On Saturday, January 14th, I attended the Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) Conference. Having only worked for BAG for one week, this was the first event that I have attended and I still had a lot to learn about the organization itself. Luckily, I had the pleasure to be trained on the spot by the knowledgeable intern, Natalie. As the day progressed, I became more comfortable talking about the organization to others. One thing that struck me was how easy it was to tell people about this organization. Once people learned our mission, they saw the intrinsic value in the role and service of this organization. In other words, the mission of this organization sold itself.Gleaning was the word that caught peoples attention most whether it was because they knew the religious reference or because they were interested to know what it meant. In fact Natalie and I both learned that gleaning is not only a Biblical term, but it is also used in the Koran. In the Bible, verses in Exodus (23:10-11) and Deuteronomy (14:28-29; 24:19-21) stress the need for farmers to leave some produce behind for those in need. Leviticus (19:9-10; 23:22) actually mandates leaving the corners of the fields to be gleaned by the poor/stranger. Similarly, in the Koran, emphasis is put on one’s duty to give to charity and not to leave anything to waste (6.141). Additionally, Mary is specifically mentioned as a gleaner in Egypt. (http://humweb.ucsc.edu/gleaningstories/html/charity.html) The historical and religious foundation of gleaning further gives this organization an intrinsic value in society that has been needed throughout all times. Another inspiring note that Natalie and I learned throughout the day was the increased interest in gleaning. Several people from other areas of Massachusetts as well as Connecticut, New York, and Maine came up to us and were interested in starting or learning about gleaning initiatives in their area. Similarly, many farmers from other states and western Massachusetts told us of their desire for a gleaning operation near them or informed us that they were already delivering the surplus produce to food pantries directly! It appears as though overall the idea of gleaning is becoming increasingly popular. This is also promising for the new Massachusetts gleaning program that is just now being started by the Massachusetts agriculture department. During the workshops, Natalie and I visited the other tables that were set up. I was most intrigued by the variety of ways that mushrooms were being used and displayed. First I drank coffee that had been brewed with mushrooms. The organization told us that they wanted a convenient way for the American public to receive the health benefits of mushrooms without having to eat them. Since coffee is one of the most consumed beverages in the United States they decided that this was a perfect venue for slipping mushrooms into every day diet. I tasted a sample and while it had a hint of mushroom, I’m not sure I would have noticed it had I not known about the mushrooms initially. However coffee was not the only drink I consumed that had been infused with mushrooms. Natalie and I were also offered mushroom tea which turned out to be surprisingly mild and tasty. Even our lunch was filled with mushrooms. Well not mushrooms in our food but in our conversation. We ended up eating with a man from Maine who was giving a workshop on mushrooms. We had a very pleasant conversation about picking wild mushrooms and I even got his card to pass on to one of my professor’s at Colby. Overall I had a great time representing BAG at the NOFA Conference. Even though I have only been interning with BAG a couple of weeks now, I have enjoyed my work so far and meeting the people who work with BAG. Bright and early on Saturday January 14th I got up to go to the Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) Conference in Worcester! It was the first time I’d ever been to a NOFA event, the first time I’d met my fellow intern and ride, Kat, and the first time I’d been to Worcester, which I still mentally call War-chest-er. Nonetheless, the day proved to be a success, tiring as these events always seem to be but interesting, fun and educational.The event started off slow with people trickling in for registration, looking for coffee and friends and scanning the booths of wares. Kat and I set up our own table, full of information, our T-shirts, totes, brand new notecards and pictures of our volunteers. More and more people began showing up before the first workshop started at 9am, and Kat and I began answering questions, telling people about the work BAG does and also how they could be involved. With all sorts of people coming up to us we had some trouble determining who was a farmer, who was local, and who thought we were the registration table!
Nonetheless the people were always friendly and we got many interested people who were amazed that an organization like BAG existed. Some were immediately invigorated with the possibilities of expanding this type of work and one friendly man, after hearing only a sentence or two about what we did immediately asked if we took donations, handed over a crisp $50 bill, thanked us for our work and walked away. In fact in the three events I’ve been to representing BAG I’ve noticed that this behavior isn’t unusual. Typically once an event we meet a kind samaritan who is so inspired by the work we do that they immediately donate. Additionally Kat and I were able to meet Representative McGovern, who in October co-sponsored a bill currently before the House to provide a tax credit to gleaners. Ironically I had been telling people about this new bill, which would give farmers a twenty-five cent per mile tax credit for transporting their crops to non-profits, all day before suddenly the man who had proposed it showed up in front of us. After firmly shaking my hand Rep. McGovern talked fondly about his time gleaning on Food Day as I told him how we had been able to go gleaning at The Food Project with Governor Patrick. After taking our brochure and wishing us well, Rep. McGovern moved on, speaking with one of his constituents who had approached him as we talked. In between the sessions Kat and I were able to wander around the other booths and stalls set up at Worcester State and I became particularly enamored with the beehive one woman was displaying. Throwing question after question at her, I was delighted to learn about the temperature of bee hives, how to capture my own bee swarm (after my Dorm days are over of course) and that urban bees often have less exposure to pesticides since their typical range does not include heavily pesticide-covered farms (not with NOFA farmers though!). Later in the day one of our most active volunteers, Allison, stopped by our table and we talked bees again! As an urban beekeeper Allison shared some of what she’s learned, and in typical gleaner fashion we also discussed recipes for kale, a standard conversation topic for any BAG trip. On our next break we ventured into another room and I was able to taste some local honey and ended up purchasing some Blueberry Blossom honey which Kat and I agreed was the best. Further down the aisle I explored books about canning and preserving and then spoke with a man about Kohlrabi, which we had gleaned on my last trip at Kimball Fruit Farm. He let us sample the largest Kohlrabi I have ever seen while discussing his favorite recipes for radishes and other root vegetables. I also heard about Ganoderma, a mushroom that benefits many medical conditions and is being sold to Americans in coffee, and was able to learn about our table-mates, the Quabbin Regional High School Gardening Program, an amazing group of high schoolers who not only run their own garden but also sell their produce at a local farmer’s market, create salves and lotions from their crop and harvest their seeds to sell and for future use. At the end of the day I had accumulated a page of information from farms to look into to a woman to contact in relation to my Senior Thesis paper! Also on the page were suggestions Kat and I had brainstormed for expanding and improving BAG and on our way home we talked them over and remarked on the people we’d met and things we’d learned. Driving back to Boston with the sun setting behind us, we were happy to have had, if nothing else, the opportunity to talk about food and our interests all day to a diverse set of people. -- Natalie, BAG Intern Title: 8:30 a.m 4th Annual Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation Regional Symposium
Location: Museum of Science Date: 2011-11-02 Link out: Click here Description: An inspiring and energizing conversation with MacArthur "genius" Fellow, Majora Carter and other leaders developing healthy communities in the region. Breakfast and Lunch served! Hosted by Harvard Piligrim, whom BAG is proud to have recently received a grant from. Title: Mass. Climate Action Conference
Location: Stata Center, MIT, 32 Vassar Street, Cambridge (Kendall Square) Date: 2011-11-13 Link out: Click here Description: A full-afternoon Train-the-Trainer session led by Dr. Larry Susskind of MIT and founder of CBI, the Consensus Building Institute, will give you the tools you need to break down the barriers to collaboration and get your community moving on climate change. The afternoon will involve a scenario-planning simulation that gives you the understanding of how to work with anyone in your community, no matter what their “beliefs” about climate change, and engage them in scenario planning for the challenging times we all face in the wake of climate change. We will also run a selection of morning workshops (see list below) to support and augment your skills and knowledge as the front lines of the local climate movement. On October 24th, 2011, BAG spent this year’s Food Day gleaning with Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick at the Food Project in Lincoln Massachusetts. In honor of the event, BAG invited our Board of Directors, their families, our interns, and a devoted volunteer Todd Kaplan, to come join as we showed Governor Patrick a day in the life of a gleaner. The day mirrored a typical volunteer event, except of course, for the cameras and press conference. Governor Patrick spent the morning getting his hands dirty gleaning carrots with the Director of Agriculture at The Food Project, Tim Laird, and BAG’s Executive Director, Laurie “Duck” Caldwell. The Governor helped BAG to glean 5.5 bushels of carrots, while Food Project staff and BAG’s Board of Directors gleaned 10 bushels of collards and 9 bushels of kale, all of which was delivered to Food For Free for distribution the following day. Being one of the most organized gleaning networks in the state, BAG was asked to work with the Department of Agriculture organizing this event in the weeks preceding Food Day. Although a celebration for the renewed national holiday, Governor Patrick’s visit also marked the launch of a new state-wide initiative, the Massachussetts Gleaning Network. This gleaning network is hopefully the beginning of more volunteer groups forming the successful kinds of relationships with farmers that BAG is proud to have established. Even though gleaning is mostly a spur of the moment opportunity, BAG can provide a model and inspiration for these groups. For those aware of the recent rising interest in food production, food equity, and the food system in general, it is not surprising that Food Day has started up again. Through BAG’s participation in events such as the Boston Local Food Festival and Harvard Urban Agriculture Fair, we have found that there is a growing interest in where our food comes from, how it is produced, and who has access to it. Many of the people we speak to at these events echo a desire to reconnect with their food, and BAG is proud to have given Governor Patrick that opportunity. Would you like that opportunity? Think you’d enjoy getting your hands dirty and harvesting local food for hunger relief? Check out our volunteer page for how you can get involved and glean just like the Governor! Read more about the event at the Food Project's blog here or in the Governor's press release. Watch a video of the event courtesy of Governor Patrick's website. Title: It Takes A Region 2011:A Working Conference to Build our Northeast Food System
Location: Albany, NY Link out: Click here Description: It Takes a Region... the conference for everyone doing food system change work! A conference to learn about and build on exciting efforts underway in our region in production, distribution logistics, research, messaging, food access and nutrition, policy advocacy and more. They welcome new participants – especially emerging food system leaders and community activists. They will address issues such as food system worker equity, food production and diet, and climate, energy and agriculture. We'll tackle our region's agenda for the 2012 Farm Bill. Start Date: 2011-11-11 End Date: 2011-11-12 Title: Film Screening: Food Fight
Location: Museum of Science Link out: Click here Description: Since facing the food problems of undersupply and malnourishment in the 1920s and 1930s, American agricultural policy has grown to promote a system that boasts big farms and even bigger food processing conglomerates that favor cheap commodities and long shelf life over fresh, healthy, flavorful food. Food Fight offers a fascinating look at how this food culture developed, and how the California food movement in the 1960s created a counterrevolution with values centered on local, tasty ingredients and healthy meals. From the Farm Bill to our daily food choices, we have the power to share in this revolution. Join us for this film screening and discussion to learn how. Start Time: 03:00 p.m. Date: 2011-10-24 End Time: 5:00p.m. Title: Film Screening: Going Green
Location: Museum of Science Link out: Click here Description: Health Hero. Prophet of Local. Eco-Industrial Strategist. Economic Pioneer. Intrepid Boundary Breaker. These all apply to one person--Peabody Award-winning radio broadcaster and MacArthur "genius" fellow Majora Carter. In 2001, Carter redefined environmental-equality through one of the nation's first green-collar job training and placement systems, coining the term "green the ghetto." She began this decade as one of Fast Company magazine's "100 Most Creative in Business" with her groundbreaking consulting company that offers analysis and advice on climate-adaptation, urban micro-agribusiness, and development strategies for business, government, foundations, universities, and economically under-performing communities. Her firm specializes in advanced urban agriculture job creation and food distribution systems that transcend the limits of good-nutrition educational efforts by building economic imperatives for all people to do better. Join Carter as she shares inspirational lessons of how we can bring out the best in our communities and ourselves--and move forward, together. Start Time: 07:00p.m. Date: 2011-11-02 End Time: 09:00 |
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