We want to hear from you! Participants will provide input on strategies for expanding initiatives like school and early care food purchasing from Minnesota producers, food and agriculture education, school gardens, and effective cross-sector collaboration.  All members of the public are invited, including — but not limited to — farmers, school nutrition professionals, early care providers, food system partners, and educators.

Register for this event.  

Farm to Kids Input Session #1

We want to hear from you! Participants will provide input on strategies for expanding initiatives like school and early care food purchasing from Minnesota producers, food and agriculture education, school gardens, and effective cross-sector collaboration.  All members of the public are invited, including — but not limited to — farmers, school nutrition professionals, early care providers, food system partners, and educators.

Register for this event. 

Register once for monthly meeting

• What: Join members from the Minnesota Farm to School Leadership Team and other farm to school and early care stakeholders each month to discuss and find answers to your questions related to local foods and making farm to school and early care a success in your community.

• Who: Anyone with questions related to farm to school and farm to early care. All are welcome – farmers, school nutrition professionals, early care providers, parents, teachers, distributors, gardeners, local public health professionals, extension educators, and any other farm to school and early care advocates.

• When: The second Wednesday of the month from 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM. If these times don’t work for you, you can submit your questions here.

• Register: Join us online via Zoom. Register once and you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining each monthly meeting.

Register once for monthly meeting

• What: Join members from the Minnesota Farm to School Leadership Team and other farm to school and early care stakeholders each month to discuss and find answers to your questions related to local foods and making farm to school and early care a success in your community.

• Who: Anyone with questions related to farm to school and farm to early care. All are welcome – farmers, school nutrition professionals, early care providers, parents, teachers, distributors, gardeners, local public health professionals, extension educators, and any other farm to school and early care advocates.

• When: The second Wednesday of the month from 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM. If these times don’t work for you, you can submit your questions here.

• Register: Join us online via Zoom. Register once and you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining each monthly meeting.

Register once for monthly meeting

• What: Join members from the Minnesota Farm to School Leadership Team and other farm to school and early care stakeholders each month to discuss and find answers to your questions related to local foods and making farm to school and early care a success in your community.

• Who: Anyone with questions related to farm to school and farm to early care. All are welcome – farmers, school nutrition professionals, early care providers, parents, teachers, distributors, gardeners, local public health professionals, extension educators, and any other farm to school and early care advocates.

• When: The second Wednesday of the month from 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM. If these times don’t work for you, you can submit your questions here.

• Register: Join us online via Zoom. Register once and you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining each monthly meeting.

Register once for monthly meeting

• What: Join members from the Minnesota Farm to School Leadership Team and other farm to school and early care stakeholders each month to discuss and find answers to your questions related to local foods and making farm to school and early care a success in your community.

• Who: Anyone with questions related to farm to school and farm to early care. All are welcome – farmers, school nutrition professionals, early care providers, parents, teachers, distributors, gardeners, local public health professionals, extension educators, and any other farm to school and early care advocates.

• When: The second Wednesday of the month from 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM. If these times don’t work for you, you can submit your questions here.

• Register: Join us online via Zoom. Register once and you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining each monthly meeting.

Recipe Development & Taste Test Tips

Now that you have purchased delicious local foods, how do you prepare and serve them to your students? Tune in to learn about resources for local food recipe development and to tips and tricks for taste testing with your students.

Link to Register

Register once for monthly meeting

• What: Join members from the Minnesota Farm to School Leadership Team and other farm to school and early care stakeholders each month to discuss and find answers to your questions related to local foods and making farm to school and early care a success in your community.

• Who: Anyone with questions related to farm to school and farm to early care. All are welcome – farmers, school nutrition professionals, early care providers, parents, teachers, distributors, gardeners, local public health professionals, extension educators, and any other farm to school and early care advocates.

• When: The second Wednesday of the month from 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM. If these times don’t work for you, you can submit your questions here.

• Register: Join us online via Zoom. Register once and you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining each monthly meeting.

Register once for monthly meeting

• What: Join members from the Minnesota Farm to School Leadership Team and other farm to school and early care stakeholders each month to discuss and find answers to your questions related to local foods and making farm to school and early care a success in your community.

• Who: Anyone with questions related to farm to school and farm to early care. All are welcome – farmers, school nutrition professionals, early care providers, parents, teachers, distributors, gardeners, local public health professionals, extension educators, and any other farm to school and early care advocates.

• When: The second Wednesday of the month from 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM. If these times don’t work for you, you can submit your questions here.

• Register: Join us online via Zoom. Register once and you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining each monthly meeting.

Register here

In this open office hour, members of the MN Farm to School Leadership Team and MN Farm to Early Care Network Advisory Group will answer schools’ questions about the grant and support them in planning to apply by the Nov. 2, 4:00 PM deadline.

Register Here

Center-based early cares are newly eligible to apply to the MN Department of Agriculture Farm to Early Care Grants! In this open office hour, members of the MN Farm to Early Care Network Advosry Group and MN Farm to School Leadership Team will answer centers’ questions about the grant and support them in planning to apply by the Nov. 2, 4:00 PM deadline.

Register once for monthly meeting

• What: Join members from the Minnesota Farm to School Leadership Team and other farm to school and early care stakeholders each month to discuss and find answers to your questions related to local foods and making farm to school and early care a success in your community.

• Who: Anyone with questions related to farm to school and farm to early care. All are welcome – farmers, school nutrition professionals, early care providers, parents, teachers, distributors, gardeners, local public health professionals, extension educators, and any other farm to school and early care advocates.

• When: The second Wednesday of the month from 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM. If these times don’t work for you, you can submit your questions here.

• Register: Join us online via Zoom. Register once and you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining each monthly meeting.

Register here.

Join us on Zoom as we visit Fireside Orchard and Gardens in Northfield, MN to learn all about growing Minnesota apples! Students will be able to ask Fireside Orchard owner, Darren, all about apples and we will also see how apples are pressed for making cider! This is a fall virtual field trip you will not want to miss!

 This virtual field trip will last 30 minutes and is targeted to K-5 students.

 This virtual field trip will also be streamed live on YouTube and a recording will be available for later viewing.

Register for the webinar.

Webinar Description: 

It’s a great time to start or grow your Farm to School or Early Care program! School districts and early care centers are eligible to receive money to support purchases of local food and kitchen equipment through the Minnesota Department of Agriculture's Farm to School & Early Care Grants. The MDA has almost $1 million to award to schools and early care centers this year! Whether you are an expert or new to Farm to School & Early Care, there's a grant for you.

In this webinar, you’ll learn more about the available Farm to School & Early Care grants and how you can apply. Find out what’s new and exciting about this year’s grants, hear directly about what it's like to apply from previous grant recipients, and have the chance to ask questions to get your application ready.

First Bite Grants are intended for school districts and early care centers that are new to local purchasing and want to start small. Full Tray Grants are intended for those who have some Farm to School or Early Care experience or who are ready to start a larger program.

Applicants for a First Bite or Full Tray grant may also apply for a Farm to School and Early Care Equipment Grant as part of their application.

Public or private schools or school districts that participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and serve food to K-12 students and ECE centers that participate in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) are eligible to apply, and MDA encourages school districts and ECE centers serving sovereign nations to apply.

The webinar will be recorded and the recording will be sent to attendees and registrants. 

Register Now

Register here

It doesn’t stop at apples, or even at chicken – local foods can be integrated into all aspects of lunch trays in Minnesota. Come learn more about how you may be able to integrate local foods throughout your school meals, and tips about how to be successful. 

Panelists/Presenters: check back soon! 

AGRI Farm to School series: These webinars are designed to provide information and resources for AGRI Farm to School Grantees, as well as other schools throughout Minnesota who are implementing Farm to School at their sites. Join us for one or all of them!  

Register here

Purchasing local meat has been a large part of AGRI Farm to School grants – nearly half of purchases in the 2021 school year were for local proteins! Learn all about considerations for purchasing local meat on this webinar.  

Panelists/Presenters: Sara George, farmer and Renewing the Countryside staffer, and Jane Jewett, farmer and director of the Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (MISA).  

AGRI Farm to School series: These webinars are designed to provide information and resources for AGRI Farm to School Grantees, as well as other schools throughout Minnesota who are implementing Farm to School at their sites. Join us for one or all of them!