Michael Pollan, who recently came to Alameda to speak for a Library Foundation fundraiser, made a call to the President-elect (whoever that was going to be) but now President Obama, to instate a White House Farmer (much like a White House chef). Voting ends tomorrow, but a local Alameda organization is in the running to be one of the three names presented by this group who is organizing the project. That’s right, the Growing Youth project, a part of the Alameda Point Collborative has a shot — a long one, but a shot nonetheless — at this horserace.
So VOTE, you may have to scroll to find the Growing Youth project. C’mon Alamed(i)ans we can do it!
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When I voted Growing Youth Farm only had 123 votes compared to 6900+ for some gal (Claire Strader) in Wisconsin. One thing is certain though, whoever wins will have plenty of manure in DC.
Claire is just the woman to turn 5 acres of the White House lawn into the nation’s premier urban farm. Claire has worked in small-scale organic agriculture for 15 years, including her 8 years at Troy Community Farm where she turned a 5-acre parcel of weedy urban landscape into a highly productive and wonderfully beautiful vegetable farm. Not only does Claire produce food for CSA, market, and wholesale on this small urban farm, she also educates college students, high-school youth, and adult volunteers through the farm’s internship programs. Claire is an excellent farmer and educator who could not only feed the first family and others in the DC community well, but also serve as a brilliant role model for future farmers all over this country.
What’s more, Claire’s farm is part of a larger non-profit that also runs a 5-acre community garden, a restored prairie, and several kids’ gardening programs on 26 open acres in the city of Madison, WI. Community GroundWorks at Troy Gardens not only feeds people, it also teaches people to feed themselves. Claire’s work with this organization connects her with other growers and educators who have the skills and ambition to help this country both eat local and grow local. First the White House lawn, then the lawns across the nation!
Tags: Claire Strader, Troy Gardens
Comment by Jack Richard — January 30, 2009 @ 8:31 am
Claire must have better lobbyists than Growing Youth.
Comment by Lauren Do — January 30, 2009 @ 9:36 am
Go farmies go!
Speaking of lobbyists, we now have an ex-lobbyist who cheated on his taxes in charge of collecting our taxes. Change I can believe in.
Comment by Jack B. — January 30, 2009 @ 9:39 am
Was Geithner a lobbyist? He made a tax, erm, mistake but I hadn’t heard he was a lobbyist.
Comment by BC — January 30, 2009 @ 11:29 am
BC, my “mistake.” It’s his chief of staff that is the ex-Goldman lobbyist.
Comment by Jack B. — January 30, 2009 @ 11:55 am
Who would you have chosen, Jack B?
Comment by dave — January 30, 2009 @ 12:06 pm
Nouriel Roubini.
Comment by Jack B. — January 30, 2009 @ 12:09 pm
#5, wrong again … I don’t think Rahm Emanuel was ever a lobbyist!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rahm_Emanuel
Comment by alameda — January 30, 2009 @ 1:36 pm
Alameda, I’m talking about Geithner’s chief of staff Mark Patterson. Look it up.
Comment by Jack B. — January 30, 2009 @ 1:56 pm
Unfortunately, it looks like some hackers have taken it upon themselves to cheat for Claire: http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=556890
Especially the one calling himself “evan” – he appears to have done it before as well…
Comment by adb — January 30, 2009 @ 3:56 pm
# 4
Oops, looks like another hiccup in the tax chronicles of the new change. Seems like a certain HHS selectee and former Senate majority leader “made a 100K mistake”.
Comment by JR — January 30, 2009 @ 4:28 pm
OMG! Daschle.
This is just getting to be too much.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123335984751235247.html
Comment by Jack B. — January 30, 2009 @ 4:56 pm
It looks like Growing Youth won’t have to pull up stakes and head to Washington DC. Just as well too, because their chicken’s weren’t too keen on leaving their nice warm coop in the garden.
If nothing else, this “campaign” called attention to innovative actions people all over the country are taking to improve food security. For our kids, it was exciting enough to just be nominated, but they also were contacted by groups all over the country who wanted to learn about what they were doing, and it does appear that folks in the current administration took notice as well.
Thanks to all who voted and supported Growing Youth!
Doug Biggs
Executive Director
Alameda Point Collaborative
Comment by Doug Biggs — February 2, 2009 @ 7:56 am