Sustainable Food and Farming classes

Registration is now open for summer online classes in Sustainable Food and Farming at UMass Amherst.  These may either be taken individually or as part of a 15-credit Certificate Program.  For a list of classes see: http://sustfoodfarm.org/online-classes/

This summer UMass is offering:

Full Summer Term (May 18 – August 8, 2015)

STOCKSCH 108 – Introduction to Botany (4)

Summer  I Classes (May 18 – June 26, 2015)

STOCKSCH 100 – Botany for Gardeners (GenEd-BS; 4 credits)
STOCKSCH 120 – Organic Gardening and Farming (GenEd-BS; 4 credits)
STOCKSCH 197 A – Backyard Homesteading (3 credits)
STOCKSCH 290 C –  Land Use Policy & Sustainable Farming (3 credits)
STOCKSCH 297 FP – Farm Management, Planning and Marketing (3 credits)
STOCKSCH 397 C – Community Food Systems (3 credits)

Summer  II Classes (July 6  – August 14, 2015)

STOCKSCH 100 – Botany for Gardeners (GenEd-BS; 4 credits)
STOCKSCH 117 – Agricultural Chemistry (3 credits)
STOCKSCH 297 V – Organic Vegetable Production (3 credits)
STOCKSCH 397 AE – Agricultural Ecology (3 credits)
STOCKSCH 397 S – Sustainable Site Planning and Design (3 credits)
STOCKSCH 397 FV – Post-harvest Handling of Fruits and Vegetables (3 credits)

RECESSSION HIT FOOD SECURITY HARD, BUT SNAP HELPED

Roughly 2 million more children live in poverty today than at the start of the recession, according to a new study that analyzes four areas affecting children’s well-being: health, hunger, housing, and abuse and neglect.  Food security, the study finds was the hardest hit. As of 2013, 15.7 million children lived in households where at least one family member didn’t get enough to eat on a regular basis. That’s 3.3 million more than at the onset of the recession. But SNAP helped ease the situation. The number of SNAP beneficiaries rose by 21 million between 2007 and 2013 to 46.5 million, resulting in about 1 in 3 kids receiving some form of nutrition assistance.

Source: Pew Charitable Trust, 3/17/15, Food Security in the Recession

POTSDAM FARMERS MARKET SEEKS VENDORS FOR UPCOMING SEASON

The Potsdam Farmers’ Market will begin its outdoor season starting on Saturday, May 9th in Ives Park and is currently accepting vendor applications.

The market is held every Saturday, 9am to 2pm until October 31^st.  There is also potential for Wednesday market, held at the same times.  This will be decided by vendor vote at the pre-season meeting. The pre-season meeting is on Saturday, April 18^th at 2pm in the 2^nd floor community room at the Potsdam Civic Center. All interested are welcome to attend. Vendors can hand in their application, necessary paperwork and vendor fee at that time. The full season vendor fee is $ $60.00 if paid by May 1^st, $70.00 if paid after May 1^st, $120.00 for double stall and $15.00 for a single day set-up.

Farmers, meat-producers, value-added (wine, baked goods, jams, jellies, etc) and handmade crafters are welcome as vendors.  On-site food sales are also welcome, with proper health department standards followed. 

Anyone interested in becoming a vendor can access the necessary forms at www.thepotsdamfarmersmarket.org , under the “Become a Vendor” tab. Rules for the market are available there as well.

“The market is a great place to sell products and meet customers.” says Laura Popielski, Market Manager. “You’ll create relationships with people who want to support local which can expand your business!” 

Trivia Night a success!

GardenShare's Cabin Fever Trivia Night 2015 was another great success with a sell-out crowd, good food and drink, great questions, and fun prizes for the winners.

Thank you to our sponsors - ProAct, Stauffer Farms, and the Canton Farmers Market!  Thank you to the many farmers and local businesses who donated food or items for the prize baskets.  Thank you Ellen Rocco for your great job hosting!  Thank you to everyone who bought a ticket and joined us!

And most especially thank you to the incredible volunteer committee who put this event together to benefit GardenShare - Dave, April, Katie, Val, Zoe, and Laura!

First place team representing NCPR shows off their prizes!

Second Place team, "Bookworms," led by former GardenShare Board member Heather Sullivan Caitlin (left) with their prizes.

DRAFT FEDERAL BUDGETS BLUDGEON SNAP

The budgets adopted Senate Budget committee and passed by the House each cut more than $3 trillion over 10 years (2016-2025) from programs that serve low- and moderate-income people. In dollar terms, the plans would cut these programs by $3.7 trillion House) and $3.2 trillion (Senate), respectively, over the next decade. The House plan turns SNAP into a block grant starting in 2021 and cuts SNAP funds by $125 billion, or more than a third, from 2021 to 2025.  While states would be left to decide ultimately whose benefits to reduce or terminate, cuts of this magnitude would end or cut food assistance benefits for millions of low-income families. The Senate bill does not explicitly call for block-granting SNAP, but the general allocation of its unspecified entitlement program cuts indicates that SNAP food assistance provided through would likely be cut heavily.

Ironically, the proposed cuts would affect more than 1 million people in the Congressional districts represented by House Budget Committee Republicans. In 16 of the 22 districts, between 20 and 30% of SNAP households contained at least one person aged 60 or over. In two it was well above 30%. In 12 districts between 50 and 60% of SNAP households contained children under age 18; in five districts the percentage was between 45 and 50%; in four it was slightly above 60% percent; and in one it was 70.6%.

Source: Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, 3/23/15, SNAP Cuts; Food Research Action Center, 3/25/15, SNAP Cuts Hurt GOP, Too

FUNdraising!

Did you see the article in yesterday's Watertown Times about the penguin fundraiser?  I had heard about this project when I visited the Gouverneur Rotary Club and since I'm staying in Gouverneur temporarily have seen the birds around town.  What a fun way to raise money to support the local food pantries!

And tomorrow, GardenShare puts the FUN in FUNdraising with our third annual Cabin Fever Trivia Night!

Hope we are going to see you there!  And thank you in advance to all of the hard-working volunteers and to the sponsors who made this possible!

Gloria

WHY SNAP ISN’T FALLING AS FAST AS UNEMPLOYMENT

Some critics argue that SNAP enrollment’s failure to fall in tandem with the sharp drop in the unemployment rate over the past few years indicates that most of the rise in SNAP’s enrollment after 2007 was not related to the economy.  The critical reality, however, is that SNAP enrollment remains high because the job market continues to exhibit scars from the Great Recession that the unemployment rate does not fully reflect. Despite increased employment numbers, the share of the population with a job remains abnormally low, the number of people working fewer hours than they would like remains abnormally high as does long-term unemployment, and wage growth continues to be anemic. In addition, the number of unemployed workers who aren’t receiving any unemployment insurance (UI) benefits — the group most likely to qualify for SNAP because they have neither sufficient wages nor UI benefits — is higher now than at the bottom of the recession. 

Source: Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, 3/18/15, SNAP and the Economy