The National Farm to School Network (NFSN) is an information, advocacy and networking hub for communities working to bring local food sourcing and food and agriculture education into their school and early care and education environments. The network is the heart of their organization, this includes an advisory board, partners, 20,000+ network members and national staff. The structure of the network allows for information to move from the local level to the national level and across all states, Washington, D.C, and U.S. Territories.
The NFSN has been instrumental in forming and supporting thousands of farm to school alliances. With the support of NFSN, local efforts are able to be amplified and implemented during changes within schools and communities. The network has a vision of a strong and just food system for all. They seek deep change toward this vision through farm to school activities that prioritize nourishment, education and empowerment of children in schools and early care settings. Each day, farm to school programming provides millions of children with fresh, local food and nutrition education. The NFSN has been an advocate for policies that support farm to school over the last two decades.
In order to continue the important farm to school advocacy work of NFSN, they need the support of school food service programs. Their largest source of funding, from the USDA, has been cut by $450,000- this funding cut comes to a surprise to the network. Now, NFSN is looking for support from school food service programs in order to continue moving forward with their work. NFSN plays a role in advocating, information-sharing and resources for farm to school. Some of their work includes, but is not limited to:
- School meals campaigns
- Early care and education
- Native communities
- Producer support
- Training and cohorts
- Farm to school month
- Farm to cafeteria conference
If you are interested in learning more about how you can support the National Farm to School Network during this time, please reach out to Miguel Villarreal for more information:
Miguel Villarreal
C: 707-338-7644
W: 707-789-1029