CSC Employee Receives Award for Academic Excellence and Service

On June 13, CSC employee Carole Robinson was given the NAACP Rollie Smith Award for Academic Excellence and Service to the Youth and Community of Lebanon, Oregon.

Carole, a teacher out of our Lebanon office, was nominated because of her dedication and commitment to Lebanon-area youth. For example, Carole and her team partnered with Build Lebanon Trails and other community groups over the years to get youth involved in native plantings at several Lebanon parks and at Cheadle Lake. This gave the students hands-on experience in community service, while exposing them to science and the importance of environmental stewardship.

Many of the students in Carole's GED program classes were also involved in YouthBuild. Many of these youth saw school as irrelevant. Carole attended trainings on weatherization and electrical contracting to equip her to help students understand the importance of their studies to the trade, for example, creating math problems related to electrical and other contracting work.

"I think Carole’s biggest impact is that she simply does not give up on these at-risk youth. Even when others say the student cannot be reached, Carole perseveres, and in many cases, she has been able to motivate and equip these students to bring reading and math levels up several grade levels in a few short months, successfully completing their GEDs." said Deb Fell-Carlson, who nominated Carole for the award.

Congratulations Carole, and thank you for your hard work and dedication to making education relevant and exciting for at-risk youth!

Local Farmers' Markets Encourage Latino Shoppers to Take a Tour

This summer, local farmers' markets are inviting Latino shoppers to take a tour of their locally produced, fresh and healthy food. The tour, part of the That’s My Farmer Tours program, focuses on how to shop for locally available fruits, vegetables, proteins and whole grains on a small budget. Tour guides will also discuss the differences between food production methods such as certified organic and pesticide-free, and demonstrate how shoppers can use their Oregon Trail card to spend SNAP benefits (formerly called Food Stamps) at the market.

The first tour is on June 29th at 10am at the Newport Farmer’s Market. Several local organizations will be leading Spanish-language tours of the market for low-income, primarily Spanish-speaking shoppers. The first 25 tour participants who register will receive a $10 coupon to spend on fresh, healthy foods at the market, as well as a packet of recipes using inexpensive seasonal foods. Gerardo Calderon will be performing traditional Latino American music and children who complete a farmers’ market treasure hunt will receive a prize.

Space is limited, so anyone interested is encouraged to arrive early or email dan@tenriversfoodweb.org. The event is sponsored by Food Share of Lincoln County, Lincoln County Small Farmers Association, OSU Extension, and Ten Rivers Food Web.

Tours at farmers' markets in Albany and Corvallis will be scheduled soon for later this summer.

Through Ten Rivers Food Web’s That’s My Farmer SNAP program, shoppers who spend at least $6 of their SNAP benefits at the market will also receive an extra $6 to spend with local farmers. This SNAP “match” is funded by both lemonade sales from The Lemonade Project booth at the Newport Farmers’ Market and individual donations.

The That’s My Farmer Tours and SNAP programs help put more fresh fruits and vegetables on family tables and more money into the local agricultural economy. Total SNAP spending in Lincoln County amounts to an estimated $15 million annually. Hunger is a pressing issue in this area. In Lincoln County, nearly 10,000 people rely on SNAP benefits each month to feed themselves and their families. 33% of children are on SNAP, far outpacing the national average.

The Newport Farmers’ Market is open Saturdays from 9am to 1pm until October 26. It is located outside of Newport City Hall off of Hwy 101, one block South of Hwy 20.

For more information, visit www.tenriversfoodweb.org or e-mail Dan Blaustein-Rejto at dan@tenriversfoodweb.org. He can also be reached at 541-224-7641.

La Feria Libre Local alienta a Los Consumidores Latinos a Hacer un Recorrido

Este verano, la feria libre local invita a los consumidores latinos a hacer un recorrido de los productos locales saludables y frescos. El recorrido es parte de: “Mi Programa de Recorrido De La Feria Libre”, que está enfocado en cómo comprar localmente frutas, vegetales, proteínas y granos enteros con un presupuesto bajo. Los guías del recorrido darán charlas acerca de las diferencias entre métodos de producción, como por ejemplo la certificación orgánica y la producción libre de pesticidas, y demostrarán cómo los consumidores pueden usar su tarjeta de Oregon Trail para accesar los beneficios de SNAP (anteriormente llamado cupones de alimento) en la feria libre.

El primer recorrido será el 29 de Junio a las 10:00AM en la feria libre de Newport. Varias organizaciones locales harán recorridos de la feria libre para familias de bajos ingresos, hablando español. Los primeros 25 participantes del recorrido que se registren, recibirán un cupón de $10 para consumirlo en productos saludables y frescos en la feria libre. También recibirán un paquete de recetas que indicará cómo usar productos de temporada de bajo costo. Habrá música latinoamericana tradicional por Gerardo Calderón y los niños que completen la búsqueda del tesoro del la feria libre recibirán un premio.

Los cupos son limitados, por lo que se aconseja a todos los interesados que lleguen temprano o envíen un correo electrónico a dan@tenriversfoodweb.org. El evento es pratocinado por Food Share del Condado de Lincoln, Lincoln County Small Farmers Association, OSU Extension, y Ten Rivers Food Web.

A través del programa SNAP “That’s my Farmer” de Ten Rivers Food Web, aquellos  consumidores que consuman por lo menos $6 de su benficio de SNAP en la feria libre recibirán $6 adicionales para consumirlos en la feria libre de su localidad. Este bono adicional, igual a su gasto del beneficio SNAP, es financiado por las ventas del puesto de limonadas del proyecto “The Lemonade Project” en la feria libre de Newport y por donaciones individuales.

Los programas That’s My Farmer Tours y SNAP ayudan a añadir mas frutas frescas y vegetales a la dieta familiar y más dinero a la economía de la agricultura local. El costo total de SNAP en el condado de Lincoln se estima en $15 millones de dólares anuales. El hambre es un problema que necesita resolución urgente en nuestra area. En el condado de Lincoln, casi diez mil personas se benefician del programa SNAP cada mes para alimentarse ellos mismos y a sus familias. 33% de los niños del condado están acogidos al programa SNAP, sobrepasando de lejos el término medio nacional.

Este año, la feria libre de Newport estará abierta los Sabados de 9:00AM a 1:00PM hasta el 26 de Octubre. La feria libre está ubicada al costado de City Hall de Newport, al lado de la carretera principal, Hwy 101, un bloque al sur de Hwy 20.

Para mayor información, visite la página www.tenriversfoodweb.org, o envíe un correo electrónico a Dan Blaustein-Rejto a dan@tenriversfoodweb.org. Usted también lo puede llamar al 541-224-7641.