2023 Indiana Farm to School Month
Every October, National Farm to School Month is celebrated by the National Farm to School Network in all 50 states! This year's Farm to School Month theme is Rooted in Community: Growing Stronger, Together. It highlights that at the core, farm to school is built for and by communities, with all of us working together to cultivate a better future for us all. Farm to school brings together a community of individuals across sectors, generations, and interests—farmers, parents, students, advocates, teachers, food service workers, and lawmakers—who all share a common vision of an abundant, nourishing, and equitable food system.
2023 Indiana Farm to School Month
Join us and other organizations across the state in recognizing the importance of farm to school through activities, lesson plans, local food, and fun! The Indiana Grown for Schools Network will have 4 themed weeks during farm to school month highlighting different pillars of farm to school and student engagement. We will share ideas for activities that can tie into these weeks on our social media platforms!
SCHOOL GARDEN HARVEST WEEK OCTOBER 2-6
Celebrate opportunities, successes, and challenges with your school garden!
CLASSROOM CONNECTIONS WEEK OCTOBER 9-13
Incorporate agriculture and nutrition education in the classroom
SCHOOL LUNCH HEROES WEEK OCTOBER 16-20
Highlight the importance of local foods in school meals and the people who provide them!
FARM TO ECE WEEK: OCTOBER 23-27
Celebrate early childhood education as an ideal stage to introduce children to farm to school!
Events
INDIANA GREAT APPLE CRUNCH
In celebration of National Farm to School Month, the Indiana Department of Education's Office of Nutrition Programs is hosting The Indiana Great Apply Crunch throughout the month of October. Crunch into a locally grown Indiana apple to celebrate and share pictures and videos of your students and staff crunching into fresh apples!
Register to receive your Crunch Guide, stickers, and more! https://www.applecrunchin.com/
Need Apples? Find an orchard near you using the Indiana Grown for Schools Network's Producer Directory/Map.
INDIANA FOOD DAY
The Indiana Department of Education is excited to celebrate proteins for the 2023 Indiana Food Day! School Food Authorities can celebrate any day in the month of October!
Unsure where to start? Check out these upcoming webinars for support:
Celebrating Food Day
Thursday, September 14 at 2 PM ET Register Here
Using Local Proteins in Child Nutrition Recipes
Thursday, September 28 at 2 PM ET Register Here
farm to School Month Photos
The Indiana Grown for Schools Network invites you to submit photos representing any of the weekly themes!
Additional Resources
Check out the National Farm to School Network’s newly updated resources, which include a fact sheet, poster, postcard, bookmark designs, coloring page, and stickers (and more!) that you can download and print for free.
If you are hosting an event for Farm to School Month, please submit it to the National Farm to School Network’s calendar of events here. You can also share these events with the Indiana Grown for Schools Network by emailing our Farm to School Coordinator at bgoode@health.in.gov.
Please follow us on social media @ingrown4schools. Use hashtags #F2SMonth, #farmtoschool, and #INGrown4Schools when you are posting or finding content, and make sure to tag us so that we can reshare your posts!