Each year, USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) buys over $530 million and 1.1 billion pounds of frozen, processed, and fresh fruits and vegetables.  This healthy, American grown and  processed product helps feed millions of school children and is also distributed to food banks, disaster areas, and elsewhere it is needed. Visit the Commodity Procurement website, www.ams.usda.gov/commoditypurchasing to see what…

Check out the Farm Bill LTE from @HungerSolutions & @Mazon

Policies have been focused on pleasing special interests, not on helping those in need.

As leaders in the antihunger movement, we are disheartened when elected officials at both the state and national levels fail to prioritize common-sense solutions to meet the needs of hungry people in our communities.

At the state level, there were important achievements this session — increasing funding to…

Hello,

One of our summer camps wants to incorporate ethnic food taste testing into camp this year in their nutrition/PA section of camp.

Any ideas or suggestions around this is appreciated!

Thanks,

Kerry Ward

McLeod County SHIP Coordinator

You are invited to join a conference call with Senator Franken’s staff regarding SNAP and other nutrition programs in the Farm Bill. As you know, the Senate passed a five year farm bill on Monday (see press release below). The Senator’s DC and MN staff will give you an update on how nutrition programs were affected, including SNAP.

Friday, June 21, 11:30 am (central)

Call: 202-228-2663 OR 1-866-909-2663

Meeting ID:      …

As I dream of real summer weather, one of the things I look forward to most is picking strawberries with my little cousins at a pick-your-own farm near our family cabin up in Aitkin County. The first time we tried it, the kids were so excited we had to go back two times in one day and filled five ice cream gallon buckets with ruby red fruit, sweet and sun-warmed as we relished in harvesting that evening’s dessert.…

Event: Booksigning at Subtext Books

Location: 165 Western Ave N Saint Paul, Minnesota…

The Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA) is inviting proposals for the fall 2013 semester for it’s Community Based Research programs: the Kris Nelson Community Based Research Program (Nelson Program) and the Community Assistantship Program (CAP). Please distribute this information to community organizations you work with and believe could benefit from a research assistant. Students are paid by the programs for the assistantships, making them a good potential source of funding…

Registration is open for the Food Access Summit!

Register here: www.foodaccesssummit.com

Food Access Summit 2013: Developing Leaders for Food Policy

August 13-15, 2013 – Duluth Entertainment Convention Center

This statewide summit will develop leaders and provide food policy tools, training and action-oriented ideas to improve access to healthy foods for underserved…

Recent evidence that positively promotes the use of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

"USDA Economic Research Service researchers recently examined how the SNAP program affects the diets of participants. One finding that stands out is that SNAP increases the likelihood that…

Last minute call to join the Green Corps.

I appreciate "lessons learned" stories and tips on what you can do to improve.  Check out this article on food systems efforts.    What are some lessons you have learned and what we can do in addition to the suggestions in this article?

http://www.ecoliteracy.org/essays/lessons-learned-and-what-you-can-do-0

Summer is finally here and that means farmers markets across Minnesota are open for business. More and more markets now accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. The University of Minnesota Extension has created a website with of all the markets in Minnesota that accept SNAP/EBT: http://z.umn.edu/farmersmarkets

The website has a map of markets that accept SNAP/EBT and those that are participating in…

Paul Krugman address congress' attack on food stamps in a NY Times Op-Ed:

From the Mouths of Babes: 

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/31/opinion/from-the-mouths-of-babes.html?hp&_r=1&

A new community focused on early childhood and child care settings has been created...Check it out and join if you are interested in healthy food access and healthy eating for our youngest Minnesotans (ages 0-5). This could include care providers or directors, early childhood educators, professionals who work in early childhood, breastfeeding advocates, parents and more! Here's the link:…

JOIN US FOR A MINNESOTA FOOD CHARTER EVENT HOST WEBINAR! 

Wednesday, June 12, 2013 from 11:00…

ICYMI from Monday's STRIB:

"Please abandon these false notions that somehow these recipients are undeserving, unwilling to work," Nolan told his colleagues during an agriculture committee hearing. 
Read more at http://www.arcamax.com/currentnews/newsheadlines/s-1333456?fs#yDBtrMOu8KRsyDGI.99