October is Farm to School Month - kick it off with a crunch!
October is Farm to School Month and Nebraska is participating in the multi-state Mountain Plains CRUNCH OFF. During the month of October, register for the Crunch Off, source a locally grown apple or other crunchable fruit/vegetable like pears, kohlrabi, beets, radishes, etc. and let your crunch be heard!
2023 Mountain Plains Crunch Off
The Mountain Plains Crunch Off is a multi-state celebration of Farm to School Month. States throughout the Mountain Plains Region (CO, MT, MO, KS, NE, ND, SD, WY) compete to see which State can get the most “crunches” into a local apple, or other local produce, per capita. Nebraska was the 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022 (wow!) Crunch Off winner, with more registrations per capita than any other state! Students, teachers, oragnizations, farmers, parents, community members and local food enthusiasts can register their team and crunch into a local fruit or veggie at the same time in celebration of local food and farm to school programs.
"As a Crunch Off participant, you will join students, teachers, farmers, parents, community members, and local food enthusiasts in celebrating the wonderful produce the Mountain Plains Region has to offer. Your Crunch efforts will encourage healthy eating and support local agriculture while celebrating Farm to School Month and shedding light on the wonderful efforts of our Child Nutrition partners."
For a list of "crunchable" items as well as seasonal recipes, visit the Nebraska Department of Education.
Steps to Get Started with Crunch
Access the full Crunch Off toolkit with ideas and resources after you’ve registered your Crunch Off event!
- Register for the 2023 Mountain Plains Crunch Off You’ll receive a free toolkit upon registering. Kits are available in Spanish and English.
- Create a Crunch Team! Folks to crunch with could be your school, workplace, early childcare center, club, organization, neighborhood or extended family!
- Decide what you will crunch and where you will get it from! Use our Online Food Guide, or download a list of farmers who grow apples and other crunchable items.
- Create your Crunch plan using the Crunch Off toolkit.
- Promote your Crunch event! Create your own facebook event for your district!
How to use the Online Food Guide