From the Globe and Mail here’s news on a super local brew.  Hops grow really well here in Seattle and we do like our micro-brews?  Anyone up for the challenge?

When an average Canadian beer-drinker hoists a pint at their local pub, they likely give little thought to where the ingredients come from. That’s something Michael Clark and Luke Pestl, co-founders of Toronto’s Bellwoods Brewery, are hoping to change.

Mr. Clark and Mr. Pestl launched their City Hops project this summer, an experiment in growing hops in eight different locations in downtown Toronto (hops are flowering plants that are used as flavouring agents in the production of beer). It’s the beginning stages of an initiative to create specialty craft beer made from local ingredients grown in the city, while creating partnerships with local businesses.

The author at the United People Farm he manages

By Edward B. Hill

I was talking to a fellow farm manager last week at the Urban Agriculture Business Forum hosted by Council President Richard Conlin. 

He had recently attended the Will Allen’s Growing Food, Growing Justice Initiative Conference this past August and commented on some of the good things that came from the experience. He praised the opportunity as helpful, educational, and all around great for networking and getting a different perspective on the Good Food Movement or the Good Food Revolution, as it is described regularly by Allen himself.

During our discussion we quickly arrived at the subject of the day; Will Allen’s acceptance of $1.01 million dollars as a donation from the WalMart Corporation.[1]

My friend said “We heard about it around the room, then they, (Growing Power staff), made it formal as an announcement. “  It was a bit of a surprise for him.

I heard it first from friends on Facebook and then from searching the interwebs for Grist responses, Community Food Security Coalition editorials, and blog conversations from writers in the “movement” about what this may or may not mean for the collective “we” in the food justice stream.

At the time I did not ask how it was received at the conference; we were talking about people who had sent their greetings back at Growing Power, his training around racism in the food system and how we were addressing the challenges of urban ag and the never ending tasks of running a farm program.

Since then I have had time to read, review, and reflect on the litany of articles across the internet about this acceptance of money.  One, from the Community Alliance for Global Justice, stated that Allen’s move to accept the money and guide corporate dollars to the community is counter to mitigating corporate power. Dade and Day, writers of the article on their recent October 2011 Newsletter, say that, “…this movement is about creating new food pathways, not enhancing corporate domination of the food and agricultural industries.  We’re afraid that Wal-Mart’s power is enhanced by their links to Growing Power, not distributed as some may hope.” Articles by food advocates and food leaders range from hesitant support with a hint of “money is money, as long as he does the right thing” to “Hell no, Growing Power and Will is off my list for Christmas presents forever!”   Grist writer Michelle Simon’s September 19^th posting, Did Wal-Mart Buy Urban Agriculture Groups Silence as well as others, including a forecasting article in the Nation[2] preparing us for the eventual marriage of corporate ability and non-profit or community-based organization’s needs.

What does all of this mean to the actual Food Revolution? Does it mean anything at all? Is this a sign of the Apocalypse? Or is it a non-issue? Move along, nothing to see here, these are not the droids we’re looking for!

Patterns of history and human behavior show that there is the chance that this is a “sell-out to corporate cash” move on Growing Power’s account.  Or this might be a calculation on Will Allen’s part that making nice with WalMart, the White House, and the Politicos will provide the needed capital and power to take the food revolution to the next level.  This next level is a radical redistribution of corporate food system profits through community grants to build needed urban and suburban food production farms and facilities. 

Once the farms and facilities are built the next step in this food revolution is a marketing and distribution system, supported by a consortium of corporations, governments and funders, that builds an infrastructure resulting in a percentage of shelf space for local and regional products in stores from corner mom and pop’s to megachurch sized WalMarts in suburban fringes.

This shift would provide immediate jobs in environmental restoration, farm and facility construction, farm and greenhouse operation, processing, education and research.  It could also provide training program connections for vocational, trade, and higher learning centers.  This could be a balanced revolution where corporate concessions and agreements empower local economies and shift mega-business practices globally. It could happen.

Who is to argue with Will about taking money at a scale that he has been trying to get from the government or public entities for decades? These folks say they believe in what he is doing yet until now this level of funding and commitment has not been forthcoming.

Let’s all understand that because Will Allen is a former corporate executive, (Proctor & Gamble and Kentucky Fried Chicken), he is in essence a business man with fiscal needs that are not being met by the current slow-trickle of public and donor money.  He needs capital to fund his ideas and reach a balance in his internal operations that provides for training, market food growing  and a revenue stream that makes it all sustainable. 

Growing Power as an organization is at a cross-roads. Will is the leader, father, and founder of Growing Power. Will traveled to the White House last year to talk to Michele Obama and WalMart to start this path, as well as came to Seattle to bless our Year of Urban Agriculture sparking an already on-fire push to change local regulations and policy.

Growing Power has been around for nearly 20 years and is making its move, with or without the “authority” of the Food Movement keepers and zealots. In taking this money Will knew that he would be openly challenged and in response he told us to generally shut-up and get to work (in a very nice way).

Growing Power needs the money. The question is will they use it to fix their machine?  Regardless of how we might feel about the viability of many of the projects that Allen is going to be funding with the WalMart money; a six-story urban vertical farm with solar power, a grocery store, and training center at his current 2.5 acres site in Milwaukee or the proposed string of community-based grocery stores promoting Growing Power products with other local growers in the area of Milwaukee and Chicago, I get the sense that I should generally keep my thoughts to myself and wait and see. What do I know?

Growing Power’s Chicago operations, under the leadership of his daughter Erika, have been growing exponentially since the 2011 opening of the Iron Street Project, Chicago Avenue Bright Lights Farm expansion, programs with Chicago Housing Authority and Chicago Parks Department.  With Erika’s recent power-capturing installation and as a member on Mayor Rahm Emanuels food systems team, Growing Power is a force to be reckoned with that is making liberal, anti-corporate partner/money advocates cringe and attempt to find ways not to scream “sell-out”.

Will is a down-to-earth African-American male; a rare leader of color in the environmental/food movement who is actually listened to and respected by the majority population.  He has a fairly dynamic operation under his control that has proven itself as capable as any other non-minority owned and operated organization doing similar work.

What does it mean for our expectations or perceptions of this person?  For those that know of him, they might be mildly to extremely altered because of his act of accepting a large sum of money from WalMart.  Many feel that this company is a direct threat to workers’ rights, fair and equitable wages, sexual equity in pay, health and prosperity benefits for workers, community economy, and that WalMart operates counter to current best-practice concepts of ecologically and socially sustainable consumption.

As someone who worked with Will and listened regularly to his philosophies about corporate money, the rigors of public funding, the failure for the “public interest” (code-word for what Will calls the “Politicos”) to fund and invest in the food system as a critical infrastructure, etcetera, etc., this move is not a surprise, and sends a clear signal that, as my great-grandmother echoed down the halls regularly, “Things they are always changing, don’t be surprised, change with them, but don’t be a fool.”.

With calls for the rich to pay more, Wall Street to pay out on our public investment in their survival, and demands for a wealth redistribution in a fair, equitable and just manner, we may be observing the first in a new delivery of much needed funds.

Possibly we should all take a moment and reflect. The Phillip Morris Company was sued and made to pay for the Truth.com campaign. Okay, so now WalMart is taking a cue and not waiting until it is sued; somebody is getting smarter. Are we? Or is our need to be “righteous” going to kick us in the socks?

I don’t know and I am too busy to care much really. I know that regionally Growing Power does not have much influence directly. It is good to have speakers, keynotes, and national/international advocates come to town and spark the crowd in a manner of speaking, however the WORK of building our regional food system is OUR WORK.

What are we going to do in the Northwest, in King County, in the four county region as we grow, move, sell, and consume food? What investments are we looking for to make this happen?

The city and county and oh, include the state in that too, are generally broke. They are looking to the private sector and non-profits to provide solutions.  Those entities are looking to grantors, funders, and eco-investors to direct their money.  That money comes from donations from private and corporate entities. Aren’t we all using each other’s resources and revenue anyway? The actual “Revolution” may be at our fingertips and we are refusing to accept its existence.

Regionally we have more than most of the country; we are a blessed and well placed location on planet earth. Our municipal governments have material resources; trucks, tractors, chippers, tools, and empty buildings and land on which to provide public assets for public benefits.  Our well educated employed professionals have money, the existing corporate and private investor in this area understands whole systems and environmental sustainability (generally) and need to be told where and what to invest in. We have immigrants and refugees and veterans ready to work on farms, in food centers, in local processing, at mini-portable grocery stores, and yes at mega-stores that provide fair wages and benefits. And we have an already active and galvanized active engaged farm to city movement fully engaged in planning, acting, building, testing, and producing results.

What is our answer to the challenge? If we are not to “give-in” what is the alternative that provides real change, not limited impact volunteerism give-away actions, but real game changing, economy building, capacity building, meaningful sustainable, and equitable deliveries?

That is a real question. Answer it with your next action.

[2] The Nation – http://www.thenation.com/article/163396/walmarts-fresh-food-makeover