VDOE School and Community Nutrition

05/11/2026

Virginia Farm to School Network events are happening all across the Commonwealth! In April, farm to school stakeholders visited the Keany Produce Company facility, where they learned about Keany's light-processing operation and their work with Virginia farms. In attendance was Raleigh Showalter, of Portwood Gardens, who spoke to the value of working with distributors to expand his distribution area and connect his products with Virginia students. Join the Virginia Farm to School Network listserv to learn about upcoming events in your area!

05/01/2026

Here's to the school lunch pros who turn fresh ingredients into healthy meals and smiles every day. You're the heroes behind the scenes! Thank you for showing up with skill, compassion, and commitment every day, for every student. We're so grateful for everything you do! 🫶🍽️

04/30/2026

AITC's Summer Series registration is now open! Educators in and around the Roanoke area are invited to join us on Monday, July 27th. Register here: https://form.jotform.com/261055344832151 📚🌱☀

For more information on the other workshops available visit: https://virginia.agclassroom.org/teachers/professional-development/calendar/

04/30/2026

Friday is School Lunch Hero Day! Your plans don't need to be elaborate—in fact, I have several free resources to help you pull together creative ways for your students to express their gratitude!

04/23/2026

District funding is now open!

Building on more than a decade of success with NFL FLAG-In-School, PLAY 60 Champions expands support to the district level to help scale physical activity across schools.

Join to learn more and apply:
🔗 https://www.actionforhealthykids.org/champions/



GENYOUth

04/13/2026

We loved celebrating Agriculture Literacy Week alongside you! A few pictured highlights of reading Virginia Agriculture in the Classroom Book of the Year, Farm Boots, by Lisl Detlefsen, which highlights the many boots found on farms:
🍎 Governor Abigail Spanberger and Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry, Katie Frazier, reading to students in Culpeper County
🥕 A visit to Henrico County first graders by Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles Green read to Henrico County first graders, Virginia Department of Education - VDOE Chief of Staff Holly Coy, and Lead Farm to School Specialist Bee Thorp
🗓️ To continue celebrating and advancing agriculture literacy among students, save the date for Virginia Farm to School Week occurring October 5–9, 2026!

04/11/2026

The application deadline for the AFID Infrastructure Grant Program is April 30. This program awards grants for capital projects at new and existing food hubs, farmers markets, commercial kitchens, and other value-added facilities such as those used for processing and packaging meats, dairy products, produce, or other Virginia agricultural products. Small farmers, food producers, local food systems advocates and others interested in building their community’s local food and farming infrastructure are encouraged to learn more about the program and work with their localities to identify and develop suitable projects.
Click the link for more information - https://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/agriculture-afid-infrastructure-grants.shtml

04/09/2026

We had a fantastic time connecting with school nutrition professionals at the School Nutrition Association of Virginia 2026 State Conference! It was inspiring to share ideas, celebrate the impactful work happening across Virginia, and explore new ways to fuel student learning. We are excited to carry this energy forward to continue strengthening school and community nutrition programs throughout the Commonwealth! We hope to see you next year in Richmond!

04/07/2026

New Resource Alert! The Knife Skills for Fresh Produce is a visual training guide to support school and community nutrition professionals with fresh produce preparation. Each page provides practical guidance for kitchen use, focusing on preparing fresh fruits, vegetables, and scratch-made meals, including knife skills for 23 produce items.
This resource is available for download on our website at

The Virginia Department of Education, Office of School and Community Nutrition Programs (VDOE-SCNP) is committed to ensuring that every Virginia student has equitable access to freshly prepared, nutritious, locally sourced, and student-inspired meals. Studies show that well-nourished students are be...

04/03/2026

Check these out!

Make every lunch line smoother, safer, and more student-friendly. 🍽️

Our latest School Nutrition training video shares practical strategies to help managers and frontline staff boost speed without sacrificing safety or service. From improving traffic flow and using visual cues to leveraging technology for better communication, this video is full of actionable ideas you can use right away.

Create a more efficient operation while enhancing hospitality and the overall student experience because every minute (and every interaction) matters.

👉 Watch now and level up your lunch line: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zrdva0sRig