Archive for the ‘Reaping The Green’ Category
Urban Farmers Selling Locally
photo by Justin Husher
Via City Farmer here’s a great article on why urban farmers should sell locally. This article is written by Justin Husher.
Now that the farm market season is hopefully upon all of us, I’m going to discuss a topic near and dear to my heart and that is the importance of urban farmers actually selling at urban farmers’ markets. I know this sounds like a no-brainer. However, there is a major urban farmer contingent, who thinks and acts otherwise. My friend, Gabe, likened it to one of those rock bands that puts out album after album and never tours.
In this blog, I will discuss how urban farmers’ markets affect economic development, local food access, and the basic reasoning as to why some urban farmers ignore urban farm markets. But not in that order. Also to my discredit, this is all my opinion and none of it has been quantified (Sorry, I’ve been watching way too many X-Files lately, and perhaps is also the reason that I think the City of Cleveland is gunning for my farm). More…
Calculating the Value of the Harvest
This article ran last year.
One couple (or rather, the wife) wanted to conduct a little experiment to figure out the economic productivity of their small, home garden. The extra effort spent weighing produce and calculating grocery prices was well worth it. Not only did the family reap a valuable harvest, they have also provided other gardeners with the satisfaction of knowing that the countless hours and sweat going into their edible landscape is paying off.
Take a look at their calculations in this Kitchen Gardeners’ blog post–What’s a Home Garden Worth?.
With the global economy spiraling downward and Mother Nature preparing to reach upward, it’s a good question to ask and a good time to ask it. More…
Partnership Opportunity Grant
From Growing Power here is news on an exciting new partnership development opportunity:
The Community Learning Project for Food Justice is an exciting new program to build relationships, leadership, and resource capacity development, and to support community-based learning in the food justice movement.
The Community Learning Project for Food Justice will connect pairs of organizations for one year around a specific topic or program area. Through a peer-to-peer learning/teaching experience, the participants will share complementary knowledge and skills to each develop a new program or increase capacity in a particular area. Participant pairs will also become part of a national learning community through professional development trainings, regional site visits, and attendance at the annual Growing Food and Justice for All (GFJI) gathering.
Each organization will receive a small stipend to support participation. At the end of the year, each learning pair will submit a proposal for seed funding to implement a collaborative project. Both organizations will be funded to conduct site visits to their partner’s community, attend regional and/or national gatherings, and receive training and technical assistance from WhyHunger and Growing Power.
Chicago Projects Manager
Growing Power, Inc.
773.486-6005
erika@growingpower.org
www.growingpower.org
California Awards $4m to Oakland’s City Slickers Farms
Many urban ag enthusiasts will tell you starting an urban farm is easier than sustaining it from season to season–especially if you don’t have secure access to land. In growing metropolitan areas such as Vancouver, Seattle or San Francisco where arable land commands a staggering price-tag, this hurdle can be hard to overcome. At least one Oakland-based community market farm has figured out a way to buy their own plot of land thanks to a $4m state issued bond they were awarded. Civil Eats shares the details of this exciting news.
Grant Information
Gardens can be built for very little money but it sure is nice to get at least some. In planning for next year’s garden here’s information on funding from the American Community Garden Association. Go here to see a more complete list.
What: America the Beautiful Fund
Who May Apply: Non-profit groups receive seed donations from major seed companies
Amount: Sets of 50 packets of vegetables, flowers and herbs are available for the cost of postage/handling.
Deadline: Ongoing
Contact: http://www.america-the-beautiful.org/free_seeds/index.php
What: Pepsi Refresh Project grants
Who May Apply: Any citizen or group with an idea that has a positive impact on society
Amount: $5,000 to $250,000
Deadline: Ongoing
Contact: http://refresheverything.co
Urban Ag Efforts in Cleveland Get Funded
From the Ohio Ag Connection here’s new on that rarest of things – funding.
Economic opportunity, beautification, new jobs and access to fresh, local produce are being wrapped into one pretty package for the Greater Cleveland community.
Ohio State University Extension in Cuyahoga County has received more than $840,000 in grants to help new farmers get started on small tracts of land in the city, with a special focus on training for women, minorities, refugees, immigrants and limited resource adults with developmental disabilities.
Projects supported by the grants will address several key city issues at once, said Marie Barni, director of the Cuyahoga County office for OSU Extension, including urban blight, food deserts, and unemployment.
The Beginning Entrepreneurs in Agricultural Networks (BEAN) and the Urban Agriculture Innovation District (UAID) projects will turn vacant tracts into lush, productive gardens and farms, Barni said. More…
USDA to Fund School Gardens
From USA Today, here’s news about the USDA’s plan to fund school gardens.
Since first lady Michelle Obama planted a garden at the White House in the spring of 2009 and invited schoolchildren to help tend and harvest the produce, more school gardens have been sprouting up across the country.Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announces it will award $1 million in grants for eligible high-poverty schools to start community gardens.
The goal: to teach students about gardening and nutrition and to provide fresh produce for school meals. Some of the harvest may also be given to students’ families, as well as to local food banks and senior-center nutrition programs (www.fns.usda.gov). More…
Produce Being Sold by Local Urban Farmer
We recently brought you news of the local urban ag code changes allowing people to sell produce they have grown from their homes. The official start date is September 22, but here is news from the Wallywood blog of a woman who’s doing this now. Do you have plans to sell any of your produce? If so we’d love to hear about it and how it is going.
My family has recently made a commitment to do the extra legwork required to increase the percentage of locally-grown foods we consume. So I was delighted to see signs for a “Homegrown Produce” sale in lower Wallingford this past weekend. I skedaddled on over to 3628 Burke Ave where I was greeted by Helen, a self-proclaimed gardener, community theater member and part-time astrologer.
TDR Programs: Protecting Rural Farmland to Supply Food for Urbanites
Though there’s some debate about whether local food is better for the environment, I think it’s safe to say that all else equal (farm practices, mode of transportation, amount/type of packaging, etc.), a food product traveling 50 miles as opposed to 1500 miles is responsible for less greenhouse gas emissions. Preserving and promoting local food has many other benefits as well, such as increased transparency of the food supply as consumers can visit the farms their food comes from and chat with the farmers. For these reasons and many more, it is important that we protect local agricultural land. More…
SARE Grants Available for Sustainable Ag Efforts
Farm Harvest, Photo by Steve Tracy
The Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program, a USDA grants program, supports agricultural efforts that meet the three principles of sustainability. Farmers and others who participate in the agricultural field need to demonstrate that their projects are economically viable, environmentally sound and socially responsible when they apply to the following grants:
Professional Development Program Grant
Amount: Up to $60,000
Due: November 05, 2010
These grants focus on training agricultural professionals to help them share their knowledge and expertise about sustainable agriculture practices. More details here. More…
Categories
Copyright Urban Farm Hub 2010 | Designed by Woonerfs
