Month in FOCUS - January 2011

Stretching your funds to create even more nutritious and appealing cafeteria options
Making the most of relationships with your partners
Getting students to try and eat the more healthful menu options offered
Helping districts with procurement roadblocks
Engaging in positive PR for cafeteria changes and educating the public about your program
Getting involved in public policy around school food change
Drafting contract language for regional/healthy procurement

Let Sheilah know if you're interested in any of the above or if you have suggestions for additional topics to cover.

Denver school garden opens its gates to public health professionals from around the nation

Denver Public Schools Food & Nutrition Services staff

Back in November, FOCUS Executive Director Toni Liquori had the pleasure of taking part in a tour of a Denver school garden alongside fellow American Public Health Association (APHA) conference attendees, including many representatives from CDC.

Part of the APHA's Denver Food System Tour on November 6, interested professionals learned about this pioneering operation in the Cherry Creek neighborhood, a joint project of the FOCUS

Colorado Proud menu

Learning Lab in Denver Public Schools (DPS) and one of its district partners, Slow Food Denver.

Attendees were also served lunch at the school, enjoying some of the garden's prolific produce as well as other regionally sourced foods in dishes such as beef stew, pumpkin bread, roasted butternut squash, and bean burritos, plus a full salad bar selection.

Andy Nowak of Slow Food Denver led the group through the volunteer-run school garden, explaining how seeds are sown,

Lunch

how plants are cared for, and how produce is harvested and sold back to the district for use in cafeterias. Nowak also discussed the sustainable food curriculum in each school that has a garden.

FOCUS hopes DPS and its partners are full of pride about the attention their still-new program has already received! We're excited to see how things develop, and will keep our community posted.

Photos courtesy Cynthia Torres.

USDA offers produce safety course to school food service

In August 2010, USDA announced its new food safety initiative, Produce Safety University, which teaches school food service staff proper procedures for the safe handling of fresh produce. Two USDA agencies, Food and Nutrition Service and Agricultural Marketing Service, have teamed up to offer a series of invitation-only workshops through 2011 and 2012.

These workshops come as USDA, the White House, and countless advocates encourage

Chef Tim Cipriano of New Haven Public Schools / Photo: Food Safety News

more fresh fruits and vegetables to be served in lunchrooms across the country. USDA officials are quick to remind the public that, though research has shown the numerous nutritional benefits of fresh produce, it must be handled safely to reduce the risks of foodborne illnesses.

These "train the trainer" style workshops will incorporate Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Good Handling Practices (GHP) with relation to large and small growers, farm to school programs, and school gardens. Upon completion of the course, attendees will receive a certificate and training packet that can be used for regional, state, and local trainings on fresh produce handling and safety.

A recent article in Food Safety News magazine illustrates the experience of one attendee, Chef Tim Cipriano, Executive Director of Food Services for the public school system of New Haven, CT, and how it has helped him in his work. Stay tuned for more information on Produce U.

More stakeholders make it official

Since last month's newsletter, Omaha Public Schools, Detroit Public Schools, and district partners Baltimore City Department of Planning and the Center for Human Nutrition (Omaha) have signed the stakeholder pledge [PDF], becoming official FOCUS stakeholders.

This brings the total of pledge-signing FOCUS districts to 29, along with 22 district partners.

Policy update

CNR
Now that Child Nutrition reauthorization has been signed into law, we will begin monitoring its implementation and notifying our community about opportunities for public comment as rules and guidelines are developed. Click here for Rep. George Miller's remarks [PDF] for the record, indicating his priorities within the legislation and explaining several of the more complex pieces of the bill. Click here for Senator Blanche Lincoln's committee report [PDF]. Click here for details of S. 3307's provisions, including a side-by-side comparison [PDF] to current regulations, and eight facts you need to know about CNR.

The Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) has launched a series of webinars that dig deeper into provisions of CNR. The first webinar, which covered a broad overview of the bill, is archived here. The next webinar, scheduled for Thursday, January 13 at 1:00 ET, will focus on provisions in the Child and Adult Care Feeding Programs. Subsequent webinars on January 19 and 27 will cover after-school suppers and summer feeding programs.

It's important to note that the After-School Meal Program is now available nationwide and retroactive reimbursement is available in many cases. See the policy memo [PDF] for details.

During 2011, the USDA will address direct purchases of farm goods, restrictions on junk food, and other issues. Undoubtedly, one of the most contentious issues will be the revised nutrition standards: Congress has given USDA 18 months to develop a new regulatory framework for schools to procure, prepare, serve, and record healthy meals, and USDA says it will have draft regulations ready for comment by the end of 2011.

Food Safety

President Obama signs the Food Safety Modernization Act

President Obama has also signed the Food Safety Modernization Act, which contains food safety rules that protect consumers without curbing the growing movement toward fresh, local, and regional food. The final bill includes an amendment providing for a USDA-administered competitive grants program for food safety training for farmers, processors, and wholesalers, with small and mid-scale farms being the priority. It also includes the Tester-Hagan amendment to provide a less costly, size-appropriate alternative to preventative control plans and produce standards for farmers who:

Market more than 50% of their products directly to consumers, stores, or restaurants
Have gross sales (direct and non-direct) of less than $500,000
Sell to consumers, stores, or restaurants that are in-state or within 275 miles
Provide their customers with their name, address, and contact information

Farm Bill
This week, FOCUS Policy Program Manager Sheilah Davidson, FOCUS Policy Adviser Thomas Forster, and FOCUS Program Director Kathy Lawrence are in attendance at the Farm Bill Summit hosted by the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition in Washington, DC this week. The summit brings together farm, conservation, food, and public health organizations from across the nation to explore opportunities and challenges in advancing shared priorities in the 2012 Farm Bill. As noted previously, we at School Food FOCUS have begun our preliminary thinking on policy options to pursue and will soon be seeking input from stakeholders on next steps in our policy work as we advance our strategic planning process.

Notable news

A selection of news stories and reports, many of which originally appeared in our weekly procurement change news round-up. It's posted each week on the School Food FOCUS blog.

>> Farm to School Benefits All Involved (Detroit Food & Fitness Collaborative): Michaelle Rehmann, a member of the Detroit Food & Fitness Collaborative Schools Work Group, writes about the successes of its partnership with Detroit Public Schools in bringing more fresh fruits and vegetables to schoolchildren through its farm to school program. Since DFFC began working with DPS in 2009, the number benefiting from farm to school has doubled to 44 schools and close to 10,000 students.

>> Mapping the NYC Regional Food System (Food Systems Network NYC): Michael Conard, Assistant Director of the Urban Design Lab at Columbia University's Earth Institute,

The NYC regional foodshed

and his team are working on the New York City Regional Foodshed Initiative, a two-year study that will evaluate the potential capacity of agricultural production and distribution infrastructure in the region. The team will use their findings to develop policy recommendations for enhancing the ability of the City to supply more food from regional sources.

>> In Saint Paul schools, the not-so-sweet life (Star Tribune):By the end of the current school year, all schools in FOCUS district Saint Paul Public Schools will be "sweet-free zones," in which "sweet, sticky, fat-laden [and] salty treats" will no longer be allowed during the school day. The drastic measure was passed four years ago as part of the district's wellness policy, but remained unenforced until now. This year, cafeterias stopped serving second helpings and sweet desserts. Middle and high schools replaced snacks with homemade bread and other healthy alternatives.

>> Principles of a Healthy, Sustainable Food System: A new coalition made up of the American Planning Association, the American Dietetic Association, American Nurses Association, and the American Public Health Association has released a new set of principles that define a healthy, sustainable food system around the key themes of health, sustainability, resilience, fairness, economics, and transparency. The coalition plans to build upon the principles by continuing to advocate for improved food systems.

>> Top 5 Sustainable Food Trends in 2011 (JustMeans): This corporate social responsibility centered site lists its top five trends to watch in 2011 in the realm of sustainable food. Getting healthy, more sustainable food into schools ranks at the top of the list.

Upcoming events

February 12, 2011
TEDxManhattan: Changing the Way We Eat
FOCUS Executive Director Toni Liquori and Program Director Kathy Lawrence will participate in the event, which highlights various aspects of the sustainable food movement and the work being done to shift our food system from industrially-based agriculture to one in which healthy food is available to all. Outstanding speakers with various backgrounds in food and farming, including our own Kathy Lawrence, will share their insights and expertise throughout the event, moving the audience to action.
New York, NY

March 6-8, 2011
National Anti-Hunger Policy Conference
The conference draws anti-hunger and anti-poverty advocates; federal, state and local government officials; child advocates; representatives of food banks and food rescue organizations; and nutrition and anti-obesity groups for three days of training, networking, and Capitol Hill advocacy. A joint effort of Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) and Feeding America.
The Capital Hilton, Washington, DC

March 6-9, 2011
SNA Legislative Action Conference
Attendees will have the opportunity to hear from Washington insiders and learn more about the issues that shape and define national policy related to school nutrition. The conference will also feature updates from representatives of USDA and insights from Amy Holmes, a top political analyst.
JW Marriott Hotel, Washington, DC

March 11-12, 2011
Georgia Organics Conference and Expo
This year's theme is "Go Grow!" Details have yet to be announced. Registration will soon be available on their website. FOCUS Executive Director Toni Liquori will give the keynote speech at the Farm to School Summit during the conference on March 11.
Savannah, GA

March 18, 2011
FOCUS at the FamilyFarmed Expo
A day of school food procurement programming, organized by FOCUS, will feature school district presentations, roundtable discussions and a vendor showcase. In conjunction with the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, FOCUS will be mentoring communities from throughout the country as part of the CDC's Communities Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW) program; this School Food track of the FamilyFarmed regional food expo in Chicago (and in Santa Monica, in September) is a major part of this mentoring initiative.
UIC Forum, Chicago, IL

April 30-May 4, 2011
American Commodity Distribution Association (ACDA) Annual National Conference
The conference theme for this year is "Building a Healthy Future Together." The agenda is filled with sessions dealing with the future of commodities, along with many of the traditional sessions and networking opportunities. Nancy Rice, President, SNA and Cathie McCullough, Director of Food Distribution, FNS, USDA will be present.
New Orleans Marriott, New Orleans, LA

May 19-20, 2011
Community Food Security Coalition: Food Policy from Neighborhood to Nation
This conference will bring together people from across North America who are working to influence local and state food, agriculture, and nutrition policy. Advocates seek to foster information exchange, catalyze a network of individuals involved in local food policy, further legitimize the emerging field of local food policy, and identify local policies that can be adapted to the federal level.
DoubleTree Hotel, Portland, OR

School Food FOCUS is a national collaborative that leverages the knowledge and procurement power of large school districts to make school meals nationwide more healthful, regionally sourced, and sustainably produced. FOCUS aims to transform food systems to support students' academic achievement and lifelong health, while directly benefiting farmers, regional economies, and the environment. For more information, visit www.schoolfoodfocus.org and follow us on Twitter at @SchoolFoodFOCUS.