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Promoting healthy habits with fruit and vegetable snacks in the classroom

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What goes well with reading and math? Pears! That’s just one example of what roughly 6,800 elementary students at Seattle Public Schools will be snacking on through a new partnership with the Seattle Office of Sustainability and Environment. The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program partnership supplies students with fruit and vegetable snacks for free during the school day, outside of breakfast and lunch.

The program started during the 2018-2019 school year at nine elementary schools and has now expanded to 19 elementary schools.

Healthy snacks help support academic success

“We know there is a strong link between good nutrition and academic success,” said Katie Virga, Principal of Beacon Hill International Elementary School. “By introducing students to a variety of fruits and vegetables in the classroom, we are promoting healthy habits at an early age, and creating a healthier environment at school.”

The City-funded Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program is available to schools with high rates of students who qualify for free and reduced price meals. Fruit and vegetable snack programs, like the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, compliment school meals and are designed to increase fruit and vegetable consumption among students at school and expose students to new fruits and vegetables.

The program is funded by revenue from the Seattle Sweetened Beverage Tax.

The Office of Sustainability & Environment is also partnering with FEEST, an organization led by youth of color in southeast and southwest Seattle, to bring healthy and culturally relevant snacks to students at Chief Sealth High School. Research shows that middle and high school students don’t have enough access to nutritious food. This three-month pilot program focuses on a student-centered approach to promote healthy snacks at school.  Results from the Chief Sealth High School pilot will help determine future program strategies to serve middle and high school students.

Learn more about the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program.

Learn more about the Seattle Office of Sustainability & Environment.

Farmers Markets help Fresh Bucks Shoppers shop local, seasonal fruits and vegetables

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For Som, summer August days means weekly shopping trips to the Columbia City Farmers Market, “We are actually able to eat fruits and vegetables regularly, instead of occasionally [when] we would splurge,” she says. Som is a Fresh Bucks customer and is excited to spread the word about the program. As a mom with a young son, she adds, “Fresh Bucks has made a huge impact…eating seasonal produce is now an option for us, we weren’t able to do that before.”

Fresh Bucks works with local partners to enable families with tight budgets to access and afford high-quality foods, like locally grown fruits and vegetables. Fresh Bucks provides a dollar-for-dollar match on food stamps (SNAP/EBT benefits), and a voucher program, where eligible and enrolled customers receive vouchers to buy fruits and vegetables. Fresh Bucks can be used at over 40 farmers markets and farm stands in Seattle and King County, five neighborhood grocers and all Seattle Safeway stores.

Neighborhood farmers markets have been offering Fresh Bucks since 2012. Farmers markets offer opportunities for community members to connect with family farmers and local vendors, and to support small farm businesses. Market vendors are eager to give valuable advice about seasonal produce or how to grow your own vegetables. On-site cooking demonstrations mean shoppers can walk away with a recipe and buy delicious produce with Fresh Bucks, all in one stop.

With visiting chefs, live music and other artists, residents can expect a variety of things to hear, see, and taste this market season. And program partners are committed to helping families like Som’s. As Som wraps up her trip to the market, she mentions, “Fresh Bucks reaches families that often don’t qualify for any other assistance. I actually thought there wasn’t anything available for us until we learned about Fresh Bucks. Now, I just want everyone to know about it.”

Check out this video to learn more about how Fresh Bucks is helping Seattle residents like Som.

Fresh Bucks 2018 Impact Report Highlights Expanded Eligibility, More Retail Locations

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Fresh Bucks helps make fruits and vegetables affordable to Seattle residents who struggle to afford nutritious food. The program has grown steadily since 2012, and in 2018, with investment from Seattle’s Sweetened Beverage Tax, Fresh Bucks provided close to $1.5 million in fruit and vegetable benefits to residents – an increase of nearly 500% over 2017.

The newly released 2018 Impact Report features several areas of Fresh Bucks growth including expanded program eligibility, increased our retail network, and grew our impact on the regional food economy. Highlights from the report include:

  • More Seattle residents have access to Fresh Bucks: With funding from the Sweetened Beverage Tax, Fresh Bucks vouchers are now available to people who don’t qualify for state and federal food benefit programs, but still struggle to afford healthy food. Prior to 2018, Fresh Bucks was only available to people who receive SNAP (food stamp) benefits. With 2018’s eligibility expansion, customers made nearly 35,000 more Fresh Bucks fruit and vegetable purchases than they did in 2017.
  • Large selection of Fresh Bucks retailers encourages customer choice: Fresh Bucks has steadily grown our retail network for several years by adding farmers markets, farm stands, and ethnic grocers. As of 2018, customers can shop at 65 retailers, including all Seattle Safeway stores, increasing the number of year-round retail partners and providing convenient access in more Seattle neighborhoods.
  • Fresh Bucks helps stimulate the regional economy: Customers can use vouchers at participating farmers markets, neighborhood grocers, CSAs, and Safeway stores, which benefits the local economy by keeping dollars circulating within the region. Based on the USDA economic multiplier for SNAP benefits, Fresh Bucks generated over $3 million in economic impact in 2018.

“Fresh Bucks is so good for both the customer and the farmer,” says Kirsop Farm’s Genine Bradwin. “Not only does the program allow customers to get more fruits and vegetables for their money, but it also brings new customers to the farmers market who may not otherwise have chosen to spend their money directly with a local farmer.”

Fresh Bucks works thanks to a growing network of partners who are dedicated to improving access to healthy foods. Learn more in the 2018 Fresh Bucks Impact Report or visit www.freshbuckseattle.org for more information.

Helping Residents Ditch Dirty Oil

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Mayor Durkan recently introduced legislation aimed at accelerating Seattle’s conversion of Seattle’s homes that burn oil for heat to cleaner electric heating. This legislation is a key tool to help us reduce our climate impacts. Oil is one of the most expensive and polluting forms of home heating the urgency of the climate crisis requires us to act swiftly and to take these bold steps in order to preserve our quality of life.

Converting Seattle’s oil heated homes to clean electricity is expected to reduce Seattle’s climate emissions by 433,000 metric tons over 10 years. That is the equivalent of taking nearly 90,000 passenger cars off the road for a year!

The legislation supports the phase out of home heating oil to more energy-efficient and clean heating and cooling systems by 2028 through the following:

  • an excise tax on heating oil starting July 1, 2020 on heating oil providers
  • a requirement for heating oil tank owners to decommission or upgrade all existing underground oil tanks by 2028.

Revenue from the tax will provide grants to low-income households to fully fund upgrades to heat pumps, expand Seattle’s existing rebate program to non-low-income households, and support oil service providers with workforce training needed to help them transition to heat pump installation services.

More info:
Frequently Asked Questions
Briefing of the Sustainability & Transportation Committee – 8/16. Presentation starts at 1:21 mark.

Updating Seattle’s Food Action Plan

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In 2012, the City released the first Food Action Plan, a 5-year road-map to increasing food security, strengthening urban agriculture and local food economies, and reducing food waste. We’ve collectively made progress on many of the Plan’s recommendations, but, as we all know, the challenges of food insecurity and an unsustainable food system remain.

To reflect the changes in Seattle’s food system and create better alignment with the community and our key partners, OSE is launching an update to the Food Action Plan. Work on this is starting now and will continue through summer of 2020. There will be several opportunities for the public to engage in the update of the Seattle Food Action Plan.

Many of Seattle’s notable food achievements are the result of implementing key strategies of the Food Action Plan. The most recent update of Food Action Plan accomplishments is linked here. Noteworthy accomplishments in the last year include:

  • As a result of the Sweetened Beverage Tax implementation, the City’s healthy food access efforts expanded substantially through investments in Fresh Bucks, food banks, meal programs, and the launch of the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program.

  • Sales at Farmer’s Markets increased over 29% since 2017 with local farmers earning $828,631 through EBT (food stamp) and Fresh Bucks purchases.
  • 181,307 tons of organic waste was diverted from the landfill, reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
  • 1,772 acres of local farmland, representing roughly 27 farms, were preserved through Seattle’s Transfer of Development Rights partnership with King County between 2013-2018. 

For any questions about the Food Action Plan, please contact Hannah Hill at Hannah.Hill@seattle.gov.  

Welcome Lylianna Allala, Program Manager for the Equity & Environment Initiative

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Lylianna Allala comes to the Office of Sustainability and Environment after serving as lead staff on environment and climate policy and outreach for U.S Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal. She is dedicated to working across difference to co-develop solutions that will lead us to a more equitable and just world.

Lylianna is passionate about fostering pathways for young leaders of color into careers within the environmental movement. She helped to create and launch the RAY Conservation Diversity Fellowship; a national leadership program with the goal to increase and facilitate conservation-related career pathways for emerging leaders of color. Lylianna also served on the Community Partner Steering Committee which shaped the Seattle’s Equity and Environment Agenda.

Lylianna’s professional background includes monitoring the endangered Mitchell’s Satyr butterfly, prescribed burning for habitat restoration, trail building in the Washington’s Alpine Lakes Wilderness and leading forest restoration efforts in the West Duwamish Greenbelt, Seattle’s largest contiguous forest.

Lylianna has a B.A in English from Winona State University, a certificate in Non-Profit Management from Georgetown University and a certificate in Wetland Science and Management from the University of Washington. She is a leadership fellow with the Henry M. Jackson Foundation and 2018 Forward Honoree of the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition for her contributions to advancing equity in outdoor recreation and conservation.

Lylianna is a lifelong learner and enjoys story telling as a way to develop deeper insights about self and the world around her. She is excited to join the team at OSE to ensure that communities most impacted by environmental injustice are on the leading edge of solutions to secure a healthier future for all.  

Help Speak for the Trees! Currently Seeking Applicants for the Seattle Urban Forestry Commission

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Are you passionate about the future of Seattle’s trees and green spaces? Interested in using your personal expertise to help shape the management of Seattle’s urban forest? Help the Emerald City keep its nickname and become a member of UFC, Seattle Urban Forestry Commission!

The UFC was established in 2009 to advise the mayor and City Council concerning policy and regulations governing the protection, management, and conservation of trees and vegetation in the City of Seattle. To gain a wide scope of perspective, the Commission gathers 13 members from a range of personal and professional backgrounds to work on UFC’s goals, including the City’s aim of achieving 30% tree canopy cover by 2037.

Two positions are currently open: Position 9, which seeks an economist, financial analyst, WA State licensed real estate broker, or any other similar professional, preferably with a background in planning or development, and Position 2, which seeks an urban ecologist, preferably experienced in the field of restoration ecology. Both positions last from confirmation until March 31st, 2020, with the possibility of extending for another 3 years beyond that. 

The time commitment for each position is ten hours per month, with Commission meetings taking place on the first and second Wednesdays of each month, from 3-5 pm. Trees are a vital element of Seattle’s health and identity as a city; help give them a voice through membership with UFC!

To be considered, please send a letter of interest outlining your qualifications to Sandra Pinto de Bader by August 30, 2019.

Duwamish Youth Participate in Air Pollution Science Project

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Duwamish Valley teens recently partnered with local scientists to gauge the success of urban greening efforts with the help of an unlikely ally: moss! Though often overlooked, moss has proven to be an effective tool in assessing regional air quality. Duwamish Valley Youth Corps (DVYC) members are learning how to collect samples for testing and using these new skills to benefit their community.

Seattle’s Office of Sustainability and Environment is a partner in the Green Duwamish Learning Landscape (GDLL). GDLL is a collaborative effort between several local and federal organizations, alongside the Duwamish Valley community, that is working to collect information evaluating the effects of urban greening efforts while monitoring change over time in the Duwamish River Watershed.

Air quality in the Duwamish Valley is poor and the City is always open to partnering with the community to make improvements. This project trains DVYC members to participate in a community-led science effort using moss from street trees in South Park and Georgetown to monitor air pollution. Twenty DVYC youth are learning scientific protocols to collect and prepare moss samples for analysis. The end goal is to identify specific hotspots and actions to mitigate air pollution impacts on the community.

There is a long history of using moss as an inexpensive screening tool to assess areas beset by heavy metal air pollution. Unlike root-based plants, moss absorbs most of its nutrients from the atmosphere. Moss leaves lack a protective outer layer, which allows for the absorption of water and other substances across their entire surface, creating a “footprint” of the surrounding atmosphere. Previous studies in the Pacific Northwest have used a variety of moss species to screen air pollution in the Pacific Northwest; GDLL is specifically collecting Lyell’s bristle-moss (Orthotrichum lyellii), commonly found on local deciduous trees.

This work is part of the ongoing implementation of the Duwamish Valley Action Plan and will identify potential impacts while directing outcome actions to improve the community’s health and quality of life. The project provides green job training, economic development, community empowerment, cross sector collaboration, and on-the-ground environmental improvements to community residents. For more information, contact the City’s Urban Forestry Advisor, Sandra Pinto de Bader, at Sandra.Pinto_de_Bader@seattle.gov.

And while you’re here, check out this video to see the great impact the DVYC is having in their community! 

Announcing the 2019 Environmental Justice Fund

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Deadline for proposals in September 16

In partnership with Bullitt Foundation, the Office of Sustainability & Environment is excited to announce the second cycle of the Environmental Justice Fund, a grant opportunity for community-led projects that invest in communities’ ability to improve environmental conditions and respond to impacts of climate change.

The Environmental Justice Fund was co-created by the Environmental Justice Committee—12 people with deep community roots who work closely with communities on environmental justice issues—with support from the Seattle Office of Sustainability & Environment.

The Environmental Justice Fund recognizes that the most effective environmental and climate solutions come from the community itself and that community members are in the best position to design and carry out projects that include community, culture, nature, family, health, food and/or education.

Communities of color and people of color-led organizations are invited to submit proposals for projects. Projects should be led by and benefit the people most affected by environmental inequities: communities of color, immigrants, refugees and Native people—including people with low incomes, youth, and seniors—who live, learn, work, worship and play in the City of Seattle.

There is $200,000 in funding available from the City of Seattle, with grants administered by the Bullitt Foundation. The maximum grant award will be $40,000. Projects may begin as soon as January 2020 and must be completed by June 2021. Proposals are due by 4:00 pm on Monday, September 16, 2019.

Meet Ximena Fonseca-Morales, OSE’s new Equity & Environment Initiative Program Coordinator

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The Office of Sustainability & Environment is thrilled to introduce the newest member of our team: Ximena Fonseca-Morales is the new Program Coordinator for Seattle’s Equity & Environment Initiative.

Ximena, who immigrated to the Pacific Northwest from Peru in 2003, brings years of experience leading meaningful community engagement and approaches her work through a lens of race and social justice. Her work in the nonprofit and public sectors has allowed her to advance environmental and climate justice as well as health equity. She is constantly reminded of the intrinsic connection we have to the environment, both natural and built, and is inspired by how different communities define the environment. In this role, she is most excited to continue working with community to help elevate creative solutions that help us work toward achieving environmental and climate justice.

Ximena most recently worked for Washington County’s Environmental Health program where she focused on partnership development and led community engagement efforts on a wide range of environmental topics including air quality, water, and food safety. After spending the last eight years between both coasts, Ximena is thrilled to be back in the PNW and to call Seattle home. She holds an MA in Climate & Society from Columbia University and a BA in environmental science from Barnard College.