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Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Register On-line for the 2009 FSEP Conference

Register now for the upcoming Food System Economic Partnership Conference! 

Early registration with payment: $40 on-line or by Mail.  On-line registration is available at http://www.fsepconference.org/

Participants will gain an understanding of the local food system and explore opportunities for growth in production, processing, distribution, sales and consumption of local foods.

Conference Date & Location:

Thursday, June 18th, 2009
LISD Tech Center
Lenawee County Vocational Technical Center
1372 North Main Street (M-52)
Adrian, MI 49221

Registration

  • Cost includes materials, attendance at sessions, and lunch. There are NO refunds. Those who make reservations by phone, but do not attend will be responsible for payment.
  • Early registration with payment: $40 on-line or by Mail.
  • Registration June 2, 2009 and after as space permits, $50, call for registration.
  • Full-time student registration: $40 (ID required at door, call if special payment arrangements are required).
  • No walk-in registrations will be accepted.
  • For questions, contact Melissa Draganic at (734) 240-3180 or e-mail at Melissa_Draganic@monroemi.org
  • Interested in Exhibiting? Please call Jennifer Fike at (734) 222-6859.

 

 

Joan Tobin Rozelle

Eat Local Food

637 Emmons Blvd.

Wyandotte, MI  48192

734.341.7028

 

www.eatlocalfood.com

Visit our blog at www.eatlocalfood.blogspot.com

 

 

 

 

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Michigan Farm to School News

 

Greetings,

 

Here’s the latest news of interest…

 

EVENTS

Farms Selling Foods to Schools Workshop

10-3 pm at April 29th at Mid-Michigan Community College

For questions and to RSVP, contact Kable Thurlow, MSU Extension at thurlowk@msu.edu

 

Michigan Junior Iron Chef Competition

Recipe contest entries from high school teams are due May 8th, 2009.

For more information and to download forms, click here.

 

 

NEWS

Manistee Area Schools are accepting bids until April 27th, 2009 from area farmers for fresh, local fruits and vegetables for the 2009/10 school year.

Please see the attached request for bids for contact information and to learn more.

 

The Michigan Farmers Market Association (MIFMA) membership drive is underway! Check out their website for more information.

 

 

GRANT OPPORTUNITIES

The Michigan Department of Education will soon release applications for the equipment grants for school food authorities. In advance of this, I here’s a list of kitchen equipment suggestions for schools that are interested in farm to school programs or simply purchasing, preparing, and serving more fresh, whole fruits and vegetables. Thanks to our friends at Wisconsin Homegrown Lunch for passing this along!

 

If you’re interested in school gardens, check out Garden ABCs, a handy website which has a list of grant opportunities, media, research, up-coming events and much, much more!

 

 

Happy Earth Day,

 

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

 

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Farms Selling Foods to Schools

 

 

 

MSU-E Logo2008 Fall Festival & BBQ 2008 Fall Festival & BBQ

Farms Selling Food to Schools

Learn How...

April 29, 2009

Mid Michigan Community College

10 am - 3 pm 

You Are Invited To Attend...

   Farms Selling To Schools
April 29, 2009
10 am - 3 pm
Mid Michigan Community College
Houghton Room
 
10:00     Program Introduction:     
             Kable Thurlow/Melody Wentworth
 
10:10     The Farm To School Initiative
             Colleen Matts; CS Mott Foundation
 
11:15  Schools' Expectations of Vendors 
Janet Nettleton; Gladwin Community Schools
 
11:30  Food Safety and Sanitation
Jason Travis; Health Department
 
12:00 Business Information for Producers
Dennis Stein; MSU Extension

Lunch*

                                                                                                           
1:00 Insurance Considerations
Jay Kleinhardt/Duane Simpkins;
Farm Bureau Insurance
 
1:30  Farmers Panel and Q & A
Hear from those who are successfully
selling to schools
 
3:00  Next Steps Evaluations, Networking,
Resources

 



*can be purchased at the cafeteria or brown-bagged

 

Local Advisory Board 

MSU Extension; Kable Thurlow
M-TEC | MMCC | MI-SBTDC; Melody Wentworth

Gladwin Community Schools; Janet Nettleton

Mary and David Moore; Stone Cottage Gardens

Anthony and Jackie Raineri

Jerry and Sharon Fairchild

Therese Blaga; Whimsy Farms 

 

 

RSVP by April 27, 2009

 

Kable Thurlow; MSU Extension 

thurlowk@msu.edu

Melody Wentworth; MTEC

mewentworth@midmich.edu

 989.386.6614

(leave a message with Tina Avery; Interim Secretary)

 

 

We are a collaborative of local producers, schools and community agencies who are dedicating resources, time and talent to introduce and incorporate local, fresh food into the existing school food service programs; assisting  our region in sustaining healthy farms, schools and children.
 
It is our intention to support  regional economic development, by providing an easy-to-use system enabling local producers to provide school systems with fresh foods.
 

 

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This email was sent to kmethner@mmdc.org by karchamboult@midmich.edu.

Mid Michigan Community College | M-TEC | 1375 S. Clare Ave. | Harrison | MI | 48625

Sunday, April 19, 2009

New Distributor looking for produce

Hi all,

I just wanted to pass this exciting news along! For growers on the list
in western Michigan, this may be a new market opportunity for you. For
the buyers on the list, this is a new local distributor to keep in
mind.

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


From: Corrin, Scott [mailto:corrinsf@ANR.MSU.EDU]
Sent: Thursday, April 16, 2009 2:39 PM
To: FARMMKTMI@LIST.MSU.EDU
Subject: New Distributor looking for produce


I wanted to make you aware of a meeting for some of your produce farmer
contacts. Eric Hahn has started a new company in Hart, Michigan called
Locavore Food Distributors, LLC. Eric, along with other investors,
started Cherry Capital Foods in Traverse City area a few years ago that
aggregated produce from the TC area that was then sold to local schools,
restaurants, hospitals, etc… It is my understanding that Eric will
still be working for Cherry Capital Foods while starting Locavore Food
Distributors, LLC.

Since this a new company, Eric is trying to meet with growers (of all
sizes) in the Hart region to help supply produce to his new company.
He is having an informational meeting next week and the information is
below:

Thursday, April 23

2 PM

The Starting Block

1535 Industrial Park Drive
Hart, MI 49420

Contact information

Lynn Smith
Locavore Food Distributors
1535 Industrial Park Drive
Hart, MI 49420
231-629-2778
231-873-1458 fax
locavorefooddistributors.com

Give them a call if you have any questions.

Scott Corrin

Programs Administrator

416 Ag Hall

East Lansing, MI 48824

Phone: 517.432.0712

Fax: 517.353.7961

www.miffs.org


To remove yourself from this list, email to: listserv@list.msu.edu and
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order to be removed from the list.

Friday, April 10, 2009

Manistee Area Farm to School - Request for Bids

Attention Growers in northwest Michigan!

Please see the attached request for bids for Michigan-grown fruits and
vegetables for the Manistee Area Farm to School Project. This bid
request is for products and delivery for the 2009/2010 school year.
Manistee Area Public Schools is also accepting bids for products for
their summer food service program! Contact information for the food
service directors involved in this project is included in the cover
letter. Please feel free to contact any of them to discuss this
opportunity!

Thanks,

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

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Announcing Michigan Jr Iron Chef: RECIPES DUE MAY 8th

Greetings all,

I wanted to pass along news of this exciting event that incorporates
local foods! Please pass along this announcement to any that may be
interested in promoting and/or participating in the Michigan Junior Iron
Chef Competition!

Thanks,

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

Please note that all current competition information is available in a
downloadable PDF document on the website, but check back to the website
often for more information and updates!

***********************************************************************

Dear Michigan High School Student, School Employee, or Community Member:

We are excited to invite high school students to join the first Michigan
Junior Iron Chef Competition! This competition gives students hands-on
cooking experience and teaches them about local foods and healthy food
choices. It starts with a recipe contest (entries due May 8th, 2009) and
ends with a cook-off competition on September 19th, 2009. Michigan
Junior Iron Chef is sponsored by the Michigan Nutrition Network –
Michigan State University Extension and the C.S. Mott Chair of
Sustainable Agriculture at Michigan State University.

Here's how it works:

Part 1. We challenge teams of 3-4 high school students to work with an
adult coach to make one tasty, healthy school lunch meal featuring
Michigan-grown and commodity foods. A list of these foods along with
rules for participating are available on the Michigan Junior Iron Chef
website listed below. Recipes should be easy and practical for school
food service to use and meet nutrition guidelines for school lunch. (See
rules on the website for more details.) To enter, teams submit an
application and recipe for their meal by May 8th, 2009. Recipes will be
judged by creativity, use of local foods, nutritional quality, and
practical use for school food service. Winning recipes will be shared
with schools throughout the state in a Michigan Junior Iron Chef
Cookbook. To participate, student teams must be from Michigan schools
which have at least 50% free and reduced-price meal participation. We
ask that teams that enter the recipe contest be made up of 9th-11th
graders so they may cook as a team at the competition in the fall of
2009.

Part 2: Teams that win the recipe contest will prepare and cook their
meals on-site at the Michigan Junior Iron Chef Competition on September
19th, 2009. Teams will also create a nutrition education and marketing
packet to present with their meals at the cook-off. Meals will be judged
by an expert panel on taste, presentation, creativity, use of local
foods, nutritional quality, and practical use for school food service.
Prizes will be awarded to three winning teams for Best in Show (best
overall), Best Use of Local Foods, and Best Nutrition Education and
Marketing Packet. Prizes for the first place team, Best in Show, will be
worth up to $150 per student team member and will include an award of
$500 to the food service program of the team's school! Reimbursements
for travel for one vehicle per team and up to $100 for ingredients for
practicing recipes will also be provided to teams that compete in the
cook-off.

The event will also include a cooking demonstration and a healthy lunch
along with tours of some of Michigan State University's farming and food
production facilities. Local farmers who provide ingredients for the
event will also be invited to attend.

Spread the word! Help us recruit creative student teams for this
exciting event! For more details and resources, go to our website at
www.mnn.fcs.msue.msu.edu. Thanks for your help in promoting healthy
eating habits and celebrating Michigan foods!

Sincerely,

Michigan Junior Iron Chef Planning Team

Michigan Nutrition Network, MSU Extension

2100 Anthony Hall

East Lansing, MI 48824

mnn@anr.msu.edu

www.mnn.fcs.msue.msu.edu

Text Box:

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Michigan Farm to School News

Hi all,

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

www.mifarmtoschool.msu.edu


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
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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

dkane@ecotrust.org

www.ecotrust.org

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.