Dawn’s got plans too

A few weeks ago we announced that we would be leaving Greensboro for the summer to do an internship at Growing Power in Milwaukee, WI. I noted that, since they didn’t accept married couples (apparently from trouble in the past), that we had to only put one candidate forward for the internship. Justin stepped forward and was accepted. My plan had been to spend a relaxing summer with my parents, visiting my sisters and friends as well. However, I too have been accepted for an internship. The farm is owned by Will Allen, founder of Growing Power. But this farm is rural, instead of urban like the one Justin will be at. No doubt, I will learn an immense amount in a relatively short time! And, I believe that we will even get to live together this summer!! We should be well prepared to come back to Greensboro in the fall and “hit the ground running!” Well, perhaps after a bit of rest and some time with the family.

Justin and Dawn are going on sabbatical

While the plans have been in the works for several months, the results are finally in: Justin has been accepted for an internship position at Growing Power in Milwaukee, WI. Growing Power, as noted in this earlier post, is a nonprofit organization that is doing many things that we as Urban Harvest want to do. Their mission is as follows: Growing Power is a national nonprofit organization and land trust supporting people from diverse backgrounds, and the environments in which they live, by helping to provide equal access to healthy, high-quality, safe and affordable food for people in all communities.  Growing Power implements this mission by providing hands-on training, on-the-ground demonstration, outreach and technical assistance through the development of Community Food Systems that help people grow, process, market and distribute food in a sustainable manner.

The internship is an intensive 60 hours per week for 12 weeks, and includes work in all aspects of community food system development, urban agriculture, small farmer outreach, and youth development through innovative sustainable approaches. You can learn more about Growing Power and their mission at www.growingpower.org

Rest assured, however, that Urban Harvest will continue to flourish under Giri (Daniel Leiker’s) leadership where our focus for the summer will remain with edible landscape installation. In the fall, when the Leonards return from the Midwest we plan to start a new branch of Urban Harvest by installing one or more high tunnels for fall and winter CSA production. We will provide an update as that progresses.

Continue to check back with our blog because we will be updating it with all of the fantastic things that are bound to happen this summer. And thanks for your interest!

Organic Growers Conference

Last weekend Justin and I spent an exciting, information-packed and inspiring weekend at the Organic Growers School’s 16th Annual Conference. The 2 days of hour and half classes ranged from alternative technologies (I took one about Biofuels, knowing essentially nothing from the start and another about Passive Solar Greenhouse Design), to soil sciences to culinary and medical herb arts and even to Homesteading. With 58 regular classes to choose from, plus lunch-time speakers and 8 half-day workshops, there were so many classes that we would have love to have taken. However, I feel empowered with the new knowledge I did pick up, and even more momentum to just get out and do it!

Beyond the classes, it was exciting to see so many young people. One of the classes I attended was called Getting onto Land: Creative Alternatives to Buying which was presented by  Bryan Busha Green of Carolina Farm Stewardship Association and Andrew Branan, Executive Director of North Carolina Farm Transition Network which reminded us that the average age of a farmer in the US is closing in on 60 and that tens of thousands of acres of farmland are being lost every year. Even though our work as Urban Harvest is in the city, I still feel that we are part of the community of agri-culturists whose lives are dedicated not only to growing food, but to conservation, progressive ideas and creative solutions. As far as I can tell, farmers are some of the most ingenious and industrious people in America.