Posted on February 3rd, 2012 by Megan
Fresh Picks: Top 5 Stories Worth Reading
Deborah Kane lands federal farm-to-school post
Sustainable Business Oregon
Deborah Kane, former Ecotrust vice president and founder of the group’s FoodHub initiative, was named today head of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm to School initiative. Kane, who oversaw the food and farms program at Ecotrust, left the nonproft in December after a year that had her visiting the White House as a “Champion of Change.”
Sheriffs Who Won’t Be “Milk Police” Gather in Vegas
Food Safety News
County sheriffs and federal officials bickering over land, guns and water policies are as old as the West, but the Constitutional Sheriffs Convention, underway for the past three days in Las Vegas, has something new on the menu — food safety regulation. “I made the decision that the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office was not going to be the milk police,” Sheriff John D’Agostini told his Board of Supervisors in California ahead of the convention.
Are “DIY Slaughter Hobbyists” Destroying Your City?
Mother Jones
A few weeks ago, my friend was handed a flier at a farmers market in Oakland, California. It’s from a local group called Neighbors Opposed to Backyard Slaughter that wants the City of Oakland to forbid people to raise livestock on their property. Around here, urban farming is a pretty hot issue; a nonprofit called City Slicker Farms has been promoting DIY food production for several years, and author and farmer Novella Carpenter brought the practice into the limelight with her 2009 book Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer.
USDA awards $40 million grants to boost local farm/food projects
Reuters
The U.S. Agriculture Department on Friday awarded $40.2 million in grants to farmers, ranchers and farmer-controlled rural business ventures aimed at spurring locally produced food supplies and renewable energy ventures. USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan said 298 recipients in 44 states and Puerto Rico will receive business development assistance through the Value-Added Producer Grant program.
Colo. lawmakers consider trans-fat ban in schools
The Associated Press
The nation’s leanest state is taking its sweet time as it considers a proposal aimed at getting junk food out of schools. A Colorado House committee was expected to discuss a bill that represents the nation’s toughest regulations meant to keep trans fat away from students, but lawmakers Thursday delayed the hearing without explanation. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: algaculture, Bamboo Sushi, California Department of Food and Agriculture, City Farm, City Slicker Farms, colony collapse disorder, Ecotrust, Ecotrust Farm to School, Farm to School, farmers markets, food hub, food hubs, food safety, Food Share, food stamps, foodhub, Good Humus Farm, Great Falls Community Food Bank, junk food, Local Food Linkages Project, Mad River Food Hub, Michelle Obama, National Restaurant Association, Northgate Gonzalez Markets, Plate & Pitchfork, Sacramento City College, school food, Small Dairy Herd Working Group, small farms, sustainable ag, U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, University of Missouri Extension, University of Nebraska, urban agriculture, USDA, USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan, USDA Value-Added Producer Grant Program, Vermont Meat Company, Von Trapp Farmstead
Posted in Misc Morsels
Posted on January 30th, 2012 by Amanda
Hey Hubbers!
Here’s a very unique opportunity to support local food: FoodHub has been named a finalist in the first annual Interactive Design Awards and we are the ONLY local food project in the finals. This is an international competition, winners will be announced in Dublin, Ireland at the end of this week.
Voting is open NOW for the IxDA People’s Choice Award – please take ONE MINUTE TODAY to cast your vote for FoodHub! It really only takes a minute, the hardest part is finding FoodHub’s thumbnail among the 50 on the page! http://awards.ixda.org/vote. Voting closes on Thursday, so please don’t delay. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: awards, connecting, food hub, food hubs, food technology, foodhub, IdxA, Interaction Design Awards, local food, local food connections, vote for local food
Posted in Misc Morsels
Posted on January 27th, 2012 by Megan
Fresh Picks: Top 5 Stories Worth Reading
Latina entrepreneurs share wealth, knowledge
San Francisco Chronicle
Call it Latin influence. A growing group of successful Latina entrepreneurs are serving as role models for the next generation of food artisans and farmers with Latin roots. La Cocina is a nonprofit Mission District incubator program that supports low-income edible enterprises, many run by Latinas.
Not Your Grandmother’s Hospital Food
NPR (blog)
Hospital food, like airplane food, is the kind of institutional food we love to hate. But the days of jello cups and puddles of grayish gravy are numbered. A lot of people — from deep-pocketed foodies to fast-food lovers to locavores — aren’t standing for barely edible hospital food anymore.
Farm Ministers Denounce Food Waste as Almost 1 Billion Go Hungry
BusinessWeek
Farm ministers and policy makers gathered in Berlin denounced waste in rich countries, saying consumers must stop throwing away food as almost 1 billion people in developing countries go hungry. Consumers in rich countries dispose of 220 million metric tons of food waste every year, equal to the entire food output of sub-Saharan Africa.
Eastern Oregon biofuel refinery wins federal loan backing to make ethanol from poplar trees
OregonLive.com
In a few years, you could be filling up with fuel made from Oregon poplar trees, wheat straw and corn stalks. Financed in part with a $235 million loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced today, ZeaChem plans a $390 million biofuel refinery in Boardman capable of producing up to 25 million gallons of ethanol per year.
Treat restaurant workers well, expect better business, study says
Los Angeles Times
It’s an equation that seems simple but still escapes many restaurateurs: Treat your employees well, and your business will be better for it. Offering restaurant workers good pay, benefits and career mobility usually translates into high short-term costs — a burden that causes many low-margin eateries to underpay and overwork their employees. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Bee Heaven Farm, Bill Gates, BriarPatch Produce, Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act, food deserts, food donations, Food Network, food stamps, food waste, genetically engineered food labeling, Jason's Deli, junk food, Know Your Food, La Cocina, LoCo Food Distribution, microbreweries, My Sisters' Farm, Nevada County Sustainable Food and Farm Conference, Paula Deen, PlacerGrown Food and Farm Conference, school food, Stonyfield, Walgreens, WSFFN Fresh Food In Schools Project
Posted in Misc Morsels
Posted on January 24th, 2012 by Megan
The FoodHub team is breaking out the bubbly – a bubbly bottle of fruit soda that is: Hotlips Soda is our 3,000th Member!
A subsidiary of Hotlips Pizza – the group of five family-owned restaurants that tossed their first pie in Portland back in 1984 – Hotlips Soda draws its distinctive flavor profiles from the bounty of the Northwest. The company actively nurtures relationships with local farmers to keep its supply chain stocked: In 2011 alone they produced about 45,000 gallons of soda and bought more than $78,000 of fruit from local farmers.
Almost two years old, FoodHub built its online directory and marketplace to help companies like Hotlips Soda grow. The soda company joins beverage producers already on FoodHub, like Sage & Sea Farms and Blossom Vinegars, both in Portland, Vincent Family Cranberries in Beaverton, OR, and Sajen Inc. in San Francisco, which all leverage distinctive fruits grown around the region and transform them into one-of-a-kind, sip-able specialties.
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| Hotlips’ Chief Brewer, Greene Lawson, preparing Chester Blackberries for soda. |
“A lot of fruit that comes out of the Northwest is really unique,” said Hotlips’ Co-Owner David Yudkin. “What we want to be is a strong regional soda company and we feel like our advantage is that we’re using fruit that you can’t get elsewhere in the country.”
Now, Yudkin said, he’s hoping to use FoodHub to connect with some of the more than 100 Northwest retailers actively looking for wholesale products on the site.
“A really good market for us is farm stands,” he said. “When the owners taste the soda they recognize the quality of the fruit because they know fruit. … And there’s a sense of pride because we’re a local, family-owned business.” Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: berries, Blossom Vinegars, blueberry, cherry, cranberries, farmers, food hub, foodhub, fruit, hotlips pizza, Hotlips soda, local, local food, locally sourced, Northwest food, pear, Sage & Sea Farms, Sajen Inc., Seaview Farms, soda, strawberry, Vincent Family Cranberries
Posted in Member Spotlight
Posted on January 20th, 2012 by Megan
News from the Region
NRCS Programs Aid Central Oregon Organic Grower
USDA.gov (press release) (blog)
Sarahlee Lawrence inspects a row of organically grown flowers on her organic farm in the high desert of Central Oregon. Business is blooming for Sarahlee Lawrence and her organic food-and-flower-growing operation, Rainshadow Organics, in the Central Oregon high desert.
Good Food Awards: Local food makers ace taste test
Santa Cruz Sentinel
At the Good Food Awards this past weekend in San Francisco, winners were recognized not only for the quality of their products, but for the means by which they were produced. The competition recognizes food made using sustainable methods and the help of local businesses.
Grants to help preschools plant edible gardens
Los Angeles Times
A farm industry group’s charitable arm said Monday it will give 100 California preschools and day-care centers $1000 each to help them start gardens for growing food. The Irvine-based Western Growers Foundation said the project is intended to let young children see firsthand where their food comes from and teach them healthy eating habits that could help curb increasing rates of childhood obesity. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Beginning Urban Farmer Apprenticeship, Central Lakes College, Drake Family Farms, EcoFarm Conference, Farm Bill, Farm to School, food stamps, food waste, Good Food Awards, Local Foods College, National Resources Conservation Service, Natural Selection, Organic Valley, Rainshadow Organics, Western Growers Foundation
Posted in Misc Morsels 1 Comment »
Posted on January 17th, 2012 by Megan
The world of food production can be unpredictable: Changes in seasonal weather patterns, fluctuations in the commodity futures market or an economic downturn are all hurdles that producers will have to face at one time or another. One of the ways producers mitigate risk is through forward contracting – creating a forward-looking relationship with a buyer, whether formal or informal – to ensure that their next year’s crop will be purchased in part or in full. Even these relationships can be risky, but with the right plan in place and with the right tools at their fingertips, producers can manage and even reduce the uncertainty they face season by season. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: agricultural uncertainty, business planning, farm development, farming resources, food hub, foodhub, risk management
Posted in Misc Morsels
Posted on January 12th, 2012 by Megan
How one farmer went from new kid on the block to selling his entire crop
A year ago FoodHub Member Pete Mulligan, owner of Bull Run Cider in Forest Grove, OR, didn’t know anything about kiwis. What he did know what was apples. And after developing his skills for the past three years as a home brewer he was making plans to break into the cider business. Kiwis were not part of the plan. All that changed when an elderly landowner approached Mulligan about managing their two-and-a-half acre kiwi orchard that had been in operation in the Hillsboro, OR, area for the past 26 years.
Mulligan agreed to take on the job and after bringing the orchard to harvest was confronted with another challenge: How to sell the fruit.
“We were concerned because we didn’t know how to market the fruit,” Mulligan said. “We thought we were going to have to knock on doors all over the place just to start getting the word out.”
Instead, while browsing Facebook one day, he found FoodHub. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Member Spotlight 2 Comments »
Posted on January 12th, 2012 by Megan
News from the Region
Antibiotics rule jars ranchers
Capital Press
Producers fear FDA guidelines portend further restrictions on livestock industry. Livestock industry representatives say new federal restrictions on uses of cephalosporin antibiotics won’t have a large impact on operations, but they fear additional restrictions on antibiotic use in the future.
California Ag Summit to explore global food trends and energy
Western Farm Press
Significant issues influencing California’s food and agriculture industry will be explored at the second annual California Ag Summit on Jan. 27 at the University of California, Davis.
Oregon Farmers’ Markets Association Seeking Directors
beportland.com
The Oregon Farmers’ Market Association (OFMA) will host the 13th annual meeting of member farmers’ markets on Friday, February 24 in Corvallis, Oregon at the Westside Community Church. At that time, the organization will also elect a board of directors for 2012. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Misc Morsels
Posted on January 10th, 2012 by Megan
Hey FoodHub! Here’s something new: Every week we cruise the web to see what’s happening in the wide world of food and we thought, “why not share our findings with the community?” So that’s what we’re doing. But it doesn’t have to end there. Share your news with us! Comment at the end of this blog post or share news on our facebook page that impacts the foodosphere in your community.
School Food
Program would expand healthy options on kids’ menus
ABC7Chicago.com
Use cooking methods that are lower in fat while still retaining flavors Steer away from serving fried food that is high in fat, saturated fat and calories. As well, avoid all food using trans fat or hydrogenated fats. Local produce is fresher, …
State agriculture department takes over school nutrition program on Jan. 1
The Republic
Florida’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will take over the state’s school nutrition program starting Jan. 1. The transfer is a result of a decision passed during the 2011 legislative session. The USDA recently announced it will allocate an additional $2.5 million to Florida to help schools improve the quality of meals.
L.A. schools’ healthful lunch menu panned by students
LATimes.com
For many students, L.A. Unified’s trailblazing introduction of healthful school lunches has been a flop. Earlier this year, the district got rid of chocolate and strawberry milk, chicken nuggets, corn dogs, nachos and other food high in fat, sugar and sodium. Instead, district chefs concocted such healthful alternatives as vegetarian curries and tamales, quinoa salads and pad Thai noodles. There’s just one problem: Many of the meals are being rejected en masse. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Misc Morsels
Posted on January 3rd, 2012 by Megan
Often, in soup kitchens, pantries, and food banks, staff and organizers don’t always know what to expect or when to expect it. That goes for how many people they will need to feed as well as what kind of food they will be serving and where it comes from. Now, emergency food assistance organizations are using FoodHub to take some of the guess work out of gathering fresh food donations.
“We’ve got a really good model that makes it easy for growers and processors to work with us,” said Executive Director John Burt, of Farmers Ending Hunger in Oregon. As part of his job, Burt reaches out to producers year after year, recruiting new growers and facilitating donations with those farmers who have been with the program for several years. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: California Association of Food Banks, emergency food assistance, Farmers Ending Hunger, food bank, Food Banks of Alaska, food donations, food hub, foodhub, hunger relief, Idaho Food Bank, Montana Food Bank Network, Oregon food
Posted in Forward Contracting