1. Farmers, driven by market forces and increased fuel prices, will increasinly look for local food marketing opportunities. Currently there are is a minimal market for local foods in the ??School District.

2. Schools recognize that there is increasing scrutiny of the  foods offered through the schools with many complaints of poor quality. School foods face the challenge of providing  healthy foods on a minimal budget. While the federal government assists with reimbursement and commodity foods, this source does not provide economic stability nor guarantee healthy nutrititious meals. Local foods may provide a lower cost option while optimizing nutrition. Schools currently use a limited number of local foods, mostly confined to a few seasonal foods such as apples or potatoes. The ?? school districts are not part of a centralized kitchen and most (?) retain the equipment needed for cooking. This gives  our school districts the ability to tailor the local school menu to local foods.

1. Identify the demand for local foods in schools.

2. Establish connections between (3??) local school districts and local farmers

3. Increase students' interest in local foods by offering classroom programs.

4. Sponsor a local Farm to School conference to report and educate on the lessons learned.

5. Develop a plan of action that utilizes the information/lessons learned from the project to overcome the barriers to local food in local schools

 1. Survey and interview the school administration, teachers, students and school food service regarding the use of local food in schools to identify opportunites and barriers. Identify farmers who are willing to market to the local schools. (summer - fall 2008)

2.  Offer local food educational programs to local school districts including "Carrots in the Classroom" and "Farmer in the Classroom" programs. (October 2008 - May 2009)

3. Develop a listing of local food demand for each school district. (January 2009)

3. Host a farmer and school district food purchaser meeting where farmers learn what local food market is available and relationships are built to provide that food. (February 2009)

4.  Assess the ability of farmers to meet the demand and the challenges they face in meeting demand.  (July - October 2009)

5.  Farmers distribute food to schools (September - November 2009). 

6.  Offer local food educational programs to local school districts including "Carrots in the Classroom" and "Farmer in the Classroom" programs. (October 2009 - May 2010)

7.  Assess challenges and successes of food distribution by farmers and local food utilization by schools. October 2009 - January 2010)

8.  Host a one-day Farm to School summit for 10 school districts in central Wisconsin where participants in the project share successes and challenges, students present learning from classroom programs, keynotes inspire participation, project coordinator shares information gathered from schools and farmers, and additional schools are engaged in the project. (January 2010)

9. Host a farmer and school district food purchaser meeting where farmers learn what local food market is available and relationships are built to provide that food. (February 2010)

10.  Develop a report and plan of action that synthesizes the assessments done on local food demand, production, and distribution for local schools and identifies steps to reduce/eliminate barriers to increasing local food purchasing by school districts in central Wisconsin.

 Name the schools and the farmers; School of Health Promotion and Human Development, UWSP; Stevens Point Area Co-op.

School districts:

Stevens Point

Tomorrow River (Amherst)

Rosholt

Waupaca

Wisconsin Rapids

Port Edward

Nekoosa

Mosinee

Almond-Bancroft

Rudolph

General Budget

1. Survey and interview the school administration, teachers, students and school food service regarding the current and potential use of local food in schools to identify opportunites and barriers. Identify and establish relationships with farmers who are willing to market to the local schools. (summer - fall 2008)

Project coordinator: 160 hours, 1000 miles

Visit 10 school districts

Visit 10 farmers

2.  Offer local food educational programs to local school districts including "Carrots in the Classroom" and "Farmer in the Classroom" programs. (October 2008 - May 2009)

Project coordinator: 40 hours of marketing and logistics

SPAC: 40 hours for preparation and delivery of 10 programs at 5 area schools, 250 miles (all match)

Farmers: 25 hours for preparation and delivery of 5 program (match), 100 miles (request)

3. Develop a listing of local food demand for each school district. (January 2009)

Project coordinator: 40 hours of compiling information from interviews and preparing information for sharing with meeting participants

3. Host a farmer and school district food purchaser meeting where farmers learn what local food market is available and relationships are built to provide that food. (February 2009)

Project coordinator 40 hours to arrange logistics for, market, coordinate, present at, and facilitate the meeting

Farmshed volunteers: 40 hours assistance with logistics and facilitation of the meeting (5 volunteers, 8 hours each) (match)

School district representatives: 12 hours - 3 staff members attending meeting during contracted time (match)

4.  Assess the ability of farmers to meet the demand and the challenges they face in meeting demand.  (July - October 2009)

Project coordinator: 120 hours, 500 miles to visit with farmers, assess challenges and successes

5.  Farmers distribute food to schools (September - November 2009). 

6.  Offer local food educational programs to local school districts including "Carrots in the Classroom" and "Farmer in the Classroom" programs. (October 2009 - May 2010)

Project coordinator: 40 hours of marketing and logistics

SPAC: 80 hours for preparation and delivery of 20 programs at 10 area schools, 350 miles (all match)

Farmers: 50 hours for preparation and delivery of 10 program (match), 200 miles (request)

7.  Assess challenges and successes of food distribution by farmers and local food utilization by schools. (October 2009 - January 2010)

Project coordinator: 120 hours to survey/interview school district represenatives and farmers, analyze the results, develop a document and presentation highlighting the results

8.  Host a one-day Farm to School summit for 10 school districts in central Wisconsin where participants (farmers and schools) in the local food to local schools project share successes and challenges, students present learning from classroom programs, keynotes inspire participation, project coordinator shares information gathered from schools and farmers, and additional schools are engaged in the project. (January 2010)

Project coordinator: 40 hours summit planning, marketing, presenting, and facilitating

Farmshed volunteers: 100 hours of summit planning, marketing, presenting and facilitating (10 volunteers X 10 hours each)

9. Host a farmer and school district food purchaser meeting where farmers learn what local food market is available and relationships are built to provide that food. (February 2010)

Project coordinator: 40 hours to arrange logistics for, market, coordinate, present at, and facilitate the meeting

Farmshed volunteers: 40 hours assistance with logistics and facilitation of the meeting (5 volunteers, 8 hours each) (match)

School district representatives: 20 hours - 5 staff members attending meeting during contracted time (match)

10.  Develop a report and plan of action that synthesizes the assessments done on local food demand, production, and distribution for local schools and identifies steps to reduce/eliminate barriers to increasing local food purchasing by school districts in central Wisconsin.

Project coordinator: 100 hours to synthesize information, develop recommendations to increase the use of local food in local schools

Farmshed volunteers: 40 hours to assist with and review the report

• To develop local food capacity, farmers need access to affordable, productive land.
• To satisfy the demands of local food consumers, farmers need a system to distribute foods that is timely and protects food quality.
• Due to the fluctuations of seasonal food supply and local food demand, farmers need an economical way to perserve foods that extends the life of their products, retains food nutrition, and adds value to their labor.
• To make good food choices, people (students) need to develop an understanding of how food is produced.
• To maintain good health, children need access to fresh, nutrituous food.

Goals 

(Measurements)

1) Establish incentives for the development of sustainable, locally-focused agricultural production (agriculture conservation easements)

2) Develop a local food distribution system

3) Establish a certified, commercial kitchen for use by farmers selling to local food markets

4 Provide students with information about and access to fresh, local food in Stevens Point Area Schools

1) Develop agricultural conservation easements in Portage County that encourage municipalities and private landowners to lease land for the sustainable production of food destined for local markets. (measurements?)

2) Conduct feasibility study for food distribution system

3) Set up community kitchen/processing facility in partership with Stonecrop Organics?

4) Develop food purchasing agreements with area schools that include educaitonal programming such as farm visits, cooking demonstrations, and nutrition activities.

GEM

Center for Land Use Education

Local Farmers

Local Schools

City of Stevens Point

Portage County Board

Assoc. for Downtown Businesses

Stevens Point Area Coop (Carrots in the Classroom)

General Budget

Request - Activity 1 facilitation and materials. Activity 2 feasibility study development. Activity 3 kitchen equipment, cert. expenses, etc. Activity 4 - coordination of purchasing agreements, ed programming, school transport, etc.

Match (33%) - John Sheffy time, farmer time, volunteer time, CLUE time?

1) Develop and strengthen relations between food producers and purveyors

2) Raise awareness about the local food system and challenges to meeting local needs

3) Attract new volunteers/participants/partners into the group of active Farmshed members

4) Have fun while getting things done

Goals 

(Measurements)

1) Double the amount of local food associated with the Dozynki Harvest Fest (measure food sales for the Harvest Fest weekend, identify where food is coming from, compare local food 2008 to 2007)

2) Support local producers (track local purchases- dollar and volume- associated with film fest, local night out, church events, Harvest Fest, etc. and summarize; goal $20,000 in local food over one week)

3) Dramatically increase awareness of food issues (goal: over 150 people participating in each weeknight food event, over 2000 people participating in culminating Dozynki Harvest Fest)

Friday Sept. 26 Green Drinks & Kickoff Dinner (Kristen's Riverwalk?) Final Friday of each month is Green Drinks; for this Friday, we could work with Kristen's to set up a local food buffet in the "side room" with a modest charge.

Saturday Sept. 27 Local Boo-ya Soupfest (Iverson Park?) Boo-yas are big old kettles of chicken soup common in the Green Bay area. We could work with the folks who do Boo-yas in Green Bay to have some set up here in Point and make a lot of soup. Iverson has shelter area that can be reserved.

Sunday Sept. 28 Local Brunch @ Area Churches We could work with ICE and area churches to schedule a local brunch and dispatch presenters to the churches to give a local food 101 talk and explain the Local Food Challenge.

Monday Sept. 29 Film Fest Kick Off and Reception (UWSP) There are a growing number of high-quality food documentaries that present the range of food system issues. The Fall Food Film Fest would schedule a series of films (DVD & video projector) to be screened at UWSP and other area locales (Afterdark Cafe? Dreyfus U.C. Theater?) Ideally, evening screenings would be coupled with a local food dinner and local popcorn & butter.

Tuesday Sept. 30 Film Fest Night II (UWSP + other locales)

Wednesday Oct. 1 Film Fest Night III (UWSP = other locales)

Thursday Oct. 2 Local Night Out (Stevens Point restaurants) This is an idea borrowed from the REAP folks in Dane County; for one special night, participating restaurants go above and beyond in featuring local food. A range of restraurants participate, meaning that there's something for everyone.

Friday Oct. 3 Locally Loco Brat, Burger and Music Fest Downtown The Association of Downtown Businesses through the Main Street Program have been organizing Harvest Fest. Local food has not been a big focus, though we know that the history and origins of harvest festivals have been tied closely to the local food system. The first night is a bit of a blank slate, but there will be a large tent set up in the Square and the ADB is planning bands and such. The "such" could include locally-sourced brats, burgers, and other "party foods".

Saturday Oct. 4 Chef on the Square, Dozynki Harvest Fest (Chili cookoff, pie contests, pumpkin painting, etc.) The Saturday of Dozynki has been the "Polish" portion with a big polka get together at the tent. Again, little emphasis recently on local foods, but we could work with Harvest Fest to line up local sources for kielbasa, kraut, and other Polish fare.

Association of Downtown Businesses

Stevens Point Area Convention and Visitors Bureau

City of Stevens Point Mainstreet Program

Multiple commercial sponsors (Point Brewery, etc.)

UWSP CPS Cafe

UWSP Students for Sustainable Communities

UWSP Sustainable Agriculture in Communities Society

General Budget

Sept 26 Kickoff Dinner: $1,000 worth of local food, paid by eaters (100 at $10 per)

Sept 27 Booyas: $1,000 worth of local food (served as soup), paid by eaters (200 at $5 per)

Cost of getting some folks from Green Bay with their Booya kettles: unknown

Sept 28 Church Brunches: $1,600 worth of local food paid for by eaters (200 at $8 per)

Sept 29 Film Fest Kickoff: $1,000 worth of local food, paid by eaters (120 at $8 per)

Film screening: $0-300, paid by sponsoring student orgs

Sept 30-Oct 1 film events: a range of costs associated with film screening fees, ranging from $0-200. On-site food paid for by eaters.

Oct 2 Local Night Out: $4,000 worth of local food paid for by eaters (400 meals at $10 average per)

Oct 3 & 4: Relies (depends) on ADB Harvest Fest budget; food paid for by eaters, maybe $4K-$6K in local food, maybe more if beverages are included (Point and Central Waters).

For all of these events, the major cost not paid for food eaters would be marketing and promotions. Wild ass guess is that ADB already spends about $8000 on marketing the Harvest Fest (out of a total $15K budget for that event). I would propose a BLBW grant that leverages their existing marketing budget (uses it as a match) to secure an additional $8K for radio and print ads, emphasizing the local food angle and promoting the entire week's worth of local events. Additionally, we may want to secure "local food served here" color window decals for participating restaurants ($200?) and print some "programs" for the week's events ($400?).

General Budget