Re: Obama's Presidential Library & Chicago's South Side Green Renaissance: National Park, Community Farm + Extension Office ?

[Debbie Hillman]

To:  James Godsil (Sweet Water Organics, Sweet Water Foundation - Milwaukee)

Ladonna Redmond (IATP - Minneapolis)

LaDonna's list (??)

cc:  Sustain Evanston  (Evanston, IL)

Food Love Chicago (food lovers in general)

Chicago Chicken Enthusiasts (Greater Chicago and beyond)

Chicago Food Policy   (Chicago)

Advocates for Urban Agriculture   (Greater Chicago)

Illinois Local Food and Farms Coalition  (Illinois)

Good Greens Midwest  (6 states served by USDA FNS Midwest Office:  IL, IN, OH, MI, MN, WI, based in Chicago)

Illinois Farmers Market Association  (serving all 300+ Illinois farmers markets)

Women, Food and Agriculture Network  (national, based in Iowa)

COMFOOD (national, out of Tufts University)

Dan Jaris, MPH Candidate (doing practicum with Evanston Eats:  Food Vote 2013)

William Moss & Natasha Moss (working with Let's Move campaign, Chicago + ?)

Willene Buffett, Director (Cook County Extension Office)

Michael Howard (Eden Place - Chicago)

Hi, Mr. Godsil  --

Thanks for having this conversation on the COMFOOD list-serv.  As you can see I am connecting the COMFOOD conversation with some other list-servs who I think may want to be part of this conversation (many in the Chicago area and Illinois).    I would like to add a few thoughts to your idea of a "living" Obama library, which is a wonderful framing of potentially powerful conversations.   I have copied your original vision below, as well as LaDonna Redmond's email chain.

1.  We definitely have some planners, architects, designers, landscapers, systems thinkers, land-conscious people, etc., in the Chicago area and Illinois who might get excited about hosting or being part of the charrettes you are suggesting.   My experience in watching the national food list-servs suggests that such "indigenous souls" (to use Martin Prechtel's term) exist all around this country.  It would be great if national charrettes were organized around this idea.

We also have many other food system scholars and practitioners who can keep the design conversations grounded -- in Chicago and elsewhere.  I'm talking about anthropologists, sociologists, public health officials, chefs, farmers, compost operators, mothers, grandmothers, and other frontline care-takers.   

2.  NATIONAL PARKS.  Just this week I learned about the traditional perk that every U.S. president has in naming a new national park (subject to the approval of Congress).   My colleague in Evanston, Dan Jaris (who is doing his practicum with the Evanston Food Council) is the one who gave me this information because Dan is a great appreciator of the beauty and foresight that our natural parks stand for.   

I learned just now that Obama designated a new national park on Jan. 10, 2013, Pinnacles in California.    I am guessing that Obama may be able to name a second national park in his second term.  (This would need to be confirmed.)

3.  "LIVING" PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY:  NATIONAL PARK + COMMUNITY FARM + EXTENSION OFFICE?   Perhaps the Obamas' true legacy could be a NEW kind of "living" park, commons, neighborhood, combined with the community learning opportunities that a public library stands for.    Again, Martin Prechtel is very articulate on our human need to keep our "agreement with the wild" and how to articulate land use.  He recommends three major land uses:  (a)  our farms and human habitats (which includes our sacred compost heaps), (b) sacred feral land (a buffer zone between human-occupied land and wholly wild land (air and sea), and (c) more wild land than land used for human purposes.

Perhaps Chicago's South Side Green Renaissance could facilitate a new land-use designation whereby real people, critters, and abundant life can live without being subject to natural resource speculation, property taxes, and the global money economy -- something that involves stewardship rather than rape and death-dealing and that involves community-curated knowledge rather than bought-and-paid for "profit-and-power over" knowledge.

As I've mentioned on these list-servs recently, Robin Schirmer (a Chicago-area colleague) once described local Extension offices as "libraries".  Ever since, I've described Extension offices as "local food libraries" -- applied science libraries where you can ask specific questions about practical problems and get real answers from real people.    Unfortunately, Extension has gotten caught in the global economy as much as any of us.   But that doesn't mean that the original mission cannot be retrieved and restored -- along with some much needed local funding.  

Perhaps the Obamas' legacy can re-purpose and re-invigorate Extension so that it truly is for "farmers" and "farm wives" -- and so that the "knowledge" that is promoted comes from grassroots wisdom as much as a land grant institution.   You might contact Willene Buffett, Director of the Cook County Extension Office.  She is very eloquent on the "farm wife" aspect of Extension's mission.   (I have copied Ms. Buffett on this email in the hopes that she and other Extension staffpeople may be interested in this conversation.)

So far as I know, Michael Howard's Eden Place is the Chicago project I know closest in combining wilderness, food production, local learning, and global learning.  I'm not fully up to speed on what's been going on in Washington Park or what Pete Leki and his Riverbank Neighbors have accomplished in Albany Park, but I'm pretty sure that they are Chicago-area models worth studying.

NEXT STEPS?   I look forward to seeing how this conversation unfolds.   I would certainly help to promote national charrettes to people I know around the country.   

--  Is there a website that people could see and connect with around this idea?   

--  Has someone initiated such a charrette?  

--  Is there a Chicago-based charrette in the works?

PS  Martin Prechtel's latest book, The Unlikely Peace at Cuchumaquic: The Parallel Lives of People as Plants:  Keeping the Seeds Alive, is the source of the ideas I mentioned.    It will make you cry (again) for what we have lost and destroyed and it will make you smile with love and joy for finding another roadmap back home -- and for confirming, again, what we all know.

-- Debbie

Debbie Hillman

Evanston, Illinois

D. Hillman Strategies:  Food Policy for Voters

847/328-7175

DLHi...@sbcglobal.net

FoodVote.2012.com    (http://DHillmanStrategies.com)

Evanston Eats:  Food Vote 2013

www.EvanstonEats.net

From: James Godsil <godsil...@gmail.com>

Date: February 16, 2013 9:20:12 AM CST

To: Com Food <com...@elist.tufts.edu>

Subject: [COMFOOD:  ] Obama's Presidential Library & Chicago's South Side Green Renaissance

Reply-To: James Godsil <godsil...@gmail.com>

Dear All,

Our movement's mainstreaming owes much to the First Lady, and the prospect of
an Obama Presidential Library on the South Side of Chicago could profoundly amplify
her vision.

Toward National Design Charrettes for Obama South Side Presidential Library

Obama's Living Library/South Side Chicago Renaissance Sparking Transition to Ecological Cities

I am led to believe that many museums and libraries are re-visioning their missions
with an eye toward more interaction with old city grass roots groups and enhanced
global connectivity for applied scholarship and engaged art.

Would it not be a good things if the emerging Massive Open Online Courses(MOOC)
would advance design charrettes,  eye on the prize of providing the best possible
visions for the Obama Library?

Libraries As Innovation Centers for Old City Green Renaissance

Christopher Alexander's "Pattern Language" has inspired me to imagine the Obama
Library accelerating the South Side Chicago Renaissance and other smaller "centers."
Would not the template such an experiment could provide diffuse the notion of every 
city's libraries as resources not just for cognitive literacies but also for community 
engagement and ecological healing?

Any city planners in this group up for a new kind of design studio that would connect
schools, community groups, small businesses, faith communities, and inspired citizens
of the South Side of Chicago, i.e. the civil society, as co-creators, with the President
and First Lady, of a Presidential Library that makes a major impact accelerating

The Green Renaissance of Chicago's South Side.

Why not?

Godsil 
-- 
James J. Godsil, ABD,  co-founder Sweet Water Organics, Sweet Water Foundation
President, Sweet Water Foundation
http://www.milwaukeerenaissance.com/Godsil/HomePage

From: LaDonna Redmond <lred...@iatp.org>

Date: February 21, 2013 3:25:32 PM CST

To: James Godsil <godsil...@gmail.com>

Cc: Orrin Williams <cutch...@gmail.com>, Peter Murphy <peterda...@gmail.com>, Arron Davis Chicago NABVETS <usmc...@yahoo.com>, Emanuel Pratt <noma...@gmail.com>, Wayne Tukes <wtu...@colum.edu>, Troy Norman <harma...@mail.com>, David Pellow <dpe...@umn.edu>, Naomi Davis <naomi...@blacksingreen.org>, Danie <dani...@gmail.com>, Charles Sutton <cmsu...@bronzevillebug.com>, "shemu...@yahoo.com" <shemu...@yahoo.com>, "Haymes, Stephen" <SHA...@depaul.edu>, Robert Johnson <Imho...@aol.com>, "L. Anton Seals Jr" <ilreps...@gmail.com>, Jeanette Foreman <jfc...@gmail.com>, "Angela Odoms-Young" <odmy...@gmail.com>, Angela Odoms-Young <odmy...@uic.edu>, Library Builders <library...@hotmail.com>, Mecca Brooks <mecca...@gmail.com>, Dara Cooper <drcoo...@msn.com>, Courtnye Jackson <dr.j...@yahoo.com>, Veronica Kyle <vero...@faithinplace.org>, Warren King <w.k...@wellspringltd.com>, Yvette Moyo <ym...@realmencook.com>, John Zeigler <kabi...@comcast.net>, Zoe Brent <zoeb...@gmail.com>, Ken Kailing <k...@goodfoodworld.com>, kevin skvorak <k.sk...@gmail.com>, "Helena Kopczynski" <helena.k...@gmail.com>, "com...@elist.tufts.edu" <com...@elist.tufts.edu>, Dave Huggins <dhug...@mail.wsu.edu>, Eddie Hill <eddi...@seattletilth.org>, George Hall <georgeh...@att.net>, "Helena Bottemiller" <hbottem...@students.claremontmckenna.edu>, Jdsteiner <jdst...@wisc.edu>, Jim Riddle <ridd...@umn.edu>, John Norquist <jnor...@cnu.org>, Mary Embleton <ma...@cascadeharvest.org>, Richard Conlin <richard...@seattle.gov>, Gail Nickel-Kailing <Ga...@goodfoodworld.com>, "bo...@renewablesresearchandpolicyinstitute.com" <bo...@renewablesresearchandpolicyinstitute.com>

Subject: Re: [COMFOOD:  ] Introducing Milwaukee and Chicago Co-Op Movement Heavy Lifters

Reply-To: LaDonna Redmond <lred...@iatp.org>

Greetings everyone,

I wanted to add the twin cities folks on this list. Everyone please meet Bumni Odumuye.

Bumni please briefly tell people what you are working on.

LaDonna

Sent from my iPhone

On Feb 21, 2013, at 8:04 AM, "James Godsil" <godsil...@gmail.com> wrote:

Dear Orrin and Peter,

Orrin--Peter is Milwaukee's leading millennial co-op visionary,

Peter--Orrin is one of Chicago's boomer veteran South Side Renaissance visionary.

Orrin has just shared a great list for the ReciproCITY Co-op University at Sweet Water.

Peter, how about sharing what Milwaukee and Madison's Coop movement have to offer

the South Side Chicago Renaissance.

Why not?

Godsil

---------- Forwarded message ----------

From: Orrin Williams <cutch...@gmail.com<mailto:cutch...@gmail.com>>

Date: Wed, Feb 20, 2013 at 11:51 PM

Subject: Fwd: thought you might be interested...

To: Emanuel Pratt <noma...@gmail.com<mailto:noma...@gmail.com>>, Wayne Tukes <wtu...@colum.edu<mailto:wtu...@colum.edu>>, Troy Norman <harma...@mail.com<mailto:harma...@mail.com>>, David Pellow <dpe...@umn.edu<mailto:dpe...@umn.edu>>, Naomi Davis <naomi...@blacksingreen.org<mailto:naomi...@blacksingreen.org>>, Danie <dani...@gmail.com<mailto:dani...@gmail.com>>, Charles Sutton <cmsu...@bronzevillebug.com<mailto:cmsu...@bronzevillebug.com>>, "shemu...@yahoo.com<mailto:shemu...@yahoo.com>" <shemu...@yahoo.com<mailto:shemu...@yahoo.com>>, "Haymes, Stephen" <SHA...@depaul.edu<mailto:SHA...@depaul.edu>>, Robert Johnson <Imho...@aol.com<mailto:Imho...@aol.com>>, "L. Anton Seals Jr" <ilreps...@gmail.com<mailto:ilreps...@gmail.com>>, Jeanette Foreman <jfc...@gmail.com<mailto:jfc...@gmail.com>>, Angela Odoms-Young <odmy...@gmail.com<mailto:odmy...@gmail.com>>, Angela Odoms-Young <odmy...@uic.edu<mailto:odmy...@uic.edu>>, James Godsil <godsil...@gmail.com<mailto:godsil...@gmail.com>>, Library Builders <library...@hotmail.com<mailto:library...@hotmail.com>>, Mecca Brooks <mecca...@gmail.com<mailto:mecca...@gmail.com>>, Dara Cooper <drcoo...@msn.com<mailto:drcoo...@msn.com>>, Courtnye Jackson <dr.j...@yahoo.com<mailto:dr.j...@yahoo.com>>, Veronica Kyle <vero...@faithinplace.org<mailto:vero...@faithinplace.org>>, Warren King <w.k...@wellspringltd.com<mailto:w.k...@wellspringltd.com>>, LaDonna Redmond <lred...@iatp.org<mailto:lred...@iatp.org>>, Yvette Moyo <ym...@realmencook.com<mailto:ym...@realmencook.com>>, John Zeigler <kabi...@comcast.net<mailto:kabi...@comcast.net>>

Attachments weren't in the previous email. Some of you I missed on the first pass.

O

---------- Forwarded message ----------

From: Frances Cox <inmyco...@gmail.com<mailto:inmyco...@gmail.com>>

Date: Wed, Feb 20, 2013 at 9:42 PM

Subject: Fwd: thought you might be interested...

To: Orrin Williams <cutch...@gmail.com<mailto:cutch...@gmail.com>>

Hey Orrin,

here are the doc I sent you written by the black economist….

with metta,

frances

Begin forwarded message:

From: Frances Cox <inmyco...@gmail.com<mailto:inmyco...@gmail.com>>

Subject: thought you might be interested...

Date: December 4, 2012 2:35:57 PM CST

To: Orrin Williams <cutch...@gmail.com<mailto:cutch...@gmail.com>>

hey orrin….some stuff on this black economist woman who writes about the power and history of black business cooperatives…you might have already read this stuff….

enjoy,

frances

Orrin Williams

Center for Urban Transformation

6349. S Fairfield Avenue

Chicago, IL 60629

773-956-7251<tel:773-956-7251> Office

773-597-8155<tel:773-597-8155> Mobile

www.cutchicago.org<http://www.cutchicago.org>

This electronic mail (including any attachments) may contain information that is privileged, confidential, and/or otherwise protected from disclosure to anyone other than its intended recipient(s). Any dissemination or use of this electronic mail or its contents (including any attachments) by persons other than the intended recipient(s) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please notify us immediately by reply e-mail so that we may correct our internal records. Please then delete the original message (including any attachments) in its entirety. Thank you.

James J. Godsil, ABD,  co-founder Sweet Water Organics, Sweet Water Foundation

President, Sweet Water Foundation

http://www.milwaukeerenaissance.com/Godsil/HomePage

http://www.milwaukeerenaissance.com/Godsil/JamesGodsil

<nembhardbib.doc>

<Engaging Contradictions.pdf>

<Rhonda M. Williams Competition Race Agency and Community.pdf>

<of caulkers and quilt makers.pdf>

<article-nembhard06.pdf>

<cooperative ownership in the struggle for african american economic empowerment.pdf>

<the difference states make democracy identity and the american city.pdf>

<incorporating black political economy into black studies.pdf>

<cross national comparisons of racial and ethnic economic inequality.pdf>

<principles and strategies for reconstruction models of african amer community-based cooperative .pdf>

<wealth affirming policies for women of color.pdf>

<african american economic solidarity.pdf>

<GordonNembhard Wealth Coops AER02.pdf>

<a reassessment of the relationship between inequality and growth.pdf>

<when traditional asset building is not enough.pdf>

<non-traditional analyses of co-operative economic impacts.pdf>

<democratic economic participation and humane urban development.pdf>

<cooperative ownership in the struggle.pdf>

<participatory politics social cooperation and economic stability.pdf>

<great-recession-and-land-housing-loss-in-african-american-communities-part1.pdf>

<cooperative economics a community revitalization strategy.pdf>

<rhonda williams complete works.pdf>

<cross national comparisons of raci.pdf>

<alternative economics a missing component in the african american studies curriculum.pdf>

<taking-the-predator-out-of-lending.pdf>