NW Michigan Farm to Senior Pilot Request for Information

Friendship Centers of Emmet County provide a variety of programs and services to individuals 60 years or older who reside in Emmet County. The Centers are looking to partner with farmers to source some local produce for their Congregate Meals and Meals on Wheels services. If you are a farmer in Antrim, Emmet, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, or Otsego counties, please consider completing the Request for Information (RFI). Interested farmers should complete the RFI, which can be found online, by 5 pm on April 14.

--
Sarah Eichberger MPH, RD
sarahjeichberger@gmail.com
c: 616.334.9847
@GreatLakesRD

Michigan Farm to Institution Network Launch on April 3rd!

(Apologies for cross-posting)

 

Greetings,

Registration for the Michigan Farm to Institution Network Launch closes on Friday, March 28^th so please register this week if you plan to join us at the event in Lansing on April 3^rd!

 

Kyle Guerrant, Director of the Office of School Support Services at the Michigan Department of Education, will be a featured speaker, and a number of Farm to Institution practitioners from around the state will share their stories. See our latest newsletter below for the link to register, as well as other related news and events.

 

I hope to see you there!

 

Colleen Matts

Farm to Institution Specialist | Michigan Lead for National Farm to School Network

Center for Regional Food Systems | Michigan State University

480 Wilson Rd | Rm 303 Natural Resources Building | East Lansing, MI 48824

(p) 517.432.0310

www.foodsystems.msu.edu | www.mifarmtoschool.msu.edu

 

From: On Behalf Of Michigan Farm to Institution Network
Sent: Friday, March 21, 2014 8:00 AM
To: Matts, Colleen
Subject: March news from Michigan Farm to Institution Network

 

March 2014         Join us at the launch of the Michigan Farm to Institution Network on April 3! There are only two weeks until the launch! Register today! The event will take place in Lansing on Thursday, April 3 from 10:00 am - 4:30 pm, with a Farm to Institution Marketplace Reception immediately following. The fee for the launch event is $25 and includes admission to the reception. The fee is $10 to attend only the reception. Come celebrate Michigan's rich history of Farm to Institution programs to date and contribute to developing strategic solutions to the challenges that remain! Please visit www.bit.ly/mfinlaunch to register or to learn more about the event. Registration will close Friday, March 28. MFIN is now on Facebook! You can now visit the Michigan Farm to Institution Network on Facebook!  'Like' our page and then help spread the word about MFIN by sharing it with your friends and promoting it through your own social media! Call for Photos Do you have photos depicting farm to institution initiatives in Michigan? We are looking for photos that can be used by MFIN for our new website, on future print materials and just to have on hand for general purposes. Please send photos to alyson@ecocenter.org. Photos that feature clearly identifiable individuals can only be used with their permission. Please contact Alyson for more details. In the News Cherry Capital Foods Wins Small Business Award Article from the Traverse City Record Eagle The Michigan Small Business Development Center named Cherry Capital Foods the best small business in Northwest Michigan for 2013, one of the 12 best in the state. Cherry Capital Foods is a food distribution company that helps Michigan restaurants, schools and grocery stores source local products by representing numerous state farmers and food producers so those businesses don't have to deal with a different farmer for each food.  Read the full article. FoodCorps Service Program: Changing the school food environment By Terry McLean, Michigan State University Extension FoodCorps is a national service organization that connects kids to real food and helps them grow up healthy. In its third year nationally (2014), 125 FoodCorps service members and 15 FoodCorps Fellows are making a difference at 108 sites across 15 states! They expand hands-on nutrition education programs, build and tend school gardens, and bring high quality local foods into school cafeterias, activities which exemplify the FoodCorps program pillars of service: knowledge, engagement and access. Seven FoodCorps service members are currently located around Michigan in 5 locations: Crim Fitness Foundation in Flint, Detroit Black Community Food Security Network in Detroit, Wayne State University Center for School Health in Detroit, Michigan Land Use Institute in Traverse City, and Chippewa County MSU Extension in Sault Ste. Marie.  Read the full article.         Events     Good Food Matters: Come to the Table Presented by Good Food Battle Creek March 29, 2014 Doors open at 8:30 AM Calhoun Area Career Center, Battle Creek, MI Click here for details. Michigan Farm to Institution Network Launch Event and Marketplace Reception April 3, 2014 10 AM - 7:00 PM Crowne Plaza Lansing West, 925 S. Creyts Road, Lansing, MI 48917 Click here for details and to register for the event.       About MFIN     The Michigan Farm to Institution Network (MFIN) is a space for learning, sharing and working together to get more local food to institutions. We aim to meet the 20% by 2020 goal of the Michigan Good Food Charter. MFIN is co-coordinated by the MSU Center for Regional Food Systems and the Ecology Center.       Michigan Farm to Institution Network    Click here to unsubscribe

FW: You're invited to the launch of the Michigan Farm to Institution Network!

Greetings,

 

Please see the official invitation below, including a link to register, for the Michigan Farm to Institution Network Launch Event on April 3^rd in Lansing. Feel free to pass this invitation along to those who may be interested in attending and/or sharing it further.

 

Best,

 

Colleen Matts

Farm to Institution Specialist | Michigan Lead for National Farm to School Network

Center for Regional Food Systems | Michigan State University

480 Wilson Rd | Rm 303 Natural Resources Building | East Lansing, MI 48824

(p) 517.432.0310

www.foodsystems.msu.edu | www.mifarmtoschool.msu.edu

 

 

From: alyson=ecocenter.org@mail.salsalabs.net [mailto:alyson=ecocenter.org@mail.salsalabs.net] On Behalf Of Michigan Farm to Institution Network
Sent: Thursday, February 20, 2014 4:32 PM
Subject: You're invited to the launch of the Michigan Farm to Institution Network!

 

Join us to launch the Michigan Farm to Institution Network! Event Details: Date: Thursday, April 3, 2014 Time: 10:00 AM - 4:30 PM, Michigan Farm to Institution Network Launch Event 4:30 PM, Farm to Institution Marketplace Reception Location: Crowne Plaza Lansing West, 925 S. Creyts Road, Lansing, MI 48917 Fee: The fee for the launch event is $25 and includes admission to the reception. The fee is $10 to attend only the reception.   Join us to celebrate Michigan's rich history of Farm to Institution programs to date and to contribute to developing strategic solutions to the challenges that remain to take local food purchasing at institutions to the next level! MFIN will unveil Cultivate Michigan, a local food purchasing initiative to help institutions ramp up local food purchases to meet the 20% by 2020 goal. Immediately following the event, we will be hosting a Farm to Institution Marketplace reception. The Marketplace reception will provide a place to network and connect with fellow chefs, food service directors, farmers, distributors and community organizations all interested in supporting local farm to institution efforts. Guest rooms will be available at the Crowne Plaza Lansing West for the nights of April 2-3. To receive the group rate, you must identify yourself as a member of the Michigan Farm to Institution Network. To reserve a room, call (877) 322-5544 or visit www.crowneplaza.com/lansingwest and enter group code MFI. For more information and to register for the event, please visit: http://bit.ly/mfinlaunch. If you have questions, please contact Alyson Oslin at alyson@ecocenter.org or (734) 369-9273.   We look forward to seeing you in April! Hillary Bisnett and Colleen Matts Michigan Farm to Institution Network     Michigan Farm to Institution Network    Click here to unsubscribe

 

Michigan Farm to School News

Greetings,

Here are the latest Farm to School-related news items, opportunities, resources and events. Enjoy and stay warm!

 

NEWS

We are Excited to Welcome Vanessa Zajfen, USDA Farm to School Regional Lead for the Midwest Region! Vanessa Zajfen has a BA from UC Santa Cruz and obtained her MS in Sustainable Agriculture from Iowa State University. She has worked in everything from owning/ operating a company that specialized in sourcing and selling locally grown foods to developing and managing Farm to Institution programs to her latest position as San Diego Unified School District's Farm to School Specialist. Based in Chicago, she will provide training, technical assistance and generalized support to a wide variety of farm to school (FTS) stakeholders. Feel free to contact her directly at Vanessa.zajfen@fns.usda.gov or 312.353.0683.

 

Last week, the White House and the USDA announced new proposed guidelines for local school wellness policies. See the press release and the proposed rule.

The early childhood obesity rate is down, according to a new federal (CDC) report. A significant reduction in the obesity rate among 2-5 year old children was found from 2003/04 – 2011/12. Click here for the New York Times article and here for the Journal of the American Medical Association article on this study.

 

Food Hubs Connecting Farmers with Buyers

Food hubs, which serve as food aggregation and distribution centers, are connecting local farmers with markets and more buyers. There are now more than 240 food hubs operating in the U.S., helping farmers connect with each other, receive discounted liability insurance and market their produce more efficiently. Click for the story from Sean Powers, Harvest Public Media/NPR).

 

Cash or Credit for Your School Lunch?

A new study in the journal Obesity found that when students pay cash for their school lunches, they buy three times as many vegetables and consume ten percent fewer calories than students who use a debit card. Read more from Shankar Vedantam, NPR. What's behind the behavior difference? Brian Wansink, a Cornell University behavioral economist, points to a brain trick. Using a credit or a debit card makes it feel as though the financial consequences are far in the future, and the same may be happening for food choices.

 

School Food FOCUS Report: Eating Our Peas and Carrots: Strategies for Expanding K-12 Access to Fruits and Vegetables through Supply Chain Innovation and Investment.

This report analyzes the structure of supply chains that provide produce to large urban school districts as well as dynamics that may influence the use of produce in K-12 settings in the Upper Midwest. Opportunities as well as strategies to expand access to "good" food are identified and outlined.

 

Growing Power Provides 40000 Lbs. of Carrots to Schools

Unknowingly setting a record, Growing Power, a nonprofit farming organization in Milwaukee, sold 40,000 pounds of carrots to schools. A majority of the vegetables went to schools in Wisconsin while the remainder found homes in Chicago Public Schools. The story was also featured HERE on the USDA's website.

 

Public Health New Mexico: Bill Would Fund Farm-Fresh School Lunches

This story discusses the "Farm to Table" initiative in New Mexico and a proposed bill that would provide funding to schools to purchase local produce.

 

 

OPPORTUNITIES

The USDA Farm to School Grant Program request for applications for the 2015 grant year is now open! Four grant types are now available – planning, implementation, support services and conferences/events. Proposals for for planning, implementation and support services grants are due by 12 noon EST on April 30^th. Letters of intent for conference/event grants are due by 12 noon EST on April 2^nd.

 

FoodCorps Service Member Applications Open

Application deadline: March 30, 2014

FoodCorps is recruiting for the next class of members, including Michigan members! The program is proud to announce that, pending funding, they will be expanding to Georgia and Washington D.C. For more information and to apply, click the link above.

 

School Food FOCUS Job Opening: Southern Regional Learning Lab Manager

The lab manager will work closely with the management team and FOCUS staff to lead an "SRLL Readiness Year Project", which is a full-time, one-year project. For the full job posting as well as the opportunity to apply online, click the link above.

 

Health Impact Assessment Funding

The Health Impact Project, a collaboration of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Pew Charitable Trusts, is calling for proposals for grants to support Health Impact Assessment (HIA). Click the link above for details.

 

Voices for Healthy Kids Grant Opportunities

The American Heart Association and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation created Voices for Healthy Kids, which aims to engage, organize and mobilize people to improve the health of their communities and reverse the childhood obesity epidemic. There are two grant opportunities available. For more information on both of these opportunities, click the link above.

 

 

RESOURCES

Georgia Organics Taste Test Video

Georgia Organics created this video to highlight what a taste test is, how it can promote youth consumption of fruit and vegetable consumption, and how to conduct one.

 

New School Food Cookbook

The New School Cuisine cookbook was created by Vermont FEED, USDA, Vermon Agency of Education, and the School Nutrition Association of Vermont and is by school cooks for school foods. It features only kid-tested recipes as well as farm-fresh, local, seasonal ingredients.

 

Policy Memo Summaries

For your reference, Michigan Department of Education and USDA policy memo summaries relating to school nutrition have been posted on the site above. These provide a quick summary of key points from the memos and electronic links to the memos themselves. The site will have regularly updated versions.

 

NFSN State Farm to School Legislative Survey

The National Farm to School Network recently released its latest report documenting all the proposed and/ or enacted farm to school legislation by states since 2002.

 

State School Health Policy Matrix

The National Associations of Chronic Disease Directors and of State Boards of Education (NASBE) and the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) created this guide to help individuals navigate through various aspects of school health policy. The guide includes info on competitive foods and beverages, physical education and physical activity, and administration of medication in the school environment.

  

American Public Health Association Infographic on Childhood Obesity

Created by the American Public Health Association, this resource outlines the importance of public health funding as it relates to childhood obesity. 

 

EVENTS

Regional Support Models for Sustaining School Gardens edWeb webinar

Tuesday, March 4, 2014 - 4:00pm ET

Presenters: John Fisher, Director of Programs and Partnerships at Life Lab, with Park Guthrie, Garden Education Specialist for the Oakland Unified School District in California

 

USDA Webinar – Highlighting Innovative Ways Extension Professionals are involved with the USDA Farm to School Grant Program

Thursday, March 13, 2014 – 12 noon EST

To participate in this webinar, please register at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/F2SExtension. A phone and internet connection is needed.

 

CHOICES 2014

March 27-28, 2014; The Dearborn Inn, A Marriott Hotel; Dearborn, Michigan

Brought to you by The Michigan Nutrition Network and Michigan Fitness Foundation, CHOICES 2014 will cover topics ranging from healthy snacks to building relationships in the workplace through 6 keynote speakers, 12 breakout sessions, CEUs, and great food. To register, and for more information, click the link above.

 

Summer Food Service Program Training (SFSP) 2014

In order to continue the program's growth and expand the reach to more Michigan children, MDE is focusing on sponsor training. It's never too early to start planning for summer 2014.  Training registration information to follow.  This year's training dates and locations as well as some more information are attached in a document titled SFSP Training, and training registration information will follow.

 

Conference Registration Now Open!

The 7^th National Farm to Cafeteria Conference will be held this year in Austin, Texas, April 15-18. The three days will be filled with inspiring field trips, workshops, speakers and networking- be sure to register now so you don't miss out! Registration closes April 1^st.

 

 

USDA Bi-Monthly Webinar Series

January – June 2014, 2:00pm ET on the 2^nd and 4^th Thursdays of the month. Click the link above to register and/ or for more information.

 

Colleen Matts

Farm to Institution Specialist | Michigan Lead for National Farm to School Network

Center for Regional Food Systems | Michigan State University

480 Wilson Rd | Rm 303 Natural Resources Building | East Lansing, MI 48824

(p) 517.432.0310

www.foodsystems.msu.edu | www.mifarmtoschool.msu.edu

 

 

Beginning Farmer Webinar Series: Getting Started With Selling to Schools and Hospitals Feb. 10th

Hello All,

 

I wanted to let you all know about an upcoming educational opportunity for new and beginning farmers called “ Getting Started with Selling to Schools and Hospitals”.  This webinar is part of an ongoing MSU Extension Beginning Farmer Webinar Series.  The series is designed for beginning farmers, but we encourage any growers who are interested in selling to institutions to attend this webinar.  More information below, also see attached flyer.

 

Monday February 10^th MSU Extension educators Kendra Wills and Garrett Ziegler will present on the most effective ways to begin selling to local hospitals and schools. Topics will include: food safety requirements for institutional markets, wholesale pricing, strategies for communicating with food service directors, selling through a distributor or food hub, and available resources to help get you started.  

 

Questions and discussion will take place through the webinar 'chat' function. Supporting written materials will be available for download during and after the webinar.  Participants will receive the webinar URL after their registration and payment is received. A recording of the webinar will be made available to registered (and paid) participants within 10 days of the session.

 

Fee: $10.00 per person.

 

Register at http://events.anr.msu.edu/event.cfm?folder=GettingStartedWithSchools.

 

Payment must be received by Feb. 7 for participants to receive the link to connect to the webinar

 

 

Best,

Garrett Ziegler

 

Garrett Ziegler

Extension Educator, Community Food Systems

MSU Extension Greening Michigan Institute

 

MSU Extension at the Downtown Market

109 Logan SW

Suite B102

Grand Rapids, MI 49503

Office: 616.608.7436

Cell: 814.777.3562

zieglerg@anr.msu.edu

 

Michigan State University Extension programs and

materials are open to all withought regard to race,

color, national origin, gender, gender identity, religion,

age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual

orientation, marital status, family status, or veteran status.

 

Michigan Farm to School News

Happy New Year! Here's the latest Farm to School-related news, resources, opportunities and events!

 

NEWS 

MDCH Releases Healthy Equity Report Focused on Infant Mortality

Discusses the importance of infant health as part of Michigan's goal to improve the overall health of the state.

 

Study Shows Strong Nutrition Education Can Lead to Healthier Food Choices by Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Recipients

This study from the USDA Food and Nutrition Service highlights the importance of effective nutrition education programs for children, parents and caregivers to increase fruit and vegetable consumption and improve overall health.

 

USDA Allowing Schools to Serve Larger Portions of Meat and Grains at Schools, Farm and Dairy

The USDA "is making permanent the current flexibility that allows schools to server larger portions of lean protein and grains at mealtime."

 

Serving Healthy School Meals: Kitchen Equipment resources

This report from the Kids' Safe and Healthful Foods Project (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Pew Charitable Trusts) demonstrates that upgraded equipment and infrastructure is essential to serve appealing school meals more efficiently, outlines districts' infrastructure and equipment challenges, and provides recommendations to meet schools' needs.

 

Improving Early Care Obesity Prevention Through the Child and Adult Care Food Program

From the Nemours Foundation, this report showcases different strategies being implemented to improve the nutritional quality of meals and snacks in varying populations served through CACFP.

 

OPPORTUNITIES

 

Funding and Resources Now Available for Farm Value-Added Projects

The updated NSAC Value Added-Producer Grant Guide provides helpful hints to improve a producer's chances of obtaining funding from the highly competitive program and provides a step-by-step description of the application and ranking processes. The Guide is available for free on the NSAC website: http://sustainableagriculture.net/publications/. You can find information about this USDA grant opportunity here.

 

American Honda Foundation Invites Applications for Youth Education Programs


The foundation is accepting applications from nonprofit organizations and schools for programs or projects that support the teaching of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Deadline: February 1, 2014 (grants are given out quarterly throughout the year)


 

Nominate a school, class or teacher for Project Localize  (for all networks)

The Lexicon of Sustainability is looking for exemplary teachers and schools to participate in Project Localize. Selected schools will receive a Lexicon of Sustainability curriculum, taxonomy, video tutorials for creating information artworks, a regional food mapping system blueprint, a public event planner and the chance to win the Lexicon of Sustainability Excellence in Education prize in 2014.

 

Earth Day Network Seeking Entries for Healthy and Sustainable School Food Journalism Prize


The Earth Day Network competition is designed to highlight school food in the words of students who eat it. For more information and to enter, visit www.earthday.org/journalismaward and submit your publication online.  The contest is open until February 28, 2014 and the winners will be announced on Earth Day – April 22, 2014!

 

Scholarship for 7th National Farm to Cafeteria Conference

A scholarship that covers the cost of the conference will be available to apply for and must be submitted by January 31, 2014. Award notifications will be announces February 28, 2014.

  

RESOURCES

 

Extension + Farm to School Webinar Recordings from USDA Now Online

This fall, USDA hosted three webinars to feature various ways Cooperative Extension professionals from different states and programs are supporting Farm to School. These recordings are now available online.

 

ASAP's New Education Project for Dietetic Interns

This recently launched program from the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP) institutionalizes local food and F2S experiences and training into undergraduate and graduate curricula for education and nutrition and dietetics students and Dietetic Interns (DIs).

 

EVENTS 

Finding, Buying and Serving Local Food

From January 2014 through July 2014, the USDA Farm to School Program will host two webinars each month to showcase the variety of ways school districts can purchase local foods. The webinars will be held at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the second and fourth Thursdays of the month. Topics will include everything from procurement basics to using geographic preference, finding local producers, and buying local through DoD Fresh. Check out the lineup and register at the link above.

 

Produce for Better Health Foundation Free Webcast: Food Safety Efforts in Produce Production Webcast

Friday, January 10, 2014 2:00-3:00 pm ET

This webcast reviews the produce industry and their efforts to reduce microbial contamination of fruits and vegetables. REGISTER HERE.

 

New USDA Recipes for Healthy Kids and CACFP Crediting Guide: Supporting Healthy Eating in Child Care Webinar

Tuesday, January 14, 2014 2:00-3:00pm EST

Find out what the best ways to promote nutritious food are while still complying with CACFP requirements! You can REGISTER HERE.

 

Registration is open for the 2014 Michigan Family Farms Conference

Saturday, January 18^th at Lakeview High School in Battle Creek, Michigan.

The focus of this year's conference is exploring new trends in growing food while still applying traditional methods. A full list of sessions and speakers, as well as a detailed agenda can be found HERE.

 

Cover Crops And Crop Insurance - What's the Connection? Webinar

January 23rd, 2014, 2:00pm - 3:30pm EST (Register here)

The webinar will be hosted by The National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) and will address this important question: when and how can you terminate your cover crops and not risk losing crop insurance coverage of cash crops that follow?

 

 

 

Hub Camp: The Nuts & Bolts of Local Food Distribution

January 29-31, 2014 in Grand Rapids, MI

This training program offers practical approaches and advice for those who wish to start their own local food system. Click the link above for more information and/ or to apply!

 

MSU Integrated Pest Management Academy 2014

February 18-19 Okemos Conference Center in Okemos, MI

Hosted by MSU extension, this educational event will focus on topics ranging from soil health to hops to pest management. The BROCHURE outlines more information and the detailed agenda can be found HERE.

 

The National Anti-Hunger Policy Conference

March 2-4, 2014 Omni Shoreham Hotel Washington, D.C.

Co-sponsored by Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) and Feeding America, this conference allows participants to share information about and expand their knowledge on ways to strengthen nutrition programs from all different backgrounds. You can REGISTER HERE.

 

The 10th Annual Good Food Festival & Conference

March 13-15, 2014 at University of Illinois Chicago Forum in Chicago, IL

From artisan food tasting to getting your food business funded, the 3-day event offers something for all individuals who appreciate good food. The BROCHURE highlights the keynote speakers and events and you can purchase tickets in advance HERE.

 

CHOICES 2014

March 27-28, 2014, The Dearborn Inn, Dearborn, MI

This conference will focus on the various aspects of delivering health and wellness information to Michigan residents of all ages and includes a broad array of topics ranging from farm markets to data analysis. Check out the link for keynote speakers and more information.

 

 

Stay warm,

 

Colleen Matts

Farm to Institution Specialist | Michigan Lead for National Farm to School Network

Center for Regional Food Systems | Michigan State University

480 Wilson Rd | Rm 303 Natural Resources Building | East Lansing, MI 48824

(p) 517.432.0310

www.foodsystems.msu.edu | www.mifarmtoschool.msu.edu