Michigan Farm to School News

Greetings,

Here are the latest Michigan Farm to School news bites:

NEWS

Child Nutrition Reauthorization of 2009: Every five years or so, our lawmakers work to reauthorize the federal Child Nutrition Programs, which include the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs, the Summer Food Service Program and the Special Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), among others. Attached is a summary of bills that have been introduced as part of the up-coming Child Nutrition Reauthorization, compiled by Megan Elsener Lott with the Community Food Security Coalition. This list will be updated as additional bills are introduced.

The USDA Food and Nutrition Service has released the National School Lunch, Special Milk, and School Breakfast Programs Reimbursement Rates for the 2009-2010 school year. Reimbursement rates for “paid” meals increased slightly, but free and reduced price meals reimbursements increased by more than $.10 from the 2008-2009 school year’s rates.

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Senator Debbie Stabenow(D-MI) and Representative Mark Schauer (D-MI) met with Michigan residents at the Country Mill in Charlotte, Michigan on July 13. This stop is part of a series of town hall meetings on Secretary Vilsack’s Rural Tour. The proposed Food Safety Enhancement Act (HR 2759) was one topic of conversation. Check out a video of the event at the Sustainable Farmer website!

Federal Program to Receive More Funding to Increase Schools’ Access to Fresh Produce: As part of the 2008 Farm Bill, funding for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, which provides daily healthy snacks in schools separate from the school meals program, is set to increase. To learn more about the program in Michigan, visit the Michigan Department of Education’s website.

Glyen Holmes, the Executive Director of the New North Florida Cooperative, provided testimony to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry in the United States Senate about the benefits of Farm to School Programs. Please see the attachment to read the testimony.

 

EVENTS

 

12^th Annual Detroit Agriculture Network Garden Bus & Bike Tour of Urban Farms and Gardens

Sponsored by the Detroit Agriculture Network

August 5^th, 2009

Tour begins at the Catherine Ferguson Academy, 2750 Selden in Detroit.

Register today by contacting Ashley Atkinson at 313-237- 8736 or via email at aatkinson@umich.edu.

Please see the attachment for more details!

 

Select Michigan Farmers Market on the Capitol Lawn

Sponsored by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Michigan Food and Farming Systems (MIFFS)

East Lawn of the Capitol building in Lansing

July 23^rd, 2009

10 am – 3 pm

See the flyer attached

 

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

www.mifarmtoschool.msu.edu