Upcoming workshops - Breaking into Institutional & Wholesale Markets

 

Announcing Breaking Into Institutional & Wholesale Markets Winter Workshops!

Institutional and wholesale markets can be a key component of a successful farm business and an important part of a plan to expand. At these workshops you’ll learn from farmers and food hub staff who have experience selling to institutions and wholesale markets about how to best present yourself and your business, quality standards buyers are likely to expect, products of interest, and how to price your products. The workshops are free to attend! Please register online at the links below.

 

February 15, 2016 from 2:30 - 4:30 with reception to follow until 6 pm

Territorial Brewing Company in Springfield/Battle Creek

Presenters:

• Trent Thompson, Green Gardens Community Farm
• Brennan Dougherty, Sprout Urban Farms
• Tyler Vuillemot, Hoophouses for Health
• Colleen Matts, Farm to Institution Specialist at CRFS and co-lead of the Michigan Farm to Institution Network (MFIN)

 

Workshop hosted by Sprout Urban Farms, Michigan Farm to Institution Network, the Michigan Farmers Market Association and MSU CRFS.

Register to attend here by February 8, 2016.

 

March 18, 2016 from 1-3 pm

Allen Market Place in Lansing, as part of their Farmer and Food Business Workshop series

Presenters:

• Mark Kastner, Hillcrest Farms
• John McCarthy, Allen Market Place
• Erin Caudell, Flint Ingredient Company, the Local Grocer and Hoophouses for Health
• Colleen Matts, Farm to Institution Specialist at CRFS and co-lead of MFIN

 

Workshop hosted by the Allen Market Place, Michigan Farm to Institution Network, the Michigan Farmers Market Association, and MSU CRFS

Register to attend here by March 17, 2016.

 

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 311C Natural Resources Building | East Lansing, MI 48824

(p) 517.432.0310

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

 

MI Farm to School News

Happy Friday, Michiganders!

Don't forget to join us for our webinar on proper procurement for local food coming up on Monday! See details below. A lot of you have expressed interest to me in better understanding this, so hopefully I'll see many of you there! Lots of good stuff this week:

Opportunities

• Webinar: Sourcing Local Food: Understanding Procurement Rules and Regulations – January 25, 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm
  • Join us along with MDE on Monday to learn more about how to properly procure local foods! Access info in the link.
• Scholarships Available for National Farm to Cafeteria Conference – due February 29 at 5 pm
  • Scholarship applications are open for this year's Farm to Cafeteria conference in Madison, WI in June.
• USDA Webinar: Setting goals and establishing an evaluation baseline – Jan 28, 2016, 2:00 pm
  • The second in USDA's Farm to School webinar series, focusing on integrating program planning and evaluation to document farm to school program impacts.
• Farms, Food & Health Conference – January 29, Traverse City, MI
  • There will be opportunities for food service directors as well as educators interested in farm to school
• Michigan Fitness Foundation 2016 Choices Conference – March 9-11 2016, Dearborn, MI
  • The Michigan Fitness Foundation's annual conference in celebration of food, health, and collaboration.

News

• Child Nutrition Act Markup Finally on the Calendar – NSAC
  • Find out more about the 2016 Child Nutrition Act Reauthorization (CNAR).
• MSU and local schools offer Garden to Cafeteria training – MSU Extension
  • Kaitlin Wojciak highlights our upcoming Garden to Cafeteria webinar!
• Kohlrabi: Coming soon to a school near you – MSU Extension
  • MSU Extension highlights our friend Mark Coe at Farm to Freezer in Traverse City and his partnership with Traverse City Area Public Schools to get an unusual vegetable on students plates! I always said Kohlrabi was going to be the next apple. In fact, I propose 2016 have a Kohlrabi Crunch along with an Apple Crunch. Kohlrabi is delicious. Make it happen, people.

Research

• Effect of the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act on the Nutritional Quality of Meals Selected by Students and School Lunch Participation Rates – JAMA
  • Research shows that the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA) was associated with an increase in students selecting meal options higher in nutrients. In the district study, meal standards effectively changed the quality of foods selected by children
• Creating Healthy Food Environments for Latino Kids – NFSN
  • Presents findings on the impacts of healthy school food environments on latino populations, and information about Salud America!'s online resources for creating community change

Best,

Abby Harper

Farm to School Specialist

MSU Center for Regional Food Systems

480 Wilson Rd Rm 309 | East Lansing, MI 48824

(p) 517-432-4525 (f) 517-353-3834

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

Southwest Michigan Food Safety Conference for Small & Mid-sized Farms

Register now for the Southwest Michigan Food Safety Conference on Wednesday, March 2 in Kalamazoo, MI.

 

Are you a small or mid-sized produce grower looking for guidance in navigating the new Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Rule?

 

Do you seek practical food safety solutions that are appropriate for the size and scale of your operation?

 

This is the conference for you! Full details on the attached flyer.

 

Topics include:

 

·        FSMA Preparation- Appropriate Solutions for Small Scale Farms and Food Operators

·        Speakers: Tim Slawinski (MDARD) and Phil Tocco (MSU Extension)

 

·        Food Safety Manuals & SOPs- Importance of documentation for GAP and GroupGAP

·        Speakers: Michelle Walk (MSU Extension), Vivien McCurdy (KVCC) and Natasha Lantz (Marquette Food Co-op and U.P. Food Exchange)

 

·        Panel Discussion- GAP Certification and other inspections

·        Speakers: Phil Tocco, Tim Slawinski, Phil Britton (Cherry Capital Foods), and local farmers.

 

Hope to see you in Kalamazoo!

Mariel Borgman

Community Food Systems Educator

 

MSU Extension at the KVCC Food Innovation Center

mborgm@anr.msu.edu

http://www.msue.anr.msu.edu

 

Eastern Market Corporation IQF survey!

Hi all,

I’m passing along this survey for Michigan retail, food service, and institutional buyers to help Eastern Market as they explore an IQF (individually quick frozen) produce processing center. The researchers are happy to gather input from food buyers across the state!

 

 

Eastern Market Corporation is exploring the development of an individually quick frozen (IQF) processing center as a way of extending the season for local fruits and vegetables. We've put together a brief survey to evaluate interest from Michigan retail, food service, and institutional buyers in purchasing locally grown, individually quick frozen produce. The survey results for this study will be kept strictly confidential and only published in summary form so as not to reveal information about individual respondents. Please complete this survey by January 31, 2016. Access the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DYQJXK7

 

 

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 311C Natural Resources Building | East Lansing, MI 48824

(p) 517.432.0310

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

 

MI Farm to School News - Happy New Year Edition

Happy 2016!

Hope you all had a restful holiday season. A couple weeks off means some catch up on news and opportunities. 

A couple of great opportunities coming up in January – in addition to our upcoming webinars, the USDA is hosting an 11-part webinar series calling "Planning for Farm to School Success." These 30 minute webinars are kicking off next week with the first – on planning and building Farm to School teams (one of my favorite topics!). There are also two great Michigan conferences coming up that may help you connect with local farmers. 

I also wanted to share an exciting article on a Hoophouse for Health partnership in Menominee, as well as some news on our friends over at Sprout in Battle Creek showing the power of partnering Farm to School programs and food hubs. 2016 seems like its set up to be another great year for farm to school!

Opportunities

• Reminders:
  • Michigan Family Farming Conference  - Saturday, January 16, Marshall, MI
    • There is a particular tract for farmers wishing to build relationships with buyers, and it is a great opportunity to meet farmers in your area! (Also I'll be there, so say  hi!)
  • Farms, Food & Health Conference – Saturday, January 29, Traverse City, MI
    • There will be opportunities for food service directors as well as educators interested in farm to school
• Webinar: Leveraging Institutional Purchasing Power to Expand Access to Healthy Food – Tuesday, January 12, 2:00 – 3:15 pm
  • This webinar will highlight examples, strategies, and lessons learned in using institutional purchasing power to shift practices towards healthier food. Register here.
• Webinar: Intro to Farm to School: Planning and Building a Team – January 14, 1:00 pm
  • Learn tips and best practices for creating a farm to school team, facing struggles and surprises, and building a foundation for a successful project. Register here.

News

• Farm-to-table lunch program in place at Carney-Nadeau Schools – Upper Michigan Source
  • I was super excited to read this article on one of our Hoophouses for Health partnerships up north. If you're interested in learning more about being a Hoophouse for Health Farm to School partner, email me! (both early childhood programs and K-12 schools qualify)
• Sprout sends local crops to school cafeterias – Battle Creek Enquirer
  • Highlights Sprout's work to use their food hub aggregation power to get two schools local food and small farmers access to institutional markets.
  Ever wonder about requirements for school food programs? Part 1 – MSU Extension
  • Part 1 of a series focusing on initiatives within the HHFKA that aim to shift school food environments – focusing on the National School Lunch Program nutrition standards.
• Check out the Detroit School Garden Collaborative December newsletter (attached below) to learn about all that's happening in Farm to School at Detroit Public Schools (with some great info on vermicomposting! Worms are a great class pet!)

Did any of you make New Years resolutions? Mine is to use less exclamation points in my emails. I think I've failed already!

Best,

Abby Harper

Farm to School Specialist

MSU Center for Regional Food Systems

480 Wilson Rd. Rm 309 | East Lansing, MI 48824

(p) 517-432-4525 (f) 517-353-3834

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

Talking Tomatoes, Rainbow Wraps,  & More!     Garden Griot December 2015 Vol. 3 Issue 3  Meet Tammy Tomato and Carlos Corn, DSGC's New Mascots Students at Mackenzie Elementary learning the importance of healthy eating and plant parts from Tammy Tomato and Carlos Corn!   We are excited to announce the newest members of our Detroit School Garden Collaborative team... Tammy Tomato and Carlos Corn! Their mission is travelling to schools throughout the city to teach Detroit students how to make healthy food choices, why nutrition is important, and where healthy foods like fruits and vegetables come from. Would you like Tammy Tomato and Carlos Corn to visit your school? Contact garden.program@detroitk12.org Farm to School:  OSN Staff Lead, Katina Laird, works with students on prepping freshly harvested and washed greens at Drew Transition Center. Nice work Ms. Laird and students! Drew Farms Delivers Produces to 11 Schools    Drew Farms staff is excited to announce over 2,700 pounds of mixed salad greens were harvested between October-December and distributed to 11 Detroit schools. The mixed greens are prepared in salad cups with tomatoes or as loose lettuce on the tray.   A new small scale washing station installed at Douglass Academy for Young Men now allows DSGC run a full-fledged farm to school operation. Fresh produce is grown at Drew Farms, washed and prepped at Douglass, and then distributed to schools across the city.             Office of School Nutrition Head Chef, Kevin Frank ,and his food service team have done an excellent job leading the washing procedures at Douglass. Additionally, food service staff across the district have been  preparing the fresh produce being dropped off to schools and serving it to students. Thank you to all OSN Food Service staff! Garden Attendants Colleen Walker, 'Mr. O.' Elvin Owensby, Roxanne Brown, and Sarita Walker.   Thank You Garden Attendants!   You may have seen them at your school gardens, but these 4 outstanding Garden Attendants have shifted gears this season to assist in the Drew Farms high tunnel food production. Despite being a mild winter, these individuals have braved some chilly early mornings to keep the Drew Farms high tunnels up and running to produce high quality fresh produce for Detroit schools. From preparing the soil to seeding, harvesting by hand, and packaging, these four individuals (led by High Tunnel Manger, Michelle Lutz, and Farm Manager, Matt Hargis) are a true inspiration for what it means to serve our city's children with healthy food.  Worms to the Rescue! Vermicomposting Introduced at Professional Development Dr. Rhodes-O'Neil, West Side Academy teacher, DSGC Director, Zaundra Wimberley, FoodCorps member Brooke Juday, and Drew Farms Manager Matt Hargis pose with Dr. Rhodes-O'Neil and her winning worm bin. West Side Academy teachers Ms. Butler and Mr. Gauthier with student Casandra Brown, after recording vermicomposting observations. Nice work! Last month's professional development, a partnership with the DPS Office of Science and Michigan State University Extension, was led by school garden educator, Kristine Hahn, who introduced the how-to's of composting and vermicomposting, the benefits it offers school gardens, and how it can be integrated as a learning tool in classroom curriculum. Teachers participated in hands on activities, including working together to build vermicomposting (worm) bins from scratch! Known as "black gold," worm castings from red worms provide excellent nutrients for soil. This is the perfect indoor experiential learning project to do with students during the colder months and an opportunity to prepare for your school garden. Did you miss the training but are interested in learning how to make a worm bin for your classroom? See instructions below, if you have any questions please email garden.program@detroitk12.org    How to Make a Vermicomposting Bin     Materials 8-10 gallon plastic storage container Drill (1/4" or 1/16" bits) Shredded paper Compostable food scraps Handful of soil Loose leaves 1/2 to 1 pound of red worms Water spray bottle Sheet of cardboard  Best Worm Food Fruits (avoid citrus) Vegetables Coffee grounds and filters Tea bags Leaves   Want more vermicomposting tips?Check out MSU's Extension Vermicomposting Guide.   Instructions   1.) Drill about 20 holes near the top of the bin and on the lid to allow for ventilation.   2.) Layer the bottom of the bin with shredded newspaper, dampen paper with spray bottle of water.   3.) Toss in handful or two of soil.   4.) Add loose leaves, compostable food scraps, and another layer of shredded newspaper.   5.) Add red worms to the bin.   6.) Add another layer of newspaper and dampen with spray bottle.   7.) Place sheet of cardboard on top of the newspaper.   8.) Feed worms slowly (a couple times a week) and gradually increase as worms begin multiplying. Bury the food scraps in different spots to encourage worm movement.   Once your bin has transformed into "black gold," spread throughout you garden beds! Worms can be used again to continue vermicomposting or go strait into your garden.       Mark Your Calendars for the Next  Teacher Training! Plant Parts, Photosynthesis, & Cellular Respiration Thursday, January 21st @ Drew Transition Center (9600 Wyoming) 4:30-8:00pm     Want to integrate your school garden into  your curriculum but not sure how? Looking for tips on how to strengthen preexisting lessons? Then this training is for you! Kristine Hahn from Michigan State University Extension will be leading the workshop. A light meal will be provided, courtesy of the DPS Office of School Nutrition. *All DSGC Teacher Trainings are approved Detroit Public School Professional Development and are a collaboration with the DPS Office of Science. Please sign up via www.solutionware.com/dps.    *Non DPS faculty, staff, and community members, please emailgarden.program@detroitk12.org to register.   Thank you, we hope to see you there!  Taste the Rainbow! Nutrition Education Making an Impact      Students enjoying a fresh "rainbow wrap" made in class after learning about the importance of eating a variety of fruits and vegetables. Our FoodCorps staff members have been visiting schools across the city teaching nutrition education lessons to students in kindergarten thru 8th grade. Lessons are also part of the federal Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Program. There are 87 Detroit schools that receive a fruit or vegetable snack Monday thru Thursday every week and these lessons help students learn in fun and interactive ways what they are eating, why it is nutritious, how it grows, and different ways they can eat it! This month FoodCorps member Brooke visited schools to teach students about the importance of eating a variety of vegetables such as peppers, cabbage, and spinach. After the lesson, students made their own rainbow wraps! (see recipe below)  Grant Writing Season! Outdoor classroom space at Cody High School with benches, blackboard, and bark chip surface, all made possible through external grant funding awards. Do you have ideas of how to expand your school garden? Need more materials for a project or looking for ways to build your garden as an outdoor learning space? Check out the grants below. We are happy to assist in the grant writing process, please reach out to Monica at garden.program@detroitk12.org  Lowe's Toolbox Education Grant Amount: up to $5,000 Deadline: February, 12 2016 (cycle closes once 1500 proposals are received) Home Depot Impact Grant Amount: up to $5,000 Deadline: not listed, applications available February 1, 2016 Detroit Soup Amount: varies Deadline: March 6, 2016 (presentation), proposals must be received at least 2 weeks prior Recipe of the Month Rainbow Wraps Ingredients: 2 Whole Wheat Tortillas                                    1 red bell pepper                                              1 yellow pepper 1 large carrot 1 purple cabbage  2 cups spinach                                                                             Optional: Hummus or a dressing of your choice (click link for Herb Ranch Dressing!) Directions: Wash and rinse all produce. Slice red and yellow peppers into long strips. Shred cabbage. Thinly slice carrot into long strips. Optional: spread hummus or dressing onto tortillas. Place peppers, cabbage, and carrots into rows on tortilla like a rainbow. Roll up tortillas and enjoy! Note: You can add sliced meat to your wraps. We recommend turkey breast, low in sodium and high in protein! Nutritional benefits: These wraps are loaded with nutrients! The peppers in particular are a great source of Vitamin C and the leafy greens are an excellent source  of Vitamin K, an important nutrient helping bones grow healthy and strong!                            Interested in Volunteering? Join Friends of the Detroit School Garden Collaborative! It may be the winter season, but we are growing our volunteer data base and we would love to have you has part of our team! Our Friends of DSGC members help at school gardens, Drew Farms, spring clean up days, and a variety of other volunteer opportunities. If you are interested in volunteering, please email garden.program@detroitk12.org   Thank you! Happy Holidays from DSGC Staff!     The DSGC Staff wishes all of our teachers, principals, students, community partners, and volunteers a very blessed holiday. Thank you for being a part of our program and our mission to provide fresh, local, and nutritious food to Detroit students and their school communities. Happy Holidays! Want to learn more about DSGC? Check out our video!

Start the New Year with ENERGY ~ Get your tickets ~ 2016 Michigan Family Farms Conference, Sat. Jan 16th @ Marshall HS

Hello Everyone,

My apologies for cross postings, but we want to ensure you know about the Michigan Family Farm Conference because it's awesome. Please feel free to share this opportunity with your lists, networks & friends!

To all the wonderful farmers out there, this is a great opportunity to network with each other while you have some time to learn & connect! And for folks looking to connect with farmers for marketing opportunities or other reasons, come out to Marshall and meet all the great producers who attend this conference! Here's a quick link to the Conference info & registration: http://bitly.com/2016mffc.

Your Local Farmacy: Building Solidarity for Health and Well-being

Do you see your farm as both a place to produce food as well as a place to improve the health and well-being of your entire community? Renée Canady, our 2016 MFFC keynote speaker, views your farm as a local “farmacy” offering critical products for protecting and promoting the public’s well-being! 

As CEO of Michigan Public Health Institute (MPHI), Renée advocates for innovations that embrace cultural wisdom and a commitment to social justice.  MPHI recently launched the Center for Health Equity practice, grounded in organized community efforts and preventative actions.  Prior to MPHI, she was the Health Director at Ingham County Health Department and former chair of the Health Equity and Social Justice board for the National Association of City and County Health Officers.

Renée is a storyteller and educator who will both engage and energize this year’s conference attendees.

Here it is again, a quick link to the Conference info & registration: http://bitly.com/2016mffc. We hope to see you there!

Rise up & Dig In!

Lacey Ingrao

Michigan Food and Farming Systems (MIFFS)

Programs Manager

480 Wilson Rd, Rm.172, 

East Lansing, MI 48824

517.432.0712

Michigan Farm to School Webinar Series

Save the date for the first two webinars in the spring Michigan Farm to School Webinar Series, co hosted by the MSU Center for Regional Food Systems and the Michigan Farm to Institution Network. Both webinars are free to attend with no registration required.

 

Sourcing Local Food: Understanding Procurement Rules and Regulations

January 25, 2016 2:00 – 3:30 pm

Federal and state food procurement regulations can be tricky to navigate. Join staff members from the MSU Center for Regional Food Systems' Michigan Farm to School program and the Michigan Department of Education for an in depth webinar on proper procurement procedures for sourcing local food for school and/or early childhood food programs, and learn tips and strategies for successfully navigating the process!

 

Garden to Cafeteria: Using on-site gardens to supply your meal programs

February 16, 2016 2:00 – 3:30 pm

Interested in getting more of your on-site garden's harvest into school and/or early childhood food programs meals? Last year, MSU CRFS released Garden to Cafeteria: A Step-by-Step Guide, which provided the framework for sourcing products from school gardens for use in food programs. Join us to learn more about garden to cafeteria programs and hear from practitioners in the field that are successfully using garden harvests in their procurement strategies. Featured speakers include Kaitlin Koch Wojciak of MSU Extension, Zaundra Wimberly of Detroit Public Schools, and Jennifer Dietrich of the West Michigan Academy of Environmental Science.

 

At the appointed times, both webinars can be accessed at: http://msucrfs.adobeconnect.com/mifarmtoschool/. 

1-719-234-7800

Participant Code 690382

Further details will be released closer to the date. Looking forward to seeing you there!

Abby Harper

Farm to School Specialist

MSU Center for Regional Food Systems

480 Wilson Rd Rm 309 | East Lansing, MI 48824

(p) 517-432-4525 (f) 517-353-3834

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