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.

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]