To view this newsletter as a webpage, click here. Ohio Farm to School Monthly Newsletter Cultivators + Classrooms + Cafeterias Issue #13 | November 2022 Welcome! Devonshire Elementary School students take apple-framed photos. Welcome to the November edition of the Ohio Farm to School monthly newsletter featuring National Farm to School Month highlights, including the largest Apple Crunch yet! This newsletter shares Farm to School initiatives, school garden tips, a new smoothie recipe and upcoming events and opportunities! Apple Crunch Spotlights Over 413,000 Ohioans CRUNCHED into locally grown apples celebrating Ohio producers, nutritious foods and National Farm to School Month! The 2022 Great Apple Crunch was Ohio’s eighth annual event and gained the highest participation. Participating groups included schools, early childhood education sites (ECEs) […]
Ohio Farm to School Success Stories
Gardening and Nutrition Education Activities
Although Americans are spending time quarantining, there are plenty of positives to staying home together.
#1 it is finally spring and the perfect time to start a garden!
#2 Because families are spending time together at home, it’s a great time to spend some time gardening together.
Dr. Amy Acton, Ohio Department of Health director, recommends getting outdoors and spending time gardening.
“We need to get people outside doing the thing that is great for mental health. We can also be sharing some of those plants, doing some of that gardening, getting out of doors, single handedly can be alone. Being out there in nature is going to help you feel better,” said Dr. Acton.
Below is a list of Farm to School activities that have been adjusted to fit the current lifestyle- have fun taking Farm to School home!
#1 Plant A Seed Day: The at-home activity and resource guide for Plant a Seed Day! These activities will keep you busy all day long!
#2 Garden Journal: Start a garden journal to observe and track what is happening in your garden! What do you see, hear, and smell? If you haven’t started a garden yet, make sure to create a journal once you do have a garden to observe! 
#3 Mini Garden: The guide to starting a miniature garden! Build your own small landscape indoors or outdoors with materials found around the house!
#4 SEEDS Guided Activities: The SEEDS activities from Scotts Miracle Gro, including pre-planned activities for every season!
#5 Seed Viewers: Super simple and fun to watch, these bean seeds in clear plastic cups allow young gardeners to watch seeds sprout and introduce them to the life cycle of plants. More at home activities from Kids Gardening can be found here.
#6 Harvest For Healthy Kids: A free evidence-based curriculum! Check out Harvest for Healthy Kids 13 FREE activity kits with activities, books and recipes that could keep you busy at home year-round!
#7 Exploring Hydroponics: Kids are always amazed to see plants growing without soil. This simple kid-powered system gives them a chance to experiment and explore hydroponic basics.
#8 Dairy Coloring Book: Break out some coloring pencils, crayons or markers and dive into the Undeniably Dairy coloring book! 
#9 Growing Great Tasters: The Growing Great Tasters activity! As a family try one new fruit or vegetable every day for a week and record what you like!
#10 Relax and Read A Book! After so many active gardening activities, take some time to relax and read a book. Growing Minds children’s has a great collection of children’s gardening literature and many more activities!
For help or questions about gardening, contact your county's Extension office here. Find updated gardening information for Ohio on the Growing Franklin site.
October 2022- Steps to Starting Farm to School, Statewide Highlights, and National Farm to School Month!
To view this newsletter as a webpage, click here. Ohio Farm to School Monthly Newsletter Cultivators + Classrooms + Cafeterias Issue # 12 | October 2022 Welcome! Children engaging in the garden as part of Agraria’s Eco Growers program. Welcome to the October edition of the Ohio Farm to School monthly newsletter, and of course, happy National Farm to School Month! Whether you are just beginning a Farm to School initiative or been involved for a long while, this newsletter includes suggestions on how to get started, special edition highlights of Farm to School efforts around the state, and resources to help celebrate #F2SMonth! New Farm to School Branding As part of the USDA State Agency Farm to School Grant, […]
September 2022- Apple Crunch, Fall Gardens, Adopt a Cow, and More!
View the newsletter on a web page here –> https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/OHDOA/bulletins/32baaf0 Ohio Farm to School Monthly Newsletter Cultivators + Classrooms + Cafeterias Issue #11 | September 2022 Welcome! Welcome to the September edition of the Ohio Farm to School monthly newsletter highlighting the upcoming Apple Crunch, late summer school gardens and a fall planting update, and a chance to adopt your classroom’s very own cow! Photo: A child and educator at Kids Care Academy in Columbus observe a sign in the garden which reads “Be nice, bees working”. Want to be featured in the next monthly newsletter and on Ohio’s Farm to School Websites? Share your F2S success stories with us! Submit your F2S Success Story here! Celebrate National Farm to […]
August 2022- Fall Gardens, Apple Crunch, Farm to Summer, and Ohio’s USDA farm to school grant awardees
view as a webpage by clicking here. Ohio Farm to School Monthly Newsletter Cultivators + Classrooms + Cafeterias Issue # 10 | August 2022 Welcome! Parma City School District students growing sun gold tomatoes Welcome to the August edition of the Ohio Farm to School monthly newsletter! Read on for tips on fall planting in your school garden, the launch of the 2022 Great Apple Crunch, Farm to Summer highlights, and Ohio’s 2022 USDA Farm to School Grant awardees. Happy Back to School Month! Want to be featured in the next monthly newsletter and on Ohio’s Farm to School Websites? Share your F2S Success Stories with us! Submit your F2S Success Story here! Fall Planting in the School Garden Back in May, we […]
July 2022- Cucumber Crunch, Agricultural Education Advocacy, and USDA Director Visit
Having trouble viewing this newsletter? Click here to view on a different page . Ohio Farm to School Monthly Newsletter Cultivators + Classrooms + Cafeterias Issue # 9 | July 2022 Welcome! A little cruncher makes a creative veggie caterpillar at La Petite Academy. Welcome to the July edition of the Ohio Farm to School newsletter featuring a USDA Director’s visit to an Ohio school district, Ohio agricultural education advocacy, and cucumber crunchers around the state! USDA Representative Visits Parma City School District Sarah Bleich, the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) new Director of Nutrition Security and Health Equity recently visited Parma City School District. “Dr. Bleich is traveling the country to hear first-hand how communities are tackling food access, […]
June 2022- Ohio Farm to Summer, Cucumber Crunch, Adopt a Cow, and Local Advocacy
Ohio Farm to School Monthly Newsletter Cultivators + Classrooms + Cafeterias Issue #8 | June 2022 Welcome! Welcome to the June edition of the Ohio Farm to School newsletter and Ohio’s first official Farm to Summer week! Find details below on the Cucumber Crunch, how your students can adopt their very own Ohio dairy cow, and statewide advocacy for food justice. If you are having trouble viewing this page, click here. Ohio’s First Farm to Summer and Cucumber Crunch Event Crunch into a crisp cucumber this summer to celebrate nutritious foods, local farmers, and Ohio Farm to Summer! What is the Crunch? Celebrate Farm to Summer by purchasing and crunching into locally and regionally grown cucumbers. Then share photos from your […]
May 2022- Ohio School Gardens, Summer Gardens, Seed Starting in the Classroom
Ohio Farm to School Monthly Newsletter Cultivators + Classrooms + Cafeterias Issue # 7 | May 2022 Welcome! Malabar Intermediate Garden in Mansfield, Ohio. Spring is here and classes are winding down, which is the perfect time to be thinking about our school and childcare center gardens. In this month’s edition of the Ohio Farm to School Newsletter, take a closer look at maintaining and using the school garden year-round, and plan ahead for seed starting in the classroom throughout the year. Preparing the Garden for Summer Option One – No Summer Maintenance: If the school team is unable to maintain the garden over the summer, put the garden “to bed” before summer break. Harvest any remaining produce. Remove weeds. Store any […]
April 2022- Southwestern Region Farm to School Feature
Ohio Farm to School Monthly Newsletter Cultivators + Classrooms + Cafeterias Issue # 6 | April 2022 Students taste-testing healthy, local foods in Cincinnati. The Greater Cincinnati Regional Food Policy Council and Feed Our Future will offer opportunities for schools to host a Local Menu Takeover next school year! Welcome! Welcome to the March edition of the Ohio Farm to School Newsletter featuring Farm to School efforts throughout the southwest region of the state. These efforts include an overview of Cincinnati’s innovative farm to school plan, Adams Brown Head Start’s fun and tasty garden initiative, and Hamilton County R3Source’s high school food waste educational initiative with La Soupe. For questions related to Farm to School in the southwest region, contact Kristine Cahall-Dosch, […]
March 2022- Southeastern Ohio Farm to School Feature
Find the online version of the March edition of the Ohio Farm to School Newsletter linked here. Ohio Farm to School Monthly Newsletter Cultivators + Classrooms + Cafeterias Issue #5 | March 2022 Sprouts School Garden Program Participants at Amesville Elementary in Zanesville, Ohio. Welcome! Welcome to the March edition of the Ohio Farm to School Newsletter featuring Farm to School efforts throughout southeastern Ohio. We hope you find inspiration in these Farm to School programs featuring innovative public, private and nonprofit partnerships that benefit both students and communities. Zanesville City Schools The Partnering Anthropology with Science and Technology (PAST) Foundation has partnered with Zanesville City Schools and The Ocean’s Friend Aquaculture (TOFA), an Ohio company, to implement their 2021-2022 USDA Farm to School grant. The goal is […]
February 2022- Food Waste Reduction, Adopt a Cow, Ohio Carrots, and more!
Ohio Farm to School Monthly Newsletter Cultivators + Classrooms + Cafeterias Issue #4 | February 2022 Photo: Alumni Meghan Bartsch and Kyra Hanes demonstrate the Grind2Energy recycling system at Dublin Jerome High School. Welcome! Welcome to the February edition of the Ohio Farm to School Newsletter featuring an innovative Grind2Energy food waste system, Ohio grown carrots, the American Dairy Association’s Adopt a Cow Program, and a 2021 USDA Farm to School grantee update. Want to be featured in the next monthly newsletter or on Ohio’s Farm to School Websites? Schools, childcare centers, and organizations can share their Farm to School stories and events with us here! Farm to School in the Classroom Dublin Jerome High School According to the National Farm to School Network, public schools […]
