FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRESS CONTACT:
Jiyoon Chon
National Farm to School Network
jiyoon@farmtoschool.org
October 1, 2024 – This October, schools and early care and education sites across the country are celebrating National Farm to School Month, a 31-day campaign to recognize the benefits that farm to school and farm to early care and education bring to youth, families, farmers and communities. National Farm to School Network advocated for the creation of National Farm to School Month in 2010, and it was officially recognized by Congress shortly after.
Farm to school is a movement that builds just and equitable food systems through the ways kids eat, grow and learn about food in school and early care and education settings. Farm to school is a win for kids when they eat nourishing food in meals and snacks, participate in hands-on activities and learn about the importance of where our food comes from; a win for farmers when school market opportunities provide reliable and consistent sales and fair pay; and a win for communities when food is grown, distributed, prepared and consumed for the benefit of every community member. To ensure all communities see the benefit of these wins, farm to school activities must be firmly centered in equity.
This year’s National Farm to School Month theme is “From Soil to Sea: Nourishing People and Planet.” This embodies our commitment to honoring the vital role of producers in our food system. From dedicated farmers and ranchers to fishers, their work and expertise lay the foundation for a thriving farm to school movement. We also celebrate the invaluable traditional knowledge of Indigenous and BIPOC communities in stewarding the land and seas—honed over generations, their wisdom is crucial to building a resilient, equitable, and sustainable food system that will continue to nourish both people and planet.
Throughout October, National Farm to School Network’s activities will be focused on celebrating achievements, sharing stories of farm to school programs and highlighting progress toward racial equity in farm to school, so that we can continue to grow stronger, together.
National Farm to School Network’s October celebrations also include the annual Movement Meeting on October 17 from 3 - 4:30 pm ET. The Movement Meeting is a gathering point for advocates in the farm to school and farm to early care and education realms, providing an invaluable opportunity to come together, rejoice in our shared achievements, foster meaningful connections, ignite inspiration and collectively nurture our growth. This event is free to register and open to the public—we invite anyone interested in farm to school and ECE to join us.
National Farm to School Network offers dozens of free resources for celebrating National Farm to School Month on our website, http://www.farmtoschoolmonth.org. People can find resources such as a celebration toolkit, posters, bookmarks, suggested activities and more. Participants are encouraged to share their excitement through social media with the hashtags #F2SMonth and #farmtoschool.
We thank and acknowledge this year's National Farm to School Month sponsor, CoBank.
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About National Farm to School Network
National Farm to School Network is the leading voice for the U.S. farm to school and farm to early care and education movement, working as an information, advocacy and networking hub for communities to bring local food sourcing, gardens, and food and agriculture education into schools and early care and education settings. Learn more at: http://farmtoschool.org.