National Farm to School Network

📣 Join Us for the Farm to ECE Local Food Purchasing Incentive Flash Talk Series! How can local food purchasing incentive programs (LFPIs) be designed to be accessible and feasible for Early Care and Education (ECEs)? While more than a dozen states have permanent LFPIs, only about half include ECEs. As the USDA rolls out a $200 million investment for ECEs to purchase local food, there's growing momentum to understand how LFPIs can best support local purchasing in ECE settings. Gain insights into how these programs can inform future policy design and bolster local food purchasing for ECEs across the nation. 🗓️ Webinar Series: National Farm to School Network and Association of State Public Health Nutritionists are hosting a two-part series exploring how state-level LFPIs can support farm to ECE procurement. Hear representatives from 10 states who will share experiences, challenges, and lessons learned from their respective programs. Session 1: VT | MN | PA | OR | CA 📅 Date: November 12, 2024 Session 2: MI | WA | IA | NM | DC 📅 Date: December 10, 2024 ⏰ Time: 2-3pm ET | 11-12pm PT 💻 Register now to join the conversation: https://lnkd.in/g4ZFQpSF

Are you doing farm to school or ECE work at a state agency or other statewide or national organization? Do you wish there were a formal training on farm to school and ECE? If yes, this may be for you! NFSN is excited to announce the Fundamentals of Farm to School & Adult and Child Food Program (CACFP), in collaboration with the USDA Food and Nutrition Service Community Food Systems Division. This training is: 🌱 Designed for employees in state agencies and other statewide orgs 🌱 A five-session course that teaches fundamental knowledge on farm to school & CACFP 🌱 Cost is waived for the first cohort ➡️ Learn more about this new opportunity and apply here: https://lnkd.in/eHpFWae9

Do you excel at all things event-planning and want to join the NFSN team to help plan our flagship event, the ✨ 10th National Farm to Cafeteria Conference ✨? We are hiring—apply to be our Conference Assistant! 🌱 This is a temporary position, November 2024 - July 2025 🌱 Part-time, 15 hours/week at $17/hour 🌱 Remote, with preference for candidates in Albuquerque, NM or surrounding area 🌱 Must be able to attend the 10th National Farm to Cafeteria Conference in Albuquerque, NM, June 2-6, 2025 in its entirety ➡️ Check out the full job description and apply by November 1: https://lnkd.in/dCU7bXGU

As part of National Farm to School Month, we spoke with Kyle Foley, Sustainable Seafood Director at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI), about their incredible sea to school program. By connecting students with fresh, locally sourced New England seafood, GMRI is helping to build sustainable food systems that benefit both people and the planet. From taste tests to culturally relevant recipes, GMRI’s work supports local fishermen, boosts student nutrition, and fosters awareness of where food comes from! Learn more about GMRI’s sea to school work and how they’re strengthening local food systems by building relationships between schools and seafood producers. Through partnerships and community-driven solutions, they’re ensuring that students not only enjoy delicious, healthy local seafood but also gain a deeper understanding of sustainable food systems. 🌎 Read the full blog post here 👉 https://bit.ly/48erzgB

As a part of October's National Farm to School Month celebrations, we are excited to be part of Newman's Own Foundation's upcoming Farm to School roundtable discussion on Monday, October 21! ➡️ Register here to attend: https://lnkd.in/di3NpipQ As a proud grantee partner of Newman's Own Foundation, NFSN's Communications Manager, Jiyoon Chon, will be joining to discuss how our organization is working to advance food justice and farm to school across the nation. Join us to learn more about our current work to advance the farm to school movement and hear from other organizations working to increase access to locally grown, culturally relevant foods in schools. Speakers: ⭐ Jiyoon Chon (National Farm to School Network) ⭐ Julieth Callejas, (End Hunger Connecticut!) ⭐ Richard Elm-Hill, (First Nations Development Institute) ⭐ Christina Chauvenet (Newman's Own Foundation, moderator) ⭐ Alex Amouyel (CEO, Newman's Own Foundation) ➡️ Register: https://lnkd.in/di3NpipQ #farmtoschool #F2SMonth #foodjustice

📣 New grant opportunity for organizations working to connect BIPOC producers with large-scale institutional procurement opportunities, including schools! Check it out below ⬇

October is National Farm to School Month, a time to celebrate the connections happening all over the country between children and local food! Join Newman’s Own Foundation on October 21 from 3-4 pm ET for an engaging roundtable discussion with United States Department of Agriculture and several grantee partners working to increase access to locally grown, culturally relevant foods in schools.  Register: https://lnkd.in/eftqechu Speakers: Jiyoon Chon, National Farm to School Network Julieth Callejas, End Hunger Connecticut! Richard "Lotni" Elm-Hill, First Nations Development Institute Julie Brewer, USDA Food and Nutrition Service Christina Chauvenet, Newman’s Own Foundation, moderator Alexandra Amouyel, Newman’s Own Foundation CEO   Hear the latest from these leaders on how #farmtoschool approaches can help address food insecurity and advance #foodjustice for kids. #F2SMonth Art courtesy of National Farm to School Network in collaboration with artist Rachel Yumi Chung 

National Farm to School Network is honored to be one of the organizations receiving the 2024 Nutrition Education & School Food grant from Newman's Own Foundation! Congratulations to the other 20 grantees also doing amazing work in the food systems space! 👏

📣 TOMORROW is our anticipated annual Movement Meeting! ✨ We have an amazing line up of speakers who will join us tomorrow—make sure to register now at https://lnkd.in/e6wU4KYB. ⭐ Keynote speaker: elaini vargas is a citizen of the Kashia (Kashaya) Band of Pomo Indians of the Stewarts Point Rancheria, a coastal forest tribe. Currently living in Napa Valley, California, Elaini is the Youth Programs Director at the Intertribal Agriculture Council, where she works to provide amazing opportunities to the next generation of youth leaders. ⭐ Panel: Decolonizing Nutrition Science: Equity and Culture in Mind 👤 Facilitator: Natalia Santos, MPH, University of Nebraska 👤 Panelist: Denee Bex, MPH, RD, LD, CDCES, Tumbleweed Nutrition 👤 Panelist: Anjali Prasertong, MPH, RDN, Antiracist Dietitian 👤 Panelist: Shyla Cadogan, RD, LDN, HealthyShyla ➡️ Visit https://lnkd.in/e6wU4KYB to register now for free! Thank you to our Movement Meeting sponsors, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, National Education Association, CoBank, and National Co+op Grocers!

🏴☠️ It’s National School Lunch Week 🥗 Get ready to explore the tasty treasures awaiting you in the cafeteria. Who’s excited to dig into some tasty treasures this week? Visit https://bit.ly/3Yi8F5f to learn more and access free resources! #SchoolLunchPirates #NSLW24