Thursday, May 1, 2025
News for Wisconsin School Food Authorities
Funding Opportunities
2025 Lots of Compassion Grant
Deadline: June 16, 2025
Kids Gardening and Mrs. Meyers’ Clean Day are offering the Lots of Compassion Grant program to support local leaders looking to transform vacant lots into gardens to help grow compassion in their community. 10 grantees will receive $20,000 each to transform a vacant lot into a garden. Schools, childcare centers, and community nonprofits are eligible to apply. Learn more about this opportunity and start preparing your application early!
Johnny’s Seeds - Community Requests
Deadline: Ongoing
Looking for seeds for the gardening season? Johnny’s Seeds offers in-kind seeds or an organization discount to qualifying programs, including schools. Learn more on the Johnny’s Seeds Community Requests webpage.
Chef Ann Foundation Bulk Milk Grants
Deadline: June 26, 2025
The Chef Ann Foundation Bulk Milk program helps schools transition from serving milk in single-use containers to serving milk using bulk dispensers and reusable cups. K-12 schools throughout the U.S. can apply to receive a Bulk Milk grant package, which includes a bulk milk dispenser, reusable tumblers, dish racks, marketing materials, staff training, and more. Learn more and apply.
Aldi Community Gift Card Program
Deadline: November 30, 2025
The ALDI Community Gift Card program offers gifts valued between $100 and $1,000 to qualified nonprofits and schools committed to supporting after-school and out-of-school youth programs. This initiative also extends to food banks and pantries seeking to purchase essential products.
Eligibility at a glance: Local 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, including schools. Whether your mission focuses on supporting children through education, arts, athletics, or addressing food insecurity, you are encouraged to apply for support from the ALDI Community Gift Card Program.
Cultivating Connections: A Wellness and Farm to School (F2S) Summit - Registration Open!
Location: Chula Vista Resort, Wisconsin Dells
Dates: August 5 and 6, 2025
The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction-School Nutrition Team is excited to announce that registration is open for the first wellness and Farm to School summit! Cultivating Connections: A Wellness and Farm to School Summit is a two-day event that will provide innovative strategies to promote student health and knowledge of local food systems through educator engagement, policy implementation, and partnership opportunities.
School nutrition professionals will learn valuable information from sessions such as:
- Fundamentals of the School Marketplace
- Learning Through Lunch: Nutrition in the Cafeteria
- Savor the Seasons: Cooking with Local Ingredients
- Show Me the Money: Funding for School Wellness and Farm to School
- Making Connections Work for Your School Nutrition Program
A local foods vendor show will be held on August 5 from 1-4 PM. Attend to find tasty, fresh, and delicious local products for your school meal programs. For more information and to register as a conference attendee, visit the Summit webpage!
Wisconsin Farm to School Survey - Results are In!
In October 2024, the DPI conducted a Statewide F2S Survey of all 653 School Food Authorities (SFAs) participating in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs in Wisconsin. 409 SFAs (63%) completed the survey based on activities that occurred during the 2023-24 school year. The survey had five main areas of focus to gaining better understanding of:
- The local foods supply chains and how local foods procurement are conducted in Wisconsin schools.
- The types of nutrition education occurring in schools related to F2S and the extent to which schools are partnering with external agencies to get this done.
- Where school gardens are in Wisconsin, who is providing effort for school garden work, and how school gardens are funded.
- The barriers to sustainable F2S activities and how to better develop sustainable F2S models.
- The areas where the F2S team can help and ideas for future projects.
View the Statewide F2S Survey Results.
Muffin Maynia: Celebrate Spring with Wisconsin’s Local Flavors!
This May (or any time of year), join us in celebrating Muffin Maynia with muffins made from Wisconsin-grown ingredients! Whether for breakfast, lunch, or a la carte, enjoy a variety of delicious muffins featuring local fruits, vegetables, eggs, and grains.
Why Muffins?
Muffins are a tasty and fun way to highlight the fresh, local produce of Wisconsin. Every muffin supports the Farm to School initiative, connecting students with local farmers and healthier food options.
Featured Muffin Recipes:
All recipes have been approved by the DPI for use in school meal programs and credit as 1 oz. equivalent whole grain-rich. Additional recipes will be added for the 2025-26 school year.
Celebrate Wisconsin School Garden Day – May 15, 2025!
Celebrate Wisconsin School Garden Day on Thursday, May 15! This day honors and celebrates all who have made garden-based education a reality and an asset in communities throughout the State! Celebrate by engaging students in a garden-based education activity such as (but not limited to) planting, observing, art, literature, STEM, or weeding. For more ideas, check out the WI School Garden Day Activity Guide. Email Erica Krug (erica@rootedwi.org) to share your plans and to be featured on the webpage!
Cucumber Crunch - Registration Open!
Celebrate local foods and Farm to School efforts by joining the Wisconsin Cucumber Crunch! Choose any date this summer for staff and students to collectively enjoy the satisfying crunch of locally grown cucumbers or another seasonal fruit or vegetable. Partner with a local farmer or harvest produce from your school garden to make your Crunch event special. Participation in the Cucumber Crunch can be used as a procurement activity for the Wisconsin Farm to School Recognition Program.
Visit the Celebrate Summer webpage for recipes, nutrition education, and promotional materials, and be sure to register your event! For any questions, contact DPIF2S@dpi.wi.gov.
Wisconsin Farm to School Recognition Program - Deadline Approaching!
The Wisconsin Farm to School Recognition Program helps schools gain recognition and celebrate their farm to school (F2S) accomplishments! Schools complete activities in the three core elements of F2S (local procurement, nutrition and agriculture education, and school gardens) to receive a recognition level and prizes. The deadline to submit trackers for the 2024-25 school year is Friday, May 30.
When the school is ready for DPI F2S staff to review their Recognition Tracker, select “Yes” from the dropdown under the Current Harvest Level and # Of Increased Levels boxes on the right-hand side of Recognition Tracker and send DPIF2S@dpi.wi.gov an email notifying us that the Recognition Tracker is ready to review.
Did you miss the program this year? Watch for the announcement of the school year 2025-26 program opening in August 2025!
Harvest of the Month: Early Childhood Resources Now Available
Wisconsin Harvest of the Month (HOM) is a statewide campaign that empowers students to eat more fruits and vegetables. Schools and now early childcare sites can utilize age-appropriate activity guides and promotional materials to feature a Wisconsin-grown fruit or vegetable monthly. Learn more!
International Compost Awareness Week is Just Around the Corner - Week of May 4-10!
International Compost Awareness Week is celebrated to raise public awareness about the importance of composting our organics and using compost to create healthier soil. Throughout the week, events will encourage composting and the use of compost, from backyard gardens to large-scale applications.
The theme for 2025 is, “Sustainable Communities Begin with Compost!” The goal is to spread the word about how composting food scraps and yard waste is one of the simplest ways to reduce waste and pollution. By diverting food scraps and yard waste from landfills, composting reduces methane emissions and helps keep our air and water clean. It also builds healthy soil. It’s a small action that makes a big difference.
Learn how to get involved and find event ideas through the Compost Research and Education Foundation Website.
Farm to School Advisory Council Nominations
Deadline: May 15
The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) is accepting nominations for the Farm to School Advisory Council until 11:59 p.m. on May 15, 2025. A seat is available in the at-large category. Members serve three-year terms, and the council meets at least four times per year. Learn more and apply here. For more information email DATCP Farm to School and Institution Specialist April Yancer, april.yancer@wisconsin.gov.