Editor’s Note: This guest blog post by FoodCorps, an NSAC member, discusses the USDA’s proposed school nutrition and local sourcing guidelines to update nutrition standards for school meals. These recommendations build off of the work of school nutrition professionals to deliver nourishing food to students every day. The public comment period on the guidelines is open until April 10. … Read More →
Farm to School
Comment: NSAC Applauds Introduction of the Healthy Meals, Healthy Kids Act
The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) issued a comment praising the release of the House version of the Child Nutrition Reauthorization (CNR) the Healthy Meals, Healthy Kids Act…. Read More →
RELEASE: Farm to School Act of 2021 Will Support Child Nutrition Programs and Local Food Systems In Rebuilding From Pandemic
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contacts:Anna MullenNational Farm to School Networkanna@farmtoschool.org Wes KingNational Sustainable Agriculture Coalitionpress@sustainableagriculture.net Farm to School Act of 2021 Will Support Child Nutrition Programs and Local Food Systems In Rebuilding From Pandemic National Farm to School Network and National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition urge support for the Act, emphasizing farm to school’s proven impacts for […]
RELEASE: Farm to School Act of 2021 Would Strengthen Support For Local Food Systems And Child Nutrition Programs As Communities Rebuild From Pandemic
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contacts:Anna MullenNational Farm to School Networkanna@farmtoschool.org / (515) 210-2483 Wes KingNational Sustainable Agriculture Coalitionpress@sustainableagriculture.net Farm to School Act of 2021 Would Strengthen Support For Local Food Systems And Child Nutrition Programs As Communities Rebuild From PandemicNational Farm to School Network and National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition urge support for the Act, emphasizing farm […]
Farm to School Projects – $10 million in Grants Available and a New Streamlined Application Option
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced the opening of the fiscal year (FY) 2021 Farm to School (F2S) Grant Program request for applications (RFA). Administered by the U.S Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Office of Community Food Systems, the program provides farmers, schools, local government, and healthy food advocates […]
Latest Round of Farm to School Grants Tops $12 million as Pandemic Uncertainty Persists
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced $12.1 million in Farm to School Grants to 159 grantees in 48 states, Guam and Washington D.C. This is the largest round of awards since the grant program was first authorized and is a most welcome against the backdrop of uncertainty caused by lost markets and the possibility […]
COMMENT: Farm Advocates Hope Senate Farm to School Month Resolution Signals Opportunity for Action on Upcoming CNR
The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) and National Farm to School Network (NFSN) jointly praised the effort to highlight the important relationship between farmers, schools, and our nation’s children. The organizations, which work closely together to advance federal policies that further farm to school connections and the socioeconomic benefits that those relationships confer, also underscored the opportunity for Senators to further support these efforts by including the Farm to School Act (S. 2026) and the Kids Eat Local Act (S. 1817) in the next Child Nutrition Act Reauthorization (CNR)…. Read More →
Kentucky Farmers Plant the Seeds for Farm to School
Editor’s Note: This blog post is the second in a multi-part series which highlights the experiences of Farm to School grant recipients and how these grants have impacted their communities around the country. While a serious topic, healthy school food in Kentucky isn’t taking itself too seriously. Between in-school snacks and visits to local farms, […]
Farm to School Grant Request for Applications Released During National Farm to School Month
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced the opening of fiscal year (FY) 2020 Farm to School Grant Program request for applications (RFA), which is a welcomed start to National Farm to School Month. The Farm to School Grant Program was first established in the 2012 Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (NSLA), and provides farmers and […]
Farm to School Advocates Kick Off Farm to School Month in DC!
Editor’s Note: This blog post is the first in a multi-part series which highlights the experiences of Farm to School grant recipients and how these grants have impacted their communities around the country. In September, the National Farm to School Network (NFSN) brought three farm to school advocates to Capitol Hill to share the amazing […]
The Untold History of Federal Farm to School Support and its Impact on Local Food Research
Editor’s Note: This post was written by Debra Tropp, former Deputy Director, Local Food Research and Development, Agricultural Marketing Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Debra retired from USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service in January 2019 after 26 years of service. She continues to keep her hand in local and regional food issues through her appointments […]
$9 Million in Farm to School Awards Brings Local Food to Schools, Bolsters Farm Sales
School is out for the summer, but that doesn’t mean efforts to connect schools with their local growers have stopped. Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) announced a record level of funding – over $9 million – for projects funded through the Farm to School Grant Program. […]
Child Nutrition Reauthorization on the Horizon
Much to the surprise of many advocates – including those of us at the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) – 2019-2020 may just turn out to be the year that Congress finally rewrites the nation’s outdated child nutrition laws. Congress typically revisits child nutrition programs and policies every five years in a single omnibus bill […]
RELEASE: Farm to School Act of 2019 Introduced with Bipartisan, Bicameral Support
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contacts:Anna MullenNational Farm to School Networkanna@farmtoschool.org / (515) 210-2483 Reana KovalcikNational Sustainable Agriculture Coalitionrkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net / (202) 547-5754 Farm to School Act of 2019 Introduced with Bipartisan, Bicameral Support National Farm to School Network and National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition urge support for the Act, emphasizing farm to school’s proven impacts on health and […]
National Farm to School Month Spotlight: Missouri Coalition for the Environment
October is National Farm to School Month, the perfect time to share stories of farm to school (F2S) impact and innovation! This farm to school month, we have even more reasons to elevate F2S success stories because the next farm bill – which includes programs that have significant impact on F2S efforts, such as the […]
$7.5 Million in Farm to School Grant Funds Released in National Farm to School Month
Just in time for National Farm to School month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced the opening of fiscal year (FY) 2019 Farm to School Grant Program request for applications (RFA). First enacted into law through the 2012 Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, the Farm to School Grant Program helps farmers and healthy […]
Over $5 Million in Farm to School Grants Awarded
Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that it would award 73 grants through the Farm to School Grant Program, worth over $5.1 million, to Farm to School programs across the country. Farm to School programs broaden students’ access to fresh, locally sourced foods in a number of ways, by: supporting local food […]
$5 Million Available for Farm to School Grant Projects
America’s family farmers are planting, harvesting, and selling fresh, healthy produce year-round. They’ve got the farming thing down; but barriers exist that often prevent them from reaching new and expanding markets for their products, including customers that might be in the same town or state. One way the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) hopes to […]
Filling the Local Foods Gap in the Farm Bill
Editor’s Note: This article originally ran on the website of the Institute for Agriculture & Trade Policy, a member of the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC). To view the original article, click here. When we started our partnership with St. Cloud’s Reach Up Head Start program, Nutrition Services Coordinator Haley Anderson knew she wanted to […]
Bipartisan Coalition Revives Farm to School Act
Farm to school programs are making a big impact on the farmers, students and the communities they serve. According to the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) 2015 Farm to School Census, purchases made by schools during the 2013-2014 school year added up to nearly $800 million spent on local food – and that means that […]
RELEASE: Bipartisan Congressional Group Introduce Farm to School Act of 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Reana Kovalcik National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition 202-547-5754, rkovalcik@sustainableagriculture.net Maximillian Merrill National Farm to School Network 919-606-0526, maximillian@farmtoschool.org Bipartisan Congressional Group Introduce Farm to School Act of 2017 Food and farm groups tout the legislation’s positive impact on American children and producers Washington, DC, September 7, 2017 – Senators Thad Cochran (R-MS) […]
Farm to School Grant Awards Will Fund 65 Projects Nationwide
Farm to school projects started in a small number of communities as a way to support healthy eating, connect children to farming, and expand market opportunities for farmers. Today, as interest in “farm to fork” eating has grown, so too has interest in farm to school programs, which can now be found in urban, suburban, […]
CNR is Dead! Long Live CNR!
If there’s one thing time doesn’t do it is stand still – except in the case of the Child Nutrition Act Reauthorization (CNR). At the end of September last year, child nutrition, farm to school, and anti-hunger advocates –including the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) – were wringing our hands and lamenting the failure of […]
RFA Roundup: Deadlines for Federal Food and Farm Program Grants
The start-up of the new fiscal year (FY) means that many food and farm programs have started to get out Requests for Applications (RFAs) for their grant programs. While a flood of grant program announcements is generally good news, with so many coming out in the midst of a busy election year, it can be […]