Farm to Summer Week is June 23-27, 2025

 

Farm to Summer emphasizes serving locally grown foods and providing complementary hands-on educational activities that help children develop healthy habits. GA DECAL’s Nutrition Services Division encourages operators of Happy Helpings, Georgia’s Summer Food Service Program to participate in the Farm to Summer activities all summer long.

Summer in Georgia is a time of agricultural abundance and bountiful harvests – a fantastic time of year to add variety to keep meals tasting great. Farm to Summer Week will be celebrated the last full week of June. This week is dedicated to celebrating local foods on the plates of children, cooking and taste testing fresh fruits and vegetables, getting children moving, and providing opportunities for children to experience agricultural-based education activities through gardening and movement. There are many benefits to implementing Farm to Summer at summer meal sites. Sponsors can increase participation by improving the quality of meals served and keep kids engaged in learning and moving through fun educational activities.

Share pictures of your Farm to Summer activities on social media using #GAFarmtoSummer, or via email to Morgan Chapman, Nutrition Education Specialist at Morgan.Chapman@decal.ga.gov.

Farm to Summer Week Celebration

Lesson Plans

2024

• Farm to Summer Week 2024 Pre-K Activities
• Farm to Summer Week 2024 Infant & Toddler Activities

2023

• Farm to Summer Week 2023 Pre-K Activities
• Farm to Summer Week 2023 Infant & Toddler Activities

Family Activities

• GA Pre-K at Home
  • GA Pre-K at Home
  • Farm
  • Insects
  • My Table
  • Gardening
  • Farm Fun Virtual Fieldtrips
• Toddler Time at Home
  • Toddler Time at Home
  • Farm
  • Harvest
  • Gardening
  • In the Kitchen
  • Sports and Physical Fitness

Themes of the Week

• Monday – What is Farm to Summer?
  • USDA's Farm to Summer
  • DECAL’s Farm to Summer
  • Local Foods and Related Activities in Summer Meal Programs, with Q&As
  • Farm to Summer: Why Summer Meals Programs are Ripe for Local Foods and Agriculture-Based Activities
• Tuesday – Gardening & Physical Activity
  • FTECE Guide: Exploring Gardening with Young Children
  • Team Nutrition Garden Resources
  • Farm to Summer Coloring Sheet
  • Guided Yoga Garden Adventure with CALi
  • Yoga for Kids: A Walk Through the Garden
• Wednesday – Cooking & Taste Testing
  • FTECE Guide: Exploring Cooking & Tasting with Young Children
  • Harvest of the Month Calendar (English & Spanish)
  • DECAL’s It’s Taste Test Time!
  • Summer Food, Summer Moves Resource Kit
  • Cooking Matters
  • USDA’s Taste-Testing Event Resources
  • USDA’s Team Nutrition Cooks
• Thursday – Locally Grown in Meals & Snacks
  • Harvest of the Month Calendar (English & Spanish)
  • USDA Local Food Directories
  • Find Georgia Grown Products Near You: Georgia Grown | Fruits & Vegetables
  • What’s in Season in Georgia Right Now?
  • Thank You Georgia Farmers Card
  • Thank You Georgia Farmers Card Instructions
• Friday – Literacy, Music & Movement
  • FTECE Guide: Book List & Songs
  • Growing Minds’ Children’s Literature
  • Go NAPSACC Farm to ECE Book List
  • Georgia Farm Bureau Book Recommendations
  • American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture Recommended Ag Books
  • Summer Food, Summer Moves Resource Kit
  • Paper Plate Frisbee
  • Paper Plate Tennis
  • USDA SFSP Nutrition Guide - Promoting Physical Activity
  • Summer Physical Activity Bingo
  • Music, Movement, and Literacy for Young Children

Previously Recorded Training

• Farm to Summer
• Farm to Early Care and Education (ECE)
• Tuesday Tip! Farm to Summer in Happy Helpings (June 2024)
• Farm to Summer: Incorporating Local Foods and Food Education into Your Summer Feeding Program

Turnip the Beet Award

The Turnip the Beet Award, by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), recognizes outstanding summer meal program sponsors who work hard to offer high quality meals to children that are appetizing, appealing, and nutritious during the summer months.

The criteria include serving local foods, a variety of vegetables and fruit, whole grains, and low-fat and fat-free milk.

Summer 2024 nominations open on Thursday, August 1, 2024. Please complete and submit nomination forms by Friday, August 30, 2024, to morgan.chapman@decal.ga.gov.

• Turnip the Beet Award Overview
• Award Nomination Form
• Previous Winners
  • Gold Award – Bread of Life Development (BOLD) Ministries in Conyers, GA (Summer 2023)
  • Silver Award – Boys & Girls Club of Greater Augusta in Augusta, GA (Summer 2023)
  • Bronze Award – Burke County Public Schools in Waynesboro, GA (Summer 2023)
  • Silver Award – Step of Faith Outreach, Inc. in Lavonia, GA (Summer 2022)

Questions? Contact Morgan Chapman, Nutrition Education Specialist at morgan.chapman@decal.ga.gov.