OCTOBER IS HI-F2S MONTH

It’s FARM TO SCHOOL MONTH in HAWAII!

Governor Ige Signing Act 10 (SLH 2017), establishing Farm to School Month in Hawaii

 

Hawaii’s Farm to School Month kicked-off on October 1st, 2017 at the Children & Youth Day at the Capitol’s Farm to School Zone, giving away 1,000 kalo huli to keiki for their ohana & communities to mālama `āina and care for kalo!  The kalo huli came from Maui, where Bobby Pahia’s family is starting to grow food on land previously in sugarcane production, with regenerative agricultural practices to rejuvenate the soil.

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

F2S OPPORTUNITIES TO CONNECT:

  • EVERYONE
  1. SHARE YOUR F2S EVENTS
    1. HI-F2S related events are posted on the HI-F2S_Farm to School Events Across Hawai`i Calendar!  Email [email protected] to add your events to this public calendar to share F2S connections ☺!
    2. National F2S Month are listed on the NFSN Calendar of Events; Submit your event directly to the National Farm to School Network.
  2. CHOMP!   Celebrate Hawaii Farm to School Month, National Farm to School Month and Food Day by sharing phot
  3. os of you, your family, class or co-workers chomping down on fresh, local, “close to the source” foods.
    1) Register at bit.ly/ChompHawaii.
    2) Take a photo of you, your family or class eating fresh, local foods.    3) Email your photos to [email protected]. Make sure any minors in the photo are cleared.
    4) If you are on social media, upload your photo to Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter and tag it using #ChompHawaii #FoodDay2016 and #FarmtoSchool.
    Join the nationwide celebration and movement to promote healthy, local, affordable, and sustainable food!!

 

  1. PLEDGE TO TAKE ACTION – Everyone who signs the Take Action Pledge will be entered to win our Farm to School Month sweepstakes! Ten winners will receive a prize package that includes: assets from the Captain Planet Foundation Project Learning Garden™ program, a Stand2Learn student standing desk, and a collection of seeds from High Mowing Organic Seeds. Take the pledge (and share the pledge) here.

 

  1. EXPLORE F2S RESOURCES: Check out NFSN’s NFSN FREE F2S MONTH RESOURCES and NFSN-National F2S Calendar for planning and promoting celebrations in your community, including customizable posters and bookmarks, stickers, activity suggestions and more.

 

 

  • SCHOOLS & F2S PROGRAMS
    • PARTICIPATE in the 2017 HI-F2S CENSUS – to identify existing programs and efficiently develop needed resources.
    • GRANT$
      • Whole Kids Foundation’s School Garden Grant – Created in partnership with FoodCorps, the Garden Grant program provides a $2,000 monetary grant to support a new or existing edible garden at either a K-12 school, 501(c)(3) Non-profit working in partnership with a K-12 school, or 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The application period is open September 1, 2017 through October 31, 2017.
      • Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s School Garden Grant – We will award 20 grants to teachers within the United States who strive to take the classroom outside, reconnect students with the natural world, and teach them valuable concepts and skills that integrate across all subjects. In partnership with our amazing sponsor, Alaska Fertilizer, we’re thrilled to support 20 teachers with a $500-$2,000 grant, gardening supplies, and BirdSleuth’s Habitat Connections kit. Funds can support a new garden or the revitalization of an existing one. In addition to funding food/veggie gardens, preference will be given to bird, pollinator, native habitat, rain, and other natural projects. Deadline to apply is October 8, 2017.

 

    • RESOURCES
      • Soil Education App  – STARTING WITH SOIL, a free interactive app designed for children, provides parents and educators with an easy and fun way to allow children to discover the importance of healthy soil and see first-hand the harmonious roles that plants, animals and people (even kids!) play in keeping soil balanced so that organic food can grow.
      • Bake For Good Kids Program– King Arthur Flour presents the Bake For Good Kids program which encourages students to use “math + science + reading + baking know how = something delicious”. This program will provide students the ingredients they need to make homemade bread while also teaching them how to do it.
      • NEW Economic Impacts of Farm to School Report by the National Farm to School Network and Colorado State University examines the economic impact of local purchasing and provides new insight into the potential for farm to school procurement to positively impact local economies.  The report finds that not only were surveyed farmers satisfied or very satisfied with most aspects of farm to school sales, but farm to school farms purchase more inputs from the local economy, which results in positive local economic impact. Importantly, this report also offers a widely adaptable survey and analysis protocol for performing farm to school economic impact assessments in order to support and encourage more rigorous research that will continue to build the economic case for farm to school. 
      • NEW HAWAI`I’S FOOD SYSTEM:  FOOD FOR ALL report utilized SNAP-Education funding to create a broader awareness of agricultural issues for a wide audience including farmers and connects Farm to School with community food systems and food security for low-income families.