The Seeds of Change - Groups Doing Good Work

Monday, May 12, 2008

If you're paying attention to food and agriculture, you've probably noticed that there's been a lot of bad news lately -- climate change, environmental destruction, high gas prices, rising food prices, global food riots, the organic sector being taken over by corporate agribusiness, etc., etc. It's f-ing depressing, right?

BUT there is also a lot of good news! It just does not make the front page of the paper as often as the bad stuff for some reason...

I want to introduce you to just a few of the hundreds of wonderful organizations around the country that are doing amazing work around food and farming.

These organizations are the seeds of change we so desperately need. Their missions run the gamut from creating farmers markets to training and supporting new organic farmers to connecting local farms with local schools and school lunch programs to feeding the hungry in our urban centers with surplus food from organic farms to creating thriving urban gardens and farms to teaching former prisoners and other disadvantaged populations how to run successful organic gardens and much more!

There are far too many to list them all out here so I've created a spreadsheet so that you can browse through them and find ones doing good work near you. I've included their web site addresses so that you can learn more about any that might interest you.

Click here to check out these great groups now.

I plan to continue to keep this sheet updated and would LOVE to add new groups so don't be shy about suggesting any that you know of that are not included already - just make your suggestion via comments and please try to include a website address.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

A new organization for the spreadsheet:

Ecotrust, Portland, OR
http://www.ecotrust.org/foodfarms
Contact: 503.227.6225, foodinfo@ecotrust.org

Ecotrust's Food and Farms program works to create a vibrant regional food system where sustainability is the underlying value of the mainstream food system - the norm rather than the exception. Our key objective is to improve public understanding of local agriculture and increase the market share of locally grown food. Our initiatives include: Farm to School, Edible Portland magazine, Building Local Food Networks, and the Guide to Local and Seasonal Products.

Anonymous said...

Your site was recommended to our organization; perhaps we can be included on your site as an organization working on sustainable food/farming issues.

marketumbrella.org initiates and promotes the ecologies of local economies by developing markets, mobilizing people and resources, mentoring emerging leaders, and modeling best practices.

marketumbrella.org
New Orleans, LA
www.marketumbrella.org

Eve Fox said...

Thanks Laura! I've added Ecotrust to the list.

And Marketumbrella admin, I'll add you to the list as well.

Anonymous said...

Another one for the list;

Community Services Unlimited Inc.

check out csuinc.org

Eve Fox said...

Thanks, CSUINC is also on the sheet now.

jessicadridgeway said...

another program. . . Live Earth Farm and the yet unnamed partner nonprofit Live Earth Agricultural Discovery Program. We offer farm to fork education on a small organic farm participating in local food systems through farmers markets a 650 member CSA. www.liveearthfarm.com

PJ Barnes said...

Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA) www.buylocalfood.com
CISA links farmers and communities to stregthen agriculture and enhance the economy, rural character and social well-being of western Massachusetts.

Eve Fox said...

Jessica and PJ, I've added your suggestions to the list.
Thanks,
E

Anonymous said...

Great list, and thanks for doing it, but how'd ya manage to compile that list without including Slow Food? 150 chapters nationwide, 15K membership, 100K worldwide membership in 80 countries, all dedicated to a food system that's good, clean and fair.

Check us out at www.SlowFoodUSA.org.

Also, all the groups on your list should be aware of Changemakers Day at Slow Food Nation. It's a part of the 4-day festival that will be dedicated to bringing all these sorts of groups together in the common goal. Learn more at www.SlowFoodNation.org

Corinne said...

Hi, can you add LightBox Theatre Company to the list? Our multi-year Food Theater Project uses the arts to raise awareness of food issues through both our own work and our new after-school program for teens in New York's 5 boroughs. www.lightboxtheatre.org.
Thanks!

Koren said...

Great list. I would add:

Native Seeds/SEARCH in Tucson, AZ
http://www.nativeseeds.org/v2/default.php

www.ifoods.tv said...

Hi There

I just stumbled upon your blog and think it is an excellent read for foodies and especially like the photos and design of the blog.I started off as a blogger myself and realise the importance of a good clean design like you have here. I have now bookmarked it for myself to read and have added you to our new list of "all the food blogs in the world" on www.ifoods.tv which we have been compiling for the last month! Hopefully it will send you some traffic in the long run. Looking forward to reading your thoughts on food so keep up the good work and talk soon. Cheers

Eve Fox said...

Koren, I've added Native Seeds.

And thanks Private Chef - glad to hear it!

Eve Fox said...

Hey Kurt, I've added Slow Food to the list - thanks for pointing out the oversite.

Mark Musick said...

Thanks for creating your list. I encourage you to add Tilth, which is a network of 8 organic farming and gardening organizations in the Pacific Northwest. Currently there are about 2,000 Tilth members in local and state-wide organizations in Oregon and Washington. To learn more about Tilth, please visit the websites below:

Oregon Tilth
www.tilth.org

Seattle Tilth
www.seattletilth.org

Sno-Valley Tilth
www.snovalleytilth.org

South Whidbey Tilth
www.southwhidbeytilth.org

Spokane Tilth
www.thefutureisorganic.net/spotilth.htm

Tilth Producers of Washington
www.tilthproducers.org

Vashon Island Growers Association
www.vigavashon.org

Monday, May 12, 2008

The Seeds of Change - Groups Doing Good Work

If you're paying attention to food and agriculture, you've probably noticed that there's been a lot of bad news lately -- climate change, environmental destruction, high gas prices, rising food prices, global food riots, the organic sector being taken over by corporate agribusiness, etc., etc. It's f-ing depressing, right?

BUT there is also a lot of good news! It just does not make the front page of the paper as often as the bad stuff for some reason...

I want to introduce you to just a few of the hundreds of wonderful organizations around the country that are doing amazing work around food and farming.

These organizations are the seeds of change we so desperately need. Their missions run the gamut from creating farmers markets to training and supporting new organic farmers to connecting local farms with local schools and school lunch programs to feeding the hungry in our urban centers with surplus food from organic farms to creating thriving urban gardens and farms to teaching former prisoners and other disadvantaged populations how to run successful organic gardens and much more!

There are far too many to list them all out here so I've created a spreadsheet so that you can browse through them and find ones doing good work near you. I've included their web site addresses so that you can learn more about any that might interest you.

Click here to check out these great groups now.

I plan to continue to keep this sheet updated and would LOVE to add new groups so don't be shy about suggesting any that you know of that are not included already - just make your suggestion via comments and please try to include a website address.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

A new organization for the spreadsheet:

Ecotrust, Portland, OR
http://www.ecotrust.org/foodfarms
Contact: 503.227.6225, foodinfo@ecotrust.org

Ecotrust's Food and Farms program works to create a vibrant regional food system where sustainability is the underlying value of the mainstream food system - the norm rather than the exception. Our key objective is to improve public understanding of local agriculture and increase the market share of locally grown food. Our initiatives include: Farm to School, Edible Portland magazine, Building Local Food Networks, and the Guide to Local and Seasonal Products.

Anonymous said...

Your site was recommended to our organization; perhaps we can be included on your site as an organization working on sustainable food/farming issues.

marketumbrella.org initiates and promotes the ecologies of local economies by developing markets, mobilizing people and resources, mentoring emerging leaders, and modeling best practices.

marketumbrella.org
New Orleans, LA
www.marketumbrella.org

Eve Fox said...

Thanks Laura! I've added Ecotrust to the list.

And Marketumbrella admin, I'll add you to the list as well.

Anonymous said...

Another one for the list;

Community Services Unlimited Inc.

check out csuinc.org

Eve Fox said...

Thanks, CSUINC is also on the sheet now.

jessicadridgeway said...

another program. . . Live Earth Farm and the yet unnamed partner nonprofit Live Earth Agricultural Discovery Program. We offer farm to fork education on a small organic farm participating in local food systems through farmers markets a 650 member CSA. www.liveearthfarm.com

PJ Barnes said...

Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA) www.buylocalfood.com
CISA links farmers and communities to stregthen agriculture and enhance the economy, rural character and social well-being of western Massachusetts.

Eve Fox said...

Jessica and PJ, I've added your suggestions to the list.
Thanks,
E

Anonymous said...

Great list, and thanks for doing it, but how'd ya manage to compile that list without including Slow Food? 150 chapters nationwide, 15K membership, 100K worldwide membership in 80 countries, all dedicated to a food system that's good, clean and fair.

Check us out at www.SlowFoodUSA.org.

Also, all the groups on your list should be aware of Changemakers Day at Slow Food Nation. It's a part of the 4-day festival that will be dedicated to bringing all these sorts of groups together in the common goal. Learn more at www.SlowFoodNation.org

Corinne said...

Hi, can you add LightBox Theatre Company to the list? Our multi-year Food Theater Project uses the arts to raise awareness of food issues through both our own work and our new after-school program for teens in New York's 5 boroughs. www.lightboxtheatre.org.
Thanks!

Koren said...

Great list. I would add:

Native Seeds/SEARCH in Tucson, AZ
http://www.nativeseeds.org/v2/default.php

www.ifoods.tv said...

Hi There

I just stumbled upon your blog and think it is an excellent read for foodies and especially like the photos and design of the blog.I started off as a blogger myself and realise the importance of a good clean design like you have here. I have now bookmarked it for myself to read and have added you to our new list of "all the food blogs in the world" on www.ifoods.tv which we have been compiling for the last month! Hopefully it will send you some traffic in the long run. Looking forward to reading your thoughts on food so keep up the good work and talk soon. Cheers

Eve Fox said...

Koren, I've added Native Seeds.

And thanks Private Chef - glad to hear it!

Eve Fox said...

Hey Kurt, I've added Slow Food to the list - thanks for pointing out the oversite.

Mark Musick said...

Thanks for creating your list. I encourage you to add Tilth, which is a network of 8 organic farming and gardening organizations in the Pacific Northwest. Currently there are about 2,000 Tilth members in local and state-wide organizations in Oregon and Washington. To learn more about Tilth, please visit the websites below:

Oregon Tilth
www.tilth.org

Seattle Tilth
www.seattletilth.org

Sno-Valley Tilth
www.snovalleytilth.org

South Whidbey Tilth
www.southwhidbeytilth.org

Spokane Tilth
www.thefutureisorganic.net/spotilth.htm

Tilth Producers of Washington
www.tilthproducers.org

Vashon Island Growers Association
www.vigavashon.org