Hello everyone,
Welcome to this week’s farm to school/preschool updates. As always, this information is also archived on our blog:
Webinars & Events
1. Webinars: New Entry Sustainable Farming Project
Sustaining your Program after Community Food Projects Funding
Tuesday, July 14, 1:30pm EST
This webinar will discuss challenges and strategies for sustaining a program after your initial funding has finished. The presenters, Chris Brown of Agriculture and Land Based Training and Jennifer Hashley of New Entry Sustainable Farming Project, will each speak about experiences from their own organizations. They will address challenges they have faced with sustaining a program, and lessons they have learned from the process. Register here.
Whole Measures for Community Food Projects
Thursday, July 23, 1:00pm EST
This webinar will introduce Whole Measure for Community Food Systems (WM CFS), a values-based, community-oriented tool for planning and evaluation of Community Food Projects. We will talk about how CFP grantees can utilize the Whole Measures CFS frame for their annual Indicators of Success reporting, a collective impact report for all CFPs, as well as a tool for community organizing. This will be an introductory webinar geared towards existing CFP grantees, and prospective grantees. Register here.
2. Growing Food and Justice for All Initiative Conference
H.E.A.L Our Food System Gathering, Sep 25-27, 2015, Chicago, IL
The Growing Food and Justice for All Initiative (GFJI) 2015 Gathering will be held in Chicago, IL in partnership with Growing Power, Inc. This year’s theme is "H.E.A.L. Our Food System,” which will be explored with a variety of local community organizations and growers. The Gathering will build upon learning and sharing from our previous gatherings to move us toward a vision of “Community/ Unity/ Opportunity/ Equity/ Harmony.” The Growing Food and Justice for All (GFJI) is a comprehensive network that views dismantling racism as a core principle which brings together social change agents from diverse sectors who are working to bring about new, healthy, and impoverished communities throughout the world. Learn more and register here.
Policy & Action
1. Tell Congress you support the Farm to School Act of 2015
Tell Congress you support the Farm to School Act of 2015 bysigning a letter of support as an individualor on behalf of yourorganization. TheFarm to School Act of 2015builds on the success of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 by proposing an increase in funding from $5 million to $15 million for theUSDA Farm to School Grant Program. The bill would also ensure that the grant program fully includes preschools, summer food service sites, after school programs, and tribal schools and producers while improving program participation from beginning, veteran and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers. To learn more, download thisfact sheetor visitfarmtoschool.org/cnr2015.
2. Farming is Public Service, National Young Farmers Coalition
The National Young Farmers Coalition's (NYFC) new report, Farming Is Public Service: A Case for Adding Farmers to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, says that student loan debt is one of the key barriers preventing more would-be farmers and ranchers from entering agriculture. The report contains data from a new survey of more than 700 young farmers as well as data compiled from the USDA Census of Agriculture. According to the report, 30% of survey respondents said their student loans are delaying or preventing them from farming while 48% say their loans are preventing them from growing their business or obtaining credit to invest in their farm. NYFC and a coalition of more than 100 other farming organizations are calling for Congress to add farmers to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.
Jobs & Opportunities
1.USDA Beginning Farmer Advisory Committee
USDA is seeking up to 20 new members to serve on the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Advisory Committee. Organizations or individuals can nominate someone. Nominations are due July 17. More info can be found in the Federal Register Notice. Please share with your networks.
2. Chopped is casting
The Food Network television show “Chopped” is seeking chefs located in New York, NY, Houston, TX, Asheville, NC, and San Francisco for casting. In addition to professional chefs, amateur cooks and teens are encourage to apply for special episodes. Applications accepted through August 2015. Apply at
Farm to school in the news
High hopes for Farm to School Act 2015 - an interviewfeaturing Helen Dombalis!
After a successful first round of USDA grants under CNR 2010, advocates are hoping to leverage strong bipartisan support to triple funding to $15M. But as the Farm to School movement matures, the conversation is not just about new grants. It’s about institutionalizing the presence of local food in schools, and how else this year’s CNR can help that happen. Inside School Food
'Edible classroom' sprouts into success at school in Waconia, Minn.
The garden, plus a half-acre orchard, produces nearly one-thousand pounds of fresh organically-grown food every year. The majority is distributed to the district's four schools. “It's really important for kids to be able to connect to their environment, connect to their town or their city, and I think this is is just a great way for them to do it.” Fox 9 - Twin Cities
'Eat your veggies' is a message best delivered to the young
Under the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable plan, 151 New Jersey schools will provide produce for a minimum of two days each month from September to November and from April to June. The program also teach students about the food grown in the Garden State, and supports local farmers. NJ.com
Best,
Stacey
Stacey A. Sobell, M.P.H. | Food & Farms Director | Ecotrust
721 NW 9th Avenue, Suite 200 • Portland, OR 97209
T (503) 467.0751 | F (503) 222.1517 |
*Please note that I work Monday through Thursday
Western Regional Leadand Farm to Preschool Lead for theNational Farm to School Network