January 22, 2014 | Volume 3, Issue 2

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News & Updates

Welcome USDA Farm to School Regional Leads!
USDA is pleased to announce the addition of seven full-time Regional Farm to School Leads to the Farm to School family. Several of the Regional Leads are familiar faces that have worked with us in the past, and some are new to USDA. Please join us in congratulating:

Nicole Zammit, Southwest Region
Kacie O’Brien, Western Region
Samantha Benjamin-Kirk, Southeast Region
Danielle Fleury, Northeast Region
Robert Gorman, Mountain Plains Region
Vanessa Zajfen, Midwest Region
Tegan Hagy, Mid-Atlantic Region*

Farm to school regional leads will provide training, technical assistance and generalized support to a wide variety of farm to school stakeholders in their respective regions and work closely with National Office staff to meet Congressional Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act objectives related to farm to school. Contact information for each of our leads can be found here<http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTQwMTIyLjI3ODUyNzkxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE0MDEyMi4yNzg1Mjc5MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE2ODUyMDQ3JmVtYWlsaWQ9c2FuZGVyc29uQGNkYy5nb3YmdXNlcmlkPXNhbmRlcnNvbkBjZGMuZ292JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&100&&&http://www.fns.usda.gov/farmtoschool/usda-farm-school-staff> on the Farm to School Staff webpage.

With such a stellar team in place, 2014 promises to be a great year!

*As of February 3, 2014.

State Farm to School Legislative Survey Now Available
The National Farm to School Network recently released a new report, State Farm to School Legislative Survey: 2002-2013<http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTQwMTIyLjI3ODUyNzkxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE0MDEyMi4yNzg1Mjc5MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE2ODUyMDQ3JmVtYWlsaWQ9c2FuZGVyc29uQGNkYy5nb3YmdXNlcmlkPXNhbmRlcnNvbkBjZGMuZ292JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&101&&&http://www.farmtoschool.org/downloads/state-policy.pdf>, which documents all farm to school-related legislation proposed or enacted by states since 2002. The report provides a summary of each bill as well as charts categorizing bills by type. A total of 38 states and the District of Columbia now have legislation that supports farm to school initiatives.

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Webinars & Trainings

Finding, Buying and Serving Local Foods with special guests from Page County Public Schools in Virginia and Oakland Unified Public Schools in California
January 23, 2:00-3:00 p.m. Eastern
During this week’s webinar, Conducting a Local Procurement Baseline Assessment, we will discuss ways to define local, determine what local products you are already purchasing, and track local purchases in the future. Does a nearby community garden have excess produce for you to procure for a taste test? This session will showcase stories and tips from Page County Public Schools in Virginia and Oakland Unified Public Schools in California.

To register for this webinar or any future sessions, please click here<http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTQwMTIyLjI3ODUyNzkxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE0MDEyMi4yNzg1Mjc5MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE2ODUyMDQ3JmVtYWlsaWQ9c2FuZGVyc29uQGNkYy5nb3YmdXNlcmlkPXNhbmRlcnNvbkBjZGMuZ292JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&102&&&https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/WT8ZWYS>.

Thank you to those that joined us January 9 for the Introduction to Procurement webinar. If you were unable to attend or would like to watch the presentation again, a recording is now available here<http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTQwMTIyLjI3ODUyNzkxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE0MDEyMi4yNzg1Mjc5MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE2ODUyMDQ3JmVtYWlsaWQ9c2FuZGVyc29uQGNkYy5nb3YmdXNlcmlkPXNhbmRlcnNvbkBjZGMuZ292JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&103&&&http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GYvbIfRbvs&feature=youtu.be> on the USDA Farm to School website. For a complete schedule of webinars in this series, click here<http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTQwMTIyLjI3ODUyNzkxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE0MDEyMi4yNzg1Mjc5MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE2ODUyMDQ3JmVtYWlsaWQ9c2FuZGVyc29uQGNkYy5nb3YmdXNlcmlkPXNhbmRlcnNvbkBjZGMuZ292JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&104&&&http://www.fns.usda.gov/farmtoschool/webinars>.

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Bits from Blogs

The Kindergarten Initiative: Connecting Students and their Families to the Worcester Food Environment
Guest post by Isabel Burgess, Worcester Kindergarten Initiative Evaluation and Education Specialist

“This is so cool! Our first ever farm!” These are the sounds of kindergartners from Worcester, MA stepping onto one of the Regional Environmental Council’s YouthGROW farms. The farm is small – a vacant lot sandwiched between triple-deckers – but the students are thrilled. They spend the morning taking a tour of the farm; hearing about the youth farmers that manage the space; taste-testing chard and collards straight from the soil; and planting seeds of their own. The family members that joined their children on the trip are also excited to explore. They cannot believe that the farm is there – smack in the middle of the city, so close to where they live. MORE ><http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTQwMTIyLjI3ODUyNzkxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE0MDEyMi4yNzg1Mjc5MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE2ODUyMDQ3JmVtYWlsaWQ9c2FuZGVyc29uQGNkYy5nb3YmdXNlcmlkPXNhbmRlcnNvbkBjZGMuZ292JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&105&&&http://blogs.usda.gov/2014/01/17/the-kindergarten-initiative-connecting-students-and-their-families-to-the-worcester-food-environment/>

Stay up-to-date on all the latest USDA news and stories on the USDA Blog<http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTQwMTIyLjI3ODUyNzkxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE0MDEyMi4yNzg1Mjc5MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE2ODUyMDQ3JmVtYWlsaWQ9c2FuZGVyc29uQGNkYy5nb3YmdXNlcmlkPXNhbmRlcnNvbkBjZGMuZ292JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&106&&&http://blogs.usda.gov/>!


Learn more at http://www.fns.usda.gov/farmtoschool<http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTQwMTIyLjI3ODUyNzkxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE0MDEyMi4yNzg1Mjc5MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE2ODUyMDQ3JmVtYWlsaWQ9c2FuZGVyc29uQGNkYy5nb3YmdXNlcmlkPXNhbmRlcnNvbkBjZGMuZ292JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&107&&&http://www.fns.usda.gov/farmtoschool/> or contact us at [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users).




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