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In honor of National Garden Month, our April Spotlight are the Sidney Central School District’s Elementary School Gardens. Tom Lewis, our Food Access and Development Coordinator spoke with Josh Gray, a teacher at Sidney CSD, Co-Chair of the Sidney Wellness Committee, and School Coordinator of the Creating Healthy Schools and Communities grant. Mr. Gray spoke about the gardens’ history, their impact on the students, and goals for the future of the gardens.
What are some impacts you have seen on students who participate in the gardens?
Mr. Gray: One of the goals of the gardening program is to connect students to local food, to where it comes from, and to tie that connection to healthy eating and food sense, including an awareness of food waste. The students who are involved in gardening are also involved with our cafeteria taste tests and our school farmer’s market. These students surprise me sometimes with how much they know, and how much of that knowledge they are able to share with others. Our ‘gardening’ program does not just work in the garden. We take field trips to local farms, pick strawberries, plant potatoes for a day; we have visited a seed company, recycling facilities, and take nature walks. I like to think that if you are in the gardening program, you are going to be outside and going to come home a little muddy. If we have at least accomplished that, it has been a good day.
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From American Farmland Trust: When signed by Governor Cuomo, the new state budget will make K-12 schools that purchase 30 percent of their lunch ingredients from New York farms eligible to receive a state reimbursement of $0.25 per meal—four times the amount that is currently provided per meal. The 2018-19 State Budget also doubled state funding for Farm to School grants to $1.5 million.
“This incentive is the catalyst that both farms and school food service have needed to build a strong and sustainable infrastructure that will make bringing healthy New York State agricultural products directly to the students easier. This will be a financial boost for New York agriculture, while strengthening school food service programs in the areas of nutrition and prevention. New York State Child Nutrition programs thank the New York State Assembly, Senate, and governor for their support of this endeavor, and of our nutrition programs," said Mark Bordeau, SNS, Senior Food Service Director Broome Tioga BOCES & Vice President of New York School Nutrition Association. Read more here.
Food Policy Resources:
Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development is now an open access journal! All JAFSCD content is now freely available to all, worldwide! Learn more about the journal and their community supported journal model here.
From NESAWG: While the actual 2018 Farm Bill is still being written, now is a key time to educate your elected officials about the Farm Bill issues that matter to you. Elected officials are busy writing and introducing “marker bills” - pieces of Farm Bill legislation that Members of Congress introduce to build support around key issues - and your support can strengthen the case for all the GOOD things we want to see in this year’s Farm Bill! Check out a list of different marker bills here.
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April 14, 2018
Saturday, 9:00 am - 11:00 am
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Apple Tree Planting at Tioga CSD's Tiger Farm!
Tioga CSD, Tioga Center, NY, Register here.
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April 17, 2018
Tuesday, 1:00 pm - 6:45 pm
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Annual National Volunteer Week Training Conference and Volunteer Recognition Reception
Rural Health Network or SCNY, United Way of Broome County, Holliday Inn, Downtown Binghamton, NY, Register here.
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April 21, 2018
Saturday, 9:00 am - 11:30 am
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Orchard Production Basics
CCE Chemung, StoneyRidge Orchard and Winery, 160 Bixby Road, Erin, NY. Register here.
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April 27, 2018
Friday, 9:30 pm - 1:30 pm
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Spring Summit: Youth Food Movement
Cooperstown Farmers' Market, Cooperstown, NY. Register here.
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May 12, 2018
Saturday, 5:00 pm - 11:00 pm
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2nd Annual Barn-a-Palooza
Stone Horse Farm/Northland Farm Dairy, 3501 Hoxie Gorge Freetown Road, Marathon, NY. Learn more.
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Growing Health Forum: SNAP & Health in the Farm Bill
May 2018
Food and Health Network & Food Bank of the Southern Tier
It Takes a Region Conference
October 25-27, 2018
NESAWG, Downtown Sheridan, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Learn more.
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Action for Healthy Kids: Various grants, Applications deadline: April 6, 2018. Learn more here.
Aetna Foundation: Cultivating Healthy Communities Grants Program, Stage 1 applications due: April 18, 2018. Learn more here.
Decker Foundation
Applications due by May 1, 2018. Learn more here.
USDA Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Programs
Applications due by May 7, 2018. Learn more here.
Community Foundation of South Central New York: Small Grants, Application deadline: May 15, 2018. Learn more here.
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