…Seers, contrarians, architects, mentors , connectors, bushwalkers, guardians, citizens….
Which are you?
And what about those others in your organization and market?
http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2013/05/how_to_lead_when_youre_not_in.html
Food Tank, one of my favorite new think tanks, is highlighting organizations worldwide doing good work. It’s a good list, although a bit of a surprise what is here and what is not…
http://foodtank.org/news/2013/05/forty-organizations-that-are-shaking-up-the-food-system
This week, the full Senate will take up the Farm Bill and $4.1 billion in cuts to SNAP are included.
You can join advocates in opposing these cuts here:
http://www.phi.org/policy-advocacy/take-action-oppose-cuts-to-snap-and-snap-ed/
Why not adapt this style for current farmers market initiatives?
WW 2 Victory Garden poster
If the market only speaks with its supporters, then it runs the risk of arming its detractors.
Richard McCarthy, MarketUmbrella founder and its E.D. for 18 years, now Slow Food USA Executive Director
By Judith Scherr and Doug Oakley
ALBANY — About 50 Occupy the Farm activists returned to a piece of land Monday evening to replant vegetables plowed under earlier in the day after UC Berkeley police arrested four protesters.
At the same time, a group of Albany residents opposed to the Occupy group brought a contingent of their own to the parcel along San Pablo Avenue.
“We want a grocery store here,” said Sylvia Paull, one of the anti-Occupy protesters. “We spent five years working with UC and Albany trying to get one here.”
The Occupy group said it would return next weekend to tend to the most recent crop it planted Monday evening.
“We’re not giving up on this land,” said Occupy spokeswoman and UC Berkeley student Lesley Haddock. “It’s one of the best pieces of farmland in the East Bay and UC wants to make it a corporate development. We don’t want development.”
http://m.ktvu.com/news/news/crime-law/police-raid-albany-occupy-farm-compound/nXpxj/
Accounting For Social Value
When organizations use social accounting practices, they are able to measure their performance in terms of benefits accrued to key stakeholders such as their communities, human resources, and those investing in the organization. This innovative change in accounting can lead to a fundamentally different perspective on the value of an organization. Through case studies of organizations that have implemented social accounting in the United States, Canada, India, and Scotland, Accounting for Social Value provides a unique perspective for understanding key issues in this growing field.
I hope all Slow Food leaders come visit us in May. If you do, let me know, I’ll be leading one of the tours.….
Slow Food USA National Leadership Conference
May 17 — May 19, 2013
New Orleans
Come to the French Quarter of New Orleans for a national gathering of Slow Food chapter leaders and volunteers. Connect with fellow leaders, experience the local culture and build your skills and knowledge in workshops designed just for you.
Who: Slow Food USA Chapter Leaders and Representatives
When: Friday, May 17 at 9:00am — Sunday, May 19 at 3:00pm
Where: Astor Crowne Hotel, 739 Canal Street (at Bourbon Street)
French Quarter, New Orleans
Highlights:
Town Hall Q&A with new Executive Director Richard McCarthy
Skills Building & Informational Workshops
Traditional Crawfish & Shrimp Boil Dinner (with Veg options!) at The Edible Schoolyard
Louisiana’s Ark of Taste Foods and Heritage Dishes
Slow Food Tent at the Bayou Boogaloo Festival
Cultural Tours & Side Trips
Live Jazz, fresh fish and fun in the heart of the French Quarter. Need we say more?
Jenga is the founder of Backyard Gardeners Network in Lower 9th Ward, raw food entrepreneur and in this video, is talking about her excellent work in the lower 9th ward section of New Orleans. Jenga’s garden will be on my Slow Food tour May 18th. If you believe in community food systems at their most collective and grassroots level, you may want to check her work out more and support her efforts:
This is one of my favorite pieces about New Orleans, written by Jenga as a response to a unworthy story by NYT about lower 9:
Jenga’s response to NYT
I have begun to take notes on the 799 page report released by the USDA last week (authored by Westat) on nutrition assistance programs managed at markets/with direct marketing farmers.
This (FM Ops) is the first completed phase of the 3 phases of research. Next will be a FM Client Survey, followed by a survey of organizations administering SNAP at farmers markets.
First, the data collection info:
2 parts to this research of FM Ops
First, 9 markets were interviewed in depth, picked by FNs based on their FNS regions and level of population below poverty level:
Eastern Market, Detroit MI
Peachtree Road, Atlanta GA
South Boston, Boston MA
Clark Park, Philadelphia PA
Market On The Square, Mobile AL
Fort Pierce, Ft. Pierce FL
Wytheville, Wytheville VA
Sitka, Sitka AK
Overland Park, Overland Park KS
Second, 1682 farmers markets and 570 direct marketing farmers were surveyed organized in 4 groups:
1. Those that were SNAP authorized and had redemptions between July 1, 2010 and August 31, 2011-77.4% (FMS) and 68.2% (DMFs) response among this group
2. Those that were SNAP authorized but had no redemptions between July 1,2010 and August 31, 2011- 69% (FMs) and 65% (DMFs) response among this group.
3. Those that were SNAP authorized and had redemptions between July 1, 2007 and August 31, 2010, but had no redemptions after August 31, 2010 – 56.8 % (FMs) response among this group -FNS did not differentiate FMs from DMFs until 2010 so there is no individual data on DMFs.
4. Never SNAP authorized- 51.8% (FMs) response among this group. Same issue as above in tracking DMFs so no numbers for that group in this stratum.
Westat also conducted focus groups with 2 markets in DC and Maryland, with some fascinating input from the participants:
“They don’t all make you feel that way, but sometimes you come across one that makes you feel a little bit like, ‘Oh, another EBT card.’ I don’t think they all do it and it’s not every time, but few and far between. They make you feel a little embarrassed, like a second class citizen.”
Much more to come…..
Posted by Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan, on April 29, 2013
“A study released today by USDA’s Economics Research Service, Characteristics of Women Farm Operators and Their Farms found that the number of women-operated farms more than doubled between 1982 and 2007. When all women involved with farming are added up – including primary and secondary operators – they are nearly one million strong and account for 30% of U.S. farmers.”
http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/eib-economic-information-bulletin/eib111.aspx
Helping Farmers Markets Grow 