From a USDA News Release

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will extend several flexibilities through as late as December 31, 2020. The flexibilities allow summer meal program operators to continue serving free meals to all children into the fall months. This unprecedented move will help ensure – no matter what the situation is on-the-ground – children have access to nutritious food as the country recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. USDA has been and continues to be committed to using the Congressionally appropriated funding that has been made available.

“As our nation reopens and people return to work, it remains critical our children continue to receive safe, healthy, and nutritious food. During the COVID-19 pandemic, USDA has provided an unprecedented amount of flexibilities to help schools feed kids through the school meal programs, and today, we are also extending summer meal program flexibilities for as long as we can, legally and financially,” said Secretary Perdue. “We appreciate the incredible efforts by our school foodservice professionals year in and year out, but this year we have an unprecedented situation. This extension of summer program authority will employ summer program sponsors to ensure meals are reaching all children – whether they are learning in the classroom or virtually – so they are fed and ready to learn, even in new and ever-changing learning environments.”

“School Nutrition Association greatly appreciates USDA addressing the critical challenges shared by our members serving students on the frontlines these first weeks of school. These waivers will allow school nutrition professionals to focus on nourishing hungry children for success, rather than scrambling to process paperwork and verify eligibility in the midst of a pandemic.” said School Nutrition Association (SNA) President Reggie Ross, SNS. “We look forward to continuing our dialogue with USDA to ensure school meal programs are equipped to meet the future needs of America’s students.” 

“Today’s announcement brings a huge relief to our school meal program and the community we serve,” said Lindsay Aguilar, RD, SNS, Director of Food Services for Tucson Unified School District, AZ. “Many of our families who might not qualify for free meals are still going through a tough time and are worried about how to keep food on the table. Now their children will have one less thing to worry about as they adjust to evolving in-school and remote learning scenarios. These waivers also eliminate a massive administrative burden for our school nutrition staff, allowing them to focus on feeding children.” 

“These waivers will ensure every hungry child in the city of Cleveland has access to healthy school meals, while eliminating the burdensome, time consuming process of verifying and documenting enrollment,” said Chris Burkhardt, SNS, Executive Director of School Nutrition for Cleveland Metropolitan School District, OH. “Our school nutrition team had to develop and implement a bar code verification system this fall that has greatly complicated and slowed service. With these waivers, we’ll be able to speed up meal distribution for the safety of staff and families and ensure no student is denied access to healthy meals.” 

Background:

USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is extending a suite of nationwide waivers for the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and Seamless Summer Option (SSO) through the end of 2020, or until available funding runs out. This includes:

• Allowing SFSP and SSO meals to be served in all areas and at no cost;
• Permitting meals to be served outside of the typically-required group settings and meal times;
• Waiving meal pattern requirements as necessary; and
• Allowing parents and guardians to pick-up meals for their children.

Collectively, these flexibilities ensure meal options for children continue to be available so children can access meals under all circumstances. USDA is taking this unprecedented action to respond to the needs of its stakeholders, who have shared concerns about continuing to reach those in need without enlisting the help of traditional summer sites located throughout communities across the US.

Over the past six months, partners across the country have stood up nearly 80,000 sites, handing out meals at a higher reimbursement rate than the traditional school year program. USDA has continuously recalculated remaining appropriated funds to determine how far we may be able to provide waivers into the future, as Congress did not authorize enough funding for the entire 2020-2021 school year. Reporting activities are delayed due to States responding to the pandemic; however based upon the April data we currently have available, FNS projects that it could offer this extension, contingent on funding, for the remaining months of 2020. USDA will continue to actively monitor this rapidly evolving situation and continue to keep Congress informed of our current abilities and limitations.

As wildfires continue to burn in California, local fairgrounds are fulfilling their mission to offer resources during times of crisis by providing shelter for people and animals as well as base camp facilities for firefighters.

The fairs that have provided assistance are – Santa Cruz, Sonoma-Marin, Napa, Alameda, Salinas Valley, Sonoma County, Plumas-Sierra, Tehama, Modoc, Lassen, Los Angeles, Solano, Glenn, San Mateo, Antelope Valley, Siskiyou Golden, Monterey County, Silver Dollar (Chico), the Napa Valley Exposition, the Dixon May Fair, the Mother Lode Fairgrounds (Sonora), the Cow Palace (San Francisco), and the Calaveras County Fair and Jumping Frog Jubilee.

Evacuees are being housed in fairgrounds buildings as well as on-site RV parks, and animals being sheltered have included horses, cattle, llamas, pigs, chickens, goats, sheep, ducks, geese, mules and peacocks.

Nine of the fairgrounds listed are hosting fire crews.

From a National Association of State Departments of Agriculture news release

At the virtual annual meeting of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) today, top employees of three state departments of agriculture were honored for their service and achievements, including California State Veterinarian Dr. Annette Jones, who received the James A. Graham Award in recognition of an individual for outstanding work in providing service to agricultural producers.

Dr. Jones and CDFA’s Animal Health Branch exhibited outstanding leadership and contributions to the eradication efforts in the 2018-2020 virulent Newcastle disease (VND) incident in Southern California as well as management of additional animal diseases.

Post-VND, CDFA and the USDA, in partnership with bird enthusiasts in Southern California, have established the California Avian Health Education Network, committed to monitoring for disease, providing support for biosecurity training, and promoting poultry health.

“Congratulations to our 2020 Honor Awards recipients! All too often, the work of our public servants to agriculture goes unrecognized. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to spotlight these leaders in our departments,” said NASDA President and North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring.

From a California Milk Advisory Board news release

Committed to helping California families facing hunger, the California Milk Processor Board (CMPB), creators of got milk? and toma leche, and the California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB), representing California dairy farm families, have announced a partnership with Feeding America® to help provide 1 million meals and 1 million servings of milk through the launch of #FoodForThought, a campaign highlighting acts of kindness while inspiring and encouraging people’s desire to give back to their community.

More than 4.2 million people in California face hunger and that number is rising. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an increased need for food assistance in communities across the country. #FoodForThought is dedicated to recognizing the myriad acts of kindness displayed by individuals and groups committed to serving communities – from preparing meals for families to surprising and delighting friends with milk and cookie drops and much more. Starting this week, with a donation of 1 million servings of milk from California dairy farm families, each #FoodForThought mission of kindness post shared and engaged with on Instagram that mentions @gotmilk through September 30^th will help contribute meals towards the accompanying 1 million meals goal.  

“This initiative naturally leans into who we are, what we do and what makes milk special – wholesome, nutritious, comforting – while giving people a reason to share positivity by joining a good cause that helps mitigate the uncertainty some families feel when it comes to their next meal,” said Steve James, Executive Director of the California Milk Processor Board and visionary leader of ‘got milk?’. “Our state has a population in need, with many who can give.  So, whether you can give a lot, give a little, give kindness, give love – as neighbors, we know there’s strength in coming together. As got milk? and toma leche, we know strength starts with nourishment. Milk has a role to nourish families in California and encourage people to spread acts of kindness in their communities. #FoodForThought is just the start of the amazing things we can do together and provides the opportunity of spreading social good and positivity to California families in need.”

To launch the campaign with the first #FoodForThought act of kindness at the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, ‘got milk?’ enlisted the help of actor, producer, director and father of three, Matt Bomer, and Brazilian-Mexican actor, television personality and father of two, Jaime Camil.  Matt and Jaime joined got milk?/toma leche and California dairy farmers to shadow veteran volunteers for a behind-the-scenes look at the impactful and profound work happening at Feeding America member food banks. During the visit they honored volunteers with a meal and special care package and presented a $300,000 donation to Feeding America from California dairy farmers to fund over 1 million servings of milk in California communities.

“California dairy farmers put their heart and soul into providing a wholesome product and ensuring it is accessible to all communities. It pains farmers to see so many children and families struggling with hunger and they are grateful to do something to help,” said John Talbot, CEO of the CMAB. “Each small act of kindness – from volunteering time at a food bank to providing a meal or a smile to a neighbor – feeds positivity and hope in communities. We hope this initiative also fuels ongoing support for organizations like Feeding America in their service to help families in need.”

Feeding America, the  largest domestic hunger-relief and food rescue organization in the country, reports in its Map the Meal Gap study that 1 in 9 people – or over 4 million – Californians are struggling with hunger, including more than 1.3 million children.

“Before the COVID-19 pandemic, every community was home to families struggling with hunger. Sadly, that shows no sign of stopping and food banks are experiencing a rise in demand,” said Blake Thompson, Chief Supply Chain Officer at Feeding America. “#FoodForThought will bring relief to our neighbors in California who are worried about where their next meal will come from. We thank the California Milk Processor Board and California dairy families for their generous support.”

The #FoodForThought donations will be coordinated by Feeding America to 17 of its member food banks and their network of feeding programs in California. You can learn more about #FoodForThought and ways to donate/help by visiting gotmilk.com, tomaleche.com and realcaliforniamilk.com, or following @gotmilk @tomaleche @realcalifmilk or #FoodForThought on Instagram. Direct donations can be made through milklife.com/give.

Every dollar donated to Feeding America® secures the equivalent of at least 10 meals on behalf of their network of local member feeding programs, including nutritious foods like milk. From August 24, 2020 through September 30, 2020 each engagement received on a #FoodForThought post, generates a $1 Feeding America donation from the California Milk Processor Board, with a guaranteed minimum commitment of $25,000 and a maximum commitment of $100,000 for a goal of 1 million meals.

Feeding America considers the value of a gallon of milk to be $4. A $300,000 donation by California dairy families will secure 75k gallons of milk. With 16, 1-cup servings of milk per gallon, that will equal 1.2 million servings of milk.

A total of six California horses have tested positive in recent weeks for West Nile Virus, with three of the cases in the Central Valley, one in the Sierra foothills, and two in Riverside County. Two of the horses are deceased

Horse owners are reminded to have their animals vaccinated to make sure they are maximizing protection against the disease. And once vaccinations occur, horse owners should be checking regularly with their veterinarians to make sure they stay current.

Californians can also do their part to prevent the disease by managing mosquitoes that carry West Nile Virus. Here are some tips:

• Draining unnecessary standing water found in wheelbarrows, tires, etc.
• Cleaning water containers at least weekly (i.e., bird baths, plant saucers)
• Scheduling pasture irrigation to minimize standing water
• Keeping swimming pools optimally chlorinated and draining water from pool covers
• Stocking of water tanks with fish that consume mosquito larvae (Contact local mosquito control for assistance) or use mosquito “dunk” available at hardware stores.

It’s important to remember that mosquitoes become infected with the virus when they feed on infected birds. Mosquitoes then spread the virus to horses.  Horses are a dead-end host and do not spread the virus to other horses or humans. For more information on West Nile Virus, please visit this link.

NOTE – The State of California recently shipped 1.4 million N-95 masks to agricultural commissioners in 35 counties for wildfire smoke protection for farmworkers. This is part of that effort.

From a joint news release by the California Farmworker Foundation and the California Fresh Fruit Association

The California Fresh Fruit Association (CFFA) and California Farmworker Foundation (CFF) are pleased to announce they have distributed over 50,000 N-95 masks and single-use surgical masks to agricultural employees across the Central San Joaquin Valley.

Both organizations are appreciative of the quick action and partnership between the Fresno County Agricultural Commissioner, California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and Governor Gavin Newsom’s Office of Emergency Services (OES) to supply agricultural employees with much-needed protection while the air quality index levels are at unhealthy levels due to the wildfires in California.

CFFA President Ian LeMay stated, “The wellness of Central Valley agricultural employees is of paramount importance, as they are an essential part in keeping the food supply chain moving every day. We are grateful for the partnership between Fresno County Department of Agriculture, CFDA and Governor Newsom’s OES for their support to provide these employees with the resources they need to keep them healthy.”

CFF Executive Director Hernan Hernandez added “CFF’s mission is to provide support to California’s farmworkers, and having the ability to distribute these N-95 masks through our Ambassador program enables employees to stay safe while working outside. We are grateful to all of the partners that have contributed to this cause.”

From a California Association of Resource Conservation Districts news release

The California Association of Resource Conservation Districts (CARCD) is pleased to announce the award of COVID-19 Recovery Community Service grants to eight resource conservation districts (RCDs). The RCDs will receive mini-grants of $5,000 each to create positive impact and to support their communities as they deal with the consequences of COVID-19. Programs that will be funded by the grants include food pantry and community garden support, outdoors-related youth programs, water quality monitoring in farmworker communities, and farm worker safety. While small, the grants will have real impact, helping those most in need in California communities to weather the impacts of COVID-19.

Grantee RCDs include the Marin RCD, San Mateo RCD, RCD of Greater San Diego County, Placer County RCD, Napa County RCD, RCD of the Santa Monica Mountains, Trinity County RCD, and RCD of Tehama County. Read more about their projects below:

• Marin RCD: Small grants will help five to ten small farms develop COVID-19 response plans and implement protective measures to ensure employee sanitation needs are met such as the availability of face masks, sanitizers for hand and contact surfaces, hand wash stations, gloves, and digital thermometers.
• San Mateo RCD: The RCD will perform testing to address concerns about drinking water quality in the underserved community on the South Coast of San Mateo. The RCD plans to work closely with the community to perform testing and outreach, partnering with Puente de la Costa Sur, the only community resource center for the South Coast, and hiring a member of the same community to do the testing.
• RCD of Greater San Diego County: Funding will go to help community garden members suffering economic hardships due to COVID keep their garden plots by offering rent reduction to garden members. In addition, the RCD will donate CSA-style produce bags to local families in need.
• Placer County RCD: The RCD will purchase vegetable seedlings from local farms and nurseries and offer the plants for free to those in the community experiencing food insecurity. While some have the space and ability to plant fruits and vegetables at their homes, Placer will also offer space on their property for a community garden for those who need it.
• Napa County RCD: In partnership with Community Action of Napa Valley the RCD will help address unprecedented food security issues that many families are facing due to COVID-19. They will purchase desperately needed food for the community and further assist Community Action of Napa Valley by donating (as cost share) paid staff time to support the Food Bank with meal packing and distribution during the grant period.
• RCD of the Santa Monica Mountains: Students in California are expected to miss out on vital hours of science and environmental education in informal and/or outdoor settings because of COVID-19, with students in low income areas being disproportionately affected. To address this, RCDSMM will create a nature journaling program, an interactive way for young people to connect and reflect on the natural spaces around them.They will be working with schools with a high population of low income students.
• Trinity County RCD: The RCD normally supports the Weaverville Summer Day Camp, which has been cancelled for 2020 due to COVID-19. TCRCD will partner with multiple agencies to provide alternative environmental education opportunities for children and families through the Trinity Tracks Guidebook (an educational and exploration guide for families in Trinity County), and virtual environmental education lessons including take-home kits.
• RCD of Tehama County: The RCD will support home-based student learning and outdoor engagement with the natural world. The “RCDTC and Me” program will offer 6 activity kits during the grant term that are scheduled for pick-up in the county’s two main cities, Red Bluff and Corning. Each kit will contain a nature-based, hands-on activity that promotes outdoor exploration at their leisure. 

“RCDs are an essential part of our communities and are dedicated to serving them in times of stress,” said Karen Buhr, executive director of CARCD.  “We were thrilled with the response we got when we requested proposals from RCDs for the Community Service mini-grants. Each proposal we received demonstrated their commitment to serve their communities as well as their creative and determined approach to problem solving– the same characteristics that enable RCDs to get so much done with limited resources.”

The RCD’s projects are already underway, and will be completed by the end of October 2020. In addition to these projects, RCDs are continuing to serve their communities throughout the crisis by helping them prepare for wildfire, providing technical assistance to farmers and ranchers, restoring habitat for endangered species, and providing other essential services. Learn more about what RCDs are doing at carcd.org.

From a USDA News Release

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced the selection of recipients for about $4.1 million in grants and cooperative agreements through its new Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production. These are the first-ever recipients of these grants and cooperative agreements.

“As the People’s Department, USDA supports and strengthens all types of agriculture, including the work being done by urban farmers and community gardeners,” Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation Bill Northey said. “I look forward to seeing the innovations in urban, indoor, and other emerging agricultural practices that result from the agreements, including in community composting and food waste reduction.”

Added Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Greg Ibach, “The 578 applicants showcased the breadth of creativity in urban agriculture projects from non-profits, Tribal and local governments, and schools across the United States. We are excited to be a part of helping the selected projects improve their communities and support local agriculture and businesses.”

Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production Competitive Grants

The Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (UAIP) Competitive Grants Program supports a wide range of activities through two grant types, which are Planning Projects and Implementation Projects. Activities include operating community gardens and nonprofit farms, increasing food production and access in economically distressed communities, providing job training and education, and developing business plans and zoning. Priority was given to projects located in or targeting an Opportunity Zone, which is a census tract designation for low-income communities.

USDA is awarding approximately $1.14 million for three Planning Projects and approximately $1.88 million for seven Implementation Projects.

Planning Project recipients:

• Center for Land Based Learning, California (Yolo County) – The Center will produce a comprehensive urban agriculture assessment of West Sacramento. It will map and document current activities, identify opportunities for growth, and include recommendations to bolster the layers of positive impact urban agriculture has on communities.
• City of New Haven, Connecticut
• Feast Down East, North Carolina

Implementation Project recipients:

• Arkansas Interfaith Power and Light, Arkansas
• Association of Africans Living in Vermont, Vermont
• Common Ground Producers and Growers, Kansas
• Famicos Foundation, Ohio
• The Greenleaf Foundation, Georgia
• NY Sun Works, New York
• Parkside Business & Community in Partnership, New Jersey

Community Compost and Food Waste Reduction Projects

Through Community Compost and Food Waste Reduction (CCFWR) Projects, USDA is investing approximately $1.09 million in 13 pilot projects that develop and test strategies for planning and implementing municipal compost plans and food waste reduction. Priority was given to projects that anticipate or demonstrate economic benefits, incorporate plans to make compost easily accessible to farmers, including community gardeners, integrate other food waste strategies, including food recovery efforts, and collaborate with multiple partners.

Community Compost and Food Waste Reduction Project recipients:

• Municipality of Anchorage, Alaska
• City of Fayetteville, Arkansas
• City of Prescott, Arizona
• Boulder County, Colorado
• City of New Haven, Connecticut
• City of Gainesville, Florida
• Lake County, Illinois
• Douglas County, Kansas
• City of Paterson, New Jersey
• City of New York, New York
• Henderson County, North Carolina
• City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Prince William County, Virginia

Details

For a complete list of grant and cooperative agreement recipients and project summaries, visit farmers.gov/urban.

A webinar to discuss the Office of Urban Agriculture’s work will be held on Aug. 27 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time. For the link and information on registration, see farmers.gov/urban.

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