Local Food in Schools
Local Food In Schools

Growing Minds connects farmers, distributors, and school food leaders to ensure students have access to healthy local food.

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Farm to Preschool
Farm to Preschool

Early childhood is a critical stage of child development. Learn how the Farm to Preschool movement is connecting young children to local food and farms to support health and wellness.

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School Gardens
School Gardens

We provide resources and support for pre-K-12 school gardens in the Southern Appalachian region, including lesson plans, training, seeds,
and mini-grants.

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F2S Spotlights
Farm to School
Spotlights

Read about the people implementing farm to school in our region, from teachers and nutrition professionals, to dietetic interns and farmers.

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Day by Day
Growing Minds
Day by Day

From gardening to goats, our farm to school-themed Day by Day resource lists can be used by families learning at home, or by educators in the classroom. Find read alouds, recipes, simple activities, and more.

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Lesson Plans

Browse our collection of garden, food and farm, and recipe lesson plans for preschool, K-5, and more. All Growing Minds lesson plans include connections to age-appropriate children’s literature and are aligned with Common Core State Standards, NC Essential Standards, or NC Foundations for Early Learning and Development.

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Seasonal Resources

Cucumbers are commonly used in Chinese, Greek, and Middle Eastern dishes. They can be pickled or used fresh in salads, dips, or sandwiches. Look for local cucumbers in grocery stores and your school cafeteria this month!

Explore September resources »

Meet Your Farmer

A video series by Growing Minds

Meet some of the people who grow your food! Our Meet Your Farmer and Junior Farm Tour videos provide students and families with virtual tours of family farms in Western North Carolina.

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Growing Minds Farm to School Funding Opportunities

We want to help fund your farm to school project in Western North Carolina! Mini-grants are available for schools and organizations to engage children in the following farm to school experiences:

  • Local food taste tests & cooking demonstrations
  • Incorporating local food into meals or snacks
  • Farm field trips or farmer visits to classrooms/organizations
  • Growing edible gardens
  • Farm to school literature

Pre-k through 12 schools, homeschool groups, teacher and nutrition education programs, and community-based organizations serving children and families are eligible to apply. Schools/organizations must be located within the 18 westernmost counties of North Carolina. Funding can be used to start new projects, or to expand upon existing activities. Deadline: September 30th!

Learn more and apply here!

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