Campus Dining 101: A Benchmark Study on Farm to College in New England

Farm to Institution New England is pleased to announce a report that highlights the data collected from college dining operators in the region. This is the second report in our new series designed to help food system stakeholders understand the impact of institutional markets on New England's food system.

www.farmtoinstitution.org/blog/new-fine-report-reveals-local-food-buying-stats-colleges-universities 

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Farm to School Legal Toolkit: A Legal Guide for New York Farmers

Prepared by the Food and Beverage Law Clinic at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law in partnership with Common Ground Farm

https://law.pace.edu/sites/default/files/food-law/FarmtoSchoolLegaToolkit_FBLC.pdf

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NEW Planning Guide

The Farm to Child Nutrition Programs Planning Guide directs you through questions to consider when starting or growing a Farm to School, Farm to CACFP, or Farm to Summer program. This planning guide should be used as a supplemental tool to the Farm to School Planning Toolkit. This guide can be updated annually to ensure you are working towards your long-term goals. It follows the same steps as the Farm to School Planning Toolkit, but in a more concise and action-oriented manner. Now is the perfect time to plan your farm to school activities for the next school year!

https://www.fns.usda.gov/farmtoschool/farm-school

https://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/f2s/F2S-Planning-Kit.pdf

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March Madness

March is the perfect month to go mad over gardening! In celebration of National Nutrition Month, spark up a discussion about healthy eating habits and promote the benefits of eating local foods. Make your food hyper-local by growing it yourself. Start a garden at your school, in your backyard, on a windowsill, or in an old milk jug. Gardening is a great way to learn about how food is grown and it can count towards your daily physical activity needs! 

https://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/f2s/F2S_Planning_Kit.pdf

https://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/f2s/FactSheet_School_Gardens.pdf

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Daily Access to Local Foods for School Meals

Farm-to-school programs began in the 1990s and have been encouraged by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) through grant funding, technical assistance, and changes to school meal procurement regulations.

https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/eib168/eib-168.pdf?v=42816

 

Procuring Local Foods for Child Nutrition Programs

Across the country, an increasing number of child nutrition program operators are sourcing local foods and providing complementary educational activities that emphasize food, agriculture, and nutrition. While interest and enthusiasm for buying local foods has grown across the country, uncertainty about the rules for purchasing locally grown products persists.

https://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/f2s/F2SProcuringLocalFoodsChildNutritionProgGuide.pdf

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