FW: Governor Whitmer Proclaims July as Farm to Summer Month

Happy Farm to Summer Month!

 

See the press release below about Governor Whitmer's proclamation of July as Farm to Summer Month in Michigan!

 

Local food purchasing programs can continue, and thrive, throughout the summer at sites that provide food to children of all ages.

• Find a Meet Up and Eat Up site near you at mcgi.state.mi.us/schoolnutrition/.
• Visit mifarmtoece.org and mifarmtoschool.msu.edu to find more information and resources.
• Check out the Cultivate Michigan summer featured foods for freely downloadable promotional materials.

 

Thanks to the many food program managers who ensure kids continue to have access to nutritious food during the summer months, and to the Michigan Department of Education and Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development for supporting these critical programs and efforts!

 

Best,

 

Colleen Matts

(she/her)

Director, Farm to Institution Programs

Coordinator, Michigan Farm to Institution Network

Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems

matts@msu.edu | 517.432.0310

foodsystems.msu.edu | cultivatemichigan.org | mifarmtoschool.msu.edu

 

 

From: Michigan Dept of Agriculture & Rural Development <MDARD@govsubscriptions.michigan.gov>
Sent: Monday, July 3, 2023 10:03 AM
Subject: Governor Whitmer Proclaims July as Farm to Summer Month

 

For immediate release: July 3, 2023 MDARD media contact: Chelsea Lewis-Parisio, 517-331-1151 MDE media contact: Marty Ackley, 517-241-7018  Governor Whitmer Proclaims July as Farm to Summer Month Fresh, local products served to Michigan kids at 'Meet Up and Eat Up' sites across the state this summer Lansing, MI – Governor Gretchen Whitmer has declared July 2023 as Farm to Summer month to celebrate Michigan's local food and agriculture products and promoting the use of local, in-season produce at summer feeding sites located at schools and non-profits across the state. "Farm to Summer provides a great opportunity to add fresh, local Michigan products to the U.S.  Department of Agriculture Summer Food Service Program," said Governor Whitmer. "Providing nutritious meals to Michigan kids during the summer months will help them succeed in the next school year, and buying locally grown fruits and vegetables supports our farm families and communities – a win/win for Michigan." Officially known in Michigan as Summer Food Service Program's (SFSP) Meet Up and Eat Up, this program provides free, nutritious meals during the summer to children up to age 18 living in low-income areas, where 50 percent or more of the students in the area qualify for free or reduced-price school meals. "The future of Michigan's food and agriculture industry is in the hands of younger generations, and it's important for young Michiganders to learn about our local food and agriculture products," said MDARD Director Tim Boring. "Summer programs that focus on teaching healthy habits and highlighting Michigan-grown fresh fruits and vegetables, combined with supplying healthy, fresh and nutritious meals to kids, will ensure a bright future for Michigan's food and agricultural industry." Farm to Summer provides an opportunity to increase the purchase and promotion of Michigan products on menus; serve fresh, locally grown produce to children at SFSP Meet Up Eat Up sites; and provide enrichment opportunities to engage children to learn about Michigan agriculture, all during a time when schools are not in session. Early child care education programs, children, and teens receive many benefits from the SFSP, including fresh Michigan fruits and vegetables, which are in peak production during the summer months. Students learn where Michigan-grown products come from, including local Michigan farms, gardens, and producers. SFSP meal sites help children develop heathy habits through hands-on learning activities and educational opportunities, including gardening and taste-testing of a variety of Michigan-grown fruits and vegetables. "Filling the summer hunger gap is crucial because it sustains children's health and can reduce any summer learning loss," said State Superintendent Dr. Michael Rice. "Farm to Summer and our Summer Food Service Program connect Michigan children with healthy food choices, how healthy food is grown locally, and benefits their capacity to continue learning through the summer months." Michigan is one of the most agriculturally diverse states in the U.S., leading the nation in the production of dry black beans, dry cranberry beans, tart cherries, asparagus, cucumbers, dry navy beans, squash, and dry small red beans, and ranking high in the production of blueberries, summer squash, bell peppers, peaches, carrots, celery, sweet cherries, apples, fresh sweet corn, and many other specialty crops. The state has more than 46,000 farms producing a wide variety of crops on nearly 10 million acres of farmland. Michigan's food and agriculture system employs over 805,000 people, about 17.2 percent of the state's workforce. This contributes more than $104.7 billion to the state's economy annually. SFSP sponsors can take advantage of Michigan's growing season and source many locally grown products into their menus. SFSP is encouraging meal sites to celebrate Farm to Summer with special activities during July that highlight fruits and vegetables, fun recipes, and educational and physical activities. Read the full Michigan Farm to Summer proclamation here.  Resources for SFSP Meet Up and Eat Up Sites: Farm to Summer Factsheet | Food and Nutrition Service (usda.gov) Farm to Summer | Food and Nutrition Service (usda.gov) Meet Up and Eat Up Outreach Materials (michigan.gov) ###       QUESTIONS?   Contact Us   Phone: 800-292-3939     STAY CONNECTED:

Join the Racial Equity Learning Lab Fall 2023 Cohort

Good morning,

We're sharing the announcement below about NFSN's Racial Equity Learning Lab. The deadline to complete an interest form for their Fall 2023 cohort is June 30^th. For more info, please contact the NFSN Program Manager, Trisha Bautista at trisha@farmtoschool.org.

Best,

Megan

Megan McManus 

(she/her/hers)

Farm to Institution Specialist

MSU Center for Regional Food Systems

---

From: Trisha Bautista Larson <trisha@farmtoschool.org>
Sent: Tuesday, June 27, 2023 1:52 PM
To: partners@farmtoschool.org <partners@farmtoschool.org>
Subject: [NFSN Partners] Apply today! Join the Racial Equity Learning Lab Fall 2023 Cohort.

 

Greetings NFSN Partners,

As you may know, we have launched our Racial Equity Learning Lab ("the Lab"), a cooperative agreement with the US Department of Agriculture. The Lab is a collaborative space, designed for small groups to foster an intensive cross race dialogue and co-creation experience focused in farm to school. We recently had a public webinar describing the Lab experience and celebrating the recent collaboration with our Advisory Council: 📽recording here. 

We're still recruiting for folks to join our Fall 2023 cohort! This is a co-learning and co-creating virtual experience that offers farm to school practitioners a space to reimagine ways to apply a racial equity lens in our work. In order to do so, we will center and honor lived experiences and knowledge of people of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. We want to especially encourage individuals who identify as BIPOC or identify with other historically oppressed communities. We hope you will consider joining us.

🌱To join the Fall 2023 Lab cohort of 13, please fill out this Interest Form by June 30, 2023. NFSN will review Interest Form responses and invite semi-final folks to submit a secondary application by July 14. 

If you have additional questions, please visit our Lab Cohort FAQ document or email NFSN Program Manager, Trisha Bautista at Trisha@farmtoschool.org.

Thank you so much,

Trisha

--

	Trisha Bautista Larson, MPH (she/her/hers) Program Manager,  National Farm to School Network
	(323) 694-0668 | Based in Illinois*
	trisha@farmtoschool.org
	www.farmtoschool.org

* I acknowledge that I live, learn, and work encompassing the ancestral, traditional lands of the Kiikaapoi (Kickapoo), Peoria, Kaskaskia, Bodwéwadmi (Potawatomi), lands in which were forcibly stolen from these Native Nations. Learn whose land you live on: native-land.ca

NFSN is taking steps to support employees as whole humans. This summer, from June 2nd through September 1st, NFSN employees will conclude work for the week at 2:00 pm on Fridays in their respective time zones.

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Fwd: Healthy School Meals for All Outreach Request

Hi all,

See below for an action alert to support the MI Healthy School Meals for All campaign. There's a link (highlighted in yellow) below where you can easily contact your representatives to share your support for the bill. Please share widely!

Seema 

--

Seema Jolly | she/her/hers

FoodCorps | Impact & Partnerships Lead, Michigan

(269) 352-6224 (cell)

foodcorps.org | @foodcorps

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Collin McDonough <Collin.McDonough@heart.org>
Date: Mon, Jun 12, 2023 at 9:34 AM
Subject: Healthy School Meals for All Outreach Request
To: Collin McDonough <Collin.McDonough@heart.org>
Cc: Dela Cuesta, Allison <adelacuesta@strength.org>, Downey, Bernadette <bdowney@strength.org>, Vega, Carolyn <cvega@strength.org>, Thomas, Carolyn <cthomas@misd.net>, Adkins, Lori <lori.adkins@oakland.k12.mi.us>, Ramiro Galvan <galvan@midweststrategy.com>

Good morning, all:

 

The Michigan Legislature is poised to move its budget bills this week, and we need your help. The budget recommendations for the Executive, House, and Senate all included $160 million for Healthy School Meals for All, and we need to ensure that funding is prioritized as they work in conference committees. Below, you will find a link to a pre-written response that allows you to enter your information and send it out to your relevant members of the state House and Senate. Please feel free to make this your own, add stories, or include any additional information you feel is relevant.

 

Additionally, the members of the House and Senate conference committees that will work on the school aid budget were announced. In the House, these members include Reps. Weiss (ReginaWeiss@house.mi.gov), Morgan (jasonmorgan@house.mi.gov), and DeBoer (nancydeboer@house.mi.gov). The Senate committee is Sens. Camilleri (sendcamilleri@senate.michigan.gov), Polehanki (sendpolehanki@senate.michigan.gov), and Bumstead (senjbumstead@senate.michigan.gov). I encourage you to reach out at the emails listed and share your stories/thoughts. Feel free to copy and paste the text from the website alert.

 

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out. Thank you all in advance.

 

Action Item - contact your lawmakers: Urge Lawmakers to Support Funding Healthy School Meals for All (yourethecure.org)

 

To sign up for updates about the campaign: 

Learn More About Michigan Healthy School Meals for All

The American Heart Association, No Kid Hungry Michigan and The School Nutrition Association of Michigan are working together with other stakeholders to make permanent Healthy School Meals for All a reality in the state of Michigan. They are collecting information from groups and individuals to ensure all stakeholders and interested parties can stay informed and involved. They are also encouraging people to share stories about how school meals have affected them, their families, or their students.

 

Collin McDonough Michigan Government Relations Director American Heart Association M 231.675.4326

 

 

MIFARMTOSCHOOL is a listserv that links farm-to-school stakeholders and practitioners in Michigan, from school food service directors and school administrators to growers and distributors. Content posted to MIFARMTOSCHOOL does not necessarily reflect the views of Michigan State University or the Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems.

CRFS is hiring a Communications Manager

Apply by June 20, 2023

Join our team! MSU Center for Regional Food Systems seeks a Communications Manager to amplify messaging for the highly collaborative food systems work that CRFS engages in statewide, regionally, and nationally.  This position will engage all CRFS outreach specialists, including the principal investigators of grant-funded projects, to strengthen and maintain outreach strategies and partnerships. In this role, the Communications Manager will support the publication process, coordinate communications strategies across social media and email, and craft content for our website.   This position is an opportunity for a self-motivated, outreach-minded, resourceful, and committed candidate to build on to an existing strong foundation of food systems partnerships, programs, and research. We invite you to bring your creative vision to support and shape CRFS’s work and reputation into the future!  Find the full position description on our website and on the MSU Careers Portal (posting #867415). Apply here! Applications will be accepted until June 20, 2023 at 11:55 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.   Salary: $51,500-$53,000, plus MSU’s benefit package.  This position is remote-friendly, with the expectation of joining in-person for quarterly retreats and workshops in or around East Lansing.  Questions about the position or search process should be directed to Emma Beauchamp, Search Committee Chair, at beauch88@msu.edu.  EXPLORE foodsystems.msu.edu EMAIL CRFS@msu.edu CALL 517-353-3535 FOLLOW @MSUCRFS ‌ ‌ ‌ FOODSYSTEMS.MSU.EDU Give Your gift will support a thriving economy, equity, and sustainability for Michigan, the nation, and the planet by advancing systems that produce food that is healthy, green, fair, and affordable. Forward this message to your networks! If someone forwarded you this message, subscribe to receive updates and keep in touch. You can update your email preferences at any time. You are receiving this email because you are subscribed to one or more MSU Center for Regional Food Systems listservs or mailing lists. You can update your subscriptions by clicking the "Update Profile" link below.

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