iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Angie Rupchock-Schafer @angrschafer.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

Hat tip to our friends at @civileats.com for putting together this fantastic starter pack of #farm and #foodsystem folks, featuring yours truly!! Always fun to see who you're already following in a list like this ✌🏻🌿 go.bsky.app/LyvUuXG

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Angie Rupchock-Schafer @angrschafer.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

Harvesting a grow bag of our fingerling potatoes. These will be tossed with some of our herbs and olive oil this week for dinner. I've found that using grow bags for potatoes makes harvesting them so much more simple.

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Angie Rupchock-Schafer @angrschafer.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Outside my USDA office, my coworkers are reestablishing a native prairie where before there was only dead turf grass. Hope is wildflowers in bloom.

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Angie Rupchock-Schafer @angrschafer.bsky.social · 24/05/2026

The #pollinator strip is blooming and the bees are so happy! Blue False Indigo (Baptisia australis) is a nitrogen-fixing legume. It provides vital shelter for local birds, feeds pollinators, and is deer resistant. They hate how it tastes. Its deep tap roots are awesome for erosion control too 😍

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Angie Rupchock-Schafer @angrschafer.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

🌽 In western #Michigan, a USDA #FarmtoSchool grant is teaching students about the food they eat and getting fresh, #localfood in their meals!

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Angie Rupchock-Schafer @angrschafer.bsky.social · 02/05/2026

We get a weekly produce box from our friends Chad and Xena of 'Hole in the Wood Farms.' Tonight's dinner is made with foraged morel mushrooms, wild garlic, and asparagus sauteed with herbs de provence and a crisp white wine. SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL FARMERS!! shop.holeinthewoodsfarm.com

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Angie Rupchock-Schafer @angrschafer.bsky.social · 28/04/2026

🫛 A #FarmtoSchool grant is putting #localfood on #schoolmeals cafeteria trays, students’ hands into school garden beds, and agricultural education into the classroom in Appalachian Ohio. [Now THAT is a 🔥 sentence!!] Learn more - Rural Action lnkd.in/gGPCrftr

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Reposted by Angie Rupchock-Schafer

Civil Eats @civileats.com · 27/04/2026

Most all the buffalo in Custer State Park are descended from Heather Dawn Thompson’s family’s herd. Now, as the vice president of Native Nations Conservation and Food Systems at @worldwildlife.org, she’s working to continue their legacy.

civileats.com

How a Legacy of Buffalo Conservation Led to Policy Wins for Indigenous Food

Heather Dawn Thompson’s Lakota family helped save the buffalo. For decades, she’s continued their work.

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Angie Rupchock-Schafer @angrschafer.bsky.social · 24/04/2026

🌾 #FarmtoSchool is connecting organic farmers to students in #Minnesota! Askegaard Organic Farm is a family run operation that has been growing food for 6 generations. The Askegaard family is especially proud of their strong farm to school partnerships with school districts across the state.

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Angie Rupchock-Schafer @angrschafer.bsky.social · 24/04/2026

My first red columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) blooms of the year. These pretty wildflowers self-seed readily and make a great starter plant for your native garden. Pollinators love them -- especially hummingbirds!!

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Angie Rupchock-Schafer @angrschafer.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

My prairie trilliums are blooming 🥰 Such a treat before they go dormant the rest of the year. Historically known as "birth root," Native American tribes used the root to aid in childbirth and treat various ailments. Today, spotting a prairie trillium is a sign of a healthy, mature ecosystem!!

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United Farm Workers @ufw.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

This #EarthDay, we honor not only the land, but the hard working people who nurture it. #WeFeedYou Este Día de la Tierra honramos no solo la tierra, sino también a las personas trabajadoras que la cuidan. #SoyEsencial

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Angie Rupchock-Schafer @angrschafer.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

Spring beauty (Claytonia virginica) was a valuable food and medicinal plant for Native Americans. The starchy, potato-like corms were eaten raw, boiled, or roasted, while leaves were eaten as greens. Medicinally, it was used to treat convulsions, sore throats, and eye issues.

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Angie Rupchock-Schafer @angrschafer.bsky.social · 11/04/2026

My wild ginger (asarum canadense l.) colony and its hidden flowers are a highlight of my shade garden. Native Americans used wild ginger as a poultice to treat wounds. Modern medicine has identified 2 antibiotic compounds in the plant -- its historical use as an antibiotic has been validated!!

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Angie Rupchock-Schafer @angrschafer.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

🫑School food service staff are learning how to cook local foods to support #FarmtoSchool! Farm to School Chef Jim Warner recently prepared a Sweet & Spicy Rainbow Burrito recipe w/ food service staff as part of his Ohio statewide training sessions that emphasize foods that can be sourced locally.

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Angie Rupchock-Schafer @angrschafer.bsky.social · 02/04/2026

🥗 #FarmToSchool connects students ⏩ local farmers and means healthier #schoolmeals for our kiddos!! Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools served up Sloppy Joes made w/ #Minnesota raised beef, paired w/ a garden bar featuring local romaine lettuce and pea shoot microgreens from 3 local farms 🥬.

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Angie Rupchock-Schafer @angrschafer.bsky.social · 31/03/2026

My bloodroot is blooming!! Native Americans, including the Cherokee, Algonquin, and Ponca, used the orange-red sap of bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) primarily for dyes, body paint, and traditional medicine.

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Angie Rupchock-Schafer @angrschafer.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

When you and your twinsie drip so hard in your Duluth overalls that you are camouflaged ✌🏻🤣🌿

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Angie Rupchock-Schafer @angrschafer.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

🍄 In Wisconsin, #FarmToSchool is connecting students back to the land. "Mr. Kinney's class joined the gitigaan crew to harvest and learn about shkitaagan (chaga) earlier this week! This medicinal mushroom will be brewed and shared with staff and students at our tea station!"

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Angie Rupchock-Schafer @angrschafer.bsky.social · 23/03/2026

Perfect conditions for a controlled burn today. The native plants will thrive here in a few weeks. Always love helping with this work and land restoration.

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Angie Rupchock-Schafer @angrschafer.bsky.social · 09/03/2026

First bloom of 2026 in Northern Indiana!! 🌿

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Angie Rupchock-Schafer @angrschafer.bsky.social · 09/03/2026

During my time as a @bread4theworld.bsky.social Board member, I was lucky enough to learn about the work of @toendhunger.bsky.social. The Alliance to End Hunger works cross-sector to address #hunger & #malnutrition & to solve the root causes of hunger in the U.S. & abroad. Give them a follow!

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Angie Rupchock-Schafer @angrschafer.bsky.social · 25/11/2025

🌽 On #Indiana Food Day, students husked farm-fresh local corn & enjoyed it for lunch! “I think it’s important that the school gives [students] an idea of #agriculture & farm grown food. “I’ve learned how much our schools have gotten food from farmers & how much it helps out the school." [1/2]

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Angie Rupchock-Schafer @angrschafer.bsky.social · 05/11/2025

As a furloughed fed, I haven't received a full paycheck since Sept. Our tightened family budget is now razor thin, there's nowhere else we can cut. In an effort to feel like I'm still part of something worthwhile, I've been volunteering at our local food pantry these days. It's a labor of love.

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Reposted by Angie Rupchock-Schafer

James Martin, SJ @jamesmartinsj.bsky.social · 09/10/2025

Pope Leo XIV: "I often wonder, even though the teaching of Sacred Scripture is so clear about the poor, why many people continue to think that they can safely disregard the poor." "Dilexi te"

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Angie Rupchock-Schafer @angrschafer.bsky.social · 08/10/2025

I may be on furlough as a fed, but that doesn't mean the work of #FarmtoSchool stops cold!! Spent the morning volunteering and teaching local students how to butcher and process farm-raised chickens.

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Angie Rupchock-Schafer @angrschafer.bsky.social · 30/09/2025

It was a total blast running into the Institute for Agriculture & Trade Policy @iatp.bsky.social at #FarmAid in Minneapolis! Even better!? Learning about all their #FarmToSchool work in the Homegrown Village 🌱 www.iatp.org/farm-school-... @farmaid.org

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Angie Rupchock-Schafer @angrschafer.bsky.social · 29/09/2025

How will a government #shutdown impact #SNAP benefits? @fracposts.bsky.social has the answers. CORRECTED LINK: share.google/FI3rb0STzI1c...

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Angie Rupchock-Schafer @angrschafer.bsky.social · 27/09/2025

Hanging out with a fiery skipper -- an under-rated native butterfly!! -- while gardening this freaking gorgeous afternoon.

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Angie Rupchock-Schafer @angrschafer.bsky.social · 23/09/2025

🌱 #FarmtoSchool is helping outdoor agriculture classrooms sprout in #Ohio! “This microfarm provides students w/ hands-on learning around sustainable farming practices, #nutrition, and producing food for the community,” says Brent Herdman, Food Service Director at River Valley Local Schools. [1/2]

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Angie Rupchock-Schafer @angrschafer.bsky.social · 20/09/2025

So stinking happy to meet @reana.bsky.social in real life and see her in action at the Home Grown Village seed swap!! #FarmAid40

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Angie Rupchock-Schafer @angrschafer.bsky.social · 20/09/2025

I ran into one of my Midwest #FarmtoSchool grantees at the Homegrown Village!! #FarmAid40

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Angie Rupchock-Schafer @angrschafer.bsky.social · 18/09/2025

🍅 #FarmtoSchool and #STEM programs are making a huge impact for students in #Indiana! Students of James A. Garfield School 31 in Indianapolis are building new #schoolgarden beds, weeding existing ones, and planting seeds and small plants. [1/x]

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Angie Rupchock-Schafer @angrschafer.bsky.social · 18/09/2025

OMG I leave tonight for @farmaid.org !! 😍🌽🌱 A bunch of us USDA #FarmToSchool staff are going so we can celebrate sustainable ag and have some JOY and be around the folks we love to work for -- small and family farmers!!

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Angie Rupchock-Schafer @angrschafer.bsky.social · 14/07/2025

The strip between our house & the alley used to be turfgrass, dead of all life. Over the past 10 years I've turned it into a #pollinator strip & now it's BRIMMING with life!! Bees, insects, & gorgeous bright wildflowers right in our tiny yard as a lifeline to our wild friends 🐝☀️🌱 #NativePlants

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Angie Rupchock-Schafer @angrschafer.bsky.social · 14/07/2025

🥗 #FarmToSchool connects students ⏩ local farmers ⏩ healthier school meals!! This spring, Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools (PLSAS) served up Sloppy Joes made with Minnesota-raised beef, paired with a garden bar featuring local romaine lettuce and pea shoot microgreens. [1/x]

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Reposted by Angie Rupchock-Schafer

Isabel, booonyavirus wonk @isabelott.bsky.social · 06/06/2025

[early settlers tripping and falling face-first into precisely managed complex agricultural systems] “Is this…a pristine wilderness?!?”

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Angie Rupchock-Schafer @angrschafer.bsky.social · 29/05/2025

🥕 #FarmtoSchool helps #preK students learn about where their food comes from and experience #agriculture hands-on!! 📸 Anya Sczerzenie / DN-R More: lnkd.in/ga5NdNX8 #agsky #edsky #preksky

Here, Bobby Morris of Grampy’s Village Zoo shows a rabbit to a group of Pre-K students at Plains Elementary School in Timberville, Virginia, during Farm to School Day.

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Angie Rupchock-Schafer @angrschafer.bsky.social · 29/05/2025

My #pollinator strip is very purple rn with spiderwort and wild blue indigo showing off #nativeplants #gardensky 🐝

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Reposted by Angie Rupchock-Schafer

Mississippi Free Press @mississippifreepress.org · 26/05/2025

The canceled farm-to-school grant would’ve "created a network of learning gardens and urban farm sites that can address food insecurity through local procurement and nutrition education for their students as well as their families and the broader community," said Mary Jo Wilson.

buff.ly

USDA Disrupts Jackson Food Program, Ending Farm-to-School Grant

The Farm to Community initiative has served nearly 400 students and 2,000 Jackson residents. But now, Trump’s USDA has canceled a grant that funds it.

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Angie Rupchock-Schafer @angrschafer.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

Farm fresh food is making a BIG difference in #schoolmeals in Indiana! Mooresville Community School students love the sloppy joes made with high-quality beef from Fischer Farms Natural Foods, potato chips from Broad Ripple Chip Co., and sweet corn fresh from the fields of Garwood Farms!! #agsky

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Angie Rupchock-Schafer @angrschafer.bsky.social · 16/05/2025

Spotted a new native tonight on the trails: Butterweed!! 🥰

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Angie Rupchock-Schafer @angrschafer.bsky.social · 16/05/2025

“ #FarmtoSchool allows students to bridge the gap between the farm & fork. It’s an amazing feeling knowing that I'm able to help make an impact on young people!” In Barnesville, Minnesota, family owned & operated Rickford Ranch takes great pride in selling beef to families & 2 local schools.

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Angie Rupchock-Schafer @angrschafer.bsky.social · 29/03/2025

Excited for our 1st weekly delivery from Hole in the Woods Farm in Culver, #Indiana! Chad & Xenia have been growing food w/ care & purpose since '08. Certified Naturally Grown since '10, their commitment to stewardship extends beyond the fields.

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Civil Eats @civileats.com · 27/03/2025

“What this means from a bigger picture is that people are not going to have access to as much local food, and our farmers are already going into debt.” –Sadie Willis, network coordinator for Wisconsin’s Fairshare CSA Coalition.

buff.ly

Will Local Food Survive Trump’s USDA?

The USDA is bulldozing efforts that help small farmers and food producers sell food directly to schools, food banks, and local communities.

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Angie Rupchock-Schafer @angrschafer.bsky.social · 17/03/2025

"We're incredibly grateful for our #FarmtoSchool partners, who see the value in what we do & incorporate our #turkey into menus year-round. We love seeing all of the creative ways our turkey is served to #Minnesota students, alongside other local ingredients." [thread 1/x]

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Angie Rupchock-Schafer @angrschafer.bsky.social · 14/03/2025

Thank you @reana.bsky.social and Black Rabbit Apothecary for my new facial oil! Ingredients straight from her farm and her herbalist training means only the best for your skin. In love. Support and shop small!

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Angie Rupchock-Schafer @angrschafer.bsky.social · 12/03/2025

Guess what I'm doing while I'm off duty, using my personal cell, not in a gov building, & NOT acting in an official capacity whatsoever? I'm freaking advocating to protect the programs I believe in so damn much I've built my entire career around them. Am I exhausted? Yes. Will I stop? HELL NO.

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