20 Worst Beverages and the Price of Ice

8 ½ scoops of ice cream? 7 bowls of Fruit Loops cereal? One dozen doughnuts? Would you eat that much sugar in one sitting? You may be if you partake in any of the “Worst Beverages” in America.

With categories like “Worst Smoothie”, “Worst Frozen Coffee Drink” “Worst Lemonade”, Men’s Health Magazine presents their “Worst-of” in Beverages. Noting that in the U.S. we no longer make our own teas and lemonades, and that the average American drinks one gallon of soda pop a week (can you believe that?), they include the fat and sugar equivalents for each drink in their “worst-of” categories.

It’s startling and will make you get out your sun tea jars and juicers for the summer, if you haven’t already. Make your own beverages with fruit, teas and water – they are healthier for you and fun to make! Farmers markets offer lots of fresh fruit that are fantastic in lemonades, smoothies and teas.

Here’s a link to the 20 Beverage list:

http://eatthis.menshealth.com/slideshow/20-worst-drinks-america-2010

On a related beverage note, I stopped by a Starbuck’s today because I had a coupon for a free tall (12 oz.) coffee. I asked them for a decaf coffee poured over ice. The barista told me “we can’t do that”. I said, “You can’t pour coffee over ice? (really?)” and she informed me that they have an iced coffee drink called “Café Americano” that I would have to order instead. I asked what was in a Café Americano, and was told it was decaf espresso mixed with water and poured over ice. I said that drink would be fine and ordered it. When I presented my coupon for a free coffee, I was told that it only applied to a 12 oz hot coffee beverage, not an iced drink.

Apparently adding ice to your drink changes everything……

Local Fundraisers for your School Lunch Program

When you conduct a fundraiser for your school lunch program, you are sending a message to your volunteers, your supporters, and to your community. That message contains a values statement about your school.

Your fundraising message should be:

· Consistent with your school wellness policy

o i.e., no candy or pop sales, promoting physical activity

· Consistent with a responsible marketing policy

o i.e., no cartoon characters or corporate brands

· Supporting "community tie-ins", not "corporate tie-ins"

o i.e., get involved with your community, not large corporations that are not locally based. Often corporate involvement is viewed as philanthropy, but it is 100% profit driven.

· Supportive of the environment whenever possible

o i.e., don't waste limited resources (water) or create waste.

Fundraising ideas for your school:

• Establish fundraisers involving local food and food-themed merchandise.
• Host Harvest Lunches and sell tickets to the entire community
• Publish recipe cards and cookbook from the school lunch program, encouraging families to eat nutritious meals at home.
• Publish a school calendar with recipes, food purchasing tips, and food safety tips.
• Sell fruit and vegetable themed note cards, postcards, tote bags promoting your school lunch program.
• Sell locally grown flowers for Easter, Mother's Day, Christmas.
• Sell heirloom bulbs and unique plants to gardeners each fall.
• Sell items that promote physical activity such as kites, hula hoops, jump ropes, packages of seeds, window box herb garden kits
• A Dance Marathon is another kid-friendly, physical activity event. Profits are generated from ticket sales and local food "heart-healthy" concessions.
• Have an "earth-friendly" fundraiser. Organizing a community cleanup project, is another physical activity based fundraiser that sends a positive message at the same time. Participants pledge dollars per pound.
• Host a weekend specialty sale of a seasonal item. Examples would be a Pumpkin Patch sale, a Christmas Tree sale, a Spring Flower Bulb Day.
• Host a Pancake Breakfast fundraiser at your school cafeteria, serving healthy beverages and fresh fruit toppings for the pancakes.

Another idea is to collaborate with like-minded community members for creative fundraising efforts. Utilize their resources and membership base to promote your school lunch program.

Consider contacting your:

Local food co-op's education and outreach department.

• Co-host a fundraising event and invite the food co-op's membership.

Local farmers market

• Conduct school food/chef demos using local produce at the farmers market. Hold a raffle during the school food demos.

Locally owned independent restaurants

• Organize a theme night where local restaurants donate a portion of their proceeds to your school lunch program

Downtown Business Authority or your local business association

• Ask for your school lunch program to be the recipient of their charitable event

Kathleen Merrigan speaks at National Farm to Cafeteria Conference

I had the pleasure of hearing USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan speak at the National Farm to Cafeteria Conference in Detroit, Michigan yesterday. While her talk focused on how Michigan agriculture can tap into the economic opportunity of local and regional food markets, the information is relevant to communities across the country.

One of the opportunities Merrigan discussed for farmers is to participate in local farm to school programs that enable schools to feature farms that provide healthy, locally-sourced products in their school cafeterias. The USDA is currently sending out teams to school districts to help them overcome barriers to purchasing locally-produced foods. Some of these programs also incorporate nutrition-based studies, as well as opportunities for kids to get involved with food and agriculture, such as gardening curricula, cooking classes, and composting activities.

This is very encouraging information, not only for farmers seeking new markets and income opportunities, but for the future outlook of nutrition in our schools, and the overall health of U.S. school children! Local food is fresher and more nutritious, and exposing our children to more appealing and healthy food will help combat the childhood obesity crisis in our country.

One VERY encouraging bit of news was that the U.S. government is no longer purchasing "spent hens" (old egg-laying hens that are used in pet food in this country) for the National School Lunch Program. In a December 2009 report in USA Today, they found that the U.S. government spent more than $145 million on spent-hen meat for schools— a total of more than 77 million pounds served in chicken patties and salads. Osteoporosis-ridden splintering bones and the potential for salmonella in spent-hen meat are some of the potential dangers to children. Yesterday, Merrigan stated that spent hens will no longer be purchased and served as part of the National School Lunch Program!

Let's hope that these promising food trends continue in the USDA and the National School Lunch program.

To find out more about the USDA "Know your Farmer, Know your Food" program and available grants, loans and support for your farming operation, click here.

To read the USDA news release regarding Merrigan's speech and visit to Michigan, click here.

Food System Economic Partnership of SE Michigan 2010 Conference

The Food System Economic Partnership (FSEP) exists to catalyze change it the food system of Southeastern Michigan. The organization provides research, education and outreach with urban and rural partnerships, resulting in agricultural development opportunities, sustainable communities, and healthy local economies.

Interested in learning more? FSEP's annual annual conference is Thursday, June 24, 2010 at the Jackson Area Career Center in Jackson, Michigan.

With 17 breakout sessions to choose from, there is a topic of interest to everyone. Participants will gain an understanding of the local food system and explore opportunities for growth in production, processing, distribution, sales and consumption of local foods. Learn how to launch your own specialty product, how to integrate farm to school into your school, and how to use the internet to build your farm or food business.

Key note speaker Michael Sands will speak on on identifying and developing our next generation of farmer entrepreneurs. Sands is Executive Director of the Liberty Prairie Foundation, a private operating foundation dedicated to providing leadership in natural resource management and land

conservation in northern Illinois. He also founded and runs the Farm Business Development Center, a business incubator for beginning organic farmers committed to creating financially rewarding and ecologically healthy farm businesses in the suburban landscape.

Register now on-line at www.fsepmichigan.org.

For more information on registration, sponsorship and directions to the conference, please visit www.fsepmichigan.org

To view the 2010 FSEP conference brochure, click here.

Looking forward to seeing you there!