Becca Whitman’s Post

Farming is both an art and a science. I earned three CASE 4 Learning certifications in Agricultural Science to compliment the art I first learned as a kid. I was born and raised on my grandparents' vegetable farm in New Jersey and now I get to teach adults and youth how to create businesses and grow food sustainably, without pesticides or herbicides. I am deeply grateful. Our Farming In Color program aims to support a paradigm shift for youth of African descent to re-imagine historical narratives that connect farming to the trauma of slavery. We're working to overcome diet-related diseases and the social determinants of health impacting historically marginalized communities. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/em-bWDmU According to statistics from Feeding America's Spotlight on the Black Community: 📌 Eight of the ten U.S. counties with the highest food insecurity rates in the nation are at least 60% Black. 📌 Predominately Black communities often have limited access to healthy food outlets. 📌 Blacks are 20% more likely to die from heart disease than whites. Thank you to Farm Credit East, ACA for awarding me a scholarship for Agricultural Science-Plants certification. Join our movement for food justice and health equity. https://lnkd.in/em-bWDmU #FarmingInColor #FoodSecurity #FoodJustice #Sustainability #HealthEquity #BlackHealthMatters #YouthWellness #AfricanLinkInitiative #UrbanFarming #TeachCASE #ExperienceCASE  #CASEcurriculum #CASE4Learning

🍅 "Children will never be well-read if they are not well-fed." In marginalized communities, lack of access to nutritious foods significantly impacts children's health and academic success. Stephen Ritz founder of Green Bronx Machine, understands this deeply. Originally an afterschool program, Green Bronx Machine has evolved into a global curriculum that reaches over 275,000 students, turning education into a tool for better health and improved academic outcomes. 📊 The initiative uses innovative, easy-to-assemble Tower Garden systems that allow schools to harvest vegetables year-round, integrating these lessons into core subjects, 📓 like science, math, and english. 🥕 We are grateful to Fast Company for featuring the inspiring journey of Green Bronx Machine. To learn more about how this program is planting the seeds of change in education + nutrition, read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/ev5Jw4QN #GreenBronxMachine #StephenRitz #FCMostInnovative #AcademicSuccess #TowerGarden #HealthyStudents #BetterNutrition #HungerHeroes

Did you know California Agriculture in the Classroom has been "going viral" since long before social media? For over four decades, they've been a model for agricultural education, bringing the farm to the classroom and connecting students with California's #1 industry. Judy Culbertson, the program's longtime leader (with the support of Grow West from day one), reflects on their incredible journey and the impact on students and teachers statewide. From San Francisco Farm Day to integrating ag into everyday learning, the program's success speaks volumes. Find out how you can support California Ag in the Classroom's mission. https://bit.ly/3VrC7TC

More good stories from our Get Climate Smart training series!

FFA’s members and leaders stress that since its inception, it has expanded its education and training programs to encompass a wide range of fields beyond farming. But the organization is still closely tied to the agriculture industry. "Motivated by this quick response, nearly 400 FFA members, alumni, and former officers sent a letter to Poeschl demanding that the organization set concrete goals to enhance diversity and create a new staff position dedicated to that work. A petition with the same demands has garnered nearly 8,000 signatures. So far, the organization has committed to reviewing its national officer candidates’ social media as part of future vetting processes, but it has not yet responded to the entire list of demands." Similar to most national #youngfarmer networks, it wasn't until recently that that #FutureFarmers acknowledged its failure in recruitment... "Until the mid-1960s, the vast majority of FFA’s members were white men — and the legacy of that era remains. Despite efforts to diversify the organization, nearly all of its leadership positions are held by white people. The organization’s executive management team, board of directors, board of trustees, individual giving council, alumni advisory committee, and foundation sponsors board — over 80 positions — are overwhelmingly white. Of national FFA’s 162 employees, 19 are people of color, and eight are Black, according to a spokesperson." https://lnkd.in/dRfWhiB4

Can you guess how many years Compeer Financial has been investing in Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom? How about 37 years! Check out today's Investor Spotlight and learn more about why Compeer Financial supports the MAITC's mission: https://lnkd.in/dYcdh6A9

#TrainingOpportunity | Plant Futures ’ challenge lab programmes facilitate #students' collaboration with industry leaders, enabling them to devise practical solutions for substantial, real-world problems over a single semester in the plant-based #food and #agriculture sectors. The programme welcomes undergraduate to #PhD students from diverse disciplines who work collaboratively with selected partners from various for-profit and nonprofit companies. https://buff.ly/3QUuIf3

Check out this extremely well written article from CPR about our school’s yearly mini-project centered around the National Western Stock Show: https://lnkd.in/g_XEw3N5 At STEAD, we talk a lot about getting hands on and doing cool things that get kids engaged. But we do a lot more than talking about it - we actually do it. This week we wrapped up a whole-school, 2-week mini-project in which students learned about agriculture, yes. But they learned so much more than that. They learned about who they are as thinkers, as agents of change and understanding, and how agriculture fits into diverse worldviews. They learned how events like the National Western Stock Show include (and conversely, don't include) and how this massive industry touches all of our lives in this region and beyond. They developed their own questions, researched and gained background, interviewed stakeholders, developed creations to convey their learning, and publicly exhibited their products. The truth is we are different at STEAD, and the experience is different too. And using agriculture as our backdrop is a choice many students are skeptical about when they first get here. But those same students grow at our school in ways they never could at a traditional school. They get big ideas and we help them investigate them. We get to see their eyes light up when the passion they develop through real experiences comes through in their projects. We are not - and never will be - a place focused on preparing students for tests. We are - and always will be - a place where students can be who they are and grow into the people they will become. We are a place where students can develop the skills and characteristics that we all want to see in our communities: passionate, driven, excited, kind, resourceful, empathetic, diverse and perseverant people. Standardized tests don't create those people. Experiences do. A huge thank you to our very own logistics master Rachel Balkcom without whom this experience wouldn't have been possible. The partnerships you have developed for our school are unprecedented in secondary education, and our students and community owe you a huge gratitude. And a massive thank you to our students, who took this challenge and rose to the occasion. To say we're proud of you wouldn't capture the feeling we have right now. We're inspired by you.

Today is BIG NEWS day 🌾🥳 "The California Department of Food and Agriculture Office of Farm to Fork (CDFA-F2F) is accepting applications for the 2023-24 California Farm to School Incubator Grant Program, until 5 p.m. PDT April 4, 2024. The program will award competitive grants to support projects that cultivate equity, nurture students, build climate resilience, and create scalable and sustainable change. To support a systems approach to advancing farm to school throughout the state, the program offers four funding tracks: • Track 1: The California Farm to School TK-12 Procurement and Education Grant • Track 2: The California Farm to School Technical Assistance (TA) Grant • Track 3: The California Farm to Early Care and Education (ECE) Grant • Track 4: The California Farm to School Producer Grant Visit the California Farm to School Incubator Grant Program webpage to view the formal request for applications, access the online portal through which applications must be submitted, and register for informational webinars. The California Budget Acts of 2021 and 2022 made appropriations for the 2023-24 California Farm to School Incubator Grant Program. CDFA will make a total of up-to $52.8 million available via the four funding tracks outlined above. The amount of funds awarded in each funding track will depend on the number of competitive applications received in each funding track. For assistance and questions related to the Farm to School Incubator Grant Program process, please email cafarmtoschool@cdfa.ca.gov." https://lnkd.in/gYd5T7ER

When people ask about mature network structures that are not totally decentralized and bring some element of more formalized structure and "collective impact" to them, this is the example I lift up ... "The Farm to Plate Network is responsible for collectively implementing the 15 Strategic Goals of Vermont’s 2021-2030 food system plan, as well as advancing organizational goals of members. The Network encompasses farms, food production businesses, specialty food producers, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, capital providers, and government. Priority Strategy Teams (PSTs), Topic Exchanges, and Communities of Practice convene to work on high impact projects to relocalize the #foodsystem that no one organization can do alone, as well as assess gaps, opportunities, and trends and monitor progress towards reaching Vermont’s Strategic Goals." See image below and the interactive graphic and descriptions through this link - https://lnkd.in/eGy8MhHB #networks #governance