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Wednesday, March 6, 2019

Improved food choices and more local food in Michigan schools!

March 2019
Spring temperatures look to be in the forecast, and if your local stores are anything like those in our area, gardening supplies are starting to emerge.

For those of you who are thinking about gardening activities and teaching endeavors in the classroom - happy spring planning! And thanks for all you do for Michigan’s children.
News
Knudsen Elementary School student Emma Simpson pedals a smoothie bike.
Farm to School Helps Improves Food Choices in Michigan District as Part of Obesity Prevention Strategy
Waterford Public Schools is integrating farm to school as part of a county initiative to improve health and overall well-being. In addition to partnering with local farmers, the middle school has a greenhouse for students to grow and harvest food for their school cafeteria.

Fruit in a school cafeteria
10 Cents a Meal Program Increases Michigan-Grown Produce in Schools
This Michigan Good Food Story explores how the 10 Cents a Meal Program has increased the amount of locally grown produce in Michigan schools

School aquaponics team poses next to their aquaponics system
Using Aquaponics in Classrooms to Learn About Farming Systems
A Kentucky middle school is integrating technology and food system education through hydroponics. More importantly, the students are addressing issues of food access through indoor farming systems.

Events
21 Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge
April 1 - 21

Food Solutions New England offers an exciting opportunity to dive into building racial equity habits. For 21 days, talk about challenging and important issues and take action to make change.


Life Lab's 2019 School Garden Workshops
Santa Cruz, CA

In Life Lab's Garden Classroom on the UC Santa Cruz campus, professional trainers bring inspiration and information to educators interested in bringing learning to life in the garden. Workshops are available throughout 2019.

Resources
Racial Equity in the Food System Listserv
Michigan State University's Center for Regional Food Systems just launched a national Racial Equity Listserv - EQUITYFOOD - to complement its Racial Equity in the Food System workgroup.

Connect with your colleagues around building racial equity within the food system, and access resources like an annotated bibliography on structural racism, webinars, and various tools and articles.

American Indian Traditional Foods in USDA Schools Meals Programs: Wisconsin Farm to School Toolkit Available
A new resource is available to help source and use more traditional American Indian foods in menus for school meal programs. The Toolkit from USDA offers new recipes for schools, support for menu planning, and resources for procurement.

Opportunities
Seed kit from Slow Food USA
Slow Food Plant a Seed Kits
Request a Plant A Seed kit for your school (available until they run out) featuring six seed packets. Seed kits are available free of charge for schools with limited resources or are available for purchase.

Young child smiling with school lunch
Test Kitchen Grant, No Kid Hungry
Deadline: March 15

Join No Kid Hungry as part of the first cohort to test new models, strategies, or programs designed to provide more kids with meals in the summer. Organizations can receive up to $10,000 in grants and technical assistance.

Children eat lunch around a table
Game On and Parent-Led Grants Available for Schools
Deadline: April 5

These grants available through Action for Healthy Kids can be used to improve nutrition initiatives, including building school gardens.

About Michigan Farm to School

Farm to School centers around efforts to serve local foods in school and early care and education settings. We share ideas, tools and resources to support a range of efforts, from school garden programming to farmer visits and field trips.

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