The Food Project: Youth. Food. Community.

Gabriella Spitzer, an intern this past summer in Roxbury, wrote us recently. Here's what she said about TFP's impact on her experience at college (reprinted with permission!)

I wanted to tell you again how grateful I am to The Food Project. I am now at Barnard College, and I use so much that I learned from The Food Project all the time. I can and do talk about all the different ways oppression hurts people in all kinds of contexts. I'm so glad I came to college with the framework for thinking about oppression that I learned at the Food Project. I'm thinking seriously about majoring in Environmental Policy, and that comes directly from the work I did at The Food Project. I volunteered at a preschool this past semester, and I will work at a different preschool this coming semester because I know that I can't spend four years only dedicated to me -- I need to serve my community always, no matter what else I am doing. Thank you. I came to college prepared in part because of The Food Project.

As is true for so many in the Boston area, The Food Project's community has numerous ties to Haiti. We've been in touch with a number of our community members. Some have been lucky enough to talk to their friends and families in Haiti and know they're OK. Others are still waiting to hear news of the people they know.

If you'd like to help support those actively providing relief to the earthquake victims, Food First's giving guide is the best we've seen.

 that happen to mention us!

1. Jesse Kurtz-Nicholl of the Center for a Livable Future launches a passionate defense of school garden programs. It's news to me that school gardens need defending from anything but challenged school budgets, but apparently the movement is becoming big enough to spawn a backlash. Fortunately, "then they fight you" is step 3 of 4 according to Gandhi!
2. One of my personal heroes, Bryant Terry, includes us on his short list of "organizations. . .doing particularly effective work right now" in a brief interview with change.org.
3. Our School at Blair Grocery is working to bring food security and rebuild community in the Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans. And, they're hoping to use a couple of our books to help anchor a new Urban Farming Library. 

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Following are excerpts from an online discussion here about an anti-soda video from the NYC Dept. of Health. What do you make of the video and the related questions? 

J: *Warning* could gross you out. Do you think it’s effective in
delivering the message?

http://www.youtube.com/drinkingfat

A: I’m so thirsty now

K: I’ve succeeded in grossing out several staffers by showing this just now!

(if you're just seeing the preview of this, more meaty discussion in the full version)

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Superheroes GardenThanks to the excellent City Farmer News for this historical image. Hope it helps get you fired up for growing food in 2010!

 
Extra OnionsLast week, Winter CSA members braved frigid weather to get their second and final batch of veggies. You can click on the photo over there if you'd like to see a few more shots of the pickup.

Many thanks to our friends at Codman Community Farms for making their warm office available and preventing frostbite amongst CSA members!

If you'd like to be in on the fun in 2010, the best way to get a crack at the Winter CSA signup is to be a Summer CSA member. Watch this space for Summer 2010 signups, coming soon!

Are you excited about applying for the 2010 Summer Youth Program, but aren't sure where to get access to a computer and printer to fill out and print your application? You're in luck: as of last week, each of our offices has a workstation reserved for use by SYP applicants. 

Before coming in, you'll need to review the application instructions and assemble your materials. You may want to copy and paste your essays, which would be easiest to do from a webmail account (yahoo, gmail, etc.). Finally, please call ahead to make sure there will be someone in the office at the time you're planning to come.

As always, any and all questions about the Summer Youth Program and the application process can be directed to one of the following folks:

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Register now for...

The Food Project Institute

Winter Institute - February 4-6, 2010

Lincoln and Boston, MA

Download Registration Form (PDF)
Many people come to The Food Project during the summer and are inspired by the well-orchestrated symphony of activities - with beautiful, healthy food, and highly motivated, diverse teens working with passion towards a common mission. It seems to flow effortlessly.

The truth is….our summers are the complementary outcome of the other half of the year when we run vibrant youth programs such as the Academic Year Program and the Internship Program and plan for the next summer.

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Holiday Cards Our friends at Corey McPherson Nash designed their 2009 holiday cards around recipes from TFP's farmers, as can be found on this very blog.

What better way to celebrate the season than by cooking something delicious with seasonally appropriate ingredients? Thanks to CMN for donating to us on behalf of their clients, and for spreading the word about The Food Project through these recipes!

P.S. You can blame Michael for the punny headline

Editor's note: we're happy to share (with permission of course!) the following note we received from TFP alum Luis Andino, who started in the Summer Youth Program way back in 2005.

Hello,

This may seems random but just emailing you to check in. Everything is going well here at Umass Dartmouth. I'm excited on my choice attending this school. So far I have a 106 average in bio, an A in precal, a B in english. The only class I'm struggling in is political science with a C, but I plan on improving in that. I work about 20 to max 25 hours a week. I am also going to apply to be an RA next semester to try to get involved in the school [...].

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