Here's the latest…
EVENTS
Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) & Good Handling Practices (GHP)
Workshop on April 2nd in Benton Harbor
Please see the attached flyer and email press release for more
information. Space is limited!
NEWS
An economic analysis of a farm to school pilot program in Oregon shows a
"nearly 2-to-1 multiplier for every dollar invested in local food for
the lunchroom." To learn more about this preliminary analysis by
Ecotrust, please see the attached email press release.
GRANT OPPORTUNITIES
The Michigan Department of Education's Team Nutrition is "Recruiting"
schools to apply for the Youth Wellness Initiative Mini-Grant. Please
see the attached email for more information.
Economic Stimulus Package - School Food Authority Equipment Grants
The economic stimulus package provides $100 million for school food
service equipment grants, which can fund new freezers, salad bars, milk
coolers, etc. Funds are allocated based on each state's school meals
administrative expense allocation, and local school food authorities
(SFAs) may then competitively apply for National School Lunch Program
equipment assistance grants. Priority will be given to SFAs in which at
least 50 percent of the students are eligible for free or reduced-priced
meals. Grants will be made no later than June 8, 2009.
The Michigan Department of Education will release the application and
guidelines for these grants in the very near future. Some equipment that
could help schools use locally-grown fruits and vegetables in their
meals programs includes: additional refrigeration units, two-
compartment produce washing sinks, serving line and salad bar equipment,
mechanical potato peelers, and mechanical vegetable sliders and
choppers. I will keep you posted on this equipment grant opportunity as
I learn more, but please do urge your local school district to apply,
especially if 50% of the students are eligible for free or reduced-price
meals.
Here are some links to learn more:
· USDA Memo on 2009 Equipment Assistance Grants for School Food
Authorities:
http://www.fns.usda.gov/fns/recovery/memos/SP_18-2009_sa.pdf
· Obama Stimulus Targets Fresh, Local Food by Diane Conners:
http://www.mlui.org/farms/fullarticle.asp?fileid=17293
· Food program highlights in American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act of 2009:
http://www.frac.org/Legislative/action_center/arra_antihunger_highlights.htm
POLICY
The Child Nutrition Act, which includes National School Lunch and
Breakfast Programs, Summer Food Service Program, and WIC Farmer's Market
Nutrition Program, is up for reauthorization in 2009, and the budget
process is already underway. Make a call to your congressional
representatives to ask for enough funding in the 2010 budget to
accomplish the many reforms needed in this year's Child Nutrition
Reauthorization (CNR). The House and Senate Budget Committees set the
size of the pot of money that will permit (or limit) real change in the
CNR to support farm to school initiatives. Please CALL your two U.S.
senators and your congressional representative and ask them to seek $20
billion over five years for the Child Nutrition Reauthorization in this
year's budget, and let them know your priorities for the Child Nutrition
Reauthorization.
The attached "One Tray at a Time" document outlines top priorities from
the National Farm to School Organization, the Community Food Security
Coalition, and School Food FOCUS. Their top priorities include:
· Enact $250 million over 5 years, with $50 million mandatory for
Section 122: Access to Local Foods and School Gardens for Grants to
Schools
· Establish a farm to institution initiative within the Secretary
of Agriculture's Office
· Increase funding for improving and evaluating school food
procurement
Additional priorities that may be important to you include:
· Increase reimbursements for school meals programs
· Strengthen nutrition standards for school meals programs and
competitive foods.
The attached "Great Lakes Region" document from the National Farm to
School Organization lists key Congress people. Call (202) 224-3121 to
get the phone numbers for your senators and representatives. The
switchboard has been quite busy lately, but it's also easy to search
online for their phone number; and it's smart to get a fax number too,
so you can fax in a brief note if congressional lines are busy when you
call. You can also talk to their local offices! Be sure to say that
you're a constituent and share a brief personal example of why Farm to
School is important to you. Please see the attached "Child Nutrition
Reauthorization Tool" from the national Farm to School organization for
a quick summary.
Best,
Colleen Matts
Farm to School Specialist
CS Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems
Michigan State University
303 Natural Resources Building
East Lansing, MI 48824-1222
517.432.0310
email message attachment
-------- Forwarded Message --------
From: Emily R. Beutel <buckhame@ANR.MSU.EDU>
Reply-To: Emily R. Beutel <buckhame@ANR.MSU.EDU>
To: FARMMKTMI@LIST.MSU.EDU
Subject: Good Agricultural and Good Handling Practices Workshop on April
2
Date: Wed, 25 Mar 2009 09:25:43 -0400
This might be of interest to those of you in southwest Michigan.
_______
From: Michigan Food and Farming Systems - MIFFS
[mailto:MIFFS@LIST.MSU.EDU] On Behalf Of Emily R. Beutel
Sent: Wednesday, March 25, 2009 9:20 AM
To: MIFFS@LIST.MSU.EDU
Subject: Good Agricultural and Good Handling Practices Workshop on April
2
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 25, 2009
CONTACT: Ron Goldy
Southwest Michigan Research and Extension Center
Phone: 269-944-1477 x 207
GAP and GHP Workshops Tackle Grower Certification
BENTON HARBOR, Mich. – A new workshop on Good Agricultural Practices
(GAP) and Good Handling Practices (GHP) is reaching out to growers
trying to tackle the supply chain, focusing on the steps and strategies
to safely get fresh local product to regional grocery stores and the
wholesale distributors that service them.
"These workshops are to help farmers understand certification standards
and practices that wholesale and retail buyers are requiring to ensure
safe food for their customers," said Elaine Brown, Michigan Food &
Farming Systems (MIFFS). "They are so important to growers who currently
sell to these markets or are looking to take that step."
This workshop will take place Thursday, April 2, 2009 from 9 a.m. to 3
p.m. at the Southwest Michigan Research and Extension Center in Benton
Harbor. The cost to attend is $15 pre-registered or $20 at the door, but
the value is more than $100 per person and includes lunch and the
"Wholesale Success: A Farmer's Guide to Selling, Post-Harvest Handling
and Packing Produce" Manual.
Warren King, the President of WellSpring Management in Oak Park, Ill.,
has worked for years in various companies and capacities of the
industry, including work as a Goodness Greenness buyer. He will speak at
this session and share his knowledge and experience with GAP and GHP and
what retailers expect and require when working with growers.
Colleen Bess of the Michigan Department of Agriculture will also be
there to discuss the cost and fee structure of USDA's GAP and GHP audit
for growers who are looking to connect into this branch of the value
chain. Third-party audits, the necessity of good practices, tips for
completing GAP and GHP applications and the "Wholesale Success" manual
are other topics being discussed at this workshop.
FamilyFarmed.org developed the 174-page "Wholesale Success" manual to
build the capacity of Midwest farmers to meet the burgeoning demand for
local food. It features comprehensive sections on issues like building
buyer relationships, food safety and calculating return on investment,
along with 63 crop profiles with specific harvesting, cooling, storage
and packing information on fruits and vegetables grown in the Midwest.
FamilyFarmed.org is now working with farmer organizations such as the
Illinois Stewardship Alliance, Michael Fields Agricultural Institute,
Michigan Food and Farming Systems, and the Leopold Center for
Sustainable Agriculture to distribute the manual and develop trainings
for producers.
For more information or to RSVP, please contact SWMREC at (269) 944-1477
x 207 or by e-mail to goldy@msu.edu. A flyer is also available at
http://www.miffs.org/media/GAPGHPWorkshop040209.pdf. Space is limited,
so register by March 31 to save your spot, as participants will be
accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Sponsors for this workshop include Michigan Food & Farming Systems
(MIFFS), the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA), the Southwest Michigan
Research and Extension Center (SWMREC), the Michigan Agricultural
Experiment Station (MAES) and Michigan State University Extension
(MSUE).
####
Founded in 1998, MIFFS is a statewide membership organization (501c3)
whose purpose is to promote diverse efforts that foster and sustain food
and farming systems that improve economic, ecological and social
well-being. MIFFS has been effective at establishing successful
partnerships among producers, markets and institutions that have created
more profitable, environmentally friendly food systems in Michigan.
The organization's vision is based on the premise that agricultural
productivity, environmental stewardship and profitability reinforce each
other for the benefit of Michigan's rural and urban communities. To
learn more, please visit www.miffs.org or call (517) 432-0712.
To remove yourself from this list, email to: listserv@list.msu.edu and
include the following in the text of the message: SIGNOFF MIFFS or email
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If this method does not work, then please email smalley3@msu.edu in
order to be removed from the list.
email message attachment
-------- Forwarded Message --------
From: Colleen Matts <matts@msu.edu>
To: Colleen Matts <matts@msu.edu>
Subject: FW: Ecotrust Research Confirms Investing in School Food is One
Great Way to Feed a Starving Economy
Date: Tue, 31 Mar 2009 15:12:03 -0400
From: Deborah Kane [mailto:dkane@ecotrust.org]
Sent: Wednesday, March 18, 2009 4:26 PM
Subject: Ecotrust Research Confirms Investing in School Food is One
Great Way to Feed a Starving Economy
For Immediate Release
March 18, 2009
FARM TO SCHOOL INVESTMENT YIELDS A HEALTHY RETURN INTO
STATE COFFERS
Economic Impact Analysis of Pilot Program Shows a Nearly 2-to-1
Multiplier for Every Dollar Invested in Local Food for the Lunchroom
PORTLAND, Ore. – As state lawmakers search for ways to immediately
stimulate Oregon's malnourished economy, a new economic impact analysis
proves that investing in locally produced foods for the school lunchroom
fortifies the state's economy with dollars previously spent elsewhere.
A preliminary analysis of the impact of investing school food dollars in
the local food economy was released today by Ecotrust. The analysis was
conducted as part of a rigorous review of the local buying practices
currently underway in two public school districts in Oregon, Gervais and
Portland, where school foodservice directors are using a philanthropic
investment made by the Kaiser Permanente Community Fund at the Northwest
Health Foundation to test the impact of proposed "farm to school"
policies currently being debated in the Oregon Legislature.
Much like the legislation currently under consideration, the Kaiser
Permanente grant allocates funds on a per meal basis (seven cents per
lunch served) to a combined total of 91 schools in Gervais and Portland
for the express purpose of buying more Oregon grown, processed and
manufactured food for the lunchroom. Early results indicate that over a
14 week time period (mid Sept. – Dec. 2008), the two districts received
$66,193 in Kaiser Permanente grant funds. Those funds, in turn,
catalyzed $225,869 in local purchasing.
The data reveal three key findings. First, as researchers predicted, a
small amount of money can leverage much greater investment in local
purchasing, as the Kaiser Permanente grant dollars encouraged a 72
percent increased investment in local foods. Second, an input-output
analysis was used to estimate the economic benefits of these purchases
to the Oregon economy and shows that for every food dollar spent locally
by the two school districts, an additional 87 cents was spent in Oregon,
generating a multiplier of 1.87 for farm to school spending. Finally,
research confirms that the economic benefits of investments made in the
Oregon agricultural community trigger successive spending in almost
every sector of the Oregon economy. The analysis revealed that dollars
spent in Oregon agriculture reverberated into 401 of 409 of the state's
economic sectors. Researchers will continue to study the effects of
local buying practices throughout the remainder of the school year, but
believe data from the first three months of the pilot project provide
early signs of success.
"This research confirms that farm to school programs are a viable
investment that can make an immediate impact on nearly every sector of
our state's economy," said Deborah Kane, vice president of the Food and
Farms program for Ecotrust. "We knew the effort would likely benefit the
Oregon agricultural community, and of course Oregon's children. We were
encouraged to learn that the benefits extend far beyond the most
obvious."
The study has identified other benefits as well. In Gervais, Kaiser
Permanente grant dollars allowed schools to offer a greater variety of
fresh fruits and vegetables than had been served in the prior year.
Increased demand for local products expanded market opportunities for
more than two dozen Oregon farmers, food processors and manufacturers.
In Portland, community partnerships blossomed to support the changes
taking place in the cafeteria, with area grocery stores championing
school food improvements as part of the grant. And once schools
introduced a new menu item, such as a locally produced salsa, the demand
and popularity of the product grew and it did not go away after a single
serving.
"The extra investment in our lunch program gave us tremendous purchasing
power, so that across the board, products that we had been buying
outside of Oregon – apples, beef, chili, cheese, corn – we were able to
source locally," said Kristy Obbink, nutrition services director,
Portland Public Schools District. "This demonstrates how we can take a
few cents and sprinkle it over the entire school meal and drive way more
money into the Oregon economy."
As the farm to school pilot program continues in two districts, interest
and momentum for sourcing local in the lunchroom is growing statewide as
indicated in a recent poll of Oregon foodservice directors conducted by
Ecotrust. From Coos Bay to Milton-Freewater, from Woodburn to Medford,
survey participants self-reported that if given an additional 15 cents
per for every lunch served in their district, they would seek out Oregon
grown, processed or manufactured products, with a particular interest in
fresh, frozen and canned fruits and vegetables, dairy products, beef and
bakery products. Of those districts that completed the survey, 88
percent were currently buying some local products for the lunch room,
but reported that the number one barrier to purchasing more local
products is limited funds.
HB 2800 Would Fund Farm to School Statewide and Generate Revenue to the
State
On the heels of the positive results of the study, Ecotrust and
partners, is working with State Representatives Tina Kotek (D –
North/Northeast Portland) and Brian Clem (D – Salem) to introduce a bill
this legislative session (HB 2800) to fund ongoing farm to school
efforts statewide. HB 2800 builds upon the existing farm to school
infrastructure, which was cast in place during the 2007 legislative
session and 2008 special session, and requests $22.6 million during the
2009 fiscal biennium, an investment that organizers forecast will
provide a two-fold return in economic impact statewide.
"Given the current economic climate and the Legislature's focus on
stimulating Oregon's economy, funding farm to school programs in the
state is a risk-free investment and proven to return more dollars to the
local economy and help shore up agricultural and food-related jobs,"
said Clem.
For every meal served, HB 2800 proposes to provide state funding in the
amounts of seven cents per breakfast and 15 cents per lunch so that
school districts can invest in Oregon grown, processed and manufactured
foods for use in school cafeterias. In order for school districts to
access state funds made available by HB 2800 to support local purchases,
districts must first demonstrate a one-to-one-match using federal funds
through the USDA's National School Lunch and Breakfast program. By
leveraging existing federal dollars, the economic impact on Oregon's
agriculture and food manufacturing sectors will be compounded. The bill
also provides grant funds to support agriculture- and food-based
curriculum and garden-based education.
About Ecotrust
Ecotrust's mission is to inspire fresh thinking that creates social
equity, economic opportunity, and environmental well-being. Over nearly
20 years, Ecotrust has converted $60 million in grants into more than
$300 million in capital for local people, businesses, and organizations
from Alaska to California. Ecotrust is a new kind of organization, one
that integrates public and private purpose and for-profit and non-profit
structures. Ecotrust's many innovations include co-founding the world's
first environmental bank, starting the world's first ecosystem
investment fund, creating a range of programs in fisheries, forestry,
food, farms and children's health, and developing new scientific and
information tools to improve social, economic and environmental
decision-making. Ecotrust works locally in ways that promise hope
abroad, and it honors and incorporates the wisdom of native and first
nation knowledge in its work. More on the Web at www.ecotrust.org.
Ecotrust's Food and Farms program endeavors to make sustainability the
underlying value of the mainstream food system; the norm, not the
exception. In close collaboration with a diverse coalition of project
partners, Ecotrust works on a wide-range of initiatives to promote "farm
to school" programs that enable schools to feature locally sourced
products in their cafeterias, incorporate nutrition-based curriculum in
all academic disciplines, and provide students with experiential
agriculture and food-based learning opportunities, from farm visits to
gardening, cooking, composting, and recycling. Our approach is
multifaceted and includes: combating obesity, hunger, and global climate
change; supporting Pacific Northwest farmers and food processors, both
big and small; and enhancing regional economic development and community
food security. We work at the local, state, and regional levels.
http://www.ecotrust.org/farmtoschool/
About the Kaiser Permanente Community Fund
The Kaiser Permanente Community Fund (KPCF) at Northwest Health
Foundation was established in late 2004 to advance the health of the
communities served by Kaiser Permanente Northwest. The Fund intends to
achieve this goal by addressing those factors in the social, policy, and
physical environment that impact community health. Often referred to as
the social determinants of health, these factors have been shown to play
a major role in the development of health disparities based on race,
ethnicity, and socio-economic status.
http://www.nwhf.org/index.php?/apply/kaiser
# # #
Deborah J. Kane
Vice President, Food & Farms
Ecotrust
721 NW 9th Avenue, Suite 200
Portland, OR 97209-3448
general: 503-227-6225
direct: 503-467-0763
Ecotrust's Food & Farms program is pleased to publish Edible Portland, a
quarterly publication that celebrates the abundance of local foods,
season by season. For more information, please see:
www.edibleportland.com.
email message attachment
-------- Forwarded Message --------
From: Jill Scott-Gregus <scottj1@michigan.gov>
To: Jill Scott-Gregus <ScottJ1@michigan.gov>
Subject: 2009-2010 Youth Wellness Initiative Michigan Team
NutritionMini-Grant Application
Date: Wed, 25 Mar 2009 11:26:00 -0400
The Michigan Department of Education's Team Nutrition is
"Recruiting" schools to apply for the Youth Wellness
Initiative Mini-Grant.
Exciting Grant Activities Include:
Attending a Team Kick Off Day at Ford Field on September 22, 2009.
Putting into action the PlayBook for a Healthier School Environment
toolkit.
50 competitive grants for $2,000.00 will be made available to schools
that:
*Participate in the USDA National School Lunch Program.
*Include at least one of the following grade levels 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8.
To Apply
All applicants must submit an application using the Michigan Electronic
Grants System (MEGS):
Option 1: Complete your application online using MEGS at
http://megs.mde.state.mi.us/megs Note: only a MEGS Authorized
Official (Level 5) may initiate the Youth Wellness Initiative
application in MEGS.
● To find out who your MEGS Authorized Official (Level 5) is, please
contact Tina Ray at 517-373-1806 or ask your district office.
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