Local Food Systems in Old Industrial Regions

We were pleased to design the "Local Spice" tote bags for the upcoming August 3-7 conference "Local Food Systems in Old Industrial Regions: Challenges and Opportunities".

The conference purpose is to bring together both academics and practitioners to share their knowledge, experience, and expertise with regard to developing and maintaining local food systems in old industrial regions. It is sponsored by the International Geographical Union Commission on the Dynamics of Economic Spaces and organized by the University of Toledo Urban Affairs Center.

The keynote presentation will be given by Mike Score, President of Hantz Farms. The presentation is free and open to the public. Hantz Farms is a for-profit venture which seeks to create the world’s largest urban farm on underutilized land in the city of Detroit.

Keynote Details:

August 3 · 7:00pm - 8:00pm

Hilton Hotel, 3100 Glendale, Toledo OH

For more information about the conference, please visit:

http://uac.utoledo.edu/igu_commission/ToledoMC2010-Home.htm

Taste Washington Day

Here's a great farm to school opportunity for Washington farmers:

Seeking farms interested in selling to local schools for Taste Washington Day

Washington School Nutrition Association (WSNA) and the Washington State Department of Agriculture Farm-to-School Program are partnering to celebrate Washington agriculture on September 29th with "Taste Washington Day". Schools around the state will be serving a locally-sourced meal and providing education and activities to celebrate the farms that feed us.

WSDA Farm-to-School Program will provide support to match up farms and schools and facilitate the purchasing process. We would love to include your farm as a participating farm. Many school nutrition directors are off for part of the summer, so we'd like to start the process as soon as possible.

WSNA has recommended the two menus below, or schools can make their own
menus. We encourage schools to try alternatives if they have willing
farm partners who grow other things. For instance, a district might
decide to use another kind of potato, or to do a bean or lentil chili,
or to add carrots with tops or another available vegetable to round out
the offerings.

Sample Menu 1:
Washington Baked Russet Potatoes
w/ Beef Chili and Cheese Toppings
Whole Wheat Breadstick
"Grown in Washington" Fruit Salad
Low Fat Milk

Sample Menu 2:
Hamburger w/ Cheese on a Whole Wheat Bun
Fresh Toppings: Tomatoes, Lettuce, Pickles
Fresh Corn on the Cob
"Grown in Washington" Fruit Salad
Low Fat Milk

We will also help schools add educational activities to the day, whether that's posters in the cafeteria, inviting a farmer to lunch, or visiting or lunching in a school garden. We want Washington's kids to spend that day considering the farmers who grow their food, and we want you to help us bring that to life!

For more information, to be listed as a participating farm, or to get help linking to your local school districts, please contact Tricia Kovacs, WSDA Farm-to-School Program Manager, at tkovacs@agr.wa.gov or 206-256-6150.

McDonald's Marketing to Kids: New Approach, Same Game

McDonald's and the Detroit Public Library have teamed up on a program to encourage kids to read more books. Called "Books and Backpacks", the program offers a Happy Meal incentive to kids who check out a book from the Detroit Public Library 5 times. A monthly drawing will also award a lucky participant a backpack and gift certificate to Border's Bookstores.

Encouraging kids to read more is a great plan, but using McDonald's food as the incentive is not. McDonald's is appearing to be a good corporate citizen, but actually they are engaging in some really clever marketing to kids. They are hooking young children on their food and hoping to establish a life-long customer at an early age. Even the card that is stamped when they check out their books is a McDonald's bookmark - a marketing tool that the kids will carry with them and look at constantly - dreaming about their free Happy Meal.

McDonald's has come under fire lately for using Children's movie characters in their Happy Meals, most recently in their "Shrek" promotions. Last week it was reported in the L.A. Times that the Center for Science in the Public Interest threatened to sue McDonald's for using toys to market to kids. They noted that a 2006 study by the Federal Trade Commission showed that fast-food companies -- McDonald's foremost among them -- spent $520 million in advertising directed at children. $350 of the spending was on toys that were giveaways to children.

Books or toys, the end result of McDonald's marketing is the same - kids eating food high in fat and salt. Let's continue to promote healthy foods to our children and in our schools. Our children deserve better food than this.

Read the entire article about the "Books and Backpacks" Program in the Detroit Free Press.

Market Your Food Based on the Food Rules

I recently picked up a copy of Michael Pollan's "Food Rules - An Eater's Manual". It's an easy-to-read slim paperback with 64 rules for eating, divided into the following 3 sections:

1) What Should I Eat?

2) What Kind of Food Should I Eat?

3) How Should I Eat?

If you are a farmer or food producer reaching your customers through direct marketing, I think this book could be a great promotional tool for you. Here are just a few of the "Food Rules":

• "Eat only food that will eventually rot"
• "Avoid foods that contain high-fructose corn syrup"
• "Eat sweet food as you find them in nature"
• "Eat well grown food from healthy soil"
• "Buy your snacks at the farmers market"

What are these food rules promoting? Good Food. Your locally grown, farm fresh, green, nutritious fruits, vegetables and whole grains grown in healthy soil.

Through his writings, Michael Pollan has built a reputation for being a food expert in our country. He has a strong following and the ability to reach and influence the general public through his work. I'm sure he wants family farmers and small food producers to succeed. So consider this: buy a copy of his book, highlight and tab the "Food Rules" that apply to your food and leave a copy on your farm stand, your farmers market booth or near the check-out at your Farm Market. You'll be promoting your food and Michael Pollan's book at the same time. I don't think he'll mind.

Michael Pollan's web site offers a description of his latest book along with excerpts and places to purchase a copy.