Summer Sunshine Award Winners!

From the USDA:

Posted by Sarah Stever, Program Specialist, Food and Nutrition Service, Western Region, on January 23, 2015 at 10:00 AM

On June 13, 2013, FNS staff participated in a Summer Food Service Program Kick-off event in Sacramento, CA.

It may be the middle of winter, but at USDA, we like to celebrate the success of our Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) all year long.  Therefore, the Western Regional Office is thrilled to announce the winners and honorable mentions of the 2014 Summer Sunshine Awards.  A total of eight organizations across the region received Sunshine Awards in 4 unique categories in recognition of their standout efforts in operating the SFSP.  The programs impact in local communities depends on the hard work of state agencies, partnering organizations, local sites and sponsors.  These awards only begin to show our appreciation for the dedication, innovation, and passion behind the respective organizations.

In the category of Strategies to Promote Nutrition and Wellness, California’s Riverside Unified School District was awarded the honor for employing innovative strategies by collaborating with local partners to provide nutrition education and physical activities at summer meal sites. The Boys and Girls Club of Ada County in Idaho was also awarded the distinction for their incorporation of fresh local produce into summer meals and offering opportunities for physical activity to children at their summer meal sites.

Two deserving winners of the Reaching Rural and Underserved Communities award emphasize the importance of thinking outside the box to provide nutrition to more children in the summer time.  Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission of California expanded their summer meals program to seven rural communities by partnering with USDA’s Rural Development.  In Washington, Entiat Valley Community Services Food Bank was awarded the distinction for their innovative approach to opening sites in areas of high need, conducting massive media campaigns, and networking with various community partners to ensure meals were delivered to sites in rural areas.

In the category of Successful Community Partnerships, the Des Moines Area Food Bank of Washington was chosen as a recipient for their successful community partnerships resulting in a variety of physical activity and nutrition education workshops at summer meal sites.  An Above and Beyond Honorable Mention was awarded to Auburn Unified School District for expanding community partnerships and providing physical activity and nutrition education classes every day of the week at summer meal sites.

For Program Expansion in Local Communities, the award recipient was the Boys and Girls Club of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington, for their efforts in expanding summer meal sites in the community by collaborating with local partners to make meals available for the children of Sequim and Port Angeles.  Nye County Unified School District of Nevada received an honorable mention for their innovative mobile feeding program using the school “mail” van to deliver meals and traveled with a local “book mobile” to increase summer reading and engage children while eating.

Congratulations to all the winners and honorable mentions and a huge thank you from all of us at FNS for the delicious meals and engaging programs you provide to children during the summer months.  We look forward to more successes and best practices from each and every Summer Sunshine awardee during summer 2015!



Tags:  AMS, APHIS, ARRA, ARS, California, Conservation, drought, Energy, Farm Bill, Farmers, FAS, FNS, Food and Nutrition, Food Farm and Jobs Bill, Food Safety, Forestry, FS, FSA, FSIS, HealthierNextGen, Kathleen Merrigan, KYF2, Let's Move, NASS, National School Lunch Program, NIFA, NRCS, Nutrition, People's Garden, President Obama, Producers, Ranchers, RD, Rural America, Rural Development, Science, Science Tuesday, Secretary's Column, SNAP, South Dakota, Texas, Tom Vilsack, Trade, Tribal, USDA

Early-Season Forecast Shows Rain - Not Snow - Keeping Pacific Northwest Wet

From USDA:

Posted by Spencer Miller, Natural Resources Conservation Service, on January 15, 2015 at 10:00 AM

Wind rearranges the early season snowpack on Mount Hood, Oregon. NRCS photo by Spencer Miller.

Something about January’s water supply forecast confused me. Current condition maps of the Pacific Northwest are a discouraging spread of red dots, meaning the snowpack contains less than half the normal amount of water. But water supply forecasts for the same region predict normal streamflow in the spring and summer. How can that be? Less snow means less snowmelt, right? Well…maybe.

To rise above my simple, linear thinking, I met with Rashawn Tama with USDA’s National Water and Climate Center. Tama, a hydrologist and forecaster for USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, produces forecasts for the Columbia River basin. His forecasts are built around prediction models that help transform tables of raw data into meaningful maps and colorful dots.

“Keep in mind, the water year starts in October,” Tama said, “What we’ve seen so far in the Pacific Northwest is a lot of precipitation, but most of it has been arriving as rain. Obviously, that doesn’t increase the snowpack, but it’s a key indicator of the water we can expect this summer.”

This map shows streamflow in the Columbia River and Pacific Coastal basins, as of Jan. 1. NRCS map.

The prediction models used by Tama and his colleagues take current conditions – snowpack and precipitation – and compare them to the past for the best match. The guiding logic of the prediction model is simple: when these conditions occurred in the past, how much water did we end up with?

It might sound like Tama’s job is automated; like maybe he just presses a button and “Voila!” the forecast is ready. Of course, it’s more complicated than that. Forecasters provide human review for what the mathematical models forecast. Before issuing the forecast, they carefully review those results to make sure they make sense. A large part of their job is to build, refine and review their prediction models, tweaking them to create more accurate forecasts.

For example, in the Pacific Northwest, autumn rains help prime the soil, making runoff more efficient. Water reaches the streams, instead of being absorbed by dry soil. The effect may seem small, but the prediction model accounts for it.

“Persistence is a major factor in our forecasts,” Tama said. “The Pacific Northwest has been in a wet pattern so far, and that could be an indicator of what’s still to come this season.”

This map shows snowpack in the Columbia River and Pacific Coastal basins, as of Jan. 1. NRCS map.

Tama is quick to point out that early forecasts can change dramatically as the season progresses.

“If I may use a sports analogy, pretend the water year is like a football season,” Tama said. “And forecasting streamflow is like predicting the Super Bowl champ. Right now we’re still very early in the season. Whether you’re watching football games or monitoring snow storms, the more data you have, the more confident your prediction.”

Most sports analogies are lost on me, but this makes sense. We’ve only seen the first few games of the water season. The team shows early promise; in the past similar teams have performed well. But it’s too early to tell if they’ll go all the way and give us that normal streamflow we’re rooting for. We’ll have to watch and see how the season unfolds.

Tama, along with other forecasters, hydrologists and snow surveyors across the West will keep measuring and giving predictions. Each monthly forecast will be issued with a higher level of confidence.

For the Pacific Northwest, we can hope wet conditions persist and the people of Oregon and Washington will have near-normal streamflow this spring and summer. Keep checking back to find out.

See January’s forecast or see a forecast maps for streamflow or snowpack.

Rashawn Tama, a hydrologist and forecaster for USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, produces forecasts for the Columbia River basin. NRCS photo.