Job closes next Wednesday, May 16.

Youth Garden Coordinator flyer (Word Document)

Youth Garden Coordinator flyer (PDF)

Please RSVP and purchase tickets through the event link here.

Training Needs Survey of Food System Professionals and Volunteers

We apologize for any cross-postings, but a high number of responses is critical to the value of this survey.Please share this message with your colleagues on listservs, blogs, Twitter, and other social media. The survey is open through May 31, 2012, and is open to practitioners throughout North America.

We are reaching out to folks involved with programs ranging from beginning farmers, farmland protection, food hubs, and food value chains to urban agriculture and community food security. American Farmland Trust, the Wallace Center at Winrock International, and the Michigan State U. Center for Regional Food Systems (formerly the C.S. Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems) have teamed up with the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development (JAFSCD) to conduct a survey of food system development practitionersin North America. The survey objective is to identify the specific challenges and training needs of current and prospective food system development practitioners. This anonymous questionnaire is largely simple checkboxes and should not take more than 10 to 15 minutes to complete.

For the purposes of the survey, a ”food system development practitioner” is anyone who, as a significant portion of their work, uses community development strategies in working with farmers, business people, government agency staff, local residents, or other persons or entities to create or strengthen the viability, equity, and sustainability of food systems.

We believe that improving knowledge and skills of practitioners will lead to more effective and efficient programs, and ultimately to more viable and sustainable food systems.

Thank you for your participation and for sharing this link with others! If you have any questions, contact Duncan Hilchey at duncan@newleafnet.com.

To complete the food system practitioner survey GO HERE!

Duncan

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Duncan Hilchey

Editor in chief, Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development

Click the image thumbnail to enlarge the full description of the position with BrainFood or download the PDF document by clicking on the link below:

May2012_Brainfood Community MVPs Summer Workshop Intern Job Description 2012 final

DC Prep is seeking gardening interns for the Summer of 2012 and the 2012-13 school year.  Interns will work with the Gardening Instructor at the Edgewood or Benning Elementary Campuses for a minimum of 10 hours per week.  This is an unpaid internship.

Check out their website for more information by clicking here!

CGCF’s programs provide hands-on training in food production, healthy eating and environmental sustainability. CGCF’s presence in a multi-cultural, multi- racial, multi-generational community creates an opportunity for people from all walks of life to spend time learning about healthy food, gaining access to it, and exercising in the process of growing it.

What We Seek: We are looking for a well-rounded and outgoing individual who brings strong administrative and program coordination skills. The Green Tomorrows Fellow should have an interest in and commitment to urban agriculture and the food justice movement. The Fellow will join a diverse team of highly committed and talented staff and volunteers. This position requires dedication and skill in working with adults from diverse backgrounds, personal and professional maturity, creativity, and commitment to the vision and mission of Common Good City Farm.

Position Summary

The Green Tomorrows Fellow is responsible for planning, organizing and managing all the activities of the Green Tomorrows Program. The Fellow will work closely with program participants to foster an appreciation for fresh, healthy food and self-reliance.

Primary Duties:

* Establish and maintain working relationships with local community organizations to expand awareness of the Green Tomorrows program—including churches, social services, civic and tenants’ associations, and Howard University.

* Maintain open lines of communication with participants and encourage regular attendance.

* In collaboration with the Urban Grower and Executive Director, plan and publicize meetings and harvest dinner(s) for participants.

* Assist workshop coordinator and instructors with recruitment and set-up for scheduled workshops for participants, including cooking demonstrations.

* Assist Urban Grower with distribution of weekly shares of produce to participants.

Administrative Duties:

* Manage schedules, attendance records, paperwork and administrative tasks related to the program.

* Conduct participant and program evaluation and keep accurate data for grant reporting.

* Organize Green Tomorrows program binders and gather resources for participants.

* Research recipes that are simple, easy to understand, and use farm produce— compiling recipes in a standardized format for use by Green Tomorrows participants.

* Other related duties may be assigned.

Competencies:

* Experience working with disadvantaged adults

* Friendly, outgoing demeanor

* Interest in urban agriculture and food systems work
* Passion for community relations and outreach
* Ability to organize and maintain good records
* Telephone and computer skills
* Comfort working outdoors, in diverse neighborhoods, and with a variety of age groups
* Spanish language proficiency a plus

WAGE: Stipend
HOURS: 20 hours/week (Tues/Wed/Thurs 3:00-7:00pm; Fri/Sat 9:00 1:00)
DURATION: May 2012-October 2012 (6 months)
REPORTS TO: Executive Director

HOW TO APPLY: Attach cover letter and résumé to an email to
jobs@commongoodcityfarm.org. Applications accepted on a rolling basis until position is filled. Common Good City Farm is an Equal Opportunity Employer and seeks to maintain a staff that reflects the diversity of our community and the population we aim to serve. We welcome applicants of all races, ethnicities, socio-economic statuses and sexual orientations.

Article by Leda Meredith

Wondering what to plant in those shady areas of your landscape? There’s no need to resign yourself to standard shade-fillers, like pachysandra and ivy, when you could be growing useful herbs that thrive in low-light conditions. While many culinary herbs do require lots of direct sunlight (like basil and oregano, which originated in the sunny Mediterranean), other herbs usually listed as full-sun plants will do just fine in partial shade. Parsley, anise hyssop, lemon balm and shiso are among the best herbs for dappled light or areas that receive only a couple of hours of direct sun daily.

Other, less-familiar herbs actually prefer shade. In nature, these plants can be found growing in the dappled light below trees, or at the edges of forests, where the sun shines directly on them for only a short time each day. These plants—which include wild ginger, spicebush and sweet woodruff—will do beautifully in a shady garden site, and will add enticing new flavors and aromas to your cooking.

For beds and borders shaded by trees, fences or buildings, try one or more of these seven stars for shade.

1. Sweet woodruff
2. Anise hyssop
3. Wild ginger
4. Parsley
5. Shiso
6. Lemon balm
7. Spicebush

Read more: http://www.herbcompanion.com/gardening/7-herbs-that-grow-in-shade.aspx#ixzz1piQdXXL0

Are you working to fix DC’s broken food system? Do you have a passion for fighting for food justice? Then come network with other individuals and organizations who share your passion at the DC Food Systems Organizing Workgroup New Member Orientation and Community Brainstorm Training. This conversation is for anyone who’s interested in organizing their communities around food justice, or who wants to better lead conversations about the food system with their neighbors, coworkers, or faith community.

New Member Orientation & Community Brainstorm Training
March 26, 2012 6:00-8:30pm
Center for Green Urbanism, 3938 Benning Road NE
RSVP to Angie Stackhouse, astackhouse@breadforthecity.org or 202-480-8916

The DC Food Systems Organizing Workgroup is a group of individuals and organizations who are working build a Food Policy Council in DC. See our previous blog post about what we’ve done over the past year. Right now we are reaching out to people that share the vision of creating a nourishing community in which all Washington, D.C. residents can enjoy a nutritious, safe, and culturally appropriate diet provided by a local sustainable food system that fosters health, equity, interdependence, and self-reliance.

The New Member Orientation and Community Brainstorm Training is part of this outreach effort.  The orientation is from 6:00 – 7:00, we’ll take a quick break, and then from 7:00 – 8:30 we’ll be doing a training on how to facilitate discussions about the food system in your own communities. Learn more about what the community brainstorms are here.

Please join us, and share the flyer (http://goo.gl/LYfNk) or this email with colleagues, friends, family, and neighbors you think might be interested.

Let’s get the conversation started and ignite a DC food revolution today!

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.