MI Farm to School Trainings

Please refer to repost with full list of sites. Thanks, Julia 

Dear Friends and Community Partners, 

We are excited to inform you that the MI Farm to School Trainings are getting ready! These trainings are a great opportunity for schools, early childcare programs, farmers, and other organizations interested in learning about farm to school or farm to early childcare and preschool. Below is a list of the locations and times for the trainings across the state. There is also a link for you to register for the location in which you would like to attend. Just click on the link to register. 

Please share with those who may be interested and contact me if you have any questions. 

Look forward to seeing you at the trainings! 

http://msucarrs.az1.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_cuyItmOnkgUXMCp

MI Farm to School Training Locations 

Saginaw

MSU Extension Office

1 Tuscola Street

Saginaw

48607

 

September 22nd, 12:30 to 4:30 in the main conference room

Saint Ignace

Little Bear East Arena and Conference Center

275 Marquette Street

St. Ignace

49781

 

September 23rd, 12:30 to 4:30 in the conference room in the community center

Detroit 

Catherine Ferguson Academy

2750 Selden Street

Detroit

48208

 

September 26th, 9:30 to 3:30 training will be held in the gymnasium

Lunch will be provided

Guest speakers include Vanessa Zajfen, Farm to School Regional Lead, Midwest of the USDA Food and Nutrition Service, Amy Rosenthal of School Food FOCUS and Ashley Atkinson of Keep Growing Detroit

 

 

Muskegon

Hilt Building

427 W Western

Frauenthal Center

49440

 

September 30th, 9:30 to 3:00 in Johnson Hall

Lunch will be provided

An additional presentation on Cultivate Michigan, a local food purchasing campaign of the Michigan Farm to Institution Network, will be provided.

 

Photo Courtesy of Detroit Food Warriors 

Julia Smith, PhD

Farm to School Specialist 

Center for Regional Food Systems

Department of Community Sustainability

Michigan State University

480 Wilson Rd, Rm 309

East Lansing, MI 48824

517-432-4525

MI Farm to School Statewide Trainings

Dear Friends and Community Partners, 

We are excited to inform you that the MI Farm to School Trainings are getting ready! These trainings are a great opportunity for schools, early childcare programs, farmers, and other organizations interested in learning about farm to school or farm to early childcare and preschool. Below is a list of the locations and times for the trainings across the state. There is also a link for you to register for the location in which you would like to attend. Just click on the link to register. 

Please share with those who may be interested and contact me if you have any questions. 

Look forward to seeing you at the trainings! 

http://msucarrs.az1.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_cuyItmOnkgUXMCp

MI Farm to School Trainings 

Detroit 

Catherine Ferguson Academy

2750 Selden Street

Detroit

48208

 

September 26th, 9:30 to 3:30 training will be held in the gymnasium

Lunch will be provided

Guest speakers include Vanessa Zajfen, Farm to School Regional Lead, Midwest of the USDA Food and Nutrition Service, Amy Rosenthal of School Food FOCUS and Ashley Atkinson of Keep Growing Detroit

 

 

Muskegon

Hilt Building

427 W Western

Frauenthal Center

49440

 

September 30th, 9:30 to 3:00 in Johnson Hall

Lunch will be provided

An additional presentation on Cultivate Michigan, a local food purchasing campaign of the Michigan Farm to Institution Network, will be provided.

 

Photo Courtesy of Detroit Food Warriors 

Julia Smith, PhD

Farm to School Specialist 

Center for Regional Food Systems

Department of Community Sustainability

Michigan State University

480 Wilson Rd, Rm 309

East Lansing, MI 48824

517-432-4525

"Good food" grants awarded to CRFS

The Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems was recently awarded two grants by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.  The four-year grants will support continued and expanding work to increase access to "good food" – food that is healthy, green, fair, and affordable – in Michigan, through initiatives related to the Michigan Good Food Charter, food hub development, Farm to School efforts, and the Hoophouses for Health program.  

For more information and the full press release, please visit http://foodsystems.msu.edu/news/good-food-grants.

-- 

Liz Gensler

Communications & Grant Specialist 

Center for Regional Food Systems | Michigan State University

480 Wilson Rd, Rm 309 | Natural Resources Building | East Lansing, MI 48824

(p) 517-353-1914 | (f) 517-353-3834 

foodsystems.msu.edu   

FW: ISLAND Farmer Residency Program

 

From: Larry Dyer [mailto:ldyer3913@gmail.com] On Behalf Of Larry Dyer

The ISLAND Farmer Residency Program is searching for smart, talented journeyman farmers to participate in a farm incubator project in Northwest Lower Michigan.   ISLAND's Farmer Residency Program provides land and a supportive environment to get started.

The program site is located at the heart of a food region described by Mario Batali as 'exploding', amidst a thriving nexus of markets in Traverse City, Petoskey and the Leelanau Peninsula. 

Resident farmers are provided with three years' access to land, equipment and a network of technical and business advice. This is not an internship opportunity—it is a chance for experienced but landless farmers to manage their own business on the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy's Maple Bay Farm, just south of Elk Rapids, Michigan.

Eager to learn more? Here's a recent article on this program.

Applications for the 2015 growing season are due on October 1, 2014. Successful applications received before September 15 will be offered a seed garlic bonus.   Applications will be accepted each fall to bring new residents to the farm.

For more information, or to apply to the program, go the  ISLAND Farmer Residency Program website, or contact Larry Dyer at larry@artmeetsearth.org.

Larry Dyer

Seeking a Hoophouses for Health Program Manager - Applications Due August 31

The Michigan Farmers Market Association is seeking a highly motivated individual to join our Hoophouses for Health team. The Hoophouses for Health Program Manager will focus on administering and expanding the Michigan State University (MSU) Center for Regional Food Systems (CRFS) Hoophouses for Health program coordinated by the Michigan Farmers Market Association (MIFMA) and the MSU Department of Horticulture.  The individual must be able to work independently and collaboratively in a demanding, fast-paced environment. A successful candidate will have attention to detail and a positive and friendly attitude.  The application deadline is August 31, 2014 or until a suitable candidate is identified.  The position will begin in mid-September 2014.  The complete position description can be found online at http://mifma.org/2014/08/seeking-a-hoophouses-for-health-program-manager-2/.

 

Candidates should send a cover letter explaining their desire for this position and why their skill set makes them a successful candidate along with their resume and names of three references (indicate relationship) by August 31, 2014.  Complete applications (cover letter, resume, and references) should be addressed to Yadira Perez, MIFMA Administrative Assistant, and e-mailed to yadira@mifma.org with “Hoophouses for Health Program Manager Application” in the subject line.  Incomplete applications or those not following this process will not be reviewed.   

 

Please forward as you see appropriate.

 

Thank you,

 

Dru

 

Dru Montri, Ph.D.

Director

Michigan Farmers Market Association

 

480 Wilson Road, Room 172D

East Lansing, MI 48824

Ph: 517-432-3381

Fx: 517-353-7961

www.mifma.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tomato Recipes Needed

Hello,

In an effort to create a useful resource for Michigan institutions looking to purchase more local food, Cultivate Michigan will include institutional-scale recipes in our toolkits for each Featured Food from Michigan. Next up is Tomatoes and we are reaching out to institutional food service directors/chefs from across the state to provide tested recipes that feature any variety of tomatoes.  If you have a favorite recipe, pass it on!

Please send recipe contributions to info@cultivatemichigan.org. Along with your name, role and affiliation, please include the following with your recipe submission:

·         Recipe Name

·         Ingredients     

·         Directions

·         Serving size

·         Number of servings

·         Nutritional analysis (if available)

·         Photos of final dish (if available)

 

This is a great opportunity for you to be highlighted in our toolkits for your amazing work as chefs, menu planners, and food service/nutrition directors. Check out the Asparagus Purchasing Guide  and the Blueberry Purchasing Guide to see how we showed off the recipes of other food service directors, as well as other materials to help you purchase, use and promote Michigan asparagus and blueberries when in season!

 

Please direct responses and questions to info@cultivatemichigan.org. Thank you for your help and support in making Farm to Institution a reality for all Michigan institutions!

 

Garrett Ziegler
Extension Educator, Community Food Systems
MSU Extension Greening Michigan Institute
 
MSU Extension at the Downtown Market

109 Logan Ave SW

Suite B102
Grand Rapids, MI 49503

Office: 616.608.7436
Cell: 814.777.3562
zieglerg@anr.msu.edu

www.msue.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

report released: Valuing Michigan's Local Food System

The Michigan State University Center for Economic Analysis and Center for Regional Food Systems collaborated to investigate the economic value of local food in Michigan.  The centers recently released Valuing Michigan's Local Food System, a brief that summarizes findings of an analysis of the economic value of Michigan's farm production that is ultimately consumed as "local food."

You can find the brief at http://foodsystems.msu.edu/resources/local-food-econ.

-- 

Liz Gensler

Communications & Grant Specialist 

Center for Regional Food Systems | Michigan State University

480 Wilson Rd, Rm 309 | Natural Resources Building | East Lansing, MI 48824

(p) 517-353-1914 | (f) 517-353-3834 

foodsystems.msu.edu