MI Farm to School News

Hello all!

 

A bunch of exciting opportunities coming up, so mark your calendar! Also, a great new resource out of Wisconsin to help incorporate seasonal produce into school menus.

 

Resources

·         Chop! Chop! Resource Guide – Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

o    This is a really great resource out of Wisconsin, and compliments their great Chop! Chop! Video series that are instructional tools in helping school food service staff use more fresh produce and whole grains. This guide compiles the recipes featured there and includes crop-specific information. Check this out!

 

Opportunities

·         Save the Date: MI Farm to School Regional Trainings – September, 2016

o    The locations and dates for the 2016 trainings are: September 20, Boyne Falls; September 22, Grand Rapids; and September 27, Detroit. Mark your calendars, and stay tuned for information on registration and details. These trainings are open to the public and free to attend, and will be an invaluable opportunity for networking and learning from Farm to School champions throughout the state.

·         Internship: National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) – Washington, DC

o   NSAC is currently seeking a paid, full time policy intern beginning late August 2016 and lasting until early January 2017, based in Washington DC.

·         Making MI Recipes Work: A Culinary Training for School Nutrition Professionals

o   Registration is now open for this series of hands-on trainings to help school nutrition professionals better utilize Michigan farm fresh produce. See attached flyers for more details about locations and dates of all trainings (the Marquette one is coming up on August 12!), and contact mborgm@anr.msu.edu or kaitwoj@anr.msu.edu with any questions.

·         Save the Date! Michigan Apple Crunch – October 13, 2016

o    On October 13, everyone is encouraged to CRUNCH into a Michigan grown apple, creating an echo heard state and nation wide! The 2015 Apple Crunch was the biggest yet, with over 400,000 participating. Let's make 2016 the biggest year yet! Register and follow on facebook for more information

 

 

Best,

 

Abby Harper

Farm to School Specialist

MSU Center for Regional Food Systems

480 Wilson Rd Rm 309 | East Lansing, MI 48824

(p) 517-432-4525 (f) 517-353-3834

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

Save the Date: MI Farm to School Regional Trainings September 2016

Save the date for the MI Farm to School Regional Trainings, and connect with other farm to school champions throughout Michigan!

 

The MSU Center for Regional Food Systems invites you to join with other farm to school stakeholders from your region to help plan and expand your farm to school program. Topics this year include a deeper dive into local procurement rules and regulations, focus on local sourcing through Cultivate Michigan, exploring strategies for seasonal menu development, and opportunities to hear and learn from those making farm to school work in their K-12 schools/districts and early childhood programs. Hear from regional resource hubs, MSU Extension Community Food Systems educators, the MSU Center for Regional Food Systems, and other local farm to school champions, and come away with practical tools to initiate or expand your farm to school programs. The primary audience for these trainings is food and/or nutrition directors, early childhood program and school teachers and staff, and those that are in supporting roles for farm to school programs. The training is free of charge.

 

Trainings this year will be held at the following locations:

September 20, 2016 – Boyne Falls Public School, Boyne Falls

September 22, 2016 – Baxter Community Development Center, Grand Rapids

September 27, 2016 – Drew Farms at Detroit Public Schools, Detroit

 

Stay tuned for more information including a detailed agenda and link to registration in the future weeks, and contact Abby Harper at harperab@msu.edu for more information or with questions.

 

 

Abby Harper

Farm to School Specialist

MSU Center for Regional Food Systems

480 Wilson Rd Rm 309 | East Lansing, MI 48824

(p) 517-432-4525 (f) 517-353-3834

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

Registration Open: Making Michigan Recipes Work

Registration is now open for Making Michigan Recipes Work: A Culinary Training for School Nutrition Professionals!

 

Through this hands-on training, participants will:

•        Understand food safety considerations, including Standard Operating Procedures and HACCP guidelines purchasing, receiving and storing farm fresh produce

•        Be trained in the proper way to handle knives and other culinary tools to make a variety of cuts

•        Prepare and sample recipes using Michigan farm fresh produce

•        Learn how to introduce new foods in their cafeteria through staff engagement, taste testing and Smarter Lunchrooms strategies

•        Receive resources to help staff teams work with farm fresh produce in their menu plan, using standardized recipes

This training will be taught by two seasoned food service trainers, and hosted by MSU Extension.

 

Details of the training are as follows:

When: Friday, August 12^th from 9am – 1pm

Where: Marquette Senior High School, 1203 W. Fair St., Marquette, MI 49855

Who: All K-12 Food Service professionals. We are encouraging teams of staff from schools/districts to register together. Registering with a team of 2 or more will qualify you to apply for travel scholarship to help with the cost of attendance.

How much: The trainings are free for all, due to USDA grant funding

Register at: http://events.anr.msu.edu/MakingMIRecipesWork/

 

Please contact Mariel Borgman at mborgm@anr.msu.edu or Kaitlin Wojciak at kaitwoj@anr.msu.edu with any questions.

 

 

 

 

Abby Harper

Farm to School Specialist

MSU Center for Regional Food Systems

480 Wilson Rd Rm 309 | East Lansing, MI 48824

(p) 517-432-4525 (f) 517-353-3834

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

2016-2017 MI Farm to School Grantees

MI Farm to School awards funds to support 26 grantees with local purchasing efforts in K-12 schools/districts and early childhood programs

 

The MI Farm to School Grant Program is a competitive statewide grant program that provides funds to K-12 schools/districts and early childhood programs serving vulnerable children to plan for and implement local food purchasing. The 2016-2017 grant year will be its 7^th in operation, and adds to the previous nearly $160,000 that has been granted by the program MI Farm to School Grant Program to support local food purchasing throughout the state.

 

In the 2016-2017 grant year, 12 K-12 schools/districts and 14 early childhood programs will help support nearly 24,000 children in accessing fresh, local food through farm to school programs. Grantees are spread throughout 13 counties and include both rural and urban K-12 districts, charter schools, family day care homes, Head Start and Great Start Readiness programs, child care centers, and a residential child care institute.

 

While the end goal of each program is to increase its purchasing of local food, each grantee is going about it in a uniquely different way. Their efforts showcase the breadth and diversity of farm to school programming and highlight some really innovative approaches. Among other objectives, grantees this year are aiming to:

·         Develop and strengthen relationships with local growers

·         Increase local milk purchasing

·         Increase sourcing of locally raised proteins

·         Host farm to school events such as the Michigan Apple Crunch, Cultivate Michigan featured food days, Farm to School Month, and other celebrations of local food

·         Engage new community partners to build strong farm to school teams

·         Increase storage capacity for locally grown foods

·         Train staff in seasonal menu development and fresh food preparation

 

For the full list of MI Farm to School grantees, please visit: http://foodsystems.msu.edu/resources/mi_farm_to_school_grantees.

 

For more information on the MI Farm to School Grant Program, to sign up for the listserv, or to learn more about our regional farm to school trainings this fall, visit www.mifarmtoschool.msu.edu or email harperab@msu.edu.

 

Abby Harper

Farm to School Specialist

MSU Center for Regional Food Systems

480 Wilson Rd Rm 309 | East Lansing, MI 48824

(p) 517-432-4525 (f) 517-353-3834

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

MI Farm to School News

Greetings MI Farm to School Network!

 

Hope you all had a lovely fourth! I must say, I was a bit overwhelmed by all the colorful explosions happening five feet from my head this weekend (it's illegal to purchase fireworks in MA, so I'm used to very organized and contained fourths of July).

 

Don't forget, it's the last day to register for the Joint Network Meeting next week! Don't miss this event! There is no cost to register and it comes with lots of opportunities to network, share expertise, and eat delicious food.

 

Opportunities

·         Last chance to RSVP!! Joint Network Meeting — July 13-14, 2016 — Kalamazoo, MI

o    Registration for this event closes today at 5pm, so RSVP now! Join us for the second joint meeting of the Michigan Farm to Institution Network (MFIN) and the Michigan Food Hub Network. This summer, partners from Kalamazoo Valley Community College (KVCC) will host us and share emerging and innovative work at the new Bronson Healthy Living Campus. This unique event will span two days in beautiful downtown Kalamazoo, with afternoon walking tours and networking reception on July 13^th at Arcadia Ales, followed by the main joint meeting on July 14^th. (See map link for event locations) Attend one or all events to cultivate connections and collaboration across networks! Please visit for the CRFS Events page for meeting plans and registration information or simply follow this link to RSVP. A full agenda and maps will be sent in a confirmation email early next week to those that registered. 

·         Job Opening: Agriscience Teacher and FFA Coordinator at Montague High School

o    Montague Area Public Schools is a rockstar in the farm to school world, and this is an awesome chance to be a part of their team! See the attached position description for more information

·         NFSN Farm to Early Care and Education Group Webinar – Wednesday, July 13 3:30 – 5 pm

o    This month's webinar will focus on celebrating and connecting with diverse cultures and communities through farm to early care and education initiatives. Practitioners from across the country will share their approaches to incorporating culturally relevant curriculum, resources and programing into their farm to early care and education work.

·         Funding Opportunity: Early Head Start Expansion

o    The administration for Children and Families is awarding funding to expand partnerships between early head start and child care services. This is a GREAT opportunity to incorporate aspects of Farm to ECE into your grant proposal. If anyone needs support in how to do so, please feel free to get in touch with me! Funding is available for:

§  Early Head Start Expansion and EHS-Child Care Partnership

§  American Indian and Alaskan Native EHS Expansion and EHS-Child Care Partnership

§  Migrant and Seasonal EHS-Child Care and EHS Expansion Partnerships

Resources

·         Findings of the 2015 National Food Hub Survey

o    This study out of MSU CRFS in collaboration with the Wallace Center at Winrock International tracks nationwide data on food hubs overtime, and indicates that the food hub model can be financially successful across a variety of legal structures and geographic or consumer markets.

·         Dig into the USDA Farm to School Census Data!

o    This survey, which assessed farm to school practices in 2015, showed some exciting growth in farm to school nation wide. The raw data is now available for all your digging purposes.

 

And in other news, we are officially in a drought! Stay cool (and hydrated!) this weekend,

Abby Harper

Farm to School Specialist

MSU Center for Regional Food Systems

480 Wilson Rd Rm 309 | East Lansing, MI 48824

(p) 517-432-4525 (f) 517-353-3834

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

LAST CALL FOR RSVPs! Joint Network Meeting, Reception & Tours: July 13 & 14, 2016

Registration for this event closes Friday, July 8th at 5pm, so register now!!!

Get your network on!

 

Join us for the second joint meeting of the Michigan Farm to Institution Network (MFIN) and the Michigan Food Hub Network. This summer, partners from Kalamazoo Valley Community College (KVCC) will host us and share emerging and innovative work at the new Bronson Healthy Living Campus. This unique event will span two days in beautiful downtown Kalamazoo, with afternoon walking tours and networking reception on July 13^th, followed by the main joint meeting on July 14^th. Attend one or all events to cultivate connections and collaboration across networks! Full meeting agenda, maps and additional detail will be sent in a confirmation email to those that registered. Stay tuned…

 

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

•  2 pm – Walking tours of KVCC’s new Food Innovation Center and Culinary & Allied Health Building, and Bronson Hospital’s food service program
• 5 pm – Networking reception at Arcadia Ales in Downtown Kalamazoo! Tasty local treats will be served… 

 

Thursday, July 14, 2016

• The full meeting program from 8:30 am – 3:30 pm will include what’s happening in the the Kalamazoo area food system, the latest food safety news, incubator kitchens and their role in meeting demand for processed local foods, and opportunities to source and market Michigan products through Cultivate Michigan featured foods. Coffee and lunch will be provided (note: breakfast will not be served!) Registration is required.

Please follow this link to register for this two day event, or visit the CRFS Event Page for more information.

** For overnight lodging there is a block of rooms reserved at the Kalamazoo Radisson. Use the group name “MSU Network Meeting” when you make your reservation over the phone. (Discounted rate is $140/ night) Reservations must be made BY MIDNIGHT TONIGHT (July 6th) to be guaranteed the group rate. Several other options are available in downtown Kalamazoo including a Comfort Inn.

We hope to see you there!

The Planning Committee,

Colleen Matts – MFIN, MSU Center for Regional Food Systems

Lindsey Scalera — MFIN, Ecology Center

Noel Bielaczyc — MI Food Hub Network, MSU Center for Regional Food Systems

Rich Pirog — MI Food Hub Network, MSU Center for Regional Food Systems

Marty Gerencer — MI Food Hub Network, Morse Marketing Connections, LLC

Rachel Chadderdon Bair — KVCC Food Innovation Center

Mariel Borgman — MSU Extension

Opportunity to pilot Detroit community based child health & well-being activities

Please share with your networks--

 

Greetings!

 

Announcing an exciting opportunity for organizations to pilot activities to promote child health and well-being in your community!

 

CHIRP is a vibrant learning community with innovative programming rooted in a holistic, justice-centered approach to eliminating childhood obesity and promoting child health and well-being in our community. The community-based partners in CHIRP are: Building Movement Project, Creative Community Pathways, Detroit Black Community Food Security Network, East Michigan Environmental Action Council, Feedom Freedom Growers, Just Creative, People's Kitchen Detroit and Michigan State University Extension Health and Nutrition Institute. These partners have developed programs and workshops intended to educate and empower youth, their families and their communities through urban farming, healthy cooking classes, food media workshops, family fun and fitness activities, garden art programs, community dinners, nutrition and environmental education.

The CHIRP Research Team’s role has been to evaluate the work of the CHIRP partners, identify successful programming and document the activities to create curriculum materials we can share with other groups who want to work on similar issues.

 

NOW we’re looking for people and groups who can help us test those materials to see if they can help other organizations achieve similar success.

üIf you are a parent, teacher, or organization in Detroit who works with children, parents or families, and

üYou are interested in promoting child health and

üYou would like to be part of this process

 

PLEASE APPLY NOW!

 

Complete the attached application form and send it to:

Jennifer Kautz, Dissemination Coach

CHIRP RESEARCH TEAM

2727 2nd Ave. Suite 153

Detroit, MI 48201

- OR -

email to: kautzjen@anr.msu.edu

 

For questions or information contact:

Jennifer Kautz, CHIRP Dissemination Coach

313-338-3076 or kautzjen@anr.msu.edu

 -OR -

Kerry Vachta, CHIRP Principal Investigator/Project Director

313- 782-4615 or vachtake@anr.msu.edu

 

We’ve attached a .pdf form that should be easy to share by e-mail or to print for folks without access to internet. There is also an online Google forms version available at:

 

http://goo.gl/forms/zKSC5DcwsuiqXL2w1

 

to share via facebook, etc.

 

 

Cheryl Danley

Project Coordinator

Detroit Child Health Incubator Research Project (CHIRP)

Michigan State University Extension

Office: (313) 782-4051

Cell: (313) 492-3496

danleych@anr.msu.edu

 

 

MI Farm to School News - 4th of July Edition!

Greetings all, and happy July 4^th!

 

Short edition this week, but I did want to make sure you were all aware of two really amazing opportunities coming up – one of which is this month! These are both really awesome opportunities to build your network and skills as they pertain to Farm to Institution. There is also an opportunity for funding for ECE that could incorporate Farm to ECE initiatives.

 

 

Opportunities

·         Registration is open! Joint Network Meeting — July 13-14, 2016 — Kalamazoo, MI

o    Join us for the second joint meeting of the Michigan Farm to Institution Network (MFIN) and the Michigan Food Hub Network. This summer, partners from Kalamazoo Valley Community College (KVCC) will host us and share emerging and innovative work at the new Bronson Healthy Living Campus. This unique event will span two days in beautiful downtown Kalamazoo, with afternoon walking tours and a networking reception on July 13^th, followed by the main joint meeting on July 14^th. Attend one or all events to cultivate connections and collaboration across networks! A full agenda and more details are coming soon, but please visit the CRFS Events page for meeting plans and registration information. Or simply follow this link to RSVP.

·         Save the Date for Seasonal Culinary Trainings (see attached) – Fall 2016

o    Not to be missed! This is an awesome opportunity for a hands-on training in incorporating seasonal food into school food service menus. This training is intended for school food service staff, and teams from schools or districts are encouraged to attend. This training will highlight skills and school friendly recipes that use Michigan produce. Cost to attend will be $15 per person, with scholarships available for attendance and travel. See attached flier for more details, and stay tuned for registration information.

·         Funding Opportunity: Early Head Start Expansion

o    The administration for Children and Families is awarding funding to expand partnerships between early head start and child care services. This is a GREAT opportunity to incorporate aspects of Farm to ECE into your grant proposal. If anyone needs support in how to do so, please feel free to get in touch with me! Funding is available for:

§  Early Head Start Expansion and EHS-Child Care Partnership

§  American Indian and Alaskan Native EHS Expansion and EHS-Child Care Partnership

§  Migrant and Seasonal EHS-Child Care and EHS Expansion Partnerships

 

 

Hope you all get a chance to relax this holiday weekend – you deserve it!

 

Abby Harper

Farm to School Specialist

MSU Center for Regional Food Systems

480 Wilson Rd Rm 309 | East Lansing, MI 48824

(p) 517-432-4525 (f) 517-353-3834

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