Genesee County Farm to School Meet & Greet - May 5th

Apologies for cross posting!

 

 

 

Farm to School

Meet & Greet

 

Farm to School is growing in Michigan! At this event, Michigan farmers can meet school food  service directors from Genesee and surrounding counties who are interested in purchasing local foods for school meals programs. Take advantage of this growing market opportunity!

 

Join us for this Meet & Greet to get your questions answered. Participating school food service directors will discuss:

·      Products of interest to schools

·      Competitive bidding procedures

·      Delivery, packaging, and payment arrangements

·      And much more!

 

WHEN: Wednesday, May 5, 2010

4-6:00 pm

WHERE: Genesee Intermediate School District

Health, Safety, and Nutrition Services

2284 S. Ballenger Highway

Flint, MI 48503

 

 

 

This event is free of charge. Please RSVP to Colleen Matts at matts@msu.edu or

517-432-0310.

 

 

 

 

 

Please spread the word, and feel free to share this email and/or attached flyer with your friends, colleagues, and neighbors.

 

Thanks,

 

Colleen Matts

Farm to Institution Specialist

CS Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems

Michigan State University

303 Natural Resources Building

East Lansing, MI 48824-1222

517.432.0310

www.mifarmtoschool.msu.edu

 

 

Local Foods Reception & other Farm to Cafeteria conference events

Just a reminder, the last day to register for the 2010 National Farm to Cafeteria Conference in Detroit is Friday, April 30th!  Go to www.farmtocafeteriaconference.org for more information.

Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. We hope to see you there! Farm to Cafeteria advocates from across the nation will be converging on Detroit May 17-19.  If you're not able to join us for the full conference, there are several events open to the public.  Local Foods Reception Monday, May 17  6:30 – 9:00 pm The Museum at the Henry Ford 20900 Oakwood Boulevard, Dearborn, MI 48124 As you stroll through The Museum at the Henry Ford, you'll be inspired by America's innovative spirit and have the opportunity to taste the best that Michigan has to offer.  Learn how the staff incorporates local food throughout the institution while meeting the people who have helped the Farm to Cafeteria movement take root. Cost: $40.  Purchase tickets online. Transportation to the reception is available from the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center; buses will leave at staggered intervals between 5:15 and 6:30pm.  Movie Night Tuesday, May 18  6:30 and 8:30 pm Ren Cen 4 Theater GM RenCen, Tower 200 Level 2, Detroit, MI 48243 The National Farm to School Network and Applegate Farms are proud to present two stellar films about Farm to Cafeteria issues during our double feature movie night.  Screenings will begin at 6:30 pm & 8:30 pm, followed by a Q & A with filmmakers. Complimentary snacks and beverages will be provided by Applegate Farms.   Lunch Line reframes the school lunch debate through an examination of the program's surprising past, present, and possible future. Grown in Detroit: Just imagine... Teen moms becoming urban farmers. Utopia? Not in Detroit. Nature is taking over the city and the new generation is taught to harvest its profit. Cost: Sliding scale donation requested.  No reservation required. Farm to School Networking Reception Sunday, May 16  6:00 – 8:00 pm Gleaners Community Food Bank 2131 Beaufait Street, Detroit, MI 48207 Join other Farm to School enthusiasts in the Great Lakes region for a celebration of our region's diversity of local fare.  Along with our Great Lakes friends, we will also have the opportunity to mingle with the National and Regional Farm to School Network staff members from across the country. Cost: $25.  Purchase tickets online. Field Trips and Short Courses Monday, May 17   8:00 am – 4:00 pm Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center, Detroit, MI 48243 Take your pick from a variety of tours to learn about various Farm to Cafeteria efforts in Michigan, or take a short course to build your skills and improve your own work. Cost: $65.  Learn more and register today. About the Conference Farm to Cafeteria programs are TAKING ROOT in schools, hospitals, colleges, day care centers, and other institutions. Join us to learn about successful models across the country and how you can start and scale up a program in your community.  Go to the conference website for the full schedule. FORWARD to a friend Community Food Security Coalition 3830 SE Division Portland, OR 97202 (503) 954-2970 | www.farmtocafeteriaconference.org

FW: Detroit Farm to School Conference Set For May - Registration closes Friday!

Hi all,

Here's word from Diane Conners at the Michigan Land Use Institute regarding the National Farm to Cafeteria Conference:

 

"If you're interested in seeing farm to school programs grow, don't miss the upcoming Friday, April 30 deadline to register for the Taking Root: National Farm to Cafeteria Conference in Detroit in May. It's the place to be, whether you're a policy wonk interested in the historic debate shaping up nationally over school lunch programs or a food service director, teacher, farmer, or local foods advocate looking for new ideas and tools to bring more locally grown food to your school, college, correctional facility or hospital. And there's a chance to go to a Detroit Tiger's game too! Read more at my blog posted here."

 

 

Five field trip options, along with two short courses are offered for the first day of the conference, including this exciting field trip to learn about season extension techniques and local food purchasing at MSU:

 

The Student Organic Farm (SOF) at Michigan State University (MSU) was created in 1999 by a group of students who wanted to get their hands dirty and learn how to farm organically.  Since its initial inception, the farm has grown to include several passive solar hoop-houses that extend the growing season to year-round.  With their hoop houses and cold storage, the SOF became the first year-round CSA in Michigan.  The SOF also runs a farm stand on campus, sells wholesale to MSU, and dedicates a plot to grow foods for donation to the Greater Lansing Food Bank and local neighborhood centers.  Tour the Student Organic Farm and then visit an MSU dorm for a farm-fresh lunch to learn about how this land grant university is becoming a leader in the local food movement.  Visit the MSU Dairy store for an ice cream snack and learn how MSU Food Stores and Residential and Hospitality Services are incorporating food grown at the Student Organic Farm into daily meal offerings.

 

Register soon as registration closes Friday, April 30th! You see the conference schedule and brochure and register at http://farmtocafeteriaconference.org/5/.

 

Colleen Matts

Farm to Institution Specialist

CS Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems

Michigan State University

303 Natural Resources Building

East Lansing, MI 48824-1222

517.432.0310

www.mifarmtoschool.msu.edu

Last chance for housing at Wayne State Univ for Farm to Cafeteria Conference!

 

Hi all,

For those who are interested in attending the National Farm to Cafeteria Conference in Detroit on May 17-19^th, please see details below for a very affordable housing option at Wayne State University for your stay. Please scroll down further for info about a movie night during the conference that will feature Lunch Line and Grown in Detroit, and check the website for more conference details – http://farmtocafeteriaconference.org/5/.

 

Thanks,

Colleen

 

 

_______________________________________________

From: Sarah Fillius [mailto:filliuss@fsepmichigan.org]
Subject: Wayne State Housing--Last Chance

 

Hi Everyone,

We have a number of rooms reserved at Wayne State University but very few people have chosen to stay there.  Please let your partners and networks know about this option.  Emily has extended the deadline to sign up for these rooms until April 23.

Alternative Housing at Wayne State University

You have the option to stay at alternative housing in dorms at Wayne State University.  CFSC has reserved a limited number of double rooms at a lower price than at the Marriott at the Renaissance Center (where the conference is taking place). Wayne State is about 3.5 miles (30 min bus ride) away – please see this map http://bit.ly/F2Chousing .
 
Waye State Prices:
1 Night = $52 per person
2 Nights  = $82 per person
3 Nights = $112 per person
4 Nights = $142 per person
5 Nights = $172 per person
 
*If you are driving, you will need to pay for parking as well.
 
If you want to stay at Wayne State, please follow this link to a survey and pay online:
http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22AEV54VLRC

You must complete the survey and pay by April 23.
 
Hotel reservations at the Marriott should be made by as soon as possible. A special rate of $115/night for single or double rooms is available for conference attendees. Reserve online or call (800) 352-0831 and use the group code FAR.  http://bit.ly/bb3usH

--
Sarah Fillius
National Farm to Cafeteria Conference Planner
Food System Economic Partnership
Email:  filliuss@fsepmichigan.org
Phone:  (517) 708-7047

Websites:
www.farmtocafeteriaconference.org
www.fsepmichigan.org

 

 

From: Emily Becker [mailto:emily@foodsecurity.org]
Subject: Lunch Line and Grown in Detroit at Taking Root, May 18 at RenCen 4 Theater

http://www.farmtocafeteriaconference.org

Movie Night at Taking Root
Featuring Lunch Line and Grown in Detroit

Tuesday, May 18
Double feature with screenings at 6:30 pm & 8:30 pm followed by Q & A with filmmakers

As part of TAKING ROOT: 5TH NATIONAL FARM TO CAFETERIA CONFERENCE, the National Farm to School Network and Applegate Farms are proud to present two stellar films about Farm to Cafeteria issues during our double feature movie night.  Complimentary snacks and beverages will be provided by Applegate Farms.

Lunch Line reframes the school lunch debate through an examination of the program's surprising past, present, and possible future.
http://www.ujifilms.com/works/lunchline.html

Grown in Detroit Just imagine... Teen moms becoming urban farmers. Utopia? Not in Detroit. Nature is taking over the city and the new generation is taught to harvest its profit.
http://grownindetroit.filmmij.nl

Location: Ren Cen 4 Theatre - GM RenCen, Tower 200 Level 2, Detroit, MI 48243
Tickets: Sliding scale donation requested. Free for Taking Root conference participants.  

TAKING ROOT: 5TH NATIONAL FARM TO CAFETERIA CONFERENCE
Detroit, Michigan, May 17 - 19, 2010
http://www.farmtocafeteriaconference.org

About the Conference
Farm to Cafeteria programs are TAKING ROOT in schools, hospitals, colleges, day care centers, and other institutions. Come to Detroit and learn about successful models across the country and how you can start and scale up a program in your community.

Taking Root is hosted by the National Farm to School Network, a collaboration led by the Community Food Security Coalition and the Urban & Environmental Policy Institute, with local host Food System Economic Partnership.

Keep In Touch
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Portland-OR/Community-Food-Security-Coalition/91094526508
Twitter:  http://twitter.com/CFSCconference
Conference Email List: http://communityfoodconference.org/13/email-list

--
Emily Becker
Membership Coordinator & Conference Planner
Community Food Security Coalition
(503) 954 - 2970

3830 SE Division St
Portland, OR 97202
www.foodsecurity.org

TAKING ROOT, 5th National Farm to Cafeteria Conference, Detroit, MI,  May 17 - 19, 2010
Registration deadline: April 30
http://www.farmtocafeteriaconference.org

Food, Culture & Justice: The Gumbo That Unites Us All, 14th Annual CFSC Conference, New Orleans, LA,  October 17 - 19, 2010
Submit workshop and networking session proposals at
http://www.communityfoodconference.org/14e

March/April Farm to School News

Greetings all,

Here are the latest Farm to School news bites:

NEWS

New today! The USDA released a proposed rule on geographic preference for school food. If adopted, this option would allow schools and other institutions that operate Child Nutrition programs with federal funds to give preference to, or award extra points or credit for, unprocessed locally grown or raised products when evaluating bids and procuring food. You can read the proposed rule here, and learn more from the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition here.

Bill on School Lunch Is Scaled Back. Criticism of School Lunch Isn’t - Although the President Obama’s proposed budget for Child Nutrition Programs has been cut, $4.5 billion more will go toward improving these programs, which includes school meals and snacks. In the proposed Child Nutrition Reauthorization bill, at least $40 million is available for farm-to-school programs and school gardens, $10 million will go toward pilot programs intended to add organic food, and additional funding will go to train cafeteria staff. However, this $4.5 billion increase for the proposed Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 will require budget offsets from other federal programs, which may include cuts to EQIP (Environmental Quality Incentives Program) and the Conservation Security Program (CSP), both environmental conservation programs for farmers, and SNAP-Ed (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as the Food Stamp Nutrition Education program). You can learn more from the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, and follow this link to find out more about FRAC’s (Food Research and Action Center) action items for Child Nutrition Reauthorization. 

Will work for food? Try Food Corps With support from the Kellogg Foundation and AmeriCorps, the National Farm to School Network hopes to establish a national Food Corps volunteer program to help schools develop and expand farm to school programs.

Farm-to-School Project Growing and Ripening Local farm-to-school efforts in White Lake and Muskegon County are expanding with the help of the food service directors, FFA programs, and other good food advocates.

Study uncovers benefits, challenges of farm-to-school “Local produce can be more cost-effective than alternatives for school cafeterias, as well as better received by students, according to a new study from researchers at Michigan State University.”

Fresh Crop of Michigan Farm-to-School Programs Michigan farmers are selling more fresh fruits and vegetables to school lunch programs, which link K-12 students to agriculture and provide access to good food choices while boosting the local economy.

RESOURCES 

The Center for Disease Control’s Obesity Prevention Program recently released a Guide to Fruit and Vegetable Strategies to Increase Access, Availability and Consumption. You can access the guide here.

EVENTS

Farm to School Meet & Greet – Livingston and Washtenaw Counties
April 21, 2010
3:30 – 5:00 PM
Hartland High School Cafeteria in Hartland, MI
See flyer attached for more information.

Saginaw Area Farm to School Planning Meeting – Saginaw, Bay, and Midland Counties

April 22, 2010 from 4-6 pm

Arrowwood Conference Center

5410 Seidel Rd. in Saginaw, MI

RSVP to Deb Neal, Nutrition Services Supervisor at Saginaw Township Community Schools, at dlneal@stcs.org or 989.793.9713.

Eat Healthy + Play Hard = Smart Students Conference  
April 28-30, 2010
Hyatt Regency in Dearborn, MI
http://www.smartstudentsconference.com/

School Food 101 Webinar: The Cost of School Lunch and Understanding USDA Foods

May 5, 2010

3-4:30 pm

Organized by the C.S. Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems at MSU

See email attached for details, and register at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/PLD5LRJ.

Taking Root: 5th National Farm to Cafeteria Conference
May 17 - 19, 2010 
Renaissance Center in Detroit, MI
http://www.farmtocafeteriaconference.org

 

 

Best,

 

Colleen Matts

Farm to Institution Specialist

CS Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems

Michigan State University

303 Natural Resources Building

East Lansing, MI 48824-1222

517.432.0310

www.mifarmtoschool.msu.edu

 

 

DAVE the DATE: School Food 101 Webinar, May 5, 2010

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Announcing: School Food 101 Webinar The Cost of School Lunch and Understanding USDA Foods Date: May 5, 2010 Time: 3:00-4:30 PM ET Organizer: CS Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems at Michigan State University(MSU) REGISTER HERE: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/PLD5LRJ School food is a hot topic of late.  From the Child Nutrition Act reauthorization currently being debated in Congress, to First Lady Michelle Obama's "Let's Move!" initiative on childhood obesity, to celebrity chef Jamie Oliver's "Food Revolution" TV program taking aim at eating habits, the health of our children is front and center. Parents, local officials, community partners, and others want to know how to help improve our kids' meals -- and have basic questions about how the complex universe of school food really works: Who makes the decisions about what our children eat? What foods do school food service professionals have to work with, and why? What national, state and local policies play a role? School Food FOCUS is tackling these questions with  School Food 101, a series of briefs that will describe the operating realities of food service in the nation's largest school districts. The idea for this project emerged from FOCUS school food service professionals, who expressed the need for succinct and straightforward ways to talk about the complexities of their world with an increasingly interested and involved lay audience. These materials will explain school food for a wide spectrum of audiences, including parents, teachers, legislators, and members of the media.   The first two pieces, The Cost of School Lunch and Understanding USDA Foods, have been developed in collaboration with the CS Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems at MSU.   We are launching this series with an introductory webinar about the purpose and plans for School Food 101, as well as the critical issues addressed in the first two briefs. Laura Stanley, Special Projects Coordinator, School Food FOCUS, will introduce School Food 101; Kymm Mutch, Administrator of School Nutrition Services at Milwaukee Public Schools, will talk about the real cost of school lunch; and Cathie McCullough, Director of the Food Distribution Division of the USDA's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), will talk about USDA commodities as they relate to a range of school meal programs.   If you would like to attend, please register here by May 3, 2010.   ---   School Food FOCUS is a national initiative that helps large school districts (with 40,000 or more students) procure more healthful, more sustainably produced and regionally sourced food, so that children may perform better in school and be healthier in life. www.schoolfoodfocus.org   The CS Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems at Michigan State University works at a national level to support the development of healthy communities and sustainable, locally-integrated food systems by engaging communities in applied research and outreach. foodsystems.msu.edu

 

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Farm to School meetings in Livingston and Saginaw Counties this week!

Greetings farmers,

Two Farm to School meetings are scheduled for this week that I’d like to share. Join us to learn more about how you can take advantage of this growing market opportunity! And please help us spread the word!

 

 

FARM TO SCHOOL MEET & GREET

At this event, Michigan farmers can meet school food service directors from Livingston and Washtenaw Counties who are interested in purchasing local foods for school meals programs. Participating school food service directors will discuss products of interest, competitive bidding procedures, delivery, packaging, and payment arrangements, and much more!

 

Where: Hartland High School Cafeteria

                 10635 Dunham Rd.

                Hartland, MI 48353

 

When: Wednesday, April 21^st, 2010

                3:30 – 5 pm

 

This event is free of charge. Refreshments will be provided.

Please RSVP to Colleen Matts at matts@msu.edu or 517.432.0310 by Tuesday, April 20^th.

(Please see and share attached flyer.)

 

 

 

SAGINAW AREA FARM TO SCHOOL PLANNING MEETING

This meeting will follow up on a Farm to School Meet & Greet held in Saginaw last month to continue to plan for new Farm to School Programs in Saginaw, Bay, and Midland Counties. Whether or not you attended the first meeting, interested farmers and vendors from the area are encouraged to attend to continue to the conversation about incorporating fresh, local produce into school meals programs.

 

Where: Arrowwood Conference Center

                5410 Seidel Rd.

                Saginaw, MI 48638

 

When: Thursday, April 22^nd, 2010

                4-6 pm

 

This meeting is free of charge.

Please RSVP to Deb Neal, Nutrition Services Supervisor at Saginaw Township Community Schools at dlneal@stcs.org or 989.793.9713.  

 

 

Thanks,

 

Colleen Matts

Farm to Institution Specialist

CS Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems

Michigan State University

303 Natural Resources Building

East Lansing, MI 48824-1222

517.432.0310

www.mifarmtoschool.msu.edu