Thursday, August 1, 2024
New Resources Available!
The DPI F2S team has new resources available. The Known Local Food Hubs, Co-ops, and Aggregators that Sell to Wisconsin Schools is a list to help make procurement connections with local suppliers. For help promoting local items offered on fruit and vegetable bars, consider downloading the Farm to School Salad Bar Labels to highlight local farms and produce.
Survey Opportunity! Share Your Input About AmeriCorps Service Programs in Wisconsin!
Serve Wisconsin is seeking input from individuals and organizations across the state as they put together their next three-year State Service Plan. This strategic plan will assist in focusing efforts to promote service, provide training, and allocate resources to programs and organizations that enrich lives and communities through service and volunteerism.
Please complete the Community Input Survey to help shape AmeriCorps and support of volunteer service in Wisconsin.
Please share the survey link with your friends, co-workers, community groups, and organizational networks, as the more responses from communities across Wisconsin, the better information for building our next State Service Plan.
School Garden Net Plant Productivity-By David Lee Schneider
Net plant productivity depends upon many variables of gross plant productivity such as nutrient availability, planting date, seed days to maturity, and environmental factors including growing degree days and respiration. A basic formula: net plant productivity = gross plant productivity – respiration and other loses. Nutrient availability can include 13 minerals, 6 macronutrients, 7 micronutrients, and 3 non-minerals consisting of hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon. Primary macronutrients include nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium while secondary macronutrients include calcium, magnesium, and sulfur. Micronutrients include boron, copper, iron, chloride, manganese, molybdenum, and zinc.
The planting date is when the seed is sown directly into the ground or media or when the seedling is transplanted into the garden or outdoor soil. The planting date listed numerically on the seed packet correlates to the number of days to maturity or harvest. As an example, a 75-day plant, if seeds are sown directly in the ground on May 1st, then July 14th is the expected maturity date. There are many variables with environmental factors including soil types comprised of sand, silt, and clay combinations or media and water combinations for hydroponics or aquaponics.Some environmental factors affecting plant growth include natural, semi natural, or controlled conditions with consideration to the amounts of precipitation, radiant energy, temperatures, humidity, and photosynthesis. Growing degree days (GDD) are a measure of heat accumulation to predict plant and insect developmental rates calculated from temperatures being above a certain threshold, or base temperature of 50°F. As an example, base temperature is 50°F with a maximum temperature of 80°F and a minimum of 60°F equating to an average of (80 + 60)/2 = 70°F. This translates to a GDD of (70 - 50) = 20. Temperatures below the base temperature do not contribute to growth. Sum the GDD values for each day during the growing season to get a cumulative total.
This cumulative GDD is used to predict the stages of development for plants and insects providing insight into precise decisions for planting, fertilizing, harvesting, and managing pest control. Moisture losses occur from plant respiration, evaporation, runoff, drainage, or transpiration while other losses can occur from insects and animals. Happy harvesting!
Webinar: Get a Jump on Grant Applications Across the Great Lakes Midwest: What You Need to Know
The Great Lakes Midwest Regional Food Business Center hosted a webinar aimed at helping food and farm businesses navigate federal grant applications. The session, titled "Get a jump on grant applications across the Great Lakes Midwest: What you need to know," provided crucial insights for business owners preparing for upcoming funding opportunities.
The webinar featured experienced producers Dan Cornelius of Yowela Farms and Aje Elliott of Workin' Roots Farm, who shared their firsthand experiences with obtaining a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) through SAM.gov, a prerequisite for many federal grant applications. The Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems also presented information on upcoming assistance and funding opportunities. Information was shared about the Business Builder grant program, set to launch in late 2024. This initiative will distribute over $10 million in awards and technical assistance across Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin over the next four years, providing significant support to regional food and farm businesses. The webinar recording is available at this link.
Now Accepting AmeriCorps Member Applications for the 2024-2025 Service Year!
AmeriCorps is a national service program that engages over 80,000 members in service each year to solve pressing national problems through direct service and by mobilizing millions of volunteers for the organizations they serve. The AmeriCorps F2S Program provides an innovative approach to building healthy communities, and is looking for dedicated service members who are interested in:
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Increasing students’ access to local foods
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Inspiring kids to grow their own food
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Teaching students about nutrition
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Empowering youth to make healthy choices
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Gaining support for F2S programming
To apply for an AmeriCorps F2S service position for the 2024-2025 service year, please fill out the online application. The application includes a complete list of available positions and host site locations. The program year runs August 15, 2024, through August 14, 2025. We recommend getting your application in as soon as you can! For more questions about the program, and how serving with the program might fit into your career path, please contact Kara Ignasiak.
Celebrate Cucumber Crunch!
DPI staff visited Whitehall School District for their Cucumber Crunch! Summer school students crunched into locally grown cucumbers donated by the Farmers Garden Market. Local cucumber farmer, Chuck spoke to the students about growing cucumbers, students received fun incentives for trying a bite, and the Cool Cucumber made an appearance! After the event, one student said, "This is the first time I ever had a cucumber. I love them, and I want more"!
It is not too late to host your Cucumber Crunch! For access to recipes, nutrition education, and promotional materials visit the Celebrate Summer webpage and do not forget to register your event! Registrants will receive free Cucumber Crunch stickers!
Save the Date for the Great Apple Crunch! Thursday, October 10, 2024.
The Great Apple Crunch encourages healthy eating and supports farm to school (F2S) and other local food purchasing initiatives throughout the Midwest. It is an opportunity for K-12 schools, early care and education sites, hospitals, colleges and universities, farms, state and local agencies, non-profit organizations, local businesses, groups, and even households to “crunch” into a locally- sourced, Wisconsin apple. Held annually during F2S month in October, this year’s event will take place October 10, 2024. Registration opens late summer 2024.
Meet the Farm to School Team!
The DPI School Nutrition Team (SNT) has full-time Farm to School (F2S) staff! Jeff Mallegni, former school district chef, David Lee Schneider, farmer and school garden expert, and Brittany Zerbe, former SNT Public Health Nutritionist, are working to grow F2S efforts in Wisconsin schools. Please contact us at DPIF2S@dpi.wi.gov with any F2S questions.
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
Jill K. Underly, PhD, State Superintendent
201 West Washington Avenue
Madison, WI 53703
(608) 266-3390 • (800) 441-4563