From ASFisher@aol.comTue Oct 3 02:33:37 1995 Date: Fri, 29 Sep 1995 23:48:35 -0400 From: ASFisher@aol.com To: sanet-mg@amani.ces.ncsu.edu Subject: Re: FOOD FROM THE HOOD AND INNER CITY GARDENING Howdy- Tammy Bird is the teacher who started Food from the Hood. Their address is Crenshaw High School 5010 11th Ave LA, CA 90043. Tel 213-295-4842; fax: 213-295-4658. It's quite an inspirational project, having visited there numerous times. You might also want to try Mike Hamm at the New Brunswick Urban Ecology project in NJ. His number is 908-932-9224; e-mail hamm@aesop.rutgers.edu They operate excellent gardening programs/youth training programs around inner city farmstands. If you need more ideas, let me know. I'd be interested in hearing what you folks are up to. Good luck, Andy Fisher Coordinator Community Food Security Coalition 310-822-5410 From MARCIEROSE@aol.comTue Oct 3 02:36:49 1995 Date: Sat, 30 Sep 1995 17:08:05 -0400 From: MARCIEROSE@aol.com To: lfisher@pearl.tufts.edu Cc: sanet-mg@amani.ces.ncsu.edu Subject: Re: FOOD FROM THE HOOD AND INNER CITY GARDENING You ask for it, you got it Food From the 'Hood Crenshaw High School 5010 Eleventh ave Los Angeles, CA (zip?) (213) 295-4842 Came about as the brainstorm of biology instructor Tammy Bird after the riots. There were no grocery stores in the area and she wanted to do something to get food to her students. She and her students started an on-campus garden. Melinda McMullin an LA advertising exec volunteered to help and has, I hear, been doing that virtually full-time since. They got a $50,000 grant from the Rebuild LA committee to start up a bottling line for salad dressing. The kids grow the herbs, bottle and sell the dressing. I believe there was an article on them in Newsweek last spring. Proceeds go back to the students in the form of scholarship funds. Marcie From MauiGarden@aol.com Tue Jan 10 23:47:24 EST 1995 Article: 5019 of alt.sustainable.agriculture Path: bigblue.oit.unc.edu!oit-mail2news-gateway From: MauiGarden@aol.com Newsgroups: alt.sustainable.agriculture Subject: Maui Community Garden Date: 11 Jan 1995 01:43:51 -0000 Organization: sustag-public mailing list Lines: 55 Sender: daemon@bigblue.oit.unc.edu Distribution: world Message-ID: <950110180332_4717241@aol.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: bigblue.oit.unc.edu Aloha from Hawaii. My name is Shay Chan. I am the Coordinator of the Ma'alaea Organic Community Garden on Maui. I am writing to you because I am searching for programs similar to ours. We are not a community garden in the usual sense of the word. Rather than rent out individual plots for private use by members of the community, our garden is made up of relatively large plots and raised beds. People help the garden -- weeding, sifting compost into soil, composting, building planter boxes, planting, etc. -- and in return , they earn the right to harvest a fair share of the produce. We also donate 50 to 100 pounds of food weekly to Maui's hungry. In 1994, we donated 3,308 pounds of organic produce. The mission of the Ma'alaea Community Garden is to promote a healthy, sustainable and self-sufficient community on Maui by teaching its citizens to respect and care for Maui's natural resources through organic gardening and composting. We've developed a community program to compost green waste and home kitchen compostibles, created a complete recycling center for the Ma'alaea community, and established a comprehensive composting demonstration site. We've also developed a youth education outreach program to teach life science to Maui school children through organic gardening and composting. On a recent trip to San Francisco and Portland, I learned that community gardens are relatively common, but projects such as ours seem to be rare. I know that there is such a thing as "Community Supported Agriculture" - which sounds similar to what we are doing. I know that there are programs in Santa Cruz but I don't know anything about them. I need to know about similar programs for various reasons: 1. to learn from you -- we've been around for five years, but have only been incorporated as a 501c3 for one, and we're constantly refining and redefining our program. 2. for credibility -- in our searches for funding and attempts to get full support from the county government, and to encourage similar projects around the island, it would help to know that other similar successful programs exist. I am currently putting together a program to bring the people we feed through the Maui Food Bank into the garden so that they can receive the educational, social, and therapeutic benefits of working in the garden themselves. Information about programs that are teaching people to feed themselves and helping resolve social and economic issues would also be very much appreciated. Mahalo (thank you). From avmeter@netaxs.com Tue Apr 18 01:58:35 EDT 1995 Article: 64318 of rec.gardens Path: bigblue.oit.unc.edu!concert!gatech!howland.reston.ans.net!news.moneng.mei.com!uwm.edu!msunews!netnews.upenn.edu!netaxs.com!unix1.netaxs.com!avmeter From: Anne VanMeter Newsgroups: rec.gardens Subject: Community/City Gardens Date: Mon, 17 Apr 1995 13:21:56 -0400 Organization: Net Access - Philadelphia's Internet Connection Lines: 15 Message-ID: NNTP-Posting-Host: unix1.netaxs.com Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Someone earlier posted a question about a community or city garden organization. I think she was from Chicago? Here in Philadelphia, the Pennsyvania Horticultural Society runs a "City Gardens Contest" Individuals may enter in categories such as indiv. vegetable or indiv. flower or combination veggie/flower or container garden or child's garden. Communities may enter vegetable or flower/sitting gardens, or city blocks with window boxes and sidewalk planters, or "The Greenest Block in Town" for yards and trees. I got the entry blank at the Phila Flower Show last month, mostly as a joke between a neighbor and I who have an unadmitted competition going on... Society information number is 215-625-8280... Anne (who is not sure her garden is good enough to be seen by JUDGES!!!!!) From kantola@u.washington.edu Thu Nov 10 23:50:28 EST 1994 Article: 47655 of rec.gardens Path: bigblue.oit.unc.edu!concert!inxs.ncren.net!taco.cc.ncsu.edu!gatech!howland.reston.ans.net!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!uwm.edu!reuter.cse.ogi.edu!netnews.nwnet.net!news.u.washington.edu!kantola From: kantola@u.washington.edu (Angeline Kantola) Newsgroups: rec.gardens Subject: Re: Urban Community Gardens Date: 10 Nov 1994 23:32:05 GMT Organization: University of Washington, Seattle Lines: 29 Message-ID: <39uahl$pbf@nntp1.u.washington.edu> References: NNTP-Posting-Host: carson.u.washington.edu In article , Boyd Zenner wrote: >Does anyone on the net have any experience with an urban >community garden program? There is some local interest in >starting one here, and I'd very much like to know about people's >experiences with such initiatives, along with any recommendations for >establishing a program or suggestions regarding sources of further >information. Either post or e-mail fine. Seattle has a *tremendously* popular program called the PPatch. Probably 20 'patches' of various sizes (maybe 10 to 100 plots per patch, depending on size of course), and there's always a waiting list. I shared a plot with my boyfriend this summer and loved it; hopefully I'll get a plot of my own for next summer. Plots are available year round (ca. $60/plot) or seasonally (like May through October; $30 and up/plot) and gardeners are expected to volunteer a certain low number of hours as well (helping maintain their plot, making phone calls, cutting Reemay, stuff like that as well as making improvements like building greenhouses or beginning/end of season special tasks). Pesticides and the like are banned outright; the folks who run the project are quite knowledgeable about organic gardening and help out newbies like myself. Surely more PPatchers are out here on the 'Net and can offer more info. Good luck with your program! Angie Kantola From rcoolman@u.washington.eduMon Oct 9 23:00:42 1995 Date: Mon, 9 Oct 1995 14:42:36 -0700 (PDT) From: "'Ralph' S. Curran" To: sanet Subject: RE: Seed Sources for Upland Rice and Asian Vegetables Dear Cyber-Friends, I am working in the City of Seattle on a Project that established community gardens in low income housing projects. Seattle low-income housing population is predominately southeast Asian refugees. So there is a great demand for the seeds of a wide variety of vegetable crops grown throughout southeast Asia. If anybody out there in Cyberspace knows where I can get southeast Asian vegetable seeds please send the information on to me. If anybody knows of seed catalogs that have a selection of asian vegetables please, please, please send that information on to me as well. In addition, I have a number of demostration plots in gardens throughout the city. Next summer I would love to have seeds for some varieties of upland (dryland) rice that I could cultivate as a demonstation to my fellow gardeners. I am currently working on a project at one of the gardens that uses bamboo as a building material. It has been incredible to see the positive effect having something familiar to work with has had on the southeast Asian gardeners. If you have any leads into sources of upland rice seeds for varieties that would be adapted to Seattle's conditions please pass that information on to me. Thanks in advance to everybody. Everybody in Seattle really appreciates the help. Dr. Ralph Coolman 811 62nd St. NW Seattle, WA 98107 rcoolman@homer.u.washington.edu Tel: 206-684-0264 From diane3000@aol.com Tue Apr 18 13:23:38 EDT 1995 Article: 63842 of rec.gardens Path: bigblue.oit.unc.edu!concert!gatech!howland.reston.ans.net!newsjunkie.ans.net!newstf01.news.aol.com!newsbf02.news.aol.com!not-for-mail From: diane3000@aol.com (Diane 3000) Newsgroups: rec.gardens Subject: community gardens,front yard gardens Date: 13 Apr 1995 11:07:03 -0400 Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364) Lines: 22 Sender: root@newsbf02.news.aol.com Message-ID: <3mjemn$5j0@newsbf02.news.aol.com> Reply-To: diane3000@aol.com (Diane 3000) NNTP-Posting-Host: newsbf02.mail.aol.com I'd like to hear stories from other gardeners about community gardens they have been a part of, or of efforts to create front yard gardens in urban areas. I, after a sewer replacement in my front yard, began a garden on the parkway in front of my house. Using the predictable list of Zone 5 favorites (daylilies, achillea, ageapodium, perovskia, rudbeckia, echinacea, geraniums, coreopsis, monarda, hosta,...) I created a nice, tough garden. I am also involved in a community perennial garden at a nearby park, and this spring we will be planting another near a park fieldhouse. The park garden gets little or no attention, except a semi-annual deadheading and bi-annual mulch, but thrives anyway. I'd be happy to share the list of durable plants that have survived there. We have a heavy clay soil, full sun and lots of foot traffic from football players. I am also interested in starting a front yard garden program in my neighborhood. I seem to recall reading many months ago of a town in New England that has instigated the planting of a large number of front yard gardens via a contest. Does anyone remember this town and program? I remember they had literature and lots of advice to share. Thanks, Diane in Chicago From kack0001@gold.tc.umn.edu Tue Apr 18 13:25:18 EDT 1995 Article: 64393 of rec.gardens Newsgroups: rec.gardens Path: bigblue.oit.unc.edu!concert!gatech!howland.reston.ans.net!spool.mu.edu!umn.edu!news From: Donald Kackman Subject: Re: community gardens,front yard gardens Message-ID: Sender: news@news.cis.umn.edu (Usenet News Administration) Nntp-Posting-Host: dialup-4-25.gw.umn.edu Organization: University of Minnesota, Twin Cities References: <3mjemn$5j0@newsbf02.news.aol.com> Date: Mon, 17 Apr 1995 02:59:36 GMT Lines: 46 diane3000@aol.com (Diane 3000) wrote: > > I'd like to hear stories from other gardeners about community gardens they > have been a part of, or of efforts to create front yard gardens in urban snip gardens via a contest. Does anyone remember this town and program? I > remember they had literature and lots of advice to share. > > Thanks, > Diane in Chicago Wow I was just thinking about this as i read an earlier post and was going to originate a thread on this subject. I live in the city and garden in my front yard for a number of reasons. The block on which I live is nice but very bland. Grey houses with little or no color. When I moved in there were some nieghbors around who had thier fronts somewhat landscaped but there really wasn't a lot of flowers out front even though many had back yard gardens. I though well that's a shame all this color and you can only see it from the alley. So I got out my trusty spade and began slowly turning over the hard backed sod and sifting out all that boring old bluegrass. I don't have the whole space filled which is my goal but I'm well on my way. About half is covered with various perrenials and space for annuals with more to follow soon (it's still a bit chilly here in zone 4) Not only do I get to enjoy all the flowers but passers by do as well (it's a fairly busy street) and plus with all the time I spend out in my front yard digging I've met more of my neighbors than I ever would have otherwise. In terms of what works; its been my experience that once the soil is turned and loosened almost anything will grow. I have deep black soil here (much to nice to waste on some stupid lawn). I have a couple of paths so the mail man can still cut across the yard and visitors can cut diagonally from the sidewalk to the front door. This seems to keep most foot traffic out of the flower beds. The squirrels started to dig up my sunflower seeds but a good dose of Cayenne pepper took care of that. And besides the tendency for blowing garbage to collect around my plants I haven't had any troubles and a lot of compliments. Don Kackman šD . eÁ .. š¢AACG šÈ$cg+related.organizations šÉ´cg+related-organizations.listFrom libby@igc.apc.org Tue Apr 18 13:24:21 EDT 1995 Article: 64051 of rec.gardens Path: bigblue.oit.unc.edu!concert!gatech!howland.reston.ans.net!math.ohio-state.edu!uwm.edu!lll-winken.llnl.gov!enews.sgi.com!news.igc.apc.org!cdp!libby From: Libby Goldstein Newsgroups: rec.gardens Subject: Re: community gardens,front yard gardens Message-ID: References: <3mjemn$5j0@newsbf02.news.aol.com> Date: Fri, 14 Apr 1995 11:17:28 -0700 (PDT) X-Gateway: notes@igc.apc.org Lines: 15 Some years ago the Allegheny West Foundation was involved in a "Front Yard Improvement" project here in Philadelphia. You can write them at 3415 Fox St. (don't have the zip, sorry) For info on Community Gardening and "Greening" projects throughout North America contact: American Assoc. of Community Gardens 325 Walnut St. Phila PA 19106 Good luck Libby From dawyd@dorsai.org Tue Nov 29 19:29:52 EST 1994 Newsgroups: rec.gardens From: dawyd@dorsai.org (David Gurzynski) Subject: Re: How do I start a community garden...? Date: Sun, 27 Nov 1994 16:44:58 GMT In article <3b6dig$mf1@garlic.com>, g-man@garlic.com (g-man@garlic.com) wrote: { Second question: has anyone had the experience of the city donating { a piece of land to be used for a community garden, if so was it a long, { drawn out process? { { and is there a book that someone highly recommends { that explains the details of community gardens? There are two organizations in New York City; The Green Guerillas, and Operation Green Thumb, that you might want to get in touch with. Operation Greenthumb 49 Chambers St NY NY (212)233-2926 The Green Guerillas 625 Broadway NY NY 10012 (212) 674-8124 David Gurzynski * Oh, some like trips in Luxury shops, and some dawyd@dorsai.org * in gasoline wagons, and others swear by the Brooklyn NYC * upper air and the wings of flying dragons...O Nash From ASFisher@aol.comWed Sep 13 11:13:19 1995 Date: Wed, 13 Sep 1995 00:08:48 -0400 From: ASFisher@aol.com To: sanet-mg@amani.ces.ncsu.edu Subject: Community Food Security Newsletter Fall 95 The Community Food Security News Fall 1995 Andy Fisher CFSC Po Box 209 Venice, CA 90294 310-822-5410 asfisher@aol.com For a hard copy, e-mail me your street address. [text deleted] For more information: Joyce Rothermel; Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, 412-672-4949. Doris Bloch; LA Regional Foodbank, 213-234-3030. Bill Bolling; Atlanta Community Food Bank, 404-892-9822. Leigh Hauter; Capitol Area Community Food Bank, 202 526 5344. Leslie Mikkelsen; Alameda County Community Food Bank, 510-568-3663. Maria Markham; Greater Boston Food Bank, 617-427- 5200. David Sharken; Western Mass. Food Bank, 413-247-9738 FROM THE FIELD Upcoming conferences: National Association of the Farmers' Market Nutrition Program, October 18-21; Santa Fe, New Mexico. Mark Winne, 203-296-9325. The American Community Gardening Association's Gardening: Pathways to Community, October 5- 8; Portland, Oregon. Leslie Pohl-Kosbau, Portland Parks and Recreation, 503-823-1612. The Marin Institute's Safe Communities: Toward a Comprehensive Urban Agenda, October 5-8; St. Helena, South Carolina. Sheila James, Marin Institute, 415-456- 0491. The 1995 Western Region Community Supported Agriculture, November 12-14; San Francisco. Jared Lawson, CSA West, 408-459-3964. Northeast SAWG, "Annual Harvest Fair Conference," October 10-11; Hebron, MA. Kathy Ruhf, New England Small Farm Institute, 413-323-4531. The California Sustainable Agriculture Working Group's Rural-Urban Partnerships for a Sustainable Food System, December 2-3; Menlo Park. Kai Siedenburg, CALSAWG, 408-458-5304. The National Congress for Community Economic Development' A Vision for Change through Community Economic Development, October 5-7; Portland, Oregon. NCCED, 202-234-5009. The E. F. Schumacher Society's 15th Annual E. F. Schumacher Lectures featuring Cathrine Sneed, Paul Hawken, and Kent Whealy, October 21; New Haven, CT. E. F. Schumacher Society, 413-528-1737. Projects and Studies Nationwide: The University of CT's Food Marketing Policy Center recently released a comprehensive study of the lack of supermarkets in 21 inner cities. Entitled, "The Urban Grocery Store Gap," it is available from Ronald Cotterill at 203-486-1927. San Francisco: The San Francisco League of Urban Gardeners Alemany Urban Youth Farm provides an integrated model for an urban farm. It includes community gardening, youth job training, a vinegar product microenterprise components, as well as a greenhouse, orchards, and appropriate technology. For more information, contact Muhammad Nuru, 415-285-SLUG Los Angeles: Venice High School has teamed up with the environmental organization Earthsave, Common Ground Gardening Program, and some of the best-known chefs in Los Angeles to implement the Healthy School Meals Program. This program will educate students on the environmental impacts of their food choices, assist the food service director in providing healthy alternatives in the school cafeteria, and revamp the school's extensive garden. For more information, contact Susan Campbell at Earthsave, 408-423-4069. Electronic Resources: SANET is a computer network dedicated to sustainable agriculture concerns. To sign up, e-mail to almanac@ces.ncsu.edu In the body of your e-mail, write PANUPS is the newsletter of the Pesticide Action Network. It covers many sustainable agriculture and pesticide related issues. To sign up, send e-mail to majordomo@igc.apc.org, and write in the body of the text Farm Bill Review covers a broad range of agricultural and nutrition concerns related to the Farm Bill. To subscribe, e-mail to iatp@igc.apc.org, and in the body of the e-mail write SNE_DSFS is an e-mail group for, but not limited to, members of the Division of Sustainable Food Systems of the Society for Nutrition Education. Information is shared on topics such as sustainable ag, food processing, food and ag biotechnology, CSA's, etc. To sign up, send a message asking to subscribe to carolg@umce.umext.maine.edu . From ASFisher@aol.comWed Sep 13 11:13:19 1995 Date: Wed, 13 Sep 1995 00:08:48 -0400 From: ASFisher@aol.com To: sanet-mg@amani.ces.ncsu.edu Subject: Community Food Security Newsletter Fall 95 The Community Food Security News Fall 1995 Andy Fisher CFSC Po Box 209 Venice, CA 90294 310-822-5410 asfisher@aol.com For a hard copy, e-mail me your street address. Act on the Act The Coalition's legislative efforts are now focused on getting the House's version of the Community Food Security Act enacted as legislation in the Senate. As of this writing, the bill is to be sponsored by Senator Leahy (D- VT, and minority chair of the Agriculture Committee, and hopefully Senator Lugar (R-IN, chair of the Agriculture Committee) and others. We are working over the next couple of weeks to get as many co-sponsors as possible. Enactment of Senate legislation will help ensure passage of the Act when the House and Senate go to conference. The Senate version will ask for $4 million a year, and hopefully will propose the same funding mechanism as the House. To support this effort, please call your US Senators immediately and ask them to express their support for Senator Leahy's CFS Bill. Also ask them to co-sponsor the bill. You may refer to HR 2003, or if you would like a faxed copy of the Senate legislation, contact us (See the "For More Information" box for our addresses). Time is of the essence! Thanks. ________________ FOOD BANKING: NEW IDEAS FOR THE 90S The times are a-changing for many food banks across the country. For the past decade or so, food banks have focused on meeting the emergency food needs of an ever increasing amount of hungry people. With conservative business leaders (with links to the food industry) as board members, food banks have in many cases shunned an advocacy role for a business model. Or as one food banker put it, "We're in the business of charitable food distribution." Nevertheless in recent years, a series of factors have encouraged an increasing number of food banks to take on projects that are a departure from their usual scope of operations. Let's take a look at these factors. Nutrition: The nutritional value of food bank donations has long been questioned. Highly processed and high fat foods, such as government surplus commodities, routinely compose a significant portion of food bank donations. Health concerns combined with the addition of nutritionists to many food bank staffs have raised interest in distributing more fresh fruits and vegetables to low-income communities. Reduced Donations: The advent of new more efficient management techniques such as total quality management and just in time delivery in the food processing and supermarket industries has substantially reduced corporate food donations. Similarly, government commodity donations have diminished and promise to do so even further with the cost-cutting mood of Congress. These concerns have led food banks to seek out new innovative forms of providing food as well as to redefine their role within the food system. Burn-Out: After 15 years of "emergencies", the emergency food system is becoming institutionalized. The level of hunger has not abated significantly since the "crisis" of the early Reagan era, and food bankers are continuing to see many of the same hungry faces year in and year out. This situation has led some food banks to consider prevention-oriented programs that attempt to put themselves "out of business." These factors have led food banks to increase their presence as community institutions, and develop food security related projects. Many of these projects revolve around gardening and farming while others focus on education and training. The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank's Green Harvest program is a comprehensive and ambitious foray into food production and distribution. Green Harvest has evolved since its inception in 1991 from a community gardening and gleaning program to include a community supported agriculture farm and three farm stands in public housing projects. Central to the philosophy of the food bank is a belief that the food bank is part of the community and has a social responsibility to make best use of its far reaching distribution network. The development of farmstands in isolated housing projects is an excellent example of the way in which the Food Bank utilizes its projects for multiple purposes and grounds them in community organizing. The farmstands not only achieve their objectives of increasing access to fresh foods, but also accomplish nutrition and environmental education goals through cooking demonstrations and farm tours. Like the Pittsburgh Food Bank, the Capitol Area Food Bank in Washington, DC also operates a community supported agriculture farm and farmstands. From the Ground Up operates three gardens/farms on 12 acres, producing over 60,000 lbs. of food last year. About 35% of the produce goes to the 125 members of the community supported agriculture arrangement, who subsidize much of the operating costs for the rest of the program. Another 10% or so is sold to restaurants and health food stores, and the other 50% is sold at well below market price through the seven farm stands. As with the Pittsburgh model, these farm stands were designed to increase community access to fresh foods in isolated areas. They also serve as economic development vehicles, providing part time jobs and profits for community organizations and churches. Leigh Hauter, director of the program, notes however that one of the primary reasons for the farmstands is to make connections and organize low income communities, while helping them to better understand questions of food security and environmental sustainability. In Los Angeles, the 1992 civil disturbances proved to be the impetus for the L.A. Regional Foodbank to become a more active force in its low income community through the development of a community garden. With federal urban greening funding, the Foodbank developed the 7.5 acre patch adjacent to its warehouse. Increased self-reliance is only one benefit for the garden's 150 members. Located in a neighborhood devoid of parks, the garden has become an important community place for meetings and celebration. Birthday parties and barbecues are common on weekends. The garden has been so successful (with an 80 person waiting list), that the food bank will be developing the second adjacent 7.5 acre parcel. The Foodbank now has two community gardening persons on staff, and is planning to assist pantries in developing their own gardens. Four hundred miles to the north in Oakland, the Alameda County Community Food Bank has been attempting to foster relationships between local growers and residential treatment programs. Motivated by a desire to help support small organic farmers while educating low-income consumers on seasonal eating and the environmental impacts of food production, the Food Bank project is the vision of staff nutritionist Leslie Mikkelsen. She notes that, "I feel that we have a role in the local food system. Because we are concerned about food security we should be concerned about preserving agricultural sustainability." The project has run into a few snags since its inception six months ago. Having run out of funding, the Project has yet to convince a treatment program to purchase directly from a farmer. Leslie thinks that this is because they have focused on high-priced organic produce and farmers who don't produce sufficient variety to meet the needs of the treatment programs. She notes that any future effort will most likely include larger scale growers (100-200 acres) and focus on local rather than organic agriculture. These are just a sampling of the many food security projects that food banks across the country are undertaking. In Atlanta, the Food Bank has developed an educational program with a Hunger 101 curriculum as well as hosts a community forum on affordable housing every month. The Greater Boston Food Bank operates the Kitchen Works Program which adds value to bulk and surplus foods to make nutritious alternatives. In Hatfield MA, the Western Massachusetts Food Bank operates a CSA farm much like the ones in Pittsburgh and Washington. For other food banks interested in taking on similar projects, a few common themes run through each of these organizations' experiences. * Financial sustainability: Find a way to keep the Project from draining the food bank's resources. Funders often like these kind of projects. Revenue generating arrangements like CSAs can provide an important subsidy. * Vision and Plan: Having an eye for where you're going can keep your project on-track and free from multiple side distractions. * Step by Step: Most successful projects added one component at a time. Don't try to solve all the problems at once. They'll wait for you. * Know Your Limitations: A couple food banks had to put a halt to their job training components of their programs once they realized that they weren't equipped to be providing the life skills training that the workers needed. For more information: Joyce Rothermel; Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, 412-672-4949. Doris Bloch; LA Regional Foodbank, 213-234-3030. Bill Bolling; Atlanta Community Food Bank, 404-892-9822. Leigh Hauter; Capitol Area Community Food Bank, 202 526 5344. Leslie Mikkelsen; Alameda County Community Food Bank, 510-568-3663. Maria Markham; Greater Boston Food Bank, 617-427- 5200. David Sharken; Western Mass. Food Bank, 413-247-9738 FROM THE FIELD Upcoming conferences: National Association of the Farmers' Market Nutrition Program, October 18-21; Santa Fe, New Mexico. Mark Winne, 203-296-9325. The American Community Gardening Association's Gardening: Pathways to Community, October 5- 8; Portland, Oregon. Leslie Pohl-Kosbau, Portland Parks and Recreation, 503-823-1612. The Marin Institute's Safe Communities: Toward a Comprehensive Urban Agenda, October 5-8; St. Helena, South Carolina. Sheila James, Marin Institute, 415-456- 0491. The 1995 Western Region Community Supported Agriculture, November 12-14; San Francisco. Jared Lawson, CSA West, 408-459-3964. Northeast SAWG, "Annual Harvest Fair Conference," October 10-11; Hebron, MA. Kathy Ruhf, New England Small Farm Institute, 413-323-4531. The California Sustainable Agriculture Working Group's Rural-Urban Partnerships for a Sustainable Food System, December 2-3; Menlo Park. Kai Siedenburg, CALSAWG, 408-458-5304. The National Congress for Community Economic Development' A Vision for Change through Community Economic Development, October 5-7; Portland, Oregon. NCCED, 202-234-5009. The E. F. Schumacher Society's 15th Annual E. F. Schumacher Lectures featuring Cathrine Sneed, Paul Hawken, and Kent Whealy, October 21; New Haven, CT. E. F. Schumacher Society, 413-528-1737. Projects and Studies Nationwide: The University of CT's Food Marketing Policy Center recently released a comprehensive study of the lack of supermarkets in 21 inner cities. Entitled, "The Urban Grocery Store Gap," it is available from Ronald Cotterill at 203-486-1927. San Francisco: The San Francisco League of Urban Gardeners Alemany Urban Youth Farm provides an integrated model for an urban farm. It includes community gardening, youth job training, a vinegar product microenterprise components, as well as a greenhouse, orchards, and appropriate technology. For more information, contact Muhammad Nuru, 415-285-SLUG Los Angeles: Venice High School has teamed up with the environmental organization Earthsave, Common Ground Gardening Program, and some of the best-known chefs in Los Angeles to implement the Healthy School Meals Program. This program will educate students on the environmental impacts of their food choices, assist the food service director in providing healthy alternatives in the school cafeteria, and revamp the school's extensive garden. For more information, contact Susan Campbell at Earthsave, 408-423-4069. Electronic Resources: SANET is a computer network dedicated to sustainable agriculture concerns. To sign up, e-mail to almanac@ces.ncsu.edu In the body of your e-mail, write PANUPS is the newsletter of the Pesticide Action Network. It covers many sustainable agriculture and pesticide related issues. To sign up, send e-mail to majordomo@igc.apc.org, and write in the body of the text Farm Bill Review covers a broad range of agricultural and nutrition concerns related to the Farm Bill. To subscribe, e-mail to iatp@igc.apc.org, and in the body of the e-mail write SNE_DSFS is an e-mail group for, but not limited to, members of the Division of Sustainable Food Systems of the Society for Nutrition Education. Information is shared on topics such as sustainable ag, food processing, food and ag biotechnology, CSA's, etc. To sign up, send a message asking to subscribe to carolg@umce.umext.maine.edu . WELFARE REFORM ANALYSIS Ed. note: Given the potential impact of proposed welfare reform legislation on the food security of low-income individuals, as well as its pressing nature, we have chosen to focus this page on the welfare reform debate and legislation currently making its way through Congress. This article presents a synopsis of the Dole bill- the one most likely to be acted upon, followed by a summary of the negative effects that this bill would have on low-income persons. If passed, this bill would have to reconciled with the House version (HR4) in conference committee, and then signed or vetoed by the President. Frank Tamborello, Southern Calif. Interfaith Hunger Coalition Senator Dole's proposal is called S. 1120. It contains a total of $16 billion in food stamp cuts over five years. The cuts include an across the board reduction in benefit levels, a reduction in the allowable standard deduction, a repeal in increases in the minimum benefit level, a repeal in the increase in the value of a vehicle that the household may own, and a change requiring energy assistance to be counted as income in determining food stamp eligibility. In addition, the Dole bill includes an option for a state to decide to block grant the food stamp program. Once the state did this, it could not return to the federal food stamp program. Benefits would have to be in the form of coupons, commodities, or through electronic transfer (not cash). 80% of the block grant funds would have to be used for food. Some Senators may offer amendments to increase state legislation involvement in the decision to choose block grants over the federal program. Dole's bill cuts the child nutrition programs by over $2 billion over 5 years. Most of the cuts are reductions in reimbursement rates for children who pay full price for school to provide child care under any circumstances. Among the expected amendments: reduction of federal funding if a state does not maintain its current level of welfare spending, and additional funding for child care. Ed Bolen, CFPA We urge you to contact the White House, 202-456-1414, to express your opposition to any legislation that contains the following components. Block Grants: Block grant proposals, for AFDC as well as Food Stamps, would remove the entitlement status of these programs which is a guarantee that those that fulfill all eligibility requirements would receive aid. In the current proposed legislation, people who need help may not get it because the state could simply run out of money. Without entitlements, a state recess, local plant closure or natural disaster would result in more need for assistance without any guarantees. Loss of funding: All proposals include deep cuts to nutrition and cash assistance programs, and remove a state maintenance of effort requirement that would allow states to cease funding AFDC and other programs. Removal of Federal Standards: Especially for nutrition programs, federal rules ensure equal access and program quality. Time Limits for Aid: The five year time limit is arbitrary, doesn't take into account individual situations and needs, and ignores the deeper need for job training and child care. Denial of Aid to Legal Immigrants: Denying benefits to recent immigrants and those that are unable to make it through the citizenship process is discriminatory and based on the myth that immigrants are draining our resources. Child Exclusions: Denying aid to unmarried teenage mothers, children born to women on assistance and cutting benefits until paternity of the children is legally established unfairly punishes the children and struggling families.