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