SENATE BUDGET HELPS FOOD PROGRAMS

The fiscal 2018 budget that the Senate passed last week could make moot the $10 billion in cuts to agriculture programs that were in the House version - a move that makes passage of the next farm bill easier. Backers of SNAP had been bracing for the prospect that the House spending cuts would be squarely aimed at welfare programs including food stamps. But the Senate version does not include the $203 billion in spending reductions the House had incorporated. The House and Senate need to pass identical budgets if Republicans want to fast-track the budget and avoid hammering out differences in the two versions over weeks and weeks in conference committee. There is a lot of pressure on the House to adopt the Senate version so that lawmakers can get onto the business of tax reform.  But SNAP may still be in bull's-eye: For instance, Rep. Mark Walker - who supports the House's proposed cuts to welfare and entitlement programs - asked GOP leaders to commit to separate votes on a balanced budget amendment and other deficit-reduction legislation.

Source: Politico, 10/23/17, Senate Budget

AmeriCorps year comes to an end

It's hard to believe, but a year has come and gone since AmeriCorps VISTA Brianna Blackburn joined us.  Her last day is this Friday!  She shared these thoughts on her time with GardenShare...

"A year has come and gone, and I find my VISTA service term at GardenShare is coming to a close. I reflect back on the growth I have experienced both personally and professionally, the friends I have made in the St. Lawrence community, along with the challenges and highs that come from serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA.

"When I was first hired on at GardenShare I felt embarrassingly ill prepared for the work I was about to do. I had no idea that I was going to become an anti-hunger expert overnight. During the course of a year I not only became fully immersed in my role as an anti-hunger professional, I also became personally invested in food justice issues and the local food movement. My work as a VISTA—creating a youth education program, spreading awareness and advocacy for local food security issues, and helping strengthen the local food economy—has influenced me greatly and has made me forever passionate about local food and food justice.

"Enduring some of the hardships that come from being an AmeriCorps VISTA and living on a humbling bi-weekly stipend can really make for a challenging and growing experience. Seeing the change made in the community through my role at GardenShare has made my work as a VISTA so worthwhile. The most gratifying of all my experiences at GardenShare has been developing a youth education program built on nutrition and food justice lessons. I had the wonderful opportunity to bring my program into several local classrooms. By far the most rewarding and impactful moments during my year at GardenShare was being approached by a student after our discussion on local food systems and being thanked “for telling us about everything at a young age so we can help the future.”

"As I prepare to continue my AmeriCorps journey, this time as a VISTA Leader working on different social justice issues, I find myself looking into ways I can contribute and implement what I have learned serving at GardenShare to help build a stronger local food system in Honolulu where I will be calling home for the next year. Thank you to the wonderful team at GardenShare for this amazing experience and thank you for the warm hospitality shown to me by the St. Lawrence community. The North Country will forever hold a piece of my heart."

Help end the stigma by telling your story

These days as many as half of all households in the United States will rely on assistance from the government at some point, just for basic necessities like food.

For most, it will be a short-term need brought about by a job loss or a health issue.  And yet, we, as a society often stigmatize these folks, who just need a little help to get over some short term challenge in their lives.

Help us end the stigma by sharing your story!  Go here to answer a few questions.  You can do it anonymously.  Let us tell your story!

RESCUING FOOD WASTE

Two-thirds of residential food waste in Denver, Nashville, and New York City is edible,  while 68 million more meals could be donated to people in need annually in these same cities according to a new reports from The Natural Resources Defense Council and the Rockefeller Foundation. They found that the average person tossed more than 3.5 pounds of food per week, two-thirds of which was edible. The top reason for tossing food was that it was moldy or spoiled, followed by people not wanting to eat leftovers. In all three cities, coffee, milk, apples, bread, potatoes, and pasta were in the top ten tossed edible foods and the residential sector was the top waste producer (in Nashville, residential was tied with the restaurant sector). They identified the retail grocery sector as the largest untapped potential for increasing food donations, but hotels, healthcare, universities, and schools also have strong potential.

Source: Food Tank,  10/24/17,  Food Waste

Farm to School making a difference in Hermon Dekalb!

Here's an update from farm-to-school coordinator Renee Smith on what's happening with the program at Hermon DeKalb Central School:

"Last year we started the Farm to School program with little energy.  Most people didn't think it would work with 62.7% of our students receiving free or reduce lunches.  We started with apples, maple syrup, beef and pork sausages.  The children loved it!!  Then in September we introduced the salad bar.  We have local artisan lettuce and local salad fixings.  The first week only a handful of students even tried it.  By the second week, teachers were buying their lunches and more and more students were enjoying the salad bar.  On  October 1st we reached 92 salads (students only) in one day. Hermon Dekalb only has 400 students K-12 and the salad bar is only for grades 6-12!  We are reaching our students and they are enjoying real food! We have 15 year old boys eating from the salad bar and their plates are full.  Its because of farmers like you who are making a difference, we can offer your amazing product to our kids!"

Call to action - Help GardenShare preserve our AmeriCorps VISTA positions

GardenShare has had a full-time AmeriCorps VISTA position for the last year.  These volunteers commit to a year of service and receive a small living stipend for this commitment.  GardenShare’s volunteers have come through Hunger Free America’s Anti-Hunger Opportunity Corps (AHOC).  AHOC absorbs most of the administrative work and costs, making it possible for a small organization like GardenShare to have one of these full-time positions.

Unfortunately, we have recently learned that this program will be discontinued late next year.  GardenShare’s current volunteer will be with us until the end of August, but there will not be funding for another position after that time.

The AHOC AmeriCorps VISTA is funded mostly by USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), with the educational awards funded by the federal Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS).  Matching funds for staff time and VISTA trainings have been provided by the Walmart Foundation, and remaining matching funds coming from host sites, including GardenShare. 

Hunger Free America has raised with USDA and CNCS the possibility of them reversing their decision, but it seems unlikely that will happen without outside pressure.  Hunger Free America has issued an open invite to USDA to visit any sites in the nation at any time to see the good work being accomplished. They have also asked private funders if they can step up to fund more of this, but that’s a long shot.

What you can do to help - ask for re-consideration this decision by contacting Secretary of Agriculture Perdue, and/or your two U.S. Senators and one U.S. House Representative.  Here is the contact information:

The Honorable Sonny Perdue

Secretary

US Department of Agriculture

1400 Independence Ave., S.W.
Washington, DC 20250

The Honorable Chuck Schumer

100 South Clinton Street, Room 841
Syracuse, NY 13261
Phone: (315) 423-5471
Fax:  (315) 423-5185

https://www.schumer.senate.gov/contact/email-chuck

The Honorable Kirsten Gillibrand

US Senate

PO Box 273
Lowville, NY 13367
Tel. (315) 376-6118
Fax (315) 376-6118

https://www.gillibrand.senate.gov/contact/email-me

The Honorable Elise Stefanik

Member of Congress

88 Public Square  Suite A

Watertown, NY 13601

Phone: (315) 782-3150
Fax: (315) 782-1291

https://stefanik.house.gov/contact/email

Key points to make in your communication:

• ·         Your connection to the issue – volunteer, concerned donor, or other relationship.
• ·         The challenges faced in rural and remote communities like St. Lawrence County.  Go here for some facts and figures.
• ·         The difference AmeriCorps VISTA’s make to GardenShare – volunteer recruitment, farmers market promotion, SNAP outreach, and summer food for children.
• ·         Encourage them to re-consider this decision and restore funding to AHOC or find another way to support rural and remote agencies like GardenShare.

As background, you may find it helpful to review this op-ed Joel Berg from Hunger Free America wrote on why conservatives should love AmeriCorps:  http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/economy-budget/324731-why-americorps-is-a-program-republicans-should-love

(Keep in mind that our VISTAs themselves cannot be involved in any way in any of this lobbying/persuasion, nor can anyone else do so on government-funded time.)

2017 Farmer/Producer Mini Grant

The Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA) is seeking proposals for grants ranging between $500-$2000 that will address gaps in the local food supply chain and infrastructure. Often schools have limited kitchen infrastructure and/or distribution needs related to sourcing local products that create hurdles when implementing Farm to School cafeteria procurement programs. We are offering grants to both local farmers and to any producer/entrepreneur interested in supplying a school participating in the Drive for 25 Farm to School Program.

Visit Adirondack.org/Drivefor25 for a map of participating schools. Applications for Competitive Grants should include:
- Contact: A primary contact, name, e-mail, job title, business name, and phone number
- Farm(s)/Business Description: Briefly describe your farm(s)/food business and the products produced. (approx. 200 words)
- School Buyer(s): The names of the school(s) you plan to supply and description of the existing relationship
- Current Farm to School and/or Food Processing Efforts: A short narrative summary of your current efforts and interest level in the Farm to School market. This should include the kinds of products and forms (whole, peeled, frozen, etc) you supply. (approx. 200 words)
- Plan: A short narrative summary of what you plan to do and why it’s important to this market. Describe how the funding will be used to address minimal processing, delivery, and seasonality of local food. Explain the anticipated increase in local food sales to schools. (approx.. 20-100 words)
- Costs: A list of material/project costs noting mini-grant funds and any matching funds or inkind investments
- Goals: A short explanation of how this funding will help you jump start supplying schools in the Drive for 25, and how you plan to continue those efforts after this funding is used. (200- 500 words).
- Reporting: A commitment to sending ANCA a brief report of how funds were spent and any observed impacts on your Farm to School supply goals.

Applications are due no later than November 6, 2017. Applicants will be informed of our decisions no later than November 30th, 2017. Please submit your application to Josh Bakelaar, jbakelaar@adirondack.org.