[BCFSN] Fwd: Farm to School BC Fall Newsletter

Tue Nov 4 16:33:32 EST 2014

In case you're not on the Farm to School mailing list, a funding announcement!

Looks like up to $4000 for a school to start a Farm to School program.

We've been running a salad bar program at my daughters' school for the last 2 years and we just broke the 100 mark! We initially got a grant to purchase the equipment and the salad bar now makes between $150-$200 profit each week. Totally unexpected. We were just hoping to break even but that's what parent choppers can help do!

Arzeena

Amara Farm
Courtenay, BC
(250) 702-5657
https://www.facebook.com/AmaraFarm
https://twitter.com/arzeena

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Farm to School BC <farmtoschoolbc at gmail.com>
> Date: November 4, 2014 8:09:49 AM PST
> To: Arzeena <Arzeenahamir at shaw.ca>
> Subject: Farm to School BC Fall Newsletter
> Reply-To: Farm to School BC <farmtoschoolbc at gmail.com>
> 
> Welcome to Farm to School BC's Fall Newsletter.
> View this email in your browser
> 
> Harvest Season
> As the harvest season slowly comes to a close, we here at Farm to School BC want to wish everyone a warm welcome back to school and a wonderful school year ahead. Our team has been hard at work and are excited to be unveiling a whole new look for Farm to School BC's communication materials (check out our new logo above!). You’ll now be receiving this newsletter quarterly, in line with each season. Stay tuned and keep an eye on your inbox.
> 
> Farm to School BC News  
> 
> New Farm to School BC Fact Sheet
> We are pleased to share the newest Farm to School BC communications tool, a Farm to School fact sheet. Developed in collaboration with Farm to Cafeteria Canada, this new fact sheet helps to frame Farm to School into three core elements: 
> Healthy, local food
> Hands-on Learning
> School & Community Connectedness
> 
>  
> Growing Farm to School in British Columbia
> School Start-up Grant Opportunity 
> Farm to School BC is pleased to share a new school grant opportunity for all schools in BC who are interested in starting a Farm to School program. This round of grant applications has been designed to support schools who have not received Farm to School BC funding in the past and who may need some extra time to plan their Farm to School program - with funding being broken down into planning and implementation grant components. Click here for more details and to download the grant application form. Deadline for submission is December 19th, 2014.
>  
> 
> National Farm to School Month
> 
> Farm to School BC is happy to have been a part of the first ever Canadian National Farm to School Month in October, hosted by Farm to Cafeteria Canada. Here in BC, the delayed start of the school year impacted how far we could promote this campaign, however we look forward to celebrating next year. Get your Farm to School team together and start dreaming about how you would like to celebrate Farm to School month next October!
>  
> F2S Greater Vancouver Learning Lab Awarded $55,000
> 
> Through the support of a 2013 Vancity enviroFund grant, last school year the Farm to School Greater Vancouver Committee (F2SGVC) worked closely with the Vancouver Board of Education (VBE) in a Learning Lab process. The Learning Lab is a model where individuals and groups convene to determine, develop and accomplish key goals to improve the food system within an institutional setting. The new funds awarded from the McConnell Family Foundation will allow them to continue their important work.
> 
> Throughout the school year the F2SGVC will work with the VBE’s major suppliers to analyze how much local food is being purchased by the VBE, and offer insight into further opportunities for buying local and engaging the school community to help integrate locally based menu items into school food service. The Learning Lab will work closely with teachers, chefs, cooks, buyers and students to help bring more local food into schools to support a sustainable local food system both within schools and throughout the communities that support them. For more information about the McConnell Family Foundation funding, click here. 
> Welcome to Our New Farm to School BC Team Member
> 
> Farm to School BC is pleased to welcome a brand new team member! Meet our new Communications Coordinator, Cindy Hughes. Cindy grew up on a farm and has a long background in print journalism, magazine design and professional photography. She’s all about great storytelling and couldn’t be more excited to help share some of the wonderful Farm to School stories from around the province. When she’s not working, Cindy is up to her ankles in dirt in her veggie garden, at the horse barn, or walking her dogs Takaya and TaterTot. Have a good story idea for Cindy? Email her here.
> 
> Farm to School BC Provincial Manager - Vanessa Perrodou
> Many of you will have met Vanessa, Farm to School BC's Provincial Manager, over the last year. Vanessa started with Farm to School BC last October, and is looking forward to continuing to connect with schools interested in starting Farm to School programs, and those who are leading the way! We would love to hear from you, email Vanessa any time at: farmtoschoolbc at gmail.com
> 
> Farm to Cafeteria Canada National Manager - Joanne Bays 
> As the face of the Farm to School BC Network for many years, many of you will know Joanne Bays' excellent work supporting the formation of the Farm to School BC Network starting back in 2007. But did you know that Joanne has been forging new ground at the national level, as National Manager of Farm to Cafeteria Canada since 2011? Farm to School programs are a part of a growing momentum across the country to bring healthy, local and sustainable foods into hospitals, campuses and other public institutions. Farm to School BC works closely with Farm to Cafeteria Canada, and as you will see in other sections of this newsletter, they are doing some exciting Farm to School work in BC and across the country. Check out Farm to Cafeteria Canada's website here.
> 
>  
> Other Farm to School Funding Opportunities
> 
> If you have an existing Farm to School program and therefore are not eligible to receive a new Farm to School BC Start-up Grant, there are other ways to seek a financial boost for your Farm to School program. Did you know that Healthy Schools BC keeps a very up to date listing of grant opportunities on their website and in their monthly newsletter? Many of these grant opportunities could be used to support your Farm to School program. Here are a few from the list:
> Healthy Schools Network Grants
> Whole Foods School Grant (November 30th deadline)
> Think at EatGreen@School Grants (November 28th deadline)
> Farm to School in the News
> 
> A farm-based learning project called the Intergenerational Landed Learning Project, a unique initiative of the Department of Curriculum and Pedagogy, Faculty of Education, at UBC,  has earned national recognition and a $25,000 prize. This innovative project unites generations in a community of learning  around agriculture and food as the link between a healthy environment and human well-being. Now that’s what we call hands-on learning—what an exciting project! Visit this site to learn more.
> Lessons from Haida Gwaii
> 
> Haida Gwaii is a tight-knit community in northern BC that is blessed with rich local food resources. Farm to School activity was ignited in Haida Gwaii through the support of the BC Provincial Government’s Produce Availability in Remote Communities Initiative (PAI), led by the Heart & Stroke Foundation of BC & Yukon, in partnership with the provincial ministries of Health and Agriculture. Within this initiative Farm to School BC supported the implementation of Farm to School salad bars in seven schools on the island.  With a new infusion of funding support from the Nourishing School Communities Initiative, led by the Heart and Stroke Foundation with Farm to Cafeteria Canada as a key partner, Haida Gwaii is embarking on a Learning Lab project to look at how they can enhance their existing Farm to School work. Farm to Cafeteria Canada has produced a great feature article highlighting the Haida Gwaii Learning Lab work, click here for more information.
>  
> Resources & Links
> 
> Harvest of the Month: Toronto FoodShare has a great resource for you: Harvest of the Month. Here you'll find creative ideas on how to engage students around food each month. These info packs include quick activities students will love and yummy ways to use them in the classroom and more. This November, it’s all about Sweet Potatoes!
> 
> Winter Planning: Planning your school garden curriculum for winter? Eat Think Grow, an organization located in Portland, has created beautiful free seasonal lesson plans available for download for grades K-5. These lessons are full of inspiring ideas and a great springboard for your own customized BC curriculum connected plans. 
> 
> Measuring Farm to School Outcomes: The National Farm to School Network in the US has launched a pioneering new resource, Evaluation for Transformation: A Cross Sectoral Evaluation Framework for Farm to School. If you're interested in evaluating the outcomes of your Farm to School activities, this is for you. This document gives guidance on how to consistently track and monitor program activities, along with agreed upon priority outcomes worthy of consistent measurement, and validated instruments to measure those outcomes. 
> Stories From the Field
> 
> Check out this great article celebrating the success of the Kwalikum Secondary School Food Garden. Congratulations to the Farm to School team out in Qualicum Beach doing such inspiring work day in and day out!
> Photo Credit: Parksville Qualicum Beach News. 
> 
>  
> Tell Your Story
> 
> Stories are powerful and we want to share yours! Farm to School BC is looking to feature Farm to School programs across the province in our ‘Stories from the Field’ success story series. If you are interested in sharing the Farm to School related work that your school, farm, or community organization is up to, email us at farmtoschoolbc at gmail.com.
> 
>  
> Upcoming Events
> 
> 
> Think&EatGreen at School Fall/Winter Institute 
> November 22 & January 17, 2014 
> 
> The Think&EatGreen at School Project (TEGS) is a UBC Community-University Research Alliance promoting change in what K-12 students eat, learn and do at school in relation to food, health and the environment.
> 
> The project engages students through growing, preparing, and sharing food and managing food waste. The TEGS Fall/Winter Institute will grow the vision and capacity of school communities, staff and students to collaboratively develop healthy and sustainable food systems at their school. The Fall/Winter Institute will build upon the work of the previous TEGS Summer Institutes, which have taken place annually in early July, but with a focus on extending the season of food cycle learning opportunities and discussions of what schools can be doing into the fall and winter months.
> 
> The Fall/Winter Institute will be held on two Saturdays (November 22 & January 17) from 9:00am-3:30pm at David Thompson Secondary School in Vancouver. Click here for registration details. Please email info at thinkeatgreen.ca if you have any additional questions.
>  
> 
> 
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