Fall Harvest Festivals looking for Vendors!

I thought this email was worth sharing to local farmers and farmer markets!

Hello, everyone,

I am working with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources on a few fall harvest festivals that are happening later this month and in October on the west side of the state.

The festival dates and locations are:

Ionia Recreation Area, Ionia – September 27-29

Holland State Park, Holland – October 4-6

Hoffmaster State Park, Muskegon - October 11-13

Yankee Springs Recreation Area, Middleville – October 11-13

The state parks are interested in having farmers set up booths to sell products as campers check in on Friday evening or during festival activities on Saturday during the day.

Times will vary at each park and can be flexible.  The parks are especially interested in fall produce and fall decorations (pumpkins, gourds, cornstalks, straw bales, etc.), cider, baked goods, and specialty processed foods.  No ready-to-eat products at this time, though.  Single vendors are welcome, or a group of vendors can also sell.

Vendors selling at the parks must meet any licensing requirements if selling processed foods or baked goods, or must meet the requirements under the Michigan Cottage Foods exemptions.

I realize this is very short notice and a very busy time of year, but if you are interested, please let me know asap.  I am working with the parks to waive any vendor fees/use permits, but you will need to have a state park passport to access the park.

On another note, the parks are seeking a donation of small pumpkins for their festivals to let children paint them.  Any donations are welcome.  If you have any pumpkins you would be willing to donate in exchange for being recognized as a sponsor of the festival, please let me know that, too.

Thank you!

Jeanne

517-256-8614

Jeanne M. Hausler

Food & Dairy Communications

Food & Dairy Division

Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development

517-256-8614 (mobile)

Please note: I no longer have a desk phone.

My cell phone, 517-256-8614, is my only phone number.

Please make the necessary changes to your contact information. 

Thank you!

hauslerj@michigan.gov

www.michigan.gov/mdard

www.michigan.gov/foodsafety

www.michigan.gov/puremichiganfit

Farmer Style

The Peterson Boys are BACK!


We are farming and we grow it! Employees of Peterson Farm and Livestock and promoting agriculture the best we can! Psalm 115:1

Here is another great one!

A parody music video by the Peterson Farm Bros (Greg, Nathan, and Kendal) promoting agriculture! If you like it, feel free to share it with your friends!

For more info on Farm Safety visit:http://www.progressiveag.org/
Also, visit Fastline's website: http://bit.ly/11TUvjC

Words by: Greg Peterson
Music by: Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff
No copyright infringement of original song was intended.

The Peterson Boys are from Kansas and make a video almost monthly!  If you love them as much as I do, search YouTube for "I'm Farming and I Grow It!"

Anyone in Michigan want to make a video?  No way we could be as good as these guys!

Community Food Network Meeting Notes

Community Food Network Meeting

Date and Time: September 9, 2013

1:30pm to 3:00pm

Location:  MSU Extension Office (Ionia)

Attending:  Margo Burton, Amanda & Tony Lask, Lynda Richter, Pam Hotchkiss, Adam Ellsworth (VISTA @ UW) Billie Patterson (VISTA @ UW), Heather Jackson (Great Start- Ionia), Mindy Train (Great Start- Montcalm), Ross Pope, Gordon Moeller, and Penny Beeman

Committees

• Gardens & Pantry Committee: 
• Greenville Trailside Garden:  Finished Final Report for the grant from the Greenville Community Foundation, bought a few picnic tables to place under the pavillion, will be hosting members of the Greenville Community Foundation to visit the garden on Oct 13th.
• Ionia ISD Garden:  has had a great growing season with lots of zuchinni and green beans that are being sent to Zion Food Pantry and Belding Food Pantry.  Will check with Tamice on numbers.
• Higbee Acres:  has had lots of people tour the garden, selling produce at Farmer’s Market, lots of canning taking place, etc.  Needs a pitchfork for next year.  Has lots of tomatoes and pie pumpkins if anyone is interested.
• I-M Kids Food:  Ionia ISD received a grant to begin this program with an estimated start of Jan 2014! program will provide a sack supper to up to 500 kids/5 days a week, will start with 1 school in Ionia and 1 school in Greenville with hopes to expand to include additional schools, grant includes funds for hydroponic greenhouse, busing student groups in to volunteer, etc.  Main program will be run out of the H.O. Steele Building on North M-66.  ISD VISTAs are visiting High Schools throughout Ionia & Montcalm County during September with Hunger Action Month Presentations and will be doing Food Drives for select items needed for I-M Kids.
• Washington St Garden/First Presbyterian Garden:  Veggies are ripening quickly, onions, califlower, etc has been stored for later, potatoes and carrots are almost ready, soon will be holding a soup dinner,  tomatoes and peppers are ready now, if anyone wants cherry tomatoes please stop by!
• Portland Branch Produce Patch: (didn’t plant this year due to health issues) working on next year’s plan, will let Penny know needs.
• Angels in the Making:  Preschoolers are enjoying lunch from the garden (pictures in our blog), verticle seed starting was done this year, step-by-step available, would like compost supplies next year.
• Losing gardens next year due to closing- Muir Christian Food Pantry, North Plains Garden, Crayon Box Day Care
• Awareness & Resource Committee:  
• Bertha Brock Fall Fest- September 21st, 10am-4pm  Jen Dugan will set up the booth in the morning, will create a display board with QUESTIONS/ANSWERS for unusual lessons learned in garden at Higbee Acres.  Penny will set up a Food Drive Display.  Still need volunteers to work this booth in the afternoon!
• Educational Committee:   
• Harvest Celebration - October 26, 5-8pm  General timeline:  5pm Potluck, 6pm Workshops, 7pm Volunteer Awards,  Workshops are still being confirmed, once set and invite will be emailed to CFN Partners to share with their volunteers.  Penny will email all workshop leaders an event plan with all the basic info about this event.  Penny will get Lynda a Walmart Gift Card to purchase supplies for table decorations that can be used as Volunteer Prizes, World Wide Kids will build decorations on Oct 7th at their meeting.  If anyone else would like to set up a display/workshop please contact Penny ASAP.
• Volunteer Recruitment & Projects:  
• GET CONNECTED  The United Way & Volunteer Connections will be switching from HandsOn Connect (our online volunteer management software) to GET CONNECTED which is a much easier online system, volunteers will be able to sign up for opportunites with their Facebook Account, organizations can receive a 1 hour training to manage their page.  The first training is set for Sept 17th @ 10am at H.O. Steele, contact Penny if you’d like to attend.  This system will be launched for volunteers on Sept 25th!

Upcoming Events

• County-wide Food Drive   
• Sept 30th Recipient Registration Workshop 4-7pm at the MSU Extension (REQUIRED FOR ALL RECIPIENTS!)  October 11th - Recipient Registration Deadline!
• October 21st Mini-Drive Kick-Off 4-7pm at the Ionia ISD - pick up supplies, marketing materials, and general info for hosting a mini-drive!  (Food Drive Committee Meeting beginning at 7:30pm)
• Mini-Drives may take place October 26th through November 22nd!
• November 22nd - Collection Day at the ISD from 8am-6pm
• November 23rd - Food Pantry Pick Up Day

The next meeting will be the on October 7th at 1:30 pm at the H.O. Steele Educational Building.  There will be a 1 pm tour of this facility for anyone helping to plan the Harvest Celebration.

For a printable version of these notes visit our Google Doc!

Sept CFN Agenda

 

Community Food Network Meeting

Date and Time: September 9, 2013

1:30pm to 3:00pm

Location:  MSU Extension Office (Ionia)

Committees

• Gardens & Pantry Committee: 
• Awareness & Resource Committee: 
• Bertha Brock Fall Fest- September 21st, 10am-4pm
• Educational Committee: 
• Harvest Celebration - October 26, 5-8pm
• Volunteer Recruitment & Projects: 
• GET CONNECTED
• Harvest Celebration - October 26, 5-8pm

Upcoming Events

• County-wide Food Drive 
• Sept 30th Recipient Registration Workshop 4-7pm at the MSU Extension (REQUIRED FOR ALL RECIPIENTS!)
• October 11th - Recipient Registration Deadline!
• October 21st Mini-Drive Kick-Off 4-7pm at the Ionia ISD - pick up supplies, marketing materials, and general info for hosting a mini-drive! (Food Drive Committee Meeting beginning at 7:30pm)
• Mini-Drives may take place October 26th through November 22nd! 
• November 22nd - Collection Day at the ISD from 8am-6pm
• November 23rd - Food Pantry Pick Up Day

The next meeting will be the on October 7th at 1:30 pm at the H.O. Steele Educational Building!

Download a Printable Copy

Make A Difference Day: HARVEST CELEBRATION

For more than two decades, USA WEEKEND and Points of Light have joined together to sponsor Make A Difference Day, the largest national day of community service. Points of Light leads thousands of projects each year from coast to coast involving corporations, communities, nonprofit organizations, entire states and individuals.

Make A Difference Day is celebrated annually on the fourth Saturday in October and connects people with opportunities to serve, increases the strength of communities and promotes civic engagement.

The nationwide undertaking includes revitalizing community centers, rehabilitating parks, improving low-income homes, creating community art projects, mentoring, serving meals, developing community gardens and much more.

Locally, we will celebrate Make A Difference Day by kicking off  mini-drives throughout Ionia County. In 2013, the Community Food Network (CFN) will be celebrating it's 5th Anniversary.  It's hard to believe that this group has been through 5 years of planning, planting community gardens, coordinating food drives, and so much more!  This CFN is  coordinating the 5th Annual County-wide Food Drive & will be hosting the Harvest Celebration for all CFN Volunteers!

The Mini-Drive Kick-Off Workshop

When:  October 21st from 4-7pm
Where:  Ionia County Intermediate School District
What:  Pick up resources and supplies, register your mini-drive, get help planning and promoting, and ask your questions to the Ionia County-wide Food Drive Committee.
Mini-Drives can begin October 26th and run through November 22nd!

The Harvest Celebration

When:  October 26th from 5-8pm
Where: H.O. Steele Building on N-66
What:  Attend the volunteer potluck, participate in mini-service projects and workshops, and stick around for the CFN Volunteer Awards!

By coming together to address the problems we all face, we are building a stronger, more vibrant community. For more information regarding Make A Difference Day events, please visit www.ioniahost.com or www.pointsoflight.org/signature-events/make-difference-day

Myths about Food Insecurity

One of the largest myths about Food Insecure Families that is often stated, is that poor people don't want to eat healthy.  Or they would rather eat at fast food establishments then cook something healthy. Here are some basic hunger facts collected about Ionia County:

• 8 out of 10 families eat at home at least 5 times each week making most meals from scratch.
• Low income families often eat "junk food" simply because it is cheaper so you can buy more food.
• 85% of low income families say that eating healthy meals is important to their family!

September 11th: Day of Remembrance

September 11th: Day of Remembrance

On the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, as a way to pay tribute to, and remember the victims and others we wish to honor, we put aside whatever differences we may have at the moment, and work together to help others in need. That is the annual ritual, a fitting and appropriate gift to the many that lost their lives and the countless others who were injured or came to the aid or defense of those in need.Thanks to the strong support of tens of thousands of nonprofits, employers, faith organizations, schools and other organizations around the nation, 9/11 is now this nation’s largest day of charitable engagement. Last year a record 35 million people observed 9/11 by performing good deeds and engaging in service activities that help others.

The 9/11 Day Vision
The 9/11 Day Observance is unique in so many ways.

First, 9/11 is not just a day of volunteering. It is a day of doing good deeds of any kind to help someone else. While that certainly does include volunteering activities, individuals can participate in any fashion they want, by making donations to causes, helping friends move, cleaning up the house, buying supplies for classrooms, or even giving out hugs to those we love and appreciate. 

Of course we engage in good deeds and other charitable activity in honor of those lost and injured in the 2001 terrorist attacks, and in tribute to the many that rose in service in response to the attacks – our firefighters and EMTs, public safety officers, rescue and recovery workers, volunteers, and also our men and women in the armed forces. But why? Ultimately, we want something positive to come from the sacrifices they made. Also, we want to forever remember and keep alive the spirit of unity that arose in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. We became one nation, bonded by our universal concern for the well-being of others, and our desire to help those in need. We put aside our differences for a while, and although that moment was fleeting, we had the rare opportunity to experience what our society could be like if we worked more closely together to solve our problems. 

Through 9/11 Day each year, we honor those who gave so much, and remember the remarkable spirit of unity that brought us together as a nation. On the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, as a way to pay tribute to, and remember the victims and others we wish to honor, we put aside whatever differences we may have at the moment, and work together to help others in need. That is the annual ritual, a fitting and appropriate gift to the many that lost their lives and the countless others who were injured or came to the aid or defense of those in need.

Is your business or organization holding an event or service project that you would like to dedicate to the September 11th: Day of Remembrance? If so, register your project with Volunteer Connections Montcalm-Ionia Counties by filling out this simple form.

Download the List of 9/11 Service Projects

To VOLUNTEER contact the United Way at 1-800-417-2622 or iccfoodnetwork@gmail.com.

Fall Events from the Ionia Conservation District

Fall Conservation Tour focusing on Cover Crops and Hops on September 10

The Barry, Eaton and Ionia Conservation Districts will be hosting a fall tour on Tuesday, September 10, 2013. The day will feature a bus tour through the Eaton Rapids and Charlotte area in the morning, with stops featuring innovative uses of cover crops including an example of cover crops being used as forage for livestock. The afternoon will include a bus trip over to Hickory Corners to visit Hop Head Farms where participants will get to tour the state-of-the-art processing facility and the hop yard while harvest is in full swing. Those interested in participating in the tour should contact the Eaton Conservation District (517) 543-5848 ext. 5 no later than September 6 to register. Registration is $10.00 which includes lunch and busing. The tour will also feature informational presentations from MSU Extension, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and is a Michigan Agriculture and Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP) phase 1 event. 3 RUP credits are available for certified pesticide applicators who attend this event.   

Clean Sweep Collection on September 12^th

The Ionia, Barry, Eaton and Ingham Conservation Districts have partnered-up with Crop Production Services to offer a Clean Sweep Collection on Thursday, September 12, 2013. The collection hours will be from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm at the CPS Distribution Center in Sunfield (9845 West Grand Ledge Hwy, Sunfield). The Clean Sweep Program is open to all Michigan residents seeking to safely dispose of agricultural pesticides (including herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides) and mercury, free of charge. Individuals who intend to bring large volumes of materials (including mini bulks or 55 gallon drums) are encouraged to contact Rachel Koleda with the Ionia Conservation District prior to the event at (616) 527-2620 ext. 113. 

Download the Flyer Here!

Thanks, Rachel

Rachel Koleda

MAEAP Water Stewardship Technician

Representing Ionia and Barry Counties

rachel.koleda@mi.nacdnet.net

(616) 527-2620 ex 113 (Ionia Conservation District)

(269) 948-8056 (Barry Conservation District)

(517) 331-1055 (Cell Phone)