FW: Solicitation 2000000700: Fresh Fruit Pilot Program – Request for Proposal

Greetings,

Please see information below and attached from the USDA regarding requests for proposals to supply produce for the Fresh Produce Pilot program, which is set to begin in Michigan and Florida in January 2012. Produce items for the pilot program include apples, lettuce, blueberries, carrots, grapes and oranges. 

 

All applicable documents for this pilot program can be found on our website http://www.ams.usda.gov/commoditypurchasing. Select Fresh Product Pilot in the dropdown list.

 

Interested farmers and vendors, please note that details about this program will be shared by represenatives from the USDA in a Farm to Institution session from 2-4 pm on Wednesday, December 7th at the Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable and Farm Market Expo in Grand Rapids. Find more info about Expo at www.glexpo.com.

 

Colleen Matts

Farm to Institution Specialist

CS Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems

Michigan State University

matts@msu.edu

517.432.0310

www.mifarmtoschool.msu.edu

 

 

---

From: Hernandez, Sara - AMS [Sara.Hernandez@ams.usda.gov]
Sent: Monday, November 28, 2011 11:57 AM
To: Hernandez, Sara - AMS
Subject: FW: Solicitation 2000000700: Fresh Fruit Pilot Program – Request for Proposal

Attention Staff and Vendors:

 

Please see attachment.  Solicitation 2000000700:  Fresh Fruit Pilot Program – Request for Proposal

 

All RFP questions should be submitted in writing to James Sprandel at James.Sprandel@ams.usda.gov and Felicitas Lofton at Felicitas.Lofton@ams.usda.gov.

 

 

Feel free to direct your procedural questions to the AMS Helpdesk.  

·       Email: wbscmamshelpdesk@ams.usda.gov

 

Feel free to direct your technical questions to the WBSCM Helpdesk.  

·        Phone: 877-WBSCM-4U

Email: WBSCMhelp@ams.usda.gov

 

 

Chyra C. Lewis

Contract Specialist

USDA, AMS, Commodity Procurement Division

1400 Independence Avenue, SW 

Washington, DC 20250

Office: (202) 720-6392

 

Michigan Farm to School News

Hi all,

Please see below for the latest Farm to School news bites!

 

Enjoy the weekend,

 

Colleen Matts

Farm to Institution Specialist

CS Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems

Michigan State University

matts@msu.edu

517.432.0310

www.mifarmtoschool.msu.edu

 

 

 

NEWS 

 

Senate Saves the Potato on School Lunch Menus

Proposed nutrition standards would limit the amount of potatoes and other starchy vegetables that can be served in school lunches and eliminating them from school breakfasts, but the Senate defended the potato by approving an amendment that would prohibit the USDA from setting “any maximum limits on the serving of vegetables in school meal programs.” Read last month’s story from the New York Times here. 

 

School Lunch Proposals Set Off A Dispute

Attempts to make the federally financed school lunch program more nutritious by cutting back on potatoes and adding more fresh fruits and vegetables are being disputed by some food companies. Read the full New York Times story here. 

 

Direct and Intermediated Marketing of Local Foods in the United States, a report released earlier this month from the USDA Economic Research Service found that marketing local foods grossed $4.8 billion in 2008. Check out the report here.

 

Michigan Farmers Deliver Fresh Vegetables and Fruit for Students’ Lunches

With the help of Michigan State University’s Farm to School Extension Program, local farmers and school service directors are connecting to serve more local, farm fresh produce in school meals. See the press release attached about how Plum Market Food Service is working to get more farm fresh produce into Detroit Country Day Schools. 

 

FoodCorps and Farm to School Month in Local Schools

·         Macomb County celebrated the first ever National Farm to School Month in October.  See attachment for press release. 

·         One Michigan FoodCorps member, Daniel Marbury, is working with students at  Platte River Elementary School in Honor, MI to help them learn about local and nutritious foods. Watch a video here. Learn more about Platte River Elementary’s new hoophouse and Farm to School Month in Michigan in “A Growing Idea” from Morning Star Publishing Company.

·         More recently, another Michigan FoodCorps member, Robyn Wardell, taught students at Freeman Elementary in Flint Community Schools about their new hoophouse. See the news video here.

 

Chicago Public Schools Lunch Buzz:

·         Chartwells-Thompson Hospitality Expands Farm-to-School Program to $2.5 Million in Local Produce:   Chicago Public Schools, through Chartwells-Thompson Hospitality  has spent more than $2.5 million in fresh fruits and vegetables purchased from regional producers and growers. To celebrate National Farm to School Month, students visited Riveridge Produce in Sparta, MI. Read more here from Market Watch.

• School Food FOCUS Learning Lab district Chicago Public Schools (CPS) rolled out an exciting new menu item: Rachael Ray's Windy City Chicken with whole-muscle, bone-in chicken leg quarters from USDA Foods!  To watch a report from the local Chicago NBC affiliate, click here. 

·         Chicago Schools Make Big Antibiotic-free Poultry Purchase from a nearby Amish farm. Read the full story on Food Safety News.

• Read US Senator Dick Durbin’s (D-IL) op-ed in the Chicago Tribune about CPS’s substantial changes to its school meals program.
• An anonymous "Mrs. Q"  has been blogging about her experience eating school lunch for the past year on her blog Fed Up With Lunch, and has finally unveiled her true identity last week via the Chicago Tribune, Good Morning America,  and USA Today, in announcements timed with the launch of her new book. 

 

RESOURCES 

 

Check out the On-Farm Food Safety For Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Growers Tool developed by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture that is designed to assist fresh fruit and vegetable growers with tools and resources to meet on-farm food safety demands. Click here to access this tool. 

 

Access the Healthy Food, Healthy Farms webinar:  “School Food Revolution?" webinar recording and presentation slides from Oct 6 on the Healthy Food Action website.

 

View the archived "School Nutrition Foundation/USDA GAP in Farm to School and School Gardens Webinar" here. 

 

 

OPPORTUNITIES 

 

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) Announces the Fourth Annual Growing Green Awards to Honor Extraordinary Contributions in Sustainable Food. A Growing Green Award will be given to an outstanding individual in each of four categories including Food Producer, Business Leader, Food Justice Leader, and Young Food Leader. Cash prizes range from $2,500 - $10,000. See attachment for more details. 

 

USDA’s Rural Development Community Facilities (CF) Grant
This is an opportunity for public entities in rural areas and towns of up to 20,000 in population to develop essential community facilities including those for food systems infrastructure.  Click here to learn more.

 

 

EVENTS 

 

Get Farming! Fall Workshops offered by the Michigan Land Use Institute

See article here with online registration available here.

Contact Jim Sluyter at the Michigan Land Use Institute at 231-941-6584, ext. 15 or jimsluyter@mlui.org for more information.

·         Michigan’s Safe Food Risk Assessment Program  offered by the Michigan Land Use Institute and the Grand Traverse Conservation District
Wednesday, November 16, 6:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Boardman River Nature Center, 1450 Cass Rd., Traverse City

·         Good Agricultural Practices - the GAP Audit offered by Michigan Food & Farming Systems and the Michigan Land Use Institute

Thursday, November 17, 9:00 a.m. - 3 p.m.
NW Michigan Horticultural Research Center, 6686 S. Center Hwy (County Rd 633) 
Attendance is limited to the first 50 registrants.

 

Farm to Institution Meet & Greet Event for West/Southwest Michigan

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

1:30-3:00 pm

Lake Michigan College, South Haven Campus, Rm 141

125 Veterans Dr

South Haven, MI 49090

See flyer attached for more information.

This event is free. Please RSVP to Kendra Wills with MSU Extension at 616.336.2028 or willsk@anr.msu.edu by November 21, 2011.

 

Great Lakes Fresh Fruit, Vegetable and Farm Market Expo

December 6-8 at the DeVos Place Convention Center in Grand Rapids, MI

Find more information and register at www.glexpo.com.

Check out the Farm to Institution session on Wednesday, December 7^th from 2-4 pm!

 

Michigan Family Farms Conference

Saturday, January 14^th , 2012

Lakeview High School in Battle Creek, MI

Click here for more information.

 

Northern Michigan Small Farm Conference

Saturday, January 28^th, 2012

Grayling High School in Grayling, MI

Click here for more information.

 

2nd Annual Beginning Farmer and Rancher Conference

February 18-20, 2012

Grand Rapids, MI

Click here to learn more.

FW: Position Posting - Academic Specialist/ Outreach - C.S. Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems at MSU

Hi all,

Please see below more information for this position posting with the Mott Group at MSU. Please do share this position posting with others who may be interested and qualified.

 

Thanks,

 

Colleen Matts

Farm to Institution Specialist

CS Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems

Michigan State University

matts@msu.edu

517.432.0310

www.mifarmtoschool.msu.edu

 

From: Pirog, Rich
Sent: Friday, November 18, 2011 12:47 PM
To: carrs-all
Subject: Position Posting - Academic Specialist/ Outreach - C.S. Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems at MSU

 

 

 

Hello:

 

A  position description summary is  listed below.  Individuals interested in learning more about this position and/or applying should go to:

 

https://jobs.msu.edu/applicants/jsp/shared/frameset/Frameset.jsp?time=1321557704946

 

to review additional position information.  

 

If the link above does not get you directly to the job posting, go to:

 

https://jobs.msu.edu

 

and search for  faculty/academic staff position # 5469.

 

 Application deadline is December 8, 2011

 

Individuals with questions about the position can contact me at the e-mail below.  Rich Pirog – Senior Associate Director, C.S. Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems

 

Position Summary

Play a lead role in coordinating and submitting large research grant proposals on behalf of the C.S. Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems (C.S. Mott Group);  Serve as the point of contact for inquiries about the C.S. Mott Group's research and/or outreach programs;  Coordinate development and expansion of the C.S. Mott Group's web site, posting research and outreach project results as well as marketing of the C.S. Mott Group's programs;  Play a lead role in coordinating and submitting large outreach grant proposals on behalf of the C.S. Mott Group;  Check in regularly with staff and faculty affiliates to stay abreast of project opportunities and provide support on existing grants where needed;  Provide presentations on the C.S. Mott Group's research and outreach programs to MSU and non-MSU audiences as needed;  Serve as coordinator for C.S. Mott Group's advisory board meetings.

Required: A Master's in Business Admin, Communications science, or related food, agriculture, and health disciplines.

 

Rich Pirog

Senior Associate Director

C.S. Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems

CARRS

313 Natural Resources Building

East Lansing, MI 48824-1222

 

Phone:  517-353-0694

E-mail: rspirog@msu.edu

Web:: www.mottgroup.msu.edu 

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FW: Registration Open for Produce Safety Webinar on November 16 - Addressing Food Safety When Purchasing Fresh Produce

FYI!

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From: Skolmowski, Julie - FNS [Julie.Skolmowski@fns.usda.gov]
Subject: Registration Open for Produce Safety Webinar on November 16 - Addressing Food Safety When Purchasing Fresh Produce

Hello!

 

On November 16, USDA and SNF are offering the second produce safety webinar in our four-part webinar series during SY2011-12. As past participants of Produce Safety University, you may be interested in attending or sharing the link with others. Registration is available at: www.schoolnutrition.org/producepurchasing

 

This webinar will include the following speakers:

·        Loren LaCorte, USDA FNS, speaking on procurement regulations and the geographic preference rule.

·        Stew Eidel and Sarah Trist, Maryland Department of Education

·        Diane Duncan-Goldsmith, Iowa City Community School District

 

Stew, Sarah, and Diane have all been to Produce Safety University and will be a talking about experiences in success stories in Maryland and Iowa. There will be a follow up "Peer-to-Peer" Call for more questions and answers on November 22.

 

If you missed the GAPs and school gardens webinar but would like to view the archive, it will be available on November 14 at www.schoolnutrition.org/schoolgardens.

 

Sincerely,

 

Julie

 

Julie Skolmowski, MPH, RD, SNS

Food Safety Specialist

Office of Food Safety

USDA Food and Nutrition Service

3101 Park Center Drive, 5th Floor

Alexandria, VA 22302

(703) 305-1093

julie.skolmowski@fns.usda.gov

 

Farm to School and MI MarketMaker work to improve children's school menus

Greetings,

As National Farm to School month comes to a close, I wanted to share new information about MI MarketMaker (www.mimarketmaker.msu.edu), which can help schools and other institutional markets connect with Michigan farmers and food suppliers. See below and attached for more information about how schools, hospitals and colleges can use this online venue to link to local food!

 

Best,

 

Colleen Matts

Farm to Institution Specialist

CS Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems

Michigan State University

matts@msu.edu

517.432.0310

www.mifarmtoschool.msu.edu

__________________________________________

 

 

Contact: Tom Kalchik

kalchikt@msu.edu/ 517-432-8752         
               

Farm to School and MI MarketMaker work to improve children’s school menus

East Lansing, MI (October 31, 2011) - Every child deserves access to nutritious food. With more than 30 million children eating school cafeteria meals daily, it is imperative that we promote healthy, balanced eating habits to help prevent obesity and other health-related disorders in our youth.

Help celebrate the first National Farm to School Month this October by using MI MarketMaker to find local producers of fresh fruits and vegetables. “The Michigan State University Product Center brought MarketMaker into Michigan because it is a powerful tool to help buyers and producers connect with each other,” says Tom Kalchik, Associate Director of the MSU Product Center. Use the Search function of MI MarketMaker to find growers of specific crops in a local area, or more general fruit, vegetable, meat, grain or other types of products.

“Farm to school programs are growing strong in Michigan,” said Colleen Matts, Farm to Institution Specialist with the C.S. Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems at MSU. “Schools seek a wider variety of local produce for more of the school year as they begin and expand farm to school programs. MI MarketMaker is an opportunity to connect the dots between farmers and school nutrition and food service directors to get local food to our school children.” Along with Florida, Michigan is slated to participate in a USDA Fresh Produce Pilot program starting in 2012 which aims to bring more fresh produce to schools.

Kalchik encourages all school food buyers and farmers interested in selling to local schools to register on MI MarketMaker. The process is easy. Just go to www.mimarketmaker.msu.edu and click on the Register button in the Register Your Business panel. School food buyers need to register by selecting “Buyer” from the dropdown menu, then “Institutional – Education” in the Buyer Type tab. Then complete the rest of the profile, including the information in the Geographic Area tab and Vendor Protocols tab. Remember, the more detail, the more searchable you are and the easier you are to find.

Producers interested in taking advantage of the buy local trend for the school lunch program should also register on MI MarketMaker. If you are already registered user, simply log into your MarketMaker profile and find the “Methods of Sale” area under the type of products you offer. By checking the “Farm to School” box, buyers are able to search for your business as they seek out healthy food purchases for local educational institutions. If you are not registered, go to www.mimarketmaker.msu.edu and click on the Register button in the Register Your Business panel. Select “Farmer” from the dropdown list.  Complete your business profile for the crops you produce and the way you produce them (look for the tabs at the top of the profile page for Dairy, Fruits and Nuts, Meat, Vegetables, etc. so you have a complete profile of your farm). In the “Methods of Sales” section, click on the “Farm to School” box.  Complete the rest of profile information, remembering that the more detail you provide, the easier it will be for a buyer to find you.

National Farm to School month in October and the USDA pilot program in Michigan for farm to school purchases provide great opportunities to improve the diets of school children and increase economic development in Michigan. MI MarketMaker can help school lunch buyers and growers make these programs successful and bring more fresh, local produce to Michigan children.

For more information about MI MarketMaker, visit www.mimarketmaker.msu.edu or contact Tom Kalchik at kalchikt@msu.edu or 517-432-8752. For more information about Michigan Farm to School, visit www.mifarmtoschool.msu.edu.

###

 

 

FW: Action needed TODAY to support School Food in the Farm Bill!

---
Sheilah Davidson
Policy Program Manager and Stakeholder Liaison
sdavidson@schoolfoodfocus.org
845 339-2824

School Food FOCUS
Public Health Solutions
40 Worth Street, Floor 5
New York, NY 10013
http://www.schoolfoodfocus.org/

School Food FOCUS is a national collaborative that leverages the knowledge and procurement power of large school districts to make school meals nationwide more healthful, regionally sourced, and sustainably produced.

Hi all,

Please see a note below from our colleagues at School Food FOCUS regarding a call for action to support school food in the Farm Bill.

 

Enjoy the weekend,

Colleen

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From: Sheilah Davidson, School Food FOCUS [sdavidson@schoolfoodfocus.org]
Sent: Friday, October 28, 2011 11:55 AM
Subject: Action needed TODAY to support School Food in the Farm Bill!

 

IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED!! 

PLEASE CALL MICHIGAN SENATOR STABENOW TODAY TO SUPPORT SCHOOL FOOD IN THE FARM BILL BEING SHAPED RIGHT NOW!

 

The Food and Farm Bill is a vital opportunity to develop policies that deliver affordable, regionally produced food to schools. In order to get their priorities in ahead of the Supercommittee deadline for budget cuts, the House and Senate Agriculture Committee leadership is planning to rewrite the Food and Farm Bill by Thursday, November 3. This would be the fastest farm bill decision-making process in history!

 

Your action is critical because you are in or near a key congressional district, and because FOCUS has relatively few districts nationwide that are as well placed.  Please call Senator Stabeno  at (202) 224-4822  with the message below.

 

Please start with the basic message in italics below and add one or more of the bulleted talking points, focusing on what you think your member will be most open to.  For example, Senator Stabenow is interested in access to fruits and vegetables.

The Message:  I am a constituent and stakeholder of School Food FOCUS, calling Senator Stabenow to say: School food can be central to the solution of childhood obesity and the Farm Bill can help school districts bring in more healthful food. Strengthening small and mid-scale farms and supporting regional processing facilities are vital to more healthful, sustainable school food procurement. The nation's core anti-hunger and sustainable farming programs are equally important, and should not be pitted against one another. There are no cost provisions within existing programs that can meet these goals.  For example (pick one)

·      I support increased access to healthful foods for school districts, especially in underserved markets.  For example (pick one)

o   Congress should protect existing programs that provide incentives for regional producers to sell minimally processed foods to school districts.

o   School districts in underserved areas should be eligible to apply for funding that targets access to food.

·      I support policies that increase access to regionally grown foods for schools.  For example (pick one)

o   I urge you to reauthorize Food and Farm Bill programs that support regional school food supply chains.

o   Please ensure that any new regional development programs' funds can also be used to support improvements along school food supply chains.

o   Congress should encourage USDA agencies to purchase regional foods for school food service.

o   Congress should encourage USDA to recognize schools that serve regional foods in their school meal programs.

 

Note:  If the staffer seems interested, you can offer to share the full document outlining School Food FOCUS policy recommendations. 

 

Thank you for taking action!

FW: NOV. 5th - 2011 Community & School Gardener Networking Meeting: Register now!

FYI!

 

Colleen Matts

Farm to Institution Specialist

CS Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems

Michigan State University

matts@msu.edu

517.432.0310

www.mifarmtoschool.msu.edu

 

From: Scott, Anne C. [mailto:annemisener@ANR.MSU.EDU]
Sent: Wednesday, October 26, 2011 2:47 PM
To: YOUTHGROW@LIST.MSU.EDU
Subject: NOV. 5th - 2011 Community & School Gardener Networking Meeting: Register now!

 

Hello Michigan school and community gardeners!

 

 2011 Community School Gardener Networking Meeting NOV.5th is just a week and 1/2 away!  

 

Location: Wayne County Community College Eastern Campus in Detroit! (5901 Conner Street, Detroit, MI)

 

Don't delay! Register now:You can register by clicking here or get in touch with Anne Scott (scottann@msu.edu or 517 353 0751) or Michelle Jackson (smallvillefarms@gmail.com or 313 721 8220).

 

Here is a sneak peak at some of the sessions planned: Land Use, Planning and Land Banking, Serving School Garden Grown Food in the Cafeteria, Horticulture Vocational Training for Young Adults with Disabilities, the Farm Bill and Why it Matters, Classroom-based Hands-on Gardening, the WISE Woman Gardeners 

 OPEN SPACE:  Open Space offers an opportunity for participants to spark discussions and network around shared interests. You initiate a topic or join one of most interest to you.  

YOUTH TRACK!: Youth ages 10-17, 9:30-4:00,   The day is looking to be FULL of creativity, expression, and …of course, FUN.  As part of the youth track we will learn to  shoot video,  create questions and conduct an interview.  We will apply skills to collect footage for a "message video" about school and community gardening. We will also learn about marketing produce, youth/adult stereotypes and positive youth/adult partnerships, team work and communication.  

 

For more details or to  updates by visiting www.miyouthandfood.msu.edu,  find us on Facebook, or contact Anne 517 353 0751 scottann@msu.edu or Michelle 313 721 8220 smallvillefarms@gmail.com.

 

Hope to see you there!

 

~CSGNM Planning Team