Position Announcement: Southeast Chapter Coordinator

The Kansas Rural Center is seeking a contractor to serve as the Our Local Food–Southeast Chapter Coordinator. The Southeast Chapter encompasses the following twelve counties: Allen, Anderson, Bourbon, Cherokee, Crawford, Franklin, Labette, Linn, Miami, Montgomery, Neosho, and Wilson.

Contract Dates: March 2012 - October 31, 2012
Payment: $9,000
Application Deadline: Friday, Feb. 24, 2012

Purpose: The purpose of this part-time contract position (15 to 20 hours per week) is to fulfill duties of work plan for Our Local Food 2012 for the Southeast region, with the overall goal of nurturing relationships between producers and buyers of local food, assisting them in increasing sales, and generating awareness among consumers to increase local foods demand.

Kansas Rural Center encourages partnerships with KSRE through the 2012 Savor the Season program

Kansas State Research and Extension FACS agents, Horticulture agents, Family Nutrition Program personnel, Master Food Volunteers and Master Gardeners looking to encourage more consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables this summer will have a new tool this year, thanks to the Kansas Rural Center's "Savor the Season" Program.

Savor The Season fits in well with KSRE’s commitment to promoting healthful lifestyles and increasing fruit and vegetable consumption through a variety of programs, as exemplified by Walk Kansas, the Family Nutrition Program and many others.  Partnering among KRC, KSRE, farmers markets and other organizations mutually benefits all parties, and allows for cross-promotion of each other’s activities and programs.

Savor the Season provides a unified voice in the promotion of diversity and sales of local produce.

The mission of the Savor the Season program is to improve the diversity of fruits and vegetables grown in Kansas, and to increase the sales of those crops.

For consumers - and of particular interest to KSRE FACS agents, FNP staff, and Master Food Volunteers - seasonal cards available at participating farmers markets will provide details on selection and storage of fresh produce along with preparation tips and recipes.  The Savor the Season specialty crops for 2012 are: Spring:  spinach, arugula, snow peas, rhubarb;  Summer: basil, bell peppers, garlic; and Autumn: spaghetti squash, turnips, pumpkins.

Card content is currently being developed by KRC staff in partnership with KSRE food specialists and volunteers.  Consumers, chefs, master food volunteers and others interested in the program are encouraged to submit favorite recipes using the 10 crops to twinrivers.olf@gmail.com by March 1, 2012.   Examples of past years’ cards can be found at http://www.ksfarmersmarkets.org/blog/savor-the-season-program-a-retrospective.  The new cards, along with reprints of the previous 16 crops, will be shipped to participating markets by April 18, 2012.

This year, for the first time, we are also offering other interested organizations the opportunity to purchase the crop cards at cost ($4/hundred).  These cards can be used for outreach at garden fairs, food festivals and numerous other events.  They’d be lovely prizes for Walk Kansas participants!  An order form can be found at here.  Orders must be placed no later than March 15.

Through Savor the Season, farmers markets can receive funding and other assistance for promoting specialty crops (includes all fruits and vegetables, plus nuts and horticultural crops).  Participating markets will receive an array of marketing and promotional materials, and have the opportunity to receive funding via either mini-grants up to $250 targeted at new or smaller markets interested in testing a special events program, or cost-shares that will match up to $400 for specialty crop promotions.   Farmers market organizers can find all of the information needed to apply online at www.ksfarmersmarkets.org/extras/ .   The application deadline is March 15, 2012.

To benefit producers of fruits and vegetables, Savor the Season is partnering with KSRE, the Kansas Vegetable Growers Association, and other local agencies to provide resources and specific guidance on production, post-harvest handling and marketing of five of this year’s chosen specialty crops.

The KRC strongly encourages partnerships among KSRE, farmers markets and other organizations committed to improving the health of their communities.  Please consider partnering with your local farmers market to provide special events, such as food tasting and/or cooking demonstrations, which encourage greater consumption of specialty crops.  Volunteers and food businesses interested in distributing materials and partnering for events should contact their local farmers market.

A non-profit organization founded in 1979, the Kansas Rural Center works to strengthen rural communities and cultivate grass roots support for public policies that encourage family farming and stewardship of soil and water. Savor the Season is part of Our Local Food, a program of the Kansas Rural Center made possible by a USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant from the Kansas Department of Agriculture.  Our Local Food is a network of local farms, farmers markets, food businesses and consumers committed to helping Kansans eat better, and to re-building a sustainable local food economy.

For further information, visit:
KS Farmers Markets
http://www.ksfarmersmarkets.org/
Kansas Rural Center
http://www.kansasruralcenter.org/index.html

Questions about the program can be addressed to Tracey Graham at twinrivers.olf@gmail.com

Savor the Season 2012: New Crops Announced!

We are excited to announce that the new 2012 Savor the Season Crops have been selected!

The new crops to be featured in 2012 will be:

• Spinach
• Arugula
• Snow Peas
• Rhubarb
• Basil
• Bell Peppers
• Garlic
• Spaghetti Squash
• Turnips
• Pumpkins

These crops were selected by asking market farmers and managers, through a survey, which crops they felt should be prioritized. After analyzing the results of the survey, members of the Savor the Season Advisory Committee (a group made up of eight specialty crop professionals) made the final crop selections.

As previously reported here, the Kansas Rural Center was awarded a Specialty Crop Block Grant from the Kansas Department of Agriculturein October that will help expand and develop the 2012 Savor the Season program. Collaborators for the project include Our Local Food, K-State Research and Extension, Kansas Vegetable Growers Association, Kansas Master Food Volunteers, and KSRE’s Rapid Response Center to name a few. 

The goals of the 2012 Savor the Season Program are to 1.) Improve the diversity of specialty crops grown, and 2.) Increase sales of these crops in Kansas. To achieve these goals, the Savor the Season program will offer farmers educational programming and resources on the production and marketing of specific fruits and vegetables. Participating markets and farmers will receive attractive marketing tools such as colorful recipe cards that support consumer outreach. The program will also communicate with consumers the ease and benefits of eating from this diverse list of healthy, locally-grown specialty crops through materials (such as the colorful recipe cards) and events. 

The Savor the Season Program was developed in 2009 and continued in 2010 with support from a KDA Specialty Crop Block Grant. To date, sixteen specialty crops have been featured including acorn squash, green beans, beets, bok choy, cantaloupe, chard, cherry tomatoes, eggplant, heirloom tomatoes, lettuce, napa cabbages, okra, onions, salad mix, sugar snap peas, and sweet potatoes. For more information, click here for aprogram retrospective. 

More information on how your market or farm stand can participate in the 2012 Savor the Season program will be available in January. Check back on this blog or Facebook at facebook.com/SavorTheSeason. For questions, contact Natalie Fullerton or Mercedes Taylor-Puckett.

Happy growing & eating in 2012!

Southeastern Region Farmers Market Workshop Set for December 3 in Iola

With the current economic situation, producers and consumers alike are looking for local, sustainable food sources. Come catch a vision of how Farmers’ Markets can be an increasingly viable venue for fresh, locally grown food.

A free Farmers Market Workshop is scheduled for Saturday, December 3, 2011, at the Townhouse West Assembly Room, 217 N. Washington, Iola, KS, from 9:00 to 4:00 for all who are interested in vending, managing or anything in between. A soup lunch will be provided. Pre-registration is requested in order to provide all attendees with take-home materials and plenty of lunch.

Workshops include:

• “Production Techniques to the Lengthen the Garden Season” and “Consider Marketing at Farmers Markets a Business, Not a Hobby” with David Coltrain, K-State Research & Extension Agent, River Valley District, Horticulture and Community Development. 
• Katherine Kelly, Executive Director and Co-Founder of the Kansas City Center for Urban Agriculture, will present “Market Customers Eat With Their Eyes”. 
• Laura Christensen, program manager for Growing Growers, will talk about “Post Harvest Handling” 
• Eileen Nichols, of the Webb City Farmers Market (MO) will share “Confessions of a Small Town Market Manager – working with vendors, volunteers and the community”. 
• Tracey Graham, Chapter Coordinator of the Our Local Food-Twin Rivers, will discuss “Electronic Bank Transfer at the Market” and “Rapid Market Assessment”.

Workshop partners include Allen County Farm Bureau, the Kansas Rural Center and the Our Local Food program with funding assistance from Kansas Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture, Kansas Center for Sustainable Agriculture and Alternative Crops, and the USDA Specialty Crop Grant Program, through a sub-grant from the Kansas Department of Agriculture.

For more information and to register, click here.

KRC Receives Two New Regional Food Systems Grants

Whiting, Ks. -The Kansas Rural Center is pleased to announce that it was recently awarded two grants focused on regional food system development and producer education and outreach.

A $171,520 USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant (SCBG), through a sub-grant from the Kansas Department of Agriculture, will permit KRC to expand the Our Local Food (OLF) program in Kansas. This program seeks to spur the development of community-based food systems by creating regional networks of local farms, farmers markets, food businesses, agricultural professionals, supportive organizations, as well as consumers who are committed to increasing the production and sales of fresh, local foods in Kansas.

The SCBG will assist in further developing OLF program resources such as subsidized membership fees, educational opportunities and consultation services for producers and food businesses, an interactive website and online food hub development, as well as member tool kits. Two chapters–a South East and a State chapter–will be added to the existing three, enabling the program to cover the entire state.

Additionally, this grant will permit KRC to bring back Savor the Season, a program started in 2009 to increase the diversity and boost sales of specialty crops at farmers markets. In 2012, ten new crops will be added to the sixteen highlighted in previous years. To increase the diversity of crops grown in the state, K-State Research and Extension Horticulture Agents will partner with experienced growers and OLF program staff to develop crop guides focusing on production, post-harvest, and marketing best practices for at least five featured crops.

Producer education on selected crops will also be offered in multiple formats including webinars, workshops and field days. Additional partners, including the KSU Research And Extension (KSRE) Nutrition, Food Safety and Healthy Program Leadership Team and KSRE Family and Consumer Science Agents, will focus on educating consumers about specific specialty crops and how to select, store, and prepare them. OLF member farmers markets will be eligible to apply for mini-grant and cost-shares to promote Savor the Season crops at their markets.

A second grant, the $99,673 USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA) award, will support numerous collaborations between KRC and other partners to increase opportunities around local food production. Using conferences, electronic communications tools, workshops and other venues, the project will enhance producers ability to locate risk management information and training, and to strengthen risk management education and training to a broadened agricultural audience.

RMA grant-supported programming includes the 2011 KRC sustainable agriculture conference, a full-day food safety workshop at the 2012 Great Plain Growers Conference, the Kansas Grazers Association’s winter conference, and a two-day grazing school to be held in fall 2012.

KRC will also partner with the Kansas Farmers Union (KFU), Kansas Center for Sustainable Agriculture and Alternative Crops (KCSAAC), and KSRE Douglas County to develop a Strategic Marketing for Livestock Producers educational series in winter of 2012. Composed of an introductory webinar and four workshops, the program will focus on the basics of marketing, including identifying a target market, selecting appropriate outlets, developing a marketing plan, and creating effective materials.

RMA funding will also allow the Our Local Food program to expand its resources for meat and animal product producers, and are not covered by the Specialty Crop grants.

The Kansas Small Farm and Direct Marketing Guide, a collaboration of KDA’s Food Safety Division, KCSAAC, the KFU, and KRC, is also funded through the RMA grant. This guide will provide base-line information that all direct marketing farms and beginning farmers need to be aware of to increase the likelihood of success and remain within regulatory compliance. Topics to be covered include licensing, taxes, insurance, and labor topics as well as rules and regulations for processing and direct marketing diverse agricultural products.

On the national level, direct-to-consumer sales, through outlets such as farmers markets, farm stands and U-pick operations, totaled $1.2 billion in 2007. This represents an annual growth rate of about 10% between 2002 and 2007– twice that of the rest of the food economy.
Activity in Kansas not only mirrors that national trend, but demonstrates even more potential. The number of farmers markets across the state has doubled over the past decade. Furthermore, between 2002 to 2007, Kansas rose from 45 to 33 in state ranking based on vegetable acres per 100 people. These statistics point to a burgeoning demand for local food that the USDA estimates will reach $7 billion by 2012.

“This rapid increase, not only in sales but also in the number of small farms entering the direct marketing arena, demonstrates that the need for resources, training and networking is great. With the award of these two grants, the Kansas Rural Center and its partners are in a position to address several of the opportunities and challenges of rebuilding regional food systems,” said Mercedes Taylor-Puckett, KRC’s Local Food and Farmers Market Project Coordinator.

You can contact Mercedes at mercedes.taylorpuckett@gmail.com.

Local Food Connections Workshop

Join Our Local Food - South Central With

Sedgwick County K-State Research & Extension

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

6:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Sedgwick County Extension Center

21st & Ridge Road, Wichita, KS

Do you have an interest in utilizing local food in your business or home? Come learn from farmers, chefs, grocers, and many more that can help you make local food connections easy.

Registration Information:

$10 for Our Local Food - South Central Members*

$20 for Non - Members*

*You MUST register by October 28, 2011 to attend. Please register online by Clicking Here!

Local Food Connections Workshop Schedule

5:30 Registration

6:00 Dinner by Lotus Leaf Café & Creperie: Lotus Leaf Café is a vibrant new restaurant in Wichita serving up decadent dishes with a healthy twist made with some of the area’s best local ingredients!

6:45 Local Food Connections Panel: this is your chance to ask a panel of professionals experienced in the local food industry. Norm Oeding farm manager of Janzen Family Farms, Chef Tanya of Tanya’s Soup Kitchen, Jennifer McVay with Food for Thought, Pat Randleas Old Town Farmers’ Market Manager, and Sarah Turner with Slow Food Wichita/ Flint Hills will share how they make local food connections!

7:15 Session 1: Exemplifying Online & Social Media Marketing for Local Food

Lance Chastain of Chautauqua Hills Farm

Get to know more about how online media such as websites and social networks can be used to expand your market. Get a growers perspective on creating a market for your product.

8:00 Session 2: Learn Local Food Lingo: Organic, Natural, which is it?

Rebecca McMahon, Sedgwick County Extension Horticulturist

Learn to effectively communicate terms such as organic, natural, or grass-fed. Understand what they mean and how they translate to consumers.

8:30 Keynote Speaker: Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food…What does this mean to Kansas? JJ Jones, Kansas Department of Agriculture Marketing and Trade Coordinator

To register for this event Click Here.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Want to help spread the word? Click here for a downloadable flier!

Internship Opportunities Available with the Our Local Food Program

Our Local Food – Kaw River Valley, a program of the Kansas Rural Center and supported in part by the USDA Specialty Crop Grant Program, through a sub-grant from the Kansas Department of Agriculture, is pleased to announce a call for interns.

THREE part-time interns based in the Kaw River Valley region are needed from late June through early September, 2011. Additionally, one part-time food assessment intern needed from July through December, 2011. Please see below for details on the different opportunities.

Our Local Food – Kaw River Valley Interns

Interns will assist our program primarily in communications and relationship-building work that is vital to promoting and building the program.
Interns should be residing at the time of the internship in one of the Kaw River Valley chapter counties: Johnson, Wyandotte, Atchison, Jackson, Jefferson, Leavenworth, Douglas, Wabaunsee, Shawnee, Pottowatomie, Riley or Geary.
Candidates should have completed four semesters of college studies with evidence of strong academic performance.
To apply, please submit the following to KawRiverValley.olf@gmail.com:

1. Resume
2. Up to three samples of work, preferably including multimedia/social media samples. At least one sample must be a written piece.
3. Please provide a letter detailing how your experience is a good fit for this position (download job description)

Top candidates will be selected for interviews with program staff and volunteers.Our goal is to have all three intern positions filled no later than July 15; please submit applications by July 5, 2011.
This an unpaid position, but interns will receive a $700 stipend payment at the end of a successful internship, for any travel, expenses or other costs incurred.

Our Local Food Program Food Assessment Intern 

This intern will assist our program primarily in research, analysis and development of a comprehensive report on our regional foodsheds.
Intern should be residing at the time of the internship in one of the Our Local Food chapter counties: in the Kaw River Valley, Twin Rivers, or South Central regions (for a complete listing of counties, please see chapter links at left).
Candidates should have completed four semesters of college studies with evidence of strong academic performance. A background in economics is preferred.
To apply, please submit the following to KawRiverValley.olf@gmail.com:

1. Resume
2. Up to three samples of work. At least one sample must be a written piece.
3. Please provide a letter detailing how your experience is a good fit for this position (download job description)

Top candidates will be selected for interviews with program staff and volunteers.
Please submit applications no later than July 5, 2011.
This an unpaid position, but intern will receive a $700 stipend payment at the end of a successful internship, for any travel, expenses or other costs incurred.

For more information, please contact Julie Mettenburg, coordinator
Our Local Food – Kaw River Valley
785-749-1031
Kawrivervalley.olf@gmail.com