<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">More Details on new Farm to School supports at USDA level.<div><br></div><div>For those of you who are interested in this type of information go the farmtoschool.org, you can sign up for this newsletter. Click on the button on the right side, then scroll down to register.</div><div><br></div><div>Also, if you still haven't filled out the Network Member Survey, click the link just under the buttons on the top of the home page. This will allow you to have a voice in the strategic planning process underway in the National Network. But don't delay as today is the last day.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Ken</div><div><br></div><div>Ken Morse</div><div>Maine Rep, Northeast Steering Comm.</div><div>National Farm to School Network</div><div><br><div> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div><div>Ken Morse</div><div>Partnership Director</div><div>Healthy Oxford Hills</div><div>739-6222</div><div>890-6102 (cell)</div></div><div><br></div></div></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"> </div><div><br><div>Begin forwarded message:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="4" color="#000000" style="font: 14.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>From: </b></font><font face="Helvetica" size="4" style="font: 14.0px Helvetica"><a href="mailto:deschmeyer@oxy.edu">deschmeyer@oxy.edu</a></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="4" color="#000000" style="font: 14.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>Date: </b></font><font face="Helvetica" size="4" style="font: 14.0px Helvetica">September 18, 2009 9:30:02 AM EDT</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="4" color="#000000" style="font: 14.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>To: </b></font><font face="Helvetica" size="4" style="font: 14.0px Helvetica"><a href="mailto:ken@healthyoxfordhills.org">ken@healthyoxfordhills.org</a></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="4" color="#000000" style="font: 14.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>Subject: </b></font><font face="Helvetica" size="4" style="font: 14.0px Helvetica"><b>USDA on Farm to School--Special Update</b></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><br></div> </div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div align="center" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; text-align: center; "><table width="600" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="newsletter" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: auto; width: 600px; "><tbody><tr><td height="173" colspan="1" id="header" style="width: 600px; height: 130px; "><img src="http://www.farmtoschool.org/newsletter/mar08/top.jpg" alt="Farm to School Routes" width="600" height="172"></td></tr><tr id="topbar" style="width: 600px; height: 25px; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: rgb(204, 51, 51); color: rgb(255, 255, 255); background-position: initial initial; "><td width="554"><p class="month" style="font-size: 1.4em; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-weight: 900; padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 5px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 5px; line-height: 1.5em; "><em>USDA on Farm to School--Special Update</em></p></td></tr><tr><td width="554" height="800" valign="top"><p style="font-size: 0.7em; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 10px; line-height: 1.5em; "><font size="2">Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food, a new campaign by the USDA, was launched this week to help more Americans understand where their food comes from and how they can support local food economies in their communities. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack explains the initiative on<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tms8ye8mw_k&feature=PlayList&p=4F1ACED0E6040662&index=0" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 102); ">YouTube</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>(a must see)!</font></p><div id="thissue" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><h1 style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: rgb(0, 102, 102); color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.4em; font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 10px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; background-position: initial initial; ">Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food</h1><h1 style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: rgb(0, 102, 102); color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.4em; font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 10px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; background-position: initial initial; "><font size="2">Announcements Re: Farm to School</font></h1><p style="font-size: 0.7em; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 10px; line-height: 1.5em; "><font size="2">Tuesday, September 14th was designated as Farm to Institution Day at USDA. As part of Farm to Institution Day, USDA made the following exciting and welcome announcements related to Farm to School:</font></p><p style="font-size: 0.7em; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 10px; line-height: 1.5em; "><font size="2">1)<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>BID LOCAL</strong>: The use of geographic preference in a bid will be expanded to include diced, chopped, and sliced product. The timeline on implementation is somewhat unclear and the exact language has not yet been developed. We'll keep you posted!</font></p><p style="font-size: 0.7em; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 10px; line-height: 1.5em; "><font size="2">2)<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>MONEY TO BUY LOCAL</strong>: USDA is encouraging the use of $50 million of existing Department of Defense Fresh funds to be targeted for the purchase of locally produced fruits and vegetables. Both USDA and DoD will be working on implementation of this program - the specifics are not yet defined.</font></p><p style="font-size: 0.7em; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 10px; line-height: 1.5em; "><font size="2">3)<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>FARM TO SCHOOL TACTICAL TEAMS</strong>: Per USDA, "Farm-To-School Tactical Teams will soon begin touring America’s school cafeterias to identify challenges and opportunities to help them transition to purchasing more locally grown foods. The team will work with local farmers, local and state authorities, school districts, and community partners to develop Farm-To-School projects and provide assistance on the best ways to buy more local produce for the National School Lunch Program. USDA will partner with schools, the U.S. Department of Education and non-profits to develop and enhance these resources." The team will be developed by an intra-agency group within the Department. They hope to begin visiting cafeterias in 2010, and they will release more specifics as the program develops.</font></p><p style="font-size: 0.7em; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 10px; line-height: 1.5em; "><font size="2">4)<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>MONEY FOR KITCHENS</strong>: The existing USDA Community Facilities Program supports the success of rural communities by providing loans and grants for the development of community kitchens. As explained in<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.foodsecurity.org/policy/USDA_local_food_memo.pdf" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 102); ">Deputy Merrigan's recent memo</a>, producers are eligible for $31 million in remaining Recovery Act funds to build processing centers which will help grow their businesses in rural areas.These funds can be used to purchase school kitchen equipment in some cases. For more information go here:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rhs/cf/cp.htm" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 102); ">http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rhs/cf/cp.htm</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>These funds are only available for a limited time, so act now!</font></p><p style="font-size: 0.7em; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 10px; line-height: 1.5em; "><font size="2">The National Farm to School Network will send additional updates as information becomes available.</font></p><p style="font-size: 0.7em; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 10px; line-height: 1.5em; "><font size="2">Check out the media covering<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.usda.gov/blog/usda/entry/know_your_farmer_know_your" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 102); ">Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food</a>.</font></p></div></td></tr><tr><td id="bottominfo" colspan="7" style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: rgb(153, 204, 204); color: rgb(0, 102, 102); font-size: 0.9em; text-align: center; background-position: initial initial; "><div><a href="http://www.farmtoschool.org/newsletter/sept09/index.htm" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 102); "><font size="2">View on the Web</font></a></div><p style="font-size: 0.7em; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 10px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; ">You have opted in to receive this newsletter.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.farmtoschool.org/removeemail.php?e=ken@healthyoxfordhills.org" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 102); ">Click here to Unsubscribe</a>.</p><p style="font-size: 0.7em; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 10px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; ">Website hosted by the<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://departments.oxy.edu/uepi/cfj" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 102); ">Center for Food & Justice</a><br>A Division of the<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.uepi.oxy.edu" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 102); ">Urban & Environmental Policy Institute</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>at<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.oxy.edu" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 102); ">Occidental College</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>Questions or comments about the newsletter? Please contact<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="mailto:deschmeyer@oxy.edu?Subject=Inquiry from Farm to School newsletter" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 102); ">us</a>.</p></td></tr></tbody></table></div></span></blockquote></div><br></div></body></html>