An Informative Farm-to-School Roundtable in St. Paul

I had the opportunity this week to participate in a roundtable discussion and tour of the St. Paul Schools’ Nutrition Services center. Joining me were local school foodservice professionals and members of the farming, distribution and non-profit community who are working to expand Farm-to-School programs in Minnesota.

The St. Paul Farm-to-School program is part of a rapidly expanding effort by school districts throughout the country to purchase locally grown food from small and mid-size farmers. Farm-to-School programs link children and local farms through cafeterias and classrooms. The programs educate kids about where and how their food is grown while introducing them to healthier, fresher foods. The programs also provide new opportunities for farms targeting local markets.

The Minnesota School Nutrition Association and the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy are partnering to spearhead Farm-to-School efforts with districts across the state. St. Paul Public Schools featured a dozen local fruits and vegetables in school lunches during the first six weeks of this school year alone. During that time, St. Paul schools purchased 110,000 pounds of locally-grown produce. An impressive 56 percent of the district's total fresh produce purchases were local products. Also, listen to a Public Service News report on my visit here.  

USDA has recently created a Farm-to-School Tactical Team to travel across the country to work with local and state authorities, school districts and community partners to gather and disseminate information on infrastructure and best practices for procuring local produce and implementing farm to school activities. The team is planning several visits in the weeks to come, and I look forward to reviewing their findings. 

Join me today at 3pm ET for a live Facebook chat about Farms to School efforts and the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food initiative. 

Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Kathleen Merrigan

Permalink  |  Posted: 10:07AM Nov 05, 2009 by USDAblogger in USDA Web Site  |  Add Your Comment Here [0]

Merrigan Highlights Successful Farm-to-School Programs

When we rolled out the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food initiative back in September, a special highlight for me was the announcement of the Farm-to-School Tactical Teams.  Through the leadership of Congress and the 2008 Farm Bill, schools can now use federal dollars to support their local farmers all the while providing students with fresh, wholesome foods that taste like they came from just around the corner (because they did!). 

My excitement stems from the fact that I understand just how important a farm-to-school program can be.  It can better connect children with their food and inspire an appreciation for agriculture and the land; it can provide a market for farmers and co-ops looking for continuity and stability; and it can generate wealth within a community and, more importantly, keep it there.

Yesterday I wrote about the Independence Community School District in northeastern Iowa and the success they’ve had in bringing local foods into their schools.  Well, the connection between the school district and farmers didn’t happen overnight, and today I’d like to talk about some folks who were central to connecting local farmers to schools in another part of the country.

The New North Florida Cooperative (NNFC) has assisted farmers with networking and management skill while working with school employees on menu planning, procurement, and fresh produce storage and preparation.  While there are certainly a lot of dots to connect, their efforts have paid off: more than one million students have been served fresh, local foods in 72 school districts!

This worked because of NNFC’s commitment to working with both farmers and school food service professionals.  It’s already hard enough to get kids to eat fresh greens, but unless there’s someone to wash them, chop them, and incorporate them into a tasty meal, that feat is impossible.  While there’s only one NFFC, the USDA’s tactical team will play a similar role in helping communities around the country bridge the gap between local farmers and students.

Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan 

Permalink  |  Posted: 04:42PM Nov 04, 2009 by USDAblogger in USDA Web Site  |  Add Your Comment Here [2]

Fighting for Family Farmers at Farm Aid 2009

Family farmers from throughout the country descended into St. Louis over the weekend for the 24th annual Farm Aid Conference. Stars including Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp, and Dave Mathews were on hand to shine a spotlight on the struggles that small- and mid-sized farmers face.

Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan was on hand to highlight the Obama Administration's commitment to supporting family farms. She spoke about how various USDA initiatives, including Rural Tour being led by Secretary Vilsack, 'Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food,' and the Recovery Act, are helping producers and rural communities throughout the country.

Despite the challenges that many farmers are currently facing, there was a genuine sense of optimism from the attendees because they sensed there were also great opportunities.

As Merrigan spoke, there was great enthusiasm for the new 'Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food' initiative as Farm Aid seeks to rebuild local food systems and better connect producers with consumers.

"Farmers face overwhelming challenges as they work each day to put food on our tables, and Farm Aid's ongoing efforts on behalf of family farmers have helped put a human face on this vocation," said Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan. "At the same time, there is a bright future for small- and mid-sized producers because there is an agricultural renaissance taking place in America. More and more consumers are wanting to better connect with their producers, and USDA's new 'Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food' initiative helps to accomplish that goal," said Merrigan.

Permalink  |  Posted: 12:12PM Oct 07, 2009 by USDAblogger in USDA Web Site  |  Add Your Comment Here [0]

Rural Tour Visits California’s Central Valley

Secretary Vilsack meets with business owners and United Farm Workers

Today, Secretary Vilsack and Deputy Secretary Merrigan met with leaders and members of the United Farm Workers at Monterey Mushroom, a company located on the edge of California’s Silicon Valley. The roundtable discussion involving 27 workers and eight growers is part of USDA’s ongoing effort to communicate with disadvantaged and underserved communities. The meeting began with a moment of silence for farm worker champion, Senator Ted Kennedy.

As Shah Kazemi, CEO of Monterey Mushroom, spoke about the contributions of workers to the success of his company, the growers in attendance nodded their heads in agreement. Mr. Kazemi highlighted the need for highly skilled workers and the investments his company made in its employees through extensive training. The result is a mutually beneficial relationship between the workers and employer and a low rate of turnover. Secretary Vilsack said during the meeting, “without workers you don’t have companies and without companies you don’t have workers” to emphasize the importance of partnerships in the agricultural industry.

A thirty-four year employee of Monterey Mushroom, Rogelio Lona, spoke about the great pay and benefits he receives from his employer. But, he shared his concern for “other workers who are paid much less and suffer under the sun without shade and water.” Secretary Vilsack took careful notes throughout the meeting and thanked the farm workers for their commitment and sacrifice they make to feed this nation. Jim Cochran, President of Swanson Berry Farm, stood before the group and said, "I am almost speechless to hear from a Secretary of USDA who understands our concerns and wants to work with growers and workers to find solutions." Mr. Cochran added, "Mr. Vilsack, now I know why you are Secretary of USDA."

The meeting concluded with photographs of the workers with the Secretary and Deputy Secretary and UFW President Arturo Rodriguez.

Permalink  |  Posted: 09:10AM Aug 31, 2009 by USDAblogger in USDA Web Site  |  Add Your Comment Here [3]