Basics: What’s a Government Shutdown?

To keep federal agencies running, Congress passes spending bills that divvy up slices of the proverbial pie (our tax dollars). When Congress fails to pass spending bills, a shutdown happens. Right now, we’re in a “partial” shutdown, because Congress has passed spending bills that provide funding for approximately 75% of the federal government. Which means that many government agencies are open, including (importantly for FoodCorps) the Corporation for National and Community Service, which runs AmeriCorps. During federal government shutdowns, some activities of those shuttered agencies remain in operation because they are considered vital for health or safety—for example, Transportation Security Administration staff show up to provide security in airports even though they are not being paid.

If this shutdown drags on for weeks or (and let’s hope it doesn’t come to this) even months longer, there is a possibility that families served by these programs could suffer negative consequences.

Impact on Food and Nutrition Policy

Unfortunately, Congress did not pass the spending bill that covers agriculture funding, which means that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is not currently operating. However, the nutrition assistance programs operated by the USDA, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps) and school meals, are not impacted due to this lapse in funding—at least for the moment.

If this shutdown drags on for weeks or (and let’s hope it doesn’t come to this) even months longer, there is a possibility that families served by these programs could suffer negative consequences. For SNAP, the USDA initially announced that they had funding to cover benefits for January, but they wouldn’t respond to inquiries about funding for February. After much media and advocate attention to the uncertainty for February benefits, the USDA then announced a plan that would enable SNAP participants to access benefits in February. However, advocates remain concerned about the impact on families if the shutdown drags into March.

As for school meals, the federal government reimburses schools for the meals they serve to students, but those payments operate on a one month delay. Because of this lag time, the impact of the shutdown on schools and students is delayed. According to the USDA, school meal programs should be unaffected through March. If the shutdown persists after that, the impact is unclear. This would be an unprecedented situation as no prior government shutdown has lasted that long. We will continue to monitor this situation and provide updates to share with our sites and partners if the shutdown persists.

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Rooting D.C. is a free, all-day urban gardening forum happening on March 3. The event will provide education about urban agriculture and food systems, cultivate health and protection of the environment, and build community.

FoodCorps alumni and partners are speaking at the event! Check out their workshops below and register for the event here.

My Food has Friends: Companion Planting 101

Lola Bloom, Director of Food and Wellness at DC Bilingual Public Charter School (and FoodCorps partner!)

Plants, just like people, have relationships that can make them stronger and live longer. Come and find out how to design a diverse edible garden with companion plantings!

Building Equitable Food Systems through Food Policy

Ruth Tyson, Coalitions Coordinator for the Food and Environment Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists (FoodCorps Alumna ’17)

This interactive discussion explores opportunities to advance equity in the food movement through federal policy. We will provide examples of organizing efforts to uplift marginal voices through legislation- such as the Farm Bill and Local FARMS Act.

School Food and What YOU Can Do About It

Lea Howe, Farm to School Director at DC Greens (FoodCorps Alumna)

Nearly 50,000 DC public school students rely on school food to meet the bulk of their nutritional needs. This session will provide an overview of national school meal programs and illuminate the rules and regulations that govern DC school food. Attendees will learn about local initiatives to improve school meals and ways to get involved.

Karen Davison, the FoodCorps fellow in Washington, D.C.,  will also be presenting on what it’s like to serve in the district.

Register

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Farm Bill – Timing uncertain

As we’ve reported before, the current farm bill expires on September 30, 2018.  The House Agriculture Committee is further along in the process of drafting a bill, while the Senate Agriculture Committee has not advanced as far in their work.  

A top priority for FoodCorps is that the new farm bill reauthorize and improve the Food and Agriculture Service Learning Program (FASLP).  If funded, this program would support organizations working to improve child nutrition through food, nutrition, and agriculture education.  We are also working with the Appropriations committees in Congress to seek funding for this program.

The FASLP has been included in the bipartisan Local FARMS Act, and we’ll be working with our partners at the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) to help build support for this Act to be included in the final farm bill.  Stay tuned for more on how you can help!

Because Congress has a number of other issues on its plate (most notably, finalizing a funding deal for federal fiscal year 2018), the timing on the next steps in the farm bill process is uncertain.  But, we’ll keep you posted on updates and opportunities for action.

Also, if you want a farm bill 101, check out this great video from NSAC’s former Policy Intern and FoodCorps alum, Noah McDonald.

Government Funding – Finalizing 2018 and looking to 2019

As we write this, Congress is still working on government funding for the 2018 fiscal year.  The current budget deal expires on February 8.  Congress either needs to come up with a solution for the rest of the fiscal year or pass yet another short-term extension.  

We’re still hopeful that the final deal will include level-funding for AmeriCorps and the Corporation for National and Community Service.  But, we will continue to work with our partners at Voices for National Service to monitor the funding process and act, as needed.

Meanwhile, we also anticipate that the President will release his budget proposal for fiscal year 2019 in mid-February.  We’ll be closely following that proposal, and will be prepared to push back on any proposal to cut funding for national service or any other programs central to our mission.

USDA’s School Meals Rule – Thank you for raising your voice!

Thanks to all of you who sent comments to USDA on their rule extending “flexibilities” in school meals that would weaken the strong, science-based nutrition standards.  We had a great response to our action and many other advocacy groups also activated their networks to submit comments.  USDA now analyzes all the comments that were submitted and decides how it will proceed.  While we don’t know what the final outcome will be, it is important for them to have heard a solid base of support for strong, evidence-based nutrition standards that support the health of our kids.

If you missed our action alert, make sure you don’t miss the next one!  Either text FOODCORPS to 52886 or click here.

Service Year Alliance Chapters

Service Year Alliance is a bipartisan organization committed to making a full-time year of service– a service year– a common expectation and opportunity for every young American. They’re organizing the entire National Service community to take action in communities across the country to advocate and spread awareness about national service. If you are interested in learning about getting involved in a Service Year Alliance chapter in your community, please email Laura Thompson, Northeast Regional Field Director at Service Year Alliance at lthompson@serviceyear.org.

The post Policy Brief: Timing Uncertain on the Farm Bill appeared first on FoodCorps.

By Hannah Hayes, Southern Living

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Students who don’t think they are “into” science or who may find traditional science courses daunting should step into master’s candidate Arla Casselman’s classroom. She brings her passion for food and agriculture to life as she teaches best practices in food sustainability with her students.

In her elective classes at Medomak Valley High School in Waldoboro, Maine, Casselman works to ignite students’ interest in science through lessons and projects that are accessible. “I think when students can see how science is actually happening all around them in their own environment they are more likely to gain interest and engage,” she says, offering as example her ecology class in which 50 percent of the sessions were taught outside in the forest, “where students can physically interact with their ecosystem.”

Casselman’s path to teaching was not direct. She graduated from Saint Lawrence University in 2011 with a degree in sustainable agriculture and food systems, a multi-field major that she developed herself. After graduation, she was working as an assistant farm manager for a farm-to-table restaurant, when she decided with her fiancé to start their own farm, Ewing Fruit Company, with a focus on certified organic wild blueberries.

Ewing Fruit Company finished out its sixth season last summer. What started with 30 acres has now expanded to 60 acres. In addition to supplying close to 25 stores and restaurants around Maine, the farm sells at farmer’s markets regularly and manages orders from 150 to 200 families a year.

Read

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Last month we created a space for 15 of our native, multiracial and alumni of color to come together and build their network, set personal goals and refine their tools for how to navigate, find a voice, and a sense of safety within the predominately white organizations and spaces where they may find themselves. The gathering took place over the course of three days in Atlanta, GA.

We spent the first day learning about the history of Atlanta’s racial and cultural history led by a culinary storyteller from Atlanta Food Walks. After filling their stomachs with samples of fried chicken, barbecue, savory pie, northern white beans, cornbread, Georgia Peach Iced Tea, & banana pudding we headed to the Latin American Association for a panel discussion about Atlanta’s Buford Highway and the impending gentrification of the city’s immigrant community.

The next day was a long and intense story-sharing experience, followed by a training with Theatre of the Oppressed. They spent the evening learning from professional mentors of color from the Atlanta Area. Having thoroughly practiced embodying and giving voice to each other’s stories, the group was ready to create short plays based on racism, sexual harassment, discrimination, and micro-aggressions they’d experienced in the workplace. We were then invited to interrupt the oppressive moments in their plays in order to experiment with different solutions or responses to the problem.

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I began my year of service as a FoodCorps service member at the Family School not really knowing what to expect. Would I be able to find mentors to help me figure out the needs of the school? Would the school administrators be supportive and excited about expanding the number of classes learning in the garden? Would teachers feel comfortable using the garden space? Would my students be patient with me as I developed my teaching skills? And perhaps the most perplexing issue – how on earth could we engage a school of over 520 students in our garden which had only four small rectangular garden beds and a circle of eight stumps to sit on? However, I soon found myself welcomed into a community of teachers, administrators, students, families, and staff who were excited to collaborate with me to improve the culture of wellness at their school. Through these partnerships, we have made great strides in getting more classes growing in the garden, promoting vegetables and fruits in the cafeteria, and developing our school’s culture of wellness.

Read

The post Stronger Together: A FoodCorps Member Reflects on Her Service Year appeared first on FoodCorps.

Kane Martin, IA ’16: After Serving in Cedar Rapids, IA Kane went on to become the AmeriCorps Program Coordinator at Boys & Girls Clubs of Portland metro where he keeps up his passion for amateur gardening.

Kendal Chavez, NM ’12-’13: After serving in Albuquerque, Kendal became the state fellow and then Farm to School Director at Farm to Table, a small non-profit based in New Mexico that focuses on food systems work at local, regional and national levels through community-based programs and policy.

Kala Cuerington, CT ’13 (CA Fellow ’14): Since FoodCorps, Kala has managed a restaurant, worked at The Edible Schoolyard Berkeley and currently manages corps members for Education Outside in San Francisco. Kala is currently into her new sous vide machine, and kayaking in the questionable waters of the bay.

Rebecca Rosenthal, MS ’14-’15: Rebecca served with FoodCorps in Mississippi, and is now a Health Coach and Grad School student with goals of becoming a licensed nutritionist and herbalist.

Elizabeth Esparza, CA ’16-’17: Elizabeth just finished her second term with FoodCorps and is starting grad school this fall at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo pursuing a Master’s in Public Policy with the hope of continuing to work on food systems issues within California.

Amy Kleinman CT ’13 (returning): Recent graduate from the University of Colorado, Denver with her Master’s in Public Health in Health Systems, Management, and Policy. Amy served in Bridgeport, Connecticut from 2012-2013 and currently works in Type 1 Diabetes pediatric research in Denver.

Allison Boyd, NC ’12 (returning): Since serving with FoodCorps in North Carolina remained at her site as a service site supervisor for two years after. Since then she’s worked on Capitol Hill, served as the ED of an urban farm cooperative in Baltimore, and was recently a service site supervisor for a second time as part of her role as a manager at Revolution Foods, a healthy school food provider. Currently, she’s building an organic farm enterprise with her husband, raising chickens, honey bees, and a few acres of vegetables, and teaching yoga.

Alex Freedman, MA ’13 (’14-’15 fellow) (returning): Alex is California boy, by way of Somerville, MA. Having just wrapped up roles doing municipal public health policy and sustainable farming in Massachusetts, he is headed to grad school in Los Angeles for the fall. In addition, he loves gardening, traveling, and obsessing over the Great British Bake-Off.

Tiffany Torres CT ’14-’15 (returning): A native of the Sunshine State, Tiffany returned to Florida after service to work for the University of Florida Cooperative Extension’s Family Nutrition Program as a Food Systems Specialist, where she is part of an amazing statewide Farm to School team serving SNAP-eligible youth and adults throughout Florida. Tiffany enjoys quieter moments in nature, mushroom foraging or tending to her own home garden alongside her cuddly cat Athena. She’s also our Alumni Council Chairperson!

Alyssa Charney MT ’13 (returning): Alyssa is a policy specialist at the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) in Washington, D.C. At NSAC she leads the coalition’s work on farm bill conservation policy, and also works on appropriations, climate change, and organic agriculture. Alyssa served as a FoodCorps member for two years in Red Lodge, Montana with the Red Lodge Area Food Partnership Council.

Our Goals for 2017-2018

Build internal Alumni Council processes that encourage transparency, accountability & realistic goal-setting in order to keep us on a path to success.

Strengthen network of alumni in order to provide professional support and communicate positivity & hope during our current difficult political and social climate.

Embed an equity & inclusion lens into Alumni Council programs in order to support all alumni in being leaders of those values in their work and lives after FoodCorps.

Partner with FoodCorps policy team to encourage alumni to be politically engaged and see themselves as change-makers.

Provide meaningful channels for alumni to provide feedback and raise their own voices regarding updates and changes to the FoodCorps program.

Got questions about these goals? What more specifics? Ask! Get in touch with Robyn Wardell at robyn.wardell@foodcorps.org or Tiffany Torres, our Alumni Council Chair, at TiffanyNicoleTorres1@gmail.com.

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My name is Rachel Spencer, and I’m honored receive the inaugural FoodCorps Alumni Service Leadership Award. I currently work for the USDA in our Office of Community Food Systems farm to school team, where I help child nutrition program operators incorporate local foods in the National School Lunch Program and other federal nutrition programs. As a member of FoodCorps’ very first cohort of AmeriCorps members, it’s been a privilege to watch this organization grow over the past six years. It’s particularly special because I know that my fellow FoodCorps alums have played a big role in that growth and continue to today. We have a robust community of alumni out there, and while I’m elated to receive this award I want to take you on a journey to recognize a few of the things I think make this organization and this network great. Opinions shared here are my own.

I’ve learned so much from all the people who are part of FoodCorps, but I particularly want to thank the inspirational women that make this organization work. From the founders of FoodCorps to the staff that joined later on to my fellow service members and FoodCorps alums, I have found abundant examples of women who are leading through service. I’m a firm believer that we need more women in leadership positions in this world. For that to happen we need opportunities to connect with and mentor each other. Though gardens and lesson plans were my primary language while serving in schools, being part of FoodCorps for me was always a lesson in leadership. I cannot overstate the value of having the opportunity to learn from the dynamic, passionate women that are part of this organization. 

They have helped me navigate some of life’s toughest decisions about work, life, and the pursuit of happiness. 

It speaks to the strength of our network that the power of that mutual support did not fade upon leaving FoodCorps. We counsel each other on life and career goals. We’re there for the good and the bad. We review each other’s resumes and (like what happened right after we took this photo) dance at each other’s weddings. [Photo by Anya McFadden Photography]

I couldn’t make it through this story without celebrating the state that cemented my route on the road of food systems work – Arkansas. Being from the South has always been an important part of my identity. When I applied for FoodCorps I ranked the Natural State first. It was unfamiliar enough to be an adventure but close enough to my home state of Georgia to feel like I wasn’t abandoning my region. This state with its fascinating history, abundant natural beauty, and warm, friendly people helped me learn about my own strengths and struggles in a way I would not have elsewhere. Arkansas taught me about the reality of the challenges faced by the people living in rural America; it taught me that textbook policy means little if it does not work in the field. Such is the case in most states in the South – there is much work to do, but you’ll find good people fighting the good fight. Even though I now live in Dallas for my role with the USDA, I still feel that Arkansas is home. On spring weekends when it rains and there is plenty of water in the rivers you’ll find me out kayaking, camping, and experimenting to find the best fireside cooking recipes.

A few months after I began my service with FoodCorps I wrote a blog post thanking all the people that made a school garden work. I talked about my principal who tried pesto for the first time, the teachers who consistently went the extra mile, and the kids who stepped up to join me on this crazy garden adventure (especially the ones eager to try things they had not tried before). It has been an immense privilege to be part of an alumni group filled with individuals reinvesting their time, energy, and creativity into making the world a better place. Wrapping up, I’m thankful for the people driving the food and farm to school movements forward. I’m thankful to the current service members building school gardens and teaching kids across the nation. I’m thankful for every child nutrition director working hard to feed kids healthy food; it is not an easy one, but it is one on the front lines of changing school food. I’m thankful to the farmers and farm workers for who labor to grow our food. I’m thankful to the policy people, from our advocates to the folks running for local, state, or federal office – knowing food is important in each of those arenas. I’m thankful to FoodCorps for helping alumni like me dream big about the way we transform the way we eat in America. It is an honor to receive this award for leadership and service; we can continue to make progress through service, together. Let’s get to work.

Follow me on Instagram at @platesandpolicy

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