4. A Workshop for Growers: How to Sell Produce Direct to Schools If you’re interested in learning more about Farm to School, Food System Economic Partnership (FSEP) in conjunction with Monroe County MSU Extension will be hosting the workshop for growers that will discuss how farmers can get involved in selling to schools directly. The workshop will be held Tuesday, February 24th, 2008 from 1:00-4:00pm at 963 S. Raisinville Rd, Monroe, MI (Monroe County MSU Extension Office). The workshop is free of charge. For more information contact Jennifer Fike(Executive Director Food System Economic Partnership) 734-222-6859 or check out the web www.fsepmichigan.org 5. Farm Bill Education Program Learn what’s ahead for agriculture and agribusiness. Attend one of the four information farm Bill meetings being held across the Thumb on Tuesday, February 24, 2009. An educational program will be given on the two main parts of the bill: the ACRE program and SURE program. The SURE program is connected to the direct payment program of the past. Dr Roy Black, MSU Ag Economist will be speaking on the SURE program and Bob Battel, Huron County Ag Educator and Emily Sneller, Saginaw County Ag Educator will be speaking on the ACRE program. The goal of the presentation is to give growers enough information so they can determine which program(s) best fit their farm operation. Local Farm Service Agency Directors will also present how their office will best be handling sign up. • Albee Township Hall, 10645 East Rd., Burt, MI. Registration starting at 8 a.m. Program 8:30-11:00 a.m. Cost is $5 per person. Includes refreshments. To pre-register, call Saginaw County MSUE: 989-758-2500 • Sanilac Career Center, 175 East Aitken Rd, Peck, MI. Program 10:30-3:00 p.m. (includes a commodity market update) Cost is $15 per person. Includes buffet dinner. To pre-register, call Sanilac MSUE: 810-648-2515 • Franklin Inn, 1060 E Huron Ave Bad Axe, MI. Registration starting at 3:30-6:00 p.m. Cost is $10 per person. Includes buffet dinner. To pre-register, call Huron MSUE: 989-269-9949 ext 602 • Colwood United Brethren Church, 1840 Colwood Rd., Caro, MI. Registration starting at 6:45 p.m. Program 7:00-9:00 p.m. Cost is $5 per person. To pre-register, call Tuscola County MSUE: 848-672-3870 6. Great Things Are Happening in March at the Flint Farmers’ Market • FREE Smart Cooking - Healthy Eating Classes & Seminars will start beginning Tuesday, March 3, 2009 and continuing every Tuesday at the Flint Farmers’ Market. Those in attendance will learn to prepare new, simple, healthy, quick, snacks and meals each week from the Genesee Intermediate School District (GISD) Health & Nutrition Services Team. Classes will be held at two times each Tuesday; 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. in the lower level Garden Room at the market! For more information call the GISD 591-5133 or go to the market website at www.flintfarmersmarket.com. No pre-registration is required. • Get Fresh Greens Saturdays at the Market! The students of King’s Karate are now at the market every Saturday selling fresh locally grown greens from their own hoop house in the Beecher area. King’s Karate students now offer proof it is possible to grow fresh vegetables in Michigan right through the winter. During the week, they work in the hoop house, planting and cultivating, and every Saturday they harvest their greens and bring them to the market to sell. Fresh, locally grown greens are rare treat during the winter. • Bundles are Great Deals! Inside the market Coykendall Produce and Knob Hill Meats have combined to offer Food Bundles to their customers. For prices ranging from $29.99, $49.99, $79.99, to $99.99 customers can buy a fixed amount of fresh produce and meat. For more information or to order go to www.flintfarmersmarket.com or call Coykendall Produce at 810.449.8060 or Knob Hill Meats at 810.449.2785. The Flint Farmers’ Market is located at 420 East Boulevard Drive in Flint just off I-475 and Robert T. Longway Blvd. Exit 8A, across from the main post office. If you would like to access previous postings to the Mich-Organic listserv you can copy and paste the following URL into your browser address bar http://list.msu.edu/archives/mich-organic.html