FoodCorps and Local Foods Two Great New 4-H Partners Allison Lansman, Local Foods Youth Development Intern and 4-H Healthy Living Assistant Alice Topaloff, Local Foods Program Assistant Chelsea Krist, Iowa FoodCorps Fellow Ann Torbert, 4-H Youth Development Program Specialist
Overview What is the Local Foods Team What is FoodCorps Current Partnering Experiences Applications to 4-H Healthy Living
Hello 4H! May 19th, 2016 Alice Topaloff Topaloff@iastate.edu
Local Foods at ISU Ag and Natural Resources 4H Human Sciences Community and Economic Development
Who we are The Team Craig Chase Allie Lansman Lynn Heuss Chelsea Krist Teresa Wiemerslage Alice Topaloff
What we do Vision Resilient food systems and healthy communities. Mission To support resilient food systems and healthy communities through research, education, and community engagement with diverse partners. Operating principles Create safe space for all people involved in the local food system to innovate, engage in dialogue, and pursue shared goals. Promote open and honest conversation that does not judge, and respects multiple perspectives. Acknowledge existing power discrepancies and differing levels of risk among food system stakeholders. Build quality relationships defined by honesty, trust, mutual respect, resource-sharing and transparency. Support community-based learning and decision-making that honors local realities, culture and values. Ensure that these processes drive a common research agenda. Focus on shared successes rather than individual recognition. Seek collaboration rather than competition. Support an interdisciplinary approach to food system change by fostering connections between people, institutions, infrastructure, natural environment, economics, and policy. Seek various levels of change to improve the whole food system, focusing on short, medium and long term improvements.
What we do Research and resource development Workshops Professional development
What we do Partnership development Resource and technical assistance Awareness building
Our work
extension.iastate.edu/localfoods localfoods@iastate.edu Facebook: Local Foods ISU Extension and Outreach
Chelsea Krist (Iowa FoodCorps Fellow)
The Challenge: School Food Environments
We are Part of the Solution : a nationwide team of AmeriCorps leaders who connect kids to real food and help them grow up healthy. Our Vision: A nation of well-nourished children who, regardless of class, race, or geography, grow up knowing what healthy food is, caring where it comes from, and who have access to eat it every day.
Where We Serve- across the nation This year 205 FoodCorps service members stationed in 17 states and D.C. serve over 500 schools.
FoodCorps Iowa Des Moines Public Schools Davenport Community Schools Black Hawk County Extension Waterloo Northeast Iowa Food & Fitness Initiative Postville, Elkader, Oelwein Linn County Extension Cedar Rapids Wapello County Extension Ottumwa
Our Impact: 16,819 17 4,000 1,068
Our Approach: an evidence-based model focused on three pillars 1. Knowledge Teach hands-on lessons about food and nutrition 2. Engagement Build and tend school gardens and teach cooking lessons so kids can taste the fresh food they ve grown 3. Access Change what s on children s lunch trays, giving them healthy food from local farms.
Healthier Kids, Healthier Schools, Healthier Nation
Knowledge: Pick a Better Snack and Beyond
Engagement: In Gardens, With Farmers, In Kitchens
Engagement: With Farms and Farmers Take kids to the farm, or bring the farm to school!
Engagement: In the Kitchen
Access: Local in the Classroom
Access: Local in the Cafeteria
Why do this? Children who are immersed in a healthy food environment, with hands-on, experiential, empowering learning opportunities, will learn better, live healthier, and inspire change in their communities.
Why school gardens? Improved academic performance Increased consumption of vegetables and fruits by students and their parents Improved student behavior
Farm to School Systems Change through Experiential Learning
Thank you! /foodcorpsiowa /foodcorps iowa.blog.foodcorps.org www.foodcorps.org Chelsea Krist FoodCorps Iowa Fellow chelsea.krist@foodcorps.org 563-940-5146
How I gained by partnering with FoodCorps and Local Foods and how you can gain too! Ann Torbert (4-H Youth Development Program Specialist)
4-H benefits from partnership: New access to resources Complete resources from farm to table to school Knowledge, expertise, and passion Connections Name recognition when service members are in a community Break silos to enhance our work in youth development Economic benefit to communities and families
http://cityblossoms.org/shop/garden-gastronomy (Garden Gastronomy Cookbook bilingual ) These recipes use produce from gardens. $10 http://www.ecoliteracy.org/resources (The Center for Ecoliteracy promotes ecological education) Visit the BIG IDEAS book. Offers great ideas for K-12. http://map.feedingamerica.org/county/2014/overall/iowa (Feeding America has interactive map to give you a sense of food insecurity in your county. For more data check Indicators Portal. For building specific data visit Iowa Department of Education https://www.educateiowa.gov/document-type/building-level-1 http://smarterlunchrooms.org/ideas - Cornell University has materials on redesigning a cafeteria to make it healthier. Doesn t involve changing menus. Great way for older youth to partner with schools to make places healthier!
Best Resource- School Garden 101 Training
Cooking with Youth: Check for allergies Create a portable kitchen Wash hands/hand Sanitizer 70% alcohol Small groups Everyone has a job Everyone tastes a bite Remember Tried it, Liked It, Loved it Everything is from scratch- even dressings
Leaders Meeting Experience= Local Tasting
Club Ideas http://web.extension.illinois.edu/scrapbook/index.cfm?bookid=21#p171 (Have older youth? Consider exploring hydroponics.) Farmers Market Scavenger Hunt http://www.iowaagriculture.gov/agdiversification/farmtoschoolprogram. asp Pick a Better Snack"- Complete 1x/month with a local food "Iron Chef" Challenges (make salad in a bag with local produce) Local Farm Tours Touring Food Pantries- Making a food, health-quality evaluation Spice Evaluation by country (taste or smell) Food Insecurity big in your community- consider planting a club garden and donate produce. At the county level- consider a healthy living group. This could be a way to involve new volunteers
4-H Healthy Living Allison Lansman (Local Foods Youth Development Intern and 4-H Healthy Living Assistant)
4-H Healthy Living Enabling 4-H youth and young adults to live healthier lives through the full scope of wellness Finding a Balance for: physical, mental, and emotional health
Why is Healthy Living Important Mental, Emotional, and Physical Health are ALL equally important to live a healthy live Health behaviors learned in youth will last a lifetime Healthier youth = Healthier adults Healthier adults = Healthier generations Healthier generations = Healthier country
How Local Foods Can Help Teach Healthy Living Lessons in: Cooking Nutrition Food science Physical fitness Environmental health and stewardship Personal well-being Social justice Equality
Resources ISUEO Local Foods Youth Resources Page: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/localfoods/resources/ Local Foods Team Webpage: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/localfoods/ Iowa FoodCorps Webpage: https://foodcorps.org/where-we-work/iowa Linn County After School Program Resources: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/linn/content/after-schoolprogram-resources
Contact Information Allison Lansman, alansman@iastate.edu Alice Topaloff, topaloff@iastate.edu Chelsea Krist, chelsea.krist@foodcorps.org Ann Torbert, atorbert@iastate.edu