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 Spotlight On...Building a Network |
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The world of farm to school is purposefully diverse. Farm to school programming can encompass everything from local procurement to school gardens to education programs to composting. When we think about farm to school, we often speak of the work that we all
do. But as much as farm to school is about programming, the heart of those programs focus on the development of relationships. The National Farm to School Network prides itself on truly being a network of practitioners and supporters. The Network would not
be the same without the boots on the ground and, more importantly, the incredible individuals who fill those boots.
As the Regional Lead Agency (RLA) for the National Farm to School Network in the Mid-Atlantic, we spend a lot of time thinking about people. One of our main roles as the Mid-Atlantic RLA is to serve as a hub for information and networking building. Creating
a strong, vibrant and healthy network here in this region serves to strengthen and expand the National Network. As we plan ahead for work in this region in 2013, we will be examining closely how networks are created and sustained throughout Delaware, Maryland,
New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C. and West Virginia.
As part of that work, we're asking our readers to fill out a quick survey to help us better gauge how our network communicates information. Your responses will help us build a stronger network in our region, supporting and strengthening the national farm to
school movement.
Follow this link to take
the survey now or cut and paste this link into your brower:
http://bit.ly/11RwEq0.
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News from the USDA and FDA
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The USDA announced its expectation to publish a draft rule in April that would update nutrition standards for "competitive foods" served outside the school meals program, such as in vending machines or a la carte lines. The Healthy,
Hunger-Free Kids of Act of 2010 provided the Secretary of Agriculture with the authority to update nutrition standards for all foods served in schools. Last year, the USDA addressed standards for the National School Lunch and Breakfast programs. As with all
draft rules, there will be a 90-day public comment period before the USDA publishes the final rule.
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News
From Around the Region |
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Buying Local in West Virginia Has a Huge Impact
West Virginia's farm to school program may be in its infancy, but the state is on a roll. Over the last year, twenty-eight counties purchased $214,942 worth of West Virginia grown products. The state's budding
program was recently featured
in the Pocohantas Times.
New Farm to School Specialist in D.C.
Washington, D.C.'s Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) has hired a Farm to School Specialist. The
state position was added to the agency's Nutrition Program unit within the Division of Wellness and Nutrition Services as a part of the landmark "2010 Healthy School Act" legislation. Erica Steinhart, RD, joins OSSE from D.C. Public School's Office of Food
and Nutrition Services where she was a Regional Manager. Erica will be working to build partnerships among farm to school
stakeholders to share best practices throughout D.C.'s schools.
Social Media Has a New Role in New Jersey's Supply Chain
The New Jersey Farm to School Network and the New Jersey Farm Bureau received a USDA Specialty
Crop Block Grant to host hands-on social media training so food service directors and farmers can more easily communicate. The immediacy of social media will allow schools to better share their food service product needs and farmers to more quickly respond
to those needs. The first training will take place on February 7 at the New Jersey Vegetable Growers Association Convention in Atlantic City. For updates about this exciting project, visit the
New Jersey Farm to School Network and sign up for their newsletter.
Beth Feehan Is a New Jersey Trailblazer
The work of farm to school is done by dedicated individuals who are truly unsung heroes in their communities. Often they work on volunteered time for little recognition and their payment is the satisfaction of
creating change, little by frustrating little. Beth Feehan, founder and executive director of the New Jersey Farm to School Network, is one of those people.
The Princeton Patch explores how Beth became one of the driving forces of the farm to school movement in New Jersey and, in fact, the nation.
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Opportunities and Resources |
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Grants
In February, State Farm's Youth Advisory Board will begin accepting
grant
applications for service learning projects. A total of $5 million in grants of up to $100,000 will be available to schools, colleges, universities and nonprofits conducting service-learning projects in the United States and
parts of Canada. The deadline to apply is May 4, 2013.
The deadline to apply for the Captain
Planet Foundation's grants for youth environmental projects is February 28. Small grants are available to schools and organizations in the United States working to provide environment-based education and inspire youth and
communities to participate in community service through environmental stewardship.
New Resource for Childcare Providers
The new USDA
and HHS Nutrition and Wellness handbook for early childhood programs has been released and offers Child and Adult Care Feeding Program (CACFP) child care providers help in creating healthier environments for children in their
care and includes tip sheets on creative ideas for meal planning, shopping and food preparation as well as great suggestions for active play.
On January 24 at 3 pm, the Food Research and Action Center and the USDA will host a webinar to learn and ask questions about this new resource.
Registration for the webinar is required.
New Findings on Food Marketing to Children
In December, the Federal Trade Commission
announced the results of a comprehensive study of food and beverage industry marketing expenditures and activities directed to children and teens. The study,
A Review of Food Marketing to Children and Adolescents: Follow-Up Report, gauges the progress industry has made since first launching efforts to promote healthier food choices to kids. It serves as a follow-up to the commission's 2008 report on food marketing
requested by Congress. New to this report is a detailed analysis of the nutritional profile of foods marketed to youth.
Obesity Declining in Young, Low Income Children
A recent
study released by the Centers for Disease Control found a decrease in obesity rates among 2-to-4 year-olds from low-income families. The CDC analyzed 12 years' worth of height and weight data from 27,000 children in 30 states who were enrolled in the federal
government's Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program, which provides nutrition and education services to low-income mothers, pregnant women, and children. From 1998 to 2010, obesity rates among children in this age group dropped from a peak of 15.2 percent
in 2003 to 14.9 percent in 2010, with rates of extreme obesity also experiencing a decline during the same time period.
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Upcoming Events |
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February 6-John Fisher, outreach
director for Life Lab, will present a webinar for the New Jersey Farm to School Network on design ideas for a fun, successful, instructional school garden.
Registration for this webinar is required.
February 8-The New Jersey Association of Independent Schools
is presenting a workshop and roundtable, "Grow A School Garden." This workshop will share how to build and manage an organic garden and discussion will include fundraising, construction, garden oversight, institutional connections,
curriculum integration and related programming. A facilitated discussion of best practices from other school gardens will also be included. Visit the
New Jersey Farm to School Network for more information and to register.
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Do you have a farm to school event to advertise or a resource to share?
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