News

Community Food Projects Program

Fiscal Year 2005 Training Events/Opportunities

A total of six organizations have been funded to provide training and technical assistance (T&TA) to Community Food Projects (CFP) program grantees, applicants, and other interested parties during fiscal year 2005. They are: American Community Gardening Association (ACGA); Community Food Security Coalition (CFSC); First Nations Development Institute (FNDI); Occidental College (OC)*; Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (SSAWG)**; and The Food Project (TFP).

A chronological listing of currently scheduled T&TA events and opportunities is provided below.

Title:          Farm to School Workshop
Dates:        December 7, 2004
Location:    Watsonville, CA
Cost:         $35.00
Description:   OC will provide information on training on what you can do at your school site to increase consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables in the lunch program.

Web site and contact information: www.farmtoschool.org; Moira Beery at 323-341-5099 or beery@oxy.edu.

Title:      Food Sovereignty Assessment Training for NativeAmerican Communities
Dates:    January 2005 (exact date to be determined)
Location: To be announced
Cost:       None
Description:      This FNDI workshop introduces a community food security assessment tool (FSAT) specific to Native American communities. The FSAT is one strategy to assist Native American communities in discovering their existing food resources and developing a plan for long-term stainability of local food systems, and is intended to be a model for adaptation to specific community food resource needs.

Web site and contact information: www.firstnations.org; Jackie Tiller at jtiller@firstnations.org.

Title:    “Practical Tools and Solutions for Sustaining Family Farms” is the theme
            of the SSAWG Annual Conference
Dates:    January 20-23, 2005
Location: Hilton New Orleans Airport Hotel, New Orleans, LA
Cost:      Conference registration fees start at $115; fee waivers (scholarships)
             are available
Description:    The conference attracts over 500 innovative farmers, researchers, educators, community organizers, and others working for sustainable food systems in the South. SSAWG will offer a conference track of educational sessions dedicated to helping attendees learn more about Community Food Systems and network with others doing this work in the South.

Web site and contact information: www.ssawg.org; Toni McLaughlin at ssawgconf@bellsouth.net.

Title:        SSAWG Community Food Systems Leadership Training
Dates:      January 23-25, 2005
Location:   Hilton New Orleans Airport Hotel, New Orleans, LA
Cost:        No charge; deadline for applications is November 22
Description:    Training for individuals interested in assisting organizations in the Southern United States to establish Community Food Projects and seek CFP grants. Trained leaders will be equipped to provide training, consultation and technical assistance to community-based groups.

Web site and contact information: www.ssawg.org; Keith Richards at 479-587-0888 or arm@lynks.com.

Title:        Growing Communities Workshop
Dates:       February 4-5, 2005
Location:   Portland, OR
Cost:        $35 & sliding scale
Description:     An intensive, hands-on training workshop based on the ACGA¹s Growing Community Curriculum. As a “train the trainers” session, attendees learn the principles and practices of community organizing, and how to pass these techniques on to others by conducting their own workshops on leadership development, asset-based planning, fund-raising, board development, coalition building, communication planning, & facilitation.
Website and contact info: Betsy Johnson at 617-536-1711 or betsy@bgjohnson.com.

Title:       A Field Guide to Evaluation: Community Food Project Evaluation Training
Dates:      February 14-16, 2005
Location:  New Orleans, LA
Cost:       $45 for two representatives from each CFP Grantee (includes
               registration and partial meals from local sources). Group hotel rates at
              the Garden District Hotel
Description:    This is CFSC¹s comprehensive workshop focused on outcome-based evaluation strategies, tools, analysis and results, and designed expressly for CFP grantees and other CFP practitioners. The workshop will feature consultation on each project’s evaluation plan, a “how to” segment on the CFP Evaluation Toolkit, and an array of local Louisiana meals.

Web site and contact information: www.foodsecurity.org; Jeanette Abi-Nader at jeanette@foodsecurity.org or 985-892-7501.

Title:           Food Sovereignty Assessment Training for Native American
                Communities
Dates:       March 2005 (exact date to be determined)
Location:    To be announced
Cost:         None
Description:      This FNDI workshop introduces a community food security assessment tool (FSAT) specific to Native American communities. The FSAT is one strategy to assist Native American communities in discovering their existing food resources and developing a plan for long-term sustainability of local food systems, and is intended to be a model for adaptation to specific community food resource needs.

Web site and contact information: www.firstnations.org; Jackie Tiller at jtiller@firstnations.org.

Title:        Midwest Leading in Food Systems Training (LIFT)
Dates:      March 14-15, 2005
Location:   Growing Power, Milwaukee, WI
Cost:        No charge
Description:      TFP and Growing Power will join to provide a mix of strategic planning, management, and innovative sustainable production workshops. Using case studies and a mission-driven, exploratory approach, TFP will offer its expertise to train in organizational capacity building. Growing Power will offer its intensive, hands-on sustainable production workshops and an educational tour of its facilities.
Web site and contact information: www.thefoodproject.org; Liz Luc Clowes at 781-259-8621, ext. 26

Title:        Growing Communities Workshop
Dates:       March 18-19, 2005
Location:   Des Moines, IA
Cost:        $40 for continuing education credits & sliding scale
Description:     An intensive, hands-on training workshop based on the ACGA¹s Growing Community Curriculum. As a “train the trainers” session, attendees learn the principles and practices of community organizing, and how to pass these techniques on to others by conducting their own workshops on leadership development, asset-based planning, fund-raising, board development, coalition building, communication planning, & facilitation.

Website and contact info: Betsy Johnson at 617-536-1711 or betsy@bgjohnson.com.

Title:        Growing Communities Workshop
Dates:       April 8-9, 2005
Location:   Corneilius, NC (near Charlotte)
Cost:        $35 & sliding scale
Description:     An intensive, hands-on training workshop based on the ACGA¹s Growing Community Curriculum. As a “train the trainers” session, attendees learn the principles and practices of community organizing, and how to pass these techniques on to others by conducting their own workshops on leadership development, asset-based planning, fund-raising, board development, coalition building, communication planning, & facilitation.

Website and contact info: Betsy Johnson at 617-536-1711 or betsy@bgjohnson.com.

Title:        Northeast Leading in Food Systems Training (LIFT) Workshop
Dates:      May 19, 2005
Location:   North Deerfield, MA
Cost:        No charge
Description:    TFP and Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA) will offer a full day of training in effective youth program development with a focus on school partnerships. Participants will learn techniques for creating productive learning environments, how to work with youth as allies, how to design programs that maximize youth potential, and the how to develop programs for local schools, encompassing agriculture curriculum, service learning, nutrition, and community building. The program will also feature CISA¹s successful Buy Local campaign and offer opportunities to network with organizations in the region.