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.

As the federal government continues to develop legislation to address the COVID-19 pandemic, National Farm to School Network urges policymakers to respond to this emergency in ways that will advance a more just food system.

In this document, find a summary of information about how the federal government has done so far to allow farm to school and ECE programs to adapt during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gro More Good Learning Activities is a series of 72 free lessons focused on the four seasons of a garden.

Families and children are confronting stress and uncertainty in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Parents, caretakers, and early care and education providers may be looking for ways to encourage play-based learning that can teach children critical skills pertaining to this crisis - especially those related to social-emotional health. This resource from Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems outlines farm to ECE activities that can be helpful for continuing to cultivate young children's emotional wellness during this time.

National Farm to School Network has compiled information and resources related to online ordering and payment platforms accessible to small farmers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

National Farm to School Network Partners have shared these examples for how communities are working to keep students engaged with gardening activities during school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Compiled resources related to COVID-19 that will be relevant to the farm to school and farm to ECE community.

Policy Lessons and Levers for Promoting Early Childcare & Education

The NE Iowa Farm to School Cycle Menu was created by school food service directors as an easy way to incorporate more Iowa-grown foods onto school lunch trays.

The CACFP Seasonal Menus are designed to inspire programs to use seasonal, locally grown foods when possible. The menus are four-week cycle menus with a breakfast, lunch/supper, and snack.

Current literature and research article about farm to early card and education. This list was updated March 2020.

This handbook was developed to provide child and adult nutrition programs in Alabama with instructions for the purchase of raw unprocessed agricultural products as defined by the USDA, Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) in 7 CFR 210.21(g), 7 CFR 226.22(n), and related guidance.

This resource includes information about finding and choosing a farm and CSA share that is right for your program, how to use the produce in the classroom and for snacks or meals, and how to fund a CSA subscription.

The webinar recording features district-run school garden program directors from a small, medium and large school district sharing their experience and expertise in launching and maintaining district run garden programs.

This freely available manual was developed in response to an expressed need to help guide would-be greenhouse managers and educators as their schools explore ways to build new infrastructure or reinvest in existing greenhouse facilities.

National Farm to School Network's monthly webinar series featured innovation and emerging issues in farm to school. Click here to watch recording of past webinars.

On this webinar, three schools shared how they���ve used the Farm to School Playbook to put together successful nutrition celebrations with blueberries.

All six New England states have some form of policy encouraging or requiring that institutions purchase local food products, including farm to school policies. Yet the laws differ from state to state, and in many cases, aren���t particularly effective. These are the findings outlined in this 2019 report.

In this resource, the National Farm to School Network���s Farm to Early Care and Education Working Group outlines a vision for the future of farm to ECE and details key strategies at the local, state, tribal and national level to achieve this vision.

This manual further clarifies the procurement requirements that this State Agency requires all institutions to follow in order to comply with the Federal procurement processes and charge of program expenditures.

This memorandum provides guidance to farm to ECE supporting organizations on connecting with and supporting Head Start applicants in incorporating farm to ECE into their reapplication.

National Farm to School Network staff members share their assessment tool that helps to identify inequities embedded within programs and policy and support decision-making to advance racial and social equity.

This toolkit details how Georgia early care providers can purchase and use more local foods while following Child and Adult Care Program (CACFP) regulations. The toolkit is also useful for providers not currently participating in CACFP.

Webinar Recording: This Webinar Wednesday session hosted by the School Nutrition Association offered an overview of farm to school, including why it matters and how it supports the goals of child nutrition program, promoting successes, and evaluating your activities. This webinar was recorded on May 22, 2019.

Esta gu??a provee instrucciones paso-a-paso y herramientas interactivas que programas de MSHS puedan utilizar para empezar la compra y el uso de alimentos locales.

The objective of this study was to identify and prioritize factors to inform tailored farm to school implementation by practitioners working in diverse contexts.

"Sharing the Table: A Roadmap to Reducing and Recovering Surplus Food in Schools" shares programs that can help school staff redirect food that was assembled for student meals but not eaten. Instead of being wasted, much of this type of surplus food can be given away for later consumption by students, their families and the community.

The 2018 Annual Report of the National Farm to School Network.

Developed to support states in the Association of State Public Health Nutritionists Farm to Early Care and Education Mini-CoIIN, this webinar provides a high level overview of resources and best practices for programmatic implementation of all three core elements of farm to early care and education. The webinar also provides guidance on successful state level strategies to promote sustained state-wide farm to early care and education initiatives.

This fact sheet takes a look at states��� progress towards implementing three complementary strategies to advance farm to school at the state level: (1) state farm to school networks, (2) state farm to school positions, and (3) state farm to school policies.

This resource is intended to help advance National Farm to School Network���s racial and social equity priority by increasing our understanding of the work in the context of structural, institutional, and interpersonal racism. This tool is designed to be utilized by our national staff, Core and Supporting Partners, Advisory Board, and farm to school stakeholders.

Schools across the country are applying organic principles to the three core elements of farm to school - local food procurement, schools gardens, and food and agriculture education. This fact sheet shares keys to success for integrating organics in farm to school practices and highlights three case studies of school districts finding success with organic practices.

The Local Food Act asks agencies to set a goal of at least 20% of the agency���s purchases of food products to be spent on local food and it requires agencies to provide information on their local food procurement budget.

The toolkit includes a primer on general network models and development, a deep dive into state farm to school network best practices, case studies highlighting successful tools and tactics, and an analysis on challenges for and the future of state farm to school networks.

This quarterly NFSN webinar series provides a brief highlight of a new or innovate farm to school or farm to early care and education resource. Webinars will take place the third Wednesday of February, May, August and November from 3-4 PM ET. Registration & recordings available here.

All of National Farm to School Network's current fact sheets and outreach materials are gathered here. Download these PDFs, print and distribute.

An act to establish a farm to school and early childhood education program; to create the position of a farm to school and early childhood education program coordinator within the Arkansas Agriculture Departments; and for other purposes.

The American Indian Traditional Foods in USDA Meals Programs: A Wisconsin Farm to School Toolkit is a new resource to help source, menu, credit, and use more traditional foods in school meal programs.

This guide provides questions to consider when forming a relationship with a school to sell produce.

These 7 Food Education Standards provide a straightforward framework for all stakeholders to integrate food education throughout the school day.

This resource includes a list of existing state farm to school positions - both in state agencies and in university Extension offices - four state case studies, an analysis of the current landscape of state farm to school positions, and sample job descriptions for some of the positions featured in the resource.

This fact sheet reviews how local school wellness policies and city purchasing policies can support and prioritize farm to school.

This fact sheet explores opportunities for farm to school practitioners to partner with non-profit hospitals and how hospital can provide resources to support farm to school and foster public health.

The toolkit builds off the successes and safety protocols of five school districts across the United States to provide templates and a step-by-step process to help District Food Services develop their own protocols.

This paper presents a framework for evaluating the economic impacts of farm-to-school programs, adapting the USDA���s ���Local Food Economics Toolkit��� for this specific context. The approach combines primary and secondary data to customize an input-output model, reflecting the complex supply chains that link producers and schools.

These State Farm to School Profiles (one for every state, DC and the U.S. territories) include a snapshot of state farm to school activities, partnerships, administrative efforts, enacted policies, and federal support for farm to school within the state.

Farm to Keiki is a brand new Farm to School lesson and recipe book written for Hawaii��s teachers and families. The 182 beautiful color pages make it easy to teach children healthy cooking, how to eat locally grown foods, how to grow a garden and about Hawaiis cultures and environment. The recommended age group is for children 3-9 years old.

This guide gives step-by-step instructions and interactive tools that MSHS programs can use to begin purchasing and using more local foods.

This study, utilizing results from a 2015 national survey of ECE providers, explores farm to ECE activities in settings serving high proportions of low-income children.

In 2018, the National Farm to School Network and Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems surveyed early care and education providers across the country to better understand current initiatives, motivations and challenges in applying farm to school activities in early care and education settings.

Esta hoja informativa ofrece ideas sobre c??mo puede involucrarse en el dise?�o y la promoci??n de pol??ticas que apoyen de la Finca a la Escuela. [Resource in Spanish]

Servir alimentos locales en comidas y refrigerios es gratificante, pero puede ser desafiante al principio. Aqu?? hay algunas ideas para ayudarle a que el servicio de alimentos locales sea exitoso en su centro. [Resource in Spanish]

Hay muchos tipos diferentes de actividades para proyectos de la finca a la educaci??n temprana. Una opci??n es servir alimentos locales, como frutas, verduras, prote??nas, l?�cteos y granos, en comidas y refrigerios. Aqu?? hay algunas ideas para ayudar a que el servicio de alimentos locales en su hogar sea un ?�xito. [Resource in Spanish]

Esta hoja informativa proporciona informaci??n b?�sica sobre la granja a la escuela y el papel que desempe?�a la Red Nacional de la Finca a la Escuela en el movimiento de la Finca a la escuela. [Resource in Spanish]

The resources is a process guide for planning Native farm-to-school programs, as well as a guide for tribal officials to engage their leadership and create buy-in for the farm-to-school process.

October is National Farm to School Month. This Celebration Toolkit includes background information, activity ideas, communications tools, and a list of resources for implementing Farm to School Month celebrations in your community.

These resource, developed by The Policy Equity Group, align farm to ECE strategies with one of the most widely used ECE curricula���The Creative Curriculum��. The guides explores how teachers can use The Creative Curriculum�� for Preschool and The Creative Curriculum�� for Infants, Toddlers, & Twos as a foundation to embed farm to ECE learning opportunities into their existing practices.

This fact sheet offers ideas for how you can get involved in informing and advocating for policy that supports farm to school.

Suggestions to consider when planning a cafeteria site visit for Members of Congress or their congressional staff.

By partnering with a food hub, a school district can significantly increase its local food purchases. This publication provides information from a pilot program used to grow farm to school purchases in northeast Iowa.

A research project conducted in 2014-15 tested the benefits of a partnership between area school districts and the Northeast Iowa Food and Fitness Initiative's (FFI) Iowa Food Hub - a non-profit food aggregator and distributor. This publication provides information on the project and discusses challenges faced and opportunities available in providing fresh, local foods to Iowa schools.

Incorporating indigenous foods into education and meals in early care and education (ECE) settings offers many benefits, including increasing children���s knowledge of tribal history and food ways and strengthening cultural, spiritual, and social connections in the community.

"Save the Date" postcard to share information about National Farm to School Month. This postcard is formatted for a 5x7 print.

A list of partner organizations and resources for getting involved with farm to school in Iowa.

Links to slides and presentations from the 2018 Iowa Farm to School Conference.

This webinar is intended to inspire Extension educators who want to make racial equity a more intentional part of their work ��� and an introduction to resources and tools to help do so. Shorlette Ammons of North Carolina���s Center for Environmental Farming Systems introduces webinar participants to tools and language used in racial equity training. This webinar gives an introduction to greater conversations and work surrounding racial equity and food access. This webinar was hosted by the eXtension working group on Undoing Inequality in the Food System which is part of the eXtension Community, Local and Regional Community of Practice, and the MSU Center for Regional Food Systems.

Community Groundworks developed this fact sheet to help early care and education sites promote family engagement and partnership through farm to early care and education activities.

This webinar recording shares different opportunities and avenues to fundraise for farm to school activities at any level. Information is shared about the FarmRaiser fundraising platform, planning for the USDA Farm to School Grant Program application, and fundraising support available from the National Farm to School Network.

The purpose of this technical report is to describe Oregon���s legislative process with regard to farm to school and identify Oregon���s farm to school state policy design attributes that have successfully leveraged limited state resources to improve farm to school participation among school districts.

In this webinar, the National Farm to School Network, the Farm to Family Project, and Northeast Iowa Food and Fitness share innovative programs that are leveraging farm to ECE as a key to family engagement and, in doing so, increasing healthy food access, healthy behaviors, and healthy relationships for children, families and communities.

The purpose of the Georgia Farm to Early Care and Education Overview and Strategy report is to provide a: General overview of Farm to Early Care and Education national and state goals and status Review of the Spectrum of Opportunities for Georgia Farm to Early Care and Education Three-year strategy for the Georgia Farm to Early Care and Education Coalition

This survey study was designed to better understand Michigan vegetable farmers' interest and willingness to participate in institutional markets and to identify perceived barriers and opportunities.

Learn how this program helps Michigan children and families have better access to good food while supporting Michigan farmers and increasing season extension food production

This study investigated changes in Michigan school food service directors��� farm to school (FTS) participation levels and perspectives since a 2004 survey and factors that would facilitate FTS expansion.

NFSN offers recommendations for hosting state and regional farm to school events, including a list of resources, materials and support available from NFSN.

This document provides a history of farm to school related legislation in Oregon.

The New York State Ag and Market Harvest Chart is now available in English, Spanish, Russian, Bengali, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese. Farm to School champions in New York State may find these charts helpful in explaining seasonality in their community.

The New York State Ag and Market Harvest Chart is now available in English, Spanish, Russian, Bengali, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese. Farm to School champions in New York State may find these charts helpful in explaining seasonality in their community.

De la Finca a la Escuela ofrece m??ltiples estrategias para mejorar la salud de los ni?�os y las comunidades. Esta lista ofrece algunos primeros pasos sencillos para desarrollar un programa. [Resource in Spanish]

Los huertos escolares son una parte integral de los programas De la Finca a la Escuela y ofrecen una multitud de oportunidades educativas. Esta lista ofrece algunos primeros pasos sencillos para desarrollar un huerto escolar. [Resource in Spanish]

Esta hoja informativa ofrece una descripci??n general basada en la investigaci??n de los beneficios de la granja a la escuela y una lista de fuentes. [Resource in Spanish]

In honor of Multicultural Children���s Book Day, The Food Trust released this list of over a hundred books with farm to ECE themes that feature characters from Black, Latinx, Middle Eastern/Arab, First/Native Nations, Asian, and multiracial backgrounds.

In this webinar, NFSN partners and staff review NFSN's equity statement and farm to school practitioners share their successes and challenges with advancing equity through farm to school.

Rodale Institute, the birthplace of the organic movement, has put together this resource "My First Garden," to help teachers integrate school gardens into their classroom curriculum. This curriculum is designed for preschool or kindergarten children, but could be adapted to suit early elementary school needs.

Customize these templates to make procuring local beef easier using the formal or informal procurement process.

Use this decision tree to help determine which procurement process (micro, informal, formal) to use when purchasing local beef.

Get resources, ideas, and inspiration about farm to school in Montana.

Montana Crunch Time is an annual statewide event to celebrate National Food Day and National Farm to School Month in Montana by crunching into locally and regionally grown apples on a designated day. Download the Montana Crunch Time Guide and other resources annually.

The Montana Harvest of the Month program showcases Montana grown foods in Montana schools and communities. Each month, participating sites promoting one Montana grown or raised items by serving it in a meal, offering taste tests to students, and doing educational lessons and activities.

Read this case study report for tips and stories about how to bring local beef into schools.

If you like digging in the dirt, you might enjoy gardening, too. Growing a garden with your kids will help you learn about plants. You might grow flowers or vegetables in your yard or inside your home in containers. As you work to take care of your plants, you will need to make sure they get water and sun to grow.

A list of NFSN resource suggestions for exploring and understanding racial and social equity issues in our food system.

In this webinar learn from the National Farm to School Network and Natalie McKinney, Executive Director of the K?�kua Hawai��i Foundation and NFSN Hawai���i Core Partner, about the importance of advocacy and education with policy decision makers, and take away tips and tools for jumpstarting advocacy efforts in your own community.

In this webinar, the Policy Equity Group, the Food Trust, and the Center for Environmental Farming Systems share how they are evaluating internal structures and practices to prioritize equity and working towards programs and policies that place equity at the center of farm to ECE initiatives.

The National Farm to School Networks Theory of Change is grounded in our organizational Core Values, which reflect the spirit of inclusivity and collaboration with which NFSN was established, and embody the integration of equity, justice, mutual trust and respect in all elements of our work.

These reports showcase farm to school connections made, policies advanced and successes from across the country as reported by National Farm to School Network Core and Supporting Partners and staff.

This guide is intended to help Michigan State Head Start programs increase the amount of local foods they purchase and use for early care and education (ECE) programs serving children of migrant and seasonal farm workers.

The Question Keeper Database is a database of survey questions that allows you to build your own evaluation questionnaire. The Question Keeper recently expanded farm to school/early care and education content and is easily searchable by content areas and target audience.

Project Learning Garden provides numerous lesson activities or Explorations (organized thematically in Collections) for every grade level Early Childhood through 8th Grade.