“A big part of what drew me to FoodCorps was the opportunity to work with kids who can relate to me and hopefully see some of themselves in me,” she wrote in 2018. “In my time as a student, I did not always have teachers who looked like me. It cannot be said enough, but representation is important, especially when it comes to both education and health.”

After that, Paloma went on to continue working with her service site; she’s now a Garden and Kitchen Educator with Edible Schoolyard NYC. We caught up with Paloma to see how the rest of her service lived up to her aspirations, as well as what she’s up to in her current role. 

FoodCorps: Reflecting back on your service in New York, what were some of the highlights?

Paloma Jones: The biggest highlight of my service was definitely my students! Middle schoolers can be pretty intimidating and I can admit I was a little scared to work with them at the start of my service year, but I quickly learned how great this age group is. Middle school is where most kids start to come into their own and embrace their individuality in addition to becoming a bit more independent. This meant I got to work with some of the funniest, sassiest, and most memorable humans I have ever met. I have so many great student stories that I couldn’t pick a favorite one if I tried. 

You wrote about the importance of connecting to your Latine heritage through your service. What did that look like for you?

There is a large English Language Learner (ELL) population at my service site (Evergreen Middle School), with most students coming from Spanish-speaking countries. So at the start of my service, I was pretty nervous about having to speak more Spanish which is something I’ve been self-conscious about in the past, but throughout that first year it was something that I practiced and improved on a lot. Something I also noticed was how relieved the students were when they realized I could understand them and that in some ways I could relate to them.

What lessons did you learn from your students? 

The main lesson I learned from my students is really just about being yourself. Not only do they show up every day as their full authentic selves, that is also what they are drawn to in their interactions with other people, especially adults. The program director at Edible has on a few occasions called me the “middle school whisperer,” which is her way of saying that the students respond well to me and that I do a good job working with this age group that many consider challenging. The only reason for this is that I’ve learned that my students want people to be real and honest with them but also don’t necessarily want to be treated like babies. So, I have learned from them and make sure to just be myself — which seems to be working out pretty well. 

What has been the role of food in connecting to your heritage?

When I reflect on some of my best memories, I think of all the delicious food I ate during those times. Food is such a big part of my life and keeps me connected to my family, especially my grandmother. Food has such an amazing ability to bring you back to a specific time or place, may it be through a certain smell or flavor. I can so easily think of the times in my great-aunt’s house waiting with my sister and cousins for the bacalaítos (fish cakes) to come off the hot frying pan and having to wait even longer for them to cool down to eat them.

How does your current work allow you to connect to and celebrate your heritage?

One of the most impactful methods I use when working with students, especially the ELL students, is storytelling. Students love sharing stories about where they are from, especially if that includes the food that they eat, and I love sharing about foods that connect to my life and heritage as well. It is always so much fun to share about similar foods or have discussions about the best way to eat a plátano. In the past I even had the opportunity of making one of my favorite dishes with students, arroz con gandules, or rice and peas. 

How do you continue to engage with your community post-service?

I feel so extremely lucky that I had the opportunity to continue working with ESYNYC and stay at Evergreen after my service term. I have been able to continue to engage and make connections with the school community. This past June the students who were in the sixth grade during my service year graduated, and while it is always sad to see them go, one of the joys of working with middle school is that you can see how much students grow up in that short time span. Sometimes I’ll see past students and they’ll mention something we made or an activity we did and it is pretty amazing to see the lasting impact. 

Read Paloma’s original essay here.

The post FoodCorps Alum Spotlight: Paloma Jones Grows Connections appeared first on FoodCorps.

Before her current role as the farm-to-school and nutrition specialist at the New Mexico Public Education Department, FoodCorps alum Kendal Chavez worked in a school in the state for over a decade. There, she noticed firsthand the shift toward incorporating locally grown food in school foodservice programs.

Due to lack of support for small farmers in the state, however, she saw that many schools were purchasing from the same large farms over and over, many of which were run by older white men. 

“We may say we want to do farm to school, and we may provide funds for schools, but if there’s no capacity for the program to function and farmers don’t have a support system to sell their food equitably and extensively across the state, then we’re kind of missing the mark,” says Chavez.

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The post Making farm-to-school accessible for all appeared first on FoodCorps.

Below, we’ve gathered an assortment of small businesses and initiatives led by alumni of FoodCorps’ service program, as well as some info about each alum behind the scenes. Gift a friend or loved one a soothing herbal tea blend, a local cider subscription, or handmade artwork made by our amazing FoodCorps alums. Support them this holiday season and all year round! 

If you know of a FoodCorps alumni-owned business, or you’re a FoodCorps alum and would like to be added to this list, please email Ro Li at rochelle.li@foodcorps.org.   

Small Batch Detroit 

Jen Rusciano (MI ‘ 12, ‘13) 

“Our students at the Detroit Food Academy make awesome holiday gift boxes featuring youth-made granola bars and jams, all using Michigan produce! We ship across the country!” 

FOOD EARTH BIRTH

Andrea Abc Blanton (GA ‘15)

“FOOD EARTH BIRTH is a small company rooted in earth-based services including small seasonal catering, herbal tea ceremony, and natural birth work. While honoring the earth, we center on environmental sustainability and local economy.”

Allium Botanicals

Neo Mazur (IA ‘13)

“Jewelry inspired by seeds, plants, people & their stories.” 

Northwest Cider Club

Emily Ritchie (OR ‘12)

“The Northwest Cider Club offers the country’s best craft cider from more than 100 independent cidermakers, from the Bitterroot Valley in Montana to Oregon’s Willamette Valley to the famed orchards of the Wenatchee region in Washington state.”

Awesome Acres

Katie Neskey (MT ‘13)  

“Awesome Acres sell herbal tea blends that we grow and mix on our farm in Montana. We’re a (very) small family business. Larry grows the goods. Katie makes the spreadsheets. Oscar & Felix keep us on our toes. Our farm is located in Western Montana on the traditional lands of the Selis (Bitterroot Salish), Qlispe (Pend ‘dOreille), and Ktunaxa Ksanka (Kootenai) Peoples. Currently, 5% of our online sales go to Montana BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) Mutual Aid and we hope to increase that amount as we continue to grow.”

Egret and the Rhino

Amanda Chin (MA ‘14, ‘15)

“Based in Philly, Amanda is a mixed-heritage hoisanese + assyrian + white, queer maker. Lover of fiber arts, book arts, gardens, ceramic, trees, mixed-media, and folk arts.”

Sun in Sorrow 

Bexx Merck (GA ‘16, ‘17)

“Sun in Sorrow started out of a desperate attempt to mend an uptick in sleepless nights and anxious days, something all too many of us are familiar with. Bexx sought to craft a blend that could promote sleep and anxiety reduction – it made all the difference. What was a personal journey grew into a hobby which ultimately bloomed into a deep passion for herbs and the ways in which they can support the human body- emotions and all… We encourage you to take some time and explore the blends we currently offer and see what might be right for you! It’s time to get reconnected.”

Superior Switchel

Melina Lamer (CT ‘14)

“Our owner and founder Melina, a former college hockey player, first started brewing switchel in her dorm room as a means to replenish and rehydrate after a night on the ice. After graduating college, she was persuaded to sell her switchel at a local, Minnesota farmers market. When she couldn’t keep up with the demand, she decided to turn her passion for sustainable food and waterway conservation into a business. Now, Melina’s switchel can be found in select retailers all over the United States! The Superior line of ready-to-drink switchel beverages are botanically brewed with Non-GMO, Certified Organic, and Certified Vegan ingredients from US farmers and 1% of all sales support the Great Lakes and waterways.” 

Harmony House Essentials

Kiana Miller (NY ‘20, DC ‘21)

“Harmony House Essentials is dedicated to creating a peaceful space for you, wherever you are. We deliver natural and sustainable products to our buyers at an affordable price. Set the mood and create a relaxing vibe on a budget.”

Nekko Wellness

Tasia Yamamura (HI ‘14, ‘15)

“Nekko (根っこ). Root, foundation, origin, source. Weaving together plants from two island nations (Hawaiʻi + Japan), Nekko Wellness is a reflection of the diasporic experience of the herbalist behind it. Nekko’s botanical products tell the story of the landscape from which our herbs are grown and gathered. We currently offer tinctures (steeped in therapeutic-grade distillations), nourishing facial serums, and skin-soothing salves and prioritize incorporating locally-sourced ingredients that are cultivated through Earth-aligned practices. Our intention is to serve as a reminder that our ancestral rootedness to the Earth is medicine in itself. May we work towards healing our bodies, spirits, communities, lands, and waters so that we can collectively rise and own our power.”

ShadowBrook Farm

Wally Graeber (DC ‘15)

“ShadowBrook Farm & Dutch Girl Creamery share our farmstead products through a seasonal vegetable and cheese CSA in Lincoln, Nebraska. Our herd of 200 goats are milked and made into farmstead cheese, yogurt, and kwark. Heading into the holidays, we are starting to ship our cheeses nationally! Wally Graeber currently volunteers in assisting with cheese distribution and is expanding into a land management role.”

lovelevel

Janeece Johnson (CA ‘19, ‘20)

“Colorado artists Janeece Johnson and Stacy King founded lovelevel with a simple mission in mind: to lovingly create lightweight jewelry that brings you closer to nature.”

Cumpanis

Rosanne Placencia-Knepper (NY ‘17)

“Cumpanis was founded in the South Bronx with a mission to empower and re-connect communities to real foods. We facilitate cooking, health, and food-systems workshops  through interactive hands-on classes that cultivate community.”

MetLiefsHandicrafts

Kelsey Ioannou (OR ‘19, ‘20)

“Handmade earrings, mala beads, and reusable fabric produce bags for all your fruit & veggie needs! Hand-drawn botanical greeting cards also coming in January 2021.”

The post Holiday Gift Guide: Gifts Made by FoodCorps Alumni appeared first on FoodCorps.

“No matter what people are consuming, my goal is for them to care about the impact it has on our environment and planet from beginning to end,” Emily Olsen said of her vision for Cloud City Conservation Center (C4). Olsen replaced Kendra Kurihara, who led C4 for three years, as the nonprofit’s director earlier this month.

Originally from Vermont, Olsen grew up alongside her mother’s garden, roadside farmstands and orchards. When Olsen began studying at New York University, she noticed the different challenges to food access in an urban area.

“Living in New York made me understand that not everyone understands where their food comes from,” Olsen explained.

A few years after graduating, Olsen moved to rural Arkansas to run a school garden program with FoodCorps. And though Olsen was introducing young students to leafy greens and root vegetables, it was evident that students’ families often couldn’t afford the produce they were growing in school.

So when Olsen moved to Denver a few years later, she took a position with a bike-powered food rescue operation focused on dismantling barriers to food access. Olsen ran Denver Food Rescue’s operations for three years, until the lure of mountain living became too much.

“I was tired of looking at the mountains every day,” Olsen said. “I wanted to be in them.”

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The post FoodCorps Alum Emily Olsen to Head Cloud City Conservation Center appeared first on FoodCorps.

Reid, who served with EcoSpaces Education at Philips Academy Charter School in Paterson, New Jersey, will appear on Food Network’s Chopped on November 19. We asked Reid a few questions about Chopped, his FoodCorps service, and his love of food. Tune in on Tuesday, November 19 at 9PM EST to see Reid compete to be the next Chopped champion!

FoodCorps: Tell us about how you discovered your passion for food and cooking.

Reid: I have always loved food. I cooked with my mom when I was younger, but my passion for it came from working in my first restaurant. When I was 14 years old I got a job washing dishes at a place called Blue Plate Special. I loved asking the chef questions about how he did certain things: poach an egg, flip an omelette, cut vegetables, and so on. Learning from him and being around all that food was the first time I realized my passion for food.

Why did you decide to become a FoodCorps service member?

I originally wanted to be a teacher. I attended a vocational technical school my senior year of high school and when first looking at the program knew I wanted to apply for culinary arts. Unfortunately the spots were full, but I ended up in the childhood development program which helped me discover my love for working with kids. After graduating in 2017 I was in college to become a teacher. After one semester, I realized it wasn’t worth the money when it wasn’t making me happy. I dropped out of college, and looked into opportunities involving food and kids. After discovering EcoSpaces and taking my first visit to PACS Newark, I knew I wanted to be involved. The director was nice enough to let me volunteer weekly, as I was working at a church’s aftercare and doing maintenance. Soon after I was introduced to FoodCorps, and knew my next step was to apply for that opportunity.

What inspired you to audition for Chopped?

I was never very big into cooking shows or competitions, but had definitely watched Chopped the most. The application for the show was provided by FoodCorps, but my fellow service member in New Jersey and dear friend sent it along and pushed for me to apply! If it weren’t for the endless support of everyone from FoodCorps, service members and staff, I would not have had the confidence and drive to apply and make it happen. I am extremely thankful for the caring and kind people that FoodCorps has brought into my life. I will have them forever.

What are some memorable lessons you learned during your FoodCorps service?

FoodCorps taught me a lot of lessons throughout my service. I think the biggest thing I took away, however, was that communication is key. Being at the school all year helped me with my communication skills professionally as well as when to speak up when needed. I realize now, especially in a kitchen, how important it is to be communicating at all times. If you want something done it’s always going to start with communication. Your kindness to others should reflect in your communication, and the results will show.

What’s next for your culinary career?

I’m about halfway done with the culinary arts program at my school, The International Culinary Center. Once finishing training at the school, the last two months of the program will be an externship at a New York restaurant. I could end up in a restaurant in the city, or a restaurant at a farm. I really don’t know. My goal is to position myself around the best chefs possible. I want to learn from them. When I’m done in restaurants, whether it be my own or someone else’s, I see myself finding a way to get back into school food. There are so many great opportunities for school kitchens and I would love to lend a hand to those who need it.

Tune in to Food Network on Tuesday, November 19 at 9PM EST to see Reid compete to be the next Chopped champion!

The post FoodCorps Alum Reid Evans on Food Network’s Chopped and Lessons From Service appeared first on FoodCorps.

Let’s talk policy! 

In late October, to cap off Farm to School Month, about a dozen friends of FoodCorps came to Capitol Hill to meet with lawmakers and advocate for farm to school policies. Sharing impactful stories of their direct experience in the school food field, FoodCorps alumni and other partners met with more than 30 senators and representatives and their staff to build support for the Farm to School Act of 2019 and the Kids Eat Local Act.

Earlier this year, we completed our first-ever Policy and Advocacy Crash Course for alumni of our service program. Over a series of remote sessions featuring guest speakers with expertise in policy advocacy, alumni learned about the importance of bringing an equity lens to policy work, how a bill becomes a law, the basics of effective advocacy, and other related topics.

For our Hill Day on October 29, FoodCorps invited a group of alumni who completed that course and who are from states whose Congressional delegations are on key committees overseeing school food.

Our Hill Day participants spent a packed day and a half with us in D.C. Here’s a snapshot of what they did. 

Our day on Capitol Hill 

To make the most of our time in D.C., we knew it was important to ground our work in some tried-and-true education about the process of policymaking. We started with a primer from our partners at the National Farm to School Network on the bills they would be advocating for, and then learned the nuts and bolts of an effective lobbying visit. 

The next morning, we heard a conversation on the importance of civic engagement and policy advocacy between Cecily Upton, FoodCorps’ co-founder, SVP, and Chief Strategist, and Dorothy McAuliffe, FoodCorps board member, former First Lady of Virginia, and school food advocate. Participants had an opportunity to participate in small group discussions to learn from leaders in the school food world before heading to Capitol Hill to conduct their lobbying visits.

Over the course of the afternoon, our advocates met with the offices of senators and representatives from all over the country and all over the political spectrum. In these meetings, former FoodCorps AmeriCorps service members shared their personal experiences of working with kids and alongside educators to get school communities excited about healthy food. They connected their experiences back to legislation like the Farm to School Act of 2019 and the Kids Eat Local Act, highlighting the power of fresh food to support kids, communities, and local economies. We then capped off the day with a festive reception co-hosted by the National Farm to School Network, where we celebrated school food and farm to school with friends and partners.

The whole event from our arrival to the closing night event was really empowering. It made me feel capable and ready to be more involved in advocating for policy in the future on the state and national levels.  —Mary Rochelle, FoodCorps alum

The impact of advocacy

In the days after our Hill Day, Sen. Boozman (R-Arkansas) and Sen. Tester (D-Montana) signed on as co-sponsors of the Kids Eat Local Act and Sen. Murphy (D-Connecticut) and Sen. Tester signed on to co-sponsor the Farm to School Act of 2019.

As Congress continues to consider reauthorizing child nutrition programs, it is necessary to continue building support for these bills to ensure they are included in the final legislation. We were proud to bring this group of passionate advocates to D.C. to share stories from the field with their lawmakers.

The post FoodCorps Hosts Hill Day for Healthy Kids appeared first on FoodCorps.

In September, the National Farm to School Network (NFSN) brought three farm to school advocates to Capitol Hill to share the amazing farm to school work they’ve been doing with lawmakers in Congress. Much of the work that these advocates have been engaged in to source more local, healthy food into schools across Arkansas and Kansas is supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm to School Grant Program.

During their visit to the nation’s capital, Allyson Mrachek and Maegan Brown from Arkansas, and Rachael McGinnis Millsap from Kansas visited eight congressional offices across their home states and had the opportunity to share both the successes they’ve seen, as well as the ongoing challenges, within their own communities. A central goal of their visit was telling decision makers in Congress why healthy food, family farm, and anti-hunger advocates want the next Child Nutrition Act Reauthorization (CNR) to include the Farm to School Act of 2019.

The Farm to School Act of 2019, for which NFSN and the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) have aggressively advocated, would provide an additional $10 million in annual funding for the Farm to School Grant program. The bill would also make policy changes that would improve access to the program for Native American communities, and prioritize projects that engage beginning, veteran, and socially disadvantaged farmers.

For Allyson Mrachek, advocating for farm to school was something that came naturally. She first got involved in farm to school work as a FoodCorps (an NSAC member organization) service member over seven years ago, and her interest and passion drove her to stay invested in the work and in her community. Today, Mrachek focuses on investing in the health of Arkansas’ youth as the Child Nutrition Director for Fayetteville Public Schools. During her seven years helping to advance healthy eating and farm to school activities at Fayetteville Public Schools, one of Mrachek’s biggest projects has been overseeing the district’s transition to local food procurement.

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The post Farm to School Advocates Kick Off Farm to School Month in D.C. appeared first on FoodCorps.

Tamsyn Jones for Practical Farmers of Iowa

Natasha Hegmann has found a happy balance with where the farmers market fits in her direct-marketing plan. As an introvert, she values the solitary time she spends working at Turkey River Farm, the diversified produce, hog and agroforestry farm she runs with her husband, Pete Kerns, near Elkport.

But as a beginning farmer passionate about serving her rural community, she also loves the weekly opportunity to meet and interact with her customers at the Guttenberg Farmers Market, about 18 miles away.

“I love it because it’s a small-town farmers market on the banks of the Mississippi River in a grassy park,” Natasha says. “And at this park, we know the names of most of our customers, and they have come to know us well, even though we’ve only been farming four years.” …

Natasha and Pete met in Montana while serving in FoodCorps. They knew early on that they wanted to start a farm together focused on their mutual interest in food and social justice – and the Midwest made sense. Natasha grew up in Iowa, while Pete, originally from the Chicago area, had potential access to family land in southern Illinois.

The couple started exploring land access options while still in Montana. They looked at farms in Wisconsin and considered Pete’s family land in Illinois. Ultimately, the opportunity to rent land from the Communia Corporation led them to choose Iowa. “We did not do a thorough investigation of the market for vegetables and pork in Clayton County before we moved here,” Natasha explains. …

For Natasha, seeing the unexpected role farmers markets would play in their fledgling CSA underscored a key lesson: establishing trust takes time. Being mindful of this is valuable for any relationship in life, Natasha says, but she notes it’s especially important for beginning farmers to bear in mind.

“It’s really important to have patience with relationships, if direct-marketing is what you’re trying to do,” Natasha says. “It takes people time to become comfortable with new people, ideas and products – and it takes multiple exposures. That’s one thing I learned in FoodCorps about kids. They need to see a new food or vegetable several times before they become comfortable with it.

“With vegetables and a CSA, you’re asking a customer to put a lot of trust in you – and money in your operation. You’re asking them to make a commitment, and also deal with weird vegetables sometimes. That’s kind of a big ask, and we really had to establish trust with customers that we knew what we were doing and could bring a consistent supply of beautiful, fresh vegetables to market every week.”

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The post A Farm With A Focus on Community appeared first on FoodCorps.

Sam McManis for the Arizona Daily Sun

The post The Power of ‘Ch’ishie’: Farmer Tyrone Thompson Wants the Rez to Feed Itself appeared first on FoodCorps.

Jackson Solari, HottyToddy.com 

Children of the Oxford community recently had a chance to sharpen their skills and talents in the culinary arts with FUNdamentals Cooking Class for Kids. 

FUNdamentals Cooking Class, specifically designed for children ages 8-13, focuses on teaching children how to properly prepare meals in the kitchen. The class, held at the Oxford Park Commission Stone Center building, starts with a beginner class and ends with an intermediate class. The class is taught by Oxford native Elizabeth Speed who prefers “hands-on teaching/learning styles” to impact the budding chefs.

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