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| Southern SAWG Newsletter,
Volume 4, #8 | August 2008 |
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| Dear Friends, Mark Twain said, “Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.” Of course, farmers especially talk about the weather, and it seems that finally people may be doing something about it, but not necessarily for the good. In this issue we explore thoughts about the floods in Iowa, and begin looking at global warming and possible impacts of agriculture and other land uses. We also give you the scoop on the Southern SAWG Community Food Systems Training that took place in July, and hear from Leia Lewis, one of the participants, about her organization and how she will use what she experienced. Heading into fall, Southern SAWG board member Charlie Maloney and his family are preparing an exciting celebration and fundraiser at their Virginia farm, and on the national front, Farm Aid offers the opportunity to win scarce tickets by voting for your favorite farm hero! For this month, we wish you all the rain you need, but not too much. --Your friends at Southern SAWG |
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Sankofa Vision, Inc. is a non-profit organization located in Shreveport, Louisiana, with a mission based on art, culture, and community-building rooted in African American heritage. Sankofa’s director, Leia Lewis, describes their first project, Sankofa Gardens, as reflecting West African heritage: “Remembering the past to build our future.” The project teaches young people about the value of a community garden, and provides them the opportunity to explore agriculture as a career opportunity. “Being in Louisiana, many folks have roots on the farm,” says Lewis. “They have family connections, but the children are now disconnected. This is helping them understand agriculture and its importance to African American life.” Shreveport is in the northwest region of Louisiana known as ArkLaTex, and is surrounded by farmland where crops such as cotton, corn and soybeans have traditionally been grown. Many people in their community keep backyard gardens, but it is often the older people. The organization values intergenerational learning, respecting the wisdom and knowledge of elders, and appreciating the energy and enthusiasm of youth. They work to foster authentic and caring relationships, and welcome allies from all parts of the community, many of whom represent great cultural, socio-economic, and educational diversity. As a grassroots organization with a neighborhood focus, Sankofa Vision aspires to involve multiple local groups with the goal of finding and creating employment for people through agriculture. Lewis and her mother, Nannie Jordan Lewis, an educator, Sankofa board member, and active volunteer, set off for the Southern SAWG Community Foods Systems Training last month looking forward to expanding and deepening their knowledge of how to address their community’s food security and employment issues. Lewis says that they got that and more. “It was an extraordinary networking opportunity,” says Lewis. “We met inspiring people who are taking many different approaches, and were able to build relationships with other community garden programs.” They also were able to develop relationships with participants who are independent farmers, farmer co-op organizers, and people working in rural development and community food systems coalitions. Lewis found it valuable to focus on organizational development, including non-profit management, grant-writing, board development, and program evaluation. She especially appreciated that they went home with action steps that are user-friendly and easy to customize to their work. Another aspect of the training that Lewis praised was “curbside consulting.” This was an activity that took place on the third day, after two days of general sessions, where participants broke into smaller groups, sometimes meeting one-on-one if needed, to address their specific projects. Lewis sees Sankofa Vision standing in an opportune moment, at the ground level of disseminating knowledge in Shreveport. “We can now take on a community foods assessment,” she says. There is a lot of infrastructure already in place, including at least ten community gardens, many backyard gardens, a thriving new farmers’ market, roadside truck farmers, a new Slow Food convivium, and a new mayor, who she describes as a visionary. Leia Lewis and Nannie Jordan Lewis thank Southern SAWG and the other organizations and participants for the opportunity to learn and connect to further their missions. “It is all coming together.” Learn more about the exciting work of Sankofa Vision, Inc. Record flooding in the Midwest. Persistent drought in the Southeast. Tornadoes and hurricanes in increasing numbers and strength. Just the usual challenges from nature, or are we contributing to severe and destructive weather changes through global warming and unsustainable agricultural practices? According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, experts say that global warming may be causing floods to occur more frequently, and there is evidence that conventional agricultural practices have worsened the effects of flooding by altering the landscape's ability to hold water and mitigate floods. Referring to a recent article in The Washington Post, UCS’ FEED (Food & Environment Electronic Digest) cites practices such as straightening river courses, replacing deep-rooted prairie grasses with shallow-rooted corn, and draining wetlands, as among the activities that reduce the land's ability to hold water and lead to more devastating floods. One of the experts quoted in the Post article is Jerry DeWitt, director of the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University, who says, "We're farming closer to creeks, farming closer to rivers. Without adequate buffer strips, the water moves rapidly from the field directly to the surface water." For more information, read the article in The Washington Post... Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp, and Dave Matthews are headlining the Farm Aid 2008 concert, to be held September 20 in Mansfield, Massachusetts. All of the first row tickets to the concert have sold out. The only way to get them now is to enter their Farmer Heroes Sweepstakes. The grand prize winner will win a trip for four to the concert, including front row tickets, round trip airfare, and hotel accommodations. Winners will be announced September 2. Learn more about Farm Aid and the upcoming concert… Be part of an exciting regional gathering of non-profit leaders, farmers and ranchers, farmers’ market organizers, local foods activists, and more! The conference will feature top speakers on issues critical to independent agriculture. For more information… This workshop, led by Tony Kleese, will help you understand what you need to know and do to get your farm certified under the USDA's National Organic Program (NOP). Find out what the standards are, how to get certified, how to fill out an organic certification application, and how to find and choose a certifier. You’ll receive an extensive notebook with record-keeping templates, mock applications, resources, approved materials lists and more. If you are thinking about organic certification, this is the place to start! For more information and a registration form click here. |
Over two dozen strong women from six Southern states and territories met in Nashville, Tennessee, on July 21-23, 2008, to learn, teach, and provide mutual support for the various food and food policy projects that they are implementing in their home communities. In an intensive training program organized by the Southern SAWG Community Food Systems Program, the women broadened their knowledge and skills in organizational development and fund-raising, building and working in partnerships, project and program evaluation, and local and statewide Food Policy Councils. The program wasn’t intentionally designed to be a women’s conference, but it worked out that way, and a special camaraderie and interest in an enduring support network quickly developed. The meeting program and agenda were developed by Keecha Harris, the coordinator for the three Southern SAWG projects that provided financial support for the event. The three projects are: a Community Outreach project with funding from USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA); a Community Food Program project with funding from USDA Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES); and a local food policy project funded by a grant from the Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation.
While every participant contributed to the learning environment, special expertise was provided by Jeanette Abi-Nader of the Community Food Security Coalition and Darcy Freedman of the University of South Carolina, who presented information about program evaluation; Ruth Peebles of The INS Group in North Carolina, who assisted participants with their grant proposal development skills; Mark Winne of the Community Food Security Coalition, who presented practical information about developing local and statewide Food Policy Councils; and Keecha Harris of Keecha Harris and Associates, who brought new ways to think about program partnerships.
The event was marvelously hosted by the Food Security Partners of Middle Tennessee, coordinated by their director, Cassi Johnson. The wonderful meeting space at the Abintra Montessori School, the delicious locally produced meals, and the homegrown music, all contributed to a great atmosphere for learning. And the exciting work and robust partnerships of the Food Security Partners provided additional inspiration. Featuring a special dance performance  by choreographer Heather Maloney, daughter of Southern SAWG Board member Charlie Maloney.
A delicious farm-grown dinner will be served, with music, and a showing
of one of Southern SAWG’s renowned farm enterprise videos. Join Charlie, Miriam, Heather, Jason, Paul, and Katie Maloney, and many other great folks gathering at Dayspring Farm for this fun fund-raiser for Southern SAWG. Heather is an accomplished and creative choreographer and dancer whose work touches on many themes, especially reawakening our love for and connection with the earth. Weather permitting, she will perform outdoors at the farm, celebrating the blessings of good land, good food, and community. In the event of rain, the performance will take place in the beautiful new barn that Jason designed and built for CSA distribution, intern housing, and events like this. Dayspring Farm CSA member and professional caterer John Lowenthal will prepare a delicious locavore dinner from produce and meats grown at Dayspring Farm, and by Jason at nearby Four Winds Farm. A string quartet that includes another CSA member will provide live dinner music. After dinner, stay and watch one of Southern SAWG’s Natural Farming in the South video series, offering a virtual tour of one of the South’s most innovative family farms. The aim is to offer you inspiration and nourishment in exchange for your support for the vital work of Southern SAWG in assisting family farms and promoting sustainable, life-affirming food and farming systems throughout the South. The event will also feature a U-Pick Raffle, offering at least a dozen items ranging from fine art to fine food to practical items. What is a U-Pick Raffle? You can buy tickets at any time during the event, and place them in the bag(s) in front of the item(s) that interest you. One winner for each will be drawn before the end of the evening. Registration for the celebration is $25 for adults and teens, and $15 for children 12 and under. Please pre-register by September 15. Send a check, made out to Southern SAWG, along with your name(s) and number of adults and children attending, to: Charlie Maloney, Dayspring Farm, 942 Buena Vista Rd., Cologne, VA 23181-4010. Or call Charlie or Miriam at 804.785.9401 to let them know you are coming, and pay at the door when you arrive. Funds raised at this event will be used to help farmers with limited financial resources attend Southern SAWG's Practical Tools and Solutions for Sustaining Family Farms Conference in Chattanooga, Tennessee on January 21-24, 2009. This annual conference is a unique educational and networking opportunity, attended by some 1,200 farmers, advocates, and professionals from across the region. ~~~Dayspring Farm is located 6 miles northeast of West Point, VA. Take Rt. 33 east until it merges with Rt. 14 east. Where Rt. 14 again splits off from Rt. 33 then turn right on Rt. 14 east towards Gloucester, where it is also called Buena Vista Road. Continue one mile; Dayspring Farm is on your right at 942 Buena Vista Road.~~~
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Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group, Inc. (Southern SAWG) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded in 1991 to promote sustainable agriculture in the Southern United States. |
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