A new day…8 am to noon

Posted in Cream 'o the Crop on July 2, 2009 by sfcsuzanne

We are making history…I don’t think any farmers market in Austin has been open from 8 am to noon on Saturdays other than the time when we tried it the first year, in 2003, for the Austin Farmers’ Market. Back then, we thought it was a good idea (in May, folks, when summer started typically in Central Texas) to have an earlier morning market. Many shoppers stayed in bed until a little later. Austin proved it was still a slacker-town.

That was before the Food, Inc. film, Fast Food Nation, Michael Pollan’s Omnivore’s Dilemma (and subsequent In Defense of Food), Super Size Me, and many other mass media appeals to human sensibility to eat more of what nature gives you–and not fall for the tantilizing food industry’s manufacturered “tastes” largely constructed of atoms of fat, salt and sugar with a binding of genetically modified corn holding it all together.

Just as the Austin Farmers’ Market has grown up, you as consumers have too. There are the stalwarts who have always known (and who have for seven years come to the market when the first clang of the market’s opening bell rings). And now there are more. You are the newly awakened body of tasters who truly taste, who truly enjoy the art of eating from local sources. You understand the intricacies of what makes a sustainable food system, including your part in it.

We appreciate that–and we want to make it easier for you to participate in a year-round routine of shopping from the best sources, the farmers themselves. Thus the change of our Saturday hours to 8 am to noon, through October 24th. (We change back to 9 am – 1 pm October 31st, with the daylight savings time change, and will flip back to 8 am to noon in March, when it changes again).

We have experienced your commitment in the continued rise of attendance at the market over the years and now we think the time is right to be able to set a schedule for the Saturday market that fluctuates by the seasons. We did not think this was possible in the past, to have such an avid following that would take notice of changed hours mid-stream. But now we do. It is a new day….

Internships Posted for Fall and Spring!

Posted in Fresh Dirt on June 25, 2009 by cakeaustin

INTERNSHIPS FOR FALL ‘09 and SPRING ‘10 – APPLY NOW!

Sprouting Healthy Kids (SHK) is Sustainable Food Center’s farm to school and food systems education project which includes local foods in the school cafeteria, delivery of in-class food-systems lessons, and a hands-on after-school gardening and cooking program. Through SHK, the improved access to healthy, local food and the accompanying educational efforts will increase the likelihood that school children will consume more fresh vegetables and fruit. The project is being implemented in Austin-area schools which have a high percentage of students at increased risk for diet-related diseases according to ethnicity and income indicators, and helps to overcome barriers which prevent schools from purchasing, preparing, and serving local fresh food. SFC will place up to six interns/practicum students for the 2009-10 school year (single semester opportunities are available).

Dates:
Fall Semester: August 24, 2009 through December 17, 2009
Spring Semester: January 4, 2010 through June 2, 2010
*interested students may apply for Fall or Spring or Both. Placement preference is given to students wishing to enroll in both semesters.
**Start and end dates are somewhat flexible, depending on your academic calendar.

Potential Learning Objectives:
1. Develop teaching skills with youth populations who are at-risk for diet-related disease including obesity
2. Gain understanding of farm-to-school and food-systems education interventions, how such programs can improve dietary habits among students, and what measurements can indicate positive change
3. Receive practical experience with educational resource development and delivery and with school-community partnerships
4. Learn basic food gardening techniques and learn to utilize school food gardens as instructional tools.

Primary Responsibilities: Approximately 12 hours per week

1. Assess nutrition and food-systems education resources, including existing activity guides and in-class lessons, in comparison with farm-to-school and food-systems education project goals and objectives.

2. Develop additional educational resources to meet project goals and objectives.

3. Deliver in-class middle school lessons focused on local, sustainable food systems in context of various core-curriculum classes and in alignment with class schedules and standards

4. Plan for and deliver weekly after-school programs, including hands-on gardening and healthy-cooking activities.

5. Serve as liaison between SFC and school, including attending Campus Advisory Committee, PTA, and other relevant meetings and events.

Qualifications:
1. Interest in sustainable food systems and health/nutrition
2. Some experience with gardening and cooking, and working with youth (middle school)
3. Must be responsible, dependable and be able to commit to at least one semester (or, preferably an entire school year)
4. Bilingual (English and Spanish) preferred

Application Instructions:
Send cover letter via email to andrew@sustainablefoodcenter.org along with current CV or resume. See www.sustainablefoodcenter.org for organizational information.

For more information, please contact:

Andrew Smiley
Farm Direct Projects Director
Sustainable Food Center

512-236-0074 ext. 102
andrew@sustainablefoodcenter.org

Farm to Plate Photos!

Posted in Fresh Dirt on June 3, 2009 by cakeaustin

Farm to Plate

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS, FARMERS, CHEFS, FOOD ARTISANS, WINERIES, MIXOLOGISTS, BREWERIES, MUSICIANS, VOLUNTEERS AND GUESTS for making Farm to Plate a fundraising success for SFC!

PHOTOS now available for preview and purchase here (password: Farm), huge thanks to Laura and Eric of Anthology Photography.

Farm to Plate 2009 at beautiful Barr Mansion

Farm to Plate 2009 at beautiful Barr Mansion

Please contact us to get on the early-bird waiting list for tickets and tables for 2010 at: susanl AT sustainablefoodcenter DOT org.

Interested in sponsorship? Call 512-236-0074 ext. 111

UPDATE: Pollan’s Omnivore’s Dilemma Reinstated at WSU

Posted in Fresh Dirt on May 27, 2009 by cakeaustin

Food Democracy Now has just spoken with Washington State University’s President’s office, congratulating them on the decision to reinstate Michael Pollan’s book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, as part of their Common Reading Program. Quoting David Murphy, a founder of FDN:

Within hours of sending out our alert, we received the good news from a supporter named Lynn:

“The power of numbers! By the time I called, 3:21 Pacific, the president’s office told me that they’ve gotten so many calls about this  and, thanks to a generous donation by an alumni, the program and the book has been reinstated. Food Democracy Now! rocks!”

While we appreciate that sentiment, we’d also like to give credit where credit is due.

We understand that food safety lawyer Bill Marler, a WSU alum and former Regents of the university, had a conversation with President Elson Floyd about the reading program this afternoon and offered to pay for Michael Pollan’s trip as well as pay for the full cost to cover the Common Reading Program.

Food Democracy Now! wants to thank Mr. Marler for his extremely generous support on this issue and also everyone who responded to this alert. Three cheers for Pollan, Marler and WSU!

This is a testament to what we can accomplish when we all work together.

Speak Up for Academic Freedom

Posted in Fresh Dirt on May 27, 2009 by cakeaustin

Via Food Democracy Now:

Last week, Washington State University announced that it was pulling Michael Pollan’s best-selling book The Omnivore’s Dilemma from its required Common Reading Program for all incoming freshman due to pressure from corporate agribusiness.

This type of censorship cannot stand!

In March of this year, a university committee had selected Pollan’s book, which takes a careful look at how America produces its food, and decided that it was an excellent choice for the student body of the land grant university.

Unfortunately, WSU administrators later removed the book from the required common reading program. While top WSU officials attributed removal of Pollan’s book from the reading program to hard financial times, despite the fact the 4,000 copies of the book have already been purchased, some faculty members have spoken out.

One WSU professor, quoted in The Chronicle of Higher Education – anonymously, for fear of losing their job, stated that Pollan’s book was pulled “because of the politics of the agriculture industry…and that President Floyd decided that this was not a battle he wanted to wage.”

It’s time that this type of corporate control over land grant education and research end.

We believe that academic freedom and vigorous debate on all intellectual issues should be encouraged at every university, especially land grant universities charged with turning out the next generation of leaders.

For more information on how to get involved, visit Food Democracy Now.

Action Alert: NAIS Listening Session May 20

Posted in Fresh Dirt on May 15, 2009 by cakeaustin

In partnership with our friend Judith McGeary of Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance, we are spreading the word about next Wednesday’s USDA Listening Session on NAIS (National Animal Identification System) legislation. Not only are there a mere two hours for public comment, but we’re hearing that the federal government means to move swiftly toward an approval. NAIS would result in a more centralized food system and do nothing to improve food safety. Rather, NAIS would impose intrusive, one-size-fits-all standards to farms, going so far as to microchip every animal on every farm. If you agree that our public servants’ time would be better spent regulating truly threatening forces, such as fast-food marketing to our children, speak up!

Won’t you lend your voice to small farms by coming in person on 5/20 to the Embassy Suites Hotel (Austin Central), 5901 N IH-3?

Registration can be done online or in person; be sure to arrive no later than 8am for a 9am start. If you can only give an hour or two, be there at the beginning, as we’re hoping to have a large turnout and media coverage first thing in the morning.

SFC Wins ECT Pioneer Award 2009

Posted in Fresh Dirt on May 12, 2009 by cakeaustin

On Friday, May 8th, SFC learned we are recipients of the 2009 Envision Central Texas Community Stewardship Award in the Pioneer category. Sprouting Healthy Communities, a new initiative which brings together SFC’s three programs while building upon our successful Sprouting Healthy Kids pilot project, demonstrated to ECT judges that SFC “has left familiar territory and taken a different path that reflects the ECT vision.”

ECT Chair, Jim Walker; SFC Board President, Vince Ashwill, SFC ED, Ronda Rutledge and Bastrop County Judge, Ronnie McDonald

ECT Chair, Jim Walker; SFC Board President, Vince Ashwill, SFC Exec. Director, Ronda Rutledge and Bastrop County Judge, Ronnie McDonald

Central Texas is projected to grow by over a million people in the next 20-30 years. To help address this growth, Envision Central Texas, founded in 2001, will promote a common vision for the region which preserves and enhances our natural resources, economic vitality, social equity and overall quality of living. SFC is proud to be considered a pioneer in realizing this vision.

Mark Winne at May 4 SFPB Meeting – Open to All

Posted in Fresh Dirt on May 1, 2009 by cakeaustin

SFC invites you to attend the Monday, May 4 special meeting of the City of Austin / Travis County Sustainable Food Policy Board at Austin City Hall Council Chambers at 12:30 pm.

On our agenda is a presentation by, and discussion with, author and food policy council consultant Mark Winne. Mark has worked for over 30 years on food and agriculture policy groups including the City of Hartford Food Policy Commission, the Connecticut Food Policy Council and the national Community Food Security Coalition. Mark currently writes, speaks, and consults extensively on community food system topics including hunger and food insecurity, local and regional agriculture, community food assessment, and food policy.

He is the author of “Closing the Food Gap — Resetting the Table in the Land of Plenty” and lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he serves on the New Mexico Food and Agriculture Policy Council. In December several of the SFC staff had the pleasure of meeting Mark when he came to Austin on his book tour.

Mark will share strategies for board / policy council work on making effective policy recommendations for achieving our goals of strengthening our local food system and economy.

Full agenda will be posted on the City of Austin website. http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/agenda/boards_comms.htm

Breast Cancer and Sustainable Food Center?

Posted in The Happy Kitchen/La Cocina Alegre™ on April 28, 2009 by joyfulinthekitchen

According to the recent policy paper published by The World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research (Policy and Action for Cancer. Food, Nutrition and Physical Activity: a Global Perspective, 2009), there were 11 million cases of cancer in the world in 2007. Almost 8 million lives were lost due to cancer. However, the panel of international scientists agree that “this could be reduced by about a quarter to a third by dietary change including reduction in overweight and obesity together with physical activity.”

 

 Facilitators teaching participants about proper post-treatment nutrition

 

This begs the question: where does diet and nutrition fall into the prevention and treatment of cancer? The aforementioned paper advocates for policies that allow for the increased consumption of whole, minimally processed foods—whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables and lean sources of protein and dairy. Unfortunately, there still exists a large gap between the medical community and the nutrition/food community. In order to reduce the number of cases of cancer and number of cancer deaths, it is important to bridge this gap.

 

Facilitators and class participants preparing Apple Crisp

 

Sustainable Food Center has taken action to do just that. By collaborating with several cancer service providers such as Breast Cancer Resource Center, Seton, Care Communities, Cancer Connection, American Cancer Society and Breast Cancer Services, SFC was able to offer two pilot The Happy Kitchen/La Cocina Alegre™ cooking class series to breast cancer survivors this past fall. The two class series (one taught in English, one taught in Spanish) served a total of 60 individuals representing 18 Central Texas zip codes! A total of 37 adults participated, benefiting an additional 39 family members, including 15 children. The fact that a total of 18 zip codes were represented is unprecedented because the THK program targets distinct neighborhoods for cooking classes for reasons of convenience and need. However, this large number of zip codes means that there is a HUGE, unmet need for these classes.  

 

Breast cancer survivors 4 to 6 months out of treatment (and co-survivors) were invited to attend the six week series. (A patient’s diet and food preference during treatment differs because of the increased stress of the medications on the body). Studies have shown that cancer recurrence can be prevented by following a healthy diet. However, many of the women received very little, if any, adequate and practical information regarding post-treatment diet. And if there were services available, many did not have insurance that would cover the cost of a consultation lead by a dietician.

 

 Knife Skills!

Furthermore, scientists and the public are ever-questioning the correlation with agricultural chemicals used to grow our food and cancer. This is another reason to support, local, organic, sustainable agriculture.

 

Upon completing the class series, the participants were asked to respond to several questions. Here is what they had to say:

 

Do you feel more empowered to integrate food to improve your survivorship as a result of this class series?

 

“[THIS] is the most empowered I have felt in making better eating choices because I was able to listen, watch, participate, and taste the foods that were made.  I have real hope that I have never had before.  FYI, I spent a couple of years working with a private nutritionist before I was diagnosed with cancer so had been moving towards changing eating and food choices before my cancer diagnosis but this class actually got me very EXCITED and motivated to cook.  I had been very cooking challenged and I don’t like many veggies.  This class presented me with recipes and information about cooking veggies I normally wouldn’t consider trying.  Not only did I try them but I liked them.  This class was so cool that I made every featured recipe we had for the week.  The big plus for me was to have the groceries given to me so they were at hand and all the ingredients were things I almost always had at home and I don’t keep much on hand in the way of spices, etc.”

 

“I needed to be reminded of the importance of food to our health in general. I think attending this class shortly out of treatment, at least 6 mos as suggested, would be of great value.”

 

“Yes, because this is good for my condition; I now know many more things that can help me in this aspect.”

 Class participants sample recipe

Because of this class series, do you feel more able to care for your family’s nutritional health?

 

“Yes, much more. I’m watching more what I eat, what I buy, cook, etc. I’m the cook around here. I told my daughter, ‘They opened my eyes!’ My sister would always tell me–what happened to mom and dad is going to happen to you–her husband died from complications from diabetes–kidneys, dialysis. But the class was very impactful. My boyfriend doesn’t think about any of this, but I know that it is important.”

 

“I feel more knowledgeable and able to make plans for healthy eating.  I have practical strategies for planning meals.  I bought the cook book and am finding it a great organizing tool.”

 

 

Coming up on October 10, 2009 Austin will be hosting the first ever “Mamma Jamma” Bike Ride benefiting 10 Austin breast cancer service agencies, including Sustainable Food Center. I encourage everyone to grab their bike and join us to help close the gap and leave breast cancer in the dust! www.mammajammaride.org

 

To learn how you can be a part of it, join us for the Kick Off Party on May 14th from 6 – 8 pm at GSD&M Idea City at 828 W. 6th Street. RSVP here: www.mammajammaride.org

 

 

(The next six week cooking class for breast cancer survivors will be taught in English at the Carver Library Branch: 6/22 through 7/27 from 6.30 – 8.00 pm. The class series cost $30. Scholarships are available.)

SFC a Finalist for ECT Award!

Posted in Fresh Dirt on April 22, 2009 by cakeaustin

Have you heard? Envision Central Texas (ECT) has announced that SFC is a finalist in the 2009 ECT Community Stewardship Awards Program to recognize and honor visionary people, projects and processes that are helping to ensure the region’s livability in the future.

Area political jurisdictions, developers, builders, media organizations, non-profits, individuals and others based in the 5-county Central Texas Region have been encouraged to enter the prestigious competition. Award winners will be recognized at the annual ECT Community Stewardship Awards Luncheon on Friday, May 8, at 11:30 a.m. at the Hyatt Regency Austin.

The ECT Community Stewardship Awards Program was created in 2006 to recognize those entities that exemplify or promote one or more of the 7 elements of the ECT Vision in their work.


Central Texas will add more than a million people over the next 20 to 40 years. Envision Central Texas, a regional non-profit planning organization, was created in 2001 to lead and implement the two-year public development of a regional vision to address this rapid growth. Envision Central Texas serves as a catalyst for change in the region’s growth management strategies so that it can advance Central Texas’ vision for the future. ECT believes that we must improve how we grow in order to sustain our region’s quality of life and competitiveness
.