Hello Farm to Fork Friends, We hope you enjoyed the Apple Crunch last month! We had 56,372 registered participants this year, and together you spent $12,759 on Utah-grown apples. If you haven’t had a chance to check out some of the virtual farm tours, they’re still available at www.utfarmtofork.org/utah-apple-crunch. How will you keep the momentum going and celebrate farm to fork through the rest of the school year? If you need funding for your big ideas, be sure to scroll to the end of the newsletter to check out grant opportunities.
What to Harvest This Month
Did you know Utah has more turkeys than people? This is the perfect month to put Utah-grown turkey on your plate. In addition to sandwiches and wraps, leftover turkey is great is soups, moles, and curries. Pair it with some Utah squash or hearty winter greens.
Get Involved
Recipes Needed We are still looking for popular recipes and activities that highlight our Harvest of the Season Crops, especially those geared toward childcare programs. If you’ve got winners you’d like to share, send them to kate.wheeler@schools.utah.gov.
Webinars and Trainings
Book a Personalized Training Did you know you can book a personalized farm to fork training at a time that works for you? We have a variety of topics available, including food safety, school gardens, and local procurement. Right now all trainings are being provided virtually. View the full list of trainings and sign up here. (Note that not all the trainings in this system are applicable-- choose the ones with "Farm to Fork" in the title).
Improving Equity
Food Justice is Racial Justice If you missed the National Farm to School Movement Meeting, you can watch a recording here. This was a great discussion about how we can shift power in our communities to create a more racially just food system. Ready to do more? Check out Five Actions You Can Start Taking Now—and let us know how it’s going. Recognizing Indigenous Agriculture Sustainable agriculture is not a new trend! Many techniques currently used by regenerative agriculture practitioners (including intercropping, permaculture, and agroforestry) were established by Indigenous Americans long before Europeans arrived on this continent. Check out this blog post by the National Farmers Union to learn more about Indigenous land stewardship.
Job Opportunities
Farm Manager, Youth Garden Project, Moab The Youth Garden Project Farm Manager will provide leadership of YGP growing operations, soil health, and crop production. This position is a key staff on the admin team and is a full-time, year-round, benefitted position supervised by the Executive Director. Target Start Date: January 6, 2021. Learn more and apply here. Produce Manager, Youth Garden Project, Moab The Youth Garden Project Produce Manager will provide leadership in produce distribution, preservation, and value-added goods production in addition to helping with farm work and tasks. This brand new position is a key staff on the admin team and is a full time, year-round, benefitted position supervised by the Executive Director. Expect seasonal variability in the amount of time working on the farm and in the kitchen. Target Start Date: January 6, 2021. Learn more and apply here. If you are hiring on either the farm or fork side of farm to fork, let us know and we’ll share the job posting here!
Funding Opportunities
KidsGardening Youth Garden Grant
Any nonprofit organization, public or private school, or youth program in the United States or US Territories planning a new garden program or expanding an established one that serves at least 15 youth between the ages of 3 and 18 is eligible to apply for these Youth Garden Grants. A total of 30 programs will be awarded. Applications are due December 18, 2020. Learn more and apply here.
Food Animal Concerns Trust Fund-A-Farmer Grant
Food Animal Concerns Trust (FACT) is accepting grant applications for livestock and poultry farmers who wish to expand animal welfare, build capacity, and/or improve pasture for their animals. Grants of up to $2,500 are available for projects such as building mobile housing, constructing fences, laying water lines on pasture, and much more. The deadline to apply is December 1, 2020. Learn more and apply here.
USDA Farm to School Grants
The USDA heard your feedback and has made some big changes to the farm to school grant program this year! Updates include:
Extended application time (deadline is January 8, 2021)
Institutions operating CACFP and SFSP are eligible to apply—programs do not need to be based at a school site
Small- to medium-sized agricultural producers are eligible for priority consideration
Turnkey projects: a simplified application process for specific pre-selected best-practice projects.
Learn more here and then apply on grants.gov.
You'll hear from us again next month. In the meantime, we'd love to hear from you!
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