Project FRESH Stretching Dollars and Expanding Knowledge

Bringing Knowledge to Life! / Partner Report / OaklandCounty
1200 N. Telegraph Road, Bldg. 26E
Pontiac, Michigan48341-0416
Phone:248-858-0880 / E-mail:
Fax: 248-858-1477
Web: msue.msu.edu/oakland
February 2009

MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer. Michigan State University Extension programs and materials are open to all without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, religion, age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, family status or veteran status. Issued in furtherance of MSU Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Thomas G. Coon, Director, MSU Extension, East Lansing,MI48824. This information is for educational purposes only. Reference to commercial products or trade names does not imply endorsement by MSU Extension or bias against those not mentioned.

Project FRESH – stretching dollars and expanding knowledge

MSU Extension nutrition instructor Tina Garrett and OaklandCounty Commissioner Marcia Gershenson talk with a Project FRESH participant.

It was the dog days of summer 2008 in OaklandCounty. Families waited in a line that snaked through the huge parking lot and ended at the street’s edge. The location was the Oakland County Farmers Market in Waterford and families were in line to participate in an MSU Extension food and nutrition lesson on how to select, store, prepare and serve fresh fruits and vegetables.

Each family left the session with a book of Project FRESH (Farm Resources Encouraging and Supporting Health) coupons worth $20. They were also equipped with recipes, information about how to handle their Michigan-grown, freshly harvested produce safely and how to get the most nutritional bang for their bucks at the market.

Project FRESH is a local collaboration involving MSU Extension and the Oakland County Department of Community Health’s, Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Division.

MSU Extension certifies the farmers/vendors to ensure their produce is grown in Michigan, WIC staff verifies qualifying families, and MSU Extension nutrition and breastfeeding instructors teach the nutrition lessons.

Participants in the program are limited-income pregnant, breastfeeding and/or postpartum mothers who are nutritionally at-risk. In August 2008, 10,000 coupons, worth $20,000, were distributed in OaklandCounty.

Since nutrition and breastfeeding instructors began providing the nutrition sessions at the market, the redemption rate has increased significantly. The 59 percent redemption rate for 2005 jumped to 66 percent in 2006. In 2007, sessions were offered at the market for the first time. That year the rate rose to 81 percent and in 2008 it was 82 percent. That’s $16,400 worth of fresh fruits and vegetables!

Many families indicated they planned to shop at the farmers market even after the coupons were spent. Project FRESH is funded annually by the Unites States Department of Agriculture.

Contact: Lois Thieleke, Extension Educator

(248)858-0897

Saneya Hamler, Extension Educator

(248) 858-9383

Citizen Planner workshop inspires volunteer to action

The idea that open space (green infrastructure) is vital to the success, livability, and sustainability of a community is gaining momentum across Michigan, particularly in OaklandCounty.

The Oakland County Planning and Economic Development Services (OCPEDS) Environmental Stewardship unit has been working at the forefront of the concept of developing green infrastructure and leading the county-wide Green Infrastructure Visioning Project.

In spring 2008, MSU Extension Oakland County partnered with OCPEDS and MSU Extension’s Michigan Natural Features Inventory to offer aCitizen Planner Program called, “Green Infrastructure: Linking Communities and the Environment.”

The 23 people who participated in the two-part, hands-on workshop included appointed planners, township officials and other residents who were interested in the topic. They learned about the green infrastructure planning process and how it can be used to connect environmental, social, and economic health across urban, suburban and rural settings.

This workshop helped move the local initiative forward according to Jim Keglovitz, an instructor for the program and staffer in OCPEDS.

During the Citizen Planner sessions, participants worked in small groups to develop green infrastructure maps for areas around OaklandCounty. Gina Joy Roemer from Clarkston, a volunteer for OaklandCountyParks and Recreation, saw how she could use this educational and hands-on experience to make a positive impact on her own community.

Community Green Infrastructure Vision Map for IndependenceTownship

Shortly after participating in the workshop, Roemer met with the IndependenceTownship Planning Board and other community members to develop a draft green infrastructure map through a process facilitated by OCPEDS. In the meantime, she was hired by OaklandCountyParks and Recreation at IndependenceOaksCountyPark.

Equipped with what she learned as a participant in the MSUExtensionCitizen Planner workshop, Roemer convinced her boss to allow her to develop a family program titled, “Independence Green.” The program will be held March 21 at IndependenceOaksCountyPark.

Roemer sees the program she developed as one of countless possibilities. She is determined to share the joy she has since she found her place on the map during the Green Infrastructure workshops and then put what she learned to use preserving the natural resources in her community.

Contact: Bindu Bhakta,

Water Quality Extension Educator

(248) 858-5198

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call 248-858-0880.