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Monthly Farm to School News from Growing Minds
September 2025
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Join The Farm to School Movement!
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The Growing Minds Team is here to help you incorporate Farm to School activities into your planning this year. We have made it easier than ever with our website’s new look! We have streamlined navigation to help you find what you are looking for. From Edible Gardens to Farm Experiences to Local Foods Served in Meals and Snacks—we have all the resources you need. So dive in and check out what's new!
With gratitude,
Danielle, Debbi, and Suzi
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Looking to start an edible garden or expand your gardens? We have garden management resources, tips for gardening with students, lesson plans, and more all for free on our Edible Gardens website page!
“My daughter’s favorite part of school is when they do anything in the garden. She always thinks outside the box and does not want to stop the activity. I love seeing her face light up when they’ve done something in the garden that day.” —Growing Wild Forest School parent
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Start planning your farm field trip or farmer classroom visit now. Don’t know where to start? We’ve got you covered—visit our Farm Experiences webpage for resources and guides.
“Our second grade classes had a farm field trip to Hickory Nut Gap Farm. It was so educational and fun! Forty-eight second graders can now better talk about the life cycle of some farm animals and have a better understanding of where their food comes from and the work involved to get that food from the farm to their plate.” —Evergreen Charter School teacher, Sally Boerschig
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Join the local food purchasing movement! Growing Minds connects farmers, distributors, and school food leaders to ensure students have access to healthy local food. Learn how on our Local Food in Schools webpage.
“Serving local foods is a big part of our mission and it really does help the kids be more adventurous when they can see the whole process. For example, planting something like carrots, then having rainbow carrots as the vegetable at lunch that same day helps them make that connection and gets them excited to try the food!” —Verner Garden and Volunteer Coordinator, Elise Molinaro
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Farm to ECE Academy with Growing Minds
Are you an ECE site in Western North Carolina interested in starting a Farm to ECE program, or taking your existing program to the next level? We can help with that! Join the Growing Minds Farm to ECE Academy for the 2025-26 school year—learn more and complete our interest form by Thursday, September 30. Share this flier with your colleagues.
Fun for the Whole Family
ASAP's Farm Tour (Sept. 20–21) is a great adventure for kids, families, and visitors of all ages and interests. Choose from 24 WNC family farms to visit over two days. Experience the sights, tastes, and stories of farm life through guided tours, demonstrations, and local food samples. Many farms will offer educational activities specifically for kids, including tours led by farm kids, scavenger hunts, or the chance to interact with farm animals. Some farms also have picnic areas, playgrounds, and other great outdoor spaces for play. Find out more at asapconnections.org.
Want to tour for free? Volunteer! Spend one afternoon from 12–5 p.m. welcoming visitors at a participating farm and in exchange receive a free tour pass (good for a full car) to visit farms on the day you aren’t working. Kids can volunteer alongside someone 18 or older. Get info and sign up to volunteer here!
Farm to School Training with Growing Minds
On October 15th, 2025 at 3:30pm, join the Growing Minds program for an introduction to Farm to School. In this virtual training you will learn about the different components of farm to school, hear how you can use our toolkits and resources to support your farm to school goals, glean insights from farm to school champions in our region, and brainstorm activities to get you started. All are welcome no matter what age you teach or what your experience with farm to school is! Register here to reserve your spot. Spread the word!
North Carolina Crunch
Sign up to participate in the North Carolina Crunch, a statewide event that celebrates North Carolina agriculture and farmers, National Farm to School and Early Care and Education Month, and healthy eating. Learn more and register here.
Salad Bars to Schools (SB2S): Expanding Access to Fresh Fruits and Vegetables in School Meals
Ongoing Grant Program | Applications Open
The Salad Bars to Schools (SB2S) program is a national granting initiative that equips schools and districts with salad bar equipment and support, helping ensure every student has daily access to fresh fruits and vegetables. Through this program, awarded schools receive Cambro salad bars, camchillers, and ongoing technical assistance to strengthen their school meal programs.
Eligibility: Open to K–12 school districts that participate in the National School Lunch Program with an enrollment of at least 100 students per school site. Apply here.
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Our office is located at 306 West Haywood Street, Asheville, NC 28801. We are open to the public Tuesday through Thursday from 9am to 5 pm. Call 828-236-1282 or email
Growing Minds is a program of ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project). ASAP's mission is to help local farms thrive, link farmers to markets and supporters, and build healthy communities through connections to local food.
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