Last week to register for MI Farm to School Trainings!

Greetings food and nutrition service directors,

 

If you’re interested in learning how to start or expand a Farm to School program, register by this Friday, September 21^st, for a MI Farm to School Training near you!

 

Through generous funding from the WK Kellogg Foundation, the MSU Center for Regional Food Systems is offering MI Farm to School Training sessions around the state as part of the MI Farm to School Grant Program. To help bring local food into food service programs, this grant program provides farm to school planning and implementation mini-grants to selected school food service professionals at schools/districts AND early child care and education programs with 50% free and reduced rates or greater. Twenty-five MI Farm to School grants were awarded for the 2012/2013 school year, and all grantees will attend the training nearest them. Now we would like to extend the invitation to all Michigan school food service and early child care program providers (regardless of the free and reduced rate of your program/school/district) who are interested beginning or expanding farm to school programs!

 

The MI Farm to School training dates and locations are as follows:

 

·     Tuesday, September 25^th, 12:30 – 4:30 pm

Livingston Educational Service Agency 

McGuffey Room

1425 W Grand River Ave.

Howell, MI 48843

 

·     Wednesday, September 26^th, 12:30 – 4:30pm 

Grayling Charter Township

2090 Viking Way

Grayling, MI 49738

 

·     Friday, September 28^th, 12:30 – 4:30pm 

Kent County Office, Michigan State University Extension

775 Ball Ave NE

Grand Rapids, MI 49503

 

·     Monday, October 1^st, 12:30 – 4:30 pm

MSU Detroit Center

3408 Woodward Ave.

Detroit, MI 48201

 

Training topics will include an overview of Michigan Farm to School, how and where to find and purchase Michigan products, meeting the new school nutrition standards with locally-grown food, farm to school food safety, expanding farm to school programs beyond produce and beyond lunch, and more! Light refreshments will be served at each training.

 

RSVP for any one of these free trainings here - http://tiny.cc/ah7sjw. RSVPs will be accepted on a first come first serve basis as space allows for each training location. Email notices with location information and more detailed agendas will be sent to all registered participants closer to each training date.

 

 

Thanks,

 

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

 

FW: Farm to Preschool webinar next week

Greetings Farm to School Partners and Friends!

Here is another exciting opportunity to learn more about farm to preschool! 

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

From: Farm to Preschool Subcommittee <info@farmtopreschool.org>
Reply-To: Farm to Preschool Subcommittee <info@farmtopreschool.org>
Date: Friday, September 7, 2012 2:20 PM
To: Jekeia Murphy <stilljek@anr.msu.edu>
Subject: Farm to Preschool webinar next week

Photo courtesy Shawn Linehan Farm to Preschool webinar: 9/12/12, 2-3pm EST Wednesday, September 12, 2012 2:00pm-3:00pm EST To register, go to: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/966295082 To kick off the fall and back to school season, Let's Move! Child Care is hosting a free webinar, Farm to Preschool: Digging in to Promote Healthy Eating and Physical Activity! Farm to Preschool is a growing movement across the country to bring fresh, nutritious foods from local farms to children in early education and child care programs. Farm to Preschool also includes activities that promote nutrition and physical activity like gardening with preschoolers, field trips to farmers' markets, and class food preparation and taste testing. This webinar will be an opportunity to hear from Farm to Preschool experts and providers who are incorporating Farm to Preschool activities in their programs. During the webinar, you will learn about the range of Farm to Preschool activities, get tips and ideas on incorporating Farm to Preschool activities in your program, and find out about the free Farm to Preschool resources available online. Whether you are thinking about starting Farm to Preschool activities or looking for ways to expand your current Farm to Preschool efforts, this webinar can help you get a jump start. Don't forget! Send us your tips We want to compile a list of tips for working with little ones from the experts: YOU! Here's an example: Use flour to mark the place where you want the children to plant seeds or where you want them to plant the seedling. Flour is cheap and is not harmful to the soil. Submit your gardening, field trip, cooking, or taste testing suggestions so that programs nationwide can learn from your experiences: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FarmtoPreschool_tips More info on the web Visit our website for tons of Farm to Preschool resources and information. You can also submit your own events, news, or materials: farmtopreschool.org   You are receiving this email because you are subscribed to the Farm to Preschool Subcommittee enews list. Would you like to update your email preferences? Never want to hear from us again?

list serve

Colleen

I am interested in joining the MIFARMTOSCHOOL@LIST.MSU.EDU list serve. Could you let me know if you could add me to the list?

Thank you for this consideration,

Lori

Lori Yelton, MS RD Nutritionist

Food & Dairy Division

Michigan Department of Agriculture

   and Rural Development

P.O. Box 30017

Lansing, MI  48909

517-335-3853

517-420-3249 cell

yeltonl@michigan.gov

 

MI Farm to School Trainings & National Farm to School Month!

Greetings,

 

Now that the school year is underway, get ready for National Farm to School Month in October by participating in one of the MI Farm to School Trainings in your area!

 

Through generous funding from the WK Kellogg Foundation, the MSU Center for Regional Food Systems is offering MI Farm to School Training sessions around the state as part of the MI Farm to School Grant Program. To help bring local food into food service programs, this grant program provides farm to school planning and implementation mini-grants to selected school food service professionals at schools/districts AND early child care and education programs with 50% free and reduced rates or greater. Twenty-five MI Farm to School grants were awarded for the 2012/2013 school year, and all grantees will attend the training nearest them. Now we would like to extend the invitation to all Michigan school food service and early child care program providers (regardless of the free and reduced rate of your program/school/district) who are interested beginning or expanding farm to school programs!

 

The MI Farm to School training dates and locations are as follows:

 

·     Tuesday, September 25^th, 12:30 – 4:30 pm

Livingston Educational Service Agency 

McGuffey Room

1425 W Grand River Ave.

Howell, MI 48843

 

·     Wednesday, September 26^th, 12:30 – 4:30pm 

Grayling Charter Township

2090 Viking Way

Grayling, MI 49738

 

·     Friday, September 28^th, 12:30 – 4:30pm 

Kent County Office, Michigan State University Extension

775 Ball Ave NE

Grand Rapids, MI 49503

 

·     Monday, October 1^st, 12:30 – 4:30 pm

MSU Detroit Center

3408 Woodward Ave.

Detroit, MI 48201

 

Training topics will include an overview of Michigan Farm to School, how and where to find and purchase Michigan products, meeting the new school nutrition standards with locally-grown food, farm to school food safety, expanding farm to school programs beyond produce and beyond lunch, and more! Light refreshments will be served at each training.

 

RSVP for any one of these free trainings here - http://tiny.cc/ah7sjw. RSVPs will be accepted on a first come first serve basis as space allows for each training location.

 

Then, it’s time to celebrate National Farm to School Month in October! The National Farm to School Network (NFSN) has developed resources and activities for Farm to School Month that are available on farmtoschoolmonth.org. Here are three things you can do NOW to prepare for October: 

• Participate in “Farm to School Counts” by pledging to serve local food and participate in Farm to School activities during October. Everyone who enters a pledge and completes the follow-up survey will be entered to win a cash prize for his or her program! 
• Are you hosting a Farm to School Month event? Put your event on the map! 
• Make sure you are ready for photo opportunities and events! Order t-shirts, aprons, "I ate local" stickers, posters and more from the Farm to School Month shops. 

 

Thanks,

 

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