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