MI Farm to School news

Happy Friday!

See below for this week's news and upcoming events. Hope to see many of your pictures of the Michigan Cherry Slurp on Tuesday!

Events

• Michigan Cherry Slurp – February 14, 2017
  • The Michigan Cherry Slurp is just two days away! Join us in celebration Michigan tart cherries by slurping them in a celebratory smoothie (or another treat of your choice). Be sure to take lots of pictures and sent them to art@cherrycapitalfoods.org.
• Farm to ECE Webinar: Purchasing local food from your broadline distributor – February 23, 2017 1:00 pm
  • This webinar will cover the basics of how to use a broadline distributor to purchase local foods. Please note the date change is now Thursday February 23. Register at the link above.

Resources

• Farm to ECE Webinar: Purchasing local food from food hubs
  • The fifth in our Farm to ECE Mini Webinar Series is now available to view. Learn about Michigan food hubs and what options they provide for early childhood programs to source local food.
• Cultivate Michigan Featured Food: Dried and Frozen Cherries
  • Check out the purchasing guide and promotional materials released by Cultivate Michigan for our 2016 winter featured food – Dried and Frozen Cherries!

News

• Cultivate Michigan has released the 2017 Featured Foods!
  • This year we'll be celebrating eggs, stone fruit, salad greens, and cabbage! Most importantly, we are collecting recipes to help highlight these foods (and previous featured foods). Send us your favorite recipe!
• Make science concepts real with cooking and school gardens – MSU Extension
  • Highlights the connection between science and food, and the potential for the FoodMASTER program, a cooking curriculum for grades 3-8 and higher education, can help connect farm to school lessons with science and math curriculum.
• Put Michigan dried and frozen cherries on the menu year-round – MSU Extension
  • With the Michigan Cherry Slurp and the release of the Cultivate Michigan Dried and Frozen Cherry materials it's a great time to start putting Cherries on your menu! 
• Harvesting the farm connection – The Detroit News
  • Senator Ian Conyers highlights a proposed bill to create a Farm to School field trip program that provides students the opportunity to connect with food, land, and farming and build a path to future employment. 

Opportunities

• Grants Available for Michigan's Specialty Groups – deadline Thursday April 6, 2017
  • The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development are accepting proposals for up to 100,000 in funds to enhance the competitiveness of Michigan's specialty crops. Grants should be submitted to MDA-grants@michigan.gov. 
• Job: Garden Attendant – Detroit Public School Office of School Nutrition
  • Seasonal, part time position to support assist maintaining farms and school gardens operated by Detroit School Garden Collaborative.
• Research Position Center for Rural Studies – VT – Deadline
  • The Center for Rural Studies is seeking a candidate to aid in the development, implementation, and management of research projects.
• Food Corps – deadline March 15
  • Apply to be a FoodCorps service member! You'll get paid to dedicate one to two years of service to the challenging work of growing healthier bodies, healthier minds, and a more just world.

Thanks for all you do,

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