SWMN NewsBriefs

May NewsBrief:
 
SWMN Conference Planning:  We should have a "Save the Date" announcement very soon for the 16-18 September 2012 SWMN 10th Annual Conference in the Tucson area.  Stay tuned here!
 
The National Farm to Cafeteria Conference will be in Vermont on 2-5 August 2012. Scholarship applications are being accepted now, registration will open on 7 May, and sponsorships are being sought.  See the conference website for all the details:  http://farmtocafeteriaconference.org/6/


Current notes from previous Briefs:
 
 
Two New Food System Tools from HCFS:  Healthy Community Food Systems has posted two new Tool Booklets on their website.
 
Sustainable Food Choices guides one through the choices facing us as we source food, from growing it ourselves, to buying it from a local grower, to buying it from outside our local area as necessary. 
 
 
Food Safety Considerations for Small producers — and Those Who Support Them helps the grower cope with problematic regulations and partner with allies to improve the regulatory environment.
 
See the Food System Tools page for these free Tools.

 
Colorado Farm to School Primer:  A new resource providing an overview of Farm to School and how to capture the many benefits of these programs has been authored by Healthy Community Food Systems (HCFS).  While including some Colorado details, it should be valuable to other states as well. A PowerPoint version is now available for your use.  Click here for a link to the HCFS Farm to School page.
 
Reminder: We also recognize that groups within the region may want to form discussion groups, listservs, Google groups, and the like on a variety of topics. If you would like us to post a notice of groups such as this and who to contact to get involved, just send an e-mail to Jim Dyer at jadyer@frontier.net

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Welcome to the Southwest Marketing Network Website

Our purpose is to help Southwestern producers and communities develop new and improved markets and enterprises and to rebuild local food systems.

Here are some ways to use our website: