Trivia Night - a FUNdraiser

Plan to join us on March 28 at 6:30 PM at the Parkview in Canton for Trivia Night.  The event is generously underwritten by our sponsors ProAct and Stauffer Farms.  Admission is $25 per person.  Bring your own team of four or we can match you up with a team.

Host Ellen Rocco will have family friendly questions in five categories and there will be fabulous prizes for the first and second place teams.


This event has sold out two years in a row!  So make your reservation soon by calling 315-261-8054 or e-mailing info@gardenshare.org!

Proceeds benefit GardenShare's work to build a food secure North Country.

Presented by:

US LAUNCHES EFFORT TO END CHILDHOOD HUNGER

USDA plans to award more than $27 million in grants to fund innovative projects designed help end childhood hunger Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced this week. The announcement was part of USDA efforts to focus on poverty and food insecurity among children, especially in rural areas. Projects will be tested in three states, as well as the Chickasaw and Navajo tribal nations. 

Kentucky will test the effect of providing households with children an additional transportation deduction that may increase their SNAP benefits. Nevada will test the relative impacts on SNAP households with children of (1) an increase in SNAP benefits, and (2) a SNAP increase plus additional outreach, education, and case management. Virginia will test the effect of providing (1) three school meals a day to all children in select schools during the school year, (2) food for weekends and school breaks, and (3) more resources for low-income households to purchase food during the summer months.

Source: USDA, 3/2/15, Ending Childhood Hunger

GOVERNMENT SUPPORT REDUCES CHILD POVERTY

According to the federal government’s official poverty rate, nearly 1/3 of America’s children (11.2 million) lived in poverty in 2011-13.  But that measure does not include the nation’s poverty-fighting programs like SNAP, tax credits, Social Security, and housing subsidies.  When analysts include government supports, the poverty rate among children drops to 18%. The earned income and child care tax credits have the greatest effect, reducing the poverty rate by nearly 8 percentage points. SNAP reduces the poverty rate by another 2 percentage points and affects over 2 million kids. In Connecticut, these programs reduce the child poverty rate by nearly 50% (from 25 to 13%) and affect 94,000 kids.

Source: Annie E. Casey Foundation, 2/27/15, Reducing Child Poverty

MORE CHILDREN EATING FRUIT IN SCHOOL

Changes made to government-subsidized school meals by the Obama administration to get children to eat more fruits are working, according to a new study by the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at UConn. The study found that between 2012, when the changes took effect, through 2014, the percentage of students choosing fruit on a cafeteria line increased to 66% from 54%. Perhaps more important, children threw away less food now than before. Students are now eating 84% of their entrees, not including fruit, up from 71% before the new guidelines were put in place, thus decreasing the amount of food waste. Many critics of the new guidelines had claimed that children were throwing food away because they were being forced to eat more nutritious, but less desirable, meals.

Source: New York Times, 3/5/15, Fruit in School

Farm to school updates

Farm to School Webinar next week:  Making change: How you can support farm to school policy this spring

Although the Child Nutrition Act (known as CNR) isn't set to expire until September 30, the action in D.C. is happening now, and we need your help. Join us to learn how farm to school legislation is progressing as part of CNR and what you can do to help make sure farm to school gets the support it needs from Congress! We will cover actions that anyone can take to join the effort and become an effective advocate for farm to school. The 20-minute presentation will be followed by a Q&A session. Register here. 

Take Action!

Tell Congress you support the Farm to School Act of 2015 by signing a letter of support as an individual or on behalf of your organization. The Farm to School Act of 2015 builds on the success of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 by proposing an increase in funding from $5 million to $15 million for the USDA Farm to School Grant Program. The bill would also ensure that the grant program fully includes preschools, summer food service sites, after school programs, and tribal schools and producers while improving program participation from beginning, veteran and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers. To learn more, download this fact sheet or visit farmtoschool.org/cnr2015. 

Request for Proposals for Native Agriculture & Food Systems Initiative Grants

First Nations Development Institute (First Nations) is now accepting proposals for its Native Agriculture & Food Systems Initiative (NAFSI). Through the generous support of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, First Nations plans to distribute up to eight grant awards averaging $26,000 to support projects that address food-system control, food insecurity and food deserts, with an emphasis on serving Native American children and families. Proposals are due March 25, 2015. More information can be found here. 

State Senate unveils "Grown in NY" plan

Senator Patty Ritchie, Chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, and members of the Senate Republican Conference today unveiled their new “Grown in New York” multi-part plan to help meet consumers’ demands for locally-grown food, support local farmers in their efforts to provide quality, fresh food, and strengthen rural communities.  This initiative will be included in the State Senate budget resolution.