The Food & Fitness weekly news bits are published each Friday to facilitate communication with FFI staff and partners. You can subscribe to the weekly email by clicking this link.
ACTIVE LIVING – Ashley Christensen
The West Union Walking School Buses ran for the fifth and last time on May 29. Altogether, the four routes covered a total of 20 miles.
The Allamakee Community Schools Walking School Buses ran for the first time on Friday, May 31. The Walking School Buses consisted of three different routes, one to each elementary school in Waukon.
EARLY CHILDHOOD – Halesia Johnson
Followed up with Lisa Nelson this week; NICC Development Center will purchase ‘seconds’ (produce with minor blemishes) from Annie Bushman at a discount to help reach their goal of more local fresh produce. It also helps Annie with a market for her produce. Win – Win
Keeping my local food pledge – purchased grape tomatoes from J & J Produce, Hawkeye and shared with young children this week. I highly recommend them!
REGIONAL FOOD SYSTEM – Teresa Wiemerslage
An Eye on Access: The 2013 local food directory and website have been updated to reflect the farms, stores and farmers markets where low-income families can use their WIC, Senior Nutrition program or SNAP (food assistance) dollars.
YOUTH ENGAGEMENT – Lynette Houser
Farm to School Cross-Age Teaching youth evaluations are being collected from FFI 4-H’ers from Waukon, Cresco, Postville, Turkey Valley, Decorah and Oelwein. One of the evaluation questions asked how the programmed influenced them, “This program has influenced me to become an Elementary Teacher. I’ve wanted to be one since I was young, this really helped make my decision.” Cresco FFI 4-H’er.
SCHOOL WELLNESS – Emily Neal, FoodCorps, AmeriCorps
West Elementary School in Waukon was randomly selected to win a cash prize for participating and completing the 10 Week Wellness Challenge sponsored by the Live Healthy Iowa program. A $1,000 check was presented to the school Friday, May 17 by Lisa Weber, coordinator of Live Healthy Iowa Kids. More
FFI COORDINATION – Ann Mansfield
We were pleased to host Derek Miller from Senator Harkin’s office this week. Derek was incredibly thoughtful and deeply curious about the whole systems approach and WKKF support to convene communities to create a healthier future for children and their families in this region. He met with Food Corps and AmeriCorps service members, several vegetable farmers, had school lunch with a student, food service director and 3 administrators, met long-time dairy families and toured their new processing facility, met Head Start staff and after-school garden club kids in Postville, as well as Luther Center for Sustainable Communities staff and FFI folks. We hit on nearly all of the points related to federal policy – nutrition programs, ag, health, small business (job creation)… we were able to show multiple examples of federal funding that has or is supporting local food system development, school food and other feeding programs, health and wellness and safe routes to school. We appreciate the opportunity to showcase NE Iowa!
