This year Governor Dalrymple proclaims Sept. 14-20 as North Dakota Farm to School Week, and it’s not too early to begin planning your activities.

Whether its holding an apple day, touring the school garden for science or holding a Student Iron Chef competition, we need you to share your ideas and support for farm to school.

Schools should be on the watch for an envelope the week of August 15 for some easy ideas to get you started. We encourage you to return the enclosed card by Sept. 1, to be entered into a drawing for a large gift basket of goodies from farm-based businesses including North Dakota producers. Items include cookbooks, water bottles, tee shirts, posters, cutting boards and more. For a complete list of donors please visit www.ndfarmtoschool.org.

Be sure and involve your PTAs and other parent groups as volunteers for Farm to School Week. And, don’t forget October is National Farm to School Month and Food Day is October 24. Visit www.farmtoschool.org for more ideas and activities.

If you need advice or have questions about farm to school week, do not hesitate to contact Sue Balcom at sbalcom@farrms.org or visit www.ndfarmtoschool.org for recipes and downloadable posters for celebrating agriculture in North Dakota.

Some of the goodies in our prize package include:

• The Founding Fathers Cookbook and two water bottles from the ND Farmers Union
• A tee shirt and pad-folio from the Farm Bureau
• A squash cookbook from Dr. Abby Gold and NDSU Extension
• Oklahoma’s Farm to School Cookbook with recipes created specifically for school lunches.
• A $50 gift certificate for meat or fiber from Morning Joy Farm, Mercer
• Jar of honey vanilla peach butter from Roving Donkey Farm, Bismarck
• Lip balms, a body butter, and a goat milk soap from Feral Farm, Rolette
• Two full sets of ND Harvest of the Month posters and 3 Veggication posters
• ND Legendary pleather tote
• Glass cutting board from NDAREC
• Cookbook, tablet and pen from Northharvest Bean
• There will be a second and third prize drawing also.