Beekeeping at the FIC!

This is a guest post from our summer intern Kara Harrison. 

Something is buzzing over at the Food Innovation Center – bees! Since June, the Food Innovation Center has been home to four beehives. When I went over there last week, I was able to help feed a hive and learn about how bees live and work. They are some of the most efficient and unique animals I’ve ever seen!

With the outer and inner covers removed, you can see
the frames on which the bees build their comb. The queen
lays eggs inside the cells of the comb, and it is also used
to store honey (not in the same cells at the same time!)

KVCC's hives were custom built by local
beekeeper Cathy King.

Before I could dress up like the Michelin Man and go see the hives, I had to learn how they are constructed. The beehives are tall, rectangular boxes that have an outer cover then an inner cover. Underneath those covers are separate boxes containing eight to ten frames. The frames have a repeating hexagon wire foundation; this is where the bees lay their eggs and then honey.

That’s right, the bees use the same space for eggs/larvae and honey (I told you they’re efficient!). Inside the hive, there is one queen. The queen bee is vital to the hive, because without her, the rest of the hive has no direction. The queen is responsible for laying ALL of the eggs; if a hive loses a queen, other bees may try to start laying eggs or no eggs will be laid. While the queen and drones (male bees) are busy inside the hive, the worker bees (females) are out gathering pollen and nectar to bring back that will eventually be made into food/honey/wax.

When we went out to feed the bees, we poured sugar water into the topmost super. This way, the bees can hang onto the wire and collect the food without drowning. Sugar water from humans is only needed until the bees produce enough honey to feed themselves; we were simply expediting the process!

This frame of comb contains both honey (top and bottom) AND "brood", or larvae (in the capped cells in the middle).

Bees aren’t only interesting, but they’re very significant to our ecosystem, too! When the worker bees are out collecting pollen and nectar, they’re also pollinating plants and crops. According to Greendustries, honeybees are major pollinators of almonds, apples, avocados, blueberries, cantaloupes, cherries, cranberries, cucumbers, sunflowers, watermelon, and many more. Without the bees, supply of those crops would drastically decrease.

Therefore, let’s be kind to the honeybees, so that they will continue to help us produce all of those delicious foods. I encourage you to learn more about honeybees, and I will do the same!

Want to learn about beekeeping yourself? KVCC is offering a course this fall in Beekeeping 101! It will be held Tuesdays from 6-8pm at the Food Innovation Center, 224 E Crosstown Parkway. 

Register at kvcc.edu/trainingschedule

And check out the WWMT News story about our apiary and the class! 

Local Food Supply and Demand!

This winter, we worked with the Michigan woman-owned firm New Growth Associates to conduct a supply and demand analysis for our Food Hub at the Food Innovation Center. We interviewed farmers about their crops and ability to expand production, and we interviewed local hospitals, schools, and colleges about their demand for farm-fresh products. The results are in - and good news, they say we are right on track!

The report from New Growth Associates is HERE! Check it out!

AmeriCorps Position available!

We are very excited to announce that we have been awarded an AmeriCorps volunteer position through our local LISC office!

The position will start in October 2016 and serve full-time through July 2017. The AmeriCorps member will be working jointly with our team at the FIC and with the excellent education staff at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum to help increase community and volunteer engagement around KVCC's food-system-focused community programming. Please see the FULL POSTING HERE for details!

We will review applications on a rolling basis and must fill the position by September 12. Thanks for your help spreading the word!

Farmers Market Odyssey #1: Fresh on Q! in Texas Township

As I continue to learn about sustainability, one of my goals this summer is to go to as many farmer’s markets as I can around Kalamazoo. When I go back up to school, I want to continue to find new markets around East Lansing, too. Buying from farmer’s markets just makes sense; it’s locally grown, fresh food, and you’re supporting business and farmers in nearby towns. The produce traveling a shorter distance from field to plate, and the fact that they’re in-season both contribute to lower prices. That sounds sustainable and logical to me!

The market I was able to go to this week was Texas Township Market (Fresh on Q!). When I got there it was raining, but that didn’t matter because Texas Township has built a great pavilion for the market to keep the tables (and you) dry from the rain (or in the shade on a sunny day!). Walking up, I could smell the barbeque from one of the food trucks drawing me in closer. There were multiple food trucks/ stands selling hot foods including barbeque, wood-fire pizza, and Mexican-style foods. I visited the market around 6pm on a Tuesday, and I easily could have eaten any of those for dinner!

One thing that I believe makes Texas Township Market unique is the amount of baked goods that were offered. Some available items included muffins, pies, cookies, gourmet desserts, cinnamon bread, take-n-bake varieties, and more. Some sellers had organic, others had gluten-free; it’s safe to say that you can find something that suits you.  Another noteworthy aspect of this farmer’s market is the friendliness of all the sellers. Almost every table I walk past acknowledged me with a “hello” or a simple smile. The approachability of everyone there made it a very comfortable and relaxed experience.

Now, of course, I get to the produce. The selection at Fresh on Q! is great; along with the food and treats already mentioned, the fruits and vegetables look delicious. On a rainy day, it was so nice to see the colorful array of produce.  I wandered down to the end and I saw a basket of mini cucumbers, which I had to get. At the same table they had container labeled “HUGE zucchini” for $1.00 each, and they weren’t kidding. I bought a zucchini that is bigger than my forearm for a dollar! Other sellers had great deals, too. For four dollars you could get one and three-quarter pounds of green beans – that’s a hefty amount of beans. A pint of red juicy raspberries cost $3.00, and ears of corn were only $0.50 each! It’s hard to beat these prices, but even better, it’s hard to beat the freshness that comes with buying from farmer’s markets.

Fresh on Q! is located in Texas Corners on 60^th Avenue right next to the fire station. It’s open on Tuesdays from 4-7pm and Saturdays from 8am-noon. If you haven’t been by this market yet, I encourage you to check it out! If you already go to the Texas Township market, keep it up! You’re benefitting your community, local farmers, small business, and yourself.

Thanks for reading!

Kara

Introducing Kara Harrison - summer guest blogger!

This is the first of a series of blog posts by Kara Harrison, a dietetics student from Michigan State University who will be working with us at the BHLC for the rest of the summer.

My name is Kara and I’ll be helping to keep the Kalamazoo Valley Healthy Living Blog up to date for the next few weeks. I’ll be writing about what’s going on around Kalamazoo, the Food Innovation Center, and more! But, before I get into all of that exciting stuff, I want to tell you a little about myself.

I attend Michigan State University and will be graduating this coming May with a Bachelor’s of Science in Dietetics with plans to become a registered dietitian. While at school, I am an intern at Spartan Performance where we take a holistic approach to training young athletes. As an intern, I teach everything from the basics of an athletic stance, sprint mechanics, strength training, mental skills, and nutrition at our clinic. I also go out to local schools and club sports teams to perform training sessions and give large group nutrition talks.

When I’m home for the summer, I work at the YMCA of Greater Kalamazoo in Portage; this summer is my sixth one working as a camp counselor at the Y. During my time at summer camp, I created a nutrition education activity for the campers. I called it “Fresh Food Friday” because every Friday I would bring in some type of fun, healthy snack that the kids and I could make together while learning a little bit about the nutrition aspects of the foods. The campers and my boss loved it so much that I began doing the activity at least three times per week! So, now it’s called Fresh Food Fun.

Being from the area (I went to Mattawan schools for all thirteen years), I am very excited to be working alongside the Food Innovation Center! The visions it’s working towards and projects that it will be taking on will be beneficial for the whole community. Something that we can all take part in and improve upon is sustainability! Learning more about sustainability and its practices is one reason why I’m looking forward to spending time at the Food Innovation Center this summer.

I will be keeping everyone updated on local farmer’s market finds and Food Innovation Center news. Until next time – thanks for reading!

Good Food Kalamazoo!!!!

On June 7, almost 50 professionals, activists, and advocates for good local food in Southwest Michigan gathered at KVCC's Anna Whitten Hall for the awkwardly-named but very exciting "Good Food Kalamazoo Re-Kickoff Meeting".  Here are the meeting overview slides.

We started with a brief overview of the Michigan Good Food Charter, as a guide for our work.

Then, we heard a presentation from economist Ken Meter: Finding Food in Southwest Michigan. Meter's analysis of economic, health, and environmental data gave us a clear picture of how our local food system is doing, and where we need to work for growth and change. Read Ken Meter's Finding Food in Southwest Michigan study to learn more!

Megan Phillips Goldenberg and Vicki Zilke of New Growth Associates shared the results of a supply-and-demand analysis that will help to guide the development of KVCC's Food Innovation Center Food Hub.

Then, the meeting attendees worked together to create a conceptual map of our food system. This is a visual representation of how Kalamazoo's businesses and organizations work together, and what services might be missing. Check it out:

(Translations of the organization abbreviations coming soon...)

The next Good Food Kalamazoo meeting will be on September 27 at 2:30pm, location TBD in downtown Kalamazoo! Mark your calendars and plan to join us!

Spring has sprung, and local food is growing!

This is a guest post from KVCC Culinary Arts & Sustainable Food Systems student Katie Jacobs.

Spring has finally sprung here in southwest Michigan!!  How do I know, you ask?  Because summer farmers markets are soon to be open for business!  A few have already begun, even.  This year there will be a market almost every day of the week, with both daytime and evening hours, so there are more opportunities than ever to support our local farmers!  Here is a run-down of all of the local markets that this blogger knows about—if I miss any, please feel free to add to this list in the comments section.  And hopefully I will see you at the market!

Kalamazoo Farmers Market (1204 Bank Street, Kalamazoo): 

Start date:  Saturday, 7 May

Open Saturdays from May through November, 7:00 am to 2:00 pm

Add Tuesdays and Thursdays from June through October, 7:00 am to 2:00 pm

Website:  www.farmersmarketkalamazoo.com

100-Mile Market (507 Harrison Street, Kalamazoo):

Start date:  Wednesday, 4 May

Open Wednesdays, 3:00 to 7:00 pm

Website:  http://farmersmarketkalamazoo.com/100-mile-market

Texas Township Market (7110 West Q Avenue, Texas Township):

Start date:  Saturday, 7 May

Open Saturdays, 8:00 am to noon and Tuesdays, 4:00 to 7:00 pm

Website:  http://www.texastownship.org/community/farmers-market

Portage Market (320 Library Lane, Portage):

Start date:  Sunday, 1 May

Open Sundays, 12:00 to 4:00 pm

Richland Farmers Market (9550 East M-89, Richland):

Start date:  Wednesday, 18 May

Open Wednesdays, 3:00 to 6:00 pm

Website:  http://richlandfarmersmarket.weebly.com

Alamo Farmers and Crafters Market (Alamo Township Park, 8330 West DE Avenue, Kalamazoo):

Start date:  Saturday, 14 May

Open the following Saturdays from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm:  May 14, June 11, July 9, July 23, August 13, August 27, September 10, September 24 and October 8

Website:  http://www.alamofarmersandcrafters.com

Vicksburg Farmers Market (1000 Washington Street, Vicksburg):

Start date:  Saturday, 7 May

Open Saturdays, 8:00 to 11:00 am and Wednesdays, 3:00 to 6:00 pm

Website:  http://www.vicksburgfarmersmarket.org

Student Post: Katie Jacobs on Learning to Ask About Eggs

This is a guest post from KVCC Culinary Arts & Sustainable Food Systems student Katie Jacobs.

This past semester, I had the very distinct pleasure of a couple of guest lectures by Mariel Borgman, a Community Food Systems Educator with MSU Extension.  She spoke about many things, from food safety on the farm to pesticides to writing SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) for the Food Innovation Center.  The lecture that stood out most to me, though, was one where she defined a bunch of food and farming terms.  Did you know that ‘free range’ chickens aren’t actually allowed to roam in the barnyard and forage for their food outdoors all day?  Me either.  To be sold under the label ‘free range’, the USDA has deemed that those chickens must have access to the outdoors for just 5 minutes a day.    And this doesn’t mean that they actually make their way outside.  The huge buildings holding the tens of thousands of chickens may have a single door that gets open for that 5 minutes a day, but if you are one of the unlucky birds on the other side of the space, you probably won’t make it outside at all…  don’t get this vegetarian started!

The point I am trying to make is that though we may think we know what certain terms mean, we need to do a better job at educating ourselves if we really care where our food comes from.  Mariel encouraged our class to not be shy about asking farmers about their practices—this is their livelihood and she noted that they probably would love to share their stories!  So ask a farmer what s/he means when they say they are ‘local’ or use ‘sustainable’ practices.  These terms aren’t necessarily defined by a common standard, so what they mean to one grower may not be what they mean to another.  And if you have some specific desires about where you put your consumer dollars, asking is the best way to make sure that you are supporting practices that are on par with your own beliefs.

I had never really had a conversation like this with my favorite farmer’s market growers, so I went to the Winter Market a few Saturdays ago and decided I would try it!  I was admittedly nervous at first, but become more emboldened as the morning went on.  I channeled my inner Mariel and began by talking with a farmer about the huge panoply of root vegetables that he was displaying.  Turns out that these were all grown on his farm last summer, and had been in dry storage since the end of the season.  He shared that this was a way to continue to have an income even when the farm was put to bed.  I bravely asked him about a few of the tubers that were unknown to me, and ended up buying something I had never tried (or even heard of) before!  We then chatted about all of the beautiful greens that he had, and I learned that these were grown in greenhouses on his farm during the winter months.  As I was reaching for the same ol’ same ol’ kale that I typically buy, I was encouraged to try one of the other varieties instead.  Turned out it was delicious!

I then went in search of eggs, which was actually my main mission for the morning.  I want to find a local source of eggs from a farm that treats their chickens humanely and doesn’t kill them after their laying days are over.  I will be honest that I don’t know if such a chicken utopia exists, but I am determined to find out.  Thus began my quest to chat with all of the growers that had eggs for sale.  After a few conversations (including one where I was told the chickens go to the ‘quiet room’ when their laying days are over…yikes), I finally found a farmer that did not kill his laying chickens.  He offered that he had hundreds of chickens, and my mind immediately saw happy fowl, running around in a huge yard, soaking up the sun and living out their days.  So I bought his eggs and felt great about it.  It didn’t dawn on me until later that I should have asked how his 500 chickens were being housed.  Or how big their cages were.  Or whether they were allowed to roam free in the yard.  Or whether he clipped their beaks to avoid pecking fights…  Guess I still have some learning to do on this whole ‘conversation with a farmer thing’.  But it feels good that I broke the seal and I will definitely keep trying!  I encourage you to do the same.

We're hiring Culinary Arts faculty!

Our culinary classes are running full steam this spring! We have over 50 students enrolled in 4 sections of Culinary Foundations, and finally our new building doesn't smell new anymore - it smells like fresh bread, beef stock, and onions - lots of onions!

And we're just getting started... we have a full schedule of courses lined up for the fall, and we're looking for full-time instructors to join our team!

Kalamazoo Valley Community College is seeking full-time instructors for our collaborative and innovative culinary program focused on health, sustainability, and community development. Check out the full job posting and find information on how to apply here.*

We're looking for chefs with experience in a variety of different culinary disciplines, specifically:

• Food Production: Real-time experience for students in a commercial production kitchen. Sustainable, seasonal, and local ingredient sourcing will be integrated into the recipes, preparation, and presentation of the food.
• Baking: Instruction and hands-on production in practical baking labs, studies in traditional baking recipes with healthy and nutritious recipe conversions.
• Culinary Operations, Management & Service: Instruction in a variety of styles of service, practiced in a real-time service environment in both quick-service cafe and table service restaurant.

And, we're looking for chefs who love food, love teaching, and who can communicate about the connections between food, health, sustainability, and community.

Please check it out, and spread the word!



*If that link doesn't work, go to jobs.kvcc.edu and look for "Culinary Arts Instructors" posting.

A visit with Dr. Kami Pothukuchi

Kalamazoo had an amazing guest on March 17 and 18: Dr. Kami Pothukuchi, Professor and Director of Wayne State University's Department of Urban Studies and Planning, spoke to an intimate and engaged gathering of fellow local food activists at Knauss Hall on Western Michigan University's campus on Thursday evening, then joined a group of community and university leaders on Friday morning for a breakfast conversation. KVCC's Sustainable Food Systems programs were invited to have an exhibit table at the event. Our Culinary students Don Ashbaugh and Eli represented us well, and reminded everyone who attended to join us at the BHLC Open House on April 24 from 2-5pm!

Dr. Pothukuchi's work in at WSU has focused on the challenges to food access in Detroit, a rapidly emptying city with high concentration of poverty and low access to healthy, affordable food options. In her talk on Thursday evening, she shared an inspiring message about the power of small actions to create huge change - projects like the Wayne State University Farmers Market, on campus, and community gardens and efforts to supply corner stores with fresh produce. The student organization she started, SEED Wayne, leads all these projects, carefully managing the transitions from year to year as students graduate and move on to new projects.

On Friday, Dr. Pothukuchi facilitated a dynamic conversation among community leaders as we tried to figure out what the "glue" is here in Kalamazoo - what holds our local food movement together and keeps us moving forward? The group agreed we needed more opportunities to get together and solve problems collaboratively (more on that to come). The gathering was hosted by WMU's Office of Sustainability.

After breakfast, Dr. Pothukuchi and the three WSU students who came with her joined a tour of Western Michigan University's Gibbs House Farm, where students are experimenting with composting, water management, four-season food production, and permaculture.

Finally, she made it to KVCC's Food Innovation Center - and she loved it.  We were so honored to have Dr. Pothukuchi and her students join us for the day, and can't wait to have her back when the farm and food hub at the FIC are fully operations.

Southwest Michigan Food Safety Conference 2016

Earlier this month Kalamazoo Valley Community College hosted the first annual Southwest Michigan Food Safety Conference for local produce growers and food operators in partnership with Partnering with Michigan State University (MSU) Extension Services and the Kalamazoo County Health  and Community Services.

Phil Tocco (MSU-E) introduced the conference with a discussion on different types of food contamination

The goal of the conference was to help develop food safety literacy among growers, connect growers with subject matter experts in the area of food safety, and facilitate a culture of food safety among small-to midsized producers. With topics focused on the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) the conference highlighted the new produce safety rules, regulations, and compliance details. Growers were also introduced to an innovative food safety certification model called Group GAP, which can help mitigate the documentation and financial burden on small diversified farms by sharing resources and risk among a group of growers.

L to R: Vivien McCurdy (KVCC), Phil Tocco (MSU-E), Michelle Walk (MSU-E), Tim Slawinski (MDARD), Natasha Lantz (U.P. Food Exchange & Marquette Food Co-op)

Local produce buyers and retailers such as Bronson Methodist Hospital's Executive Chef Jason McClellan learned more about food safety at the farm level and what is required to get food safely from the field to fork.

It’s really great to see what Farmers are already doing in regards to safety. As a buyer you have no idea what preventive measures are already in place. From soil samples to water samples to slogans like “Don’t pick when you’re sick”, it makes buyers want to invest in the safe handling of food even more!       -Jason McClellan, Executive Chef

Two of the conference sessions were recorded and are available here:

• FSMA Preparation - Appropriate Solutions for Small Scale Farms and Food Operators with speakers Tim Slawinski, and Phil Tocco
• Food Safety Manuals & SOPs – the importance of documentation for Good Agricultural Practices(GAP) and Group GAP with speakers Michelle Walk, and Natasha Lantz

Kalamazoo Valley Community College is committed to addressing the importance of food safety by taking a leadership role in food safety training as well as initiating outreach to growers and food operators within our regional food system. We look forward to finding more ways to connect with our local food system in support of a stronger and healthier culture of safe food in Southwest Michigan and beyond!

Student Post: Katie Jacobs on Sustainable Food Systems

This is a guest post from KVCC Culinary Arts & Sustainable Food Systems student Katie Jacobs. Are you a student interested in writing for the BHLC blog? Contact rbair@kvcc.edu for details.

“A journey of one thousand miles begins with a single step”

                                                                                                                                                   —Lao Tzu

In reflecting on the first eight weeks of the semester, my stand-out class was one called Introduction to Sustainable Food Systems.  Taught by Peggy Murnighan (who was amazing, and if you ever have a chance to take a class with her, do it!), we learned all about the food system in this country.  Starting with a history of agriculture as we know it today, we learned about where our food comes from and how many of our current farm practices cannot sustain us as we move forth.  We learned about the farmers that grow our food, the migrant workers who pick our food and the supply chains that help get our food from the farm to our grocery stores.  We learned about the plight of those who don’t have enough food, let alone whole, healthy foods and how that impacts not only their health but the overall cost of healthcare in America.  We learned about the shameful amount of food that is wasted in this country.  We learned that people are doing incredible things to make a difference, from urban farms in forgotten warehouse buildings in inner city Detroit, to community gardens to school programs geared towards teaching kids how to grow their own food.  It is a multi-faceted topic, and in eight weeks I am sure that we only scratched the surface of what there is to learn.

For our last paper, we were asked what our vision for a sustainable food system was and how we might go about getting there.  As I sat down to think about it, I realized what an overwhelming task it all is!  We learned in class that our food system is so complex, that there is not a single, magic solution to making it sustainable.  There are local and national aspects, indeed worldwide aspects, and getting the entire planet to cooperate is a daunting task.  Sadly, I believe that our current government is quite broken (don’t get me started!), with all of the partisan in-fighting and inability to work together to actually make policy and move on.  So, while there is hope that our population is starting to break out of their passivity around food, this political climate will not be one in which such social change will be easy.  But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try!  We as consumers are a powerful lobby. 

I believe that each of us can (and should!) take responsibility for our own choices, affecting change for ourselves and hopefully influencing those around us.  Throughout the semester, we were challenged to consider the things we were learning about, and what we might do differently as we gained awareness around each particular issue.  I loved these thought exercises—it is one thing to learn something, but quite another to take the next step to actually apply it.  I came away with a list of things that I am attempting to change in my own life:  finding a source for eggs from chickens that will not be slaughtered when they are done laying; starting a vermicomposting operation in my own backyard (stay tuned for a few blog posts on that journey…); and exploring the concepts around permaculture as I plant my vegetable gardens this year (check it out at www.permacultureprinciples.com).

If everyone does their part, change will be inevitable.  SO, I invite you to make three changes in your own life that contribute to a more sustainable food system.  Start a compost pile to help our overburdened landfills and nourish your plants at the same time (for free!).  If you eat meat, only buy from farms that treat their animals humanely.  Visit the farmer’s market once a week to support local farmers.  Become a member of the local food co-op.  Volunteer at a food pantry.  Institute ‘meatless Monday’ into your weekly menu.  Make a concerted effort to waste less food.  Together we can make a difference!

P.S.  we’d love to hear what you are up to and what changes you are making—perhaps others will take your lead!

Hubbing with Food Hubs!

Hi! Rachel B here - I wanted to share an update about an exciting training opportunity I've had. I'm a member of the 2016 cohort at the University of Vermont's Food Hub Management Certificate Program.  This exciting program launched last year, and boasts an incredible roster of instructors who have been working on food hubs and local food supply chains since before they were cool.

(What's a Food Hub?)

As part of the program, I traveled to Vermont in early January for a week of intensive classroom time and field trips. Here I am (seventh from the left) with my classmates at Mad River Food Hub. The group was from all over the country and world - as far away as Hawaii and Finland - and brought a huge range of backgrounds and skills (even four-month-old Zadia, from Las Vegas... she was an expert napper!).  And I'm proud to say, the Michigan contingent was the strongest, with six of us attending!

Now that I'm back in Michigan, I'll continue the online portion of the course until May. I'll be learning about supply chain logistics, business planning management, financing and fundraising, food safety, risk management, and many other topics that I'll be able to immediately apply to the operations of KVCC's Food Innovation Center Food Hub - and, hopefully soon develop some similar courses at KVCC for our students, food industry professionals, and budding entrepreneurs! 

Are you interested in a career in the food system? Come talk to me - we are looking for lots of student input as we develop the degree offerings at the FIC, and I'd love to hear from you.

My email: rbair@kvcc.edu

My phone: 548-3305

My office: Food Innovation Center, room 104

Find your farmer at March 4 CSA Fair!

This is a guest post from Mariel Borgman, Community Food Systems Educator with MSU Extension. 

Mariel is based in the Food Innovation Center at the BHLC, and you can contact her at mborgm@anr.msu.edu.

The Bronson Healthy Living Campus is excited to announce that we are partnering with Michigan State University Extension to host a CSA Fair on Friday, March 4 from 6-8pm in the lobby of Anna Whitten Hall.

CSA stands for “Community Supported Agriculture” and provides an opportunity to invest in a local farm by purchasing a share of its products at the beginning of the season and receiving regular portions of fresh food as it is harvested. This transaction helps the farm by providing income to cover operating expenses at a time of the year when cash flow is lower. CSA members enjoy a varied menu of seasonal, fresh products, like what's in the box at left.

                   

CSAs come in different sizes, season lengths, styles, and options. Kalamazoo Area CSA Fair attendees will have the opportunity to meet local farmers face-to-face, learn about CSA programs, and find out if a CSA is right for them. Participating farms have delivery or pickup sites in Kalamazoo, Battle Creek, Benton Harbor, Dowling, Galesburg, Lakeview, Marshall, Pennfield, Portage, Richland, and Texas Corners. A variety of CSA options are available for produce, meat, eggs and more.

The list of farms that will be attending in person includes:

• Agropraxis Farm at Tillers International
• Bonamego Farms
• DeLano Farms at the Kalamazoo Nature Center
• EarthSmith Food & Forest Products
• Green Gardens
• Lake Village Homestead
• Molter Family Orchards
• Scobeys Produce
• Soil Friends Farm
• Sprout

Information on CSAs from Koelbel Farm and The Organic Gypsy will also be available.

The CSA Fair is being held in conjunction with Art Hop and the KVCC Fretboard Festival at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum. This is a free event and anyone is welcome to attend. An educator from Michigan State University Extension will be on hand with information on factors to consider when shopping for a CSA and ways to use and store your fresh Michigan produce.

What do we want? LOCAL (and healthy, and tasty) FOOD!

We here at the Bronson Healthy Living Campus try to stay up on trends in food and dining, and we've seen a couple of articles recently that seem to say that KVCC's Culinary Arts and Sustainable Food Systems program is right on the mark in terms of what's trending in food right now!

First, the National Restaurant Association just published their list of what's hot in 2016 - and look at how many of the trends line up with our mission to support healthy, local, and sustainable. #1 is "locally sourced meats and seafoods", local produce is #3, and environmental sustainability is #6. "Hyper-local sourcing" (we think this means produce grown on site at restaurants) is projected to be up 5% from 2015 to 2016. Kale salads, on the other hand, are expected to decline 10% in popularity in the coming year - I wonder what the next "it" vegetable will be!

On the other hand, this article by Tamar Haspel in the Washington Post shows some data to indicate that consumers may not actually care as much about sustainability in the food system as we thought. According to a study done at Rutgers University, when people were asked an open ended question: "What would you like to see on food labels that isn't there already?", only 6% say they'd like to know where the food is from. Haspel asserts that nutrition, or "what's healthy", remains the strongest driver for consumer food choices.

We asked KVCC students who took Introduction to Sustainable Food Systems (AGF 110) last fall what their priorities were for buying food for themselves and their families. They rated convenience, price, locality, organic certification, nutrition, and taste on a scale of 1-5, with 5 being most important. As you'll see below, taste and nutrition are most important to our students. Food being local is about as important as it being convenient and more so than it being low in price or certified organic.



What do you think about these trends and studies? And what's most important to you when you choose food for yourself and your family?

Meet the New Food Innovation Center!

The new Food Innovation Center is open just in time for winter classes! We will welcome KVCC students in the Culinary Arts & Sustainable Food Systems and Sustainable Brewing programs to our new facility on January 11. 

The courses CUL 100: Food Safety Essentials and AGF 110: Introduction to Sustainable Food Systems will use the new classroom. Students taking AGF 140: Winter Crops Practicum will help plant the first crops in our greenhouse and indoor grow room.

The Food Innovation Center building and parking lot, with Bronson Hospital in the background. 

The sun came out to power up our solar panels, and to let me get a good picture! 

Here's what KVCC students need to know about the new building:

Getting here is easy. The address is 224 E. Crosstown, right next to Kalamazoo Public Safety. There is parking on site, as you can see in the photo above. You can also get here on the #13 Burdick bus (some of the drivers will drop you off right in front if you ask). We also have plenty of bike parking - bonus points if you ride in the winter!

The floor plan is simple. Use the main door near the parking lot, on the south side of the building. You'll enter into the Visitor Center / lobby. The offices, bathrooms, lockers, and the only classroom are on the left (in that order). The indoor grow room where AGF 140 will meet is on the right (and it's pretty hard to miss). 

Our staff is excited to see you!  It's very quiet here and we can't wait to have students in the building. Working in the office here you'll find Cheryl K Jones, Office Specialist; Randall Davis, Food Hub and Food Safety Coordinator; Ben Bylsma, Production Manager; Rachel Bair, Director for Sustainable and Innovative Food Systems; Mariel Borgman, Community Food Systems Educator from MSU Extension, and a few adjunct faculty, part-time staff, and other members of the Bronson Healthy Living Campus team. We're supported by Jerry Lentz and Claudia Barbee from the Facilities department, and by the ACC IT department. Please come let us know if you need anything!

More information on the building and its programs to come as we get settled in - stay tuned, and we'll see you soon!

What is "Sustainable Food"?

You’ve probably heard the term “sustainable food” in the media, but what exactly does this mean?

According to Sustainable Table, “Sustainable agriculture is a way of growing or raising food, including animals, in an ecologically and ethically responsible manner using practices that protect the environment, safeguard human health, are humane to farm animals, and provide fair treatment to workers.”

In 1990, the US government defined sustainable agriculture in Public Law 101-624, Title XVI, Subtitle A, Section 1683, as “an integrated system of plant and animal production practices having a site-specific application that will, over the long term, satisfy human food and fiber needs; enhance environmental quality and the natural resource base upon which the agricultural economy depends; make the most efficient use of nonrenewable resources and on-farm resources and integrate, where appropriate, natural biological cycles and controls; sustain the economic viability of farm operations; and enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole.”

Find out how Valley will contribute to the sustainable food initiative through our Food Innovation Center. To see a great example of local, sustainable food sourcing, check out this video: https://vimeo.com/148265108