Focus wide virtual meeting 01.20.10 final

FOCUS Virtual Meeting Wednesday, January 20, 2009 12:00 ET

Introduction
Please tell us:
Your name
Your organization and state
One sentence about either
Why you’re involved in FOCUS, or
Something happening in your district that advances the goal of procuring more healthful, local and/or sustainably produced food for your schools

How can you be involved?
We know many of us have more passion than time for this work!
Feel free to engage at any level at any time

Levels of involvement
Observer
Interested in our work and receive our materials
Read our materials when you can

Storyteller
Share your successes and challenges
Have some ability to provide input when requested
For example:
Posting on Knowledge Café
Being interviewed or writing for Month in FOCUS
Participating in surveys
Providing input on documents

Networker
Attend in-person and telephone meetings when possible
Share information with others within FOCUS
For example:
Participating in this call
If you can’t attend a call but want to be involved, RSVP with a one-sentence question or update to share
Attending our Annual Meeting
Calling another FOCUS participant for support/involvement

Ambassador
Communicate with those outside of FOCUS about our work
For example:
Contact government representatives regarding policy priorities
Speak to members of the media about FOCUS work
Host a site visit
Provide input to USDA

Team member
Involved in planning and decision-making on a regular basis
For example:
Annual Meeting Planning Team
Real School Food Showcase Planning Team
Learning Lab participant
Policy Working Group Steering Committee
Leadership Integration Team

School food professionals & community partners
Summary
People think highly of us; many wish they could be part of Learning Lab
Networking and resource sharing highly valued
Recognize power of collaborative work
Successes: nutrition education, wellness, farm to school, gardens, scratch cooking
Challenges: time, resources
Schools appreciate partners working in concert toward mutual goals

What do FOCUS participants want?
To network and learn from one another
To engage additional stakeholders, e.g. principals, students, faculty
Support for procurement
Information, updates, resources, e.g. School Food 101
Public recognition of work with FOCUS and schools
Advocacy to change the rules

Lessons learned
Local successes can be leveraged statewide
Change is slow; depends on readiness, environment, confidence, comfort level
Face-to-face gatherings crucial
Large districts have particular set of challenges
Consistent advocacy works

Annual Meeting
Overview
School Food FOCUS Second Annual Meeting, Chicago, March 25-27, 2010
Approximately 100 attendees
55 school food service professionals and community partners
USDA reps, national partners, resource people, experts
FOCUS staff and consultants + staffing from Kids First

Annual Meeting
Purposes
Create climate of possibility to catalyze procurement change
Expand channels for sharing knowledge and building capacity
Elevate power of large-scale procurement in creating more healthful, regional and sustainable school food
Present new, replicable model for vendor involvement
Explore paths for alignment about product-specific procurement change
Recognize work of FOCUS stakeholders and leaders
Integrate new participants and deepen commitment of all to FOCUS and its work

Real School Food Showcase
Will take place at Annual Meeting
Will link large districts with hand-picked, well-vetted vendors that meet FOCUS criteria
Attendees can sample foods, learn how they are produced, speak to vendors
Procurement change case studies from 4 FOCUS districts

Annual Meeting Program
Currently in development
Planning Team
LIT input

Thursday, March 25
Tour of Chicago School Food led by Bob Bloomer
Registration & welcome
FOCUS orientation for new participants
Reception
Dinner & evening program: keynote by Janet Poppendieck

Friday, March 26
FOCUS Real School Food Showcase
Lunch catered by Wolfgang Puck
Share learning from Showcase: Action research
Roundtable discussions
Sharing insights >> action steps
Closure & evaluation

Saturday, March 27
FOCUS caucuses, working groups, next steps
Closure & evaluation
Lunch & farewells
FOCUS Leadership Integration Team meeting

Child Nutrition Reauthorization
CNR expected to begin moving very soon; will likely move quickly
Amount of additional funds for CNR uncertain
Several bills include $50M for farm to school and FOCUS policy priorities
Working closely with partners in DC on advocacy

What you can do for CNR
Write, call, or visit your members of Congress
Follow action alerts from our partners at Community Food Security Coalition , Food Research and Action Center , School Nutrition Association , and NYC Alliance for CNR
Become involved in local or state efforts
Join FOCUS Policy Working Group
Ask [email_address] for more info

NYC Alliance for CNR
Coalition of organizations and individuals, educators, nutrition experts, and other New Yorkers united around CNR
Goals:
End child hunger and food insecurity
Ensure that all children have access to nutritious foods
Reduce childhood obesity and ensure healthy children
Support regional farm and food economies while creating jobs and protecting the environment

NYC Alliance for CNR
Activities include:
Creating and implementing letter writing campaigns
Events such as site visits for Congressional delegates to child nutrition programs
Media campaigns
Congressional visits and grassroots organizing

One Tray Team
One Tray Team
School Food FOCUS
National Farm to School Network
Community Food Security Coalition

USDA
USDA is addressing recommendations from One Tray’s ‘What Can USDA Do?’ including:
Change in geographic preference language
Farm to School Tactical Teams
Research priorities including mapping local food projects, identifying gaps in supply chain, surveying kitchen equipment
Agriculture Marketing Service (AMS) meeting to provide recommendations on supply chain challenges
New websites aimed at local procurement
Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food
Farm to School

USDA
What you can do
Provide input to USDA when requested
Current opportunity: FNS roundtable at SNA Legislative Action Conference in DC
Let us know if you will attend meeting and would like to participate
Apply for Tactical Team site visit

Evaluation
Please answer the following, either verbally or via email to [email_address] :
What from this call was most valuable to you?
What would you like to hear covered in future calls?
What would have made this call better for you?
Thank you!

Focus wide virtual meeting 01.20.10 final

by School Food FOCUS

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