I wonder about the environmental impact of my diet a fair amount. Four years ago I went pescatarian because of the increased efficiency of eating lower on the food chain and today I am essentially vegetarian. Energy use and emissions of Carbon Dioxide and other greenhouse gases is tied to almost every section of agriculture. From the mechanized planting of seeds, inputs of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers to the transport of the food to the grocery store, what we eat has a tremendous impact on our carbon footprints. On a college student's budget I often wondered where I could get the most value for my money, is it better to buy organics grown in Chile or a conventional crop produced in New York? Although the answer to that is still unclear any effort to buy local and organic produce is a large step towards reducing your food footprint. For more information check out our newest section, Impacts! Natalie Thank you again to Artist Candice Oyer for your lovely artwork inspired by our work. Below is a photo of her inspiration for the art, as well as photos of four of her pieces. Board Member and volunteer gleaner Candice Oyer has created a series of beautiful BAG inspired art entitled 'Woven Heroes'. Interlacing the problem and the solution, Candice's creations feature digitally modified images of gleaners woven together to create striking modern images. Woven Heroes will be on display at the First Parish Church in Arlington throughout April, with an opening reception with the artist on Sunday April 15th, 11:30-12:45. Candice continues to create more art featuring the Boston Area Gleaners, and has pledged 20% of her profits in support of BAG. Thank you Candice! BAG released the 2011 Annual Report at our Annual Meeting on April 1st, 2012. The report covers detailed information about our 2011 season, including our partners, volunteer statistics and budget information. Organizational happenings and other exciting news, such as Food Day with Governor Patrick, are also highlighted. To view the report click here. On Tuesday April 3rd Duck and I visited the State House for the 2012 Ag Day! We were able to talk to many people: farmers, those within the USDA and Dept. of Ag and possible volunteers about the program.I spoke to farmers in and out of our gleaning territory, and hopefully was able to get a few contacts for us this next season. Additionally many people were interested in establishing their own gleaning network, or connecting with an established one, so even if you are out of our territory, stay tuned for info from the newly established Mass Gleaning Network! Others visitors involved groups looking for volunteering opportunities and many many high school Ag School students. One group told me about how they were learning about animal husbandry, from taking Environmental Science their freshman year up to Veterinary Science, Mammals, Reptiles and Birds their junior and senior years. I also met a writer for the Edible Boston Magazine, and saw Sandy Hooper, our amazing filmmaker who made our BAG video last season. Have you seen it? It makes me want to get out and glean right now! Unfortunately I had to leave early and couldn't meet with the Representatives attending the event, but it was a fun few hours for me, learning about other organizations and educating people of all ages and backgrounds on the work that BAG does. Natalie BAG's Annual Meeting was on April 1st this year, and it was my first Annual Meeting with the organization! My friend, who was visiting from home, and I trekked out to Waltham to the Field Station to see the event, and we had a great time. Five new Board Members were elected to the Board of Directors, and members were able to vote on various parts of the bylaws, led by interim President Myriel Eykamp. After the official business was over we heard from Duck about the success of the 2011 season. BAG harvested almost 44,000lbs. of fresh local produce this year, for a total of approximately 250,000 servings of fruits and veggies. All of this went to our partner organizations, the largest of which is Food for Free. Next year we plan to increase this number by 20%, and if possible keep costs for harvesting and transportation to under $1 per pound. Agricultural Commissioner Scott Soares was our featured speaker, and he spoke about many of the exciting projects going on around Massachusetts. One fact I found especially interesting was that Mass is ranked #7 for most farmer's markets in the nation, and this is completing with much larger and more populated states! The EBT/SNAP program has also expanded significantly in the last few years, and I believe Commissioner Soares said that 90 markets now accept EBT/SNAP, significantly expanding access to healthy food. The Mass Gleaning Network is also underway, led by Rose Arruda from the Dept. of Ag. BAG has been involved with this venture from the start and is excited to mentor and join with other gleaning operations statewide, and Commissioner Soares spoke about his high hopes for the program. After the speakers and a Q&A with Commissioner Soares, everyone was able to mingle and look at photos from years past, as well as enjoy the delicious goodies that Gleaners had brought to share. Overall it was a great meeting, I was able to catch up with people I hadn't seen since the season ended, and meet some other Gleaners I hope to see in the field this summer! Natalie |
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