USDA Farm to School E-letter - January 7, 2014

[Mary Maxwell]

 

 

From: bounce-11183...@list.cornell.edu [mailto:bounce-11183...@list.cornell.edu] On Behalf Of Liz Falk
Sent: Tuesday, January 07, 2014 9:39 PM
To: NYSgardeneduc...@cornell.edu
Subject: FW: USDA Farm to School E-letter - January 7, 2014

 

---------
Liz Falk
Professional Development Educator
Cornell Garden-Based Learning

Lead Instructor
Online Organic Gardening Course

Department of Horticulture
Plant Science 48B
607.255.7351 (o)
http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/
Like CGBL on Facebook

Join the CGBL Newsletter

 

Dear Educators, 

Below is the latest information on Farm to School Webinars hosted by the USDA. The topics listed below address issues of relevance to farm to school efforts here in New York. You are encouraged to tune in with other educators in your association as well as promote these educational events to farm to school stakeholders in your counties. 

 These webinars are especially timely given our current Federal Formula Funds project (now in year 3), Scaling Up Farm to School in New York Through Extension Educator Leadership. 

 We hope you will tune in!

 Best regards, 

 Jennifer Wilkins and Tracy Farrell

 From: USDA Food and Nutrition Service [mailto:usda...@service.govdelivery.com] 

Sent: Tuesday, January 07, 2014 1:35 PM

To: Tracy Jean Farrell

Subject: USDA Farm to School E-letter - January 7, 2014

 

January 7, 2014 | Volume 3, Issue 1 News & Updates Finding, Buying and Serving Local Foods Webinar Series Kicks Off January 9 Beginning this week, the USDA Farm to School Program will host two webinars each month to showcase the variety of ways school districts can purchase local foods. The webinars will be held at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the second and fourth Thursdays of the month. Topics will include everything from procurement basics to using geographic preference, to finding local producers, to buying local through DoD Fresh. See the schedule below for more information.  Introduction to Procurement – January 9 Conducting a Local Procurement Baseline Assessment – January 23 Finding Local Producers – February 13 Using the Informal Procurement Method – February 27 Using Specifications to Target Local Products – March 13 Working with Distributors – March 27 Using a Forward Contract – April 10 Introduction to Geographic Preference – April 24 Using Geographic Preference – May 8 Using USDA Foods as a Resource to Purchase Local – May 22 Using DoD Fresh to Purchase Local – June 12 Tying It All Together and Digging In – June 26 Our first webinar will cover procurement fundamentals, including informal and formal procurement methods and maintaining competition. This hour will serve as a primer for those just venturing into the procurement world. While each webinar will build on the ones before it, feel free to pick and choose sessions based on your interest.  To register for this webinar or any future sessions, please click here. All webinars will be recorded and available on the USDA Farm to School website within 1-2 weeks of initial viewing. Bits from Blogs USDA Makes Meat and Grain Serving Flexibilities Permanent As a mother and a grandmother, and as a school nutrition professional who has served at the local, state and national levels, I know the unique challenges and rewards that come along with helping to raise children—particularly when it comes to good nutrition.  Feeding kids, and feeding them well, can be tough, but I am proud to say that with the strong support of parents, our schools are making a real difference in the health of our nation’s children. MORE > Stay up-to-date on all the latest USDA news and stories on the USDA Blog! Learn more at http://www.fns.usda.gov/farmtoschool or contact us at farmto...@fns.usda.gov. 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). Update your subscriptions, modify your password or e-mail address, or stop subscriptions at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page. You will need to use your e-mail address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please contact subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com. This service is provided to you at no charge by the USDA Food and Nutrition Service. This email was sent to tj...@cornell.edu using GovDelivery, on behalf of: USDA Food and Nutrition Service · 3101 Park Center Drive · Alexandria, VA 22302 · 800-439-1420