MI Farm to School News

Greetings Farm to School All-stars!

 

We're capping off an exciting two weeks of our 2016 Regional MI Farm to School Trainings! Thanks to all of those who attended – we had several great days celebrating all our efforts, learning more about local procurement, and seeing some farm to school programs up close. This year, we visited Baxter Children's Development Center in Grand Rapids, Boyne Falls Public Schools, and Detroit Public Schools and saw the many ways they are helping to get local food into school and early childhood program meals. I'm so excited for all the stories and connections that came out of this year's training, and thrilled to have had the opportunity to connect with new Farm to School champions!

 

This weekend is the official start of National Farm to School Month! I can't wait to see all the ways y'all are celebrating the small steps that are kicking off larger farm to school efforts. Follow the National Farm to School Network blog for examples of those small steps all month long.

 

I also want to make sure you all saw the press release (attached) for the 10 Cents a Meal Expanded Pilot Program, and see the video (in the news below) on this exciting pilot. Congratulations to the 16 school districts that will participate this school year!

 

Events – So many opportunities to connect!

 

·         Michigan Apple Crunch – October 13 – statewide!

o    The 4^th annual Michigan Apple Crunch will take place on Thursday, October 13. There's still time to sign up, organize an event, and find your apples!

·         Cultivate Michigan Carrot & Potato Tour – October 14 - Muskegon

o    This tour will visit two farms and growing facilities growing two of the 2016 Cultivate Michigan featured foods: carrots and potatoes! The tour will depart from and return to Muskegon with stops in Hart and Grant. Register to attend by October 7.

·         Michigan Farm to Institution Network Gathering – October 27 – East Lansing

o    Join your fellow Michigan Farm to Institution Network members for an interactive gathering the day before the Michigan Good Food Summit. The morning will be a Cultivate Michigan member orientation followed by a full network gathering in the afternoon. Register to attend by October 21.

·         Michigan Good Food Summit – October 28 - East Lansing

o    Whether you're a food consumer, grower, buyer, advocate, educator, or policymaker, come to connect with others who want to further good food – food that is healthy, green, fair, and affordable. Register before October 17 to receive the early bird discount!

·         Making Michigan Menus Work – October – November

o    This series of hands-on trainings offered throughout the state will help school nutrition professionals better utilize Michigan farm fresh produce. Register now.

·         Meet the Buyers Workshop and Reception – December 6 - Grand Rapids

o    An opportunity at the Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable, and Farm Market Expo that helps connect buyers to regional producers.

 

News

 

·         October is farm to school month – MSU Extension

o    There are lots of ways to celebrate National Farm to School Month. This article provides some great ideas for starting small.

·         Culinary class hosted state wide for school nutrition professionals – MSU Extension

o    A great overview of what you'll learn at the Making Michigan Menus Work workshop.

·         Why Grand Rapids public school parents should give school lunch a chance – The Rapidian

o    MSU Extension's Kendra Wills makes the case for school lunches.

·         Video: 10 Cents a Meal with Groundwork Center's Farm-to-School Program - MyNorth

o    Great short video highlighting the recent announcement of the 10 Cents a Meal Pilot Program in Northwest Michigan. Also check out the press release from the Michigan Department of Education about the expanded pilot program.

·         Local foods in schools bring rural communities together – USDA FNS Office of Community Food Systems

o    This article highlights the community food systems strategies in rural communities throughout the US, and how the USDA Farm to School Grant Program is supporting them.

 

Resources

 

·         Farm to Preschool Toolkit – Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project

o    This is a really awesome toolkit that contains pre-K lesson plans, activity guides, sourcing guidance, tips for cooking with young children, and more, and can be freely downloaded.

 

Opportunities

 

·         Fiscal Year 2017 USDA Farm to School Grant Program – USDA Food and Nutrition Service

o    USDA is accepting applications for their annual Farm to School Grant Program. This program assists eligible entities in implementing farm to school programs that improve access to local foods in eligible schools. See the website for more details. Deadline to apply is December 8, 2016.

 

 

Thanks for all you do to get Michigan food into Michigan bellies!

 

Best,

Abby Harper

9-30-16 Michigan School Garden newsletter notice

Greetings Gardeners -

I apologize for the lack of communication from us - we've had some technical issues with our ListServ and we're trying to work the bugs out.  We'll send you our latest version as soon as we can get it working.  Thank you for your patience and forbearance!

Best Regards,

Kristine Hahn

Michigan State University Extension Educator

Community Food Systems

Eastern Market Office

1445 Adelaide

Detroit, MI 48207

313-567-9701

248-802-4590 (CELL)

313-567-8726 (FAX)

 

"We are what we repeatedly do.  Excellence is not an act, but a habit."  Aristotle

 

Special Events - October 27: Cultivate Michigan Member Orientation & MFIN Network Gathering

Please share among institutions, producers, food vendors, and food & farming allies!

Cultivate Michigan Member Orientation & 2016 Network Gathering October 27, 2016 - East Lansing, MI ​​​ Join your fellow Michigan Farm to Institution Network members for an interactive gathering the day before the Michigan Good Food Summit! 9:30 AM to 1:00 PM - Cultivate Michigan Member Orientation Audience: Institutions In the morning, we are offering an optional Cultivate Michigan Member Orientation. This is an excellent opportunity for institutions who have recently joined Cultivate Michigan or those of you who are thinking of joining, to connect with each other and to gain a deeper understanding of where our local food purchasing campaign is headed. 1:30 PM to 5:00 PM - MFIN 2016 Gathering Audience: Full Network The afternoon event is open to the full network. We will use the lightning talks format to share brief stories, discuss how the network can continue to drive engagement in farm to institution and delve into areas of interest using open space topics generated by you! Registration Follow the link below to register for one or both events! Keep in mind: If you represent a Cultivate Michigan institution, please consider signing up for our morning orientation. Use the registration form in the link to RSVP. Please use the registration form to submit your ideas for open space topics. These will be small group discussions that cover an area of interest or work through a challenge in your farm to institution work. If you would like to share your story with the group, we are holding 6 spots for lightning talks. Each talk will be five minutes, and you can use one slide (or photo) as a visual. We want these to be a success story or a challenge story - something that other farm to institution practitioners can learn from or connect with. Use the space in the registration form to submit your idea. Free to Attend! Please Register by October 21, 2016 REGISTER TO ATTEND >> Our Progress About MFIN The Michigan Farm to Institution Network (MFIN) is a space for learning, sharing and working together to get more local food to institutions. We aim to meet the Michigan Good Food Charter goal of 20% Michigan food to institutions by 2020. The Michigan Farm to Institution Network is co-coordinated by MSU Center for Regional Food Systems and Ecology Center with support from MSU Extension. Visit our website >> CULTIVATE MICHIGAN In 2014, MFIN launched a local food purchasing campaign designed to help ramp up farm to institution programs and track progress. To learn more, visit Cultivate Michigan >>

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Foodspeak is a listserv that connects growers, consumers, and everyone in between to create a community of sharing information relevant to food systems and the Michigan Good Food Charter. Content posted to Foodspeak does not necessarily reflect the views of Michigan State University, the Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems, or the Michigan Good Food Charter initiative.

Cultivate Michigan Potato and Carrot Tour October 14th

This is just a reminder that there are still spots available for the Final Cultivate Michigan Featured Foods Tour of 2016. Details can be found in the invitation below. Please note a corrected address for the tour starting location in red.

 

2016 Cultivate Michigan Carrot/Potato Tour October 14^th

You're invited to an exciting opportunity to visit two farms and packing facilities growing two of the 2016 Cultivate Michigan featured foods, carrots and potatoes on Friday October 14^th! Each farm tour will also include a stop in the fields to see product being harvested and a look inside the farm's packing facilities, so you can learn firsthand how Michigan produce makes it from field to your institution. This tour is open to anyone looking to learn more about farm to institution and specifically to network with Michigan farmers and other Farm to Institution supply chain partners. Additionally, the bus ride portion of the tour will feature presentations from MSU Extension Educators working on Farm to Institution programs and with vegetable production in west Michigan.

 

Cost: $20

Registration: http://events.anr.msu.edu/CMCarrotPotato/

 

The two farm hosts for the tour are:

Malburg Farms (Carrots)

1107 W. Jackson Rd

Hart, MI 49420

 

Cedar Valley Packing/Bouwkamp Farms (Potatoes)

www.cedarvalleypacking.com

11800 Gordon Ave

Grant, MI 49327

 

See tour itinerary below (Friday October 14^th):

09:15 a.m.:      Meet at Muskegon Career and Technology Center to load bus (200 Harvey St, Muskegon, MI 49442)

10:00 a.m.:      Depart for Hart, MI and Malburg

10:45 a.m.:      Tour Malburg Farms

11:45 a.m.:      Depart for Grant

12:45 p.m.:      Lunch in Grant (Provided)

01:30 p.m.:      Tour Cedar Valley Packing and Bouwkamp Farms

02:30 p.m.:      Depart Grant and Return to Muskegon

03:15 p.m.:      Tour Ends at Muskegon ISD

 

Transportation will be provided by Michigan State University Charter Service and will be a 36 passenger bio-diesel bus with wifi. A lite breakfast and boxed lunch is also included in the tour which will highlight several local Michigan foods and will be provided by the Muskegon ISD Culinary Program.

 

This local food tour is offered by MSU Extension, MSU Center for Regional Food Systems and the Ecology Center as part of the Michigan Farm to Institution Network and is co-sponsored by the Michigan Potato Commission and the Michigan Carrot Commission.

 

For more information please email Garrett Ziegler at zieglerg@anr.msu.edu.

 

Michigan State University is committed to providing equal opportunity for participation in all programs, services and activities. Accommodations for persons with disabilities may be requested by contacting the event contact two weeks prior to the start of the event. Requests received after this date will be honored whenever possible.

 

 

 

Garrett Ziegler

Extension Educator, Community Food Systems

MSU Extension Greening Michigan Institute

 

MSU Extension at the Downtown Market

109 Logan St. SW

Suite B102

Grand Rapids, MI 49503

Office: 616.608.7436

Cell: 814.777.3562

zieglerg@anr.msu.edu

www.msue.msu.edu

 

Michigan State University Extension programs and

materials are open to all withought regard to race,

color, national origin, gender, gender identity, religion,

age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual

orientation, marital status, family status, or veteran status

 

 

FW: Michigan Department of Education Press Release - 10 Cents Pilot

Greetings,

Exciting news! Please see below and attached for a press release from the Michigan Department of Education about the 10 Cents a Meal expanded pilot program. Congratulations to the 16 school districts that will participate this school year!

Best,

Colleen Matts

Farm to Institution Specialist | Michigan Lead for National Farm to School Network

Center for Regional Food Systems | Michigan State University

480 Wilson Rd | Rm 302B Natural Resources Building | East Lansing, MI 48824

(p) 517.432.0310

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

Date: Tuesday, September 27, 2016 at 3:21 PM
Subject: Fwd: Michigan Department of Education Press Release

News Release     Contact:    Martin Ackley, Director of Public and Governmental Affairs, 517-241-4395                   Bill DiSessa, Spokesperson, 517-335-6649     Expanded Pilot Program a Win-Win For Michigan Kids, Farmers   September 27, 2016   LANSING – A dime still can go a long way with a pilot farm-to-school cafeteria reimbursement program designed to provide fresh, locally-grown produce to students while investing in state agriculture, the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) announced today.   The 10 cents a Meal for School Kids and Farms incentive program will provide schools with up to 10 cents per meal to purchase and serve Michigan fruits and vegetables to an estimated 43,000 students.   "This program increases the nutrition and healthy eating habits of our kids and at the same time boosts the state economy through a per-meal reimbursement," State Superintendent Brian Whiston said.   The $250,000 state appropriation to fund this pilot program originated in the Senate and was included in the final State School Aid budget this year.   "I am pleased that the budget included funding for the 10 cents a Meal pilot project," said Sen. Darwin Booher, R-Evart, who initiated the measure. "We think it has the potential for doing so many good things for our kids and for our state."   In the original pilot, three districts spent a combined $150,000 on local produce over two years, compared to just $30,731 total in a one-year pre-pilot test.   Through this expanded competitive-grant, the program now includes 16 school districts in eight counties. In the original pilot program, there were seven districts in three northeast Lower Michigan counties, which saw a 142-percent annual increase in spending on 23 varieties of fruits and vegetables from 36 farms.   The 16 districts chosen are:   Glen Lake Community Schools Traverse City Area Public Schools Grand Haven Area Public Schools Forest Hills Public Schools Leland Public School District Boyne Falls Public School District Frankfort-Elberta Area Schools Northport Public School District Coopersville Area Public School District Muskegon Heights Public School Academy System Muskegon, Public Schools of the City of Montague Area Public Schools Whitehall District Schools Oakridge Public Schools Manistee Area Public Schools Ravenna Public Schools   The 16 districts served 3.8 million meals last year, with seven of them having 50 percent or more of their students qualified for free or reduced lunch programs.   Representing areas where there is a heavy concentration of farmers, distributors, and food hubs, the districts must purchase fruits and vegetables grown in Michigan and, if minimally processed, also are processed here. They must serve these foods in meals that are part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Child Nutrition Programs that include school breakfast, lunch, after-school snacks and suppers.   "The timing is right for this expanded pilot because USDA standards require more and greater varieties of fruits and vegetables," Whiston said. "Additionally, surveys show that school food service directors want to purchase more local produce, and Michigan farmers are interested in providing to their local school districts."   MDE receives support for this program from the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development.     # # # Ten Cent Program.pdf  Questions?  Contact Us STAY CONNECTED:

FW: PRESS RELEASE - USDA Announces Availability of $5 Million in Farm to School Grants to Increase Local Foods in Schools

Hi all,

Abby is on her way to the airport for some work travel so I thought I'd pass along this important news asap! Please see information below about the USDA Farm to School Grant opportunity for the coming year. Note that grant applications are due by December 8, 2016 and an informational webinar about the request for applications will be held on September 29th at 1 pm. Let us know if you plan to apply!

All the best for a great school year,

 

Colleen Matts

Farm to Institution Specialist | Michigan Lead for National Farm to School Network

Center for Regional Food Systems | Michigan State University

480 Wilson Rd | Rm 302B Natural Resources Building | East Lansing, MI 48824

(p) 517.432.0310

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

From: USDA Food and Nutrition Service <usda.fns@service.govdelivery.com>
Reply-To: "usda.fns@service.govdelivery.com" <usda.fns@service.govdelivery.com>
Date: Tuesday, September 13, 2016 at 10:39 AM
To: "matts@msu.edu" <matts@msu.edu>
Subject: PRESS RELEASE - USDA Announces Availability of $5 Million in Farm to School Grants to Increase Local Foods in Schools

Release No. FNS 0014.16 Contact: FNS Office of the Chief Communications Officer (703) 305-2281 USDA Announces Availability of $5 Million in Farm to School Grants to Increase Local Foods in Schools  WASHINGTON, D.C. Sept. 13, 2016 – The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that up to $5 million in grant funds is available to help schools create or strengthen farm to school programs this school year. Administered by USDA's Food and Nutrition Service, these annual, competitive grants will help further USDA efforts to increase locally sourced foods in America's school meals. "Bringing the bounty of America's farms into schools and onto breakfast and lunch trays is one of the best ways we can ensure students are receiving nutritious and delicious meals at school," said Kevin Concannon, USDA Under Secretary for Food Nutrition and Consumer Services. "Supporting these programs through the annual Farm to School Grants is a win-win for America's schools, farmers, producers, communities, and children." Farm to school programs help form healthy habits and support local economies. The local foods offered through farm to school programs help school meal programs fulfill the updated school nutrition standards with appealing and diverse offerings. According to the 2015 USDA Farm to School Census, schools with robust farm to school programs report reductions in food waste, higher school meal participation rates, and increased willingness of the students to try new foods, notably fruits and vegetables. In addition, in school year 2013-2014 alone, schools purchased more than $789 million in local food from farmers, ranchers, fishermen, and food processors and manufacturers. USDA's Farm to School Grants make these outcomes possible by funding school districts, state and local agencies, Indian tribal organizations, agricultural producers, and non-profit organizations in their efforts to increase local foods served through child nutrition programs, teach children about food and agriculture through garden and classroom education, and develop schools' and farmers' capacities to participate in farm to school. The funds may be used for training, supporting operations, planning, purchasing equipment, developing school gardens, developing partnerships, and implementing farm to school programs. The Farm to School Grant Program was authorized in the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. To date, USDA has funded 300 projects in all 50 states, DC, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Since its inception in FY2013, more than $20 million has been awarded through the Farm to School Grant Program. This year, awards ranging from $20,000 to $100,000 will be distributed in four different grant categories: Planning, Implementation, Support Service, and Training. Applications are due on grants.gov by December 8, 2016. On Thursday, September 29, at 1:00 p.m. EST, USDA will host a webinar to review the RFA and assist eligible entities in preparing proposals. Visit the grants homepage for more information and to register for the webinar. Supporting farm to school programs is part of the USDA's Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food  (KYF2) Initiative, which coordinates the Department's work to develop strong local and regional food systems. Over the course of the Obama Administration, USDA has invested close to $1 billion in 40,000 local food-related projects on farms and in communities across the country. You can find local and regional supply chain resources on the newly-revampedKYF2 website and use the KYF2 Compass  to locate USDA investments in your community. More information on how USDA investments are connecting producers with consumers, expanding rural economic opportunities, and increasing access to healthy food is available in Chapter IV of USDA Results on Medium. For more information on how to apply for FY 2017 funding, visit the grant opportunities page. For lists of previously funded projects and summary reports of awards made in FY 2013-2016, visit the grant awards page. A full list of this year's grantees will be posted online once the selection is announced in spring 2017. USDA's Food and Nutrition Service administers 15 nutrition assistance programs that include the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), and the Summer Food Service Program. Together, these programs comprise America's nutrition safety net. For more information, visit www.fns.usda.gov. # # # USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users). ## Update your subscriptions, modify your password or e-mail address, or stop subscriptions at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page. You will need to use your e-mail address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please contact subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com. This service is provided to you at no charge by the USDA Food and Nutrition Service. This email was sent to matts@msu.edu using GovDelivery, on behalf of: USDA Food and Nutrition Service · 3101 Park Center Drive · Alexandria, VA 22302 · 800-439-1420

Farm Dinner and Hops/Beer Tour

Hello,

A few typos in the last email I sent. Here is an updated version:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chelsea Community Kitchen in Chelsea, Michigan, is hosting two events this summer: Dinner and a Movie at Robin Hills Farm, and a Local Hops and Beer Tour of the Chelsea area.

The Dinner and Movie, 9/29/16, will include a farm to table, Mediterranean style menu with ingredients sourced onsite from Robin Hills. The film features ways humans cook and prepare food and will be followed by a panel of local food experts to answer questions and talk about their businesses.

The Hops and Beer Tour, 10/15/16, will showcase food and beer tastings at 3 businesses in Chelsea: The Groovy Hopster, Plow Point Brewery, and the Chelsea Alehouse. Transportation provided.

Each event is $45 with a discount if you sign up for both. Please visit www.chelseacommunitykitchen.org for details and registration. 

Farm Dinner and Hops/Beer Tour in Chelsea

Chelsea Community Kitchen in Chelsea, Michigan, is hosting two events this summer: Dinner and a Movie at Robin Hills Farm, and a Local Hops and Beer Tour of the Chelsea area.

The Dinner and Movie, 9/29/16, will include a farm to table, Mediterranean style menu with ingredients sources onsite from Robin Hills. The dinner features ways humans cook and prepare food and will be followed by a panel of local food experts to answer questions and talk about their businesses.

The Hops and Beer Tour, 10/15/16, will showcase food and beer tastings at 3 businesses in Chelsea: The Groovy Hopster, Plow Point Brewery, and the Chelsea Alehouse. Transportation provided.

Each event is $45 with a discount if you sign up for both. Please visit www.chelseacommunitykitchen.org for details and registration. Or see the attached flier. Thank you!

Cultivate Michigan Featured Food Tour

Please Join the Michigan Farm to Institution Network as we host the next Cultivate Michigan Featured Foods Tour.

 

See details below (apologies for cross-posting):

 

2016 Cultivate Michigan Carrot/Potato Tour Invite

You're invited to an exciting opportunity to visit two farms and packing facilities growing two of the 2016 Cultivate Michigan featured foods, carrots and potatoes! Each farm tour will also include a stop in the fields to see product being harvested and a look inside the farm's packing facilities, so you can learn firsthand how Michigan produce makes it from field to your institution. This tour is open to anyone looking to learn more about farm to institution and specifically to network with Michigan farmers and other Farm to Institution supply chain partners. Additionally, the bus ride portion of the tour will feature presentations from MSU Extension Educators working on Farm to Institution programs and with vegetable production in west Michigan.

 

Cost: $20

Registration: http://events.anr.msu.edu/CMCarrotPotato/

 

The two farm hosts for the tour are:

Malburg Farms (Carrots)

1107 W. Jackson Rd

Hart, MI 49420

 

Cedar Valley Packing/Bouwkamp Farms (Potatoes)

www.cedarvalleypacking.com

11800 Gordon Ave

Grant, MI 49327

 

See tour itinerary below:

09:15 a.m.:      Meet at Muskegon ISD Facility to load bus (630 Harvey St, Muskegon, MI 49442)

10:00 a.m.:      Depart for Hart, MI and Malburg

10:45 a.m.:      Tour Malburg Farms

11:45 a.m.:      Depart for Grant

12:45 p.m.:      Lunch in Grant (Provided)

01:30 p.m.:      Tour Cedar Valley Packing and Bouwkamp Farms

02:30 p.m.:      Depart Grant and Return to Muskegon

03:15 p.m.:      Tour Ends at Muskegon ISD

 

Transportation will be provided by Michigan State University Charter Service and will be a 36 passenger bio-diesel bus with wifi. A lite breakfast and boxed lunch is also included in the tour which will highlight several local Michigan foods and will be provided by the Muskegon ISD Culinary Program.

 

This local food tour is offered by MSU Extension, MSU Center for Regional Food Systems and the Ecology Center as part of the Michigan Farm to Institution Network and is co-sponsored by the Michigan Potato Commission and the Michigan Carrot Commission.

 

 

 

Garrett Ziegler

Extension Educator, Community Food Systems

MSU Extension Greening Michigan Institute

 

MSU Extension at the Downtown Market

109 Logan St. SW

Suite B102

Grand Rapids, MI 49503

Office: 616.608.7436

Cell: 814.777.3562

zieglerg@anr.msu.edu

www.msue.msu.edu

 

Michigan State University Extension programs and

materials are open to all withought regard to race,

color, national origin, gender, gender identity, religion,

age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual

orientation, marital status, family status, or veteran status

 

Re: MI Farm to School News

Apologies for sending the news before it was complete! See below for more news from the last couple weeks and updates:

 

What better way to celebrate the first Monday of school than with MI Farm to School News! (Unless you started many weeks ago, in which case keep celebrating!)

 

Two upcoming opportunities. The first is the Farm to School Month and Apple Crunch webinar happening TODAY at 2:30 pm. This webinar will feature yours truly in addition to Kelly Lively from Cherry Capital Foods and Dan Gorman from Montague Area and Whitehall Public School Districts. Sign up to receive the registration link.

 

Additionally, the first of the regional Farm to School Trainings are next week! We'll be in Boyne Falls on Tuesday September 20, Grand Rapids on Thursday September 24, and Detroit on Tuesday September 27. Make sure to register for this opportunity.

 

Also, our MI Farm to School Grant Program is off for the 2016-2017 school year. I'm excited to see what this amazing group of grantees does this year, and will look forward to sharing all these stories with you all.

 

News

 

·         Laker, O-G food service receive training from French chef – Huron Daily Tribune

o   Great article on a recent farm to school training hosted at USDA Farm to School Grantee Elkton-Pigeon-Bayport School.

·         Back to school with farm to school: tips for nutrition staff – MSU Extension

o   No better time to celebrate back to school than with farm to school! This article highlights all the ways you can talk to students about your local purchasing.

·         Returning to scratch cooking in schools: Part three – MSU Extension

o   The third in a series highlighting the Making Michigan Recipes Work training being offered four more times this year in downstate Michigan. This one highlights school-specific tips and techniques to assists in preparing more food from scratch with local ingredients. Catch parts 1 and 2 as well.

·         K-12 Foodservice: Six questions for Kymm Mutch – Local Orbit

o   Pioneer of farm-to-school sourcing Kymm Mutch of Milwaukee Public Schools talks about challenges and opportunities in local procurement for K-12 schools.

 

Resources

·         Farm to School Census Webinar Recording – USDA Food and Nutrition Services

o   This recorded webinar provides an in-depth review of the results from last year's census., including ways the data can be used at the local, state, and national levels to support farm to school efforts

·         MyPlate Guide to School Lunch – USDA Food and Nutrition Services

o   This infographic helps highlight ways for families to help children make healthy food and beverage choices at school

 

Opportunities

·         Meet the Buyers Workshop and Reception – Tuesday December 6, Grand Rapids, MI

o   This event hosted by Michigan Food and Farming Systems is part of the Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable and Farm Market Expo. This event helps by connecting buyers to regional fruit, vegetable, and other specialty crop producers looking to sell their products.

·           2016 Michigan Apple Crunch – October 13, 2016

o   It's time to start planning for your annual Michigan Apple Crunch! Decide on a time, find your apples, and CRUNCH! Register at miapplecrunch.com and follow on facebook for inspiration and new ideas.

·         Regional Farm to School Trainings – October 20 – 27, 2016

o   Register for one of three trainings hosted in Boyne Falls, Grand Rapids, and Detroit. Trainings will be an opportunity to identify concrete and practical steps for increasing local purchasing in K-12 schools and early childhood programs.

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

o   This series of hands-on trainings will help school nutrition professionals better utilize Michigan farm fresh produce. Register now

·         Cherry Capital Foods 2016 Food Show – September 28, Detroit, MI

o   This will be a space for you to connect with the vendors who grow and make the Michigan foods Cherry Capital offers.

·         Webinar: Transforming School Food by Green Teacher – September 27, 7:30 – 8:30 pm

o   Presenters will share different approaches to transforming school food – California Tuesdays and Slow Cookers for Kids projects.

 

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