Posted on December 23, 2010 with No Comments
Will Allen
“The Good Food Movement is now a Revolution”
Category: Uncategorized
Posted on December 14, 2010 with 2 Comments
In the true spirit of Christmas, businesses reach out to lend a helping hand this holiday season.
With the current economic state, loss of jobs and recent loss of unemployment benefits, there is an urgent need to get produce to people who need it most. This year, Growing Power will be donating 100 baskets to the first 100 unemployed individuals that call 414.527.1546 ext 102 starting Dec 10th at 10am. Each unemployed individual will be required provide a current letter of unemployment and Wisconsin ID. These Market Baskets will be available for pick up on Dec. 20 between 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. The market basket program is a year round affordable version of our Community Supported Agriculture share as Growing Power is wholly dedicated to helping provide consistent access to healthy, safe, affordable foods year round.
Market baskets filled with local produce are being made available for those who need it most. Menomonee Falls based Kohls Corporation, Organic Valley, Horizon Organics, Sodexo Education and Growing Power have already teamed up to help feed unemployed and underemployed families in the Milwaukee area. However, more help is still needed. Baskets can be purchased for $20 anonymously from Growing Power, which will be donated to needy families in the community.
Each Market Basket will include fresh fruits and vegetables from Growing Power and donated butter from Organic Valley Coop, milk from Horizon Organics and Penzeys Spices which will feed a family of four for a week.
Some market baskets will be also be delivered the week of Christmas to the following organizations which serve families in need: Milwaukee Center for Independence, Children’s Services Society of Wisconsin, the Grand Avenue Club and Sherman Park Community Association (SPCA).
“It is important for us who can afford to give not only at these holiday times but throughout the year to help build a safe, secure and sustainable community for all of our citizens”, says Will Allen, farmer, founder and CEO of Growing Power.
Market Baskets can also be purchased at Growing Power at 5500 W. Silver Spring in Milwaukee or call 414.527.3009 to reserve yours today.
In the News :
http://www.todaystmj4.com/news/local/111844494.htm
See the video: Milwaukee Urban Farming Group Helps Unemployed
Category: Market Basket
Posted on December 7, 2010 with 14 Comments
December 10th 2010
Dear Friends,
Over the last two years, we have experienced one of the worst economic periods of our lifetimes. We have seen people lose their homes, deplete their savings, and struggle to afford basic necessities.
Who is to blame? It is easy to take shots at people, but I don’t think that will help. I choose instead to think about how we are going to lift ourselves up.I think ahead to a new economy that is good for all the people. And I feel this process of renewal is going to begin with the most important thing in our lives: food.
We all must eat to sustain ourselves. Our industrial food system has led us down the wrong road. It has brought us fewer jobs, unhealthier diets, and a centralized system that makes people feel powerless over their food choices. I think we all feel this. There are more food-related illnesses in this country and in the world than ever before.
We can’t rely alone on governments or large corporations to fix our bad food system. We can’t rely on others to improve access to healthy food in communities of need. We all have a responsibility to work together.
As I travel this country, I am filled with hope. I have seen young, middle-aged and elderly people taking control of the food systems in their communities. I see people growing food on balconies, side yards, back yards, and community plots. I see new gardens and farms in urban, suburban and rural communities. I see people raising fish and plants inside buildings, and people who have employed creative techniques to grow food year-round in even the harshest climates, as we do at Growing Power in Milwaukee.
We need everyone at what I like to call the Good Food Revolution table. We need corporations. We need medical folks. Universities. Politicos. Planners. Educators. Dieticians. We need architects to design our new small farms and community food centers, and we need planners to design sustainable communities to transform food deserts into healthy neighborhoods for all the people. We need people with expertise in the areas of public policy. We need technical experts. Contractors. Composters.
What encourages and inspires me in the progress of this good food movement is that more young people have embraced farming. More people of color have also been willing to enter agriculture once again. However, to truly change our food system, we must have 50 million new people growing food in their local communities. This will take time and patience is one of the keys, but we must commit to action now.
Let’s set some goals together: In the next year:
• We will build over 100 hoop houses to grow food without chemicals in the city of Milwaukee.
• We will train over 1,000 new farmers in 2011—and over 5,000 in the next five years.
• We now have 52 employees at Growing Power. We will hire over 50 in the next year.
• We will host over 20,000 people at our training center on Silver Spring Drive in 2011—helping to spread our knowledge of intensive growing both nationally and internationally.
• We will take the lead in developing a new local food system industry.
As the First Lady Michelle Obama says, “Let’s make sure that everyone in our communities and in our nation has access to good food. (Let’s Move!)” It can be done, and it must be done for our survival. This movement is about creating healthy people and a healthy world. It is about social justice.
This year, please give what you can.
Donate online through paypal
Donate by sending personal check in the return envelope
Please send personal checks to the Growing Power Milwaukee facility:
Growing Power, Inc
Attn: Financial Manager
5500 West Silver Spring Drive
Milwaukee, WI 53218
Sincerely,
Will Allen
Farmer, Founder, and CEO of Growing Power
“The Good Food Movement is now a Revolution”
Category: Uncategorized
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