June 2021June 2021The Farm to School and Early Childhood Education Program is committed toproviding equitable and just programming, resources, funding, and technicalassistance to schools, farmers, and partners in the local food system.

We're Hiring!We're Hiring!

The Farm to School team is growing! We are hiringWe are hiringa Local Procurement Manager.a Local Procurement Manager. This is a part-timegrant funded position, available for one year withpotential extension based on funding.

The Local Procurement Manager will providetechnical assistance to school food servicedepartments and farmers, develop localprocurement resources, lead trainings, hostregional local procurement events, and lead the

Arkansas Taste Test Grant Program.

Apply Here

Webinars and TrainingsWebinars and Trainings

The Basics of Farm to School and Farm to Early ChildhoodThe Basics of Farm to School and Farm to Early ChildhoodEducationEducation

June 10, 2021, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.Join the Arkansas Department ofAgriculture's Farm to School team tolearn about farm to school and farm toearly childhood educationopportunities related to schoolgardens, education, and localprocurement.

Register Here

Summer Professional Development OpportunitiesSummer Professional Development Opportunities

June and July, 2021The Farm to School team is offeringeight farm to school professionaldevelopment opportunities thissummer to public school teachers.

Educators will receive professionaldevelopment credit from theDepartment of Education forattending. Multiple dates and timeswill be offered for each session.

View Schedule and Register Here

Edible Schoolyard Project Webinar SeriesEdible Schoolyard Project Webinar Series

June 14, 2021 – June 25, 2021The Edible Schoolyard Project is hosting virtual professionaldevelopment sessions that invite participants to create,cook, taste, and share experiences. This series will prepare

participants to support youth learning about food.

Register Here

ResourcesResources The Arkansas Farm to SchoolCollaborative is pleased to share theArkansas Farm to School StateProfile, a handout that provides asnapshot of farm to school inArkansas. Currently, Arkansas has310 school gardens, 34 school

districts purchasing local food from afarmer, and 44 farms and businessessupplying schools with local food, asoutlined in the resource.

It also lists state farm to school billsand the school districts who havereceived either a USDA or a CDCFarm to School grant.

View Resource

Further, the Farm to School team at the Arkansas Department of Agriculture isexcited to share a new report on the Arkansas Farm to Early ChildhoodEducation 2021 Survey that presents the data received from 202 earlychildhood education facilities, as well as an infographic highlighting thesuccesses of the Arkansas School Garden Grant Program, and a LocalHarvest Calendar that was co-developed with the University of ArkansasSystem Cooperative Extension Service's Local, Regional & Safe Foods team.

Arkansas Farm to EarlyArkansas Farm to EarlyChildhood Education 2021Childhood Education 2021

Survey ResultsSurvey Results

View Resource

Local Harvest CalendarLocal Harvest Calendar

Arkansas School GardenArkansas School GardenGrant Program Overview:Grant Program Overview:

2020 - 20212020 - 2021

View Resource

Learn More Here

Upcoming Grant OpportunitiesUpcoming Grant Opportunities

Arkansas Grown School Garden of the YearArkansas Grown School Garden of the YearContestContestDeadline: June 6, 2021Funding: $500 - $1,000The Arkansas Grown School Garden of the Year Contestis sponsored by the Arkansas Department of Agriculturewith funding provided by Farm Credit Associations ofArkansas. Applicants may be public or private K-12schools, early childhood education facilities, or alternativelearning environments that had a school garden during the2020 - 2021 school year, or any schools planning to start a garden in the 2021- 2022 school year. Apply here.Apply here.

Access to Local Foods GrantsAccess to Local Foods GrantsDeadline: July 1, 2021Funding: $10,000 - $15,000The Arkansas Community Foundation is seekingproposals for projects that will increase Arkansas’s

access to locally grown and produced foods and/or strengthen the local foodecosystem. Apply here.Apply here.

Blue & You Foundation GrantBlue & You Foundation GrantDeadline: July 15, 2021Funding: $5,000+Blue & You Foundation’s mission is to work together withothers to create a state of better health for all Arkansans.They strategically focus grant funding on community-based solutions in the hopes it will nurture communityhealth leadership, foster collaboration and innovation, and leverage financial,human, and community resources to produce measurable, positive impacts.Any program or project that positively affects the health of Arkansans canapply to receive funding. Apply here.Apply here.

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