All throughout March, there is an abundance of opportunities (and resources!) to help you celebrate and implement nutritious, nourishing food experiences for kids.

For starters, March is National Nutrition Month®, an annual campaign created 50 years ago by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. This year’s theme is “Beyond the Table,” which addresses the farm-to-fork aspect of nutrition, from food production and distribution to navigating grocery stores and farmers markets. Check out these resources available in multiple languages and tips for celebrating!

Here are some additional ways for various farm to school stakeholders to engage during the action-packed themed weeks related to school meals and agricultural education:

• March 4-8 is National School Breakfast Week (NSBW), which celebrates the importance of a nutritious school breakfast that sets up students for success. Don’t forget to share your celebrations on social media using #NSBW24. Find activities and coloring sheets, printable certificates of participation and sample social media and promotional materials on the website.
• March 10 – 16 is National CACFP Week, designed to raise awareness of how the USDA’s Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) brings healthy foods to tables across the country for children in child care centers, homes, and afterschool programs as well as adults in daycare. The theme of CACFP Week in 2024 is eating the rainbow! Find resources, social media challenge details, sample menus and more on the website.
• March 18-22 is Pennsylvania Ag Literacy Week, which coincides with National Ag Day! Pennsylvania Ag Literacy Week focuses on connecting volunteers from the agricultural community to local classrooms to share the story of agriculture. Find recommended books, lessons and resources on the Pennsylvania Friends of Agriculture Foundation’s website and incorporate them into your classroom or childcare activities. Partnerships between schools or ECE sites and local farmers can make farm tours or a farmer visit to the cafeteria or classroom a possibility!
• Looking ahead to April 6-12, consider participating in Week of the Young Child, a fun-filled week celebrating early learning, young children and their teachers, families, and communities.

If you like to plan ahead, now is also a great time to start brainstorming how you will celebrate Farm to School Month in October! To get some inspiration, read this blog post highlighting some of the celebrations from 2023.