The F.R.E.S.H. Project - Fresh Project Shawano, Wisconsin
Food - Resources - Education - Sustainability - Health - serving Shawano County, the Stockbridge-Munsee Community, and Ho-Chunk Nation in Wisconsin
We are looking for volunteers to help us with our booth at the Wilson Creek Orchard Open House on Saturday, September 30 from 10 am to 4 pm.
Address: W16836 Wilson Creek Lane Wittenberg, Wisconsin
We will provide a variety of children’s games and have a cider press. The proceeds from the cider press will be donated to The F.R.E.S.H. Project!
If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Barb at barbara@thefreshproject.org or by calling 715.526.5206!
The F.R.E.S.H. Project recently received a three-year grant from the Community Foundation of the Fox Valley Region’s Basic Need Giving Partnership to continue its efforts at ensuring all area residents have access to healthy, sufficient food. The grant increases the F.R.E.S.H. Project’s ability to serve the Shawano County, Stockbridge-Munsee and Ho Chunk communities by hiring new staff. The Project recently welcomed Barbara Mendoza as its Project Coordinator and Dan Robinson as its Program Assistant.
“We’re excited about this next stage of the F.R.E.S.H. Project’s work,” said Ms. Jo Ann Schedler and Ms. Kim Ihrcke, co-chairs of the Project. “The Foundation’s grant and the new staff, combined with our many community partners, will make it possible for the F.R.E.S.H. Project to increase its efforts. We’ll be working hard to make sure children, families, our elders, and everyone in our communities will be food secure, knowing they’ll have access to the food they need.”
The staff will be working with the F.R.E.S.H. Project Food Council members to implement the Project’s strategic plan. Already, the F.R.E.S.H. Project has created a “double bucks” program at the Shawano Farmers Market. This program provides Food Share participants with more resources to purchase fresh produce at the Market.
In the future, the F.R.E.S.H. Project will provide educational resources on food security and healthy eating, expand the “Share the Bounty” program which makes fresh produce available to all area residents, and create a mobile market to bring fresh produce and other food items to rural areas with limited transportation access.
The F.R.E.S.H. Project started two years ago with a Plan 4 Health grant, which allowed the F.R.E.S.H. Project to do an assessment of the region’s food needs, develop an initial volunteer board to guide its work, and create a strategic plan to increase food access and security in the area.
With the generous three-year grant from the Community Foundation of the Fox Valley Region, the F.R.E.S.H. Project will begin implementing its strategic plan. To fully engage this work, however, the Project will need to raise additional money as well as develop community support and volunteers. Anyone who would like to learn more about the project and get involved can go to the FRESH Project website at www.thefreshproject.org, or contact Barbara Mendoza at 715-526-5206 or barbara@thefreshproject.org.
http://shawano.uwex.edu/agriculture/calendar/
The Shawano area saw excellent turnout at local Farmers Markets! With sidewalk sales on downtown Main Street in Shawano and many other local events, residents and visitors flocked to the Farmers Market. Some were disappointed when stands ran out of staple items, such as cheese curds!
*Learn more about the week from the USDA Food and Nutrition Service.
This week, we’re celebrating National Farmers Market Week! Farmers markets are fertile ground for teaching children where foods come from and can serve as field trip sites that introduce kids to new foods, business practices, and agricultural production. Small to mid-sized farmers often rely on farmers markets for direct sales. Small school districts, Summer Meal Programs, CACFP sponsors, child care centers and family day care homes are also prime markets for these producers. Increasingly, Summer Meal sponsors are using farmers markets as summer feeding sites, which provide necessary nutrition while also increasing traffic at the market.
| The Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue, signed a proclamation highlighting the benefit farmers markets and other direct marketing outlets have on local economies. They contribute approximately $9 billion to the economy and generate revenue that support rural communities nationwide.
The National Farmers Market Coalition (NFMC) strengthens farmers markets across the United States so they can serve as a community asset while providing an income for farmers. The NFMC says farmers markets can:
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Beginning June 14th 6-7 pm and classes will continue on Wednesdays, June 14, 28, July 12, 26, Aug. 9, 23 and September 20th. Plant your own herb garden, pizza garden and flower garden and flower garden. Also grow your own pumpkins! Dress ready to get dirty, wet and muddy! Planting, weeding, watering and harvesting at each session. Harvested produce will be sent home with participants! No charge to attend! Call the Shawano Park & Rec at (715) 526-6171 to sign up today. For further information see flyer: Kids Gardening Classes
*originally posted http://shawano.uwex.edu/2017/05/30/kids-gardening-classes/
This course will provide youth primarily under the age of 16, but not younger than 12, with the necessary training and preparation to take the evaluation test. Students who successfully pass the test and proficiency skills evaluation will be granted a state certificate of completion. Safe operation and maintenance of farm machinery including skid steers and tractors over 20 horsepower. Follow rules of the road for machinery and tractor safety. Apply emergency first aid training. Handle agriculture fires and extinguishers. Classes will be held at the Shawano Regional Center June 19-23. No class June 21. 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Class fee $82.71. Call NWTC at (920) 498-5444 to register. See attached flyer for further details and other locations of the class. Summer 2017 flyer tractor safety
*Originally posted at http://shawano.uwex.edu/2017/05/09/nwtc-farm-machinerytractor-safety-summer-2017/ by rhonda.sumnicht
