Community Teaching Garden at Shasta College

Learn new gardening skills with the new Spring series of Community Teaching Garden Workshops!



GETTING STARTED IN YOUR ORGANIC GARDEN

Saturday, March 10, 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm
For novice to seasoned gardeners seeking to improve productivity, this workshop will help you with planning and developing an organic garden, including information on acquiring good seed, preparing your soil for planting, developing an efficient watering system, and avoiding common mistakes to get you off to a good start. Bring your questions and problems, from beginning to advanced, and we will help you find a solution. Wayne Kessler of Shambani Organics is a local nurseryman known for his quality vegetable starts and an advisor to the Teaching Garden. Jim Collins is the Garden Manager.
Presenters: Wayne Kessler and Jim Collins Fee: $15.00



FROM SEED TO TABLE: A SEED STARTING WORKSHOP
Sunday, March 18, 1:00 to 3:00 pm

Join Kalan Redwood of Redwood Seeds to learn about starting your spring and summer crops from seed. This workshop covers seeding technique for standard crops such as lettuce, onions, tomatoes and peppers as well as more unusual varieties such as orach, quinoa and medicinal herbs. Drawing from their extensive seed collection, Kalan will select her favorite varieties and participants will have the chance to seed six-packs to take home. Organic heirloom seeds will also be for sale at a discount, and planting advice is always free.
Presenter: Kalan Redwood Fee: $15.00
NON-TOXIC INSECT MANAGEMENT

Saturday, April 14, 1:00 to 3:00 pmInsect problems are generally an indicator that the gardener needs to correct something out of balance. Pesticides further degrade this balance leading to more and worse problems and sending the gardener backwards in her efforts to grow nutritious food, like the children’s game chutes and ladders. Garden Manager Jim Collins will be discussing new developments in eco-agriculture and sustainable practices, as well as time-honored methods of managing problem insect populations while simultaneously encouraging pollinators and other beneficials— nearly impossible if you use pesticides. There will be ample time for questions and specific problem-solving.

Presenter: Jim Collins Fee: $15.00

PERMACULTURE: Re-THINKING THE WAY WE USE OUR YARDS
Sunday, April 15, 1:00 to 3:00 PM 

Permaculture is the practice of working with, rather than working against nature. Stephanie Ladwig-Cooper will introduce you to permaculture philosophy, ethics, principles and goals, and teach you the basics of designing an ecological landscape. Stephanie is a certified Permaculture Landscape Designer, co-owner with her husband of Gaia Creations in Chico, providing landscape design services in Butte County and the Northern California region.

Presenter: Stephanie Ladwig-Cooper Fee: $15.00



All workshops are at the Community Teaching Garden at Shasta College

For registration information, call (530) 242-7630 or Register online at www.shastacollege.edu/EWD and click on "Pathways"

For more information about the Community Teaching Garden, email teachinggarden@shastacollege.edu

Amy Goodman Coming to Redding

Citizens for Responsible Government

and People of Progress

present an afternoon with Amy Goodman,

host of Democracy NOW

January 14, 2012, 12:00 PM

David Marr Theater, 2200 Eureka Way, Redding

Doors open at 10:30 am with music at 11:00 am by Muletown and Greg Lawson

Tickets $15 reserved, $10 for students in advance available at www.AmyGoodmanInRedding.com

or People of Progress, 1242 Center Street, Redding

This event benefits KIXE - CH. 9, KKRN - FM 88.5 and KTHM - FM 90.7

See more show details on the event flier post on the right. And see you on January 14th!

The Economics of Happiness

Please join The Green Film Series and Growing Local on
Friday, December 2 at 7 p.m.
at the First United Methodist Church, 1825 East Street, Redding
for Shasta County's first screening of the profound film
The Economics of Happiness.


Check out the film trailer on the right. You won't want to miss this film once you have seen the clip.

Squash Smash Benefit

$10 donation to benefit People of Progress

Join Kalan Redwood of Redwood Seeds in this hands-on seed saving workshop.

We will discuss basic seed saving for winter and summer squash. Participants will open winter squash to collect seeds and have the chance to take the squash flesh home. We will also provide recipes and ideas for preserving your squash flesh.

Seeds for your 2012 garden will be sold at a discount price during the last ½ hour of the workshop.

Space limited to 25. Please RSVP by Oct 28th to

info@redwoodseeds.net

Sunday, Oct 30 2-4:30 pm, First United Methodist Church, 1825 East Street, Redding

Join Growing Local for Food Day October 24

Please join Growing Local

on October 24th at 6 pm

at the First United Methodist Church

1825 East Street, Redding

We are celebrating Food Day and

the completion of the

Growing Local Strategic Plan

Food Day is a national celebration of healthy, affordable food with potlucks and school-based activities planned in communities across the country.

Please bring a dish to share that is around $5.00 to make (salads, entrees, desserts, bread, etc). As we will be celebrating local healthy foods, please let us know if you used local foods in your dish. Find out more information about Food Day and healthy, affordable recipes at foodday.org. Simple beverages provided.

We will also be presenting the Growing Local Strategic Plan and discussing ways for people to engage in activities that will promote the strategic initiatives.

Please RSVP to growinglocalshasta@gmail.com

Save the Dates!

Here are some upcoming events you will not want to miss - more information to follow

Growing Local General Meeting and FoodDay Celebration

                October 24, 6 - 8 PM,

First United Methodist Church, 1825 East Street, Redding

Film Screening - Economics of Happiness

Brought to you by The Green Film Series and Growing Local

November 4, 6 PM,

First United Methodist Church, 1825 East Street, Redding

~ Donations accepted to help further the cause of Economics of Happiness~

Alternative Christmas Fair

December 4, 12 - 5 PM,

First United Methodist Church, 1825 East Street, Redding

~ The kids will not want to miss all the fun activities and you will enjoy the great gifts that benefit local nonprofits~

Thanks to Edible Shasta Butte Magazine for leading our appreciative inquiry & assisting Growing Local with it's strategic plan!

CREATING A HEALTHY, SUSTAINABLE, ACCESSIBLE LOCAL FOOD SYSTEM Growing Local is a coalition of groups and individuals in the north state who value local, healthy food and are determined to find ways to introduce more local, healthy food into the lives of area residents. To this end, the coalition hosted Go Local! A Forum on the Future of our Food held in Redding early in 2011. Almost 200 people attended the day-long forum. Interactive panels addressed the following topics: What are we growing? Go Local! Forum Sponsors Ag Innovations Network; Edible Shasta-Butte; Fedora Catering; First United Methodist Church; Future Farmers of America; Good Work Organic Farm; Grilla Bites; Healthy Shasta; Hill Country Health & Wellness Center; Jefferson Public Radio; People of Progress; Roots of Change; Shambani Organics; Shasta College Economic Workforce Development and the Shasta College Natural Resources, Industry and Public Safety Division; Shasta County Department of Agriculture; Shasta County Farm Bureau; Shasta County Public Health; Shasta Growers Association; Shasta Senior Nutrition Program; Slow Food Shasta Cascade; Superior California Economic Development; University of California Cooperative Extension; Western Shasta Resource Conservation District. Where does our food go? Who is eating local? and How can we nurture a sustainable food system? Following the panel presentations and discussions, the conference participants moved into groups to synthesize the day’s learning into recommendations to promote a local, sustainable food system. Encouraged by large and enthusiastic turnouts at January forum and the first Growing Local general meeting of 2011, the Growing Local steering committee organized a broad-based meeting to update the strategic plan, bringing together coalition partners and the eager general community to identify ways the community can participate meaningfully to invigorate a healthy food system and food economy. To achieve a realistic strategic plan with broad-based ownership, an Appreciative Inquiry addressing the topic Imagine a Healthy Future: Planning the Ideal Food System was held on May 25, 2011 at the Gaia Shasta Hotel in Anderson. The goal was to produce strategies that would create a healthy, sustainable and accessible local food system. Main Recommendations A. Economic Sector and Local Food System Support and expand the local Farmer’s Markets. Create a distribution and processing system economically accessible for small producers. Establish web-site links between farmers and consumers. Identify the potential role of the Food Coops in a local food system Create a Farm-to-School system to expand the procurement and consumption of local and healthy food in schools. Establish a cooperative kitchen accessible to the local community for food preparation and preservation. Create a system that allows local investment. B. Outreach and Education and Local Food System Create a more effective local food marketing system that includes local and electronic media (Web-page, Facebook, etc.) Educate the community about local fresh food benefits, preparation and preservation. Incorporate the Farm-to-School system into the school education programs through Farmer programs in schools. Support the Sustainable Agriculture and Agriculture Business degrees at Shasta College. Encourage communities to grow their own food at the community gardens. C. Policy, Governments, NGOs, and Citizens Support the development of harmless regulations and fees for small farmers. Initiate policy changes concerning local food production. Encourage labeling items “locally grown.” Encourage local politicians to support the California Farm Bill. D. Social and Community Building Establish a gleaning program to use otherwise wasted fresh fruit/Grow vegetables for food bank. Encourage edible landscaping. Create neighborhood local growing assistance programs. Celebrate local food on farms, in communities and in schools with Harvest Festivals and similar events. Twenty people from the region who represented various food production and distribution sectors attended this event that started in the afternoon and concluded at 8:30 pm. The Appreciative Inquiry approach leads strategic planners through a series of steps starting with paired interviews focusing on positive experiences with the local food system. Following the paired interviews, the participants shared their stories in two groups of eight, one self-titled the "Food Web Group" and the other "All Things Food." The Food Web Group distilled these strengths of the local food system from their interviews: FOOD WEB GROUP Food connects people – building neighborhoods and empowering people around food. Food is the center of our community web. Healing potential for our community. Creating a food hub that is a point of departure for growing the interest in local food & increasing accessibility. Growing the local food economy by making food the basis of the economy (the middle of the web). Goal: From 1% to 20% more local food by 2020.  The other group, All Things Food, culled these strengths from their shared stories: ALL THINGS FOOD Farmers As RockStars Cultural Celebration / Valuing of Food (family) “It’s sacred to feed others.” “Believe in the Dream” “Little things add up.” Food CoOp “Work together to achieve our dream.” Policies that prioritize the local food supply. “Work together to achieve our dream.” Protecting Land and Water for Agriculture “All things are connected.” “People look to food to change their life and surroundings.” PROVOCATIVE PROPOSITIONS The two groups’ next task was to fold the identified strengths into statements that would support and, indeed, provoke actions. To ensure that both the right and left hemispheres had opportunities to contribute to the propositions that would provoke community action, each group improvised a skit and/or song. The two groups then incorporated the values that were most important to their collective whole brains in statements to guide future efforts--a strategic plan. Proposition 1: We are committed to work toward a sustainable future where local food plays an essential role in building a healthy community which supports and encourages the growth of our regional agricultural economy. Proposition 2: We seek to inspire our community to embrace a local sustainable food supply and support the growers, producers and consumers who live in it. Proposition 3: Given that food is the source of life, we recognize the interconnectedness of all systems related to food. We support the relationships between local food growers and consumers and the conservation of agricultural resources as the foundation of a healthy, just and prosperous community. STRATEGIC ACTIONS The provocative propositions suggested these strategic actions: Create a directory of local food system activities and identify gaps to inform future activities. Celebrate the value of local food. Parties! Cooking classes. Farm-to-school. Food faire. Farm tours. Farmers as RockStars. Youth Programs. Media campaign. Competitions. Family activities/programs. Film series. Training, Mentoring, and Skill Development. . . For activities that support the local, sustainable food supply. Support local infrastructure initiative for food and farm. CoOp & distribution, Commercial Kitchen and Processing Center. Develop policies that promote sustainable food supply, land and water resources. Increase Memberships. Films Cooking demos Collect data. Create Coalition Structure Revisiting this list of activities will be Growing Local's next task with a view toward developing specific action plans to bring the strategic goals to fruition. A meeting is planned of the participants in the May 25 meeting plus other interested folks who were unable to attend the May 25 strategic planning meeting. Check this web-site for further details, or contact Edible Shasta-Butte. We look forward to your participation in creating the next phase of Growing Local! please visit Edible Shasta Butte's website for more information...

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