The Dirt

SFC is proud to partner with many community groups, individuals, and foundations to strengthen our local food system and cultivate a healthy community. Among our valued partners is the  AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation's Connections for Cardiovascular Health℠ program that provides funding for SFC to stem the prevalence of cardiovascular disease by targeting obesity and nutrition issues.

We appreciate the support of AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation, and all our partners, which in the first 6 months of this fiscal year have allowed SFC to reach 350 cooking class participants in The Happy Kitchen/La Cocina Alegre®, 230 gardening class participants, 30,000 SFC Farmers’ Market shoppers, including 175 WIC and SNAP users participating in double value matching program, 2,622 unduplicated Farm to Work customers, 120 Wellness Team Members at 15 elementary schools, and 37,000 Sprouting Healthy Kids and Farm to School students at 47 Austin ISD schools.

This month we sent our annual holiday letter from our client Silvia Moreno, parent of Jordan Elementary Student, Salvador Gloria Moreno, who is directly benefiting from these programs. Here is what Silvia had to say:

Not every school in Austin has the resources it needs to keep its students healthy. Fresh produce in the cafeteria, lessons about what food is best for our bodies, and hands-on school gardens where a child can literally see how a vegetable grows from a tiny seed—and this is where Sustainable Food Center comes in.

Did you know that SFC’s Spread the Harvest project offers free seeds, compost and plant starts to nearly 10,000 people a year? They also provide hands-on, bilingual, organic food gardening training to individuals, families and schools in need of this vital education.

SFC started providing resources to Jordan Elementary two years ago – I got involved because I like plants, and it was here at the school, which made it convenient. We learned a good bit because we didn’t know anything about some of these plants. They came to teach us how to plant fruit trees and vegetables to grow our own food.

The best part about the experience for me living in this community was meeting more people--other mothers that came out to help in the garden. SFC’s help came at a critical time, because the school didn’t have the resources for things like soil and plants. We also saw more fruits and vegetables in the school cafeteria than in years before. In March, SFC started a farmers’ market at the YMCA East at 51st St. and 183, where there had never been a market with organic fruits and vegetables nearby.

My primary interest in getting involved was because of Salvador – the doctor told me he had early signs of diabetes, and I was worried for his health. I started becoming interested in making changes--more fruits and vegetables and exercise, to lose weight and take care of his health. We’re working on this. One day, Salvador said to me, “I want to have more energy to play outside.”

From that moment on, it was all about “fun and healthy”— kids and adults together, planting and harvesting fresh, local produce. As a mom, it matters to me how my child’s school environment is helping or harming his health. SFC is a partner to us and to our school in preventing childhood obesity. Won’t you support them with a gift today? Thank you for ensuring that we continue to Spread the Harvest!

Sincerely,

Silvia Moreno
Parent of Jordan Elementary Student, Salvador Gloria Moreno

Did you know that SFC’s Grow Local program has provided assistance to more than 130 school gardens in the Austin area? These gardens can be found at public schools and private schools, from preschools to high schools and every level in between. Some school gardens are incorporated into classroom lessons or afterschool clubs, others are used to produce food for the cafeteria, farmers’ markets, or food pantries, and still others serve as places for parents and community members to grow healthy food for their families. What these school gardens all have in common is that they serve as places for children (and adults!) to learn about where food comes from, how it is grown, and how delicious and fun eating fresh fruits and vegetables can be!

The assistance that SFC provides to school gardens includes our free School Garden Leadership trainings, Spread the Harvest resources, in-class and afterschool lessons & activities, School Garden Volunteer matching, consultation, grant assistance, and more. SFC’s recent School Garden Leadership training at Mendez Middle School successfully inspired and empowered dozens of leaders to start and expand garden projects at their schools, and we look forward to providing continuing support to these endeavors. Check SFC’s Events page for our next School Garden Leadership training in early 2013. You can find more information about how SFC promotes school gardening success in Austin here: http://www.sustainablefoodcenter.org/grow-local/school-gardens

If you know of any school garden projects that aren’t yet connected with SFC, we’d love to hear from them! Please contact Jess Guffey, Grow Local Co-Director, at jess (at) sustainablefoodcenter (dot) org, to find out how we can offer assistance.

The Happy Kitchen/La Cocina Alegre® (THK) Program Director, Joy Casnovsky, had the opportunity to travel to San Francisco for the annual American Public Health Conference, the largest conference of its kind in the US. With over 12,500 people in attendance, there was a little public health for everyone. THK submitted an abstract, which was accepted as part of the session titled, “"Nutrition Education, Culinary, and Gardening Programs.” The presentation focused on a small research project conducted with the UT School of Public Health (UTSPH) that measured eating habits before and after participants enrolled in THK. Among some of the dietary improvements were an increased consumption of vegetables, a decreased consumption of fruit juice (whole fruit is always better to eat!), and decreased use of cooking with lard and oils. The conference was a great way to exemplify the partnership that SFC shares with UTSPH, which helps SFC improve its programs offered to the public based on the evaluations that UTSPH conducts. Joy was also elated to hear several of her favorite public health heroes speak, including Marion Nestle from NYU, Michele Simon, author of Appetite for Profit, and David Wallinga of the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy. Not to mention she was able to put the face behind the partner of Wholesome Wave, the foundation that is funding the double dollar matching program at the SFC East Market. Sustainable Food Center is proud to be recognized as one of the players on a national level that is promoting a more just, assessable and healthy food system.

The Mamma Jamma Ride is fast approaching!  This annual bike ride, scheduled for October 27th, raises much needed funds for SFC and 9 other local agencies dedicated to helping Central Texans coping with breast cancer.  Doing this Ride on October 27th is a great opportunity to help our cause; please join us and be part of the nation’s largest bike ride to raise money for breast cancer.

There are many ways to be involved – whether it’s as a Participant (join our team!), as a Crew Volunteer, or as a generous Donor!  All proceeds of the Ride stay local: What’s Raised Here, Stays Here!  There is a distance for every Rider, ranging from 13 to 100 miles, a trail run for those without wheels, and loads of fun volunteer opportunities. 

Learn more about how YOU can be involved in providing care for thousands of people; it’s as fun and easy as riding a bike! Check out the Mamma Jamma on  Facebook and the Mamma Jamma Ride website  - please join US for this year’s Ride.

We’ve had a terrific season of Citizen Gardener classes this fall! Citizen Gardener participants learned how to start their own food gardens while helping to establish or enhance gardens at Gateway Church, UT Elementary, Alamo Community Garden, and East Communities YMCA. Participants learned to build their own raised garden bed, a rainwater catchment system, and a successful compost pile, along with a wealth of other gardening wisdom. Participants will now share their knowledge with the community by volunteering 10 hours at partner gardens and farms throughout the community.

Interested in becoming a Citizen Gardener? Stay in touch to register for spring classes via our events page and our Facebook group! We are also looking for eager gardeners with experience to join us as Citizen Gardener teachers. Contact Vanessa Toro at vanessa@sustainablefoodcenter.org for more information.

October is a busy time for local food systems advocates and programs – not only does Food Day fall on the 24th, but the whole month is dedicated to Farm to School activities. With events and activities occurring all over the country, National Farm to School Month provides Austin-area schools participating in SFC’s Sprouting Health Kids program an opportunity to shine a nationwide spotlight on efforts to connect students with healthy, local food.

As part of Sustainable Food Center’s farm to school and food systems education programming, and in collaboration with Marathon Kids, schools wellness teams are planning “Meet the Farmer” days and Veggie Sampling events in their cafeterias, helping to coordinate Basic Organic Gardening classes for teachers and parents, and even hosting School Garden Leadership Trainings, presented by SFC’s Grow Local program. Some schools are planning garden work-days, farmers’ market tours, or healthy local foods classroom lessons, and, all schools are posting colorful posters and other “point of sale” materials in their cafeterias to promote the availability of local foods.

While many events are occurring as part of Farm to School Month in October, we know that interest and activity remains strong throughout the year. Look for photos from the month in upcoming newsletter articles. And, visit http://www.farmtoschoolmonth.org for more info (you may even spot a familiar face in one of their pics!).

About a year ago I set out to cook every recipe in The Happy Kitchen/La Cocina Alegre™’s cookbook Fresh, Seasonal Recipes and blog about my experiences. I thought it sounded like a fun project, a good chance to try some of the recipes that I hadn’t made before and hopefully a way to make it a little easier to decide what to have for dinner each night.

I don’t recall what my expectations were going into it, but looking at it from the other side I can honestly say that it was a great opportunity for my whole family. In the last year, my kids have eaten an amazing variety dishes that I wouldn’t have thought to serve them a year ago. Not because I didn’t want to, but because I assumed they’d turn their noses up and reach for the peanut butter.

Over the last year I’ve certainly seen a few turned up noses but more often I’ve seen my kids eat things I used to only dream about. I can’t even tell you how happy it makes me to see them enjoying (or at least not rejecting) kale or lentils or quinoa. There must be some evolutionary mechanism that makes a mom burst with pride at her children eating nutrient-rich food. They’ve even started to show an interest in cooking themselves.

Just last night I was making Sweet Potato Wraps for dinner. A friend stopped by and ended up sitting at my kitchen table and chatting while I was cooking. After a few minutes of watching me cook, she mentioned that her kids would never eat the healthy meal I was preparing. “They’d think I’d gone to Mars and brought back some weird Martian recipe,” she said. I just smiled politely and offered to get her a copy of our cookbook.

Thirty minutes later I was sitting around the table with my husband and kids, eating whole wheat tortillas stuffed with mashed sweet potatoes and spinach. My husband got seconds and my son asked to have the leftovers in his lunch today. Cue beaming mom. If you think your kids (or your spouse, or yourself) will never eat healthy food, just give it a try. You may just be pleasantly surprised.

Our 5th Annual Volunteer Appreciation went off without a hitch. Over Black Star Coop appetizers, beer and wine, 200 volunteers mixed, mingled, and were showered with “thank yous”. While we appreciate all you volunteers everyday, week, and month, we try to show just how much with this annual event.

Volunteers work tirelessly throughout the year to keep SFC’s mission momentum moving forward. With 30-50 volunteers EVERY week, we’ve got folks at the info booth, the kiosks, the Taste Tent, out at community outreach events, doing nutritional demonstrations, recipe testing, printing and copying and laminating, and so much more- volunteers help us all move forward.

For all the folks that made it to the Appreciation and those that sadly couldn’t join us: what an amazing job you all do. We can’t say it enough: we absolutely positively could not do what we do without you. If one of us forgets to tell you that after your next shift, know that we are thinking it!!

While everyone of you is AMAZING, we did have a special shout out to the folks that have gone above and beyond in 2012. Our star volunteer for the year is Yoshiko. With just under 100 shifts JUST at the markets, Yoshi has logged over 200 hours with SFC in the last year. Not far behind are Michelle, Trent, Silvia, and so many more of our dedicated volunteers who dedicate time, energy, enthusiasm, and their smiles to us week after week.

I said it at the appreciation, and I’ll say it again, SFC has the BEST volunteers around. What a positive message you bring to each of us day in and day out: you reassure us that together we can create a more sustainable community through food. The hugs, the laughter, the merriment at our appreciation event are unparalleled.

On a sad note, I’d like to give a special mention to one volunteer we lost this year. Eleanor Pratt was a volunteer with SFC since long before I joined the staff. For 9 years, Eleanor brought her love of food, sustainability, and her knowledge of growing and sharing, to the SFC Farmers’ Market Downtown. Her dedication and enthusiasm over the years was an inspiration to us all and she is sorely missed by us all.

Here’s to each of you and another year together!

Thank you volunteers!

For Immediate Release

October 5, 2012

Austin, TX — 10/5/12-- “ I am cooking more fruits and vegetables,” Maria Gonzalez nodded, when asked about the impact of the Fruit & Vegetable Prescription Program (FVRx) on her family’s lifestyle. “Now my daughter is eating vegetables, when before, she wasn’t eating vegetables at all. This program makes vegetables more available to my family, making it the easy choice for them.”

WHAT: An innovative project combining the health intervention of fruit and vegetable prescriptions with cooking classes for pregnant mothers is finding success thanks to People’s Community Clinic (PCC), Sustainable Food Center (SFC) and their funding partners, St. David’s Foundation and Wholesome Wave.

WHY: Recognizing that pregnancy affords a valuable opportunity to encourage women to make behavior changes that improve immediate health outcomes and reduce the risk of future chronic disease in both mother and child, PCC has launched the Prenatal and Early Childhood Obesity Prevention Project in collaboration with the Wholesome Wave Fruit & Vegetable Prescription Program and SFC. This unique pilot aligns with the Centers for Disease Control’s Measures Project for Obesity Prevention by encompassing strategies that promote the expanded availability and consumption of fruits and vegetables, improved use of farmers’ markets, and increased support for breastfeeding.

WHO and WHEN: Three groups of ten women each (approximately 30 total patients), recruited from the same geographic area are currently receiving nutrition-related information and peer support through group activities that will complement their regular prenatal visits to the clinic. Additionally, during the prenatal visits for the 30 participants, PCC doctors and nurse practitioners issue FVRx prescriptions monthly for six months as part of the patient’s routine care.

“We are delighted to support efforts by these innovative local nonprofit organizations to foster healthy eating habits in our community!  Kudos to People’s Community Clinic and Sustainable Food Center for partnering to create this unique and promising new program,” said Earl Maxwell, Chief Executive Officer of St. David’s Foundation.

Clients are available for interviews upon request.

About People’s Community Clinic

PCC’s mission is to improve the health of medically underserved and uninsured Central Texans by providing high quality, affordable health care.  As the medical home for 11,000 low-income patients, the Clinic delivers a comprehensive, holistic approach to primary care that covers the lifespan and improves the health and well-being of our community.  http://www.austinpcc.org/

About Sustainable Food Center

SFC cultivates a healthy community by strengthening the local food system and improving access to nutritious, affordable food. www.sustainablefoodcenter.org.

Media Contact:
Susan Leibrock, Community Relations Director, SFC
512-236-0074 ext. 111

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On September 3, 2012 the New York Times published an article about a Stanford University study that allegedly dispels the nutritional advantages of organic food. The article, Stanford Scientists Cast Doubt on Advantages of Organic Meat and Produce, explains "[scientists] concluded that fruits and vegetables labeled organic were, on average, no more nutritious than their conventional counterparts, which tend to be far less expensive. Nor were they any less likely to be contaminated by dangerous bacteria like E. coli." The response from the sustainable agriculture community regarding this study has been tremendous. Below we have provided links to articles we believe best respond to this study. 

5 Ways the Stanford Study Sells Organics Short

By Tom Philpott, Mother Jones
September 5, 2012

In reality, though, the study in some places makes a strong case for organic—though you'd barely know it from the language the authors use. And in places where it finds organic wanting, key information gets left out. To assess the state of science on organic food and its health benefits, the authors performed what's known among academics as a "meta-analysis"—they gathered all the research papers they could find on the topic dating back decades, eliminated ones that didn't meet their criteria for scientific rigor, and summarized the results... (Read More)

Don't give up on organic food, our experts urge

ConsumerReports.com
September 5, 2012

A new review of previous research on organic food is getting a lot of media attention for concluding that the published literature "lacks strong evidence" that organic food is significantly more nutritious than conventionally grown food. But news reports covering the findings may be oversimplifying or distorting what the study really found, according to our in-house experts, and consumers shouldn't be misled into believing that there isn't a benefit to paying more for organics, particularly for certain populations...(Read More)

Stanford Scientists Shockingly Reckless on Health Risk And Organics

By Frances Moore Lappe, The Huffington Post
September 6, 2012

In any case, the Stanford report's unorthodox measure "makes little practical or clinical sense," notes Charles Benbrook -- formerly Executive Director, Board on Agriculture of the National Academy of Sciences: What people "should be concerned about [is]... not just the number of [pesticide] residues they are exposed to" but the "health risk they face." Benbrook notes "a 94% reduction in health risk" from pesticides when eating organic foods... (Read More)

Scientists Tied to Tobacco Industry Propaganda, and Funding from Monsanto, Turn Attention to Organic Food

Cornucopia Institute
September 12th, 2012

Not surprisingly, the study’s glaring errors, both in understanding the important and complex differences between organic and conventional foods and in the researchers’ flawed choice of research methods, prompted organic advocates to look closely at financial ties between Stanford’s Freeman Spogli Institute, which supports the researchers, and the chemical and agribusiness industry... (Read More)