April 29, 2013 – We are pleased to announce the opportunity to bring an On-Farm Food Safety/ Wholesale Success training workshop to your network of produce farmers. For the past five years, FamilyFarmed.org and on-the-ground partners have trained thousands of growers across the U.S. on how to better meet wholesale buyers’ expectations for product quality, consistency and food safety.

Workshop participants will learn about:

• Proper pre/post-harvest handling techniques
• Maintaining the cold chain
• Cleaning and drying
• Packing and grading
• Developing relationships with buyers
• Food safety best practices
• Needs of wholesale buyers

FamilyFarmed.org will work with your organization to customize the workshop for your fruit and vegetable growers. Through this program, we will:

• Provide participating farmers with our recently updated 312-page technical assistance manual, Wholesale Success: A Farmer’s Guide to Food Safety, Selling, Postharvest Handling, and Packing Produce
• Conduct a workshop, based on the manual, that is presented by our seasoned farmer/trainer Atina Diffley
• Provide continuing assistance to participants who want to complete a customized food safety plan using our free, online on-farm food safety tool (available in English and Spanish).

Who do we partner with to provide these trainings?

• Wholesale/institutional buyers • Food hubs and packinghouses
• Non-profit organizations • Farmers markets
• University Extension offices • Departments of Agriculture • Farmer Cooperatives/Auctions

For more information about our workshops, including financing/grant options, please contact James Pirovano. We anticipate applying for several federal grants in the coming weeks so please don’t delay! 

Our fantastic trainer, Atina Diffley on why wholesale is so important:

The ninth annual Good Food Festival and Conference was a huge success!  Have you heard the great announcements from Friday’s Opening Symposium?

Midway Airport, McCormick Place, and Chicago Public Schools committed to increasing their local and sustainable food programs! Collectively these institutions serve over 1.5 million meals per day.

McCormick Place, the largest convention center in North America, announced its intention to source 15% of its food from local and sustainable sources. Premier Restaurant Group, the foodservice provider at Midway Airport, has chosen to partner with FamilyFarmed.org to source local and organic produce, plus meat and poultry raised without antibiotics.  They have also committed to purchasing up to 10% of their food from local and sustainable sources.  Chartwells-Thompson Hospitality, the foodservice provider for the Chicago Public Schools has purchased more than $4.2 million in produce from regional farmers over the past three school years, and is working with FamilyFarmed.org to expand this program to all schools in its system, a 35% increase.

FamilyFarmed.org is excited to be working with these companies, and committed to expanding local and sustainable food systems across Chicago, the Midwest, and the US.

Read the full story here!

Good Food Festival & Conference – March 14-16 at UIC Forum

Your choices matter! Join individuals, leaders, and businesses that sustain the locally driven Good Food Movement as we celebrate the joys of food at our family-friendly Festival and are inspired at our industry-driven Conference.

Festival highlights include:

• Artisan and farmer exhibitors
• Nationally significant speakers
• Workshops on growing, making, and preserving food
• Chef demos from Rick Bayless, Carrie Nahabedian, and Paul Virant
• A tour of Chicago’s leading urban farms
• A demo and talk by the fermentation guru Sandor Katz
• Chicago’s first ever Kimchi Challenge
• An interactive Kids’ Corner

Plus Friday’s  Tradeshow, School Food and Urban Food Policy Summits and  Thursday’s Financing Farm to Fork Conference.

There’s something for everyone. Join us and experience the movement that’s transforming the way we eat!

 http://goodfoodfestivals.com/

For the 2013-2014 school year, Chartwells and Chartwells-Thompson Hospitality (Chartwells) is seeking fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables, as well as frozen chicken drumsticks from Midwest farmers and processors to feed students from Chicago Public Schools, and other students in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin. To assist with the procurement process, we are asking farmers, processors, and distributors to respond to specific needs of Chartwells. Requests for Information are available below, and should be submitted to rfi@familyfarmed.org by March 23, 2013.

For this school year, it is the goal of Chartwells to purchase enough Midwest fresh and frozen produce, and antibiotic-free chicken to feed one million students. Chartwells will pay market prices for both (FOB Chicago).

Requirements for product and/or producers include:

• Respondents must indicate their ability to provide produce that meets the variety, grade, and packing specifications outlined in the RFI’s and indicate what amount they have the capacity to supply
• Farms must be within 250 miles of Chicago

Additionally, respondents must confirm the following:

• Product liability insurance of at least $1 million
• Food Safety Certification (USDA, GAP/GHP certification or third party equivalent)
•  HAACCP certified if animals are present on farm or if processed/frozen product

Please download and return these Requests for Information before March 23, 2013.

Produce Chartwells RFI

Chicken Chartwells RFI

FamilyFarmed.org has recently received funds from the USDA to organize trainings for farmers to begin and succeed selling into wholesale markets.Partnering with local organizations that have extensive farmer networks, we hope to reach 2500 farmers with our Wholesale Success training program, which includes access to an in person workshop, a free copy of Wholesale Success: A Farmer’s Guide to Food Safety, Postharvest Handling, Packing and Selling Produce, and one on one post-training assistance for farmers.

Trainings are led by Atina Diffley, a pioneer in the organic farming community who will offer first hand expertise and step by step recommendations for small farmers hoping to sell wholesale. Atina Diffley of Organic Farming Works is a contributing author to Wholesale Success: A Farmer’s Guide to Selling, Postharvest Handling and Packing Produce and has years of organic farming and training experience.

Click here for a list of trainings. Space is limited and attendance is tracked by our on the ground partners, contact them with questions.

Funding Will Also Create Spanish Language Food Safety Program

FamilyFarmed.org is pleased to announce that the Risk Management Agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has funded FamilyFarmed.org to expand its farmer training programs in 2013. With these agreements, FamilyFarmed.org will work with local partners to produce twenty-five trainings for small to mid-size growers and teach them best practices in food safety, postharvest handling, and packing produce. More than two thousand five hundred fruit and vegetable farmers from across the country are expected to participate.

“Despite the challenges and setbacks due to extreme weather felt in many parts of the country this year, American agriculture is experiencing its strongest period in history thanks to the dedication and resilience of our farmers and ranchers,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “Our responsibility at USDA is to sustain and nurture these hard-won gains for all producers. For small and beginning farmers, in particular, risk management often means understanding direct marketing, or food safety standards, or designing tools to meet the scale of their operation and the markets that they serve. Overall, these agreements will provide tools and knowledge for underserved, small, and limited-resource producers to succeed.”

The trainings will take place in fourteen states and provide each grower with a free copy of the third edition of the Wholesale Success: A Farmers Guide to Food Safety, Postharvest Handling, Packing and Selling Produce manual, edited by FamilyFarmed.org President Jim Slama and farmer Atina Diffley. The recently revised, 312 page book is the definitive training source on selling into wholesale markets. It includes topics such as: Calculating Return on Investment; Cleaning, Drying, and Curing Produce; Traceability; Packing Shed Design; and Maintaining the Cold Chain. Wholesale Success builds the capacity of farmers to meet the burgeoning demand for locally/regionally grown fruits and vegetables. Adopting best practices in food safety, postharvest handling, packing, and business management will help farmers be more efficient and profitable. It will also give buyers an incentive to increase their purchases of locally grown food.

“FamilyFarmed.org is grateful for USDA support,” says Jim Slama. “They are a tremendous partner for us and countless other organizations that are working to create new opportunities for family farmers and regional economic development. These grants will help thousands of new farmers tap into the strong demand for local food and ensure that their products meet the standards of wholesale buyers for quality and food safety.” The grants total $605,810 and are to be used over the next year.

FamilyFarmed.org will also use the funding to translate its online food safety tool (www.onfarmfoodsafety.org) into Spanish. The program’s Technical Advisory Committee was chaired by the head of food safety of Earthbound Farm and includes representatives of the FDA and USDA; leading food safety experts; large wholesale buyers such as Chipotle and SYSCO; and advocates for small farmers. The new program will give Spanish-speaking farmers the ability to create a customized food safety plan and then get food safety certified. The program will culminate with a bilingual food safety training in New York co-produced with Grow NYC/Greenmarket, the nations largest operator of farmers markets. “Providing access to wholesale markets through Greenmarket Co., our wholesale distribution program, is one of the many ways in which Grow NYC/Greenmarket supports family farms,” said Marcel Van Ooyen, Grow NYC’s Executive Director.  “With this strong support from the USDA, and the expertise of our partners at FamilyFarmed.org, we can help Greenmarket farmers adopt and quantify best practices in food safety—skills that more and more wholesale buyers are demanding.”

For more information on the programs, to purchase the third edition of the Wholesale Success manual, or to find out more about partnering on trainings for your farm community visit: www.wholesalesuccess.org or call 708-763-9920.

]]> http://www.familyfarmed.org/usda-funds-familyfarmed-org-farmer-training-program/feed/ 0 http://www.familyfarmed.org/employment-opportunities-available/ http://www.familyfarmed.org/employment-opportunities-available/#comments Wed, 12 Dec 2012 23:32:24 +0000 familyfarmed http://www.familyfarmed.org/?p=2630 We have some exciting projects starting soon, and in preparation we’re looking for dedicated local food advocates to support our programming goals. Please forward widely!

There are positions available for a variety of skill levels. Click here for more information and to download descriptions.

Positions available, starting January 2, 2013:

Good Food Financing Manager We are no longer accepting applications for this position.

Office/Marketing Assistance We are no longer accepting applications for this position.

Good Food Festival & Conference Program Intern We are no longer accepting applications for this position.

Please email all applications to employment@familyfarmed.org. No calls, please.

March 14-16, 2013 at UIC Forum in Chicago

Join us and experience the movement that’s transforming the way we eat.

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Good Food Festival
Grow and eat local food all year round with DIY workshops that teach you how.
Enjoy food for sale from Chicago’s finest local food restaurants at the Good Food Court
Learn about the issues Good Food faces from compelling leaders of the Good Food Movement
Buy local products from artisanal Chicago food businesses.

Friday, March 15, 2013

Trade Show, School Food, and Food Policy Summit

Connect with industry leaders as they present solutions to the pressing hurdles local food must overcome.
Join the conversation about why and how local food should be available to schools.
Work with community leaders to develop food policy recommendations.
Visit the Trade Floor Exhibit Hall to experience the future of local food business.
The Food Policy Summit relies on public proposals for programming. Interested in presenting about your policy related project? Click here!

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Good Food Financing Conference

Grow your local food business with unique funding opportunities and resources.
Pitch your business to funders of all types, including investors, banks, and business leaders at the Financing Fair.
Plan your business and get professional advice in the business plan competition.

It was an amazing day out at Heritage Prairie Farm, with beautiful sunny weather, local cocktails, and food from farmers across the Midwest.

Chef Sarah Grueneberg and Chris Marchino created mouthwatering dishes using seasonal ingredients. The menu featured over 11 dishes and the food and drink flowed throughout the afternoon.

We’re thrilled to have shared the event with so many people. We want to thank the chefs, farmers, product providers, and attendees that made this event such a huge success.

We look forward to next year’s event and hope you’ll join us.

The Good Food Festival & Conference returns to Los Angeles for the second year Nov. 3 & 4, 2012. Produced by FamilyFarmed.org in cooperation with the Santa Monica Farmers Markets, the conference focuses on regional and national issues that are integral to building local and sustainable food systems and educating people about the Good Food Movement.

The Good Food Festival & Conference begins with the Good Food Conference, a day of informative panel discussions at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art(LACMA) featuring speakers such as Will Allen (The Good Food Revolution), Laura Avery (Santa Monica Farmers Markets), Andrew Kimbrell (Center for Food Safety), and Evan Kleiman (Good Food/KCRW) on Saturday, November 3 and culminates on Sunday, November 4 with Localicious, an evening of food and wine tasting on the beach with 30 chefs and 30 farmers at the Annenberg Community Beach House.

Programming for GFFC 2012 will focus on Good Food issues that matter to Californians, such as community building, safe, healthy and economically viable food jobs and the California GMO labeling measure, Proposition 37.

For more information, visit http://www.goodfoodfestivals.com/la.