Reminder: Farm to ECE Webinar

The next in the MI Farm to ECE Mini Webinar Series is this Wednesday, March 29 at 1:00 pm!

 

Seasonal Menu Planning

Adapting menus to locally available products is an important part of farm to ECE. In this webinar, chef Becky Kwasteniet of Baxter Child Development Center, will share their approaches to developing menus seasonally according to Michigan production. This is the eighth webinar in the Farm to ECE webinar series. Register for this webinar here.

 

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

Time Sensitive Garden Grant Opportunity

Hi all –

 

Please see below for a great financial opportunity to support your garden grant program! Four Grand Prizes of roughly $25,000 and 20 secondary grants of $10,000 each are available, so this could be a great opportunity to start a new garden! Deadline is March 28, 2017 – so act now!

 

3. Seeds of Change: Garden Grant Program
Seeds of Change® is awarding grants to 24 garden project around the country. Four Grand Prize grants (totaling $110,000) and twenty Secondary grants (totaling $200,000) will be awarded. To be eligible, entries must be received by March 28, 2017. Learn more here. 

 

 

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

Grant Opportunity to Support Farm to School

Hi all –

 

See below for a grant opportunity for Michigan k-12 schools!

 

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

 

From: "Grischke, Deborah" <dgrischke@actionforhealthykids.org>
Date: Friday, March 17, 2017 at 4:13 PM
To: Abby Harper <harperab@anr.msu.edu>
Subject: Re: MI Farm to School News

 

Any Michigan K-12 school can apply for the AFHK Game On grants to support a school garden or Farm to School project. Grants average $1,000. Applications are now open through April 7, please feel free to share this excellent opportunity with your partners:

 

Action for Healthy Kids: Every Kid Healthy Grants (Applications now open)

• Game On grants to support physical activity and nutrition initiatives are available, thanks to support from CSX, GoGo squeeZ, Saputo and Target.
• Parents for Healthy Kids grants are available that focus on implementing Game On, thanks to support from ALDI and our promotional partner, National PTA. Programs with a parent engagement component will be given priority, and parent-led groups are encouraged to apply (e.g. PTAs, PTOs and school wellness teams with parent members). Select Game On grants on our school grants portal and complete the parent-specific questions to get priority points.  

Visit ActionforHealthyKids.org/Grants to learn more and apply for a grant. Deadline is Friday, April 7. Access our archived webinars to help you with grant applications.

 

Visit Michigan's Action for Healthy Kids website for local and state updates and available resources.

MI Farm to School News

Hello all –

 

Happy Friday! Fun fact, this is technically the last MI Farm to School news of winter, but you wouldn't know that by stepping outside. I'm itching for warmer weather and fresh berries, so I caved this week and made a pie with last summer's blueberries in honor of my favorite holiday – Pi Day! It temporarily made me forget that it was below zero outside, but soon enough we'll be bringing Michigan grown crunchy asparagus, tender lettuce, and snappy peas to school and early childhood program menus. Get excited, and celebrate with the latest in MI Farm to School News!

 

P.S. Before we enter Michigan's peak growing season, it's a great time to sign up for Cultivate Michigan! If you sign up today, you might be in time to receive our next round of egg-cellent featured food promotional materials and purchasing guides. And if you have an egg-ceptional egg-centric recipe, be sure to share it through our Cultivate Michigan Call for Recipes.

 

Best,

Abby

 

News

Celebrate CACFP with Farm to Early Care and Education 

National Farm to School Network

Its National CACFP Week! CACFP provides approximately 1.9 billion meals and snacks to over 3.3 million children each day, and each one is an opportunity to bring good, local food to young eaters.

 

The International Foodservice Manufacturers Association Announces the 2017 Silver Plate Class 

PR Newswire 

Recipients of the 2017 Silver Plate Awards are in - Congratulations to our own Michigander Betti Wiggins for receiving an award! 

 

Events

Slow Food Huron Valley Presents the 2017 Local Food Summit 

 March 20th, 2017 9:00 am-4:00 pm, Ann Arbor

Join community members to discuss what innovative models, ideas, and policies are ensuring local food accessibility to everyone. The Farm to Institution track is a particularly great opportunity to learn what Washtenaw County is doing. 

 

Webinar: Farm to School in the Every Student Succeeds Act 

March 21st, 2017 3:00 pm-4:00 pm EDT

Learn about various funding opportunities and policy levers that you can utilize to move farm to school forward in your communities. Register at the link above.

 

Webinar: NFSN Farm to Early Care and Education Webinar: Statewide Farm to ECE Network Building 

April 12th, 2017 3:30 pm-4:30 pm EDT

ECE network building is a key approach to institutionalizing farm to ECE and increasing opportunities for all. Register today and be a step closer to obtaining key tips to success in building a statewide farm to ECE network. 

 

Resources

MI Farm to ECE Webinar Series – Early Childhood Gardens for Experiential Learning

Watch the most recent of the Farm to ECE webinars – Kristin Salem presented on how Adventures Learning Center uses on-site gardens to enhance learning experiences for their children. Be sure to catch this 7^th segment of our Farm to ECE mini-webinar series!

 

Reducing Food Waste In Out-Of-School Time: Best Practices Guide 

Public Health Law Center

Students discard 26 percent of the total food budget annually, and serving high-quality meals and snacks that are less likely to be discarded can improve your program participation rates, reach and overall impact.

 

Funding

Request for Applications: Native Communities with Farm to School

National Farm to School Network – Due March 22

The project will provide five Native schools mini-grants in the amount of $5,900 to expand and promote farm to school.

 

Head Start Garden Grants

National Head Start Association

I learned about this opportunity while at the Michigan Head Start Association Annual Conference yesterday. Grants up to $250 are available for Head Start programs to build gardens.  

 

Smart from the Start Award

Smart from the Start

Awards of up to $20,000 for preschool teachers to create practical, long-term improvements in nutrition and physical activity at their preschool.

 

Opportunities 

Job: Development Director

National Farm to School Network – Remote

NFSN is seeking a Development Director to lead the organization towards strategic growth and diversification of its funding base. Apply by March 20, 2017.

 

 Job: Growers/Producers Network Coordinator

Edible Flint

This position will build capacity of existing growers to produce for sales by providing them with access to equipment, training and technical assistance and securing resources.

 

Policy and Grassroots Internships

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

NSAC is hiring for two summer internship positions, see attached position descriptions for more information.

 

Gardening tips and more at this year's Starting and Sustaining a School Garden Conference

MSU Extension

Join MSU and fellow educators in exploring all the ways school gardens contribute to a healthier school environment. Gain knowledge and skills to start and maintain an effective school garden. Register today!

 

 

 

 

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

Early Childhood Gardens Webinar - TODAY at 1 pm

Don't miss out on the next 15 minute segment in the MI Farm to ECE Webinar Series, today!

 

MI Farm to ECE Webinar Series – Early Childhood Gardens for Experiential Learning

Thursday March 9 1:00 pm

Kristin Salem of Adventures Learning Center will be leading today's webinar. Adventures Learning Center is a multi-site daycare center in western Michigan. She will be presenting on one of the center's farm to ECE components – using on-site gardens to enhance childhood learning experiences and bring local food into all aspects of their programming. Be sure to catch this 7^th segment of our Farm to ECE mini-webinar series!

Register here.

 

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

Farm to Early Childhood Survey on Local Food Interest

Please share with your networks!

 

Our partners at Detroit Eastern Market are conducting a quick, 4-question survey to better understand the needs of Early Childhood Providers in serving local foods.

 

The purpose of this survey is to gauge interest in a program that would help provide Michigan fruits and vegetables to early childhood programs through meal kits.

 

Take the survey here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScZjI23RanuXhN3Lc5WEg9Kk8QQDWHhare_ROuhTmn36rOGDg/viewform?c=0&w=1

 

 

Thanks in advance for helping inform this work!

 

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

MI Farm to School News

Hello Network!

 

Hope you're getting ready for a restful weekend. It was great to meet many of our early childhood subscribers at the Campfire West Michigan 4c Conference last Saturday and the Michigan Head Start Association Conference yesterday! If you're one of our newer subscribers, welcome! Hope you glean lots of useful tips and resources from these newsletters.

 

Lots of opportunities and news to report this week, including a couple exciting survey opportunities! Be sure to chime in if you're an early childhood program interested in local food sourcing or have some great recipes to share with Cultivate Michigan!

 

Learning Opportunities

MI Farm to ECE Webinar Series – Early Childhood Gardens for Experiential Learning

Thursday March 9 1:00 pm

I am super excited to have Kristin Salem of Adventures Learning Center talk about how they use on-site gardens to enhance learning experiences for their children. Be sure to catch this 7^th segment of our Farm to ECE mini-webinar series! Register here.

 

Webinar: Promising Partnerships: Extension and Farm to ECE

March 14 2 pm

This webinar will feature diverse efforts lead by Cooperative Extension programs to support farm to ECE efforts. Read more about these promising partnerships on the NFSN blog.

 

Action Opportunities

 

Call for Recipes: Cultivate Michigan Recipe Box

Cultivate Michigan

We need to hear from you! Got a favorite recipe that features local food? Share it with us, so we can share it with Michigan!

 

Mitten Meals Survey

Early childhood programs interested in local food purchasing, please take this four-question survey on interest in local food purchasing practices.

 

High School Garden Programs Survey

University of Nevada Las Vegas

This study aims to describe educators' perspectives about high school gardening programs across the nation, including benefits associated with having a school garden.

 

Funding

 

Head Start Garden Grants

National Head Start Association

I learned about this opportunity while at the Michigan Head Start Association Annual Conference yesterday. Grants up to $250 are available for Head Start programs to build gardens.  

 

Smart from the Start Award

Smart from the Start

Awards of up to $20,000 for preschool teachers to create practical, long-term improvements in nutrition and physical activity at their preschool.

 

News

 

Montague and Whitehall schools meals include locally-grown potatoes - MSU Extension

A story of innovation on the West Coast, this MI Farm to School Grantee is blending local sourcing with classroom education.

 

Seasonal gardening in school gardens - MSU Extension

A study has shown that students who take part in growing their food are more likely to eat it. Learn tips for maintaining your school gardens in the summer.

 

Resources

 

USDA Standardized Recipes

USDA FNS

These recipes are standardized to provide updated crediting information, including the vegetable subgroups. LOTS of the vegetables featured are grown in Michigan, so these can be a great tool for getting innovative with locally produced foods! They've also got some good legume recipes. Did you know Michigan is the second largest producer of dry beans in the states?

 

Creating Childhood Production Centers

NC Cooperative Extension

Publication that includes basic garden design and layout to help childcare centers get started in year-round gardening activities. One of eight publications about childcare center production gardens

 

Jobs

 

FoodCorps Service Member

Deadline March 15

FoodCorps is recruiting talented leaders for a year of paid public service building healthy school food environments in limited-resource communities.

 

Job: Development Director

National Farm to School Network, Remote

NFSN seeks a Development Director to lead the organization is strategic growth and diversification of its funding base. Apply by March 20, 2017

 

Job: Growers/Producers Network Coordinator

Edible Flint

This position will build capacity of existing growers to produce for sales by providing them with access to equipment, training and technical assistance and securing resources.

 

Policy and Grassroots Internships

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

NSAC is hiring for two summer internship positions, see attached position descriptions for more information.

 

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