MSU Extension Food Preservation Classes

 

                GENESEE COUNTY, MI – The Genesee MSU Extension office is hosting foodpreservation classes in July, August and September to teach participants the basics of water bath and pressure canning, making jam and jellies and blanching and freezing produce to preserve summer’s harvest. 

MSU Extension Food Safety & Nutrition Educator, Lisa Treiber, will teach, using up-to-date information and demonstrating food preservation techniques.  The cost is $15 per person, class size is limited, and registration online at http://events.anr.msu.edu is required.  Scholarships are available for participants receiving SNAP/Bridge Card benefits.

 

To register or foradditional information:

Terry McLean, Food Systems Educator   

Phone:(810) 244-8530

MSU Extension-Genesee County 

Email: [log in to unmask]

 

Dates and Times

 

• July 24^th, 5:30 pm-7:00 pm: Preserving Summer’s Harvest: Food Preservation Basics

MSU Extension Office, 605 N. Saginaw St, Suite 1A, Flint 48502   (Questions: 810-244-8512)

 

• August 14, 5:30 pm-7:00 pm: Learn to Make Jam and Jellies

MSU Extension Office, 605 N. Saginaw St, Suite 1A, Flint 48502   (Questions: 810-244-8512)

 

• September 4, 5:30 pm-7:00 pm: Essentials of Blanching and Freezing

MSU Extension Office, 605 N. Saginaw St, Suite 1A, Flint 48502   (Questions: 810-244-8512)

Flyers are available online at our website www.msue.msu.edu/genesee or at http://events.anr.msu.edu

 

Design and Construction of LEEDCertified Dairy and Livestock Facilities Workshop

August 20, 2012 9:00 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: W.K. Kellogg Biological Station, 3700 E. Gull Lake Drive, Hickory Corners, MI 49060

Audience: This workshop is appropriate for anyone  involved in the design and construction of livestock facilities; livestock producers, consultants, and extension educators are also encouraged to attend

Registration is $60 per participant and includes lunch, snacks, and workshop materials.  A registration form can be downloaded at http://www.kbs.msu.edu/research/pasture-dairy/dairy-events.

The Kellogg Farm Pasture Dairy Barn was the first livestock facility to receive silver levelLeadership in Environmental and Energy Design (LEED) certification from theU.S. Green Building Council. The LEED certification process encourages practices which promote energy conservation, water use efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and promote natural resources stewardship during the design, construction and occupancy of buildings.   While LEED certification is more common for buildings in urban areas (schools, office buildings, museums, and apartments) the principles can be applied to the design and construction of any type of building, including dairy and livestock facilities.  Workshop participants will learn which aspects of LEED certification are most applicable to livestock facilities and tour the KBS dairy barn to see how LEED principals were applied to this facility.

Presentations by: Matt Syal, Ph.D., LEED®AP & Thomas Cyr, M.S. Michigan State University School of Planning, Design and Construction A tour of the KBS Pasture Dairy Barn will follow the presentation.

Questions contact Mat Haan 269-671-2360 or [log in to unmask] 

Mat Haan

Pasture Dairy Center Project Coordinator

Center for Regional Food Systems - Livestock Workgroup Co-Coordinator

Michigan State University

Kellogg Biological Station, 3700 E. Gull Lake Drive, Hickory Corners, MI 49060

 [log in to unmask]/269-671-2360 (office)/269-671-2351 (Fax) 

http://www.kbs.msu.edu/On Facebook at: Kellogg Farm and Dairy

 

Seeking Beef Farmers to Participate in SARE Study

Michigan State University Extension is pleased to announce that the Extension Grazing Team has received a three year grant to research the feasibility of a valued added grass-fed beef chain in Northwest Michigan.  This grant is funded by the North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education organization of USDA.   Lead by MSU Researcher Dr. Jason Rowntree of the MSU Animal Science Department, the team will work with 20 beef farms in Northwest Michigan to develop a grass finished beef production system.  They will help pave the way from the pasture to the dinner plate working with farms, butchers, chefs, and consumers to develop this new sustainable industry for the State of Michigan.

The Traverse Bay Economic Development Corporation and the Michigan Good Food Charter of the Traverse City area have set the goal of sourcing 20% of the food for the Traverse City area from farms within 100 miles of Traverse City by the year 2020.  This goal states the meat portion of the plan shall be pasture based if possible.

The Extension team is seeking beef farm cooperators that are willing to be a part of the project to begin working toward this goal.   Below are the expectations for the participating farms and what we can offer you for the grant:

 

•       have a beef producing farm situated within a 100 mile radius of Traverse City

•       complete the MSU Grazing School held over two days in Sept in 2012 or 2013 at the MSU BioAgResearch Station near Lake City, MI.            

•       complete the two day MSU Grand Vision  Beef Grass Finishing School  in 2013, at the MSU BioAgReseach Station,  Lake City

•       collect soil and forage samples from your farm for two years (paid for by the grant)

•       complete the Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program  Phase 1   farmstead assessment  http://www.maeap.org/maeap  for your farm by Dec. 31, 2015

•       participate in a grass fed carcass cutout demonstration at Ebels General Store, Falmouth, MI  in 2014

•       write and implement a $1500.00 mini grant for your farm to research a related grazing strategy or practice that you wish to evaluate in 2013 (mini grants come from the SARE grant)

•       be willing to host a pasture walk on your farm in 2013 or 2014 if requested

•       participate in pre, mid and post surveys and an exit focal discussion survey from 2012-2014

•        agree to sell 10 grass-finished steers/heifers to the project (paid the going local   wholesale rate for grass finished cattle) as the final outcome of the grant by end of 2015.   

 

Note: all registration fees for required workshop attendance and mileage for travel to these sessions will be covered for the participants by the grant.

In the event that we have more applicants than the 20 openings the MSU Extension Grazing Team will select 20 participants from the pool of applicants (application form attached). 

The MSU Extension Grazing Team in charge of this grantincludes: Dr. Jason Rowntree, MSU Animal Science Department; Jerry Lindquist, MSU Extension Grazing Educator; and Kable Thurlow, MSU Extension Beef Educator.  For more information feel free to contact Jerry at [log in to unmask] or 231-832-6139 or Kable at [log in to unmask]  or 989-426-7741.

 

Congratulations Malik Yakini!!

Wish we could all come to your dinner on Oct 17 in New York City!! 

The James Beard Foundation Names 2012 Leadership Award Recipients

Five Honorees Recognized for Work in Creating a More Healthful,

Sustainable, and Safe Food World During Third Annual Food Conference

New York, NY (July 16, 2012) – Recognizing visionaries across a broad range of backgrounds including government, non-profit, and literary arts, the James Beard Foundation today announced the recipients of the second annual James Beard Foundation Leadership Awards. This year’s honorees are: Wendell Berry, Jason Clay, Kathleen Merrigan, Tensie Whelan, and Malik Yakini.

“This year’s James Beard Foundation’s annual Food Conference will shed light on the timely and important issue of trust as it relates to our food system, nutritional safety, and public health. Our second annual Leadership Awards highlight this country’s most effective change agents in our culinary world,” said Susan Ungaro, president of the James Beard Foundation. “These trailblazers are all working to create a more sustainable future and it is through their monumental achievements that we are able to continue a critical conversation about the future of food.”

Now in its second year, the Leadership Awards recognize specific outstanding initiatives as well as bodies of work and lifetime achievement. Excellence of work, innovation in approach, and scale of impact either within a community or across the nation were among the criteria used to select this year’s honorees.

2012 James Beard Foundation Leadership Award Recipients

 

Wendell Berry, Author, Bringing it to the Table:

For the brilliantinsight he has brought to America's agrarian movement for more than six decades.

Dr. Jason Clay, Senior Vice President Market Transformation, World Wildlife Fund (WWF):

For his efforts to study and address the global social, environmental, and economic impact of a variety of commodities, and his cross-sector work to improve the sustainability and supply chain management of these commodities.

Dr. Kathleen Merrigan, Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA):

For her efforts to strengthen the critical connection between farmers and consumers, create new opportunities for farmers and ranchers, support regional food infrastructure and bring agriculture into our daily conversations through efforts such as USDA’s Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food initiative.

Tensie Whelan, President, Rainforest Alliance, and Co-Chair, Sustainable Food Lab Advisory Board:

For overseeing the transformation of the Rainforest Alliance into a respected international organization that works to transform land-use practices, business practices, and consumer behavior to conserve biodiversity and ensure sustainable livelihoods.  

Malik Yakini, Executive Director, The DetroitBlack Community Food Security Network (DBCFSN):

For his work to ensure social justice, food equity, and food security to the people of urban Detroit.

Honorees were chosen by an advisory board comprised of a dozen experts from diverse areas of expertise, as well as last year’s Leadership Award recipients. The advisory board members are: Dan Barber, Rick Bayless, Scott Cullen, Hal Hamilton, Jessica Harris, Bob Lawrence, Marion Nestle, Eric Rimm, Gus Schumacher, Debbie Shore, Naomi Starkman, and Arlin Wasserman. The inaugural honorees were: Will Allen, Fedele Bauccio, Debra Eschmeyer, Sheri Flies, Jan Kees Vis, Fred Kirschenmann, First Lady Michelle Obama, Janet Poppendieck, Alice Waters, and Craig Watson. The program is partially underwritten by a grant from the GRACE Communications Foundation.

The 2012 Leadership Award recipients are to be honored at a dinner ceremony emceed by chef, restaurateur, cookbook author, and James Beard Award winner John Besh. The presentation will take place during the James Beard Foundation’s third annual Food Conference on October 17, 2012, at Hearst Tower in New York City. The conference, A Crisis in Confidence: Creating a Better, More Sustainable Food World We Can Trust is co-hosted by Good Housekeeping and will take place on October 17 and 18, 2012. Founding support for the JBF Food Conference was provided by EDENS, GRACE Communications Foundation, and Sodexo. The conference is also made possible with support from Karp Resources and the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund. For more information, visit jbffoodconference.org or follow hashtag #JBFLeads.

Both the Leadership Awards and the Food Conference further the work of the James Beard Foundation to highlight the importance of food and the culinary arts in our culture and to establish and support links between these arts, the community, and the key sustainability and public health issues of our time.

Tickets to the Leadership Awards dinner are available for $1,000, and tables of ten are available for $10,000. A portion of each ticket or table purchase is tax-deductible as allowed by law. For event information or to purchase tickets, please contact Bowen & Company at 914.231.6180 or [log in to unmask]. Details can also be found at jbfleadershipawards.org.

 Employment Opportunities

The CCE Cornell Vegetable Program is seeking a new, full-time Vegetable Crops Specialist to join our team.  A brief description of the opening is found below or attached to this email.

 

Vegetable Crops Specialist – Cornell Cooperative Extension

 

The Cornell Vegetable Program seeks ahighly qualified candidate to provide educational programming and research in fresh market vegetable production. The Extension Educator will work as part of a Cornell Cooperative Extension team which serves commercial vegetable growers throughout a 12-county region in Central and Western, New York State. This is a new, full-time position based on expansion of the team. This position is based in far western New York. More information about the Cornell Vegetable Program can be found at http://cvp.cce.cornell.edu

 

Successful candidates for this position will have a solid background in fresh market vegetable production through formal education and work experience.

 

Required Qualifications:

•   Master’s Degree in Agriculture from an accredited institution with a major in Vegetable Crops, Horticulture, Plant Pathology, Entomology or closely associated fields.

•   Two years of relevant work experience in Agribusiness, Crop Production, Cooperative Extension, or closely related fields.

•   Experience in conducting, interpreting, evaluating and communicating the results of applied research

•   Must possess or have the ability to acquire a New York State Certified Pesticide Applicators License

 

Preferred Qualifications:

•   Coursework in Weed Science, Crop Production, Economics of Production, Pest Management, Plant Pathology, Soils, Adult Education, and Communications

•   Solid knowledge in current and emerging issues and production practices related to vegetable crops based on 3 to 5 years of relevant workexperience.

•   Experience in initiating and conducting field demonstrations and in-depth applied research in general vegetable culture including pest management (weeds, insects, diseases), plasticulture, soil fertility and stand establishment.

•   Experience in writing grant proposals

 

For full posting and application instructions: https://cornellu.taleo.net/careersection/jobdetail.ftl?job=285269&lang=en&sns_id=mailto#.UARw_IvcBgQ.mailto