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!”

We are excited to report that this week, three important local food bills passed in the Texas legislature! These bills will directly and indirectly help farmers, food producers, and small businesses to expand and prosper. Below are summaries of each bill as provided by Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance:

HB 970 – Encouraging home-based food production, aka “cottage foods”: Until last year, anyone making and selling any food at all (other than uncut fruits and vegetables) had to do so in a commercial, licensed facility that was subject to regulations designed for large-scale industrial food production. Last session, the Texas Legislature provided that “cottage food producers” could make specific low-risk foods in their homes and sell directly to consumers, up to $50,000 per year, without being regulated by the state and local health departments.

The bill has led to the establishment and growth of numerous small businesses in this state, with no reports of resulting foodborne illness. HB 970 expands the law to include other foods designated as non-potentially hazardous by the FDA. The bill also removes the restriction that the sale has to occur at the person’s home, allowing the seller and buyer to connect at farmers markets, farm stands, and nonprofit community events.

HB 1382 – Making it easier to provide samples at farmers markets and farm stands: Letting potential customers sample food is a great way to increase sales and encourage people to try unusual fruits and vegetables. But current regulations that govern food samplings are based on the conditions in brick-and-mortar facilities and pose unnecessary challenges for farmers and food producers at local farmers’ markets. HB 1382 provides clear, reasonable standards for sampling at farmers’ markets and farm stands. The bill also clarifies the standards for cooking demonstrations at farmers’ markets, and exempts educational cooking demonstrations from permit fees.

HB 1392 – Directing the DSHS to respond to inquiries about the law and its application to specific factual situations: Farmers and small-scale food producers have faced serious problems because of the inability to determine what is actually required under the regulations. When asked, the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) provides little guidance, leaving the producers to decide whether to invest anywhere from several hundred to tens of thousands of dollars and potentially still face fines depending on the department’s discretion. HB 1392 directs DSHS to respond to inquiries about how the law applies to a farmer’s or food producer’s specific facts within 30 days, so that they can comply with the law in good faith.

From our friends at National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition: 

"Both the House and Senate Agriculture Committees amended and passed their draft versions of the 2013 Farm Bill on May 14 and May 15. Next, the full House and Senate will take up these bills for additional debate and amendments. The Senate is up first - they started debating the Senate Agriculture Committee's just-passed 2013 Farm Bill on Monday, May 20 and are still at work on it. 

Sustainable agriculture champions in Congress have introduced several amendments that improve healthy food access, build strong communities, protect natural resources, invest in future farmers, and ensure real reform of commodity payments. These amendments MUST make it into the final version of the farm bill, and we need your voice to help make that happen. 

If you care about getting healthy food to everyone, protecting our natural resources, and supporting the next generation of American farmers, then you'll want to take action on the 2013 Farm Bill this week!"

See the links below for a list of Farm Bill action alerts issued by our partners. Please take action today!

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition: Take Action! 

Food & Water Watch - Tell Your Senators: Fix The Farm Bill!

Food Democracy Now - Stop Monsanto and Support Organic, Sustainable Food!

Farmers' Market Coalition: Farm Bill Update: FMPP 

You may already be aware that the SFC Farmers’ Market Downtown is celebrating its 10th anniversary this Saturday, May 18th! We are so thankful for the past 10 years of local, sustainable food, farmers, volunteers, and wonderful customers who keep coming back to support the markets. To commemorate this special occasion, we asked our community: What’s YOUR market story? Here are some of the responses:

I've been working for Engel Farms for six years, and for about 4-5 years I've been coming to markets, particularly Downtown. I really enjoy the families - little children, infants, families together, it's a good atmosphere for them to come out. The Downtown market is really good. We've got a lot of regular customers who come every week." - Phillip Bayer, Engel Farms

I've been doing the Downtown market for almost five years. What I love about coming to the market is being able to have the direct connection to my customers. It's a well-managed market…the clientele continues to get more diverse, and there's more demand for our produce and eggs. - Chris Olsen, Milagro Farms

I started volunteering at the Market 10 years ago on the opening day, but prior to that I was pleased to be part of planning the year before with Suzanne [Santos] and Karen Enredy (exact name and spelling has escaped me). At that time, I was Director of Visitor Services at the Convention and Visitors Bureau and realized the significant impact that local Farmers’ Markets have on tourism. When the Market opened in Republic Square, Nancy Burns and I were present in the Information Booth on the early shift EVERY SATURDAY for the first year and a half or so! Now we have so many great volunteers that we only go once a month!

One of the joys of volunteering is getting to see and visit with Toni, Janet, Henry and Ann and others who have been faithful patrons of the Market from the beginning and continue to this day! What a privilege to see how far the Sustainable Food Center has come in these 10 years and I thank you for the opportunity to serve. - Barbara Grove

Nearly every single Saturday I meet one of my best friends, Claire at the Farmer's Market - same time, same place. [I'm hesitant to admit] we have somewhat of a routine to the morning which always begins with coffee (1/2 coffee, 1/2 spiced chai to the cup!) We walk a couple loops around the market, initially catching up on the week. I can't remember a time we didn't stop by Cake and Spoon for a scone. (Every single week Claire asks what the different scone flavors are but I have yet to see her purchase anything other than the amazing ginger!) We are usually ready for another cup of coffee by this point and make our way back to Texas Coffee Traders for a refill (minimum of 2 cups per Saturday and I think once or twice we've maxed out at 4...) It is not unusual to find us, at some point, in the line at The Gardener's Feast waiting for a tamale. After several laps and several familiar faces (both human and canine) we always scope out the best looking spinach or beets or tomatoes that week.

So, happy anniversary and thank you SFC Farmer's Market for cultivating a healthy city by strengthening the local food system! And on a more personal level thank you for giving Claire and I the best possible place to enjoy Austin and enjoy each other, week after week. Sustainable food. Sustainable friendship. - Marcee Vest

I've been shopping at the SFC Farmers' Markets for the past couple of years. I love having the opportunity to support local farmers and buy the freshest produce available. Since becoming more involved in the SFC as a volunteer, I've started to look differently at food and the culture surrounding it. Now I try to include more vegetables in my diet and really take notice of where my food is coming from. I feel lucky to live in Austin where I can buy tomatoes at their peak, locally grown greens, farm eggs, and fresh roasted coffee. It's so wonderful to see how the markets have expanded in the past 10 years and how the SFC is striving to make these healthy foods available to more and more people in our community. - Breanna Rollings

My family and I try to go to the farmer's market every weekend - we try to make it a special experience that the children, 4 and 6 years old, always look forward to repeating. They have fun running around the kid-designated building / crafts areas and then picking the fruits and vegetables that look interesting or unusual to them - they are big fans of the multi-colored carrots. We all choose a treat and browse the stalls while listening to local performers. My favorite moment this year happened when we went to the market on a chilly day in December. The musicians were playing Christmas songs and the guest chef demonstration and samples by Chef Josh Watkins from The Carillon were an outstanding Saturday morning indulgence. The band invited children to participate in the songs, and my kids didn't leave the microphone for the next half hour. It was a great combination of local talent, foods, music and family. - Bethlyn Thornton

If you’ve been any of the SFC Farmers’ Markets before, you’ve seen our Taste the Place tent. If you’ve read this spotlight before, you know how important our Taste the Place volunteers are to us. This month, I want to highlight Jenny Houghton, one of our SFC Farmers’ Market East Taste volunteers.

Jenny started by doing Taste the Place at our various markets and the moved on to working in the office every week. On Friday mornings she helped pack the “bins” or all of the supplies that go to Taste the Place every week and very quickly she joined the permanent Taste crew at the Tuesday market. Every other week Jenny holds down the fort at the newest SFC market. Since the location move from the YMCA to the MLK Lite Rail stop, Jenny has taken on a new role. She volunteers at the Taste the Place tent EVERY week, and trains our newest Taste crew in order to ensure that we always have well-trained and reliable volunteers at the taste tent. When asked what makes her volunteer for this shift over and over again, Jenny tells me: “I have found that volunteering for Taste the Place is a wonderful way to engage with the community about the delicious local food we have available to us in the Austin area. I love talking to people about fruits and vegetables they've never seen before; I have seen both adults and children discover favorite foods they never knew existed before coming to Taste the Place! The tasting booth encourages an important dialogue about our local food system and the health of our city.”

Working on Tuesdays specifically seems to be close to Jenny’s heart. She understands and recognizes the Eastside needs and why the SFC Farmers’ Market East is so important, “Each week, shoppers tell us how happy they are that a market has finally come to their neighborhood. I think it's particularly important that this market allows shoppers to use their SNAP and WIC benefits to purchase fresh foods. Good nutrition is something that should be available to everyone, and the SFC East market is helping us move in that direction.” We agree Jenny and I can’t think of anyone better to represent us week after week.

It’s obvious that Jenny is passionate about food and community. But what’s her favorite part of it all? “Volunteering with Taste in one of the highlights of my week. There's nothing like watching a 3-year-old's face light up as she sinks her teeth into a fresh slice of watermelon! Since starting with the market last March, I've gotten to know the farmers, the SFC staff, and many of the shoppers who frequent the market. I love getting to interact with our community while supporting a cause I believe in”.

I asked our farmers, vendors, and staff what they thought of Jenny coming back over and over again and heard the same response from everyone: we all appreciate her infectious smile, her obvious joy at working with everyone, and her amazingly positive attitude. I cannot thank Jenny enough for being so dependable, flexible, and an amazing trainer at the market. She has taken this role on and done more with it than I could have asked.

We’re excited to announce that the Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) is set to begin April 13th!

What is FMNP? FMNP is a program of the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) that allows qualified WIC participants to buy nutritious fresh fruits and vegetables, using FMNP vouchers, from participating farmers’ market associations. Sustainable Food Center (SFC) first contracted with TDA last year, to offer the program in Travis County and is looking forward to continuing the partnership for a second year. Most of all, SFC is excited about partnering with four area farmers’ markets to provide WIC clients with more access to locally grown nutritious fresh fruits and vegetables.

How Does FMNP Work?

Beginning April 13th through September 30th, qualified WIC participants can visit a SFC Farmers’ Market to pick up their FMNP vouchers. FMNP Market staff will be distributing vouchers at all four of the SFC Farmers’ Market on a weekly basis. FMNP vouchers can be spent on fruits and vegetables at all four of the SFC Farmers’ Markets. In addition, WIC clients can also spend their vouchers at:

• HOPE Farmers Market
• Cedar Park Farmers’ Market
• Mueller Farmers’ Market
• Pflugerville Pfarmers Market
• Lone Star Farmers Market
• Green Gate Farms

FMNP vouchers are also eligible for the Double Dollar Incentive Program that doubles the value of fruit and vegetable purchases up to $20 every week! The Double Dollar Incentive Program is found only Tuesdays at the SFC Farmers’ Market East and Saturdays at the SFC Farmers’ Market at Sunset Valley.

Be sure to stop by any of the SFC Farmers’ Markets for more information!

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

Dahlia Ture encompasses the best definition of a volunteer: dedicated, enthusiastic, hard-working, thoughtful, sincere, and passionate about sustainable food. Her first volunteer shift at the SFC Farmers’ Market at Sunset Valley, two years ago, quickly turned into a permanent gig as a member of SFC’s Market Corps, the wonderful group planning those fantastic events at the farmers’ markets. Within months, Dahlia became the first Market Corps Intern, spending up to 20 hours each week in the office and at the markets for a year. Since then, we have been lucky enough to have Dahlia in and out of the office, packing bins, planning demos, chopping veggies, in the gardens, and oh so much more. This month we have something special: Dahlia’s words on her passion for SFC, specifically on her regular shifts at the SFC Farmers’ Market EAST.

"I enjoy volunteering at Taste the Place because it gives me direct contact with both farmers and patrons of the market, allowing me to build relationships with each. The SFC Farmers' Market community feels like a family and it is an honor to be a part of that family by volunteering at the market. I also love being able to share the farmers and vendors products with market patrons. Even though I didn't work hard to grow the food myself, I feel like I can still take pride in the beautiful and delicious produce and hopefully get others excited about it too. Some of my favorite things are seeing a kid gobble down on samples of tomatoes or a parent try a vegetable they thought they wouldn't like and discover they really love it.

I especially like volunteering at the Tuesday market because for me it is a picture of the impact SFC has in the community. The market seems to embody SFC's vision of cultivating a healthy community by strengthening the local food system and improving access to nutritious, affordable food. Through the Double Dollar Incentive Program, SFC has made it possible for people who might not otherwise shop at the farmers market to be able to purchase and prepare healthy, farm-fresh produce. Though the market is on the small side, I believe that the impact the market has is great. Mothers and their young children make up a large portion of the customer base and the people who visit Taste the Place most frequently. It makes me so happy to see a mother carry home a bounty of fresh produce to feed her family.

In volunteering with SFC, I have learned the value of fresh, local produce and ethically-raised animal products. For me, it is worth every penny. But I also realize that not everyone can afford to shop this way. SFC is seeking to bridge that gap and make healthy, local food affordable and accessible to everyone. I believe the Tuesday East Market is making steps in this direction each and every week."

Have you been past the Taste Tent on a Saturday at the SFC Farmers’ Market at Sunset Valley? If you have lately, you’ve likely tasted a peach, a tomato, cheese, pesto, figs, and jujubes. Have you noticed the individual behind the table: those folks chopping and preparing those delectable treats?

For the last 2 ½ years, one of those individuals is Liz. She’s been a steady fixture at the Taste Tent, mainly at Sunset Valley, and will talk to just about anybody about fresh and local food and why THIS is the best food.

She grew up shopping at the Farmers’ Markets in Chicago with her mom and they had a “humungous” backyard garden. When she moved to Austin, the first thing she did was check out the local farmers’ market scene. Within a month she was attending the volunteer orientation and 2 weeks later she had her first shift at the Taste Tent and she’s “never looked back”.

When asked about her favorite part of volunteering with SFC, Liz responds, “I love talking to people about food. I love learning about new types of veggies and how to grow and prepare them. I even learned how to make a frittata here.” Liz seems to know everything there is to know about the vendors and farmers at the SFC Farmers’ Market at Sunset Valley. Is there any fruit or veggie that she didn’t know she liked before starting at the market? “Oh man. Golden beets and they are the best!”

Even when she’s not at the Taste Tent, you can find Liz roaming the markets on Saturdays Why? Because she “enjoy[s] giving back to the local farmers and stimulating Austin’s local economy.”

Click on the Volunteer tab of our website to find out more information about how you can become a volunteer like Liz!

On April 17, over 100 kindergarten students, parents, and staff from Jordan Elementary took a fieldtrip to the SFC Farmers’ Market East, located just a mile and a half from the school. The group was greeted by an energetic farmers’ market crew and started out the day by participating in an interactive educational activity tracing products such as jam and pickles to their original ingredients – strawberries and cucumbers. Then, they watched a cooking demonstration for a “Green Goddess Dressing” from the SFC cookbook and eagerly dipped radishes and cucumbers into the final product. Kid-approved! Afterward, they toured the market and talked to farmers, learning about fruits, vegetables, pecans, honey, and other local products. Students asked questions such as, “Does that carrot taste good?” to “Do the bees like their own honey?” They especially liked sampling sweet, ripe strawberries from Naeglin Farms. The group ended the fieldtrip with a picnic lunch and playtime on the nearby playground. One teacher followed up in an email saying, “The kids had a great time at the farmers’ market. Some even said they enjoyed it more than the rodeo, and that’s a big compliment!”