Food
Hub Grants | Deadline April 19
Funds available to
develop community-based food systems.
The Minnesota
Department of Agriculture (MDA) is now accepting applications for the
Agricultural Growth, Research and Innovation (AGRI) Food Hub Grant Program.
Grants are intended to stimulate purchases of locally grown and raised foods by
developing or expanding food hubs and other alternative community-based food
distribution systems. The MDA will only offer Food Hub Grants once.
“There’s a lot of
interest in using food hubs as a way to help aggregate and distribute locally
produced foods,” said Paul Hugunin, Interim Director of the MDA’s Agricultural
Marketing and Development Division. “In the last few years, Minnesota has seen lots
of innovative, community-based approaches that are working toward offering more
locally produced foods to consumers, and providing additional market
opportunities to farmers. This grant program will provide much needed financial
assistance to help further these efforts.”
A 2016 report on food
hubs commissioned by the MDA indicated that Minnesota is home to approximately
15 food hubs of varying size and business structure, and that nationwide there
are at least 300 food hubs engaged in some form of local food aggregation and
distribution. Like elsewhere, most Minnesota-based food hubs are in the
early startup phase, often sponsored or supported by nonprofit organizations.
Food hubs vary in scale, stage of development, definition of “local,” seasonal
versus year-round operation, market channels and more.
For-profit and
not-for-profit food hubs, and other alternative community-based food
distribution businesses, may apply for grants to develop or update their
business plans, conduct feasibility studies or create marketing plans. Grants
are also available for equipment purchases or physical improvements to allow
more purchasing, processing and distributing of Minnesota grown and raised
foods.
Proposals for this one-time
grant must be submitted by April 19. To learn more and to apply online, click here.
MPHA
Annual Conference | April 19-20
Moving
Health Equity Forward: Critical Conversations and Bold Action
Date: April 19-20 Host: The Minnesota Public Health Association Location: The Commons Hotel, 615 University Ave SE, Minneapolis
Join the Minnesota
Public Health Association (MPHA) for an opportunity to:
- Further advance efforts to achieve health equity
- Lay the foundation for a culture of health in
communities
- Meet new colleagues and network with fellow
professionals
- Celebrate the 110th anniversary of MPHA
For more information and to register please click here.
Bicycle Friendly University | April 20
Time: 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Date: April 20
Learn how the Bicycle
Friendly University program can help advance local efforts by connecting community influencers and active
living work. The Bicycle
Friendly University is a part of the Bicycle Friendly America Award program
that also includes community and worksite programs.
Natalie Gilles of Bike
MN will provide an overview of the Bicycle Friendly University program. She will also
introduce representatives who helped Concordia College in Moorhead and
Macalester College receive their Bicycle Friendly Awards. The webinar
will conclude with a Q&A.
Additional Information
on the BFU program can be found: http://bikeleague.org/university
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To join the training
session
Topic: Bike Friendly
University Webinar Date: Thursday, April 20 Time: 11:30 a.m. Central Daylight Time (Chicago, GMT-05:00) Session number: 636 918 229 Session password: DfnVQA4*
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1. Go to https://health-state-mn-ustraining.webex.com/health-state-mn-ustraining/k2/j.php?MTID=t07341cfb8a351d02a306149d758c249c 2. Enter your name and email address 3. Enter the session password: DfnVQA4* 4. Click "Join Now" 5. Follow the instructions that appear on your screen
SHIP Statewide Meeting
Date: July 26-27 Location: Eagan Community Center, 1501 Central Parkway, Eagan
Call
for Presentations
Conference Objectives:
1.
Showcase local community accomplishments 2. Expand understanding, skills and
confidence to advance health equity work 3. Provide opportunities for networking 4. Build links between local, regional and
statewide work 5. Generate ideas for working with partners
to assure sustainability
Presentation
Guidance:
Breakout sessions will
be 75 minutes.
There are 30 breakout
sessions available; half are reserved for SHIP grantees and half for MDH staff
and technical assistance providers.
Presentations that
partner grantees with each other, with MDH staff and/or technical assistance
providers are encouraged.
Consider ways to bring
skill-building, experiential or active learning to your presentation. Some
suggestions might be to incorporate small group activities, brainstorming,
role-playing, panels, voting, fishbowl conversations or asking questions of the
group.
When sharing a
project, explain the steps to take, so others might more easily replicate your
approach.
Your session proposal
should include at least one of the following:
- Community engagement: involving the population whose
health you are striving to improve in the design, decision-making and
implementation of your work
- Sustainability of SHIP work
- Strengthening the capacity of communities
-
Barriers to implementing SHIP with communities
experiencing health inequities
Implementing multiple strategies in a single setting
- Skill-building content, such as how to use data to
determine your work, using social media well and focus groups 101
Submitting
your presentation proposal
All proposals must be
received by 4:30 p.m., Friday, April 28.
Use this link to go to
the submission page: https://survey.vovici.com/se/56206EE32DD62549
Once all of the
proposals are received, they will be organized by topic and by presenter
affiliation - grantee, MDH or TA provider and other - then reviewed and ranked
by a group of SHIP grantees and MDH staff recruited by the SHIP Planning Unit.
Proposals will be ranked based on inclusion of the criteria above.
You will learn if your
proposal has been accepted by May 12.
Feel free to ask the
SHIP Planning Unit staff for assistance in drafting your proposal, recruiting
co-presenters for your session and/or designing your presentation.
Contact: health.makingitbetter@state.mn.us
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Freeborn
County Adopts Tobacco-Free Grounds Policy
It’s been several years and countless meetings in
the making, but Freeborn County is going tobacco free on its properties,
effective July 1.
The County Board of Commissioners approved the
policy on March 21. The ban covers
the Freeborn County Government Center, the county Department of Human Services
property and the County Highway Department. It doesn’t cover county parks or the
fairgrounds.
“SHIP was instrumental in getting this policy
passed,” said Alice Englin, Freeborn County SHIP coordinator. Englin cited knowledge gained during SHIP
trainings as a catalyst in this process, which included administering an
employee survey resulting in 80 percent of Freeborn County employees supporting
tobacco-free grounds.
She stated
“the game changer” for many who initially didn’t support the plan was
discovering that the sidewalks surrounding the Government Center and the
Department of Human Services building are city property. This meant employees
standing on the sidewalk to smoke would be in compliance with the tobacco-free
county grounds policy, once passed.
In
the end, three years of hard work prevailed. Englin credits SHIP and its
partners for this result. “With the support and collaboration of our Community
Leadership Team and the leadership of our Public Health Director Sue Yost, it
was finally passed,” she said.
Fergus
Falls Police Department Bicycle-Friendly
The Fergus Falls Police Department became Minnesota’s
first official Bicycle-Friendly Business (BFB) police department!
The Police Department in Fergus
Falls says the “main goal is to inform and educate the public on the
safe practices of bicycling and the rules of the road. We use warnings as a
second option and provide free bike lights as a tool to educate rather than
ticket.”
Here’s the link to the story on the League of American
Bicyclists’ website:
http://bikeleague.org/content/bicycle-friendly-business-program-recognizes-firsts
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PartnerSHIP4
Health and Others Team Up at the 2017 Healthy Schools Summit
PartnerSHIP 4 Health, Dakota Medical Foundation and South
East Education Cooperative teamed up to put on the 2017 Healthy Schools Summit
for both Minnesota and North Dakota school districts on March 30 at Concordia
College of Moorhead. The event featured critical information for teachers,
administrators, school nurses, wellness committee members and school board
members with the goal of creating a culture of wellness by equipping schools
with innovative tools to strengthen the connection between healthy students and
improved learning. Great example of collaboration!
Horizon Public Health Receives Award
Horizon
Public Health will receive a MnDOT Environmental Stewardship, Innovations in
Public & Stakeholder Engagement Award for the City of Alexandria Complete
Streets Demonstration Project at the 2017 MnDOT Environmental
Stewardship Conference, which is taking place April 19 at the U of M St.
Paul campus.
Do you have a resource or success story (“gem”) to share for a future issue? Submissions for each week’s Thursday publication are due by noon every Tuesday to Health.MakingitBetter@state.mn.us or community specialists for:
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Every other month, MDH hosts a call to support
SHIP grantees to build strong leadership for health through Community
Leadership Teams.
A recording and
materials from the February Community Leadership Team Call are posted on
Basecamp. The call focused on a review and interpretation of data collected
about CLTs through December 2016 REDCap reporting, and on orientation of new
CLT members. Please share additional materials that are used to orient new CLT
members on Basecamp.
See below the dates
for the remaining 2017 CLT calls. Each call will be held from 3-4 p.m.
- June 5
- Aug. 14
- Oct. 9
- Dec. 4
If you would like meeting
invitations forwarded to you, please contact Jeannette.raymond@state.mn.us.
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Vital
and Vibrant Communities: The Power of Walkability
Date: Sept. 13-15 Location: Intercontinental Saint Paul Riverfront, 11 E. Kellogg
Boulevard, Saint Paul
America Walks and the
Every Body Walk! Collaborative are excited to announce the 2017 National
Walking Summit, “Vital and Vibrant Communities: The Power of
Walkability.” The National
Walking Summit explores the benefits walking and walkability can provide to an
individual and community. For the 2017 National Walking Summit, the conference
will expand what is meant by the term “healthy” to include not only physical
health, but also social, economic and civic health. Walkability is at the
cornerstone of creating neighborhoods that are vital and vibrant, allowing all
members of a community to enjoy health, social and economic benefits in a
variety of forms. The conference agenda can be viewed here: http://walkingsummit.org/2017-program-agenda.
Early bird
registration is available until July 14 at a rate of $375. Get
registration information here.
-
America Walks is offering 100 scholarships to the
conference. Learn more and apply for the scholarship here.
-
The National Physical Activity Society also offers
scholarships to the Walk Summit. Learn more here.
Breastfeeding Management & Counseling for the Health
Care Team: A Deep Dive
Time: 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Date: May 25 Place: Holiday Inn, 200 W 1st St., Duluth Cost: $80/person
This continuing
education event provides lactation training for health care providers to
address breastfeeding management needs in hospitals, clinics, community and
tribal settings. We'll provide great information for SHIP grantees and their
health care partners.
Additional information
about the event and registration will be posted to the MBC website events page
at www.mnbreastfeedingcoalition.org
Questions? mnbfcevents@gmail.com
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May is National Bike
Month, sponsored by the League of American Bicyclists and celebrated in
communities from coast to coast.
Established in 1956,
National Bike Month is a chance to showcase the many benefits of bicycling —
and encourage more folks to give biking a try.
Bike Month is a way
for coalitions, CLTs and partners to encourage people to take
advantage of how SHIP work has made biking easier in communitie4s across
Minnesota.
National Bike to Work
Week 2017 will be held on May 15-19. Bike to Work Day is May 19.
A Bike Month guide,
promotional materials and fact sheets can be found here to help you and your
partners plan a strategic event during Bike Month.
Statewide registration is now open for the
four remaining Walk! Bike! Fun! trainings for spring 2017! Please pass along
the following registration information to teachers and community educators. We
welcome physical education and health teachers, classroom teachers, law enforcement,
park and red, community ed, healthcare, youth organizations, after-school care
programs - it's wide open.
https://wbf-migrantschools-sartell.eventbrite.com
https://wbf-eagan.eventbrite.com
https://wbf-grandrapids.eventbrite.com
https://wbf-crookston.eventbrite.com
Safe Routes to School Network Calls
Time: 10-11 a.m. Date: Third Thursday of every month
Calls are for all
partners working on Safe Routes activities.
Future agendas and
webinar information are found on the website: http://www.dot.state.mn.us/mnsaferoutes/news/network_calls.html
Archived calls can also be
found on the website.
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For the second year, students in grades
K-8 are invited to enter the Minnesota Safe Routes to Schools Bike to School
poster contest.
Bike to School activities can include
bike rides with parent chaperones, bike rodeos, raffle prizes, drop-off zones
for kids to bike to school, bike maintenance clinics and a bike swap.
Complete contest information, including
classroom lesson plans for classroom teachers, is at www.mndot.gov/mnsaferoutes/programs/poster_contest.html.
Winners will receive their choice of several bicycle products, including a bike
rack and public bike pump, for placement at their school.
Winners will be announced prior to the
national Bike to School Day on May 10. Prizes will be provided as part of a
partnership with MnDOT, Minnesota SRTS, Quality Bicycle Products and Dero Bike
Racks.
Schools can register to participate in
Bike to School Day by going to www.walkbiketoschool.org. Registered schools
will receive kits that include promotional posters, educational bookmarks and
“I Bike to School” stickers. A limited number of kits are available.
Entry deadline is April 26. For more event ideas,
visit www.mnsaferoutestoschool.org
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New Infographic from ChangeLab Solutions and CounterTobacco.org:
How to Reduce Tobacco Retailer Density
Reducing
the density and number of tobacco retailers is a promising strategy for
decreasing tobacco use, curbing exposure to tobacco marketing and promoting
health equity. ChangeLab Solutions and CounterTobacco.org have developed an
easy-to-use infographic, "How to Reduce Tobacco Retailer Density and Why," to
illustrate five ways communities can reduce the number and density of local
tobacco stores.
This
user-friendly resource provides talking points and key information to get
people started on retailer density reduction. Residents, advocates and
decision makers can use this infographic and ChangeLab Solutions’ related
resource, the Tobacco Retailer Licensing Playbook, to learn why addressing
tobacco retailer density is important and to help them pick the best strategies
for their community.
Underserved and Overlooked: Tobacco Addiction
Among the Homeless Population (2017) Policy brief that examines challenges in addressing
tobacco use among homeless individuals, as well as promising tobacco control
policies and cessation interventions for this population.
Smoke-Free Public Housing: Reasonable
Accommodations (2017)
Background information
to help housing authorities field reasonable accommodation requests in
smoke-free public housing.
Tobacco Use Among the Homeless Population:
Frequently Asked Questions (2016) Answers to several common questions about tobacco use
among members of the homeless population.
HUD's Rule to Restrict Smoking in Public
Housing: An Overview (2017)
On November 30, 2016, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
(HUD) announced a final rule to restrict smoking in public housing. This
updated fact sheet provides an overview of the rule’s smoking restrictions.
The 500 Cities Project
launched a new interactive website where users can view and explore city and
neighborhood level health data for largest 500 cities in the United States.
The website reports
city and census tract-level data obtained using small area estimates for 27
chronic disease risk factors such as prevalence of adult cigarette smokers,
health outcomes and clinical prevention services.
The data can be used
by cities and local health departments to better understand the burden and
geographic distribution of health-related variables in their jurisdictions and
assist them in planning public health interventions. The 500 Cities Project is
a collaboration between the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the CDC
Foundation. View the website and explore.
The Campaign for
Tobacco-Free Kids, in partnership with the CVS Health Foundation, launched a
free, comprehensive advocacy training program titled "Taking Down
Tobacco.” It is geared toward middle and high school students and adults
who work with youth. The program offers a range of online and in-person
courses, from introductory to advanced, that can lead to becoming a certified
"Taking Down Tobacco Trainer.”
View the website for more information.
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Health:
A Team Sport
Date: May 8-10 Host: The Minnesota Public Health Association Location: Minneapolis Marriott Northwest, 7025 Northland Drive, Brooklyn
Park
This conference will
be beneficial for anyone interested in transforming health care and improving
health in the community.
Check out the complete
line-up of breakout sessions, keynoters and other program features in the detailed program. CME accreditation, objectives and
intended audience information can be found here.
To register click here.
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SHIP Statewide Meeting
Date: July 26-27 Location: Eagan Community Center, 1501 Central Parkway, Eagan
Call
for Presentations
Conference Objectives:
1.
Showcase local community accomplishments 2. Expand understanding, skills and
confidence to advance health equity work 3. Provide opportunities for networking 4. Build links between local, regional and
statewide work 5. Generate ideas for working with partners
to assure sustainability
Presentation
Guidance:
Breakout sessions will
be 75 minutes.
There are 30 breakout
sessions available; half are reserved for SHIP grantees and half for MDH staff
and technical assistance providers.
Presentations that
partner grantees with each other, with MDH staff and/or technical assistance
providers are encouraged.
Consider ways to bring
skill-building, experiential or active learning to your presentation. Some
suggestions might be to incorporate small group activities, brainstorming,
role-playing, panels, voting, fishbowl conversations or asking questions of the
group.
When sharing a
project, explain the steps to take, so others might more easily replicate your
approach.
Your session proposal
should include at least one of the following:
- Community engagement: involving the population whose
health you are striving to improve in the design, decision-making and
implementation of your work
- Sustainability of SHIP work
- Strengthening the capacity of communities
-
Barriers to implementing SHIP with communities
experiencing health inequities
Implementing multiple strategies in a single setting
- Skill-building content, such as how to use data to
determine your work, using social media well and focus groups 101
Submitting
your presentation proposal
All proposals must be
received by 4:30 p.m., Friday, April 28.
Use this link to go to
the submission page: https://survey.vovici.com/se/56206EE32DD62549
Once all of the
proposals are received, they will be organized by topic and by presenter
affiliation - grantee, MDH or TA provider and other - then reviewed and ranked
by a group of SHIP grantees and MDH staff recruited by the SHIP Planning Unit.
Proposals will be ranked based on inclusion of the criteria above.
You will learn if your
proposal has been accepted by May 12.
Feel free to ask the
SHIP Planning Unit staff for assistance in drafting your proposal, recruiting
co-presenters for your session and/or designing your presentation.
Contact: health.makingitbetter@state.mn.us
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Health Equity Data Analysis (HEDA) | School Wellness Policy
Time: 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
April 20 Northeast | Duluth Duluth Public Safety Building, (Training Rm), 2030 N Arlington Ave, Duluth
April 27 Southwest | Redwood Falls Redwood Falls Public Library, 509 S Lincoln St., Redwood Falls
May 4 Metro Northern Service Center (Rooms 110A and 110B), One Mendota Rd. W.,
West St. Paul
May 11 Central | St. Joseph St. Joseph Government Center, 75 Callaway St. E, St. Joseph
Agenda
8:30 – 8:45 a.m. |
Welcome and Introductions
Session Description SHIP coordinators are encouraged to join this morning skill building workshop,
and include relevant local staff with data collection and analysis skills.
Grantees will learn from the experience of SHIP staff who completed the HEDA
pilot, and receive information on tools and resources to help them in getting
started with their health equity data analysis.
8:45 – 11:45 a.m.
Health
Equity Data Analysis (HEDA)
Participants will
learn about the HEDA process, and increase their understanding of the multiple
strengths and skills needed to conduct a HEDA
Participants will be
introduced to an expanded idea of community engagement and public narrative
around health
Participants will
learn about training plans and technical assistance support in moving forward
with their HEDA
11:45 a.m. –
12:45 p.m. | Lunch off-site 12:45 – 1 p.m. | CS
Updates
Session Description SHIP school coordinators are encouraged to join this afternoon skill building
workshop. This workshop will not only prepare SHIP school staff with the
knowledge and understanding of moving Local Wellness Policies forward within
the districts they partner with but it will also provide attendees the
opportunity to gear up for the 2017-2018 school year!
What
to Bring:
Please bring a copy of
a current local wellness policy for one of the districts that you work
with! This is public information and usually can be found on the
district’s website.
Also, bring your
questions!
1 – 2:30 p.m.
Policy!
Policy! Policy! Workshop
Participants will be
able to review a school wellness policy, identifying both gaps and areas of
improvement utilizing the final rule requirements.
Participants will be
able to discuss and problem solve current school SHIP issues.
2:30 - 3:30 p.m. Optional Session on
Utilizing the School Health Index
(If you are new to
SHIP or have new school partners, this session will provide a quick overview of
the School Health Index and the link to SHIP action planning)
Register here.
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Thank
you for attending the Making it Better Spring Regional Meeting. Please complete
the following evaluation to help MDH better plan for upcoming trainings and
technical assistance opportunities.
Your
feedback is appreciated.
Begin
the evaluation here.
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Date: Sept. 18-20 Location: Mystic Lake Casino Hotel, Prior Lake
This annual conference
brings together tribal officials, researchers, practitioners and more to
discuss the current state of Indigenous and academic scientific knowledge about
Native nutrition and food science and identify new areas of work.
A reception will be
held in the evening of Sept.17.
Registration is
expected to open this month.
Visit the conference website or send an email to learn more.
The conference is
co-sponsored by the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community and the University of
Minnesota's Healthy Foods, Healthy Lives Institute.
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No announcements this week.
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