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. Did you know there's a film about gleaning? The Gleaners and I (2000). Here's a clip from a showing of the film in France- courtesy of the Salvation Army's new blog. The film is available to watch through Netflix. You can also check with your local library or look online. The Washington Post featured an interesting article today about Food Day. Food Day apparently is not new, but was actually created by the Center for Science in the Public Interest back in the 70's. Check the article out here.
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 I received a gleaning alert from my friend Susan describing the following: "After talking with you around 6 pm, I crossed over to the Occupy Boston site and found the volunteer (Jean) in the food tent that had earlier in the day explained to me about the abundance/surplus of produce, which led me to call you for advice. Jean was eager to see if Boston Mission could take more fresh produce and fruit. Together we walked over to the Kingston St. location and talked with the reception person, who said okay.We went back to the encampment and filled up 5 cartons (carrots, peppers, potatoes,squash, fruit), and hauled them back to Kingston Street using my luggage cart and a shopping cart. The cook at the Mission accepted it all, but said that was his limit due to lack of space in the refrigerators. When I said why not leave the squash and fruit out, he said they attract flies. Jean now has their telephone number for the person at the Mission that can check with the kitchen. She will probably call them again in a few days. In the next day or so a group from the Arlington St. Church will use some of the remaining vegetables to cook up a dish in their church kitchen and bring it back to the Occupation." I then tried calling nearby shelters, but they were not game. So I figured to go myself. Took 3 boxes of apples and a box of winter squash which donated to St. Francis House. Welcome! Then I headed to the encampment. Left my Van standing and sought out the kitchen tent. They did have excess foods, particularly such as winter squash, and they had no stoves or cooking equipment. But the coordinators were not there. They gave me a bag of potatoes and summer squash anyway. I got myself a ticket when I got back to my Van, and some impatient cops. Drove off and found the Boston Mission House, only 2 or 3 blocks away. Gave the produce to them (St. Francis House being several more blocks away down one way streets the wrong way). Suggested strongly to them that they investigate, and that the kitchen tent could give them some good produce. -- Oakes Plimpton Our Executive Director, Laurie "Duck" Caldwell, is mentioned in a Boston Globe Article talking about Food Day Monday October 24th. This article not only mentions BAG, but also announces a new en-devour of the Mass. Dept. of Agricultural Resources. In 2011 the Mass. D.O.A. is "kicking off the Massachusetts Gleaning Network, a program that coordinates volunteers to pick and donate crops that farmers are not able to sell."
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