"Everyone must make time to sit and watch the leaves turn"
Christian M
What a change in the seasons! I'm freezing out here, albeit I'm a bit sensitive. I feel the shift in seasons signifies a shift for the farm. We are finally at our last few pages of our hard-hat chapter. As we move from construction to winter, its time to harvest cool-weather greens and roots, while putting doors and plastic on all the hoophouses.
Enjoy this packed update with news from the farm, interesting articles, some job opportunities, and a DC school gardens bike tour! Oh, and a little quote to chew on, too, from now on :)
Peace,
ECO Farm Staff
Volunteer Hours:
Mondays 8a-12p
Thursdays 8a-12p
Saturdays 9a-3p
Address:
4913 Crittenden Street
Edmonston, Md 20781
www.ecoffshoots.org
www.youtube.com/ecoffshoots
Twitter and Facebook us, too!
Food for Thought...
"In times past, a large portion of the population knew how to grow and preserve food and could survive on what they could grow and preserve. In the United States today, only about 2 percent of the population farms, and they farm largely in ways that are totally dependent upon imported oil and gas, electricity, irrigation, roads, national and international markets, and an intact financial and social infrastructure. In many kinds of mega-hard times, those farms would not be functional, and the knowledge of how to farm in those ways would be useless. In some of the mega-hard times of the future, what food we have may be a result of the knowledge and skills of gardeners. I challenge all gardeners to fully accept their role as a source of resilience for their communities in mega-hard times, and to play and adventure in good times so as to develop the kinds of knowledge and skills that would most matter. "
- The Resilient Gardener: Food Production and Self-Reliance in Uncertain Times by Carol Deppe
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1) At the Farm
One of our Board members, Dr Amir Abtahi, has connected our last 5 solar panels to our system and upgraded us to have even more energy capacity at the site, as well as putting outlets in each hoophouse to ease our access. In addition, we've trenched plumbing into all the hoophouses since our old water spicket became inconvenient with heavier use. The place is still a bit messy, but we're tying up the loose ends and are looking forward to the infrastructure makeover.
The first frost date for this area typically comes in October, so we're working to get plastic up on all hoophouses, and put doors on the endwalls. Now starts the winterization, such as using compost to generate more heat in the hoophouses, utilizing our shallow geothermal system, making low tunnels over the beds, and more.
A huge 50 person group of trip leaders in the University of Maryland's Alternative Spring Break program helped fill and hang so many pots in hoophouse 3! Our hanging garden of Edmonston is looking great...thanks everyone.
This week at the Crossroads farmers market, we'll have a variety of greens available, from kale, to chard, spinach, lettuce, and cilantro, as well as radishes. Located at the front parking lot of 7606 New Hampshire Avenue in Takoma Park, MD. Its just off 193 and New Hampshire. They're open 3-7p on Wednesdays. Come visit us!
About the Prince George's Commercial Urban Ag and Crossroads New Farmer Training programs, everyone just got a introduction to composting at our Edmonston farm. The final entry to their composting training will be at our Cherry Hill Composting facility, where we'll have the Bobcat on-hand to educate about large-scale composting.
In the beginning of the email is our volunteer hours and address. There is rumor of a cookout/potluck this saturday, so come on by ;)
Check out the latest awesome blog entry by our intern Natalya Dikhanov:
http://www.ecoffshoots.org/people-people-people-and-compost/
2) News
*FAO Chief: Corporate Influence Undermining Development
Obama UN comments on aid before the General Assembly came as the head of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization has said that corporate influence is undermining sustainable development worldwide. Speaking at a farming summit in London, Dr. Samuel Jutzi said, "I have now been twenty years in a multilateral organization which tries to develop guidance and codes for good agricultural practice, but the real, true issues are not being addressed by the political process because of the influence of lobbyists, of the true powerful entities."
*One of the New Urban Farmer trainees, Roy, sent this article by TIME Magazine on vertical farming:
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1865974,00.html?artId=1865974?contType=article?chn=us
*
3) Events/Opportunities
*DC School Gardens Bike Tour! October 16
Starting at 9 AM at John Tyler Elementary
1001 G Street SE
Finishing by 12:30 PM at Harriet Tubman Elementary
3101 13th Street NW
And visiting four more school gardens in between!
The route is a total of ten miles on city roads through Southeast, Northeast, and Northwest DC. All ages and abilities are welcome. There will be light refreshments and bike maintenance support provided. Please bring your own water bottle and helmet.
Please RSVP and direct questions to Kacie at kwa...@washingtonyouthgarden.org
November 19-21, 2010
Brooklyn College, Brooklyn, NY
This November, the first annual conference to forge food, farming and policy solutions for the Black Community will convene at Brooklyn College in New York City, convening farmers, gardeners, activists, students and community leaders from across the nation.
The health and livelihoods of African Americans are in danger, and our increasing alienation from our food sources is to blame.
Our farmers are in peril:
- In 1920, over 14% of U.S, farmers were African American.
- In 2007, less than 2% of U.S. farmers are African American.
- Only 110 of more than 56,000 farmers in New York State are African American.
- Nationally, the typical low-income neighborhood has 30 percent fewer supermarkets than higher-income neighborhoods.
- Nearly 50% of African American children will develop diabetes at some point in their lives.v
- About four out of five African American women are overweight or obese.vi
- In 2007, African Americans were 1.4 times as likely to be obese as Non- Hispanic Whites.vii
- Deaths from heart disease and stroke are almost twice the rate for African Americans as compared to Whites.viii
-
Help forge food, farming and policy solutions for the Black Community. Attend the Black Farmer and Urban Gardeners Conference.
http://www.blackfarmersconf.org/
*Urban Sustainable Retail Sales Associate (Part-time)
Urban Sustainable - an Urban Gardening and Outreach Center in Washington, DC is looking for a Retail Sales Associate to join the team in our new Adams Morgan store. Urban Sustainable seeks to become a community leader in providing solutions for healthy and sustainable living in urban environments. We provide information, new technologies and innovative growing techniques that promote sustainable living through urban agriculture. Thus, the person we are looking for to fill this position should have an awareness of environmental issues, be passionate about holistic and sustainable living and have some gardening, retail and customer service experience. This person should also be energetic, outgoing and community oriented. Bilingual (Spanish) communication skills are a big plus! Finally, he or she should learn quickly and be interested in developing some knowledge of urban agriculture. If these qualifications describe you and you are interested in growing with a dynamic, young, green organization, we would love to hear from you! Please send your resume and cover letter to us at: inqu...@urbansustainable.com. Please put “Retail Sales Associate” in the reply heading.
To learn more about our company, please go to www.urbansustainable.org.
*Washington Representative, Food and Environment Program, Union of Concerned Scientists, DC Office
The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) is the leading science-based
nonprofit working for a healthy environment and a safer world. UCS combines
independent scientific research and citizen action to develop innovative,
practical solutions and to secure responsible changes in government policy,
corporate practices, and consumer choices. What began as collaboration
between students and faculty members at MIT in 1969 is now an alliance of
more than 300,000 citizens and scientists that includes people from all
walks of life: parents and businesspeople, biologists and physicists,
teachers and students.
UCS strives for a future that is free from the threats of global warming and
nuclear war and a planet that supports a rich diversity of life. Our
specific focus areas include global warming, renewable energy, advanced
vehicle technology, nuclear power safety, nuclear weapons and related
security issues, preserving the integrity of science, and sustainable
agriculture.
The Position:
UCS’s Food and Environment (F&E) program is seeking a highly qualified
individual to lead UCS’s efforts to reorient U.S. agriculture toward
sustainability through the adoption of progressive policies in the next farm
bill. Under the supervision of the F&E program director and working with
other program staff, the Washington representative will lead legislative
campaigns and advocate UCS positions on sustainable food systems,
agriculture and climate, antibiotic resistance, and agricultural
biotechnology to Congress and the executive branch; participate in the
development of UCS policy positions; prepare written material for advocacy
purposes; and participate in outreach, membership, and activist-related
activities in support of program and organizational goals.
Responsibilities:
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with
Congressional representatives and staff, administration officials, and
advocates from other nonprofit organizations
• Contribute to the development of policies and legislative initiatives,
particularly in the context of the farm bill, promoting and supporting UCS
goals and enlist support for these initiatives from the Congress,
administration, and public-interest allies
• Monitor the progress of legislation and policies in Congress and at
federal agencies, respectively
• Working with the outreach coordinator, design and lead legislative and
executive branch campaigns to win approval of progressive legislation and
policies that reflect UCS’s policy goals
• Represent UCS to the media and general public
• Write testimony, fact sheets, briefing papers, op-ed pieces, letters,
comments, articles for UCS print publications and web, and other material as
needed for advocacy
Qualifications:
• Thorough understanding of the Congressional legislative and
administration policy-making processes
• Knowledge of advocacy/lobbying techniques and strategies, including
planning and implementing effective issue campaigns
• Broad knowledge of sustainable food systems, agriculture and climate,
agricultural biotechnology, farm bill programs, and/or antibiotic-resistance
issues
• Strong analytical and project management skills
• Excellent speaking and writing skills and a strong commitment to
advocacy
• B.S. or B.A. degree, at a minimum - an advanced degree is preferred
but not essential.
Experience:
• Five to seven years of progressively responsible legislative or
lobbying experience at the national or state level on environmental,
agricultural, or other science policy issues
• Experience in public-interest advocacy campaigns and policy analysis,
including demonstrated success in designing and leading legislative and
executive branch campaigns
• Demonstrated commitment to advocacy
• Proven competence in science or technical policy subject matter and
proven oral and written communication skills
• Experience working in cross-disciplinary and cross-departmental
advocacy campaigns
A background in agriculture, biology, food policy, or environmental science;
experience working on the farm bill; and NGO experience are preferred but
not essential.
To apply: Before October 15, please submit a cover letter with salary
requirements and how you learned of the position and resume via email to
jo...@ucsusa.org and include “Washington Representative” in the subject line.
Email materials in Word documents only. No phone calls.
http://www.ucsusa.org/about/jobs-at-ucs.html#Washington_Rep