6th National Farm to School Conference
August 2-5, 2012, Burlington, Vermont
This year's conference will be Digging In! to all things Farm to Cafeteria! Registration opened May 7th. The Early Bird registration rate is $290. Learn more about registration here! Visit the Lodging page for accommodation information.
Farm to Cafeteria is Digging In! Whether you are new to the movement or have years of wisdom to share, the 6th National Farm to Cafeteria Conference: Digging In! is a great opportunity to network, build skills and get energized!
The conference will bring together food service professionals, farmers, educators, policy makers, representatives from government agencies and nonprofits, entrepreneurs, students and others who are breaking down barriers and expanding the impact of Farm to Cafeteria.
There will be skill-building short-courses, field trips to innovative Vermont farms and institutions, a diverse workshop program, and plenty of opportunities to network with inspiring individuals from across the country.
USDA Farm to School Grant Application Available Now!
The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 established a Farm to School Program to help implement FTS programs. On April 17, 2012, the USDA announced the first round of grant opportunities: Planning grants of $20,000 - $45,000; and Implementation grants of $65,000 - $100,000 are available.
The request for applications is available at USDA Farm to School as well as on Grants.gov. Deadline for the Letter of Intent (not required) is May 18th, 2012. Deadline for the full application, which must be submitted through Grants.gov, is June 15th, 2012.
Check out these three Surveys
1. Nominate Colorado Farm to School Champions!
By and large, Farm to School has been a grassroots movement in Colorado and across the country. While it is extremely important to have organizations devoted to FTS or state and county agencies supporting FTS, it really is the people in schools and communities that MAKE IT HAPPEN!
We want to highlight those Farm to School Champions and thank them for all they are doing. If you know of a Farm to School Champion - a teacher, parent, youth, school food service director, producer, or community member -- please nominate them today!
2. Colorado Farm to School Community Outreach
The Colorado Farm to School Project and the Colorado Farm to School Task Force is seeking information about interest in holding Farm to School community or regional convenings. These events can be as simple as providing in-person presentations/information at existing group’s meetings to holding a full day convening that brings together school food service directors and producers to address processes around farm to school bidding and selling that meets the needs of your school and the local producers.
If you think your group or area would benefit from a customized farm to school event AND you would be willing to help identify and recruit key stakeholders to the event, please complete the information survey.
3. Colorado Farm to School Producer Survey
Many exciting direct marketing opportunities are opening up in Colorado, including selling directly to schools. The CO-FTS is ramping up its technical assistance to producers for the 2012 year. If you are a producer selling to schools or might be interested in selling to schools, please take a few minutes to complete the online survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ftsproducer.
What is farm to school?
Farm to school programs connect K-12 schools with local growers of fruit, vegetables and other fresh produce. The goal of farm to school programs is to improve student nutrition, encourage health, nutrition, and food supply education, and support local and regional farmers. Click here to learn more (PDF)
What are the benefits?
Farm to school programs are widely considered beneficial for produce-receiving schools and produce-supplying farmers.
With more than 30 million children eating lunch at schools five days a week, 180 days a year, school lunch is an important aspect of the educational system. Farm to school brings healthy, local food to student’s trays, while simultaneously teaching about the environmental and nutritional benefits of utilizing local farming.
By linking farms and schools, farmers can now have access to this market of 30 million people, which was previously only available to national food distributors. This new direct market reduces the financial and environmental costs of transporting food long distances, and ensures that local educational institutions will be encouraging healthy eating habits through the use of local growers.
According to the National Farm to School Network, FTS programs are a good model for:
- Promoting health eating habits in children and reducing their risk for obesity and related health disorders
- Providing children access to local, healthy and fresh foods
- Facilitating education about nutrition, food and agriculture through curriculum and activity-based or experiential learning
- Increasing school lunch participation and thereby revenues for the school
- Opening up new markets and increasing revenues for farmers
- Generating community support and awareness about local food systems and agriculture
- Keeping agricultural land as open space
- Influencing policymakers at local, state and federal level about a variety of issues such as school food and school environments, food assistance programs, support for local food systems and agriculture, and promoting healthy eating and lifestyle choices in our communities.
For more information on FTS benefits, click here (PDF)
Colorado Farm to School Task Force
In 2010, the Colorado General Assembly created the Colorado Farm to School Task Force to "study, develop, and recommend policies and methods to best implement a Farm to School program. The thirteen member group meets quarterly. As of May 2011, it has crafted a road map of how to achieve "Collaborative, sustainable implementation of farm to school statewide" and is in the process of pursuing specific activities to support this vision.
Colorado Agriculture is Thriving
Colorado has a rich agricultural culture and economy. We have the farmland, know-how, and products to develop an extensive farm to school program statewide. Learn about Colorado's agriculture and see the potential to expand our local food system.
Colorado Agriculture videos:
Colorado Agriculture is essential to the state, contributing over $16 billion annually to the state's economy and ranking in the country's top 10 for production of nearly 30 agricultural products. Find out about Colorado's history, commodities, and people who help feed our families, neighbors, and the global market.
Colorado Production. Colorado is more than breathtaking landscapes. Look closely and you'll see fresh fruits, vegetables, and livestock. And you don't have to travel far to enjoy them!
Colorado Proud. By choosing to buy Colorado Proud, you not only get a superior product that is locally grown, fresher & more nutritious; but you also help Colorado's economy. Look for the Colorado Proud label. Better for you. Better for Colorado.
Get involved now!
Whether you are a parent, teacher, administrator, school board member, school food service staff, or producer, learn how to help your school and district develop a Farm to School Program. Click here for ideas (PDF)
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