FSEP in partnership with Growing Hope and Washtenaw Public Health presented on opportunities in Agricultural Economic Development to the Eastern Leaders Group. View the presentation and case statement here. As part of this effort to promote job growth, Washtenaw County is exploring the possibility of creating a shared use kitchen incubator. For more information and to take the survey, click here
Do you want healthy, local food served in school cafeterias? Do you want thriving small farms growing diverse food for our communities? Do you support helping the next generation of farmers? Jennifer Fike, Food System Economic Partnership (FSEP) Executive Director is putting her passion for running and passion for local food together. She is running the Bayshore Marathon on May 26 in Traverse City to raise $ in support FSEP’s programs. Yup, that’s 26.2 miles! How about helping us out by donating per mile? $1-$5 per mile would make racing so much easier! You can donate by clicking here
The Washtenaw Food Policy Council is taking root! The 15-seat council will be dedicated to supporting and making policy recommendations that create a diverse, coordinated, and comprehensive food system in Washtenaw County.
If you are interested in policy work, join the Washtenaw Food Policy Council and help transform our community. Get involved by becoming a council member or serving on one of the policy sub-committees.
If you’re interested in applying to FoodCorps for 2012 – see this notice.
“Time is running out to apply to be a FoodCorps service member for 2012 – 2013. Last month we began our search for up to 100 emerging leaders: future public health professionals, future school gardeners and farmers, and future nutrition directors. We have received an exciting number of great questions and wonderful applications—keep them coming!
Are you considering applying but have questions or concerns about the application process? Join us for our second and final FoodCorps recruitment open call on Thursday, March 1st at 6:00 pm EST (4:00 pm CST / 3:00 pm MST / 2:00 pm PST). Team members from FoodCorps’ national office will be on the line to answer your questions.
Dial-in Number: (218) 936-4700
Access Code: 7904113#
Right now you—or someone you know—has the opportunity to help create a healthy future for a generation of children.
Applications are open through March 25th. For more information and to apply, click here.
Curt, Deb, Cecily and the FoodCorps team”
Please see below for information about a very exciting project in the works in eastern Washtenaw County to develop a shared used incubator kitchen!
If you or your business, organization, school, etc is a prospective kitchen user, please take our survey, available at http://tinyurl.com/8294kbm
“On behalf of the Washtenaw County Board of County Commissioners, the Office of Community and Economic Development is exploring developing a food system workforce development program and commercial kitchen incubator with the expressed desire to:
Improve the economic climate in the county by fostering agri-business economic development and creating accessible opportunities for food-based entrepreneurs;
Provide training and jobs for chronically unemployed workers in a low-skill, meaningful job in the growing agribusiness and food service sector, with opportunities to advance into other full-time employment opportunities; and
Improve health and nutrition outcomes for local low-income residents through the production of and access to local food.
To help us identify needs and opportunities for a commercial kitchen and kitchen incubator facility, we ask that you take a few minutes to respond to this CONFIDENTIAL survey. You will also be able to receive information as we move forward with this project by supplying your contact information.
Thank you for your help; we look forward to hearing from you.”
Sincerely,
Mary Jo Callan, Director
Office of Community & Economic Development
For more information on this project, please contact Tony VanDerworp, project manager at vanderworpa@ewashtenaw.org
CSA means Community Supported Agriculture.
By the joining the Tilian CSA you are entering in to a relationship with local farmers that brings your family fresh, healthy, organic vegetables and herbs every week year round, at a great price!
Apply today and know that you and your family are improving your own health while also building that of our Ann Arbor ecosystems. 
Become Tilian CSA members and you will also be supporting the development of new farmers and new farm businesses in our community. Proceeds from your share go directly to support the Farmer Residency Program and the Farm Incubator Program at Tilian. We offer three different 16 week share sessions:
Summer Share- May through August
Fall Share- September through December
Winter Share- January through April
Shares are priced on a sliding scale starting at $690 and going up to $1000, or as much as you are able to contribute. At $690, this breaks down to $44.13/week; only $10.78 per person per week or $2.70 per person per day!
This is a great value for you and your family as well as an incredible benefit to the development of new farmers in our community! For more information and to sign up, click here
FSEP was recently awarded a grant through the USDA Farmers’ Market Promotion Program. The grant funds will be used to purchase farm equipment for the Tilian Farm Development Center and will allow FSEP to support new and beginning farmers by providing a more fluid access to capital. The FMPP grant is a crucial program funded through the Farm Bill and is creating jobs in food and agriculture, which is the second leading industry in Michigan with an economic impact of $71 billion and will be a key step in bringing the state to economic recovery. Click here for an article by the Michigan Daily about the grant award.
Many schools in southeast Michigan have launched Farm to School programs in the last few years. October is the first ever National Farm to School month. There are now Farm to School programs in all 50 states. Alan Breneman, Food Service Director with Concord Community Schools in Jackson County has been a leader in sourcing local food from area farms for the school meals program. Click here for more information about Concord’s successful Farm to School program. Concord press release
Jane Bush, FSEP Business Development Specialist and owner of Apple Schram Organic Orchard was recently honored at the Michigan Food and Farming Systems (MIFFS) Harvest Celebration held on September 29 at the Lakeview Banquet and Event Center in Laingsburg. Bush was selected as “Farmer of the Year” by MIFFS and commented that she “accepts this award on behalf of all the innovative farmers serving the local food community.”
Public News Service-MI September 28, 2011
LANSING, Mich. – Among the many issues facing the so-called congressional “Super Committee” is deciding which farm bill programs will be cut, and by what amount. Two Michigan Republicans, Reps. Dave Camp and Fred Upton, sit on the committee, which is charged with finding at least $1.5 trillion in additional deficit reduction steps during the next 10 years.
Jennifer Fike, executive director of the Food System Economic Partnership, says it’s crucial for the congressmen to remember that agriculture is Michigan’s second-largest industry, and that investing in this sector means creating jobs. “As our state has suffered drastically in the decline in the automotive sector, that’s a big issue for us in Michigan.” There have already been significant cuts since the 2008 Farm Bill, Fike says, and further cuts will have a direct impact on the state’s economy.
“There are five-year goals to grow that sector from $71 billion to $100 billion, and these farm-bill programs will help us to be able to grow the sector, including growing careers in the agriculture field by about 10 percent.”
Agriculture leaders acknowledge that Congress faces difficult decisions as it works to slash the deficit, but they urge the committee members to protect programs which support farmers and ranchers who are good stewards of the land.
Fike says it’s critical to preserve programs that help bring new farmers into the field as well as anti-hunger programs, renewable energy, conservation and research. Click here to view this story on the Public News Service RSS site and access an audio version of this and other stories: http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/22405-1