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September 2022: Back to School
Dear Wisconsin Farm to School,

With the 2022-2023 school year underway, we would like to welcome those who might be new to the Wisconsin Farm to School community. As we continue to build this network, we hope to provide information that is relevant to you, no matter where your program is located.

You all--the people who are growing, cooking, eating, teaching, directing, and supporting farm to school across across--have a wealth of knowledge about the needs, successes, challenges, and opportunities in Wisconsin communities. We want this to be a space for us to share and learn about each other's programs, ideas, and expertise. If you have an opportunity for participation, employment, or engagement available to people nationally, regionally, statewide, or locally, please let us know so we can include it here! We encourage you to email wsgn@rootedwi.org so that this newsletter can reflect the breadth of Wisconsin's farm to school community.

And, in that spirit of community building, we would love to introduce ourselves--the three people who produce and publish this newsletter.
Erica Krug, Director of Youth Garden Support, Rooted/ Wisconsin School Garden Network
Hello! I grew up eating popcorn grown by my grandpa in his garden in northwest Iowa and I believe this instilled in me the joy that can come with growing your own food. As Director of Youth Garden Support, I support garden-based learning in several ways. Locally, I support the AmeriCorps Farm to School program, which partners with eight schools in Madison to provide maintenance and educational support. Across Wisconsin, I support youth gardens by co-instructing an online course called Teaching in Nature’s Classroom, helping schools learn about and participate in Wisconsin School Garden Day, and providing Farm to School trainings.
Hawthorn McCracken, Early Care Garden Support Specialist, Rooted 
Hi y’all! I’ve called Wisconsin home since 2008, after moving up from East Tennessee. My mom was a teacher and my dad a dairy farmer, so the intersection of farming, teaching, and gardens is a happy fit. My professional background is in community education, arts, organic growing, and garden design. In my current role, I support garden-based and outdoor education for ages 0-5 years, maintain our statewide Farm to ECE networks, and work with Erica to support K-12 programs. I enjoy creating resources specific to the ECE setting, providing technical assistance to early care gardens, and helping folks build native, perennial, and permaculture gardens in educational settings. 
Renata Solan, Communications Director, Rooted/Wisconsin School Garden Network
Hi! I have lived in Wisconsin since 2008, but I am originally from New Jersey. I grew up in a city and I still remember how proud I felt when I pulled my first scrawny carrot out of the ground in a raised bed at my elementary school's blacktop schoolyard. Since I started working at Rooted and WSGN in 2014, it has been a joy to learn about the infinite ways that communities have engaged kids across the state in growing, preparing, and trying foods. I support Wisconsin's Farm to School community by sharing opportunities for learning and engagement on our social media pages (Facebook and Instagram); creating materials to make it easy for programs to participate in Wisconsin School Garden Day; writing about the benefits of garden-based learning for administrators and legislators; and, most importantly, learning about and sharing your stories.

Click below to jump to:

Throughout the newsletter, you will see these icons after descriptions of resources, funding opportunities, and more to help you find information that is right for your program:
Announcements & Highlights

Registration Now Open for the 9th Annual Great Apple Crunch!

Join the 2022 Great Apple Crunch to celebrate Wisconsin farmers, healthy kids, and strong communities this October. Participating in the Crunch is simple: buy, serve, and Crunch into locally grown apples. Learn more and register.

Budding Botanist Grant Now Open

The Budding Botanist grant will help our students learn about plants, explore their world, and inspire them to take care of the life they discover in their local ecosystems. Learn more about Budding Botanist.
Joke of the Month
Click the green joke of the month button below to see the answer to this month's joke and to see Wisconsin School Garden Network's library of past jokes.
Have a farm to school joke to share? Email Rooted's Communications Director Renata Solan at renata@rootedwi.org.
Joke of the Month: Why do cows tell such good jokes?
Tools & Resources

CACFP Celebrates National Fruits & Veggies Month

September is National Fruits & Veggies Month. Have A Plant - Produce for a Better Health Foundation have created a National Fruits and Veggies Month toolkit to celebrate all month long. View resource.

Apple Taste Test for Young Children: Connections to the Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards

An act as simple as tasting an apple can be a huge learning experience for a young child. Apple exploration and taste test activities can touch on all five domains of the Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards. Here is everything you need to know to do these activities and maximize the learning potential. View resource.

Fall Greens

Fall greens are a great choice for school gardens because their harvest season fits in well with the academic calendar. Depending on your climate and use of crop protectors like cold frames, in many parts of the country students can be harvesting and even planting in the outdoor garden for at least a couple of months after the start of the school year. View resource.

Fun Fall Apple STEAM Activities

Looking for fun STEAM activities to highlight apples? Perhaps you want to share more about local apples to your students. Check out this list of possible activities you can do in your classroom. View resource.

2021 National Farm to Early Care and Education Survey Briefs: Participation and Practices, Why Farm to ECE

The National Farm to School Network and Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems are proud to release the third and fourth briefs in our series detailing the findings from our 2021 National Farm to Early Care and Education Survey and the resultant recommendations. View resource.

Green and Healthy Schools Survey Period Now Open

Green & Healthy Schools Wisconsin connects, cultivates, and celebrates schools for nurturing healthy kids and sustainable communities. The annual recognition survey period is now open through October 31.  View resource.
Webinars, Conferences, Events & Trainings
GSG Summit Webinar Series: Grow & Preserve Food using NGSS/STEAM
September 21, 2022 // 1:00 p.m. // Virtual 
Join Hope Sickmeier of Southern Boone County Elementary in Ashland, MO to learn how schools teach STEM & NGSS and preserve food in the 21st century. Hope will share ideas to use STEAM in the garden to enhance student learning (square foot gardening & garden design, creating a pollinator, designing and demonstrating methods of seed dispersal). 
Learn more and register here.

MMSD Outdoor Equity Learning Community
September 22, 2022 - June 2023 // Madison, WI 
Open to all staff in the Madison Metropolitan School District, the Outdoor Equity Learning Community is an opportunity for MMSD staff to explore the topics of mindfulness and equity & inclusion in outdoor settings through webinars, readings and six in-person discussions. This course has been approved for 3-5 professional advancement credits. For more information email Erica Krug, erica@rootedwi.org. 
Learn more here.

Milk Means More Virtual Farm Tour
September 22, 2022 // 12:00 p.m. // Virtual 
Join Milk Means More for a 45– minute live tour of Siegler Dairy Farm in Michigan. Farmer Kip will discuss how he takes care of the cows, calves, land, and community. Students will see the full crop cycle, from planting to harvest, along with the tractors and equipment used on the farm. Teachers can join the tour on Zoom and it will be livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube. Geared to students in grades 3rd – 5th. 
Learn more and register here.

WECA Conference
September 29 - October 1, 2022 // Virtual
The Wisconsin Early Childhood Association Annual Conference returns in a virtual format September 29 through October 1! We are pleased to offer a range of informative and engaging keynotes, breakouts and interactive sessions through the theme, "Cultivating Connections." The conference will allow you to build connections, gain new learning opportunities and deepen professional development experiences. 
Learn more and register here.

DPI Lifecycle of Farm to School Workshop Series: Menu Planning
October 6, 2022 // 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. // Nourish Farms, Sheboygan Falls, WI
Join us for a hands-on workshop to gain the tools and resources to easily swap local items into your menus and to respond to surprise donations of fresh produce brought to your door. We will work with harvest schedules, Harvest of the Month items, and find flexibility in your menu planning for each season. 
Learn more about locations and activities.

Funding Opportunities
Native Wildflower Seed Grants
Deadline: October 1, 2022 
We're thrilled to share that Pollinator Partnership (P2), in collaboration with Toyota Motor North America, is once again offering a native wildflower seed grant program! Through this program, P2 seeks to provide FREE supplemental native wildflower seed to assist large-scale habitat projects and further the impact of their current efforts. 
Learn more here.

Kids Garden Community Funding Library
Deadline: Multiple
In need of funds or supplies? New garden grants are added weekly to the Kids Garden Community. Join for free or login to explore the funding opportunities library. 
Learn more here.
Job Opportunities
Check back next month for job openings!
News & Policy Updates

New Farm-to-School Food Program Debuts in Maine Schools

Maine apples, broccoli and eggs are just a few of the local ingredients many Maine students will find on their lunch menus this year. Read the article.

Everyday Hero: Wisconsin Farmer Named AmeriCorps Member of the Year for Work with Kids

David Lee Schneider said he found his true passion in life. The Oconto farmer has taken his knowledge of the agriculture industry and started passing it down to younger generations. Read the article.
What's Growing in Wisconsin?

Catch all the latest from Wisconsin's youth garden education community on Instagram
From summer camps to summer school, from home gardens to botanical gardens, Wisconsin kids are digging, planting, snacking, and exploring all summer long! Learn about programs near you, find activities that inspire you, or just check out happy, smiling young learners by following on Wisconsin School Garden Network on Instagram. Be sure to tag us in your posts so we can share about your program with the whole community!
Have a question or feedback about the newsletter?
Email us at wif2s@rootedwi.org
Subscribe to this newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/cCo3qz

Copyright © 2021, Growing Together: Wisconsin's Farm to School/ECE and School Garden Newsletter, All rights reserved.

         

Growing Together: Wisconsin's Farm to School/ECE and School Garden Newsletter is a collaboration of Rooted and Wisconsin School Garden Network. Growing Together is published and distributed by Rooted.

 
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