We hope you will consider sharing your knowledge and skills with peers across the state!

Proposals are due October 25th!

Workshop and short course presenters will receive free registration for the day they are presenting and lightning talk presenters will receive a 50% discount.

Types of presentations:
Workshops: 75 min presentations. Interactive, participatory workshops are encouraged. Single presenters or panel presentations.

Lightning talks: Short 7 minute talks with slideshow images that share stories, highlight innovative programs, and bring farm to school work to life. Lightning talks will be held concurrently in a designated session and grouped by theme area.

Short Courses: 2.5 hour courses that provide opportunities for more in-depth training that is hands-on and action oriented. You will have two 75-min sessions back to back, feel free to integrate a break in your course.

The Conference is a two day event with workshops, speakers, resources and networking opportunities. Thursday, Feb 15th will be focused on farm and garden based education. Friday, Feb 16th will be focused on incorporating local food into school meals. Some workshops will fit on either day and that is wonderful! Farm to school is interconnected!

Guiding Focus Areas for Presentations

As you prepare your proposal, please keep in mind these guiding focus areas. These are not meant to be exclusive, feel free to propose any presentation you'd like to share at the Conference. These focus areas are meant as invitations and inspiration, and were identified by the planning committee as areas of interest from practitioners across the state.

Getting started with Farm to School & School Gardens: proposals that focus on starting programs in the classroom, cafeteria, garden and/or community. Emphasis on orienting to Oregon's Farm to School Program and resources and support available to make starting a programs simple and achievable.

Innovation & New Pathways to Farm to School: proposals that focus on new approaches and innovative practices. This can include, but is not limited to: farm to school programs in non-traditional settings, social-emotional learning and accessible methods for providing education, early care farm to school, middle-high school farm to school, values-based procurement, purchasing from small, diverse and/or beginning food producers, food and menu innovations and more!

Market Access & Development: how producers and child nutrition programs connect and build effective relationships for long-term business relationships that are profitable and rewarding. This can include, but is not limited to: transparency in procurement practices, transitioning to scratch cooking, forward contracting, promoting and communicating local procurement to the broader community.

Community + Cultural Connections: proposals that focus on community leadership and programs that reflect the cultural diversity of the community. This can include, but is not limited to: cultural lessons in farm to school, first foods/ traditional ecological knowledge, community partnerships, cultural recipes in cafeteria, engaging diverse communities (race, ethnicity, neurodivergence, disability), student and family voice, centering food as a value for nourishment and education, fostering a positive food environment. for students.

Advanced Program Design & Impact: intermediate and advanced proposals that focus on successful farm to school & school garden program models and methods for measuring and sharing impacts.

Growing the Field of Farm to School: share your path to finding a career in farm to school! How can we build career pathways for more sustainable, compensated positions in the field. Do you have a paid farm to school or school garden position at a school, district or early childhood program? How did you get there and how can we build more positions like yours across the state. Share professional development models for growing skilled leaders in farm to school. How can we build resilient programs that can be sustained and institutionalized?

If you have any questions or need assistance, contact Melina Barker 541-890-7004. melina@oregonfarmtoschool.org