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Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Fresh from the Farm MI Training

Farm to School Friends,

Please find attached an invitation to participate in Seven Generations Ahead's Fresh from the Farm Training. 

For registration or more information please contact Shari Brown at: shari@sevengenerationsahead.org.  

Jekeia

--

Jekeia Murphy

Academic Specialist

Center for Regional Food Systems | Michigan State University

480 Wilson Rd, Rm 309 | Natural Resources Building | East Lansing, MI 48824

(p) 517-432-0308 | (f) 517-353-3834 |

foodsystems.msu.edu | www.mifarmtoschool.msu.edu

Monday, July 23, 2012

FW: Food Safety Mock Audit on July 30 in Howell

Hi there,

Please see details and registration information below for an on-farm food safety mock audit at Todosciuk Farms in Howell.

 

Best,

 

Colleen Matts

Farm to Institution Specialist

Center for Regional Food Systems | Michigan State University

480 Wilson Rd | Rm 303 Natural Resources Building | East Lansing, MI 48824

(p) 517.432.0310

www.foodsystems.msu.edu | www.mifarmtoschool.msu.edu

 

From: Beutel, Emily R. [mailto:buckhame@ANR.MSU.EDU]
Sent: Monday, July 23, 2012 1:48 PM
To: FOODSPEAK@LIST.MSU.EDU
Subject: [FOODSPEAK] Food Safety Mock Audit on July 30 in Howell

 

Four Seasons Produce Co-op Food Safety Mock Audit on July 30

 

Learn about on-farm food safety while growing produce in fields and in hoophouses year-round to become food safety certified to market, as a group, to hospital and university customers. This farm tour and mock audit with Michigan State University Extension Educator, Phil Tocco, will help participants know what to expect when looking at third-party food safety certification. See the attached flyer or visit www.miffs.org/events.asp.

When?

Monday, July 30 from 9 a.m. - 12 p.m

 

Where?

J&T Todosciuk Farms & Greenhouses, LLC

5611 Preston Rd

Howell Michigan 48855

Hosts: Jim and Tina Todosciuk


Register online now or contact the MIFFS office at 517-432-0712 by Sunday, July 29 if you’d like to attend.

This workshop is hosted by Michigan Food & Farming Systems (MIFFS) and is funded by a grant through the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD). Partners include the Food Systems Economic Partnership (FSEP) and Four Seasons Produce Cooperative.

 

 

Emily (Buckham) Beutel
Communications Manager

 

Michigan Food & Farming Systems - MIFFS
Bringing Farmers and Communities Together


480 Wilson Road, Room 172

East Lansing, MI 48824

Ph: (517) 432-0712
Fx: (517) 353-7961
www.miffs.org

 


To unsubscribe from this list, send an email with "SIGNOFF FOODSPEAK" in the email body to LISTSERV@LIST.MSU.EDU.

Monday, July 16, 2012

FW: Farm to School Program Specialist (Washington, DC)

Hi there,
I thought some of listserv subscribers might be interested in this Farm to School job opportunity in Washington DC. Please see below for details!

Colleen Matts
Farm to Institution Specialist
Center for Regional Food Systems | Michigan State University
480 Wilson Rd | Rm 303 Natural Resources Building | East Lansing, MI 48824
(p) 517.432.0310
www.foodsystems.msu.edu | www.mifarmtoschool.msu.edu

-----Original Message-----
From: comfoodjobs-request@elist.tufts.edu [mailto:comfoodjobs-request@elist.tufts.edu] On Behalf Of karissa@dcfarmtoschool.org
Sent: Monday, July 16, 2012 2:24 PM
Subject: [COMFOODJOBS - Farm to School Program Specialist (Washington, DC)

PLEASE CIRCULATE - FIRST SCREENING FOR THE POSITION IS JULY 26th

Agency: Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE)
"Pay Plan, Series & Grade: CS-125-12"
Salary Range: $62,499 - $79,959
Area of Consideration: OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Opening date: July 6, 2012
Closing Date: OPEN UNTIL FILLED
Number of Vacancies: One (1)
Tour of Duty: Monday - Friday; 8:15am - 4:45pm
Duration of Appointment: Education Career Servicers (CS) "AT-WILL"
First Screening Date: July 26, 2012

Duties: The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) administers the Healthy Schools Act that is funded by the government of the District of Columbia. The Act requires OSSE to establish a Farm to School program and to report annually to the Mayor, Council and Healthy Schools and Youth Commission on the state of farm to school in the District of Columbia, plans for expanding them and recommendations for improving the program.

This position is located in OSSE's Division of Wellness and Nutrition Services where the primary functions are managing, implementing, monitoring, reporting and providing technical assistance to participants in local and federal child nutrition programs. The farm to school program is responsible for providing effective information and training services as determined by local need to students and schools.

See complete job posting:
https://erecruit.dc.gov/psp/erecruit/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM.HRS_CE.GBL?Page=HRS_CE_HM_PRE

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Michigan Farm to School News

Hi all,

Check out the mid-summer farm to school updates below.

 

NEWS

 

A Federal Register Notice has been published to invite the public to comment on USDA’s intention to conduct a Farm to School Census, which “will be used to establish a baseline measure of local food purchases in schools and set priorities for USDA programming related to local school food sourcing.” Review the USDA’s Notice of Intent and instructions on how to submit comments here. Public comments are due by August 6th, 2012.

 

The Kids’ Safe & Healthful Foods Project and the Health Impact Project, both collaborations of The Pew Charitable Trusts and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, released a health impact assessment indicating that “updating national nutrition standards for snack foods and beverages sold in schools could help students maintain a healthy weight and increase food service revenue.” Read more and access the assessment here.

 

The Slaughter and Processing Options and Issues for Locally Sourced Meat report released last month by the USDA Economic Research Service “evaluates the availability of slaughter and processing facilities for local meat production and the extent to which these may constrain or support growth in demand for locally sourced meats.”

 

The new report Farm to Child Care: Opportunities and Challenges for protecting Young Children with Local Foods and Farmers released by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) describes the emerging opportunity of Farm to Childcare programs to help children build relationships with local, good food early in life. Read more here about IATP’s new Farm to Child Care pilot program at thirteen pilot sites in Minnesota.

 

Check out the new Kidchen Expedition website from Oklahoma Farm to School for videos, a cookbook and other materials on simple and creative ways to use locally-grown produce in school cafeterias.

 

On June 25th, Governor Rick Snyder announced the appointment of Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) Director Keith Creagh as director of the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR). State Department of Environmental Quality's Policy and Legislative Affairs Director Jamie Clover Adams now serves as the MDARD director. Read the full story here.

 

Also at the end of June, Governor Snyder signed into law the budget bills for fiscal year 2013. Learn more from Michigan’s Children about state departments’ budgets for next fiscal year and how the state budget impacts early childhood, youth programming and equity.

 

On June 28th, MDARD announced a new value added/regional food system competitive grant opportunity to enhance Michigan’s food and agriculture industry. Proposals we be accepted until July 31, 2012. MDARD will host a webinar on July 12, 2012 at 1:30 p.m. to assist potential applicants in developing proposals and answer questions.  Eligible applicants include agricultural cooperatives, producer networks, producer associations, local governments, nonprofit corporations, business entities, economic development organizations, and regional farmers market authorities. Learn more from the press release here.

 

MSU Center for Regional Food Systems (CRFS) was recently awarded a $450,000 grant from the Kresge Foundation to support food hub network development over the next three years. For more information, read the press release here.

 

Read the Bridge Magazine article “Michigan Food and the Case of the Chinese Cherries” on the Michigan Good Food Summit of 2012 and efforts to get Michiganders to eat “more affordable fresh food grown here, in a sustainable fashion, produced, harvested and sold in a manner that doesn’t exploit anyone.”

 

The fruit industry in Michigan is preparing for a tough year due crop losses from unseasonably warm weather this spring. “With a backwards spring, Mother Nature pitches a change-up after a fastball” from MSU Extension explains more about what is expected to be the “worst year for the Michigan fruit industry since 1945 or earlier.”

 

Grossnickle Farms of Kaleva is the first farm in the state to be awarded a Safe Food Assessment Certification! Learn more here from manisteenews.com. The Michigan Safe Food Risk Assessment program helps small, direct market fruit and vegetable producers understand and document safe food practices.

 

“Schools want to get fresh” from the Times Herald from Port Huron highlights the beginnings of farm to school programs in St. Clair county school districts that seek more growers to supply produce.

 

OPPORTUNITIES

 

Prima Civitas Foundation issued a request for Student Entrepreneurial Engagement Event Proposals to student-driven groups or community coalitions interested in hosting entrepreneurial engagement events. Proposal are due by August 30th, 2012 for up to four available stipends of $3,000 or less. Click here for more information.

 

RESOURCES

 

Local Food Resources: A Guide to Michigan Organizations and Programs Supporting Local and Regional Food Systems by the Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems (CRFS) catalogs information about the programs, expertise, and services of over 60 Michigan organizations engaged in food systems work. CRFS encourages organizations that work on food systems issues and are not currently listed to contact Rich Pirog to be included in a future edition of the guide.

 

The National Food Service Management Institute and USDA released new resources that are important to produce safety for school food authorities. Click here for Employee Health Educational Materials and here for Guidelines for Inventory Management and Tracking.

 

EVENTS

 

FRAC’s Afterschool Meals Matter Conference Call - Navigating the Application Process

Wednesday, July 18th

1:00pm-2:00pm EST

Click here to register.

 

6th National Farm to Cafeteria Conference: Digging In!

August 2-5th

Burlington, VT

Registration closes July 13th!

Learn more and register here.

 

Aquaponics Basic Technology Seminar
August 17-19th
Aqua Growers in Livonia, MI
See attachments for details and registration.

 

 

 

Best,

 

Colleen Matts

Farm to Institution Specialist

Center for Regional Food Systems | Michigan State University

480 Wilson Rd | Rm 303 Natural Resources Building | East Lansing, MI 48824

(p) 517.432.0310

www.foodsystems.msu.edu | www.mifarmtoschool.msu.edu