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Thursday, February 25, 2021

FW: 2021-2022 FoodCorps Service Member Application Now Available

Hi there,

Forwarding this information on behalf of our friends at FoodCorps. Apologies for cross-posting!

 

Best,

 

Colleen Matts

(she, her, hers)

Farm to Institution Specialist

Coordinator, Michigan Farm to Institution Network

Core Partner, National Farm to School Network

Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems

matts@msu.edu | 517.432.0310

foodsystems.msu.edu | cultivatemichigan.org | mifarmtoschool.msu.edu

 

In response to the seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic, Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems team members are working remotely and refraining from travel or attending in-person meetings. Our response time may be a bit slower than normal due to family and community responsibilities. 

 

From: Addell Anderson <addell.anderson@FOODCORPS.ORG>
Date: Thursday, February 25, 2021 at 8:10 AM
To: FOODSPEAK@LIST.MSU.EDU <FOODSPEAK@LIST.MSU.EDU>
Subject: 2021-2022 FoodCorps Service Member Application Now Available

Colleagues:

 

The application portal is now open for those interested in being candidates as 2021-2022 FoodCorps AmeriCorps Service Members. In Michigan, we are accepting applications to serve in schools with our site partners in Detroit, Flint, Muskegon, and the Petoskey region. For full consideration, candidates should submit their applications by mid-April. The candidate must, at a minimum, serve 1,700 allowable hours beginning in August 2021 for 11.5 months.

 

FoodCorps Michigan has connected over 50,000 children to healthy food in schools across the state since 2010. We complement school wellness objectives by placing FoodCorps' trained AmeriCorps members in kindergarten through 8th grade classes, where they deliver our evidence-backed program to students. Our members work with staff, students, and community members to implement evidence-based strategies that get kids to eat healthily. For more information on applying to serve in Michigan, contact FoodCorps MI Program Coordinator Quan Blunt - miprograms@foodcorps.org

 

Please assist us by including this information in eNewletters and job boards, and forwarding the attached flyer to all interested parties.

 

Kind regards,

 

Dale

 

--

 

Addell "Dale" Austin Anderson | FoodCorps

Michigan Program Director

440 Burroughs Street
Suite 306
Detroit, MI 48202

addell.anderson@foodcorps.org

FoodCorps.org

Cell: 313-409-6684

 

 

Monday, February 22, 2021

Discovering Resilience: A legal workshop for farmers and ranchers

Hi Folks,

We wanted to be sure you knew about our online workshop on farm law for farmers and ranchers nationwide. Consider signing up- class begins the week of March 1!


Discovering Resilience: A legal workshop for farmers and ranchers (Held Online)


Farmers and ranchers: Do legal questions keep you up at night? Do you wish you knew where to turn for the answers? Those answers aren't always easy to come by — especially for the most innovative, direct-to-consumer farmers.

Discovering Resilience is a legal workshop designed just for you. The workshop empowers farmers and ranchers with the legal knowledge and skills they need to resolve legal vulnerability in 5 core areas of farm law: business structures, insurance, employment law, land leasing and purchasing, and diversification (value-added and agritourism).


"I absolutely loved my time in the course and greatly appreciated the groups questions. The topics were so clearly discussed. Extremely helpful in clarifying risks and helping me better articulate how we manage our risk to consumers."

 

Michelle Week, Good Rain Farm


This isn't a boring, powerpoint-driven impractical legal class. This is the most hands-on farm law workshop you'll find. You'll create your own farm law action plan, unique to your operation, with support from peers and legal experts along the way. This five week highly interactive and producer-focused workshop is framed around the 10 legal best practices every farmer and rancher need to take to build resilience.


Cost is $49. Plus, this includes a one-year membership to Farm Commons where you'll have full access to our curated set of guides, webinars, resource library, and more (launching March 1)!


Get more details and sign up here. discoveringresilience.eventbrite.com


We have two Discovering Resilience sessions available:

All Tuesdays in March: Meet at 2pm Eastern, 1pm Central, Noon Mountain, 11am Pacific for two hours.

All Wednesdays in March: Meet at 3pm Eastern, 2pm Central, 1pm Mountain, Noon Pacific for two hours.

Choose your meeting session when you select your ticket type. After you reserve your ticket, you will receive additional information about how to get access to the workshop platform. We are excited to see you there!

MIFARMTOSCHOOL is a listserv that links farm-to-school stakeholders and practitioners in Michigan, from school food service directors and school administrators to growers and distributors. Content posted to MIFARMTOSCHOOL does not necessarily reflect the views of Michigan State University or the Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems.

Saturday, February 13, 2021

free farm law resource!

Hello Everyone!

I wanted to be sure you knew about a new resource now available from Farm Commons: Farmers' Guide to In-Kind Wages. Download it for free at this link until March 1. https://farmcommons.org/resources/farmers-guide-kind-wages

Small, diversified farms may not always have abundant cash available to pay workers, but boy, do they have broccoli! This guide will provide readers with a comprehensive understanding of the rules and regulations that apply when paying farm workers "in kind" wages. In-kind wages includes paying farm employees with meals, farm products like meat and vegetables, lodging/housing and other non-cash items of value. From understanding when in-kind wages are allowed, to how to value them, to the tax implications of paying in broccoli, we explore it all. The Appendices provide detailed information about specific issues including the OSHA, migrant/seasonal worker law implications, and tax rulings. The Appendices also provide selected state-specific information. (77 pages)

Farm Commons is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering the agricultural community to reduce legal risk and leverage legal opportunity within an ecosystem of support. Through education, leadership development and community-based problem solving around business law, agricultural communities become stronger and more resilient. The result is a legacy of sustainable farms and a community-based food system for everyone. At Farm Commons, paperwork is powerful.


- Rachel @ Farm Commons


MIFARMTOSCHOOL is a listserv that links farm-to-school stakeholders and practitioners in Michigan, from school food service directors and school administrators to growers and distributors. Content posted to MIFARMTOSCHOOL does not necessarily reflect the views of Michigan State University or the Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems.

Wednesday, February 10, 2021

Corrected link: Seeking childcare providers, farmers, and families for farm to ECE focus groups

Good morning, MIFARMTOSCHOOL,

 

I'm resending the message below, as we noticed an error in our registration form. If you registered to participate already, please register again as the form was corrected to address the error. https://j.mp/3tAXmE4

Apologies for the inconvenience!

 

 

Good afternoon, MIFARMTOSCHOOL! 

 

See below for a focus group opportunity you or your networks may be interested in. Please feel free to share.

 

Best,

Lindsay

 

 

You are invited to participate in a focus group discussion about farm to early care and education (farm to ECE) with the Michigan Farm to ECE Network. Participants will be compensated for their participation.

 

We're asking childcare providers, farmers, and families to join us for virtual on the topics of local food, nutrition education, and gardening with children between the ages of 0-5 in childcare settings. We are interested in talking with people who have experience with farm to ECE as well as those who have not had a chance to use farm to ECE.

 

Farm to ECE is a group of strategies and activities that childcare providers can use to increase children's access to healthy local foods, gardening opportunities, and education about food, nutrition, and agriculture. Classroom taste tests, farm field trips, and including local foods in menus are some examples of farm to ECE that you may be familiar with.

 

The Michigan Farm to ECE Network is a collaboration between organizations, ECE providers, farmers, and families that seeks to improve access to healthy food, increase nutritional awareness and health outcomes, and support ECE providers as they work to improve children's learning environments.

 

Would you be interested in joining us? Visit https://j.mp/3tAXmE4 for more information, including dates and times for discussions, as well as a brief questionnaire to help us learn more about potential participants.

 

If you have any questions, please contact Meagan Shedd at mshedd@msu.edu.

 

 

--

Lindsay Mensch (she/her)

Outreach and Communications Specialist

Michigan State University

Center for Regional Food Systems

Department of Community Sustainability

Natural Resources Building

480 Wilson Road

East Lansing, MI 48824

email: menschli@msu.edu

phone: 517-432-0264

 

CSUS Office Hours (Room 147C):

Monday 2-5 p.m.

Wednesday 1-5 p.m.

Friday 2-5 p.m.

 

In response to the seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic, our Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems team members are working remotely and refraining from travel or attending in-person meetings. Our response time may be a bit slower than normal due to family and community responsibilities.

Tuesday, February 9, 2021

Seeking childcare providers, farmers, and families for farm to ECE focus groups

Good afternoon, MIFARMTOSCHOOL! 

 

See below for a focus group opportunity you or your networks may be interested in. Please feel free to share.

 

Best,

Lindsay

 

 

You are invited to participate in a focus group discussion about farm to early care and education (farm to ECE) with the Michigan Farm to ECE Network. Participants will be compensated for their participation.

 

We're asking childcare providers, farmers, and families to join us for virtual on the topics of local food, nutrition education, and gardening with children between the ages of 0-5 in childcare settings. We are interested in talking with people who have experience with farm to ECE as well as those who have not had a chance to use farm to ECE.

 

Farm to ECE is a group of strategies and activities that childcare providers can use to increase children's access to healthy local foods, gardening opportunities, and education about food, nutrition, and agriculture. Classroom taste tests, farm field trips, and including local foods in menus are some examples of farm to ECE that you may be familiar with.

 

The Michigan Farm to ECE Network is a collaboration between organizations, ECE providers, farmers, and families that seeks to improve access to healthy food, increase nutritional awareness and health outcomes, and support ECE providers as they work to improve children's learning environments.

 

Would you be interested in joining us? Visit https://j.mp/3tAXmE4 for more information, including dates and times for discussions, as well as a brief questionnaire to help us learn more about potential participants.

 

If you have any questions, please contact Meagan Shedd at mshedd@msu.edu.

 

 

--

Lindsay Mensch (she/her)

Outreach and Communications Specialist

Michigan State University

Center for Regional Food Systems

Department of Community Sustainability

Natural Resources Building

480 Wilson Road

East Lansing, MI 48824

email: menschli@msu.edu

phone: 517-432-0264

 

CSUS Office Hours (Room 147C):

Monday 2-5 p.m.

Wednesday 1-5 p.m.

Friday 2-5 p.m.

 

In response to the seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic, our Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems team members are working remotely and refraining from travel or attending in-person meetings. Our response time may be a bit slower than normal due to family and community responsibilities.

Monday, February 8, 2021

MIFFS is hiring!

Hello!

MIFFS is hiring to fill two positions on our team!

MIFFS Veterans in Ag Network Coordinator position description can be found at https://bit.ly/VETScoord

Michigan Family Farms Conference Coordinator position description can be found at https://bit.ly/MFFCcoord

Applications are due by COB March 1st.

Email any questions to info@miffs.org

MIFARMTOSCHOOL is a listserv that links farm-to-school stakeholders and practitioners in Michigan, from school food service directors and school administrators to growers and distributors. Content posted to MIFARMTOSCHOOL does not necessarily reflect the views of Michigan State University or the Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems.

Monday, February 1, 2021

10 Cents a Meal Grants Reopen and Winter Farm to School Learning Opportunities

February 2021
Dear Michigan Farm to School subscribers,

February is Black History Month! This month, we encourage you to learn about and honor the Black leaders in farm to school, farm to ECE, and food systems work.

Below are resources and funding opportunities to help you plan and implement your farm to school programs in 2021, whether virtually or in-person.
News
10 Cents a Meal Grants Awarded to 138 Statewide Applicants
138 Michigan schools, school districts, and early childhood centers serving over 406,000 children have been awarded grants from the 10 Cents a Meal program to improve daily nutrition and eating habits for children.

USDA Expands Food Benefits During Pandemic
Nutrition assistance was expanded as part of a call to action by the Biden administration. USDA is increasing the Pandemic-EBT benefit by approximately 15%, providing more money for families and millions of children who are no longer receiving meals due to school closures. In addition, the USDA is seeking to increase Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for all participants.

Michigan Schools Awarded Action for Healthy Kids Grants
Congratulations to Post-Franklin Elementary School (Battle Creek), Valley View Elementary School (Battle Creek), and Fremont Public School District! These are three of the 173 schools and districts recently awarded Action for Healthy Kids grants. Grants were awarded for implementing nutrition, physical activity, social emotional learning, and/or school meal delivery programs.

Events
Foodprenueur Webinar Series
February 2, 9, 16, 23
6:00 p.m. ET

North Dakota State University is hosting a webinar series to highlight topics pertaining to food entrepreneurship. The February 9 session will focus on crop diversification, farmers' markets, and farm to school. Other sessions will explore disposal options for butcher waste, creating your own food product, and high-value crop research.

Building Community Interest & Investment in Your School Garden
February 3
2:00 p.m. ET

This virtual discussion will focus on strategies that increase community around school gardens, facilitated by Big Green Chicago. This webinar offers an opportunity to collectively reflect, question, and share experiences to support efforts to strengthen school gardens through the summer.

School Meals – Fact or Fiction?
February 16
12:00 p.m. EST

What do you really know about your school meal program? What are the new policies around school meals? Join this webinar for a deeper dive into new policies around school meals, including how to make a difference in your school’s program.

2021 Every Kid Healthy Week Celebration
February 25
3:30 p.m. EST

Started in 2013 to celebrate health and wellness, Every Kid Healthy Week is observed the last full week of April each year. Learn how you can join others celebrating at home and school, virtually or in person.

Resources
Black History Month Food and Farming Resource Lists
These resource lists from HEAL Food Alliance offer opportunities for learning more about Black history and ongoing leadership in food, farming, and food justice spaces.

Michigan Farm to Institution Network Report Features Highlights Since 2014 Launch
This new report outlines the activities of the Michigan Farm to Institution Network (MFIN) since its launch in 2014, including members, research projects, and Cultivate Michigan featured foods and tours. MFIN is a space for learning, sharing, and working together to help farm to institution programs grow in Michigan.

Resource Guide: Supporting the Social and Emotional Wellness of Children 
A new resource guide developed by the Office of Child Care addresses the social and emotional health of young children. In the wake of the pandemic and highlighting promising strategies to integrate social and emotional support in child care, the guide also provides ways to leverage partnerships and funding for successful implementation.

Tribal Food Sovereignty and Food Production: A Resource Directory for Indian Country
This directory, developed by the National Congress of American Indians, provides a comprehensive collation of relevant funding resources and other sources of support available to individual Native food producers and tribal nations and organizations as they work to establish, grow, and sustain their food production, sovereignty, and security efforts. It contains more than 125 entries.

Video Series: COVID Care Questions Answered
Penn State Better Kid Care created a series of interviews with frontline childcare providers in a conversation with Dr. Timothy Shope, MD, MPH. In this video series, Dr. Shope discusses care during COVID, including mitigation strategies in ECE, family style dining considerations, and the COVID-19 vaccine.

An Annotated Bibliography on Structural Racism Present in the U.S. Food System, 8th Edition
This annotated bibliography offers a foundation for learning and communicating about structural racism in the U.S. food system. It includes 350 publications and 35 videos that explore structural racism across the national food system, in specific food system sectors, and within local and regional geographies.

Opportunities
10 Cents a Meal Grant Application Re-Opens
Deadline: Rolling until funds are expended

The 10 Cents a Meal for Michigan’s Kids & Farms grant application is open for a second round of grants for the current 2021 funding year (which runs through September 30, 2021). Grants will be awarded by the Michigan Department of Education until the funds are expended.

2021 Gro More Good Grassroots Grant
Deadline: February 5

The 2021 Gro More Good Grassroots Grant will provide funding for the development of new and expansion of existing youth garden programs and greenspaces serving 15 or more youth. The grant is open to all nonprofit and tax exempt organizations (including schools) in the United States and US Territories.

Early Childhood Equity Fellowship from the BUILD Initiative
Deadline: February 19

The BUILD Initiative is accepting applications for its Equity Leaders Action Network Fellowship. The Fellowship is intended to support state, county, tribal, and territorial leaders to work within early childhood systems as they advance policies, practice, programs, and initiatives to intentionally redress racial marginalization and create racial equity.

Learn more and apply. Questions can be emailed to Dr. Sherri Killins Stewart at skillins@buildinitiative.org.
Academic Enrichment Grants for PreK-12 Classrooms
Deadline: April 15

Academic Enrichment Grants are being offered by the McCarthey Dressman Education Foundation to develop programs that improve student learning. Grants can provide funding for in-class or extra-curricular programs, awarded to individuals for up to $10,000 per year for a maximum of $30,000 over three years.

Jobs
Garden Development Coordinator at Keep Growing Detroit
Keep Growing Detroit (KGD) is seeking a Garden Development Coordinator to provide technical assistance and support for families, community groups, and organizations that are interested in growing vegetable gardens in the city. The Garden Development Coordinator is responsible for the logistics and distribution of garden resources and will support engagement to reach and serve Detroit’s families with young children.

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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