FREE public screenings of IN ORGANIC WE TRUST (www.InOrganicWeTrust.org) at the Environmental Film Festival:

Friday, March 16, 8:00 pm

Carnegie Institution for Science, Elihu Root Auditorium

1530 P St. NW, DC 20005

Friday, March 23, 6:00 pm

Town Hall Education Arts & Recreation Campus (THEARC)

1901 Mississippi Ave. SE, DC 20020

Both screenings will be followed by a Q&A with director Kip Pastor, Bernie Prince of FRESHFARM Markets, and Jennifer Mampara of the FoodPrints program at Watkins Elementary School.

The film features DC organizations like Natural Resources Defense Council and the Center for Food Safety. Our goal is to inspire viewers to get involved with local organizations working on sustainable food solutions, and to take action at the community level.

Synopsis from Website: We can no longer stomach our food system. It’s killing more and more Americans and costing billions in healthcare. 73% of Americans eat organic food, because they think it’s healthier. But is organic really better for us or just a marketing scam? When corporations went into the business and “organic” became a brand, everything changed. The philosophy and the label grew apart. Can gummy bears or bananas flown halfway across the world truly be organic? 

This film looks beyond organic for practical solutions for me and you. Local farmer’s markets, school gardens, and urban farms are revolutionizing the way we eat. Change is happening from the soil up.

In Organic We Trust – Teaser #1 from Pasture Pictures on Vimeo.

Please come! Rooting DC is an annual, FREE, community and urban gardening focused forum, with over 500 attendees! Come, attend sessions to learn and get information about what is going on in your communities and how you can get involved. Want to know how you start your own garden or how to compost? Come to Rooting DC 2012!

Please feel free to pass this information and flier along to others – Hope to see you all there!

Follow us on Twitter @RootingDC as well as on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/rootingdc

We are so excited to announce that this year City Blossoms will be working with a group of children and youth at the Marion Street Intergenerational Garden to create our first ever Herb CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) Project. This is an exciting chance for local kids to learn basic business skills and improve their garden and herb know-how while sharing very-locally grown fresh herbs with neighbors. Shares are distributed every other week & include 3-5 bunches of herbs, recipe ideas, usage tips, facts about the herbs and updates on the garden. All proceeds will go towards supporting the garden and youth gardeners.

CSA DATES: late April through October 2011

COST: $60/ Share for the whole season (that’s less than $10/months for almost 7 months & can be paid in two $30 installments)

WHERE: Marion Street Intergernerational Garden, 1517 Marion Street, NW (near P Street)  Washington, D.C. 20001

The application to the CSA is available online. To learn more about City Blossoms or to become a CSA member contact info@cityblossoms.org or call 202.870.8158.

First Neighborhood Farm Initiative garden volunteer workday this Saturday!

Let’s get this growing season started! Starting this weekend, we’ll be out at our Fort Totten garden from 9am-1pm every Saturday, weather permitting.  We’ll be digging, doing an inventory of our irrigation supplies and sifting compost.  If it’s your first time volunteering with us, please show up for a short tour and orientation at 9am.  To join our email list to receive weekly volunteer opportunities, please subscribe to our newsletter

Neighborhood Farm Initiative hosts Trivia Night tonight- Wednesday March 2!

NFI super volunteers are hosting Trivia Night at Solly’s U Street Tavern (1942 11th Street NW) at 8pm. Support us by showing up and playing!  Let us know you’re coming on Facebook!

Neighborhood Farm Initiative is hiring and seeking interns!

Looking for a spring or summer part-time gig?  We’re seeking experienced gardeners to join our staff team, and enthusiastic interns to help out this spring and summer. Check out the position descriptions on our website!

ROOTING DC IS BACK

DC’s Field to Fork Network where all good things about urban gardening occur is hosting its 4th annual Rooting DC event.

Whether you have a GREEN thumb or not you are encouraged to come out and discover everything about urban gardening in DC. DC’s Field to Fork Network is an amazing organization that came together not all that long ago to help DC’s residents understand more about the opportunity that exists in their own backyards as well as area community gardens that exist around the District for public use.

If you have ever wandered around the District you sometimes come across these amazing garden spaces that have neighbors busy tending little Summer garden plots. Some community gardens are larger than others and there are more in some areas than others. Field to Fork has a great map of all the garden plots.

EVENT DETAILS - Pre Registration is required

Contact 202-638-1649

Saturday Feb 19th

Time – 9:30am 4pm

Location – Coolidge High School, 6315 5th St NW

Cross-posted from Green DC Daily: http://greendcdaily.com/dcs-best-urban-gardening-event

Rooting DC, our annual urban gardening forum is just around the corner!  We are just 2 weeks away from the big event!!

Rooting DC is a free, day long program with workshops, round-table discussions, lunch and an information fair that focuses on gardening, food, and healthy eating. We aim to educate the public, especially those in food insecure communities, on the production (growing), distribution (getting fresh food to people who need it), preparation (cooking and serving) and preservation (freezing, canning) of fresh produce that is grown locally, sustainably and without harmful chemicals.

The goals of Rooting DC are to:

·   Build community among groups and individuals who want to improve the health of our city through gardening and small scale agriculture

·   Share information and resources about gardening and access to affordable fresh food

·   Provide opportunity for DC gardeners to coalesce around specific areas of interest

·   Identify volunteer opportunities by creating a database of community-based garden projects

·   Keep gardeners connected via periodical e-newsletters that highlight volunteer opportunities, events and news from participants

The event will be held Saturday, February 19, 2011 from 9:30am-4:30pm at Coolidge High School 6315 5th Street NW.

Call us at 202-638-1649 now to pre-register!

We are pleased to announce that Michael Twitty will be joining us this year, speaking on Working Our Roots: Heritage Gardening to Heal Communities.  Mr Twitty is a recognized food historian, community scholar and living history professional of African American food and folk culture.  He is webmaster of www.afrofoodways.com, the first website devoted to the preservation of historic African American foods and foodways.  He is currently writing a new blog, Afroculinaria, further demonstrating his passion for food and its relationship to cultures of African descent around the world.  Check it out now!  afroculinaria.wordpress.com

Donate now to help support the forum!  Click here, and please note RDC in the comments section to earmark your donation.
Does your business want to sell its wares to 500 gardeners and healthy food advocates?  There are still vending tables available for $100/table!  Are you able to serve as a sponsor or a partner, by providing Rooting DC a tax-deductible contribution of $300+ (or with donated items or services for the event with a retail value of $300+)?  Email RootingDCForum@gmail.com for the details, or read our sponsorship letter online now.

DEADLINE TO REGISTER AS A VENDOR OR SPONSOR IS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4TH!