Every October is the perfect time to reflect on more fair and equitable food systems. The Child and Adult Care Food Program and Farm to ECE and Farm to School have been longtime partners in providing access to nutritious foods that children need to grow healthy.
Quality Care For Children in Georgia has a neat program for Farm to ECE and some great resources too. Team Nutrition has an entire page of Farm to CACFP information and resources!
Do you have any special Farm to CACFP stories or pictures to share? Send us an email at coordinator@ccfproundtable.org
National Farm to School Month 2020 from National Farm to School Network.
About National Farm to School Month 2020
October is National Farm to School Month, an annual 31-day campaign to recognize, appreciate and celebrate the connections happening across our country between kids, families and their community food systems. National Farm to School Month was designated by Congress in 2010, making this year’s campaign the 10th anniversary of National Farm to School Month celebrations. However, this October looks very different than the previous nine years.
It Takes a Community to Feed a Community, and that’s been especially true this year. As our schools and early care and education sites, communities and food system continue to be impacted by the pandemic, we are approaching this year’s campaign as an opportunity to honor all those who contribute to feeding our kids and communities – from farmers, harvesters and food hub distributors, to school nutrition professionals, educators, garden coordinators, bus drivers and more. This year, it’s been made very clear that the workers who keep our kids fed—many of whom are Black, Latino, Indigenous and other people of color—are often unseen, underpaid and undervalued for the contributions they make in our communities. Yet they’ve always been essential, and we know farm to school wouldn’t exist without them.
That’s why this October, we’re focusing our National Farm to School Month campaign on expressing appreciation and amplifying underrepresented voices in order to shift power to these essential workers and create a more just food system. Here’s how you can get involved:
(1) Nominate a Community Food Champion: Who are your community members – farmers, cafeteria workers, teachers, gardeners, bus drivers, volunteers, advocates, and others – that are feeding children and families, supporting local food systems, and going above and beyond in 2020? Nominate them to receive a $500 honorarium and be named a National Farm to School Network Community Food Champion! Submit nominations here: farmtoschool.org/champions
(2) Participate in our Virtual Movement Meeting, October 14: Join National Farm to School Network for a virtual Movement Meeting on Wednesday, Oct.14 from 1-3pm ET, featuring Karen Washington, food justice activist, for deep conversation and action-oriented reflection on shifting power and racial justice in the farm to school movement and wider food system. Register here: farmtoschool.org/movement-meeting
(3) Take Action for Change: Throughout October, we'll be sharing ideas, opportunities and resources for engaging in advocacy to amplify underrepresented voices and shift power to create a more just food system. Save the date for a Twitter Chat we’re co-hosting with FoodCorps on Oct. 21 about these topics, and check-in for more updates throughout the month: farmtoschool.org/month
Find more action ideas, resources and a calendar of local and regional National Farm to School Month events on our website: farmtoschool.org/month