Crucial Winter Update (news, free classes, internships, and more)

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Christian M

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Dec 14, 2010, 3:15:35 PM12/14/10
to eco-farm-...@googlegroups.com, Margaret Morgan-Hubbard
Finally...a farm update.  

I feel like for weeks I've been saying I would send one out.  I don't know where the time has gone, as apparently 2010 is about to end.  Its been a big year and there's lots to say, so I'll keep it short.  But yes, we are still harvesting food through the winter!  Needless to say, we won't be spending the 25th of Dec and 1st of the new year partying with the vegetables.  But come by during these times unless noted:

Mon/Thursday 8-12p
Saturday 9-3p

Hope you enjoy this big update over some hot cocoa.  Stay warm! (in a hoophouse)

ECO Urban Farm
4913 Crittenden St
Edmonston, MD 20781
Facebook it, Twitter it...
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Quote:
Winter is the season in which people try to keep the house as warm as it was in the summer, when they complained about the heat.  ~Author Unknown
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At the urban farm...

If you haven't been by, we've had all the plastic put up on the hoophouses to help retain heat and protect our babies from the elements.  Recently, we added an extra layer and made mini-hoophouses, by putting a breathable material called row cover over each bed individually.  With that, heat from compost, a soon-to-be-complete shallow geothermal system, and some other tricks, we still have crops going in this harsh December.  

We've still got lettuces, swiss chard, purple mustard greens, collards, kales, spinach, turnips, and some more.  Just this past Saturday we attended the one-time Riverdale Park's Holiday  Market, and flew through a lot of the produce!  But as the daylight and temperature decreases, so does the growth decrease.  In fact, its why many call it the winter "harvest" specifically, because in these passive solar greenhouses, you aim to plant cold-hardy crops in a succession to be able to harvest throughout the season.  

On sunny days, its been up in the 70s, even 80s once!  And it reminds us that spring and summer aren't far off, crazy as it sounds.  Anyways, with the exception of special holiday hours, we'll be there every week, and if you want to purchase some produce, we ask that you come during volunteer hours (Mon/Thurs 8-12p, Sat 9-3p).

Also, we're continuing our New Urban Farmer Training program.  We're about halfway through the program and have gone through workshops on hoophouse construction and composting and shoots production, business planning, cooking demonstrations, and even a hoophouse construction project for a non-profit in Upper Marlboro called Second Genesis.  From the blog...
They provide housing for dozens of women and their children that are battling addiction and reentering into their community.  They are using the hoop house to teach these women and children about healthy eating and growing food, and will expose the women to the emerging field of urban agriculture.
There's beekeeping sessions, more business planning, soil and general season preparations, field trips, and more to come before these folks graduate.  

Speaking of classes, there are classes coming up in the next year open to the public...

*First, from a local Edmonston beekeeper and participant in the NUFT program, Jose Castillo is offering 2 beekeeping classes to the public.  Offering years of experience, he's doing a short introduction course for 2 days on January 15th and February 12th.  We're finalizing the times but we wanted to throw that out there now.  And he's offering to do it for FREE!  We'll have a donation box but just show up with a notepad and warm jacket as we plan to hold it in one of the hoophouses.  Stay tuned for more information.

*Secondly, in partnership with Prince George's Community College, you can sign up for the following classes through PGCC, all of which will be held at the Edmonston Urban Farm unless noted otherwise:

Intro to Urban Ag: Thursday, February 24, 6-8p
Composting: Tuesdays, March 1-15, 6-8p

There will be more topics and classes available in the Summer of 2011.  Also, we are trying to hold mini workshops in between these PGCC sessions.

And for a better inside look at the hoophouses, check out Natalya's recent blog post on the farm:


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News (US govt farmer discrimination settlement, aquaponics, haiti, foreign land grabs, and more)

1) Historic Black and Native farmer billion-dollar settlement reached with US government.  This article just gives you a summary of a story I encourage you read more on.

2) NBC News Video on Aquaponics:

3) Forgotten about Haiti?  Check this article on food sovereignty.  Quote:
a rice grower and member of the Agricultural Producer Cooperative of Verrettes, said, "Instead of foreigners sending us food, they should give us the chance to do our own agriculture so it can survive."
 

4) Exclusive interview from DemocracyNow: United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Olivier De Schutter, discuss his recent warning that some 500 million small farmers in poor countries are suffering from hunger, partly because foreign countries and corporations have bought up large tracts of land. 


5) A quick, fun piece from the Washington Post about getting your hands dirty: 

6) ECO News: 

UMD student report on our New Urban Farmer Training program

AND


NEA grant award to do Kenilworth Ave Mural


Rocco Landesman, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, today announced that Engaged Community Offshoots (ECO) has been approved for a grant of $10,000 to support the creation of a mural on Kenilworth Avenue that will convey images of a vital and healthy community, incorporating themes of urban agriculture, alternative transportation, and fair and just employment. Engaged Community Offshoots, creators of the nearby Edmonston Urban Farm, is one of 1,057 not-for-profit organizations recommended for a grant as part of the federal agency’s first round of fiscal year 2011 grants. In total, the Arts Endowment will distribute $26.68 million to support projects nationwide.

An independent agency of the federal government, the National Endowment for the Arts advances artistic excellence, creativity, and innovation for the benefit of individuals and communities. NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman said, “I continue to be impressed with the creative, innovative, and excellent projects brought forward by arts organizations across the country. Our grantees are not only furthering their art forms but also enhancing their neighborhoods by making them more vibrant, livable, and fun.”

“Engaged Community Offshoots is very excited about this opportunity to work with the local residents to demonstrate the power of art to beautify, uplift and unify our community,” says CEO Margaret Morgan-Hubbard. “Our mural will depict how this urban community be revitalized by simultaneously producing art, employment and its own culturally appropriate food.”


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Events/Opportunities (internship, conference, commerical urban ag course)

1) Internship at DC Washington Youth Garden

Email 

k warner @washingtonyouthgarden.org for a job

 description to work with one of WYG's programs, Garden Science.

"The internship is unpaid. However, it would be a great learning opportunity for students or those looking to learn about conducting educational programming. I can help students with obtaining academic credit.

I also take volunteers for this program. So if you would like to volunteer with one of our classes (a ninety minute commitment, once a week, for eight weeks, from mid-January through mid-March), contact me and we can talk about volunteering."

2) Future Harvest 2011 Conference


The Future Harvest-CASA Annual Conference is a highly anticipated annual gathering for hundreds of farmers, agricultural experts and researchers, marketers and food systems advocates who care about the sustainability of food and farming systems in the Chesapeake watershed.

More than 25 workshops and 40 speakers will help you learn to:
- use more effective sustainable farming techniques
- market farm products profitably
- engage your entire community in building a stronger local food system

Reisterstown, MD at Kayam Farm

http://www.futureharvestcasa.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=68&Itemid=93


3) Growing Power's Commercial Urban Ag Program Accepting Applications!

Deadline December 20, 2010

 

2011 GROWING POWER – GROWING FARMERS

 Education, Mentoring and Growing Skills development

 

2011 Three- day Weekend Workshop Series:
January 14th - January 16th
February 11th - February 13th
March 11th - March 13th
April 8th - April 10th
May 13th- May 15th
June 10th- June 12th

Why Urban Agriculture?

 

“We must strengthen and grow both rural AND urban farming to support a sustainable, secure food system for everyone”

          Will Allen, Founder and CEO, Growing Power, Inc.

 

Urban agriculture contributes nutritious, flavorful food to communities through year-round local food production.  The ability to produce and distribute food throughout local neighborhoods is important as the demand for nutritional, good-tasting food continues to grow throughout the country.  It is crucial that this healthy food be available to individuals and families in ALL neighborhoods!

 

While healthy food production is perhaps the most important aspect of urban agriculture, other benefits abound as well.  Sustainable farming methods and food production contribute to the beauty of urban landscapes while at the same time playing a crucial role in strengthening healthy environmental management practices within our cities.  Additionally, urban farmers and residents benefit as both the economic and social impacts strengthen neighbors and neighborhoods.

 

Growing Power’s Commercial Sustainable Urban Agriculture program is modeled on Growing Power’s many successful years of urban agriculture production.  It is designed for individuals who have made the decision to farm commercially in the city!

                                                      

Commercial Urban Agriculture (CUA) Program Overview

 

This training program is a 6 month program,” CUA Program participants should plan to attend and actively participate in all six weekend (3-day, Friday through Sunday) trainings.  Each month CUA program participants will have a full day of staff shadowing/ and practical training with Growing Power trainers in key areas (Fridays), that are integral to participants’ urban agriculture enterprise; (Saturday a.m.) a half day of project planning-discussion group and (Saturday pm and Sunday am/pm) attendance at Growing Power’s “From the Ground Up

 

The CUA program is designed for individuals who have made the decision to either transition a grant/donor/volunteer project into an economically sustainable enterprise, both not-for-profit social ventures and commercial ventures are eligible. The weekend program will consist of three days of training, including½ days of a classroom-based training, and 2½ days of hands-on, “get-your-hands-dirty” training. Both the classroom setting and the hands-on training are designed as a very participative adult education training program. 

 

While the basic outline (curriculum) for the training will be followed, this is a program designed with the learners in mind and will evolve through the five months to meet the needs of the participants in this year’s program. Although the program is heavily focused on hands on learning, the first month will be devoted to learning about each participant’s urban agriculture enterprise, and to focus on the project planning needs and requirements for the overall successful completion of the program. CUA participants will be introduced to the hands on learning areas available.

 

 

January: Project Planning – The Vision- Seeding the Future

February: Marketing Planning – Sell, Sell, Sell!

March: Community Engagement – Building equitable relationships

April: Financials and Human resource – Making sure your ends meet!

May: Implementation – Putting the plan into Action

June: Final Presentations to the Community

 

4) 

MSU Organic Farmer Training Program Now Accepting Applications


Please forward widely!  Thanks!

  
Now accepting applications for 2011 Cohort of the Organic Farmer Training 
Program at the Michigan State University Student Organic Farm!
The Organic Farmer Training Program offers nine months of intensive instruction 
in year-round organic farming.  The program focuses on diversified production of 

vegetables, flowers, fruits and herbs for local markets.  Students manage all 
aspects of a 10-acre certified organic farm, including passive solar greenhouses 

used for year-round production in cold climates.  Students also manage the SOF 
field production. Produce is grown for the farm’s primary markets, including a 
48-week CSA, six-month on-campus farm stand, and sales to campus dining 
services.  Students develop competencies in farm skills through trainings and 
engagement in the daily operation of the farm.  Hands-on training is combined 
with workshops, lectures, readings and assignments that build participants’ 
knowledge and understanding of organic farming principles and practices.  The 
program is designed to give participants a strong background in production 
skills as well as the knowledge, management, and decision-making skills 
necessary to operate a diversified small farm.  

Program participants include new and beginning farmers, urban and community 
farmers and gardeners, educators, and those interested in local or organic 
agriculture. 

 
Space is limited
Rolling admissions
  
Visit our website for full program description and application
www.msuorganicfarm.org
 
or contact us at msu...@msu.edu
517-230-7987

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