slogrownkids.org

We’re excited to announce our online School Garden Discussion Boards!!  SLO Grown Kids has created a way for you to organize, discuss and support what’s happening in local school gardens. Click here to check it out. Then register for an account, bookmark the page, and start talking. There are areas for general discussions among all school garden supporters, as well as special areas for each school to use to discuss and organize their own efforts.

Check out this article in the Santa Maria Sun. It discusses local efforts and includes a quote from SLO Grown Kids’ own Carolyn!

KSBY visited the Farm to School Conference. Watch their report! Keep your eyes peeled for the SLO Grown Kids banner!

The Orfalea Fund Initiative is offering a great opportunity for all of
us to learn more about school nutrition reform. They are sponsoring a
luncheon and lecture in Santa Maria on April 16th.

Lunch Lessons: Changing the Way We Feed Our Children
with chef & author Ann Cooper and chef & attorney Kate Adamick

“School food reform” are the educational buzz words of the decade, but how is it done?

We all know about School Wellness Policies, but how do we move from written goals to actual practice?

Childhood obesity is threatening the health of our children, but what can we do to reverse the trend?

Please join national school food reform experts Ann Cooper (Director of Nutrition Services, Berkeley Unified School District) and Kate Adamick (Director of the s’Cool Food Initiative) for a luncheon where they will use their experiences in schools across the country to trace the history of school food from public asset to fiscal liability, describe how the USDA thinks our children should be fed, and help us understand how reform can be successfully designed and implemented in our communities.

This event is free of charge, courtesy of the Orfalea Fund
RSVP at: http://www.sCoolFood.org
Or call 805-565-7550 ext 110
Spanish Translation available with RSVP

Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Luncheon and Lecture begins at 11:30
Radisson Hotel Santa Maria
3455 Skyway Drive
Santa Maria, CA

Here’s a PDF of the poster!

Thursday, April 24th 2-5:30pm at San Luis Coastal Unified in the J-2 Building

Sponsored by SLOCOE and CCAN

The Farm to School program leads to healthier lives for children, through teaching better eating habits and providing fresh, local healthy lunches. It can also lead to greater sustainability for local farmers and ranchers by providing a market for those who produce these foods. 
 
At the conference, learn about how the Farm to School concept can be incorporated into your school lunch program. Focus on developing a positive team mentality to improve school lunch programs and implement wellness policies. Then return to your district with real solutions for implementation at your school.
 
This conference is for Food Service Directors and Wellness Policy implementation teams, interested parents, caregivers and community members. Please encourage your school’s team to join an exciting movement.

For questions or to register please call Christine Enyart-Elfers at (805)782-7284 or email Kim Pasciuto at senzapensieri@sbcglobal.net

Wednesday, April 2nd at 4:30pm.  Listen in as host Charles Myers Speaks with the coordinators of the Santa Barbara school-food initiative.

What happens when two “fed-up” moms try to change the school lunch program? If you missed earlier showings of TWO ANGRY MOMS, never fear! You have another opportunity to see this fabulous documentary.

Download the flyer here in English. Or here in Spanish.

As part of the Cal Poly Provost’s Seminar Series in Civic Engagement, Marion Nestle will be hosted at Cal Poly on Wed., April 30 at the Cal Poly Rec Center in the Main Gym starting at 7:00 PM. in a talk entitled: “What to Eat: Personal Responsibility vs. Social Responsibility.”

Marion Nestle is an internationally renowned Paulette Goddard Professor in the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at New York University. She was featured on a PBS segment Frontline: Diet Wars. You can view more of her accomplishments at YouTube broadcasts at: www.youtube.com/results?search_query=marion+nestle&search_type

From: http://takeaction.cspinet.org/campaign/FVSP

Key leaders in the House of Representatives need to hear from you that you support the fruit and vegetable snack program.The fruit and vegetable snack program is a valuable nutrition program that provides free fruits and vegetables to school children. The program results in children eating more fruits and vegetables and creates healthier school food environments. It is an important strategy to improve children’s health and reduce their risk of overweight/obesity and other diet-related health problems.

House agriculture leaders are finalizing an agreement for the 2008 Farm Bill. It is critical that concerned citizens contact House leaders to urge the strongest possible Nutrition Title for the Farm Bill, including mandatory funding of $225 million/year for national expansion of the fruit and vegetable snack program. This funding level would reach 4.5 million elementary school children in more than 5,000 schools nationwide.

You can help by clicking the link above.

The next SLO Grown Kids meeting is Wednesday, March 5th at 6:30pm in the deli at New Frontiers (896 E Foothill Blvd # 896C, San Luis Obispo).

Please join us!

Thanks to all who attended showings of Two Angry Moms. The film proved to be quite popular and sparked some great discussions both in the venue and on the streets and sidewalks as people headed home.

Your involvement can make things happen. Please keep the discussions going! Your enthusiasm and ideas can help SLO Grown Kids reach new people and support changes to help our kids.

Special thanks to panelists and local school district Food Service Directors for attending and being part of the discussions. Education + communication + cooperation =

Welcome! We have moved to a blog format to keep you better informed and allow your comments. We hope you find it useful.

If you’re wondering where to find the information you were expecting, please look to the “pages” section in the left column of this page.

Enjoy. We hope to see you soon. Please note, as mentioned in the “Join us! Get Involved!” page, we have a new meeting place. We meet the first Wednesday of each month, 6:30 pm, in the deli at New Frontiers Natural Foods (896 E Foothill Blvd # 896C, San Luis Obispo)

Amy Kalafa and Susan Rubin are two angry moms on a mission: To get school districts to serve fresh, healthy foods rather than the neon green slushies, greasy fries, supersized cookies, and other junk food that have become the norm in school cafeterias across the nation.

If you missed the showing of this film in Pismo, it will be showing in SLO Feb 25 at 10am and 7pm (with a panel at the evening screening) Click here for more information!