VT FEED News

Check out what FEED has been up to over the last year  

Secretary Vilsack Announces $25 Million for New School Food Service Equipment to Help Schools Improve the Quality of Meals

USDA releases Farm to School website 

The Child Nutrition Division of the USDA released a Farm to School Website in December, 2009. The websiet will feature information on how to start Farm to School activiites, how to purchase locally, policy updates, ideas for dealing with challenges, food safety, and more. 

 Join us for the 3rd Annual Jr. Iron Chef VT, March 27, 2010

Burlington School Food Project and Vermont FEED host the 3^rd annual Jr. Iron Chef VT

Are you a middle school or high school student looking to show your skills in the kitchen? Applications are now being accepted for the 3^rd annual Jr. Iron Chef VT. 

Jr. Iron Chef VT is hosted by the Burlington School Food Project and Vermont FEED as a statewide culinary competition that gives students an opportunity to gain hands-on experience preparing nutritious, farm-fresh foods. This experience will encourage students to make healthy eating choices and understand more about nutrition, local agriculture, the culinary arts and school food systems.

In this competition, teams of middle and high school students are invited to create delicious dishes using seasonal, local ingredients. Recipes should be replicable by school foodservice and will have a chance to be featured in school meals.  Three awards will be given in each age group: Best in Show, Most Creative, and Greatest Number/Best Use of Local Ingredients. 

Jr. Iron Chef VT will be held at the Champlain Valley Expo on Saturday, March 27^th, 2010 from 9:30 am - 3:30 pm.  Team slots are limited and applications will be accepted on a first-come, first serve basis.

All proceeds from the event will support statewide Farm-to-School initiatives led by Vermont FEED and the Burlington School Food Project.

 

Applications are now available at www.jrironchefvt.org.

 

 

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Growing Farm to School in Vermont

Vermont FEED Fall 2009 Newsletter

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Fuel Up to Play 60 Mini Grants Now Available

Through Vermont Action for Healthy Kids 
 
Vermont Action for Healthy Kids announces funding for six grants to implement the Fuel Up to Play 60 program. Fueled by the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans' Food Groups to Encourage and an easy to follow Play 60 message, Fuel Up Play 60 is a FREE school wellness program to help empower your students to lead the way to eating right and staying active.

Schools in Vermont may apply for $750 in funding to implement healthy eating and physical activity action strategies and a wellness promotion kickoff event using the Fuel Up to Play 60 Wellness Activation Kit.

Schools must be enrolled in the Fuel Up to Play 60 program in order to apply.

If you don’t already have a copy of the Wellness Activation Kit, sign up for your FREE kit at www.FuelUpToPlay60.com
Deadline to apply is December 4, 2009. Grants will be awarded December 11, 2009.

 
For further information and to apply, or click here <http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=qjc8xsDDGcRoqvPvv2_2bVBA_3d_3d>  to apply or visit www.actionforhealthykids.org <http://take.actionforhealthykids.org/site/Clubs?club_id=1210&amp;pg=main>  

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 Vermont FEED and the The Upper Valley Farm to School Network co-sponsored a successful workshop

              

Over 90 teachers, food service workers, parents, Farm to School coordinators and farmers – from 22 schools in New Hampshire and Vermont – participated in the afternoon event on April 16, 2009 at the Billings Farm and Museum in Woodstock, Vermont.  Panelists provided insights into the many faces of Farm to School, and the different approaches that schools can take to connect local food and farms to the school cafeteria, community and classroom.  A 6-station taste test provided hands-on learning – and created many of the side dishes for the fabulous local dinner.  Workshops focused on school gardens, cafeteria, nutrition and integrating local farm themes into the curriculum.

 

A major theme of the workshop evaluations was that there is a real demand for more opportunities for Farm to School practitioners to connect with each other. Plans are underway to do just that.

 

See: www.UVFTS.org for more information on the workshop and follow-up opportunities.

 

 

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Jr. Iron Chef Winning Teams ~ March 2009

Most Creative: Chefs of the Hearth, Patella Home School, Burlington;
Veggie Burgers

Best and Most Use of Local Ingredients: Onion City Aiolers, Winooski Dept. of Recreation; Johnny Cake Pakoras with Maple Apple Chutney

Best of Show: Hannaford’s Top Chefs, Hunt Middle School, Burlington;
New England Harvest One Pot Meal


High School:

Most Creative: Champlain Valley Union HS Chefhawks; Green Pizza
and Apples

Best and Most Use of Local Ingredients: Healthy City, Burlington HS; Polenta Pizza

Best of Show: Hakuna Matata Team, Twin Valley HS, Wilmington;
Veggie Huevos Mullenos



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2009 Farm to School Grant Recipients

Implementation Grants:

Dover Elementary School East Dover, VT
Lawrence Barnes Elementary School Burlington, VT
Albany Community School Albany, VT
Sharon Elementary Sharon, VT
Harwood Union Middle/High School South Duxbury, VT
Thetford Academy Thetford, VT
State Street School Windsor, VT

Planning Grants:

Mount Anthony Union Middle School East Dover, VT
Richmond Elementary School Burlington, VT
Cabot School Albany, VT
Randolph Elementary School Sharon, VT

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Hartland Elementary School Recieves National Farm to School Award!
Watch Vermont Initiatives Recognized Nationally

News in and Around Vermont

Food Access Fund Established: Local Food and Collaborative Efforts

to Feed a Community
The Center for an Agricultural Economy
www.hardwickagriculture.org

The Town That Food Saved
Hardwick’s economic future was dim, until a chain of events turned it into
one of the most important food towns in America.
Gourmet Magazine, October 2008

Uniting Around Food to Save an Ailing Town
The New York Times, October 2008

National News

Having a Field Day
On visits to Cohasset farm, hundreds of students escape
the indoors for hands-on education.
The Boston Globe, October 2008

Pint-Size Eco Police, Making Parents Proud and Sometimes Crazy
The New York Times, October 2008