Food Well Alliance hosted a family style meal for 250 farmers, funders, city officials, elected representatives, and nonprofit leaders to discuss the critical importance of preserving growing spaces in the next phase of development for metro Atlanta.
Demystifying the USDA: Connecting Metro Atlanta Growers to USDA
Did you know there are 17 agencies that make up the U.S. Department of Agriculture?
With so many entities and programs, it can be difficult to know what opportunities apply to growers in metro Atlanta.
Fortunately, metro Atlanta’s USDA Regional Beginning Farmers Program Coordinator Rodney Brooks is coming to Food Well Alliance on September 27, 2018 to help us.
Food Well Alliance is hosting this convening to help growers navigate resources and opportunities that are available to them in metro Atlanta, as well as offer insights to help farmers connect to local and national USDA services.
Resources for urban agriculture include the following:
- Instruction for obtaining high tunnel hoop houses
- Registering for a farm serial number
- Funding for everything from operating expenses, supporting value-added producers to scale, and helping develop and implement direct-to-consumer marketing strategies
We hope we’ll see you on September 27 as we learn how to use our federal resources to further the local food movement.
Refreshments will be served.
#ChopItUpATL - Collective Impact Dinner #4
We're hosting a dinner with a purpose organized by our friends at Chop It Up ATL:
Collective Impact Dinner #4 organized by ThinkTable featuring Grow Where You Are
The collective impact dinner runs concurrently with the food system! The food system goes as follows:
Production
Processing
Distribution
Consumption
Food Waste Recovery
FarmProv IndieGoGo Launch Party
We love local food and making people laugh. And we figured, who doesn’t? So, we’re creating FarmProv, live shows that generate revenue for Atlanta’s sustainable farms while promoting ATL’s incredible comedians, musicians, and artists to new audiences.
Each show is hosted on a sustainable farm in metro Atlanta, highlighting the role of farms as community gathering spaces. We also raise money for Wholesome Wave Georgia, a nonprofit that increases access to fresh, healthy, local food by doubling foodstamp dollars at local, producer-only farmers markets.
To make this happen, we need YOUR support! Join us on July 28th at The Bakery to learn more about FarmProv and contribute to our IndieGoGo campaign to help us purchase vital infrastructure for these shows. We’ll have live comedy, music, drinks, and fun prizes.
AgLanta Eats
Groundwork Atlanta is thrilled to present AgLanta Eats, the hyper local food festival formerly known as Taste of AgLanta, now in its third year with a new name, a fresh look, and an incredible venue! AgLanta Eats features a variety of tastings prepared by top, local chefs utilizing the freshest ingredients from farms in metro Atlanta. It’s all going down at the beautiful Atlanta Botanical Gardens, which will be open exclusively to attendees of AgLanta Eats. Add in your pick of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, a silent auction, and live music, and you've got a recipe for an epic evening on Monday, July 16!
Proceeds from the evening benefit the AgLanta "Grows-A-Lot" program, in association with Groundwork Atlanta, which supports the conversion of vacant and underutilized parcels owned by the City of Atlanta and Georgia Power into productive urban farms and gardens. This year, the AgLanta "Grows-A-Lot" team has launched four (4) pilot sites, with five (5) more launching later this year. Join us in celebrating the rich culture and agricultural traditions of our city at AgLanta Eats, and help us fund the continued growth of Atlanta's urban food system!
In addition to access to the Atlanta Botanical Garden during this private event, general admission tickets include three (3) coupons for tastings and one (1) drink (additional tasting coupons and drinks will be available for purchase at the event). VIP tickets include five (5) tasting coupons and two (2) drinks, plus a pre-event reception from 4-5pm, free parking, and exclusive access to the rooftop terrace with additional food and spectacular views available throughout the main event
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/aglanta-eats-benefitting-groundwork-atlanta-tickets-45818941688?aff=ehomecard
Soil Festival 2018
Food Well Alliance invites you to join us for our fourth annual Soil Festival as we continue a tradition of celebrating soil as a key source for building gardens and healthier communities.
This free event is for all ages and raises awareness of the benefits of using compost to improve and maintain high quality soil and to grow healthy food.
Soil Festival 2018 will be held at Truly Living Well’s Collegetown Farm in Atlanta, and includes a host of exciting opportunities for school gardeners, community gardeners, backyard gardeners, urban farmers, educators, beginning gardeners and children!
This year's Soil Festival will feature educational workshops on gardening and composting; a children’s corner with fun garden-based activities and story time; a variety of urban agriculture vendors to learn tools of the trade from; a petting zoo; and free bags of compost for your garden.
We will also be providing great tunes and complimentary farm-to-table food and fare.
Dig in, meet fellow gardeners, and visit all of the exhibitors who will be sharing resources and tools to help you enjoy the successes of gardening.
RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/food-well-alliance-presents-soil-festival-2018-tickets-42476939670
CAN YOU DIG THIS? Screening & Panel
Join us for a FREE screening of Can You Dig This at the Auburn Avenue Research Library on Saturday, Feb 24. Doors open at 4:30. Guests must RSVP here in advance.
"CAN YOU DIG THIS" follows the inspirational journeys of four unlikely gardeners, discovering what happens when they put their hands in the soil.
This is not a story of science and economics. This is a story of the human spirit, inspiring people everywhere to pick up their shovels and "plant some s#!t."
The film will be followed by a panel featuring Abiodun Henderson of Gangstas to Growers, Brennan Washington of Phoenix Gardens and Southern SARE, Wayne Swanson of Swanson Family Farms, Ahzjah Simons of Sevananda Natural Foods Market, and Sagdrina Jalal of Georgia Farmers Market Association. The panel will be moderated by emcee Tenisio Seanima of Nature's Candy Farms and Georgia Organics.
Everyone is also invited to participate in PLANT SOME S#!T Day on Sunday, Feb 25 by planting fruit trees in their yard or community garden, or by joining one of several community plantings around ATL. A sign up link to volunteer at a planting will be available soon.
Join the movement online by tagging #plantsomeshit #atl on social media during the month of February.
Purchase fruit trees at the 9th ALFI Fruit Tree Sale on Feb 10 so you take take part in the action. Find details atwww.fruittreesale.com.
Food For Thought Conference
Georgia Farmers Market Association's Food for Thought Conference brings market managers, farmers, municipalities, agricultural businesses, educators, healthcare professionals, food advocates and local food enthusiasts together to share their experience, knowledge and passion for healthy food, strong communities and food sovereignty.
Find out more at https://mygeorgiamarket.org/food-thought-conference-2017/