Regional Outreach Training Centers

The vision for our Regional Outreach Training Centers is to provide Growing Power’s technical training support at the local level as an expansion of our organizational vision: Inspiring communities to build sustainable food systems that are equitable and ecologically sound, creating a just world, one food secure community at a time. A Regional Outreach Training Center, or ROTC, will be able to host Growing Power, “From the Ground Up” type workshops for its region and will receive technical support to plan and develop Community Food Systems projects inspired by Growing Power’s Community Food Center and Projects.

ROTC expectations:

• Host annual 2-day trainings on sustainable food production methods for the local community with Growing Power staff as trainers.
• Be able to pay for GP’s staffing & material costs to travel to and conduct the trainings.
• Participate regularly in GP’s ongoing Milwaukee training activities (either the weekend “From the Ground Up” workshops, the Commercial Urban Agriculture program, or more extensive farmer trainings) and national conferences.
• Grow and distribute healthy, nutritious food to its community.
• Produce high-quality compost and worms for community food projects and residents.
• Provide regular workshops and education in community food systems.
• House and operate working Aquaponics systems.
• Develop other programs and initiatives that move local community food systems forward.

Growing Power will:

• Create a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that clarifies: (1) GP’s expectations for the ROTC organization; and (2) its role in supporting and evaluating the ROTC’s progress
• Provide staff trainers and materials to conduct the annual 2-day trainings held at the ROTC partner’s production site.
• Contribute to the development of the ROTC partner’s food production infrastructure – compost/vermicompost systems, hoop-structured greenhouses, aquaponics systems, alternative energy strategies, and beekeeping, etc.
• Strengthen the ROTC partner’s ability to offer local trainings on its own.
• Allow the ROTC partner to use GP’s logo and photographs in its written and digital materials (such as its website).

Want to become an ROTC site?

• Step 1: Mandatory completion of the 5-month (January-May) Commercial Urban Agriculture program at Growing Power in Milwaukee (see GP website for details and dates). It is preferred that more than one participant from the prospective ROTC organization participate.
• Step 2: Have permanent access to a food production site.
• Step 3: Develop a detailed program and impact statement for a prospective ROTC.
• Step 4: Complete the entire ROTC application and submit to Growing Power. Click here for the application.
• Step 5: Upon approval of the application by GP, the applicant organization will develop a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with GP that details financial commitments, timetables and expectations for both parties.

ROTC Events: See Events Page for upcoming training

ROTC In the News:

• With conservation protection in place, Lynchburg Grows looks ahead
  
• A Bright Spot in the Heart of Lynchburg
• Breaking New Grounds Documentary
• Breaking New Grounds Featured in Business First 'Green Business' Issue

• Systems Change Malik Yakini video (Oct 9, 2011)
• Malik Yakini "Undoing Racism in the Food System" (Oct 24, 2011)
  
• Detroit Urban Agriculture Movement Looks to Reclaim Motor City (June 24, 2010)