Rochester area educators, food service professionals, and administrators are invited to participate in an evening of brainstorming and collaboration to address and work on creative solutions to a problem that is relatively unique to this generation: how to empower our children to make informed food choices. Teachers from the Rochester area are invited to meet from 4 to 6:30pm on Thursday, February 17th at Rochester Contemporary Art Center (137 East Avenue, between Scio & Gibbs Sts) to engage in a guided brainstorming session to tackle this issue. We want to hear your voice!

Please RSVP to Derek Crowe (contact below) no later than Feb. 8th if you plan on attending.

THIS EVENT IS BEING SUBMITTED THROUGH THE RCSD HEALTH DEPTARTMENT TO COUNT TOWARD YOUR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT HOURS, PENDING REVIEW.

<< What is this?

Freshwise Farms, a social enterprise of Foodlink, is interested in establishing a farm to school program with Rochester area schools. Farm to school is a nation-wide movement that encourages small-scale, local action by bridging gaps between local farms and schools. It unites the community, cafeteria, and classroom by bringing students and lessons to farms while encouraging healthy eating by helping schools source food from local farmers.

We recognize that your input is necessary – this program cannot succeed without it. In the end, it will be the students who design and shape their farm to school program, so the first step in this process is hearing from you; the guardians of their education. You need no prior understanding of farm to school to participate in this evening. Your perspective as an educational professional is what we’re looking for – we need your expertise regarding current educational standards and ideal best practices for integrating agriculture, nutrition, and food systems awareness into our children’s education.

<< What to Expect

• You will be required to commit to attend the event on February 17th from 4:00 to 6:30pm.
• You will be invited to eat some delicious hors d’oeuvres.
• We will ask that you fill out a short bio sheet.  (to be distributed upon RSVP)
• You will be divided into teams of 6.
• You will experience the process of ideation, details of which will be explained soon! (it’s exciting, we promise)
• Your team will create a SHORT presentation outlining the problem as you see it and some of your ideas to be presented to the group.

<< Why Participate?

• Your ideas will have a real impact with social, educational, political and radical results. This evening is the initial phase in a long term plan for building a farm to school program in Rochester.  We will use your input to shape the next event; a charrette in which your students will have the opportunity to design the farm to school program.
• Tackle a real-world problem in a unique way.
• Hear farmers and farm-to-school experts from around the region talk about the problem.
• Be part of shaping the future of this region.
• Work with professionals from other schools in the area.
• Earn professional development hours. (pending review)

If you are interested in learning more, watch this video to explore more about farm to school or contact:

Derek Crowe at dcrowe@foodlinkny.org or (585) 328-3380 x157.

Be sure to watch this site for more updates! Also, if you have ideas or feedback for this event, just email Derek!

This event is called a charrette (pronounced [shuh-ret]), and consists of an intense design-based collaborative project. Charrettes serve as a way of quickly generating a design solution through interdisciplinary collaborative work, integrating the aptitudes and interests of a diverse group of people. You can go to http://www.vimeo.com/9541807 to access a video documenting a previous charrette on which this meeting structure/form will be based, hosted by COLAB at Syracuse University. *note: this video serves to outline the structiure of a charrette, we will not be discussing ‘bright flight’ at this event.

In early March, Rachel and I traveled to Washington, DC for the 2010 Anti-Hunger Policy Conference.  This is an annual gathering hosted by FRAC and Feeding America.   It’s a fantastic opportunity to network with anti-hunger advocates from across the country, including fellow food bankers.   As the keynote speaker, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack emphasized the USDA’s role in ensuring that every child in America has access to nutritious food.  He movingly spoke of his own experience as an orphan, and the ways in which food acted as a replacement for the comfort of family.  His words reminded us of the importance of food—beyond health and nutrition, our daily meals serve as a symbol of safety, of family and relationships, of stability.  A child who faces hunger, or is unsure of when his next meal will be, is robbed of more than just a full stomach.

Secretary Vilsack speaks about childhood hunger

Secretary Vilsack also took the opportunity to promote President Obama’s goal of ending childhood hunger by 2015, by identifying four critical national concerns that should serve as an impetus to reaching this monumental goal:

1.  Health Care Costs: Studies show that hungry children have greater odds of being hospitalized, and the average pediatric hospitalization costs approximately $12,000. In New York, childhood obesity costs the State $242 million in public and private medical expenses each year.

2. Education Reform: A report by Feeding America states that hungry children ages 0-3 years cannot learn as much, as fast, or as well because chronic undernutrition harms their cognitive development during this critical period of rapid brain growth, actually changing the fundamental neurological architecture of the brain and central nervous system. It is well-known that hungry or malnourished children perform worse in school because of lack of preparation and low concentration.

3. Economic Security: FA reports that workers who experienced hunger as children create a workforce pool that is less competitive, with lower levels of educational and technical skills, and seriously constrained human capital,” and that “Child hunger leads to greater absenteeism and turnover in the work environment, all of which are costly for employers. Child sick days are linked to parent employee absences, for instance.”

4. National Security: Currently, an astounding 75% of young Americans (18-24) are unfit for military service.  A leading cause of this “unfitness” is physical condition.  The rising number of young adults who experienced persistent hunger as a youth, or who had one of the chronic illnesses related to food insecurity listed above, has created a dearth of individuals we can rely on to serve and protect our nation.

In front of the Capitol Building. Rachel & I were sporting our "End Childhood Hunger: 2015" pins

The last day of the conference was spent on Capitol Hill.  Rachel and I visited our local representatives—Senators Schumer & Gillibrand, Congresswoman Slaughter, Congressman Lee and Congressman Maffei–to ask for their support for the WIC and Child Nutrition Act that is up for reauthorization this year.  For more information about Child Nutrition Reauthorization (CNR), visit www.frac.org.  Federal Child Nutrition Programs play a vital role in ending childhood hunger, thereby improving school performance, workforce development, national security and the overall health of our nation. Contact me to learn what you can do to help support CNR!

Be Well,

Julia

Director of Development  & Strategic Initiatives

Foodlink staff joined students, parents and health advocates yesterday at a rally outside the Rochester City School District’s central office to protest against school lunches and call for healthier, more nutritious food in city schools. The grassroots rally was held prior to the Rochester City School District Board of Education meeting to greet arriving Commissioners with a message about the importance of improving school food and student health. During the meeting, students from School 28 spoke about the need for better school food and demonstrated how current “school lunches are gross.” They appealed to the Board to consider the effect on test scores when bad food is thrown away and children are trying to learn on empty stomachs.

The Rochester City School District’s food-service contract with Chartwells is up for renewal in June, and Foodlink is working with advocates, parents, and students to ensure that the new contract ensures healthy and appealing food for our children. Simple steps including eliminating the option of whole milk or using whole grain options can make strides in improving health outcomes for children.

This event was part of the HEALTHI Kids (Healthy Eating and Active Living THrough policy and practice Initiatives for Kids) Initiative of Finger Lakes Health Systems Agency. HEALTHI Kids is a community-based coalition advocating for better school food and safer, more accessible areas of play.

To see video coverage of the event: “Students Bring ‘Food Fight’ to School Board Meeting”

Documentary made by students at School 28:  “Lunch is Gross”