Farm to School: Setting the Table for Wellness is a place for schools, camps, students, farms, parents and others interested in local economy and children’s health to network, learn new tools to bring fresh local foods into cafeterias and curriculum, and weave local food and farms into wellness policies.
The daylong gathering provides plenty of time for learning from each other, and a special exhibit area for farmers who offer interesting educational opportunities and products perfect for cafeteria meals, snacks, and fundraisers.
Setting the Table for Wellness will present:
 Real-life Examples Tools for Success Networking Opportunities
Wellness Policy Assistance Fabulous Local Food
Setting the Table for Wellness will focus on ways schools and camps can
merge farm-to-school ideas with wellness policies to build broad support, and
make sure they continue even if an inspired food service director or teacher
leaves a particular school.
What’s a wellness policy? School systems that accept federal lunch dollars
must have such policies, from eliminating junk food in vending machines to
setting goals for purchasing local food and building learning gardens.
But any camp or school can create a wellness policy, regardless of federal
funds. The policy brings diverse people together to brainstorm about ways to
promote wellness, and to review progress each year.
After a morning packed with presentations, participants will brainstorm and
share experiences with their regional colleagues. Wellness Champions from
each school or camp will discuss best ideas they can take home to shape policy and take action. |
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Food Service Directors
School and Camp Cooks
School Board Members
Teachers
Administrators
Parents
PTO Members
Fundraiser Groups
Students
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School Nurses
School Health and Wellness Policy Teams
After-school Coordinators
Health Advocates
Food Businesses
Farmers
Garden Organizations
Funders |
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FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE: SEND A TEAM |
Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District’s Coordinated School Health Education Program will help teams of school Wellness Champions attend Setting the Table for Wellness. It offers scholarships for public and private school systems that send teams. Assistance is available for systems in Antrim, Benzie, Charlevoix, Emmet, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Leelanau, Lake, Manistee, Mason, Mecosta, Missaukee, Osceola, and Wexford Counties.
The scholarships pay for:
Registration fees for one student and six additional team members, if the system’s team includes a student, teacher, principal, food service director, cook, school board member, and parent. That's a $175 value! Ideally, teams will include several teachers—such as science, social studies, health, and culinary arts—plus superintendents or other district-wide administrators; after-school coordinators; and school nurses and social workers. Consider representing multiple school buildings; different buildings may have unique opportunities, such as greenhouse space. Invite someone from a supportive organization or agency, too! Send a big team that will return home ready to work smart for children’s health!
Reimbursement for substitute teachers and substitute cooks when teams send at least one teacher and one cook. One substitute teacher and cook per school building, please. Contact Laurie Bassett of TBA-ISD for reimbursements at lbassett@tbaisd.k12.mi.us.
CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS: SB-CEUS available for school teachers, administrators, counselors, and food service directors. |
SPONSORSHIP AND EXHIBIT OPPORTUNITIES |
| We offer many sponsorship opportunities. Exhibit space costs $75; we welcome farms and companies with locally grown products or learning opportunities. Please click here for more information or contact Diane Conners (diane@mlui.org or 231-941-6584 ext. 16). Sponsorships and exhibit space are on a first-come, first-served basis. The deadline is Feb. 1, 2010. |
| The Grand Traverse Resort & Spa offers hotel rooms starting at $99 per night (plus tax and resort fee) for participants who stay between Friday 3/12 and Thursday 3/18, on a general first-come/first-served basis. There also are a small number of studio condominiums available on the water for $89 per night--reserve soon if you are interested. Call 800-968-3752 and mention the Farm to School conference, or go on line to grandtraverseresort.com, scroll down and enter the group code F2S2010. |
| Contact the Michigan Land Use Institute at 231-941-6584. Judy Cunningham (judy@mlui.org or ext. 10) has registration information; Diane Conners (diane@mlui.org or ext. 16) has sponsor, exhibit, and other conference information. |
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Keynote Speaker
Anthony Geraci is Director of Food and Nutrition for Baltimore City Public Schools. His pioneering school lunch program features locally grown fruits and vegetables and an agri-science program in which students grow food for
schools and restaurants. Students help design Tony’s school menus, which teaches them about good nutrition and their community. His innovative, award-winning food service program attracts national attention, including a visit from assistant White House chef Sam Kass and the deputy chief of staff at the U.S. Department of Education, plus coverage by ABC Nightly News, The Washington Post, Gourmet Magazine, and The Atlantic.
Create a regional Farm-to-School Cookbook!
Attention food service directors, cooks, dieticians, and other good food lovers! Help create a Setting the Table for Wellness Farm-to-School Cookbook.
Share healthy recipes that feature locally grown food, and that work well in a cafeteria setting
Think entrees, soups, side dishes, salads, and snacks
Provide timesaving tips for preparing and serving fresh food in the cafeteria
Reveal how you entice students to try new menu items or get more involved
Please submit these recipes and ideas by March 1, 2010 to Diane Conners at diane@mlui.org |
Benzie County Central Schools
Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department
Elk Rapids Public Schools
Frankfort-Elberta Area Schools
Glen Lake Community Schools
Grand Traverse Area Catholic Schools
Grand Traverse County Health Department
Grand Vision
Head Start of Northwest Michigan
Community Action Agency
Health and Youth Working Group,
Food and Farm Network
Michigan Land Use Institute
Michigan State University
MSU Extension
Munson Healthcare
Northern Michigan Diabetes Initiative
Northport Public Schools
Northwest Michigan Food and Farming Network
Suttons Bay Public Schools
Traverse City Area Public Schools
Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District |
SPECIAL DISCOUNT: NATIONAL CONFERENCE |
TAKING ROOT: 5TH NATIONAL FARM TO CAFETERIA CONFERENCE
Marriott Renaissance Center
Detroit, Michigan
May 17 - 19, 2010
A $25 discount is available for a limited number of Farm to School: Setting the Table for Wellness participants! After you register for Setting the Table for Wellness you will receive information about how to register for Taking Root with the discount.
About Taking Root
Farm to Cafeteria programs are taking root in schools, hospitals, colleges, daycare centers, and other institutions. The 5th National Farm to Cafeteria Conference will expand lessons learned at Setting the Table For Wellness, and show how you can start and scale up a program in your community. There’s more at www.farmtocafeteria.org.
Join us for trips to local farms, school lunchrooms and processing facilities; workshops on issues such as federal and state policy, experiential education, sustainability and economic development and sessions geared towards youth, producers and food service providers.
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Download the full conference program here
8:00 a.m. Registration and Exhibits
8:30 a.m. Welcome
8:45 a.m. Keynote Address by Anthony Geraci
“Making Good, Wholesome Nutrition Come
Alive in Every School Building.”
10:00 a.m. Stretch Break
10:15 a.m. Panel: New Tools for Farm-to-School
Learn about:
A hot-off-the press K-12 garden curriculum tied to Michigan teaching standards
A new Michigan manual that helps farms sell to schools
A new, national, on-line toolbox for food service directors
New state and federal policies that help schools purchase or serve locally grown foods
An online, regional directory of farms with products for school and camp cafeterias, fundraisers, and educational opportunities
11:15 a.m. Panel: Farm-to-School Successes in Northwest Michigan.
Learn about:
Ideas for early childhood education, such as
Head Start
Sourcing local foods through a distributor
Fresh food preparation and marketing strategies
Food and farm classroom ideas
Student involvement
Noon Network and Lunch: Eat fabulous food
and meet local food exhibitors!
1:15 p.m. Wellness Policies
Integrating farm-to-school goals, fresh food, and
nutrition into wellness policies
1:30 p.m. Structured Networking
Brainstorm and share with colleagues from the
region: Teachers with teachers, parents with
parents, students with students, food service
directors with food service directors, etc.
Concurrent session for farmers: New farm-to-school
manual, in-depth
2:30 p.m. Planning for Wellness
Team brainstorming by Wellness Champions on
shaping policy back home—and taking action
Concurrent session for farmers: Brainstorming on
making more farm-to-school business connections
3:30 p.m. Closing remarks |
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