New School Food Legislation Tied To "Locally Grown" AND Expanded Funding Opportunities For Healthier School Food !

NJ Farm To School has been a leading advocate for NJ Farmers and School Food Legislation since 2008.  Their recent newsletter highlights some of the recent activity with fabulous, BREAK THRU news on that front - FIVE farm to school bills and one joint resolution to support the farm to school movement in this state have been introduced with bi-partisan support ! These follow another school food related bill that was announced last month allowing food produced in local community gardens to be served to school children after meeting certain criteria http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2012/Bills/S3000/2561_R1.PDF

Also, don't miss the announcement included in the NJF2S newsletter from the USDA, expanding funding to school districts thru their grants program which capitalizes on and financially supports, the new connection between the National School Lunch Program and local fresh food producers - expanded grants program provides training, planning and implementation funding to school districts!

"Connecting American farmers and ranchers with the National School Lunch Program provides schoolchildren with daily access to locally sourced, healthy foods," said Vilsack. "These Farm to School grants will help schools respond to the growing demand for local foods and increase market opportunities for many types of food producers."

More information here -

http://www.njfarmtoschool.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/02-2014NJF2S_News.html

These grants help eligible schools improve the health and wellbeing of their students and connect with local agricultural producers.

Get fresh veggies, support a local farmer

The Journal Square CSA is ramping up to the start of its 4^th season in Jersey City.   We started in 2010 with a coordinator who didn’t want to travel downtown to get her vegetables, a north Jersey farmer, and a living room.  Over the past few years, the CSA has grown slowly but surely.

Nolasco’s Farm, a short hour’s drive from Jersey City, grows all the vegetables, herbs, and melons for the Journal Square CSA.  Every week, CSA members receive 7 items that are in season on the farm, ranging from bunches of greens to squash blossoms to white sweet potatoes to Mexican herbs like cilantro and papalo.  Our CSA members receive the freshest vegetables, harvested the morning they are brought to Jersey City.

Being a CSA member has pushed my boundaries as an eater, a cook, and an informed consumer.  Even a vegetable lover like myself never would have picked up a kohlrabi (even if I could find one in a grocery store), or purchased mustard greens several weeks in a row.  But being a CSA member means you experience the changes in seasons and climate in a way that you can’t with grocery store vegetables.  Knowing you will never have tomatoes in early June, or that a flood from a hurricane destroyed a field full of winter squash, makes me appreciate the vegetables and all the hard work the farmer puts in to get them to us.   Our CSA members may feel more connected to the farm and informed about their foodshed, or maybe they just come up with a creative new mustard greens recipe.  Either way, everyone that participates learns something about the food on their table.

This year we are also able to offer a fruit share from Suka-Di Farm in upstate NY.  In addition to the weekly vegetable share, members can choose to purchase fruit fresh from their orchard and vineyard.  I am personally looking forward to having a weekly supply of fresh peaches, plums, and grapes to fill up my fruit bowl.

We currently partner with Hudson Pride Connections Center, who generously provides their space for the weekly vegetable distribution.  More information about the Journal Square CSA can be found at www.JournalSquareCSA.weebly.com.

Guazabara Insights News and Updates - Health Education Campaign

Check out Our video! Guazabara Media: Feb 2014 News and Updates - Health Education Campaign

Come Together Jersey City !! Attend SJC Events and Jersey City Health & Human Services Forum

If you are looking for ways to plug-in to the sustainability movement here in Jersey City, there are 3 events coming up that might interest you - Tomoro Saturday March 1st, starting at 12noon at The Barrow Mansion, a short walk from City Hall, SJC is hosting a VIEWING PARTY of TEDxManahattan's 'Changing the Way We Eat'; Stacey Flanagan, our new Health & Human Services Director for Jersey City will keynote the event - she is awesome !!  AND Local Spotlight Speakers of NJ / Jersey City Champions are part of the program.  More info / register here -http://sustainablejc.org/wordpress/ai1ec_event/viewing-party-tedx-manhattan-changing-the-way-we-eat/?instance_id=1664

Monday morning, March 3rd starting at 8:30am at City Hall Chambers, Stacey Flanagan / Jersey City HHS Director will hosts a community forum, first of its kind, THE PARTNERSHIP FOR A HEALTHIER JERSEY CITY.  More info / register here www.eventbrite.com/e/the-partnership-for-a-healthier-jersey-city-tickets-10664418563

Tuesday evening, March 4th starting at 7pm, SJC is hosting their Monthly Meeting at City Hall, Caucsus Room 204; EAT, MEET, TALK! is new format designed for you to meet others involved in sustainability projects around the city and for you to support these efforts.  More info / register here https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sjc-monthly-meeting-eat-meet-talk-tickets-10779482723

Learn What's Next For Jersey CIty - Join SJC, Civic JC & NJ Citizen's Campaign Tonite !

SJC Monthly Meeting – EAT, MEET, TALK !

We're kicking off 2014 with Civic JC and the NJ Citizens Campaign as our guests tonite and will discuss what's next for Jersey City.  Join us if your schedule permits.

Our meeting starts at 7pm at Indiegrove with some food and networking and then onto business with SJC and Civic JC sharing what we're working on and then the NJ Citizens Campaign sharing about their Impactful Cities program.  Learn how you can be involved in this emerging collaboration and what this can mean for your neighborhood.

Details here - http://sustainablejc.org/wordpress/ai1ec_event/new-monthly-eat-meet-talk-series-2/?instance_id=