A Lot of Dimes: Michigan 10 Cents a Meal Now 143 Farms in 38 Counties Participating March 29, 2019 LANSING – Michigan's nationally-recognized 10 Cents a Meal for School Kids & Farms program is filling 135,000 young bodies across the state with a cornucopia of nutritious produce and building relationships with local farmers. Fifty-seven grant-winning school districts purchased 93 different fruits and vegetables grown by 143 farms in 38 Michigan counties so far this year under the program. The districts span the western Lower Peninsula and the state's Washtenaw and Thumb regions. Providing these schools up to 10 cents a meal in matching funds to purchase locally-grown fruits and vegetables, the successful farm-to-school cafeteria program has more than doubled the number of children served since 2016. The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) recently released the pilot program's latest results to the state Legislature in a mid-year report. Now in its third year, the program consistently has shown increases in the numbers of nutritious products served to students and of participating farms. "Michigan recognizes food as an education issue and when we all meet the needs of the whole child, serving healthy food to our children, we all contribute to Michigan becoming a Top 10 education state in 10 years," Interim State Superintendent Sheila Alles said. "Students are taking more fresh apples this school year and more importantly they aren't throwing them away once they leave the register," Jessica Moody, Food Service Director for Mancelona Public Schools, stated in the report. "The switch to all local apples, which taste better, have made a huge difference." Of the 93 products purchased under the program, food service directors cited 67 new Michigan-grown fruits and vegetables that they tried for the first time with their students, according to preliminary results of monthly surveys conducted by the MSU Center for Regional Food Systems. Program records, examined by Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities, showed that besides farms, food processors, distributors, food hubs, and other types of businesses also benefit from the program supply chain. School food service directors said the 10 Cents program's top benefits are the increase in variety of produce served to students, followed by directors' greater certainty in planning of produce purchases. "Our distributors know we are committed to local farmers and 10 Cents has made them better at sourcing and identifying the source," one food service director said in the monthly surveys. "I describe it as a 'win, win, win' situation," said another. "The farmers are happy, my food service budget is happy, and the students are happy." The report includes data from taste tests and surveys of students; quotes from farmers, food service directors, and other school officials; and "ideas in action" at 10 Cents grantee districts. In all, schools listed 588 different promotional or educational activities they'd implemented through December of the 2018–2019 school year, including taste tests, Harvest of the Month features, and nutrition education in the cafeteria and classroom. The full 2018–2019 legislative report is available here: https://bit.ly/2CIzB4b # # # Program contacts: Diane Golzynski, PhD, RDN Colleen Matts Diane Conners
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Blog
Friday, March 29, 2019
(10 Cents a Meal) FW: Michigan Department of Education Press Release
Thursday, March 21, 2019
10 Cents a Meal 2018-2019 Legislative Report is Released
*Please note my email address has changed to diane@groundworkcenter.org.
Friday, March 15, 2019
REGISTER! Cultivate Michigan Marketplace - Mar 26 in Bangor, MI
Greetings,
This is a reminder that the registration deadline for the upcoming Cultivate Michigan Marketplace in Bangor on March 26th is approaching soon! Please find event details below in both Spanish and English, including links to register by March 19th.
Best,
Colleen Matts
Farm to Institution Specialist | Core Partner, 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
Acompaña a lideres de Granja a Institución para un evento al estilo conoce al cliente, este 26 de Marzo 2019 en Bangor, MI. Este evento de redes provee una oportunidad para proveedores locales, regionales e instituciones del servicio de comida para conectarse sobre comida local.
Quien deberÃa participar?
- Compradores Institucionales de servicio de comida interesados en adquirir productos de comida locales de granjeros y vendedores de la región.
- Proveedores de comida interesados en vender productos locales a compradores institucionales de comida en la región. Granjeros, Procesadoras y distribuidores a cual quier escala son bienvenidos.
Cuando y donde:
RegÃstrate para participar en este evento regional. Completamente gratuito para ambos Compradores institucionales y Proveedores de comida, (Espacio limitado registración requerida antes de la fecha siguiente).
- Bangor – Marzo 26 2019, - Congnito Brewery – 4:00 – 6:00 PM
Registración cierra alas 5PM este Martes 19 de Marzo
Anfitriones Locales: Mariel Borgman, MSU Extencion, Gaby Gerken, People's Food Co-op of Kalamazoo, y John Egelhaaf, Southwest Michigan Planning Commission
Mas informacion y registración en: bit.ly/CMMKTinfo2019.
Este evento de Cultivate Michigan Marketplace es brindado por The Michigan Farm to Institution Network con fondos de la W.K. Kellogg Foundatio. Coordinadores y anfitriones de MSU Center for Regional Food Systems, MSU Extencion, Southwest Michigan Planning Commission y The People's Food Co-Op of Kalamazoo.
********************************
Join fellow farm to institution leaders for a regional meet-the-buyers style event in Bangor, MI on March 26th, 2019. This networking event provides an opportunity for local and regional food suppliers and institutional food service buyers to connect around local food.
Who should participate?
- Institutional Food Service Buyers interested in purchasing local food products from farmers and vendors in their region.
- Food Suppliers interested in selling local foods to institutional food buyers in the region. Farmers, food hubs, processors and distributors of any scale are welcome.
How the event works:
It's a mix between speed-dating and a trade show! Cultivate Michigan Marketplace events are unique in that they focus on meeting the needs of institutional food service buyers. Each event is regional in scope and intended for institutional buyers and food suppliers of all scales. Buyers will be stationed at tables around the room, and suppliers will rotate to meet with buyers of their choice. Light refreshments will be provided along with plenty of time to mix and mingle!
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Michigan Good Food Fund, and Michigan Food and Farming Systems (MIFFS) will also have resource tables at the event.
When and where:
Register to participate in this regional event. It is free for both institutional buyers and food suppliers to attend, but space is limited and registration is required by the deadline below.
- Bangor – March 26 – Cognito Brewery - 4:00 - 6:00 PM
Register by 5 PM Tuesday, March 19
Local Hosts: Mariel Borgman, MSU Extension, Gaby Gerken, People's Food Co-op of Kalamazoo, and John Egelhaaf, Southwest Michigan Planning Commission
Register by March 19 at CMMarketplace2019.
This Cultivate Michigan Marketplace is brought to you by the Michigan Farm to Institution Network with funding from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Coordinators and hosts include the MSU Center for Regional Food Systems, MSU Extension, Southwest Michigan Planning Commission and the People's Food Co-op of Kalamazoo.
Wednesday, March 13, 2019
Upcoming National FTI Metrics Collaborative webinar - Data Network Project
National Farm to Institution Metrics Collaborative Webinar Series: Data Network Project
3:30 – 4:00 pm on Tuesday, March 19, 2019
In this series, each 30-minute webinar will feature a different Collaborative member and a tool or program they have used to measure farm to institution efforts.
In the second webinar in this series, Ben Thomas of Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) will be joined by Neal Bram of Project Waste Not and Genna Lipari of Daylight Foods. They will discuss advancing data collection and analysis through a Data Network project that pulls together supply chain data from farmers, distributors, and buyers to enhance and automate purchasing and tracking.
Colleen Matts
Farm to Institution Specialist | Core Partner, 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
Friday, March 8, 2019
Cultivating Community Resilience - March 14
4:30 PM: Doors open, Pre-Screening Reception & Community Health Expo
5:30 PM: Welcome
6:00 PM: Documentary Screening
7:00 PM: 8:00 PM: Panel Discussion
8:00 PM: Post-Program Networking & Community Health Expo
JEN SCHAAP | Local Food Policy SpecialistGroundwork Center for Resilient CommunitiesP 231-941-6584 x708
A 313 Howard St, Unit B | Petoskey, MI 49770pronouns: she/her/hersThe Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities is a Traverse City based non-profit. Our work is member-funded and community-driven. Protect what you love. Become a member of Groundwork today.
Wednesday, March 6, 2019
Cultivate Michigan Marketplace - Mar 26 in Bangor, MI
Join fellow farm to institution leaders for a regional meet-the-buyers style event in Bangor, MI on March 26th, 2019. This networking event provides an opportunity for local and regional food suppliers and institutional food service buyers to connect around local food.
Who should participate?
- Institutional Food Service Buyers interested in purchasing local food products from farmers and vendors in their region.
- Food Suppliers interested in selling local foods to institutional food buyers in the region. Farmers, food hubs, processors and distributors of any scale are welcome.
How the event works:
It's a mix between speed-dating and a trade show! Cultivate Michigan Marketplace events are unique in that they focus on meeting the needs of institutional food service buyers. Each event is regional in scope and intended for institutional buyers and food suppliers of all scales. Buyers will be stationed at tables around the room, and suppliers will rotate to meet with buyers of their choice. Light refreshments will be provided along with plenty of time to mix and mingle!
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Michigan Good Food Fund, and Michigan Food and Farming Systems (MIFFS) will also have resource tables at the event.
When and where:
Register to participate in this regional event. It is free for both institutional buyers and food suppliers to attend, but space is limited and registration is required by the deadline below.
- Bangor – March 26 – Cognito Brewery - 4:00 - 6:00 PM
Register by 5 PM Tuesday, March 19
Local Hosts: Mariel Borgman, MSU Extension, Gaby Gerken, People's Food Co-op of Kalamazoo, and John Egelhaaf, Southwest Michigan Planning Commission
Register by March 19 at CMMarketplace2019.
This Cultivate Michigan Marketplace is brought to you by the Michigan Farm to Institution Network with funding from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Coordinators and hosts include the MSU Center for Regional Food Systems, MSU Extension, Southwest Michigan Planning Commission and the People's Food Co-op of Kalamazoo.
Colleen Matts
Farm to Institution Specialist | Core Partner, 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
Improved food choices and more local food in Michigan schools!
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