Farm to School

Spinach to Win It – 2022 Farm to School Campaign

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The 2022 October is Farm to School Month campaign Spinach to Win it is now live, meaning folks can start signing up to participate! Spinach to Win It is a state-wide celebration to get kids eating, growing, and participating in Spinach-themed activities. University of Georgia Extension is a proud partner of the Farm to School Alliance.

To participate in Spinach to Win it at your school, home, early care center, or in your community, visit bit.ly/spinachtowinit and sign up. Participants will receive free electronic resources to help plan and implement activities.  Resources include standards-based lesson plans, fact sheets, recipes, and more.

The first 300 people to sign-up will have the option to receive a free packet of spinach seeds, washable spinach tattoos, and a Georgia Planting and Harvest Calendar for school gardens.

Share your Spinach to Win it pictures and activities on social media with #spinachtowinit. Each week during October, anyone who uses this hashtag will be entered to win a prize and at the end of the month there will be a grand prize winner.
Questions? Visit https://farmtoschool.georgiaorganics.org/frequently-asked-questions or email kimberlykoogler@georgiaorganics.org. If you have questions about growing spinach in your school garden, contact your local UGA Extension Agent.

Oh My Squash! Farm to School Month 2019

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October is Farm to School Month and schools and early care centers across Georgia are celebrating all things squash!  Oh My Squash! is a state-wide celebration to get kids eating, growing and participating in squash-themed activities. UGA Cooperative Extension is a partner in the project and we are excited about the month! To participate in Oh My Squash at your school, early care center, or in your community, visit the webpage.

Squash plant
Squash plants in the garden

Participants will receive free electronic resources to help you plan and implement your activities.  Resources include standards-based lesson plans, quick activities, recipes, videos, school garden planting and harvesting information, and more!

The first 300 people to sign-up will be mailed a free packet of squash seeds, washable squash tattoos, and a Georgia Planting and Harvest Calendar for school gardens. Share your Oh My Squash pictures and activities on social media with #ohmysquash.

Each week during October, anyone who uses this hashtag will be entered to win a gift card and at the end of the month, we will have a grand prize winner of a two day education pass to the Georgia Organics Conference on Feb. 7-8, 2020 in Athens (a $425 value)!

As you plan your Oh My Squash! activities use your local UGA Cooperative Extension office. They can assist with ideas on preparing squash taste tests for the classroom and advice on growing and harvesting the squash in your school garden.

Happy Gardening and Eating!

Farm to School National Act of 2019

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On Thursday, June 27th, a bipartisan group of Congressional leaders introduced the Farm to School Act of 2019 (H.R. 3562, S. 2026). The bill, which is co-sponsored by Georgia’s own David Perdue, will expand funding and opportunities for farmers and educational institutions through the USDA Farm to School Grant Program.

The Farm to School Act would:

Increase annual funding to $15 million and increasing the grant award maximum to $250,000.

Advance equity by prioritizing grants that engage diverse farmers and serve high-need schools.

Fully include early care and education sites, summer food service sites & after school programs.

Increase access among tribal schools to traditional foods, especially from tribal producers.

The Farm to School Grant program has turned away approximately 80% of qualified applicants due to lack of funds so this new bill comes at a good time. The farm to school movement is truly a grassroots effort. Georgia’s Farm to School Network is made up of several collaborative partners working on school nutrition, farmer opportunity, and school gardens.

This bill goes hand-in-hand with the Georgia Agricultural Education Act (Georgia State Senate Bill 330) which was signed by Governor Nathan Deal in 2018.

It is exciting to see these forward steps in agricultural education.

Happy Gardening!