What a workshop!
Man in Overalls standing in the shadow of Will Allen
Will Allen, pre-eminent urban agriculture leader, MacArthur Genius presented, Sunday, Mar. 6th, on the work of his Milwaukee-based non-profit, Growing Power. Additionally, he led a workshop on how to develop a compost-producing/food-raising initiative to address the ills of urban decay-- including a hands-on composting and worm...
(A late-night email to a local co-worker in the Food Movement)Wow, It's roll-time. I am amazed every day by this blossoming movement of which we are part. This morning I met with the campus chaplain--visiting-- from my Alma mater. She tells me that her aspiration (at 44) is to go back to school or apprentice under a food activist because she wants to be integral to feeding people; she tells me...
Last June, I got an email from Marcy Rosner, a native of Tallahassee that had been-- for a handful of years-- living in Oakland. She was back home for the month and hoped to find some volunteer opportunities with community gardens or some other volunteer urban ag project in Tallahassee. Eventually she linked up with Shelby Stec, an awesome FSU student that coordinates a garden at the Salvation...
Eight months back when this social enterprise of mine was still in its infancy, I used to wonder why-- when I visited the blogs of incredible food gardening nonprofits and social enterprises like that of Growing Power, they posted so infrequently. Why? When so many folks looked to them for stories of the emerging food movement, when their CEO, Will Allen is featured on the cover of Time magazine...
It's been an exciting week.Last Friday morning, I visited Astoria Park. Guided by the leadership of Merlin John Baptiste, new director of Astoria's afterschool program, they're organizing a school garden. My role was to present-- along with Ms Miaisha Mitchell, who's done extensive childhood obesity and diabetes work-- on the values (health, academic, behaviorial, etc) of gardens. By the end of...