PARTNERSHIP DESCRIPTION AND PURPOSE:

National Farm to School Network (NFSN) is seeking partner organizations from across the country, including in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., the five U.S. Territories, and Sovereign Nations. We seek organizations to join us as partners in our Call to Action (www.farmtoschool.org/calltoaction).

We are looking to build partnerships with organizations that are community owned, in which the voices of those most impacted are not only centered but deferred to and that align with our core values. Specifically, NFSN is dedicated to building more authentic partnerships with BIPOC-led organizations. We know that if we don’t there is no way we can begin to break down systemic racism in our food system. While all types of organizations -- including white-led organizations -- are welcome in our network, NFSN is unapologetically and intentionally working to center the voices and leadership of BIPOC communities and organizations in our network.  

NFSN seeks representation from organizations that work on any of the following issues and want to work towards aligning around the intersectionality of their work and the food system.

Economic justice: Farm to school isn’t just about food miles, it’s about valuing the livelihoods of the people who grow, harvest, process, and prepare the food that children eat. We have the chance to build relationships between producers, workers, and eaters in ways that enrich communities and address economic racial injustices.

Environmental justice: Education and the purchasing power of meal programs can shift our food system away from practices that contribute to climate change and pollute communities of color, and towards a more equitable, sustainable use of our soil and water.

Health impact: Farm to school activities go beyond getting kids the calories they need, to giving them the tools for childhood nourishment and lifelong health. In addition to key nutrients provided by school meals, kids should be empowered with the knowledge and skills to build healthy habits later in life and increase their sovereignty in our food system.

Prioritizing racial equity: Progress towards a just food system requires us to dismantle the historic and ongoing structural racism in this system, and actively promote food sovereignty and racial equity in farm to school activities.

Respecting workers and educators: School nutrition professionals are the essential role in promoting fresh, healthy foods for our kids. The workers who harvest and process the vast majority of our nation’s food supply deserve -- but don’t currently have -- the same legal protections as workers in other industries in our country.  
Policies and practices should respect their rights and value their work appropriately.

Animal welfare: Humane treatment of animals in food production is a key part of a respectful, relational – not extractive – food system. Inhumane conditions in meat and poultry production are intertwined with the corporate consolidation of our food system, and the prioritization of cheaply produced meat at the expense of animal welfare, worker safety, farmer livelihoods, and community health.

PARTNERSHIP STRUCTURE CHANGES:

We are moving away from our previous structure of two levels of partners – Core and Supporting Partners – to a flat partnership structure. We are also eliminating the cap on the number of partners – all organizations that pledge to the commitments outlined below are welcome. We know it takes all of us to achieve our vision. All partner organizations in each place will be given equal recognition by NFSN for their roles in our network.

Additionally, we recognize the important value of state networks and existing state-level farm to school/ECE agency support, and we want to continue to be in partnership with those organizations. However, we are going to focus our staff capacity on building new relationships that center on grassroots, community-based organizations. We are striving to diversify the types of organizations we partner with to better reflect the six values named above, which are needed to help us move on our Call to Action.

***Note: This is a Commitment Form, not an RFA. That means that any organization that signs this commitment form will automatically become a National Farm to School Network Partner. This is a rolling application with no deadline.***

WHAT PARTNERS WILL DO:

Partners will contribute to movement building, information and resource sharing and collaboration, and policy development. Partners will have an opportunity to participate in peer learning opportunities and to shape our work through roundtables, working groups, and surveys. NFSN will also work to elevate the efforts and voices of our grassroots partners through our network and platforms.

We are seeking partnership with organizations that are centering racial justice and will work with NFSN towards the following outcomes:
- Leveraging policy opportunities to advance activities around farm to school, ECE, and food justice.
- Implementing equitable strategies to ultimately achieve equal access to farm to school and ECE for all children and communities.
- Deferring to the solutions elevated by the most impacted communities
- Undoing racial injustices in our food system and co-creating a racially just food system.
- Shifting power away from institutions towards BIPOC communities
- Demanding racial justice in other allied national organizations’ work.

PARTNER BENEFITS:

Partner organizations are recognized leaders in the farm to school and ECE movement, and will be featured on NFSN’s website through which NFSN members and the public can connect with you directly.

Partners will have opportunities to engage with NFSN staff on project-based funding partnerships, development of new resources and information, content and design of national campaigns and events, and strategic discussions about the growth and evolution of farm to school, farm to ECE, and our call to action. Relevant requests for speaking engagements, events, and media queries will be directed to partners, and you will have access to support and assistance from a network of peer partners, national staff, NFSN Advisory Board, and farm to school and ECE stakeholders across the country.

Partners will also have access to the following:
- Webinars
- Trainings
- Partners Listserv  
- Partner roundtable discussions
- Networking events  
- Place-based Logos
- Opportunities for cross-promotion on NFSN communications channels
- Discount on select events
- Participatory decision-making  

To become a partner, we ask that you sign a pledge of commitment to:
(1) Upholding the mission, vision, and values of NFSN  and
(2) Actively working towards our Call to Action
(3) Deferring to BIPOC voices and leadership