Save the Dates: Michigan Good Food Charter Virtual Gathering Oct. 13-15, 2021

Save the dates for the Michigan Good Food Charter Gathering this October!

Join us as we wrap up the Michigan Good Food Charter update process and plan for the future of good food in Michigan! The event will take place on October 13-15 on a virtual platform with live workshops and networking space.  This interactive agenda will bring together food systems advocates and practitioners to: Preview components of the updated Michigan Good Food Charter Share feedback and big ideas for Michigan's good food future Plan for collaboration and next steps We are seeking facilitators! If you are interested, please let us know by completing the application form. Charter Gathering Facilitator Application We plan to charge a fee to help offset the costs of the virtual platform and support future networking events like this. Low barrier scholarship opportunities will be provided via registration. For more information or sponsorship opportunities, please contact Diane Drago: ddrago@dmsevents.com www.michiganfood.org ‌ ‌ ‌ #2021goodfood You are receiving this email because you are subscribed to one or more MSU Center for Regional Food Systems list(s).  Please note that if you unsubscribe from this mailing, you will be removed from all list(s).

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$5 Million Secured for 10 Cents a Meal

Greetings all,

Please see this big news!  Help spread the word to farms, schools, and early childcare centers in your communities, and support them in success.

This is the 10 Cents a Meal Newsletter. Do you subscribe? You are automatically on the list if you sign up as a supporter here. 

Best, Diane

Have you heard the news?  It's Official! HUGE 10 Cents a Meal news! Earlier this week Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed the $17.1 billion K-12 budget into law. Included in that budget is $5 million for 10 Cents a Meal for the 2021-2022 school year, more than double the current year's funding of $2 million.  This additional funding adds to the great legacy of the matching grant program. We are so excited to continue our work helping schools and early childhood education centers connect Michigan's children to Michigan-grown food while supporting our hardworking farmers.  Preview the Press Release!  "KENTWOOD, MI - Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed HB 4411, the $17.1 billion K-12 budget, into law July 13, surrounded by students and faculty at East Kentwood High School. The bill accounts for the largest single-year School Aid Fund budget ever passed by the state, and included funding for 10 Cents a Meal for Michigan's Kids & Farms at $5 million, more than doubling the funding from $2 million in 2020-21.  10 Cents A Meal for Michigan's Kids & Farms (10 Cents a Meal) is a state-funded program providing schools and early childhood education centers (ECEs) with matching incentive funding up to 10 cents per meal to purchase and serve Michigan-grown fruits, vegetables, and legumes. The grant has gone from a $250,000 state pilot program in 2016 to finally being available to applicants statewide for the 2020-2021 school year, and this latest investment affirms the importance of 10 Cents a Meal in providing fresh, healthy, local fruits, vegetables, and dry beans for Michigan's school and pre-schoolchildren." Read the full press release Celebrate with Us! Help us spread the good news and show us some love on social media! Share, like, and comment on our announcement posts on Facebook andInstagram Tweet at us, reply to our tweet, or retweet our post on Twitter 10 Cents a Meal Network Meeting — Save the Date!  Join Groundwork Center and other supporters of 10 Cents a Meal for our next 10 Cents a Meal Network meeting on Thursday, August 19th 2:30-3:30 p.m. Please save the date and stay tuned for more details. With the expanded $5 million budget for next school year we will have much to talk about regarding the future of the program!  Ten Cents A Meal http://www.tencentsmichigan.org/   10 Cents A Meal for Michigan's Kids & Farms · MI, United States  This email was sent to diane@groundworkcenter.org. To stop receiving our emails, click here.  You can also keep up with Ten Cents A Meal on Twitter or Facebook or Instagram.

 

Cultivating farm to school and ECE this summer

Check out news, resources, events, opportunities, and more in the Michigan Farm to School Newsletter.

July 2021 Dear Michigan Farm to School subscribers, Summertime harvests have just begun, but fall will be here before we know it! Now is a great time to start planning for the many changes we might see in Michigan's K-12 and early care classrooms this upcoming school year. News Vermont Farm to School Grant Includes Anti-Racism Education In Vermont, a farm to school Vision Grant was awarded to South Hero Land Trust to integrate anti-racist education within the existing farm to school program. Storytelling, art, music, agriculture, food, and land stewardship will support students’ and teachers’ learning. Read more. Farm to School Camp in the Upper Peninsula The first Farm to School Camp was held in June in Ishpeming, with Partridge Creek Farm partnering with Marquette-Alger Regional Educational Service Agency (MARESA) Health Educators as hosts to facilitate learning about growing and cooking healthy food. Read more. Michigan Program Making CSAs Available for More Families A program called Michigan Farm to Family: CSA has expanded options for accessing produce for more Michigan families. Families take part in nutrition education and the program offsets some costs of CSA (community supported agriculture) membership, reducing barriers to participation and increasing connections between farmers, families, and local, seasonal eating. Read more. Events Collective Kitchen: A Conversation About Building Power and Community Through Food July 7, 5 p.m. ET Join CoFED and Design for the Commons for a multi-sensory experience centered around storytelling, food sovereignty, and communal cooking. With food as our common denominator, CoFed and Design for the Commons hope this webinar will facilitate discussion around building community and meaningful relationships through food. Learn more and register. Save the Date! Cultivate Michigan Marketplace: Growing Connections in Early Care and Education August 16-26, 6:30-7:30 p.m. ET Join us to build your network in these virtual, regional meet-the-buyers style events! Food suppliers will make connections and learn how to market and sell to early care and education sites, and child care providers will connect with sellers in their region to purchase local foods for the children they serve. Save the date for your regional event: Monday, August 16 – Upper Peninsula  Tuesday, August 17 - Southwest Michigan Wednesday, August 18 – West Michigan Thursday, August 19 - Northern Lower Peninsula  Monday, August 23 - East Michigan  Tuesday, August 24 - Mid-Michigan  Wednesday, August 25 - Southeast Michigan  Thursday, August 26 – Southeast Michigan (Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties)  More details and registration to come soon! Resources Creative Opportunities for Strengthening Farm to ECE Through Emerging Federal Funding Streams: Webinar and Resources The National Farm to School Network, the Policy Equity Group, and the Food Research and Action Center shared information about different funding streams and how they can be used in early care and education and more specifically, how agencies can collaborate to support farm to ECE, early learning programs, and farming and food production. Learn more. USDA SNAP-Ed Recipes Now Includes a New Seasonal Recipes Section The SNAP-Ed recipe page is a great resource for healthy and affordable recipes. The site now includes a “Recipe Video Collections” section with step-by-step instructions and a “Seasonal Recipes” section with a featured low-cost, in-season recipe. Find recipes. Want to Plan a Farm Field Trip? Taste the Local Difference has a Farm to School Directory with a list of farmers and food producers who are interested in hosting or participating in field trips, helping with school gardens, or in-class instruction. Visit the directory page to search by county and start planning an event for next school year. Growing the Next Generation: Grandfriends and Gardens In Ionia County, Michigan, seniors are gardening with preschoolers to teach them about growing plants, building relationships, and other important life skills. Gardening also benefits the senior participants, many of them noting how interacting with young children has improved their quality of life. Check out this blog to learn more about the benefits of intergenerational gardening and how you can start a program in your community. Read the blog to learn more. Opportunities Little Seeds Pollinator Pals Grant Deadline: July 30 The Little Seeds Pollinator Pals Grant presented by Little Seeds and KidsGardening is designed to support youth garden programs interested in preserving and creating pollinator habitats to help rebuild declining pollinator populations. In 2021, eighteen programs will be awarded $500 to support the development of new and expansion of existing pollinator gardens. Learn more and apply. USDA Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production Grant Applications Open Deadline: July 30 USDA announced the availability of up to $4 million for grants to support the development of urban agriculture and innovative production projects. The Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production is accepting proposals for planning and innovation projects, and these grants are part of USDA’s broader efforts to support urban agriculture. Learn more and apply. Jobs Incubator Kitchen Manager at Growing Hope Deadline: July 9 Growing Hope in Ypsilanti, Michigan has an opening for an Incubator Kitchen Manager. This position will manage the Growing Hope Incubator Kitchen, support the Farmers Market team, and manage the Ypsilanti Farmers MarketPlace building maintenance and grounds upkeep.  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.

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