November 8, 2007
Come January I’ll be moving to Mexico City for while to intern with a young and energetic organization promoting urban agriculture in DF. 
Check them out at http://www.sembradoresurbanos.org/ (spanish) or http://concretegardenproject.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13&Itemid=29 (english).
May 3, 2007
by Curt Guyette
4/25/2007 in the metro times
The new study found that Michigan leads the nation in terms of the disparity between the percentages of people of color living within 1.8 miles of a hazardous waste facility compared to the percentage of minorities outside that radius — 66 percent versus 19 percent. In other words, more than two-thirds of the people living near these sites are people of color, while fewer than 20 percent of those living outside the 3-kilometer radii are minorities. By comparison, the national numbers are 56 percent minorities in so-called “host” communities versus 30 percent in non-host communities.
March 8, 2007
so proud of the ft collins community and their efforts as organizers. some brief words from my friend norberto, then the article addressing an anti-immigrant proposal that was defeated in city council this week.
Companheras/os in the Struggle for Human Rights:
Savor a sliver of time
in which to feel jubilant
over a small victory ...
before the next struggle begins.
During this precious moment,
cleanse our hearts,
smudge our surroundings momentarily
of lingering bad airs of hate and violence
with the powers of a feather,
a song, a dance, and a drum.
--Norberto
FORT COLLINS – The city council killed an ordinance Tuesday that would have essentially directed the city to enforce state and federal employment laws.
March 7, 2007
Published in Critical Moment march/april 2007 -www.criticalmoment.org
By Jenna Bacolor, Natasha Blakeney Wilson, and Michelle Glowa
It’s well established that eating fresh fruits and vegetables has many health benefits, including protecting against heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers. But what do you do if the closest source of fresh produce is several miles away, and you don’t have a car, or your limited income only allows for a grocery trip once a month? Some residents of Ypsilanti face this exact dilemma every day.
The community’s food insecurity is compounded by the absence of a supermarket within the city, lack of transportation by low-income individuals to healthy food sources, and the declining auto industry (final plant pending closure), which limits employment opportunities. Ypsilanti, only 15 minuets away from Ann Arbor, is a small city of approximately 22,400 residents. While the county median income is $62,513, in Ypsilanti the median income is $34,401 and in the Southside neighborhoods, predominantly African American neighborhoods, the median income is $17,866. Overall, more than 25% of residents in Ypsilanti are below the poverty level. Ypsilanti is also considered a more diverse community than many other Washtenaw County communities. In Ypsilanti, Caucasians make up 61% of the overall population, 31% of residents are of African descent, while in Washtenaw County overall, 75% of residents are Caucasian and only12 % are of African descent.
In the summer of 2005, the Ypsilanti Health Coalition decided to assess the amount of healthy food available in Ypsilanti’s food stores. The committee worked with a group of EMU students to visit 37 food stores within the Ypsilanti city limits and observe the type of foods available at each location. Food stores were defined as any store that sell food (excluding restaurants) such as grocery stores, ethnic or specialty markets, convenience stores, corner stores, as well as gas stations and pharmacies that sell food.
The vast majority of food stores in Ypsilanti (27 of 37) were convenience stores selling primarily alcohol or snack food. Of the 6 “grocery” stores, only one, Value Foods, was a full-service supermarket. It is located on the other side of I-94 away from the rest of the city. Three specialty (ethnic) markets were available for those seeking Arab, Asian, and African foods. A small amount of fresh produce was available at these locations. The Ypsilanti Food Co-op stocked a variety of healthy foods and is convenient for walking and biking for the nearby neighborhoods on the northeast side of the city, although the Co-op’s higher prices make it inaccessible for many Ypsi residents.
March 5, 2007
DENVER, March 3 — As migrant laborers flee Colorado because of tough new immigration restrictions, worried farmers are looking to prisoners to fill their places in the fields.
Joe Pisciotta Jr., a farmer in Pueblo County, is concerned about finding enough migrant workers under Colorado’s tougher immigration laws.
In a pilot program run by the state Corrections Department, supervised teams of low-risk inmates beginning this month will be available to harvest the swaths of sweet corn, peppers and melons that sweep the southeastern portion of the state.
March 3, 2007
Join enthusiasts of gardening and connoisseurs of fine brew at A2’s Arbor Brewing Company to support Growing Hope on Sunday, March 11th, 3-5 pm. Yep, that’s right, a BEER TASTING for a great cause.
Tickets are $20 per person (in advance only, by March 9!) which includes unlimited beer tasting for two hours plus appetizers…
Tickets will NOT be sold at the door. Get your tickets online (using credit card or paypal) through our website at www.growinghope.net. Otherwise, call us at 734.786.8401
or send an e-mail to info@growinghope.net to arrange using cash or check for those advance tickets!
We care about your safety! Plan to walk, bus, or bike, or choose your designated driver in advance!
February 25, 2007
i have heard of more recently many organizations working with lower income communities in the US/Canada adopting market basket programs but this is the first international project i have seen. market basket programs are somewhat similar to Community Supported Agriculture programs in that they are intended to give the farmer a fair price for products and provide a weekly share to the consumer; the difference is that the buyer can decide to purchase the share or not on a weekly or biweekly basis- more flexibility for those on restricted incomes. this seems like a terrific project, especially in Gaza, where i have been told it has been difficult to get community based urban ag projects going.
A Food Aid Program that Builds Self-reliance, Not Dependence
Interview with Ahmed Sourani, PARC-Gaza – http://www.pal-arc.org/first.html
September 13, 2006
By Jennifer Lemire
The political and military crisis in the Middle East is having devastating humanitarian consequences for the people of Gaza in Palestine. Unfortunately, emergency humanitarian responses can also inadvertently have devastating effects on local economies, when imported food aid hurts already struggling local farmers.
I spoke by phone to Ahmed Sourani of the Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committees (PARC) about the situation in Gaza and PARC’s Farm to Table alternative food aid program.
excerpt -
How is PARC’s Food to Table project different from traditional food aid?
PARC is implementing the only project where families receive a basket of fresh food. It is a very good initiative. Care International came to PARC asking about the project and now they have developed a project based on our model.
As I said, the idea came from the farmers. For the past 2-3 years, PARC was working with the World Food Programme to distribute food aid. With no access to markets, the farmers were struggling. They asked why we didn’t take their products?
“You help us at the same time as you help poor families,” they said.
Based on the farmers’ suggestion we designed and implemented the first stage of the project. There have been three stages – each stage has benefited 1,500 families and benefited about 200 farmers and women’s cooperatives. We buy through the farmers associations—we have contracts with the farmers–and this provides them some level of security. Each project has a steering committee that helps implement it. We’ve been trying to target refugee camps with the project because the need there is so great.
Normally, farmers shoulder all of the costs of production, work the land themselves, and then get low prices for their goods. Many don’t make enough money to cover their own production costs, which eventually makes it impossible to keep farming. We solve this problem by buying goods at their real cost from farmers. Then, through a local network of community based organizations and committees, we distribute the food baskets to the community.
One of the problems with traditional food aid (like flour, olive oil, and canned food) is that it is not fresh. PARC baskets include honey, jam, vegetables, eggs, dates, couscous, and cheese. We try to meet international standards of nutrition and at the same time, our project supports farmers–we help them stay on their land and produce and at the same time we help poor families.
On a related note, beautiful Gaza gardens: Gardens Against the Wall As the Wall snakes through the West Bank, traditional family plots are cut in half. Not only is arable land lost to make room for the Wall itself, but farmers are also physically separated from their land and livelihoods. The struggle to survive and remain on their lands depends on Israeli issued permits, which are often only given on a short term basis to one member of the family. Such restrictions make it impossible to make the orphaned fields productive.
February 25, 2007
from Sarah Sullivan at Hawaii SEED
Big news from Hawaii!
After years of protest the efforts of many concerned citizens, Hui Ho’opakele Aina from Molokai, the Kauai Taro Growers Association, Hawaii SEED, The Gibson Foundation and countless farmers, native Hawaiians, and national groups there has been a MORATORIUM on GMO taro passed through the House in Hawaii! I think this sends an important message, not only about the mounting concern around genetic engineering, but especially about the strength of native peoples around the world who are saying NO to the genetic modification of thier sacred, ancient crops.
I do believe this is the first GMO crop ban in the United States!
Though it is good news, it was a bittersweet victory in that the ban included ammendments to the language of the bill from a 10 year moritorium to 5 years, and the reasons for the moratorium are now reworded as being strictly for cultural reasons (taro being a sacred crop in Hawaii to the native people.) The bill fails to state the other concerns from Native Hawaiians, the dozens of farmers who testified and other concerned citizens who flew to Honolulu to testify over past few years. Clearly the legislature, University of Hawaii, and other parties with vested interests in GE research in Hawaii did not want to send out any messages about this succession also being a result of pressure around environmental, health, economic, and other moral concerns.
(Specifically, the has bill passed through several committees, as well as on the floor of the Senate, then through the house including in the ag. committee. It still has to be heard in other committes so more changes may happen, but the 5 year moratorium is the minimum ban that will be enacted.)
Thanks also to The Center for Food Safety for help with the GMO taro issue in Hawaii over the years, as well as GEAN and our other allies worldwide.
Mahalo ke Akua.
This isn’t over. It will take some work to keep organizing over the next five years, but this is quite a victory.
With Aloha from Hawaii,
Sarah Sullivan, Hawaii SEED
If you are interested in seeing the bill, you can go to:
www.capitol.hawaii.gov and enter HB704 to see details and text
February 13, 2007
“Various individual, cultural, historical, social, and economic influences shape our food choices. Our food choices, like various other cultural expressions and practices, offer insights on how we present ourselves, shape our identities, define our membership, and express our distance from others. Changes in food preferences may also reflect changes in broader cultural perceptions and practices.
Food is more than a basic source of nutrients; it is also a key component of our culture, central to our sense of identity. Identities, however, are not fixed social constructs, but they are constructed and reconstructed within given social formations reflecting the existing and imagined structural constraints and lived experiences of subjects.” – Mustafa Koc and Jennifer Welsh, “Food, Foodways and Immigrant Experiences”
February 13, 2007
From the Detroit News – http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007702120364
Record 1 in 9 seek food stamps, other assistance
Charlie Cain / Detroit News Lansing Bureau
LANSING — A record 1.19 million Michiganians — nearly one of every nine residents — are getting government help in putting food on their tables, as a result of the state’s anemic economy and the massive downsizing of the domestic auto industry.
That’s the most recipients here in the program’s 40-year history and more than in all but five states. The cost of providing the food for struggling Michigan families soared to $1.24 billion last year, up 145 percent from just five years earlier.
And the government estimates that more than 300,000 additional Michiganians who are not receiving assistance would probably qualify for it, if they applied.
