[New York] 2012 Farm Apprenticeship at Soul Fire Farm

Posted on December 26, 2011 by BlkFarmer

Sustainable Food and Building Immersion 2012 at Soul Fire Farm, Grafton NY

www.soulfirefarm.com 518-658-3221

 

Who We Are: Soul Fire Farm is a family farm committed to the dismantling of oppressive structures that misguide our food system. Our 5-acre, handscale farm and homestead provide Certified Naturally Grown vegetables and fruits, and pastured eggs and meat to 25-50 families in the nearby cities of Troy and Albany, NY using the CSA model. We also provide no cost educational programming to urban youth. Our family of 4 lives in the natural straw bale, solar house that we built on the farm. Hudson Valley Natural Building is our business that designs and builds homes, using natural techniques such as straw bale, timber frame, and natural finishes, as well as teaches workshops. Soul Fire Farm is committed to putting the tools of farming and natural building in the hands of women and people of color, in particular. Our networks include the Black Farmers Conference, Growing Food and Justice for All, and Northeast Organic Farming Association.

What to Expect: Immersion Program volunteers work ~30 hours per week in exchange for room and board. Day length will vary. Farm projects include expanding the gardens through large scale sheet mulching, digging beds, planting, weeding, harvesting, packing, delivering, chopping firewood, doing media, caring for animals, and preserving food. Natural building projects include general carpentry, assisting in workshops, working on straw bale house projects, designing, and building earth ovens, sauna, and outdoor kitchen. (Some natural building work may be paid if budget allows.) We wake up at dawn and work hard even in bad weather. Participants have the option to live in our house, barn, or tent, and are part of our family and community. Room and board is included. We have lots of fun gatherings with trapeze, music, food, laughter, and kids.

What You Bring: The ideal applicant has general carpentry knowledge and is comfortable using power and hand tools. Being an independent hard worker is a must. Also useful would be someone computer/media savvy and comfortable in the kitchen. Having a car is recommended but not necessary, as we take regular trips to the cities nearby. Applicant must be anti-racist and anti-sexist and aware of/committed to People of Color and Women’s issues. Please contact us to schedule a phone interview. We would like you to visit the farm before committing to participate. You are welcome anytime from April-October 2012, ideally for a 3 week minimum.

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Hyde Park Farmers’ Market – Market Manager Summer 2012 (Cincinnati, OH)

Posted on November 19, 2011 by BlkFarmer

Position Open

Hyde Park Farmers’ Market – Market Manager Summer 2012

An energetic individual, passionate about local sustainably grown food, would be a great candidate for our Market Manager.  The market runs every Sunday, June – October from 9:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., on Hyde Park Square.  Its a great opportunity to connect people with those who grow their food, and to promote organic and sustainable farming.

The manager is there to make sure the market runs smoothly, put out our signs, sell water & market bags, provide information, run the “market booth” displaying literature, coordinate special programs (such as chef demonstrations & tastings) and music, and help connect customers with vendors.  The manager is there to promote the market, making use of traditional and social media.  This is a paid position.  Please contact Mary Ida Compton at maryidaATfuse.net.

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Internship Opportunity: The Center for Environmental Farming Systems (Goldsboro, NC)

Posted on November 19, 2011 by BlkFarmer

The Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) Summer Sustainable Agriculture Internship Program, based in Goldsboro, NC started in 1999 and has attracted students from a wide variety of backgrounds and majors from across the country and the world. This eight-week internship program (June 4 – July 27, 2012) provides undergraduate students with experience in hands-on field production, local community food systems, hands-on sustainable agriculture experiences and research that promote agricultural sustainability.  The goal is to provide experiential learning opportunities through collaboration with faculty from North Carolina State University (NCSU) and North Carolina A&T State University (NCA&T) and farm staff from the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS). Interns will become familiar with farming practices that promote

  • Strong local food system networks;
  • Sustainable production systems using available renewable resource-based technologies;
  • Agricultural production systems of animal and crops that efficiently use energy and water in the biological systems;
  • Efficient use of nutrient cycling in production systems ;
  • Diverse complementary production systems and season extension techniques;
  • Community gardens for food and education in good food choices;
  • Use of organic crop rotations, crop/animal integration, and natural systems for animal production.

The internship combines topical subject matter with real-world, hands-on agricultural experience and problem solving through various field trips to farms, markets and community sites. As part of their research experience, each intern will be mentored by NCSU, NCA&TSU and NCDA&CS faculty and staff from a variety of fields working in sustainable agriculture at CEFS.  Students will also have the unique experience of learning about community food systems as they visit and work with a variety of community members in town of Goldsboro.

Student interns will be able to receive 6 credits from NCSU for the internship program.

The deadline to apply for the CEFS Summer Internship Program is Wednesday, February 1, 2012.
Contact Lisa Forehand (919-513-0954 or lisa_forehand@ncsu.edu) for more information!

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California Group Seeks Black Farmers

Posted on September 17, 2011 by BlkFarmer

FRESNO, Calif. — As the sun rises on tilled soil on the outskirts of Fresno, Calif., Mori Vance bends to pick black eyed peas, then disappears among towering okra bushes. Vance, who is African-American, is harvesting her first crop with several other novice black farmers, all hoping to make it their life’s work.

Read the full article here:
California Group Seeks Black Farmers

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Get Healthy or Try Dying

Posted on September 17, 2011 by Kyoka Akers

The first step to getting a healthy dis-eased free body is education. You have to educate yourself on the human body; the most intricate machine there is. You don’t have to go to medical school to understand how your body works.

Start by getting a book on the human body. There are several good titles to choose from. “The Complete Human Body, the definitive visual guide,” by Dr. Alice Roberts is one I have used. Each day, read about a part of your body. It could be something as small as how your finger nails grow or even how your spleen works.

Next, get an herbal book.  “Healing Herbs,” by Diane Stein, “Little Herb Encyclopedia,” by Jack Ritchason N.D. and “African Holistic Health,” by Dr. Llaila O. Afrika are three titles to consider.

Cleansing your body of all the toxins that has accumulated over the years is an important step in getting healthy. There are several ways to do this. You can get on a complicated herbal regiment or, you can just change your diet to fresh fruits and vegetables for at least 30 days or, you can do an all liquid diet where you juice all of your fruits and vegetables. The documentary Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead is a good film to get you acclimated with juicing.

The key is for your body to be more alkaline than acidic.

Alkaline foods have a high content of magnesium, sodium, calcium, and potassium. Most fresh fruits and vegetables are alkaline. Without large amounts of alkaline mineral elements in the diet the body becomes dis-eased. (Afrika, 2004, pg.201)

The three components to being healthy are mind, body and spirit. If your body is dis-eased, your mind is dis-eased, if your mind is dis-eased you spirit is not at ease.

Until next time…

Peace.Love.and.Light

Kyoka…

* Afrika. L, (2004) African Holistic Health

 

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August 20, 2011: Urban Agriculture Food Policy: Developing a Local Food Economy

Posted on July 26, 2011 by BlkFarmer

From the folks at SoGreen Network:

Will Allen and Mark Winne are lead presenters at Urban Agriculture – Food Policy:  Developing a Local Food Economy training session to be held:

Saturday 20 August 2011
8am – 5pm
Loudermilk Center
40 Courtland Ave
Atlanta, Georgia 30303

Urban Agricultural is becoming one of the more important vehicles in creating access to a supply of locally grown foods. Better understanding how it should fit in our city’s, state’s and community’s food plans and food agricultural policies and ensuring the inclusion of underserved communities in the process is the focus of this working meeting Urban Agriculture – Food Policy: Developing a Local Food Economy .

This intensive training session will bring together local, regional and national urban agriculturalist, food policy council representatives, and community stake holders to discuss:

  • Creating a common language for urban agriculture
  • Inclusion of minority and underserved community stakeholders in the development of city and state food policy councils and food plans
  • Successful urban agriculture models
  • Distribution and collaborative models between rural and urban producers
  • Funding to support urban agriculture projects and initiatives

Who should be in attendance?

  • Urban Agriculturist
  • Farmers
  • Grassroots organizations that service minority and underserved communities
  • County and State Health Departments
  • Nutritionist
  • Food Policy Councils
  • City, County and State Governmental Agencies
  • Farmer Market personnel
  • Food Access Activist
  • National agricultural and forestry governmental agencies
  • Everyone who believes good food should be accessible to all citizens.
The Southeastern Green Network Mission is:  The building of a coalition to address the issues of sustainable agriculture, the development of local food systems, and the inclusion of agroforestry to create a rich and sustainable environment that will include all members of our communities.
For more information visit www.sogreennetwork.org or call 912-495-0591.
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[Video] East New York Farms!

Posted on April 7, 2011 by BlkFarmer

America’s Heartland spent time in Brooklyn with East New York Farms! learning how one neighborhood uses Urban Agriculture to nourish and cultivate community.

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[Video] AfAm Vintners…in Virginia!

Posted on March 23, 2011 by BlkFarmer

Virginia is one of the first states to cultivate grapes for wine? Really?

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[Video] African American Vintners

Posted on March 12, 2011 by BlkFarmer

Check out this profile on African American Vintners in California. African American Vintners make up less than 5% of the industry. Could this be the next growth industry for young black entrepreneurs?

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[Video] America’s Heartland Profiles Black Farmers

Posted on March 1, 2011 by BlkFarmer

America’s Heartland is a magazine-style, half-hour series produced by KVIE, Sacramento, in high definition. Now in its sixth season, America’s Heartland reporters have brought in stories from all across our great nation. (from America’s Heartland YouTube Channel)

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