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January 2013 Newsletter
IN THIS ISSUE
Jr Iron Chef Vermont
FTS Awareness Day is February 7th
More Farm to School Salons
Healthy & Happy You
Staff Updates
Upcoming Events

6thAnnualJIC
Follow our Progress
Join Our Mailing List
Find us on Facebook

Lots of great news to share for the start of 2013:

  • We are partnering with Hunger Free Vermont and the School Nutrition Association to pass legislation to make our state the first in the nation to provide free school lunch for all low-income students. Click here to sign-on your support
  • With Hunger Free Vermont and UVM, we are bringing Jan Poppendieck, professor of Sociology at Hunter College and author of Free for All: Fixing School Food in America, for a week in March to share her expertise with Vermonters. 
  • Thanks to the Vermont Community Foundation, we are coordinating a series of meetings with the Vermont Farm to School Network Leadership Group to develop a "strategy map" towards a shared goal: thriving Farm to School programs in every Vermont community by 2020.
  • The new Vermont Farm to School Network website will officially be launched February 7th on Farm to School Awareness Day.
  • Stay tuned for the Vermont FEED blog which will debut next month!
 Join us at Junior Iron Chef on February 2nd

 

JIC 2012 This Saturday, 315 middle and high school students from 55 Vermont schools will gather at the Champlain Valley Expo in Essex to participate in the 6th Annual Jr Iron Chef VT competition. Teams will have 90 minutes to wow a diverse panel of expert judges, including James Beard Award-winning author Rowan Jacobsen and school chef, Meggen Hanna. Students will prepare original recipes that 

feature local ingredients AND are replicable on the school lunch line.  

 

JIC 2012

 

Families and fans cheer on local teams, participate in fun activities, and  enjoy live music and dance from Vermont artists Diversity Rocks!, Sweet Transition, and the Lynguistic Civilians. Click here for ticket information.

 

"Jr Iron Chef VT and the Vermont Farm to School movement are models that I am proud to recommend to the whole country," Senator Patrick Leahy said to the crowd at last year's event.

 

Vermont Farm to School Awareness Day and Network Meeting on February 7th

The Vermont Farm To School Network Leadership Group has a goal to support thriving Farm to School programs in every Vermont community by 2020. We are well on our way to making this happen, but we need your help! Please join us in Montpelier to share your suggestions for how to make this happen. We will also: 

  • announce the 2013 Farm to School Grant schools,
  • hear inspiring stories from student speakers, 
  • share our work with state legislators, 
  • celebrate our collective accomplishments,
  • learn new things from each other, 
  • and, of course, eat great food!

The Network Meeting and Potluck Lunch will be from 11:30-2:30 at the Unitarian Church. FTS Awareness Day starts is from 4:00-5:30 at the Statehouse. Both are in Montpelier. More information on  Vermont FEED's website.  

The Vermont Farm to School Network Presents....
More Salons at a Living Room Near You!
Hyde Park Salon boys cooking
Farm to School Salons are wonderful  
evenings of delicious local food and juicy conversations about the essential questions of the farm to school movement. The 2012 Salons throughout Vermont were a great success, and we have a new crop starting in February. Shake-off the winter doldrums and join us!

Salons are free but bring a potluck dish to share. Please email or call the host for reservations and directions. All are welcome but space is limited so RSVP early. 

Visit the VT FEED website for
complete Salon descriptions
 

Reaping the Most Benefit from School Gardens   

Burlington, VT

Tuesday, February 5th, 6:00-8:00 pm

Hosted by: Linda Berlin, Jess Hyman, Jen McGowan, and Sarah Heusner

RSVP/directions: [email protected] or 802-656-0669

 

Collaboration and Regional Approaches to Farm to School  

Middlebury, VT

Wednesday, February 6th, 5:00-8:00 pm

Hosted by: Lea Calderon-Guthe and Addison County Relocalization Network (ACORN)

RSVP/directions: [email protected] or 802-382-0401   

 

Farm to School for the Preschool Child

Middlebury, VT

Thursday, February 28th, 6:30-8:30 pm 

Hosted by: Emily Hoyler and Addison County Farm to Preschool

RSVP/directions: Amethyst at [email protected] or 388-4304  

 

Let's Get Creative! Art, Story-telling and Music in Farm to School Education

Newport, VT    

Wednesday, April 12th, 6:00-8:30pm 

Hosted by: Maegan Brown, Katherine Sims, and Jason Brueck
RSVP/directions: [email protected] or 802-334-2044

Hartland Salon group  

 

This is the debut of a new regular column to share health and wellness tips and nutrition advice by Vermont FEED's sustaining sponsor Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont.   

   

What You Can Do to Avoid the Flu

 

Influenza outbreaks began early this year across the U.S. Even in Vermont, where we pride ourselves on being the healthiest in the nation, flu outbreaks are on the rise. These tips will help you be healthy this winter:

  1. Get your flu shot!  While the vaccine doesn't provide perfect protection, it reduces your chance of getting influenza and of being a carrier by helping your body build up immunity. Since that process takes time, get the shot before the virus spreads.
  2. Wash your hands. Use soap and water and wash longer than usual, lather for at least 20 seconds to kill viruses. (Hint: singing the Happy Birthday song will get you the adequate time!)
  3. Keep your area clean. Regularly clean frequently touched areas to avoid spreading germs. Oh, and speaking of spreading germs-don't do it! Cover your hands with a tissue when you sneeze or cough.
  4. Educate yourself. The Centers for Disease Control and the Vermont Department of Health are great resources for learning more about the flu and further preventive measures.
  5. Fill yourself with nutrients. To prevent or fight the flu - a great solution is healthy eating. In Vermont, we're lucky to have fresh produce at our fingertips. So stock up and make sure that each day you fill your body with healthy foods. Now's the time to pick up some root vegetables to make a stew that is guaranteed to make you feel great!

BC BS of VT logo  

 

Dana Hudson has jumped back in the saddle and rejoined Vermont FEED staff as the Northeast Regional Lead for the National Farm to School Network, a position that she held previously. She is excited to help the seven Northeastern states build the Farm to School movement in their region. Well-positioned for this role, Dana also serves on the Leadership Team of Farm to Institution New England or FINE. "My goal is to make it easy for good work to happen at the grassroots," she says. "I do this by working at the policy level to ensure structures are in place that support local Farm to School efforts."

 

Ethan Bodin

Ethan Bodin has joined Shelburne Farms and Vermont FEED as an Educator working on our professional development team. Ethan worked at the Children's Farmyard in the past, and it's the big vision of the work of the Farm that continues to motivate him. "I want to support an international network of educators who are concerned with sustainability and dedicated to preparing the next generation for the stewardship issues that we face around the world." An interest in hands-on agriculture prompted Ethan and his wife Erin to move to North Chittenden where they share a house and co-homestead with his parents.

Ross Doree  

We are excited to welcome Ross Dor�e our spring Education Intern. R  oss is a farmer and outdoor educator whose interests include biodynamic farming, butchery, and tanning hides. He believes that every moment is a learning experience, and expanding a child's experience can bring momentous change.