NEWS

The Farm Fresh Atlas is here! Go beyond farmers’ markets to support local farmers through the Farm Fresh Atlas of Southern Wisconsin, organized by Madison-based REAP Food Group. Originally launched in 2002 as a trifold pamphlet, the latest edition is 40 pages detailing the region’s farms, farmers’ markets, restaurants, specialty stores, grocers, and other businesses dedicated to promoting good food grown well. Grab a copy at your local farmers’ markets or browse statewide at farmfreshatlas.org. ...

[EDIT: POSITION CLOSED] Posting Date: March 18, 2021Deadline for Application: April 15, 2021Location: Madison, WIAppointment: Full Time Join a team that is passionate about creating a just and sustainable local food system for all residents in Dane County and WI. We seek a team member who will share our commitment to bring curiosity, inclusivity, collaboration to the work of building a just, culturally responsive and resilient food system in Dane County and Wisconsin. Position Summary:REAP Food Group, based in Madison, WI, is inviting applications for a Farm to School Director, a role that will bring more healthy, WI-grown, and culturally appropriate food to children in K-12 settings, and provide educational resources around food and agriculture that reinforce our organizational values of equity and inclusivity. The primary focus of the work will be at the city and county level. REAP’s Farm to School partnership with Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) has been a model statewide for growing markets for local farmers and increasing access to local and sustainable food for all children. The Farm to School Director candidate will collaborate with colleagues who oversee institutional food procurement and community outreach programming to implement REAP’s Farm to School Program and provide strategic direction and program management to continue to grow our impact.REAP’s mission is to transform communities, economies and lives through the power of good food by: building the next generation of healthy eaters and leaders through youth education; educating and connecting sustainable WI farmers to institutional and individual buyers; strengthening and amplifying community-led solutions to food system challenges; Educating consumers so they can be advocates for actions and policies that support an equitable, just and environmentally sustainable food system; and, celebrating with community around good food*. We define “good food” as food that is produced, processed, sold, consumed, and re-circulated in a manner that is transparent, is racially and ethnically equitable and socially just, builds up thriving local economies, and promotes healthy and sustainable natural, social, and economic environments. Position Summary: Strategic Leadership– ● Lead strategy and goals for the Farm to School initiatives including the Farm to School Partnership with MMSD ● Nurture our Farm to School Project partnership with MMSD while evaluating strategic opportunities to grow our work to other districts in the county; ● Be informed and when needed, engaged, on relevant local, state and federal policies affecting the Farm to School program; Program Management: ● Oversee our initiatives to engage and educate diverse communities of kids including Harvest of the Month activities, summer Farm to School programming, and fresh snack educational resources; ● Support and facilitate successful procurement and promotion of local foods by Madison Metropolitan School District for menu items, garden bars, snack program and UpRoot Farm to School food truck; ● Manage REAP Farm to School Snack Program to ensure qualified schools receive a weekly REAP-sourced fresh snack and accompanying educational materials; Outreach and Communication– ● Represent REAP and the Farm to School Program on statewide network of WI Farm to School leaders, and on local coalitions and committees....

REAP applauds the Governor's and DATCP's focus on Wisconsin farmers and food. On Friday, February 5, Governor Evers announced a $43M investment in local farms and food systems in the upcoming state budget. The plan is wide reaching but we are excited to see the unprecedented focus on small farms, local food system infrastructure and higher investment in conservation programs - initiatives that bring us all closer to a just local and sustainable food system in Wisconsin. Our friends at Wisconsin Farmers Union do a terrific job of advocating for good food farmers at the State Capitol and their analysis of the budget initiatives is a great resource if you want to dive deeper. Governor Evers' budget incluces the following investments (a full list of the proposed actions found here): Invest $20M to help connect Wisconsin food banks and pantries with Wisconsin producers;Fund the Farm-to-School Grant Program ($400K over biennium);Create and Fund Farm-to-Fork to build connections between farmers and non-school entities looking to purchase local food for their cafeterias ($552K over biennium);Increase the Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin program ($350K over biennium);Provide additional funding for Something Special from Wisconsin marketing program ($400K over biennium);Create and fund a Small Farm Diversity Grant program – support producers adding new products, increasing production of an ag product where market opportunities exist, or starting a new farming operation ($250K over biennium). "Coming out of a brutal pandemic, these initiatives are a wise and welcome investment in rural revitalization and food security," says REAP Executive Director Helen Sarakinos. "This budget represents a needed first step to rebuild resilience in our food system so Wisconsin farmers can feed Wisconsin residents." Every day, REAP works with our partners and supporters to develop local food supply chains, strengthen connections between community and farmers and grow the voices calling for a resilient food system. We couldn't agree more that it's time to join this fight for Wisconsin farmers to ensure a good future in Wisconsin for farmers, for eaters and for our clean water and land. REAP has advocated for funding Farm to School grants and programs in DATCP, for COVID-19 relief payments to benefit small and beginning farmers and we have worked hard to support farms that were hard-hit when closures of farmers' markets and businesses shut down their sales. So, what can you do? Stay informed! Sign up to receive our weekly newsletter to stay on top of REAP's work and opportunities to get involved. You should also follow us on Facebook and Instagram, where we post thought-provoking articles about food and sustainability. We will be posting updates and sharing additional opportunities to act in the coming months Voice your support! We ask you to take a moment to thank Governor Evers for valuing small farms and local food systems and for walking the walk. Let them know this budget reflects what matters to Wisconsin residents! Your email or phone call mattes and it only takes a moment.Call: Governor's Office: 608-266-1212,Email: share your approval online at this site.It doesn't have to be long, simply state who you...

Join a fun and tight-knit team that is passionate about creating a just, local and sustainable food system in Southern Wisconsin. We seek a team member who will share our commitment to bring curiosity, inclusivity, collaboration and fun to the work of building a better world. REAP Food Group, a non-profit organization based in Madison, WI, believes that you can transform communities, economies and lives through the power of good food. We do this by: building the next generation of healthy eaters through youth education; educating and connecting sustainable WI farmers to institutional to individual buyers; strengthening and amplifying community-led solutions to food system challenges; Educating consumers so they can be advocates for actions and policies that support an equitable, just and environmentally sustainable food system; and, celebrating with community around good food. ...

Last month, Roots4Change Co-op with REAP Food Group launched the Farms to Families fund to bring Resilience Boxes of nourishing locally and sustainably-grown foods from WI family farms to Latino/immigrant families impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Two weeks ago, we launched a fund drive to raise $25,000 to support this unique and important work. Our communities rose to the occasion! In just over two weeks, you have helped raise $45,000 for this fund! We are humbled by the generosity of neighbors for one another in this community and so grateful we are able to hit the ground running. Over these last four weeks, we've reached hundreds of adults, children and elderly with fresh greens and nutritious eggs, meat, dairy and grains, even locally sourced handmade tortillas. We've supported more than twenty local farms and farm businesses, many of them minority-owned and operated. We have gotten positive comments from families and producers about the program, and gratitude for the labor put into growing this food. We are also enjoying seeing beautiful photos of the traditional dishes and recipes being prepared with the resilience boxes. We have had an outpouring of support from growers, food businesses and organizations who donated additional items including: Rooted & Badger Rock Community Center, Madison Sourdough & Neighbor Loaves, RE Golden, Landmark Creamery, Roth Cheese/Crave Brothers, Victor's Farm, David Heide & Liliana's, Agrecol and NessAlla Kombucha! The reality is that the need for these Resilience Boxes grows every day.  Our original goal of 100 families doubled to 200 families after the first week of resilience box deliveries. Despite our collective efforts, we are met with a growing number of families requiring support or/increased quantity of food/box due to their families' composition. The impact of this pandemic will continue to affect our neighbors and struggling farms and producers longer than we hoped. So, we're putting your investment to work, reaching more people for a longer time. The Farms to Families Fund is exemplifying that a truly just food system is one where those who grow our food and those who consume it are intrinsically linked, supporting one another's mutual well-being and health. We are setting a new stretch goal of $60,000 by the end of May to keep creating resilience boxes into the fall and to grow the number of families who can access them. To get there, we've lined up some great incentives to give! Two of our beloved food businesses in Dane County are stepping up to the plate to match the generosity of our communities.During the month of May, The Willy Street Coop will match every gift up to $5000. Also in May, Sitka Salmon Shares will match every gift for an additional $2,500.If you help us raise $7,500, they will make an additional gift of $7,500 which gets us to our stretch goal! Additionally, Willy Street Co-op is also generously matching another $5,000 to the Emergency Farmer Fund set up by Dane County Farmers' Market​ and FairShare CSA Coalition throughout May​! It's great to see this kind of support for our farmers at this time. We are grateful to everyone who has gotten involved with the project. Every dollar you give will be matched in May, make...

Pachamama es Vida by Julio Cachiguango

To address the impact of the pandemic on Latino/Indigenous families and small local farms, REAP and Roots4Change created the Farms to Families Fund/de Granjas a Familias Fondo. The program will purchase fresh, healthy, locally grown food from regional family farms and provide it to Madison-area Latino/Indigenous residents and families hard-hit by job loss, food insecurity, lack of access to social services, and federal anti-immigration provisions. With donor support, REAP and Roots4Change plan to purchase fresh food from local farms in the Farm Fresh Atlas network and minority farmers. They will then package and distribute food “resilience boxes” to a network of 200 Latino/Indigenous families, many of whom work in the heavily impacted food service and hospitality industries. Your support helps build resilience in our community for struggling neighbors, workers and family farms. All gifts will be 100% directed toward this emergency initiative. Donations to Farms to Families Fund / Fondo de Granjas a Familias can be made online at reapfoodgroup.org/farms-to-families. The $25,000 target will help us meet our goal to supply resilience boxes to 100 families weekly until July. ...

Dear REAP members and supporters, Well, it’s really been a wild ride these last few days. Our staff has been doing what we can to get organized, keep positive and learn where all the dead Wi-Fi spots in our homes are (there are a lot of them). We are also hard at work figuring out how to best serve those we always have: families who are vulnerable to food insecurity in our community, farmers and producers who grow good food, and the mission-driven businesses that support them. Our mission to make good food, grown well, accessible to all is as relevant and timely as ever. One thing is clear, even at this point: it is not business as usual. Much of our primary work has been altered or disrupted temporarily and we are focused on keeping staff safe and supported during this health emergency. To that end, our office is closed, all staff are working remotely from home, and meetings are attended virtually. As a staff and board, we are putting our heads together to identify food security needs arising in the community and how we can be a good partner and put our resources towards these solutions:REAP will use our social media channels to amplify the needs of our schools and Atlas partners (farms, producers, and businesses), and identify ways you can help. This will include supporting local businesses and farmers, and calls to your elected officials to voice your support for policy alleviations. At a time of feeling helpless to a global pandemic there remains a lot we can do individually and that will have a real impact on our neighbors and small businesses. We will build more digital Farm to School resources. Families are looking for content for their kids at home and learning opportunities.  We continue to plan for the good work that will come on the other side of this current disruption. There will be an “other side” to this and we will be ready to engage in the important work of increasing access to good food, strengthening community partnerships, and elevating community-led solutions to build the just, sustainable food system we all believe in.  Make sure you're following us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to hear how you can take action, and continue your support of honest, good food and mission-based businesses. Expect updates on these projects: With MMSD schools closed indefinitely, our AmeriCorps members Madison Soukup and Rachel Leibovich are working to orient their capacities in different ways to continue to support our schools, kids, and community. This is likely to include developing online resources and education for families to access from home. It might also mean assisting in emergency food relief or meal distribution in our community. Look for more info from us about this by next week. Our beautiful Farm Fresh Atlas has been printed and 30,000 copies are ready for action. In the meantime, you can find farms and businesses to support online at www.farmfreshatlas.org Burgers and Brew 2020, originally planned for June 6, is on hiatus while we monitor the coronavirus situation. Consider a gift to REAP to keep us steady through a very tumultuous time. In times of crisis,...

MADISON, WI – REAP Food Group and graphic designer Emily Julka were awarded a $22,276 grant from the Ideas that Matter Program to create complementary resources to the Wisconsin Farm Fresh Atlas aimed at reaching families that face historical and institutional barriers to fresh food. The Farm Fresh Atlas, which began as a regional guide in southern Wisconsin, is a network of six regional print editions and an online statewide collaborative resource to find farm-fresh foods wherever you go. The Farm Fresh Atlas makes it easy to buy directly from the farmers, farmers markets, retail shops and restaurants that feature farm-fresh selections in Wisconsin. With the support of the Sappi Ideas that Matter Grant Program, REAP Food Group and graphic designer Emily Julka will lead the statewide Farm Fresh Atlas Network as they launch a new resource campaign. ‘Growing Healthy Together' will provide information in English and Spanish aimed at reducing health inequities of Wisconsin residents. “Latinx families face institutional and historical barriers to fresh seasonal, healthy food and are disproportionately impacted by chronic disease,” says Helen Sarakinos, REAP Food Group Executive Director. “A bilingual, culturally-relevant resource that will focus on affordability and sustainability of seasonal Wisconsin-grown food is a small step to make information and fresh healthy food more accessible.” Targeted outreach will include agencies and offices that connect residents to food assistance programs including WIC, SNAP and Farmers Market Nutrition Programs, fruit and vegetable incentive programs including Double Dollars programs, and fruit and vegetable prescriptions. “The heart of this campaign is to strengthen connections between eaters and those who grow their food, and celebrate eating local as an act of community building and wellness for all Wisconsinites,” continued Sarakinos. “I’m delighted SAPPI has awarded us funding to get this project off the ground -  as a designer, I’m thrilled to see issues of public health, food equity and accessibility being prioritized and highlighted as areas that deserve quality design,” says Julka. Ideas that Matter supports graphic designers who partner with organizations to make a difference through creative design solutions. Over the past 20 years, they have awarded $13 million in grants to assist more than 500 causes and charities. ***Farm Fresh Atlas is a trademark of REAP Food Group, Inc., used with permission by grassroots coalitions throughout Wisconsin to produce: Farm Fresh Atlas of Eastern Wisconsin, Western Wisconsin Farm Fresh Atlas, Farm Fresh Atlas of Southeastern Wisconsin, Northwoods Farm Fresh Atlas, Southern Wisconsin Farm Fresh Atlas, and Central Wisconsin Farm Fresh Atlas. The Farm Fresh Atlas was created in 2002 by REAP Food Group, a nonprofit located in Madison, Wisconsin, to promote sustainable, local food producers in southern Wisconsin. ...

MADISON, Wisconsin — Local nonprofits Roots4Change Cooperative (R4C) and REAP Food Group (REAP) have been awarded a 4-year, $400,000 grant from the Wisconsin Partnership Program for their project “ROOTed to REAP: Latinx/Indigenous Women Advancing Health and Food Equity in Dane County.” This grant advances an innovative collaboration between REAP, committed to making good food grown well accessible to all, and R4C, a cooperative led by Latina and Indigenous women, to advance health equity by working with the food and health care systems to address individual and collective health and well-being in a holistic, culturally-aligned way. The work of R4C and REAP is built on a foundational belief that food systems and healthcare systems are inextricably linked and treating them as separate entities has had serious consequences for well-being. “Our project aims to bring the right people to the table to ask how this can be changed to improve health outcomes for Latinx families, who have been disproportionately impacted by this history,” says REAP Executive Director Helen Sarakinos. Our organizations will use our collective strengths to make change happen: R4C brings committed community action, targeted program development, policy change, and cultural centeredness. Equally important, REAP brings food system development, technical and educational support, deep connections to sustainable agriculture, and opportunities to create change inside K-12 schools and related systems. Together, we dream of creating hospitable and thriving ecosystems with our Latinx/Ingenous families. According to Mariela Quesada Centeno, R4C coordinator and Centro Hispano community-based research fellow, “This partnership will use a community-led process to enhance learning in the Latino community, not of colonized knowledge, but rather of native and traditional wisdom and to shape change in our healthcare and education institutions, in how they incorporate this learning to respond to Latinx populations around health and food equity.” ...

EDIBLE MADISON MAGAZINE - If you ask what it would take for REAP Food Group to close the door on its two-plus decades of work in the local food movement, this is what you’ll get. “When the day comes that the food that fuels us improves our well-being, sustains and protects our land and water, and the money from it gets reinvested in our local economy, then our work here will be done,” said Helen Sarakinos, REAP Food Group’s executive director. READ MORE....

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