GardenShare offers subsidy on CSA shares from local farms

GardenShare still has room for more families to receive a subsidy to purchase a share in a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm in the area.  The concept of a CSA is that a household can purchase, in advance, a share of the farmer's crop for the season and then pick up a box of produce each week during the growing season.  This helps the farmer plan what and how much to grow and gives the farmer the upfront cash to get the season started.  And, generally, it's a win for the consumer who will get more than their money's worth over the course of the season.

However, for a family on a tight budget, paying for the whole season's worth of produce in the spring can pose a challenge.  For families who qualify, GardenShare's "Bonus Bucks" will offer a subsidy of $50 on CSA shares costing $200 or less and $100 for shares that cost more than that.

To qualify, the total gross yearly income of all household members cannot exceed the following levels:

                Household of          1              Income of                $30,000

                                                2                                              $37,000

                                                3                                              $44,000

                                                4                                              $51,000

                                                5 or more                                 $58,000

An income-eligible household would then select one of the following farms. Each farm is a little different with different prices, various pick-up locations and times, and a different number of weeks included in the share.  So it is important for the consumer to pick the farm that works best for their household.  After selecting a farm, the household submits an application to the farm with payment for their share of the cost.  The farmer will give the application to GardenShare for reimbursement of the subsidy portion.

CSA Farms taking part in the program include:

                Birdsfoot Farm, Canton, 315-386-4852

                Bittersweet Farm, Heuvelton, 315-344-0443

                Fullers Farm, Canton 315-379-1412

                Kent Family Growers, Lisbon, 315-212-7502

                littleGrasse Foodworks, Canton, 315-386-3513

                Steps 2 Grow, Ogdensburg, 315-394-0597

                Whitten Family Farm, Winthrop, 315-328-5559

This program is generously supported by Price Chopper's Golub Foundation, Stewarts, Potsdam Youth Philantrhopy Council, Corning, and individual GardenShare supporters.

For more information on this or other GardenShare programs, visit www.gardenshare.org

New "Meal Gap" research

Feeding America released new meal gap research earlier this month.  This work identifies both the food insecurity rate by county for the entire country and the meal gap, or unmet need for food.

Bad news for St. Lawrence County - the food insecurity rate has risen from 13.6% of the population to 14.8% or 16,610 people who do not always know where their next meal is coming from.  A third of those who are food insecure have incomes too high to qualify for federal assistance, like SNAP (formerly called food stamps) or free meals at school.

The only counties in New York state with similar food insecurity rates are our neighbors in the North Country - Jefferson and Franklin Counties - and the Counties that make up New York City.

Go here for an interactive map that lets you click on any state, county, or Congressional district in the country for local data.

Farm manager part-time help wanted

St. Lawrence University is looking for someone with organic farming practices experience, preferably a local farmer, who could supervise the student workers and the Sustainability Semester farm on a very part time and temporary basis this summer and possibly into the fall.  The current manager is moving on and SLU needs someone temporarily while they do a search to fill the position with a permanent hire.  More details and how to apply follows: 

Duration: Temporary Position, 10-14 weeks beginning the week of July 1, 2015

Salary: $40/hour

Work Schedule: 6-10 hours per week spread between a minimum of 2 days per week

St. Lawrence University Sustainability Semester is seeking a temporary farm/site manager for its Sustainability Semester site. For more and specific information on the Sustainability Semester, please go to http://www.stlawu.edu/academics/experience/sustainability-semester.

Qualifications:

·         Experience managing a vegetable farm employing organic practices

·         Experience raising chickens

·         Experience with and ability to use farm equipment and machinery

·         Experience managing/teaching/supervising undergraduate students

·         Must live locally (within one hour drive to the site)

·         Ability to lift at least 50 pounds and engage in the physical activity of garden maintenance and harvest

Duties:

·         Oversee the maintenance and harvest of the Sustainability Semester gardens/orchard and site including chickens through supervision of student interns and workers providing assistance (including some physical labor) as needed. This includes maintaining the summer work plan and schedule (created by the previous Homesteader-In-Residence) for the summer and creating a work plan and schedule for fall harvest as needed.

·         Must be physically present on site a minimum of 6 hours a week spread between a minimum of 2 days per week

·         Supervision of student interns June-August includes weekly one on one meetings with each student 

·         Good communication including a minimum of every other week meetings with the Director of the Sustainability Semester and weekly check-ins with the student manager

·         Willingness to be on call daily in case of a crop/site/animal emergency

Interested applicants must apply online at http://employment.stlawu.edu uploading required materials which are defined in the “special instructions to applicant” section.  Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.  Questions about the position may be directed to Dr. Cathy Shrady, Director of the Outdoor Program, at cshrady@stlawu.edu.

All offers of employment are contingent upon the finalist successfully passing a background (including criminal records) check.

St. Lawrence University is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  For additional information about St. Lawrence, please visit http://www.stlawu.edu.

New dietary guidelines - take action

The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) has just submitted their updated recommendations to the U.S. Secretaries of Health and Human Services and Agriculture.

This little known activity happens every five years, but this year, something different came out in their report!

Two things, actually...

• The report addresses questions of inequitable access to healthy food, dietary disparities between racial and ethnic groups, and the challenges to food security among lower income populations, and,
• Sustainability - The report says, “Meeting current and future food needs will depend on two concurrent approaches: altering individual and population dietary choices and patterns and developing agricultural and production practices that reduce environmental impacts and conserve resources….”

The Secretary of Agriculture is getting pressure from the food industry and some members of Congress to reject the sustainability portion of the report.

What can you do?  Before May 8, write to the Secretaries of Agriculture and Health and Human Services and urge them to accept the recommendations in total!

More on the subject in Mark Winne's blog.

Sign on to a letter to the Secretaries here.

Read the report and offer comments here.

Success Strategies for Local Food Procurement

New report highlights how local foods facilitate community health, unique educational opportunities, and stronger local economies

Communities across the country are creating innovative and effective ways to procure locally produced foods – schools, hospitals, food banks, and other institutions are partnering with farmers, distributors, and community organizations to bring more local food to community members’ plates.  Exploring Economic and Health Impacts of Local Food Procurement, a report by the Illinois Public Health Institute and Crossroads Resource Center, highlights practical, effective strategies for communities to add locally sourced food to their institutional food systems; recommends ways to conceptualize and measure economic and health impacts; suggests effective funding strategies; and includes Critical Analysis of Economic Impact Methodologies, which discusses the literature on the economic impact of local foods. 

Case studies share insights from food system leaders in school districts, food banks, healthcare facilities, health departments, food distributors, cooperatives, entrepreneurs, and food service companies.

• Leaders in Southern Arizona are making farmers’ markets accessible to low-income residents; increasing local food procurement by a food bank; creating a flourishing school garden; and providing job training and business development opportunities to low-income residents.
• Through the efforts and partnerships between growers, food distributors, a local hospital system, the health department, a cooperative grocery store, and school districts, communities in Southwest Wisconsin have created innovative distribution initiatives to increase local food procurement by several institutions.
• In Jefferson County, Kentucky, the Farm-to-Table initiative brokered more than $1.5 million in local food sales in just four years.
• In Burlington, Vermont, the school district has made pioneering efforts to build a comprehensive local food curriculum that links with farm to school efforts, and a local hospital system is serving local foods in its cafeterias and hosts community gardens and educational programming.
• In San Diego County, California, the farm to school program is collaborating with partners to create a sustainable approach to bringing farm-fresh foods to local children. Through this collaboration, San Diego Unified School District has grown its local food purchasing from 2.5% of its food budget in 2010/2011 to 15% of its budget in 2013/2014.

**This study was funded by the National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI) through its Cooperative Agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

For more key findings from the study for local communities, click here.

Learn more by reading the Executive Summary and Full Report.

Feed the world or feed your community?

"According to Jean-Martin Fortier, it isn’t a farmer’s job to feed the world. And he finds it absurd that many U.S.-based food and agriculture companies tell farmers they should do so. “Feeding the world? People in Africa don’t need the U.S. to feed them.” What we need, the Canadian farmer argues, is small farms feeding their communities, and that task is difficult enough."

Full article: "Earn a Good Living without a Tractor"

POTSDAM FARMERS MARKETS OPEN IN MAY 9th

Shoppers can enjoy purchasing local goods at many area farmers markets, starting the second week of May.

The Potsdam Farmers' Market, behind the municipal lot near Ives Park, will kick off its outdoor season on Saturday, May 9th from 9AM to 2PM. There will be live music on opening day, including performances by two SUNY Potsdam a cappella groups at noon. The market runs each Saturday until October 31st.

The market offer in-season produce, meats, eggs, herbs, flowers and plants, maple syrup, honey, fresh baked goods, wine, natural bath and body products, jewelry, artwork and much more.

Debit and SNAP/EBT cards are accepted. Simply swipe your card at the manager's booth for Farmers' Market Tokens and spend them at vendor booths like cash.

“We look forward to getting back outdoors after the long winter” says market manager Laura Popielski. “It will be great to see familiar faces and welcome new shoppers as well!”

Other area markets will begin in either May or June.  Visit gardenshare.org/content/farmers-markets for a complete listing.