities through racial equity-centered evaluation.

This infographic highlights emerging funding streams and immediate opportunities created through the American Rescue Plan (ARP).

This training discusses best practices to ensure that farm to school language is included in Local School Wellness Policies and that the language ensures the engagement of the school community in implementing farm to school efforts.

This report and fact sheet examine how the Washington, D.C. Healthy Tots Act (HTA) and the Local5 component influence ECE site local food purchasing practices and impact local food intermediaries and local producers, with a focus on HTA impacts on low-income children and children of color as well as BIPOC producers.

The State Farm to School Policy Handbook: 2002-2020 summarizes and analyzes farm to school bills and resolutions introduced between January 1, 2002, and December 31, 2020, from the 50 states, DC, and the U.S. territories. It also includes analysis of state legislative trends, summaries of proposed bills, case studies, and additional resources for advocates.

The Policy Equity Group and the National Farm to School Network, with support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, are pleased to jointly release this brief that captures how farm to early care and education (ECE) efforts at the state and community levels were initially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Infographic report on local food sourcing best practices, challenges, and successes from a 2019-2021 research project tracking the activities of four Georgia ECE purchasers.

On this webinar recording, learn about the Farm to School Institute model, the evidence base behind its design, the key components of farm to school sustainability, and how the Institute is being adapted across the country.

This case study from The Common Market highlights how its Farm-Fresh Box Program brought normalcy to families throughout New Jersey and Texas, increased healthy food access and participation in meal programs, and created revenue for small to mid-scale family farmers during COVID-19.

Search your area by zip code and distance for farmers markets, on-farm markets, CSA's and food hubs. Information on locations, products available, payments accepted, winter markets, etc. available.

As part of the Kellogg-funded Farm to Early Care and Education project in North Carolina, North Carolina State University developed this guide and decisions tree to support and advance local food purchasing in ECE sites.

Collards year-round; green peas mostly in May?! Use this guide to plan menus and purchase produce that is in season in NC. Buying produce in season is fresher, tastier and often times less expensive. This is especially helpful for knowing when seasonal, cycle menus may need to change.

Seasonal menus (meeting CACFP and NC DCDEE requirements) featuring NC produce. The menus include breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks with links to standardized recipes. A blank template is also available to customize the menus to your facility.

Never grown an edible garden but would like to start by growing some edibles in containers? This resource provides suggestions for how to get started.

This series has 8 publications all related to building the best garden for your childcare center. The publications include details on creating a childcare garden, growing and preparing fruits and vegetables in both warm and cool seasons, snacking and cooking techniques and composting techniques

When should I start seeds indoors so they are ready to transplant outdoors in the spring? This resource gives specific answers to this question for several types of plants.

Welcome to our Farm to School bookshelf! Search the ever-growing database to find our recommendations, which are perfect for teaching about gardening, cooking, farms, or food. Use our list to find literature for the classroom, home, or even to start your own Farm to School book collection.

Exploring local food and farms with your young learners doesn't have to be challenging! These preschool lesson plans are an easy way to build connections between the outdoor environment and the classroom while introducing children to new fruits and vegetables.

Shows MyPlate food group items available in North Carolina (or any state).

A self-paced on-demand module that will equip out-of-school time staff and stakeholders with the knowledge and resources to integrate farm to school strategies into their out-of-school time programming.

This resource helps child care centers and family child care homes integrate farm to ECE activities into their curriculum while addressing the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS).

Pint Size Produce features produce and products grown in the midwest. Each activity suite includes an activity plan, a parent handout, and a half page flier highlighting key information. They are available in PDF as well as PowerPoint formats so providers and others can modify to meet their needs.

National Farm to School Network hosted a virtual Movement Meeting on Wednesday, Oct.14, 2020, featuring Karen Washington, food justice activist, for deep conversation and action-oriented reflection on racial justice in the farm to school movement and wider food system.

The purpose of this document is to share the vision for long-term impacts of farm to ECE, offer a comprehensive list of key strategies to advance towards that vision, and to elevate examples and resources that demonstrate these key strategies in action.

This resource and accompanying website offer reasons why farm to ECE can be helpful during the challenges and uncertainty of the Covid-19 pandemic and provides tips for putting farm to ECE into action.

The purpose of this guide is to cover the most important components of farm to early care and education and give you a few tips to get started.

This resource lists reasons why farm to ECE is even more relevant during a pandemic and a post-pandemic world in supporting providers in meeting the needs of children and families. This information can provide talking points and help you connect to interested providers, families, communities, and stakeholders to help build or rebuild farm to ECE initiatives and activities.

This fact sheet outlines some of the promising practices that school nutrition providers, early care and education centers, community partners, and state agencies have seen during COVID-19 while supporting local farmers and producers in accessing markets, and helping families in accessing healthy food.

View this farm to ECE resource created by NFSN's Farm to ECE Working Group on farm to early care and education local food purchasing.

Farm to school programs provide a variety of benefits to students, parents, schools, communities and farmers. This fact sheet offers a research-based overview of the benefits of farm to school and a list of sources.

Farm to early care and education (ECE) happens where early care and education and food systems meet. Although we are often working towards the same goals, it can be difficult for food systems and early care and education to communicate because there is not a shared language. This resource from Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems aims to begin a conversation between early care and education providers and food systems practitioners to work towards developing a shared language and fuller understanding of the common purpose we are working towards.

Exploring Hydroponics includes basic how-to information for growing plants hydroponically in your classroom; lesson plans to help students learn through hands-on investigations; construction plans for simple hydroponic setups; and additional reference materials to support your endeavors.

National Farm to School Network is compiling local policy asks to create a COVID-19 Local Response Template for advocates. You can pull ideas from this template, and make changes as needed, to address the needs of your community.

In times of crisis, community-based relationships are vital in supporting continued healthy food access, community well being, and producer viability. Learn about starting a Mutual Aid Pod in your neighborhood with this infographic.