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News Bites: RI Food Policy Council Food System “Snapshots” / Urban Greens Food Co-op / USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program

by David Dadekian December 16, 2015
written by David Dadekian

Current news releases—Eat Drink RI is not the source for these items—please follow any links for more information.

RI Food Policy Council Unveils Food System “Snapshots” to State Leaders at Inter-agency Food & Nutrition Policy Advisory Council (IFNPAC) meeting, Brings Local Food Systems Data to Forefront

Rhode Island Food Policy CouncilThe Rhode Island Food Policy Council (RIFPC) unveiled its food system snapshots last week to the Inter-agency Food and Nutrition Policy Advisory Council, sharing data about the food systems of all 39 Rhode Island cities and towns, as well as for the entire state. All 40 snapshots are available to download on the RIFPC website at www.rifoodcouncil.org.

On the heels of Governor Raimondo’s announcement that Rhode Island will be developing a State Food Plan, the release of these data will help stakeholders better understand the food systems of their state and communities, and identify leverage and action points from which to evolve and improve. RIFPC Chair Ken Payne notes, “food systems have to work at a community level, otherwise people, especially the most vulnerable, are put at risk; therefore the components of the food systems need to be understand locally. Let’s be clear- living in a place that has great, nutritious food is wonderful. We in RI are blessed to have an outstanding food culture. Good local food is a building block to a healthy future.”

These fact sheets are a first: comprehensive, locality-by-locality information about the food system in a state. They bring attention to the importance of food system impacts and issues – economic, social, and environmental – while remaining accessible and available for laypeople and experts alike. “The ability to collect, analyze, and clearly communicate data is central to our work to improve health outcomes for all Rhode Islanders,” said Nicole Alexander-Scott, MD, MPH, Director of the Rhode Island Department of Health. “I applaud the Rhode Island Food Policy Council for this innovative new initiative. It will help us better understand the food system in Rhode Island communities so that we can eliminate gaps in access to food and boost our food economy, which will benefit the entire state.”

Leo Pollock, RIFPC Network Director, noted that this was an unprecedented effort, “we had no roadmap for how to proceed, and we learned a great deal along the way.” Lessons learned include that in some cases, there is no available source for specific data by municipality. The number of farms is one such data point. No entity maintains a complete list of farms, so the best municipal numbers were compiled from RIDEM and Farm Fresh RI lists, which are incomplete. The 2012 Census of Agriculture does not provide information at the level of municipality, so as a result, the number of farms reported in the fact sheet for Rhode Island was quite different from that of the Census.

While these fact sheets represent a single moment in a local food system, over time, as future series of “snapshots” are developed, the set as a whole will provide a dynamic picture of the evolving food system in our state and communities. “Rhode Island is experiencing exciting growth in its agricultural and local food sector,” said DEM Director Janet Coit. “These snapshots offer a valuable glimpse into the diversity and breadth of our food system; we look forward to working with the RI Food Policy Council and other partners to continue to build upon resources like this to shape stronger food policies for our state.”

The work of the RIFPC is made possible by the generous contributions of the Henry P. Kendall Foundation, van Beuren Charitable Foundation, and the John Merck Fund. Their contributions, along with funds from the Rhode Island Agricultural Partnership, supported the development of these fact sheets.


Urban Greens Food Co-op Announces Site of Future Grocery Store

Urban Greens Food Co-opIn an event at the Columbus Theater this evening, Urban Greens Food Co-op announced the future location of its consumer-owned grocery store. The retail store will be located at 93 Cranston Street, the site of the old Louttit Laundry building. The co-op store will be the anchor commercial tenant in a mixed use development including 39 residential units. Urban Greens will occupy a 7000 square foot retail grocery space. The Co-op will be a full-service grocery store, though it will emphasize natural, healthy, and local food in its product mix. This announcement comes after a multi-year search and planning effort by the Co-op’s Cooperative Council & Site Committee to secure a viable site for Providence’s first consumer-owned retail grocery store.

The former Louttit Laundry site has been abandoned since 1985, and an empty lot since 2008. Owned by the Providence Redevelopment Authority (PRA), it was a Brownfield site, requiring environmental remediation. The city was supportive of the co-op’s desire to locate the store on the site, and the PRA and Urban Greens have worked together over the last two years to create a plan for the site, and bring the appropriate developer on board to purchase and develop the site. The development team is a partnership of Bourne Avenue Capital Partners, D+P Real Estate, and Truth Box Studio.

Urban Greens grew out of a group of residents need for a full-scale grocery store on the west side of the city, especially one that offered healthy & local goods. “This site is ideal in so many ways for Urban Greens Food Co-op. It’s situated at the nexus point of three diverse neighborhoods: Federal Hill, West End & Upper South Providence, as well as being just west of downtown, and easily accessible from I95 and Rts 6/10” said Philip Trevett, an Urban Greens Cooperative Council Member, “we’re incredibly excited to help meet the food needs of our immediate neighborhood residents by while at the same time helping to expand consistant retail access to locally sourced foods in the Providence Metro area.”

Founded by a group of residents on the west side of Providence lacking a full-scale grocery store and seeking increased access to healthy foods closeby, Urban Greens Food Co-op now has 630+ member-owners, made up of residents of the surrounding neighborhoods, as well as from across the city and the state–all excited to spend their food dollars at a community-owned and invested grocery store. The innovative ownership model of a consumer co-op will ensure that local sourcing is a strong priority, and that profits stay in Rhode Island. The store will help fill a missing link in Rhode Island’s growing food economy by providing local farmers and producers a new, stable, year-round sales opportunity, and significantly increasing the consistent availability of local products to consumers. The store will provide and promote local, healthy, affordable, and culturally appropriate food options. The Co-op will support the local economy by creating new jobs, supporting local farmers and producers, and reinvesting its profits locally.

Urban Greens Food Co-op announced the future location of the Co-op’s much anticipated retail grocery store in a celebration and informational session at the Columbus Theatre on Thursday, December 3rd. Together with the project developer, the Urban Greens Council and Site Committee unveiled initial plans, including preliminary building design, as well as presenting information about the Co-op’s funding structure and overall project timeline. Representatives from the City and the State joined the evening’s speaking program: Peter Asen, Director of the City’s Healthy Communities Office, Mark Huang, the City’s Director of Economic Development, and Ken Ayars, Chief of the Rhode Island Division of Agriculture.

The event was attended by over 275 community members and featured food & drink (generous donations provided by Pizza J, Acacia Cafe, Seven Stars Bakery & The Avery Bar) and live music by Chris Monti.

Please visit http://www.UrbanGreens.com for more details, or get in touch with us using the above contact info if you have further questions.


DEM Promotes Growth of Local Farm Economy with Latest Grant Awards

A total of $244,109 will be invested to support specialty crop production and sales in Rhode Island

The Department of Environmental Management announced today the award of farm viability grants to six Rhode Island-based groups working to support local farmers; the grants, totaling $244,109, are made possible by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Specialty Crop Block Grant Program and will support efforts to increase specialty crop production and grow the marketplace for these crops in Rhode Island.  USDA defines specialty crops as fruits and vegetables, dried fruit, tree nuts, and nursery crops, including floriculture and turf grass.

“Rhode Islanders take great pride in their agricultural heritage,” said Governor Raimondo.  “The exciting growth of our local food economy is a testament to that history and expertise – supporting thousands of jobs, businesses, and families across the state.  We all play a role in moving our state forward, and I am proud of these grant recipients and their efforts to support Rhode Island food producers and to foster innovation and growth in local agriculture.”

“We are thrilled to announce these awards that help to sustain our local farming industry and support the livelihoods of so many families in Rhode Island,” said DEM Director Janet Coit.  “Promoting growth in this important economic sector requires a coordinated yet varied approach that focuses on supporting growers and cultivating their practices but also increasing consumer knowledge and demand.  We are pleased to reflect this approach in the diversity of initiatives funded in this grant round and look forward to the success of these projects.”

Grant recipients include:

  • University of Rhode Island, Nutrition and Food Sciences Department – $20,131
    Rhode Island-based Produce Safety Alliance will provide training for farmers in safe produce planting, harvesting and handling practices to better assist them in meeting FDA regulatory compliance mandates and/or buyer requirements.
  • Alex Caserta and the RI Public Broadcast System (PBS) – $48,745
    PBS will air seven episodes of the Harvesting Rhode Island television series to promote Rhode Island specialty crop growers and educate consumers on the benefits of buying locally-produced crops.  This series brings viewers on location to see the farms, meet the farmers, and hear them talk about food cultivation and what it takes to grow these crops.  The series’ pilot, which aired last spring, was funded through a $35,000 farm viability grant in 2013.
  • Rhode Island Agricultural Council (RIAC) – $14,291
    The Council will develop and implement a promotional campaign to enhance the visibility and viability of specialty crops throughout Rhode Island and New England.  Campaign activities will include development of a website, promotional materials, and a traveling display highlighting local specialty crops.  Presentations will also be given at agricultural events throughout New England and in classrooms across Rhode Island.
  • Farm Fresh Rhode Island – $49,621
    Farm Fresh will engage in a systematic approach to increasing the demand for locally grown specialty crops in school cafeterias.  Activities will include joining school district wellness committees, developing and implementing educational programs for classrooms and after-school programs, and facilitating communications among purchasers, producers and processor/distributors.
  • Northeast Organic Farming Association of Rhode Island – $20,000
    The Association will provide training and technical support to farmers to enhance the competitiveness of eligible specialty crops.  Specifically, efforts will focus on training farmers to produce high-value organic crops to meet local market demand through a series of advanced grower training seminars; technical support from local farm advisors and on-farm workshops where organic techniques will be demonstrated will be provided.
  • Rhode Island Beekeepers Association (RIBA) – $27,400
    The Association will provide registered Rhode Island beekeepers with a genetically-superior queen for re-queening of an existing hive.  The project supports RIBA’s ongoing efforts to develop its own breeding program and will assist local beekeepers in invigorating and growing their colonies and increasing disease and mite resistance; it will also support the viability of the honeybee population, increasing the yield and quality of Rhode Island fruit and vegetable crops.

In addition to funding these grants, USDA awarded $63,921 to DEM to strengthen the “Get Fresh, Buy Local” campaign.  The funds will be used to support specialty crop sales and improve promotional materials and activities, including featuring produce demonstrations by local celebrity chefs at farmers’ markets. To date, DEM has awarded more than $2 million in farm viability grants to support the competitiveness of locally-grown specialty crops.

Rhode Island is experiencing significant growth in its agricultural and local food sector.  The state’s food system supports 60,000 jobs in Rhode Island and more than 7,000 businesses.  Rhode Island is home to more than 1,200 farms – which are largely family operations and occupy a total of 68,000 acres across the state.  The Ocean State is a national leader in direct-sales to consumers, with approximately 50 seasonal farmers markets in the state’s urban, suburban and rural areas; eight indoor winter markets; and numerous pick-your-own and farm-stand operations.

For more information, visit www.dem.ri.gov.  Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RhodeIslandDEM or on Twitter (@RhodeIslandDEM) for timely updates.

December 16, 2015 0 comment
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News Bites of New Hires: RI Food Policy Council Work Group Chairs, Julian’s Head Chef & Sous Chef, Red Stripe Executive Chef

by David Dadekian August 31, 2015
written by David Dadekian

Current news releases—Eat Drink RI is not the source for these items—please follow any links for more information.

RHODE ISLAND FOOD POLICY COUNCIL ANNOUNCES NEW CHAIRS

Rhode Island Food Policy Council

The Rhode Island Food Policy Council is thrilled to announce the confirmation of new Work Group Chairs for the Council’s major focus areas: access, economy, environment, health, and production. This group brings a wealth of knowledge and experience from all facets of the food system, and will play an integral role in the development and implementation of Council goals.

Access: Georgina Sarpong is the Farmers Market Program Manager for Farm Fresh Rhode Island. She has experience in food access advocacy and is also an experienced chef. We are fortunate to have her expertise and commitment to improving healthy food access throughout Rhode Island.

Economy: Jeffrey Powell is the Food Service Director at Chariho Regional School District. He has worked in nearly all aspects of the food business, including experience as a chef, restaurant owner, contract dining manager, and in food brokerage and distribution. He recently launched the Ocean State Smoked Fish Company operating out of Rhode Island’s first culinary incubator, Hope & Main in Warren, RI. We are grateful to have Jeffrey’s background and experience in the food economic sector.

Environment: Antonia Bryson practiced law for 30 years, specializing in environmental and land use law. Her vast experience in this field includes having served as a Deputy Commissioner of the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Chair of the Manhattan Solid Waste Advisory Board, and Chief of the Environmental Division of the New York City Law Department. She founded the Urban Environmental Law Center, working as an advocate for community groups and nonprofits. Antonia’s experience in the environmental field is an incredible resource, and we are excited to have her join the team.

Health: Annajane Yolken is the Program Design, Implementation, and Evaluation Manager at Thundermist Health Center. Her interest is at the intersection of food and health utilizing an equity lens. She has experience from Miriam Hospital and the Rhode Island Public Health Institute. Annajane brings a deep understanding of the ties between food and health, and we are happy she will be sharing her insight with us.

Production: Jennifer Bristol serves as Executive Director of Mount Hope Farm, and the Program Management and Operations Director for The Institute for Mindful Leadership. She brings years of experience in the nonprofit world, including, most recently, senior leadership for The Nature Conservancy. Her unique background in both nonprofit leadership and executive management of a local farm are an asset, and we are pleased to have her working with us.

“The Council’s Work Groups are where the rubber of food systems work meets the road of Rhode Island reality,” said Kenneth Payne, Chair of the RIFPC. “These outstanding work group chairs will give us traction.”

We are excited to welcome this incoming group and look forward to working together toward making the Rhode Island food system a leader in the nation.


Julian’s names new Head Chef

as well as new Sous Chef and launches new Dinner Menu

Left: Ryan Poutre, Head Chef / Right: Derek Wood, Sous Chef

Left: Ryan Poutre, Head Chef / Right: Derek Wood, Sous Chef

This week Ryan Poutre was named the Head Chef of Julian’s Restaurant. Ryan, a Providence native, graduated from Johnson and Wales in 2011. After school he began to cut his teeth in Providence at various restaurants, gaining the prestigious position of Lead Line Cook at Waterman Grille and later moving on to Siena where he became Sous Chef.

Three months ago Ryan joined our team, looking to expand his horizons. His work ethic and passion for food quickly gained him the position of Sous Chef and with in a short time Head Chef. Once promoted, Ryan urged for Lead Line Cook Derek Wood to be promoted to Sous Chef.

Derek Wood has been with Julian’s for two years. He started as a young padawan with limited food experience and we have had the honor of watching him devour food knowledge and honing his skills.

Ryan & Derek have become fast friends and with the support of their kitchen team have released a new dinner menu unveiling dishes like:

Miso Duck with Avocado-Wasabi Puree, Sushi Rice, Smoked Duck, Charred Scallion Salad, Tamari Caramel

Seared Scallops with Heirloom Bean Salad, Cremem Fraiche, Tomato Jam, Bitter Greens

BBQ Beets with Gingered Potato Salad, Preserved Mustard Greens, North Carolina BBQ Sauce, & Crispy Carrots

Sugar Cured Rib-Eye with Sweet Corn Pudding, Fingerling Potatoes, Charred Tomato, & Arugula Pesto

Squash Risotto with Braised Calabaza Squash, Pepitas, Local Mushrooms, Coconut Milk

Stay tuned for new news in the very near future like: Julian’s Omnibus at Kennedy Plaza, Pizza J opening, H, Julian’s & Allagash Beer Dinner at the Steel Yard with FIRE.


JEREMY EWING-CHOW NAMED EXECUTIVE CHEF OF RED STRIPE RESTAURANTS

Jeremy Ewing-Chow

Jeremy Ewing-Chow

Encore Hospitality Group, which owns and operates the Mill’s Tavern and Red Stripe restaurants, announces that Jeremy Ewing-Chow has been promoted to executive chef of the two Red Stripe locations in Providence and East Greenwich.

Mr. Ewing-Chow, who has over 20 years of experience in the culinary industry, joined Red Stripe as a chef at the East Greenwich location last fall. In his capacity as executive chef, he is responsible for the supervision and coordination of all culinary activities at both Red Stripe restaurants, including management and training of kitchen staff, planning and producing menus, selecting and developing recipes, pricing and cost accounting, and ensuring food quality and consistency.

Ewing-Chow traces his passion for culinary arts to his Chino-Guyanese roots, where family meals were a blend of cross-cultural foods and flavors. This diversity, coupled with a love of food and a yearning to travel, influenced his decision to become a chef, and continues to inspire his cooking techniques and recipe development. “To understand a cuisine, I try to understand its culture. There is no better teacher than travel,” he says.

A 1998 graduate of Johnson and Wales University, Ewing-Chow was previously employed at the Gatehouse Restaurant (now the Waterman Grille) in Providence and at the Cheeky Monkey Café in Newport, where he was chef de cuisine for seven years. Prior to his employment with Red Stripe, he worked as chef de cuisine/executive chef at Russell Morin Fine Catering for seven years.

Of his new role, Ewing-Chow says, “I look forward to working together with the talented staff of Red Stripe restaurants. Our team shares a commitment to quality, consistency, excellence and exceeding our guests’ expectations.”

“Between the expanded Providence Red Stripe and our second location in East Greenwich, we are welcoming over 4,000 guests into our restaurants each week for brunch, lunch and dinner,” states Paul Conforti, managing partner of Encore Hospitality Group. “Red Stripe has been serving refined comfort food at an affordable price point for over 10 years. With his extensive training and global culinary view, we are confident Jeremy will keep our food innovative and exciting while also maintaining the consistent quality our guests rely on. We’re pleased to have him on the Encore team.”

Ewing-Chow resides in East Greenwich.

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