Hello Farm to Fork Friends,
It’s National Farm to School Month! Or, as we like to call it in Utah, Farm to Fork Month, because we don’t limit local food to just our schools. Childcare centers, afterschool programs, and local businesses are all part of the fun. We’ll be celebrating with an Apple Crunch on October 20th. However you choose to mark the month, share it with us on social media @utfarm2fork.
What to Harvest This Month
In addition to apples, kale is a great choice as we move towards colder weather. Try them together in this delicious Kale Apple Chicken Salad Wrap, one of our chef-designed Harvest of the Season recipes!
Get Involved October 20th is Apple Crunch Day
Apple Crunch Day is Utah’s annual celebration of local food and agriculture education. This year Crunch Day is October 20th, 2021. Registration and resources are posted at https://www.utfarmtofork.org/utah-apple-crunch. We encourage you to celebrate in-person if possible, but we’ll be keeping our virtual resources from last year as well in case you need to make a quick pivot. Remember, if you participate in the National School Lunch Program, Utah apples purchased for this celebration count towards your local purchase total for enhanced reimbursement.
Farm to Fork Task Force Meeting
Join us for our quarterly task force meeting, October 13, 2-3:30pm to hear updates on our work. We’ll be meeting via Zoom.
Take the 2021 National Farm to Early Care and Education Survey
The goal of this survey, conducted by Michigan State University and National Farm to School Network, is to collect information from early care and education (ECE) providers about activities that fall under the broad heading of “farm to early care and education” or “farm to ECE.” If you are an ECE provider, you should have received an email from NFSN with the subject line “Feedback Requested: NFSN Farm to Early Care and Education Provider Survey.” Follow the link in the email to respond to the survey and be eligible to win a farm to ECE curriculum. Your response will help inform farm to ECE programs and policy at the national and state level!
Webinars and Trainings Shifting Towards the Next Generation: National Farm to School Network Movement Meeting
How can we shift power in our communities to center the work of young leaders of color? How can the food movement intersect with the racial justice movement? Join National Farm to School Network for a virtual Movement Meeting on Wednesday, Oct.14 from 1- 2:30 pm ET, featuring young leaders of color working to transform their community, for deep conversation and action-oriented reflection on how the next generation is working to intersect the food movement with racial justice, environmental justice, economic justice, and other key justice-centered movements. A crucial step towards our vision of a just food system for all is centering the voices of our next generation of leaders. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend this free event; no prior knowledge of farm to school needed. Register here.
Improving Equity Justice for Black Farmers: A Conversation to Uproot Racist Policy and Plant Seeds of Redress
Berkeley Food Institute is honored to host three Black legacy farmers, a civil rights lawyer, and a critical race theory scholar to discuss the Pigford v. Glickman class action racial discrimination lawsuit and what you can do to support a more fair and democratic farming system in the United States. The conversation will take place on Thursday, October 28, from 1:30 – 3:00 PM Mountain Time. Register here. For a deeper dive, check out the background readings and resources available here.
Job Opportunities Executive Director, Youth Garden Project, Moab
YGP is searching for their next Executive Director! This person will be responsible for the successful leadership and management of this rooted and dynamic organization. We are seeking a qualified community leader with experience in long-term strategic planning that encompasses sustainable development goals and capital improvements/project management. The Executive Director role requires someone who embodies outstanding team leadership, excellent communication, and funding development skills. This is a year-round, salaried, and benefited position. Read the full job description and application instructions here. Applications will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis until a suitable candidate is hired.
Funding Opportunities Whole Kids Foundation Bee Grants
Perfect for the Beehive State! This grant allows for K-12 schools or non-profit organizations that serve any grades K-12 to start a new or enhance an existing bee program hosting live bees on their campus. The first grant application deadline is October 15, 2021. Learn more and apply here.
Budding Botanist Grants
The Klorane Botanical Foundation is committed to supporting programs to teach respect for the environment and protect nature through the preservation of plant species and biodiversity. Designed to further their mission, the Budding Botanist Grant will help our youngest citizens learn about plants, explore their world and inspire them to take care of the life they discover in their local ecosystems. In early 2022, eighteen high-need schools across the United States will be awarded $1000 in grant funding to support their youth garden programs. The deadline for application submission is Friday, October 29, 2021 at 11:59pm PST. Winners will be announced by December 10, 2021. Learn more and apply here.
FFA Living to Serve Grants
Living to Serve Grants provide an opportunity for FFA chapters and state FFA associations/foundations to seek funding to support various types of service projects through a competitive application process. Applicants must identify a community need that falls within one of four focus areas: community safety; hunger, health and nutrition; environmental responsibility; or community engagement. The Day of Service Mini Grants provide up to $400 for a one-time event. The application is always open! Applications received by the 1st of each month are awarded by the 15th. Check back in December for information on the Spring Semester Grant.
Harvest of the Season Microgrants
Stay tuned for information about Garden and Local Food Taste Test Microgrants. Coming soon!
Be sure to share your upcoming events, grant opportunities, and jobs with us so that we can share them here!
