School's out for summer - time to plan for farm to school!

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June 2019 Dear Michigan Farm to School subscribers, June marks the beginning of summer and vacations for some, as well as graduations and the promise of new adventures. For those in year-round settings, continued learning experiences, innovative procurement practices using Michigan products throughout the summer, and gardening opportunities abound!  News Lunch Debt and Long-Term Solutions The price of school lunches and inability to pay for them has recently become headline news, especially when lunch shaming takes place. Donations to cover lunch debt are just a short-term solution. Read about viable ways to address this long-term issue. Read more Second Graders Learn About Native Nutrition A recent visit to Seed to Table Farm in Sisters, Oregon helped second graders from the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, Oregon learn more about healthy eating and farming, but also the origins of food and its importance within Native culture.   Read more Procurement Threshold Amounts in Michigan The State of Michigan recently issued a reminder about federal procurement thresholds using USDA memo SP-20-2018S, noting the more restrictive threshold for Food Purchases of $100,000 for Public School Districts, Academies and ISDS. Any questions regarding the procurement or supply thresholds may be directed to the State’s Fiscal Monitoring Unit at 517-241-5348 or MDE-Fiscal@michigan.gov. For more information, visit Competitive Bid Threshold, FY 2019 Memo. Events Save the Date: 10th National Farm to Cafeteria Conference April 20-24, 2020 Albuquerque, New Mexico This biennial event, hosted by the National Farm to School Network, will convene a diverse group of food service professionals, farmers, educators, students, representatives from nonprofits and government agencies, public health professionals and more to learn, network, and strengthen this important movement. Visit farmtoschool.org/conference to learn more and start making plans to join us in Albuquerque! Resources Now Available in Spanish! Local Food for Little Eaters: A Migrant & Seasonal Head Start Guide to Local Food Purchasing The MSU Center for Regional Food Systems is pleased to announce Spanish translations of Local Food for Little Eaters: A Migrant & Seasonal Head Start Guide to Local Food Purchasing and profiles of successful farm to Migrant & Seasonal Head Start (MSHS) programs nationwide. This guide gives step-by-step instructions and interactive tools that MSHS programs can use to begin purchasing and using more local foods.  Find the Spanish translation at foodsystems.msu.edu/mshs-espanol. Opportunities USDA AMS Grants: Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program (FMLFPP) Deadline: June 18 The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service Local Food Promotion Program (LFPP) Request for Proposals is now open. LFPP supports the development, coordination, and expansion of local and regional food businesses to help increase access to and availability of locally and regionally produced agricultural products. Grant awards range from $100,000 to $500,000 with a 25% match requirement.  Learn more and apply Jobs Senior Director, Programs & Policy, National Farm to School Network (Remote)  The Senior Director of Programs and Policy will lead the strategic direction of programming and policy advocacy aimed at institutionalizing farm to school in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and U.S. Territories. Learn more here. Strategy & Partnerships Coordinator, FoodCorps (New York, NY) FoodCorps seeks a Strategy and Partnerships Coordinator to join their growing team. The Strategy and Partnerships Coordinator will provide increased efficiency across FoodCorps’ work on systems change through strong management of logistics and projects. Learn more here. 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. Visit mifarmtoschool.msu.edu >> FOODSYSTEMS.MSU.EDU ‌ ‌ ‌ You are receiving this email because you are subscribed to the MIFARMTOSCHOOL listserv. Please note that if you unsubscribe from this mailing, you will be removed from the listserv as well.

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