Farm to School Vision Grant 04/15/2021
VERMONT The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets is opening its Farm to School Vision Grant on April 15. This new grant program is part of the agency’s Farm to School Program. The purpose of the grant is to help communities build better food systems through youth education and empowerment. Passionate people from all over the state are working with youth to help make more just, sustainable and compassionate local food systems and the agency wants to amplify those efforts.
Up to $38,000 is available to support projects that help youth learn about and engage in issues related to.
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BRATTLEBORO â Food Connects welcomes Vickie Case to the team as the new development manager to connect the organization to more community members, businesses, and organizations throughout the region and strengthen its annual fund program.
Case joined the Food Connects team in early February and previously worked at Retreat Farm. She said she is excited to help grow and fortify both Food Connects Farm to School and Food Hub programs.
âWhat piqued my interest in Food Connects was the Farm to School Program and the impact it has on kids and school staff throughout our community. It is strengthened by the Food Hub while supporting local farms and farmers bringing nutritious choices to the school lunch programs,â Case said in a statement.
BERKELEY, CA As kids return to pandemic-shuttered schools, a new report,
The State of School Lunch in California, urges major policy shifts to better align school food menus with racial equity and climate goals, as well as public health recommendations on healthy eating. A first-of-its-kind analysis, the Friends of the Earth report offers substantial data to track progress towards healthy, climate-friendly school meals, recommending a shift to more plant-based entrees on kids’ lunch trays.
The study analyzes more than 1,300 entrees from California’s 25 largest K-12 school districts, finding that despite improvements in overall meal patterns, cheeseburgers, meat pizzas, chicken nuggets and hot dogs are among the most widely served items on the menu. Only 4 percent of menu entrees were plant-based and 16 percent contained processed meat, which is considered carcinogenic by the World Health Organization.
SFP Research Intern
Abigail Magnus is an intern with the SFP research team. Abby (she/hers and they/them) recently completed her Master s in Social Work and Economics, focusing her thesis on the long-term social and economic costs of poverty in the United States. She has experience in public health, housing, and economic research. She most recently worked at the State Innovation Exchange and previously worked for the Colorado Senate Majority Leader during the 2018 session. Abby lives in Denver, Colorado with her three roommates and a golden retriever named Olive. She is passionate about social and economic justice and is interested in a career in state fiscal policy.
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This was a rich week for the House Agriculture and Forestry Committee as we took testimony regarding some of the programs we consider our legacy.
Early in the week, we heard from folks who work on the Working Lands Enterprise Initiative. Working Lands was created in 2012 to increase investment in our agriculture and forestry sectors. It was based on the hard work of many people appointed by the Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) to the Working Landscape Council. The Council consisted of representatives from the full spectrum of farmers, processors, government officials, and forestry-related sectors. Also on the Council was Windham Countyâs own, Roger Allbee, who is the former Secretary of Agriculture, and Paul Costello, the Executive Director of VCRD.