The Dirt

Immediately following SFC’s long-anticipated move to its new center, we held our second annual Program Replication Training on June 10-12 – in our very own space! Twenty-two individuals representing 10 different entities from Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas came to learn how to implement one or more of SFC’s current programs; Grow Local community and school gardening, Farm Direct farm-to-institution, Sprouting Healthy Kids farm-to-school and food-systems education, and The Happy Kitchen/La Cocina Alegre® cooking classes. Throughout the training, individuals engaged in planning sessions, participated in hands-on activities, spoke with program partners, and toured school and community gardens and SFC farmers’ markets. The training prepared these organizations to replicate program components in their own communities so more children and adults can “grow, share, and prepare healthy food.”

Our fabulous trainees gathered together for the first introductory session

Joy Casnovsky teaches knife skills to trainees

THK trainees gathered for a training session

Participants dove into hands-on training for The Happy Kitchen/La Cocina Alegre® cooking classes and experienced what it’s like to facilitate a cooking class from start to finish. Not only did they sharpen their skills in the kitchen and create tasty recipes but they also learned how to effectively lead classes on nutrition and food education to prevent chronic diet-related disease. One participant later tested the roasted kale chip recipe on her young daughter who is a picky eater, and to her delight, it was a hit!

Vanessa Toro leads a Community Garden training session

Our Grow Local staff led engaging trainings on Spread the Harvest, Community Gardens, and School Gardens, complete with tours of school and community gardens where the group met local gardeners in action. For the School Garden training, Pickle Elementary School teacher Judith Hutchinson told her story of starting a school garden because she believed it would be beneficial to her students’ emotional, behavioral, and academic learning. She encouraged the group to always “celebrate the small accomplishments.”

Farm Direct trainees tour the SFC Farmers' Market East with Suzanne Santos

A visit to the SFC Farmers’ Market East, located adjacent from our new center, gave the group a chance to speak with local farmers and vendors and see firsthand how the Double Dollar Incentive Program functions. The topic of doubling the spending power of SNAP and WIC benefits at farmers’ markets was so popular that a lunchtime discussion group was created to further explore the topic with SFC staff.

Farm Direct trainees explore the SFC Farmers' Market East

The energy from the group was contagious. One attendee noted; “Hearing from those who actually run these programs – everyone from SFC staff and interns to food directors, farmers, and coordinators was the most valuable portion of this training!”

May 9, 2013

Celebrate the bounty of spring with SFC at our annual fundraiser on the lush grounds of historic Barr Mansion on May 9, 2013. Delight your guests with food by over 25 leading Central Texas chefs dedicated to sourcing locally. Continue reading to view our recently announced list of chefs for Farm to Plate 2013!

2013 FEATURED CHEFS: Jesse Griffiths of Dai Due, Sonya Cote of Hillside Farmacy and The Homegrown Revival, and Andrew Wiseheart of Contigo

Full chef list:

ALSO FEATURING:
• Cocktails by Tipsy Texan
• Beer from Saint Arnold, Independence and Real Ale Brewing Companies
• Tea from The Barefoot Cook and Zhi Tea
• Wine from local wineries

After almost a year operating at the YMCA East Communities Branch located at Highway 183 and 51st Street, the SFC Farmers’ Market East moved March 5th to its new location at MLK and Miriam Street, near the Capital MetroRail M Station. The market also changed its hours of operation and is now being held from 3:00pm - 7:00pm with 13 farmers and vendors in attendance. The market staff is excited to be serving the community at the new location and appreciates the community support they've already received! In fact, they've been sharing stories all week from that first evening that highlight the warm welcome and support the market received from the East Austin community.

The first evening at the new site saw lots of new community members visiting the market for the first time, along with several of the markets regular shoppers from the previous location. Several of the SFC Farmers' Market managers were on-site that evening marveling at the crowds gathered when they were approached by a mother and daughter. As the daughter looked up at the managers with a smile on her face, the mother simply thanked them. "Thank you, I was never able to make it to the other location at that time." With a few kind words she expressed what she and the market managers were all feeling. Gratitude.

With little fanfare and advertisement crowds of individuals continued to show from the community. One school child who attended the market with his class earlier in the evening, later showed up with his family in tow. He wanted to share with his mother and sister what he'd seen and tasted earlier at the market. Another neighbor who had walked across the street from his home nearby, offered an invitation to SFC staff to stop by his pink house anytime if his white truck was there.

SFC Farmers' Market staff couldn't have asked for a warmer welcome or a better way to kick-off the markets second year. Thank you to everyone who came by and we'll see you at the market!

Clockwise from top left: Kids learn how to make kettle corn; Austin City Council Member Mike Martinez smiles with SFC Executive Director Ronda Rutledge and SFC Farmers' Market Director Suzanne Santos; A cute baby goat from Swede Farm; Fresh produce from Johnson's Backyard Garden

The Sustainable Food Center is joining I Live Here, I Give Here along with over 300 local non-profits for the first annual Amplify Austin Day. This is a city-wide day of giving with one goal:  to raise $1 million in 24 hours!

Starting at 7pm on March 4 and ending at 7pm on March 5, you can go to AmplifyATX.org to donate to your favorite organization. Then help amplify your donation by asking your friends and family to donate, too! Together we can make history in Austin and give back to the community we love so much.

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!).

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!