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July 2019 Dear Michigan Farm to School subscribers, Summer has officially begun! As the growing season kicks off, learn how schools are maximizing gardening spaces, what’s new in farm to school policy and legislation, and opportunities for professional development. News Kids Eat Local Act Can Support Children, Farmers, and Communities What is the Kids Eat Local Act? Chloe Marshall says, “It’s a win-win-win approach to feeding our kids fresh, healthy food, supporting our local farmers and food producers, and strengthening local economies.” Learn more here Detroit’s Drew Farm Continues to Grow A school farm in Detroit produces over 20,000 pounds of produce for the district each year. Funded by the National School Lunch Program, Drew Farm is one-of-a-kind and serves as a model for other districts. Read more Children in Alaska Make the Most of Gardening using One Square Foot of Dirt Children at Ray’s Child Care and Learning Center in Alaska are growing vegetables, herbs, and flowers in individual one square-foot garden boxes, showing that small spaces can yield great results. A larger edible garden, as well as experiential learning opportunities and visits to local farms, are part of this center’s everyday farm to ECE experiences. Learn more Michigan School Districts Recognized for Summer Meal Programs Meal programs in Michigan and across the United States are serving children and teens delicious, nutritious food all summer long. These USDA Food and Nutrition Service awardees are being recognized for their high-quality meals and education initiatives. See 'Turnip the Beet' winners Events National Children and Youth Garden Symposium July 10 - 13 Madison, WI The American Horticultural Society is hosting the National Children and Youth Garden Symposium to help educators teach children about creating a sustainable environment. The 3-day symposium will explore innovative sustainable gardening curriculum and practices, discuss "green" career resources, and highlight model partnerships. Learn more and register Webinar About Measuring Equity in the Food System July 16, 3 - 4 p.m. This webinar will provide an introduction to the newly published guide, “Measuring Racial Equity in the Food System: Established and Suggested Metrics,” including examples of ways the guide can be used. There will be time in the webinar for questions, comments, and suggestions for related resources. Register Resources Free Online Course: Straw Bale Gardening in Child Nutrition Programs This short, online training reviews the benefits of a straw bale garden and walks participants through the process of building one step-by-step. The training covers supplies needed and costs to create a straw bale garden, lessons learned from a first-time straw bale gardener, and include photographs to help participants get ready to plant!  Start the course New Local Food Purchasing Guide from NC Cooperative Extension What is the best way for child care centers and technical assistance providers to purchase local food for meals and snacks for their centers? Learn from case studies and data gathered from ECE providers in North Carolina. Read the guide State Farm to School Policy Handbook: 2002-2018 The National Farm to School Network and the Center for Agriculture and Food Systems at Vermont Law School have published a handbook that summarizes and analyzes every proposed farm to school bill and resolution introduced between 2002 and 2018, from the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories. Farm to school advocates, policymakers, researchers, and journalists can search bills by both jurisdiction and topic to find analyses of trends, case studies, advocacy resources and more. Explore the handbook Jobs Community Food Systems Program Manager, University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension July 4, 2019 The University of Wisconsin-Madison, Division of Extension is seeking applicants for a Community Food Systems Program Manager position. This position will help community residents, leaders, organizations and First Nations build capacity, enhance place-based food systems, and improve community health and well-being. Learn more and apply 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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