CT Green Scene

Organic Farm Gives Food to Cancer Victims, Needs Volunteers

Feeney Farm will be hosting its first in a series of three “Volunteer Days” at the Fairfield Community Garden (FCG) on Saturday, July 31st from 8 – 11 am. Volunteers will be weeding, digging and preparing the soil for swiss chard, kale, carrots and brussell sprouts. All produce will be harvested in the fall and donated to Fairfield cancer patients and survivors.
 
Feeney Farm, a start-up farm in Fairfield whose aim is to grow and donate vegetables to those in the community suffering from cancer, plans to provide  50-100 Fairfield cancer patients and survivors 50% of their recommended daily vegetables intake during the months of June through October. Feeney Farm officially starts in 2011, but will be growing produce in a plot at the FCG located in Drew Park in Fairfield.

If you’re interested in volunteering this Saturday, fundraising or getting involved, contact Margaret Feeney at  margaretmaryfeeney@gmail.com or visit www.feeneyfarm.org.

Image courtesy of Feeney Farm.

Don’t Judge Organic Farmers Until You Walk a Mile in Their Crocs

by Catherine Monahon     

This summer, Catherine is working at an organic farm. Studying and working in nature as well as her previous work experience with organic and fair-trade businesses have made the environment one of her primary interests. She has grown up in a household that eats organic, recycles or composts everything from egg shells to nail clippings, and values fair-trade products. As a junior at Connecticut College with an inter-disciplinary major of American Studies, her academic focus has touched upon environmental issues within U.S. politics, NGOs, cultural movements, and marketing trends. Today's article highlights her recent farm experience.

Looking to learn about your local community, produce, or economy?  You can find all three at any local farm. From WWOOFers (individuals taking advantage of World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) to volunteers to the farmers themselves, each farm undoubtedly has a tightly-knit, complex family of workers behind it who not only know everything about your food from root to tip, but also constantly deal with the trials of operating a small business. When I visited Ryder Farm, an organic CSA just outside of Connecticut, I was not expecting to see any of this. I had set my hopes on simply working outside, learning a little farming, and getting out of the house.           

I expected to spend the day hunched over in a field, and prepared myself for mindless physical labor by hydrating, locating my sneakers, and putting on my game face.  I told myself that as a volunteer, I would probably be shunted to grunt work, and I wouldn’t want the other workers to think I was not capable. The night before I attempted a few push-ups that, in retrospect, could have gone worse.

Fresh Hope

by Eileen Weber

Last summer, I wrote an article about a group of Fairfield residents who came together to grow an organic garden for Operation Hope. The idea was hatched by Eleanor Fraser, a petite Scottish woman with a shy smile and a whole lot of ambition. Her mission, should she choose to accept it, was to feed the hungry, one fresh vegetable at a time.

When she pitched the idea to Operation Hope, she said “they loved it.” With her wide-brimmed hat in hand, Fraser went to the town to secure a plot of land in one of their community areas. After more than a little bureaucratic red tape, she was assigned a plot on Warde Terrace.

“She’s been amazing,” said Michelle Stearns, Operation Hope’s Volunteer Coordinator, of last year’s efforts. “It was such a hard time getting a plot. There was all that rain. The garden started late. But she persevered and got it off the ground.”

Eileen Noel, a garden volunteer who is returning this year with her daughter Hanna, agrees that Fraser has been the garden’s foot soldier, fighting for its existence. “I think the community garden concept is such an important thing and I was shocked that no one I have talked to knew about it,” she said. “The more I learn about the way plots are assigned, the more important it seems that the town needs some type of committee to oversee it and run it more efficiently. They might look to neighboring towns to see what works and doesn't.”

Food for the Whole Family

by Eileen Weber
 
In an earlier post this week, I wrote about the Junior League of Eastern Fairfield County’s “Healthy Eating” program targeting low-income women at the Mercy Learning Center in Bridgeport. The event was meant to promote the healthy benefits of fresh produce. Today, I had the privilege of witnessing it.

Wrapping light sweaters around their shoulders and bristling at the thought of a five-block walk, about twenty-five women made their way to the Marina Village Farmers’ Market for a field trip to the south end of town. They listened to a short lecture by Heather Harrington, an assistant extension instructor in the Department of Allied Health Sciences at the University of Connecticut. She and her assistant talked about ways to use healthy foods in cooking. With paper bags donated by Trader Joe’s, they loaded up on poblano peppers, broccoli, tomatoes, end-of-season corn, apples and pears.

Organic Hope

by Eileen Weber

One of the things I remember most about summer was the garden my dad always lovingly tended. Cherry tomatoes. Sugar snap peas. Zucchini. Three different kinds of lettuce. And red currants that dazzled in the sunlight like little jewels hanging off the vine.

I never considered myself a gardener, but I’ve always appreciated the concept. This summer, I heard about a garden project for Operation Hope. A group of volunteers would plant vegetables and herbs for the Operation Hope Pantry. It’s a new take on an old concept: Feed the hungry, but make the food fresh.

“The project seems like it is something that should have been started (or at least thought of) a long time ago,” said Amanda Leslie, a volunteer who is a junior at George Washington University currently teaching English on the island of Mauritius, “because in my head it's sort of a 'duh', slap your forehead kind of moment putting two and two together of bringing food directly to people who need it and also using it as an education tool.”

The idea started with a petite woman in a wide-brimmed hat and a Scottish accent. A landscaper by trade, Eleanor Fraser wanted to do something valuable for the community. She put the word out and about a dozen volunteers—from college students to professionals—signed up to help, including myself.

But getting the project off the ground wasn’t so easy. Fraser managed to get a plot from the Town of Fairfield in a designated garden area. But many of the plots are overgrown with weeds or simply fallow. Unfortunately, a number of people will sign up for the plots with the intention of planting, but never do.

“I have a real problem with the plots not being used,” said Fran McDonough, a volunteer who helped Fraser get donations of dirt and mulch for the garden. She said she made a few phone calls and “talked to the right people.”

“The gardens aren’t as well organized as they are in other towns,” said Fraser. “Other neighboring towns send out a letter each year. If you don’t respond, it goes to the next person on the list. Fairfield doesn’t have that.”

The Graying Of The Greens

ERIN WALRATH and her fiancée, Peter Mariano, chat during Fairfield County Green Drinks, a cocktail party at the Westport Arts Center for people interested in environmental issues. (MICHAEL KODAS / February 13, 2008)

With Aging Memberships, Environmental Groups Reach Out To Younger Members

by STEVE GRANT |  The Hartford Courant

Something's happened to Connecticut's venerable environmental groups. They're aging, often dominated by members and leaders well into their 50s and beyond. Greens gone gray.

It has them worried. "The environmental community must make room for younger, more creative and less bureaucratic individuals who will stick their neck out on important issues and who will have the energy and expertise to galvanize the public into action," said Allan Williams of West Hartford, a longtime environmental activist and member of the Sierra Club.

Fearful of a loss of relevance, concerned they might lose influence in shaping state policy, long-established groups like the Connecticut Audubon, the Connecticut chapter of the Sierra Club and the Connecticut Forest & Park Association are now reaching out to attract younger members, employees and board members.

"We certainly do want to attract younger people," said Adam R. Moore, executive director of the forest and park group. "We've been working on that, just like every environmental group has been."

 

The Seas Are A'Rising--Advcacy Group to Assist Flooded Residents

Spurred to action by 3 unprecedented floods within 7 months, flooded Darien residents met several times at the Darien Library to voice concerns and develop strategies.  Vanessa Wood and Laura Giobi, instrumental in organizing residents, announce that they have joined an established Darien environmental group, Save Darien's Wetlands, shifting the group to focus on flooding.

Save Darien's Wetlands, Inc. was formed in 2001 by the late Lee Fingar of Darien as a neighborhood advocacy group to address water concerns.   Mr. Fingar's death in July 2007 left the fate of the group uncertain. Flood residents met several times this year for public meetings demanding action and worked find flooding answers through their blog http://darienflooding.wordpress.com "We hope to expand the work that Lee began," stated Mrs. Wood.  "Our vision is to go forward as an advocacy group for the water concerns that are plaguing several neighborhoods in Darien. Town government has come under heavy scrutiny this year. Examination is healthy. Under the watchful eye of its citizens we expect Darien will meet the challenge of dealing with water issues to create a new standard as a modern town."

The restructured group announced their goals:
Increase public awareness of options to decrease water danger and damage.
Advocate flood control solutions that will protect homes, businesses, and the environment.
Inform residents and businesses on government activity that affects Darien's Wetlands.

For more information, visit our website www.SaveDariensWetlands.org.

Start a Recycling Program at Your School!

It's Back-to-School and what better time to kick off a great year by starting a school-wide recycling program! Check out these tips from Treehugger.com

1. Find out who else in your school is passionate about recycling and is willing to help!

2. Decide what can be recycled in your school district. Items such as paper, plastic, printer cartridges, batteries or clothing are all fair game.

3. Form a recycling club to be responsible for the program.

4. Determine who will get the recyclables to the transfer station. Some potential candidates include custodians, parents, volunteers or in many areas the trash company or town itself.

5. Decide where to store your schools recyclables until transport.

6. Find out how many classroom, lounge and cafeteria recycling containers will be needed, and then raise money for their purchase.

7. Have committee or club members make presentations to each classroom about the importance of recycling.

8. Weigh and measure recyclables and post this information for the entire school to see to encourage more recycling.

9. Hold contests and competitions between grade levels or classrooms to see who can recycle the most.

10. Find fun things to do with the funds raised by collecting bottle-return money!

11. Write to CTGreenScene and let us know how you made out!!!

Coastal Cleanup

The Ocean Conservancy’s 22^nd annual International Coastal Cleanup will involve hundreds of thousands of volunteers around the globe on Saturday, September 15, 2007.
Locally, volunteers of the Norwalk River Watershed Association [NRWA], Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, other groups, and members of the public are encouraged to participate in “pollution prevention” by teaming up to remove trash from our region of the Long Island Sound’s shoreline.  Trash removed from the shore saves marine animals’ lives and can improve water quality, and so Ed Holowinko of NRWA will be at Norwalk’s Veteran’s Park at 9 AM to organize local volunteers who want to take part in this global effort.  Please call Ed at 203.852.7187 to register your interest.  Volunteers working for three hours will satisfy the hands-on component required to earn the Norwalk River Watershed Patch.  Visit www.norwalkriver.org for details.

For people who wish to work in other geographic locations, online registration may be done at the Ocean Conservancy’s website; visit www.oceanconservancy.org, and click on the International Coastal Cleanup “Register Now” box. Boaters who can clean up coastal islands and boat ramp areas are especially appreciated!

Farmington River Clean-Up 9/29

This year marks our 20th anniversary Clean-up--a community event that gets people  of all ages working together to clean up litter along the banks of the Farmington River and its tributaries. In 2006, clean up sites were in Avon, Barkhamsted, Bloomfield, Bristol, Burlington, Farmington, Granby, and Simsbury. Over 350 volunteers participated in collecting nearly 4 tons of trash in 2006. Let's beat that number this year! For more information, visit the Farmington Watershed Association website.

Conversation on Climate Action 10/4

Here's your chance to call your local government officials and get them join cities across the U.S. that are organizing local meetings on October 4, 2007 to discuss and implement innovative strategies that can reduce pollution while saving money and building healthier, more livable communities.

The National Conversation on Climate Action is part of an effort to spark a broad national discussion on the challenges and solutions associated with global warming at the local level. On October 4th, mayors and cities across the United States will be convening non-partisan local dialogues to draw attention to and build local support for solutions to global warming. For more info or to register go to www.climateconversation.org.

Get Invloved!

NOFA (Northeast Organic Farming Association CT) makes it easy to get involved in raising awareness about the importance of organic farming and supporting Connecticut-grown organic farmers. Visit the NOFA website to donate or join, or browse the list below for ways to make a difference.

Source: CT NOFA