Happy National Farm to School Month!

Check out these resources and upcoming events!

Celebrate Farm to School Month with Featured Resources and Events Happy National Farm to School Month! Here in Michigan, local food is being integrated into school meals at a higher rate than ever because of partners like you! Thank you for your continued commitment to local procurement, school gardens, nutrition education, and our youth!  Photo Credit: Sarah Rypma Featured Resources National Farm to School Network’s 2024 Farm to School Month Celebration Toolkit & Resources  This year’s toolkit by the National Farm to School Network includes “downloadable social media graphics, suggested captions, sample messages, a press release template and other resources that can be shared with your networks and audiences. It also includes a list of actionable ways to celebrate, curated for teachers, ECE sites, families, students, school food service staff, farmers, and everyone else!”  10 Cents a Meal Featured Foods  Throughout the 10 Cents a Meal program, seasonal foods are featured to help grantees purchase and serve Michigan-grown fruits, vegetables, and dry beans. This resource features a variety of foods with resources related to education, recipes, sourcing guides, supplier directories, and Cultivate Michigan marketing materials, and more!  Farm to School Video Series from Michigan Department of Education  In 2022, the Michigan Department of Education developed a series of educational and inspirational Michigan Farm to School videos. Featuring food service directors, farm to school coordinators, and students, these videos showcase what farm to school looks like in action, why it matters, and how it touches lives across Michigan.   Harvest of the Month by Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities  Looking for educational inspiration to serve local foods? Share fun videos in your classroom and download other free resources highlighting various foods through this resource by Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities.  Miijim (Food) Cards by MSU Tribal Extension  Students from schools in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, joined together to research and create Miijim (Food) Cards as a classroom project. Each card features a hand-drawn miijim item available at the Brimley Bay Mills Farmer's Market, paired with the names of each food item in Anishinaabemowin.  Farm to School Resources by The Lunch Box  The Chef Ann Foundation’s The Lunch Box provides farm to school and harvest of the month resources such as toolkits, recipes, marketing materials, and more.  Upcoming Events October: 2024 Michigan Apple Crunch Register Join us for the 12th annual Michigan Apple Crunch on Thursday, October 17th! The Crunch is a statewide event that promotes local food and farm to school programs by encouraging as many people as possible to “crunch” into a juicy Michigan Apple. Though the event is primarily focused on K-12 school participation, we encourage any large or small institutions, businesses or organizations to register for the event and join in the fun. To show your support for Michigan farmers and Farm to School be sure to register and participate in this year’s Michigan Apple Crunch! You can also follow the Michigan Apple Crunch Facebook page for the latest updates and to post pictures of your Crunch when you celebrate on October 17th.  Oct. 16: Cafeteria to Compost Webinar by Garden School Foundation The Garden School Foundation will present about their Cafeteria to Compost Program, a food waste recovery and diversion program that takes place inside elementary schools cafeteria. This webinar will take place on October 16, 2024 at 2:00 pm EST and include an overview and history of their program, the impact of the program in the last school year, a menu of programming options that they are developing, and next steps if you are a school, teacher, or district interested in adopting an on campus food waste diversion program.  Register Oct. 17: National Farm to School Network's Movement Meeting The National Farm to School Network's 2024 Movement Meeting will be on October 17th from 3:00 - 4:30 pm EST. This event is for parents, educators, nonprofit advocates, early care providers, food service directors, policy leaders, or anyone interested and involved in the farm to school movement. The Movement Meeting will be your opportunity to connect with others, reflect on progress, and set a course for the future.  Register Nov. 8: Cultivate Michigan Farm to School Marketplace in Traverse City, MI Join us on November 8th for a Cultivate Michigan Farm to School Marketplace event! This Marketplace is held in partnership with the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) as part of the 2024 MDE - SNAM Annual Conference and Exhibit Show. It is an opportunity for SNAM attendees – school food service directors and staff - to interact with local farms and food suppliers and connect to sources for more local produce (farmers, distributors, food hubs). This is a unique event for schools, including current and future 10 Cents a Meal grantees, to develop relationships with local farmers who can provide the local products you need!  WHEN: 3:30 – 6:00 pm on Friday, November 8th, 2024 during the MDE - SNAM Annual Conference and Exhibit Show  WHERE: Grand Traverse Resort and Spa: 100 Grand Traverse Village Blvd, Acme, MI 49610  Suppliers Register through Cultivate Michigan. It is free for farms and local food suppliers to attend, but space is limited and registration is required. The deadline to register is Friday, October 25th. Register Schools Register through the MDE-SNAM Conference. This event will be included in your registration to the MDE - SNAM Annual Conference and Exhibit Show. Register About Michigan Farm to School Farm to School centers around efforts to serve local foods in school and early care and education settings. We share ideas, tools and resources to support a range of efforts, from school garden programming to farmer visits and field trips. Visit mifarmtoschool.msu.edu >> FOODSYSTEMS.MSU.EDU   You are receiving this email because you are subscribed to the MIFARMTOSCHOOL listserv. Please note that if you unsubscribe from this mailing, you will be removed from the listserv.

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