 Volume 4, Issue 6, March 20, 2018
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Celebrate National Ag Day!
Agriculture is
everywhere! From the food we eat to
the clothes we wear, the purpose of National Ag Day is to appreciate and
celebrate the abundance of American agriculture. Agriculture impacts
our daily lives and it is important to understand the value it brings to our
local and national economies. Celebrate National Ag Day by increasing your
knowledge about agriculture and nutrition or by recognizing the endless career
opportunities available in this industry. Farm production, food science,
education, and urban planning, are all excellent career opportunities waiting
for you! Join in the celebration today and cheer for American agriculture!
 Waipahu Intermediate FFA Chapter Promotes School Gardens
Future Farmers of America (FFA) is a national organization that provides a path for students to achieve leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education. Made up of State associations, which are divided into local chapters, FFA members plan and participate in activities to help them grow as leaders, build their community, and strengthen the agricultural industry.
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A local chapter in Hawaii, the Waipahu Intermediate FFA Chapter, is developing a plan to build school gardens on campus. To achieve this task, the Waipahu FFA Chapter members are leading mini projects with their peers. They are teaching them every aspect of a school garden from building planter boxes to creating drip irrigation systems, seed germination, fertilizing ratios, and more.
Check out this news feature of Waipahu
Intermediate FFA Chapter!
Waipahu
Intermediate FFA Chapter is hosting a Jr. FFA Conference for elementary school students on April 28, 2018. The event
will have workshops and competitions for students, teachers, and parents.
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Kentucky-Grown Vegetable Incentive Program (K-VIP)
Funded by a grant from the Kentucky
Agricultural Development Board, and administered by the Kentucky Association of Food Banks, the Kentucky-Grown Vegetable Incentive Program
(K-VIP) will reimburse sponsors for up to one-third of total dollars spent on
Kentucky-grown produce purchased for use in the Summer Food
Service Program (SFSP).
The Agricultural Development Board believes the K-VIP is an
opportunity to expand market access for farmers and feed hungry children fresh,
Kentucky-grown produce. The Kentucky Departments of Agriculture and Education also believe the
K-VIP will expand Farm to Summer, enhance
the local economy, and increase participation in the SFSP.
Enrolled SFSP sponsors will be
eligible for reimbursement for up to one-third of the total dollars spent on
Kentucky-grown produce. However, due to limited funds, there is no guarantee of
reimbursement. K-VIP payments will be capped at 10 cents times the total number
of meals reimbursed by USDA.
Approved summer meals sponsors are encouraged to apply! Enrollment applications for SFSP 2018 are due April 15, 2018 and will be approved by May 1, 2018.
Supporters of K-VIP anticipate this program will establish
new relationships between sponsors and farmers that may carry over into other Federal
child nutrition programs. Expanding the farm to school footprint into the Child
and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) is a win-win for farmers, sponsors, and
kids!
Watch Agriculture Commissioner, Ryan Quarles, announce the Kentucky-Grown Vegetable Incentive Program!
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Resources, Webinars, and Funding
School Garden Professional Development Opportunities
It's National Ag Day! Celebrate and get in the spirit of school gardening. Do you already have a school garden and want to take it up a notch? Check out these upcoming professional development opportunities and watch the video below!
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USDA Announces Support Available for Specialty Crops, the
Local Food Sector, and Agricultural Marketing
The U.S. Department of
Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announced
nearly $89 million in available funding to support specialty crop growers,
strengthen local and regional food systems, and explore new market
opportunities for farmers and ranchers. USDA helps fund projects that bolster
rural economies across the country.
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Northern
NY Planning Grantee Takes Gardening Indoors
Last fall, Indian River Central School District (IRCSD) purchased
grow trays for their classrooms. Students used the trays to grow fresh produce to enhance new and existing recipes for their school
meals. Students were involved in every step of the process including planting,
watering, harvesting, and even composting. Along the way, students learned valuable hands-on lessons about life science
and nutrition, and have already grown a variety of lettuces, basil, cilantro,
and spinach.
Spinach has been the most popular
harvest. As a result, Food Service Director, Ann Easter, has incorporated fresh
spinach into the sandwich wrap station at the high school. She has also used
the fresh herbs for a pesto served over whole grain pasta and cilantro served
with tacos. In addition to the grow trays, Ms. Easter has sourced other locally
grown foods such as apples, yogurt, tomatoes, organic potatoes, and watermelon.
The grow trays were purchased through
state funding from Assemblywoman
Addie Jenne’s Drive for 25 Initiative. This initiative has provided area
schools additional funding to purchase food from local farmers, equipment, and
supplies to grow their own food.
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This is not the district’s first
endeavor with growing food. Antwerp Primary planted raised beds that yielded a
large enough harvest of butternut squash that they were able to supplement
their backpack program, which supplies students and their families with food
over the weekends and holidays. There are plans to expand the garden and
continue to provide food for the backpack program, a local food pantry, and the
school cafeteria. The Future Farmers of
America (FFA) program also has a strong gardening component and is a vital partner in this work.
An active District Wellness Committee,
led by Assistant Superintendent Mary Anne Dobmeier,
is streamlining
these efforts into a robust district-wide farm to school initiative.
"The District is excited”,
exclaims Dobmeier. Funding from the USDA
Farm to School Grant program, a partnership with
Cornell Cooperative Extension, and April
Bennett, a part-time coordinator, is working to bring their farm to school
efforts under one umbrella to better meet the needs of students and the
community.
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Over the next year of
the planning grant, IRCSD plans to keep the momentum going. Nutrition educators through Eat Smart New York (ESNY) and the Expanded
Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) have hosted a variety of
nutrition lessons and tastings for students. A subcommittee of
interdisciplinary educators is researching best practices to integrate more
experiential food education into common core aligned lessons. With a strong FFA
program, health education across the district, Family and Consumer Science
classes at the middle school and high school, and newly renovated cafeteria
spaces, IRCSD is creating a model program that shows no sign of slowing down.
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Learn more at http://www.fns.usda.gov/farmtoschool or contact us at farmtoschool@fns.usda.gov.
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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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