Hunger to Health Collaboratory (H2HC)’s Post

Growing Communities Inc./ Crop Swap LA is a majority BIPOC-and-women-led agricultural non-profit organization that operates micro farms in the urban neighborhoods of Leimert Park and Crenshaw in Southern Los Angeles, CA. Crop Swap LA is implementing innovative projects, transforming underutilized spaces for efficient food production using rainwater harvesting and sustainable farming practices to bring food access, environmental, and economic benefits to local residents. With a $5,000 grant they will develop a new micro farm site that will allow them to grow an additional 5,000 pounds of food every year, increasing the amount of food distributed across the 75 families currently on the organization’s member list. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4an0SpI

Your generous contribution this GivingTuesday will make a significant difference in helping us build a strong foundation to provide the resources, supports, guidance, and the many forms of capital needed to grow the Farmland Commons. ⭐️ Give now at https://lnkd.in/grk-crg6 Or visit https://lnkd.in/gf3VWgCw and click the donate button ⭐️ By building and supporting innovation in the ways land trusts and community nonprofits hold ownership, tenure, equity and relationship with land, the innovative and unique Farmland Commons model advances access to land for regenerative agricultural economic opportunities around the country. The model decommodifies farmland into community-centered nonprofits for agricultural stewardship, cultural refuge, and the commonwealth by ensuring active use by farmers and stewards who hold secure, multi-generation, equitable tenure for regenerative, chemical-free food production agriculture. By advancing economic land justice to farmers who would otherwise be shut out of the system, the Farmland Commons is a new take on the past century status quo of land trust work. The Farmland Commons pulls ideas and structures forward to evolve and innovate a new model that addresses equity, access, use, and tenure of farmland with priority for generationally stewarded Biodynamic and Organic farms, and farmers who have been historically denied to land and agrarian economic opportunities. This model also enriches communities by building sustainable, local food systems managed by people who live in the community, rather than a farming ecosystem dominated by ever-larger farms that enrich absentee landowners, produce biofuels, animal feeds, and a narrow range of staple crops, and are worked by people in precarious positions in ways that degrade our environment. Centering the farmers, ranchers, and stewards voices and perspectives, and codifying the right of land in community-centered control returns equity, wealth, and resilience to local hands and ecosystems. Thank you for donating today, and thank you for sharing this via your social media and through email to your friends, family, and colleagues who will be excited by this opportunity! #landaccess #landtrust #farmland #savefarmlandforfarmers #farmlandtrust #regenerativeag

We’ve signed up to the Farm Without Harm pledge for keeping our farmers and farming community safe from preventable harm. Farmers and NZ’s agricultural sector make such a valuable contribution to our nation’s economy – keeping people safe in the work environment is paramount! Pictured: Miraka CEO, Karl Gradon, signs the Farm Without Harm pledge. So what have we signed up for? • We will be an active driver of change within and beyond our business by designing and implementing solutions that prevent harm on farm. • We will not be defined by the attitudes of the past, but to a new culture of care that redefines health, safety and wellbeing and makes it a genuine priority in our everyday workplaces and communities. • We will work together across the farming sector to share knowledge by listening and learning from the experiences of others and setting a clear example of the change we want to see. Join the movement and sign the pledge here: https://lnkd.in/gw3d_s-C @farm-without-harm

Happy National Ag Day! 🍉🫛🍅 🥦 Today, we not only celebrate the land that sustains us but also remember a vital lesson: just like our fields, people too need to rest. Much like land, people perform better when restored. My Keynote talk for a F&B conference last year was titled " From Rest to ROI" and I truly live my life and run my business with that in mind. Without allowing ourselves the time to recharge, we can't expect to make a meaningful impact. This year, FarmerJawn is embarking on an ambitious journey to grow 1 million pounds of food. It's a testament to our commitment to nourish our community and the earth. But we know it takes more than just hard work—it takes a community.🤝 I invite you to become a member of FarmerJawn today and be part of something truly groundbreaking. Together, we can cultivate a healthier, more sustainable and equitable world.🔗 Join us now: https://lnkd.in/ebR6CzvM Use code: WMNFARM for 10% off. #NationalAgDay #SustainableFarming #CommunityAgriculture #FarmerJawn #RestToROI #RegenerativeOrganic

It can be done.

Our capacity to move forward relies on our ability to disrupt the myths that maintain unjust systems and offer a vision of something radically different. To reshape systems so that they nourish us and the #land, we must recognise our interconnectedness and reclaim our collective #power. We centre our work on the concept of reclaiming #agency. To us, this is the essence of #sovereignty — the capacity of every human being to have power and influence over the decisions and systems on which our lives depend. Reclaiming that agency begins with reclaiming control over our #narratives. Over the years, we have built our infrastructure and skillsets to support the needs of the #FoodSovereignty movement, serving as a conduit for communicating those struggles to the world. For that, our work is divided into three core programs based on the concept of social ecology: - Peasant and Indigenous Press - Agency for Food Sovereignty - History in the Making Read more about them, our 2023 highlights and what to expect from us in 2024 in our newest Substack. -- Offshoot* is a reader-supported publication. If you're in the position to donate, please consider becoming a paid subscriber!

A new legal nonprofit, FarmSTAND, has been launched to fight on behalf of communities impacted by corporate agriculture. Their mission? To create a food system that challenges the current business model of exploitation and extraction that dominates the industry. With a unique approach that incorporates the challenge of corporate consolidation, Farmstand is fostering collaboration among various stakeholders to drive meaningful change. #sustainableagriculture #farmstand #communityadvocacy #fairfoodsystem #coalitionbuilding #foodsystems #foodpolicy

The Illinois Local Food Infrastructure Grant program, administered by Illinois Stewardship Alliance, will begin having real-world impact with Wednesday's announcement of the 19 farm, business and non-profit recipients sharing in the $1.8 million state fund pool created by the Legislature last year. Today's Local Food Forum reports on this major development. The fund addresses one of the most crucial issues facing farmers in Illinois’ food system: rebuilding critical infrastructure such as mills, food hubs, livestock processing facilities, refrigeration, trucking, and community kitchens to get food from their farms to the schools, institutions and communities that need it most. This infrastructure once was robust in the farm state of Illinois but withered during the decades when the "conventional" agriculture system rose to dominance. While consumer demand has regenerated growth in the local food sector, the Infrastructure Grant program aims to reduce gaps and bottlenecks that are hindering further growth. Read about the recipients and click the link in today's issue to watch the recording of yesterday's event. https://lnkd.in/gaPyVQ8X

In Wards 7 and 8, where there are three full-service grocery stores 🏬 for 147,000 residents (for reference, the majority White Ward 3 has 13 for 77,000 residents), innovative solutions that support food access are pivotal in the face of disinvestment and underinvestment due to historically racist policies.     Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food & Agriculture - the Bainum Foundation Farm's original food security partner - works to build a more equitable and sustainable food system in the region. Pamela Hess, Samantha Pounder, Matt Mulder and their team work tirelessly to bring healthy, regionally grown food to neighborhoods in the District that are not served by traditional grocers (you know who you are 👀) Arcadia’s Mobile Markets serve eight stops in the city – six in Wards 7 and 8 – offering produce, dairy and protein all sourced within 125 miles of the District. Mobile Markets accept:   🥦 SNAP 🍼 WIC 👵 Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program 🥕 Produce Plus 💵 Cash-ola 💳 Credit/Debit   Sales at market demonstrate the unmet demand for healthy food in disinvested neighborhoods, and since 2017, the Markets have over $1.1M in sales. But revenue doesn’t cover the total cost of operations – Arcadia needs your support! You can volunteer, donate as an individual, or make a massive and substantial donation ( 💵 💵 💵 ) through your organization.   Now you know - so help them grow! Home | Mobile Market (arcadiamobilemarket.org)

Supporting our local farmers is vital to maintaining a valuable connection to our land and food supply. The Food Dignity® Movement, a nonprofit organization, recognizes this and purchases Pennsylvania produce and agriculture products from our local and regional smaller farmers. Food equity in our community is created through the planting, raising, growing, and harvesting of this food with the recipient in mind. The food we use to create food equity isn't an afterthought. Efficiency and effectiveness are at the core of our mission. Our lean approach to food sustainability outcomes includes: 🚚 We do not require warehousing or trucking logistics. 🥕 We reduce farm food loss, while increasing the farm's profit margins. 🌍 We reduce food miles and carbon footprint. 👩🌾 We create jobs and a new market for our local farmers. Join us in supporting our local farmers and ensuring a sustainable food supply for years to come. You can learn more in this 3-min video: https://lnkd.in/e_H4KbS8 #fooddignity #supportlocalfarmers #foodsustainability Art work credit: Rebecca Garofano, MS, RDN