Michigan Farm to School News

Greetings,

Here are the latest Farm to School news bites!

 

NEWS

 

Last week, the USDA replaced the food pyramid with “MyPlate” to promote proper nutrition and healthier eating. Click here to check out the USDA MyPlate website, and click here for the Washington Post article.

 

Early this week FoodCorps announced an AmeriCorps grant to support 50 members to work on farm to school, school garden and nutrition education at schools. Six of those members will serve in Michigan! Read an interview of Debra Eschmeyer of FoodCorps by The Faster Times.

 

Check out the first issue of Harvest Foodservice Journal for free here - http://harvestfoodservice.com/.  This national publication focuses on sustainable food in food service, and the first issue features farm to school. You can

 

The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy in Minnesota conducted a farm to school survey of food producers. Producers who responded indicated that they received fair prices for their products from schools. Learn about the survey results from MPR and IATP.

 

 

OPPORTUNITIES

 

Chefs and schools can work together through the Chefs Move to Schools initiative, part of the First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move Campaign. Now participating Chefs Move to Schools partners can receive free cookware kits! Learn more about this initiative at http://www.letsmove.gov/chefs-move-schools. Partners that are already participating can apply for cookware kits through Share Our Strength here.

 

The Department of Horticulture and the Student Organic Farm at MSU are seeking a Hoophouse Outreach Assistant. See the attached job description for details. If interested, please send CVs or resumes to Adam Montri at admontri@msu.edu by June 23^rd, 2011.

 

 

EVENTS

 

32^nd Annual Ag Expo at MSU

July 19-21, 2011

Learn more at the event website - http://www.agexpo.msu.edu/agexpo/home.

 

 

SAVE THE DATE!

2011 COMMUNITY SCHOOL GARDENER NETWORKING MEETING: CONVENING TO SHARE OUR STRENGTH

Saturday, November 5th, 2011

Location: Detroit (venue to TBD)

 

What is it?  The Community School Gardener Networking Meeting is grass-roots organized summit of school and community gardeners from across Michigan.  The event includes workshop sessions, presentations from school and community gardeners, and opportunities to exchange information with other gardeners.  The event is a great way to network, learn, get empowered and inspired.

 

If you would like to participate in the PLANNING of this year’s event, please contact Michelle Jackson at smallvillefarms@gmail.com or Anne Scott at scottann@msu.edu or 517.353.0751

 

If you would like to PRESENT OR OFFER A WORKSHOP at this year’s event, please contact Anne Scott scottann@msu.edu (517) 353-0751 for more information.  

 

 

Best,

 

Colleen Matts

Farm to Institution 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