Progress 04/15/11 to 04/14/12
Outputs
OUTPUTS: During the grant year, April 15, 2011 to April 15, 2012, Common Good City Farm (CGCF) achieved the following outputs: Activities: Conducted pre and post surveys with Green Tomorrows program participants and participants in the East of the River urban gardening project, to assess knowledge and skills gained from the programs. Growing Garden's workshop attendees completed evaluation forms at the end of every workshop which provided valuable feedback to instructors and the workshop coordinator. CGCF gave a lecture at George Mason University on urban agriculture. Events: Over the past year, CGCF reached nearly 3000 people through various speaking and tabling events such as organizations that served low-income residents and seniors: Central Union Mission Church, St Matthews, YWCA, Christ House, Open Arms Housing, Break Away, Green Door and Language and Technology Center. Other venues include civic association meetings, community cook-out, Accokeek Foundation, Film Screenings, Food Day events, Black Farmers and Urban Gardener's Conference, WPFW Heal DC show, Rooting DC conference, and local Universities. The spring kick-off and fall harvest festival saw over 200 attendees and the spring community meeting welcomed 40 new community members to the Farm. His Royal Highness Prince Charles visited and toured the farm in May-over 200 constituents welcomed him. Services: CCGF taught 24 workshops with 350 participants. The most popular workshops were canning, soups, herb and irrigation workshops. CGCF engaged over 700 youth in farm education. The after-school program was renamed LEAF (Learning for Environment Agriculture and Food). There was regular and consistent attendance by youth averaging 7 youth per session. Youth took produce home more consistently. Thirty youth were enrolled in the LEAF program and CGCF hosted 29 school visits. In addition to the school/youth visits, the Farm provided education through its volunteer program which brought about 550 volunteers over the course of the year. Our flagship Green Tomorrows program had a record number of applicants, and introduction of the Community Supported Agriculture program (CSA) provided a third option for participants to receive produce which worked well for senior citizens. Green Tomorrow served 55 low-income adults and children through the "serve and learn" for food model and the CSA took off with 10 participants receiving weekly bags of produce at a discounted price. Dissemination: Once a month, CGCF sends an e-newsletter to over 4000 constituents. CGCF distributes flyers and email blasts to various community and food justice listservs. CGCF partnered and collaborated with organizations such as SHIRE, Howard University, Bread for the City and co-hosted a Food Policy Council brainstorm session. CGCF's executive director is an active member of Mayor Vincent Gray's Green Ribbon Committee advising on the Sustainable DC Initiative. CGCF disseminated educational materials at conferences and workshops and on the Farm. Door-to-door canvassing in the neighborhood proved effective. CGCF used social media and newspapers to get the word out about programs and upcoming activities/events. PARTICIPANTS: In 2011-2012 CGCF hired a new full-time Farm Manager who improved the farm design and layout to maximize production. The Farm manager was responsible for planning and directing day-to-day operation of the Farm; supervising and training volunteers and Green Tomorrows participants, purchasing materials and supplies, greenhouse plant propagation, disease/pest control, planting, harvest and distribution of produce, coordinating Farm visits and teaching lessons. The Executive Director started her second year in the role and was responsible for overseeing all aspects of the organization- personnel, finances, programs, fundraising and outreach. The ED oversaw the evaluation of all programs and implemented changes in programs based on recommendations. She recruited, hired and supervised staff and maintained collaborative ties with partner organizations and local community groups and served as the organization's liaison with all donors and local/federal government agencies. The Green Tomorrows Fellow was responsible for recruitment, orientation and overall coordination of the Green Tomorrows program. CGCF worked with nine volunteer youth coordinators who helped with the LEAF program. The Operations Coordinator was responsible for communications and general administrative and office duties. Partner Organizations: USDA, The Band Foundation, Rossetter Foundation, Cedar Tree Foundation, DDOE, Evergreen Garden Club, John & Kira's Chocolates; Kaiser Foundation; National Capital Area Garden Club; Washington Parks & People; Whole Foods Market; Bread for the City; Casey Trees Foundation; City Blossoms; SHIRE; DC Central Kitchen; DC Farm to School Network; DC Field to Fork; DC Hunger Solutions; DC Office of Planning; DC Urban Gardeners; Fingerlakes Permaculture Institute; FRESHFARM Markets; Historical Society of DC; Latin American Youth Center; Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law; LeDroit Park Civic Association; Office of the Deputy Mayor; Seeds of Change; Bloomingdale ANC. Meridian Pint, Revolve Giving Circle, Visions Inc. Collaborators & contacts: Growing Power, UDC, Howard University, Gallaudett University, The Food Project, HRCS Training or professional development: Over the course of the year CGCF provided four diversity training sessions for staff, board members and volunteers. Visions Inc. conducted a pre assessment of the organization and provided recommendations for improving communication and systems. Attendees were able to voice concerns and discuss issues of class and race affecting the organization. The farm manager attended a four-day training with Eco City Farm. The Executive Director received ongoing mentoring from Visions Inc. TARGET AUDIENCES: CGCF provides educational opportunities for all DC residents and programs for low-income adults and children. District-wide, 40 percent of African American children live below the poverty line while one in eight households are battling the very real threat of hunger. 41 percent of all residents are overweight. Among children, some areas report obesity rates in excess of 50 percent. Unequal access to quality food options produces wide disparities in health outcomes. With fifty percent of LeDroit Park residents under the age of 34, this DC community should have a promising future. But with thirty percent of its members mired in poverty, twenty percent overweight, and ten percent diabetic, LeDroit Park's future looks increasingly bleak. CGCF is fighting on the front lines of this food desert, not just by growing fresh produce but by using the garden as a platform for environmental education, health promotion, and community development. Beyond what we do at our main farm, we are turning the backyards of private homes, the courtyards of low-income housing units, and even parking lots into reclaimed urban garden plots and spaces for individual learning and community engagement. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
Survey results from the SHIRE workshops indicate that 82% of respondents would most likely eat more vegetables after completing the series of workshops and 18% of respondents said they were intermediate gardeners before the workshops and 27% after the workshop. Beginner gardeners dropped from 55% to 27% in the group. In the spring of 2011, CGCF built 57 raised beds for community members and assigned half of the beds to low-income residents. The community garden has a waiting list of close to 200 people. Green Tomorrows participants once again expressed that they depend on the fresh produce from the Farm and appreciate having this food. Those surveyed said they gained a better understanding and more knowledge of how food is grown and how to prepare vegetables that are new to them. There is a growing interest and demand for fresh, local produce in the city and CGCF engages all ages and backgrounds in learning and growing. Restaurants are supporting our small enterprise initiative and buying and incorporating fresh, local produce from the Farm in their menus. The farm produced and distributed 5000lbs of produce in the last year. LEAF provided structure and a fun environment for youth to learn-they loved the program and experimented with unfamiliar recipes and vegetables with enthusiasm. Every year, more schools and groups request farm visits than we can accommodate, but this year's set schedule made hosting more manageable. Youth gained more knowledge of Farm activities and healthy food choices through gardening, workshops and cooking demonstrations. Low-income residents received fresh produce on a weekly basis through our Green Tomorrows program as well as through donations to Miriam's Kitchen, Bread for the City, and DC Central Kitchen. Our programs have generated a greater interest and awareness of urban agriculture, food access challenges and healthy food options in the city. Finally, CGCF provided employment to two Green Tomorrows participants teaching job skills.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 04/15/10 to 04/14/11
Outputs
OUTPUTS: During the grant year, April 15, 2010 to April 15, 2011, Common Good City Farm (CGCF) achieved the following outputs: Activities: Hired evaluation consultants to conduct a needs, process and outcomes-based evaluation of all CGCF programs. The evaluation included a series of one-on-one interviews, small and large group meetings/focus groups, and a thorough review of all program documents. The evaluation team used CFSC whole measures evaluation tools and conducted three small focus groups; informed and participated in one public meeting with nearly 100 attendees; designed, informed, collected and interpreted data from 84 participants including community members, board, staff, volunteers, participants through three surveys; thoroughly reviewed all program documents available including program grants, internal documents, past evaluation reports, USDA materials etc. Notes from the community meeting were shared with all meeting participants through email and regular mail. A follow-up meeting was held three months later, to discuss survey findings and recommendations from the first community meeting. CGCF's Farm Manager and Co-founder co-facilitated a training at the Stone Barns Young Farmers Conference in New York on permaculture and urban community building. Events: Over the past year CGCF tabled at the Columbia Heights and Mt Pleasant Farmers' Markets selling produce and educating customers about urban farming and healthy eating. CGCF also tabled at St. George's Health and Wellness Fair, Jack Johnson concert, Black Luv Festival, Rooting DC and gave talks at Georgetown University, Montgomery Victory Gardens and the Green Festival. Common Good taught 13 workshops with 20-30 participants per workshop. The Farm's spring kick-off and fall harvest festivals saw over 300 attendees. CGCF engaged over 800 youth in farm education through Farm and school visits. In addition to the school/youth visits the Farm provided education through its volunteer program which brought close to 500 volunteers over the course of the year. Products: For the past three years CG has done a weekend-long workshop on urban agriculture and permaculture design- CGCF's co-founder developed the teaching materials provided to workshop attendees. Dissemination: Once a month, CGCF sends an e-newsletter to over 3000 constituents. CGCF distributes flyers and email blasts to various community and food justice listservs and a staff person or board member attends local ANC and Civic Association meetings regularly. CGCF held two community meetings in the winter and spring and has close partnerships with organizations such as SHIRE, DC Hunger Solutions, Howard University, UDC, Bread for the City and others. Educational materials were disseminated at conferences and workshops through tabling opportunities and on the Farm. More recently, Councilmember Graham and Commissioner Myla Moss have been assisting with outreach efforts for the Farm. Door to door canvassing in the neighborhood proved effective to get members to community meetings and events. CGCF has used social media and newspapers to get the word out about programs and upcoming activities/events. PARTICIPANTS: CGCF was in transition between April and July 2010. During that period, Spencer Ellsworth served as Interim Farm Manager and was assisted by 10 volunteer staff. In August 2010, CGCF hired Spencer Ellsworth as the full-time Farm Manager and Pertula George as the full-time Executive Director. ED Role: Oversees all aspects of the organization- personnel, finances, programs, fundraising and outreach. The ED oversaw the evaluation of all programs and implemented changes in programs based on recommendations. Recruited, hired and supervised paid and volunteer staff. Maintained collaborative ties with partner organizations and local community groups and served as the organization's liaison with all local and federal government agencies. Starting Salary-$52,500 current salary $55K. Farm Manager: Plan and direct day-to-day operation of the Farm including working directly with Green Tomorrows and farm education programs. Supervise all Farm work, including harvest and distribution of produce. Annual Salary $40K. In October 2011, CGCF hired three part-time employees from the Green Tomorrows participant pool as Farm and Green Tomorrows Assistants (Olympia Ekine, Saleemah Harris and Edith Lawrence). Roles: develop recruitment and outreach plans for Green Tomorrows program. Administrative: Manage recruitment, enrollment, paperwork and administrative tasks related to the programs. Distribute flyers to inform area residents and program participants of events. Assist Farm Manager with all farm tasks- administrative and fieldwork. Hourly wage- $13. In March 2011, Saleemah Harris's role changed to Outreach Coordinator-she manages the Growing Gardens workshops and Farmers' Market. Olympia and Edith are no longer employed with CG but remain involved as volunteers. Melissa Hamid was the Graphic Designer at $25 an hour. Volunteer Education Coordinators: Chris Soriano and Brigitte DuBois work with kids in the afterschool program. Volunteer Farm Coordinators- Xi Wang, Dena Blickstein, Niko Welch, Clinton Sears, Murray Schmechel, and Herbalist Tricia McCauley signed up for Farm shifts and completed Farm tasks including planting, weeding, harvesting. Olivia Ivy is the Volunteer Coordinator- assisted with scheduling visiting groups and runs the monthly volunteer training orientation. Partner Organizations: USDA, The Band Foundation; Cedar Tree Foundation, DDOE, Evergreen Garden Club, John & Kira's Chocolates; Kaiser Foundation; National Capital Area Garden Club; Sierra Club; Washington Parks & People; Whole Foods Market; Bread for the City; Casey Trees Foundation; City Blossoms; SHIRE; DC Central Kitchen; DC Farm to School Network; DC Field to Fork; DC Hunger Solutions; DC Office of Planning; DC Urban Gardeners; Fingerlakes Permaculture Institute; FRESHFARM Markets; Historical Society of DC; Latin American Youth Center; Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law; LeDroit Park Civic Association; Office of the Deputy Mayor; Seeds of Change; Howard University, UDC, Bloomingdale ANC. Collaborators & contacts: Growing Power, The Food Project. Training or Professional development: CGCF offered internships, fellowships and volunteer positions to students and professionals. TARGET AUDIENCES: In the LeDroit Park community where Common Good City Farm is located, one third of the residents live in poverty; at least one in five are overweight and nearly one in 10 has diabetes. A lack of affordable, fresh produce is a factor related to each of these health concerns and CGCF served low-income residents through educational workshops and the work or learn for food program. CGCF provided 2200 pounds of produce to Food and Friends and Green Tomorrows participants. During the year CG hosted 25 school and youth groups which were predominantly African American and 50% or more of the students receive free or reduced school lunch. The afterschool program served an average of 6 children a day from the LeDroit Park neighborhood and they are African American. Members of the Green Tomorrows program in 2010 were low-income- African American and Hispanic. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: CGCF offered 13 workshops to the general public with a total of 310 attendees. Workshop topics included-Good Design, Bad Design, Container Gardening workshop, Compost Happens, Container gardening/gardening 101, Herbalism 101, Cooking Demonstration, Common Uses for Less-Common Herbs, Uncommon Uses for Common Herbs, Preserving summer bounties-pickling, Preserving summer bounties-canning, and a weekend long workshop- Cultivating Community with Urban Gardens. With the support of Washington Parks and People CG has a well equipped outdoor kitchen. Visiting school students and participants in the afterschool program participated in cooking demos and learned how to prepare tasty vegetable and fruit dishes and smoothies.
Impacts
Survey results from the Green Tomorrows program indicate that low-income residents/program participants depend on the fresh produce from the Farm and appreciate having this food. Those surveyed said they gained a better understanding and more knowledge of how food is grown and how to prepare vegetables that are new to them. Youth have also gained more knowledge of Farm activities and healthy food choices through gardening, workshops and cooking demonstrations. Educational, hands-on activities and workshops for all have brought people closer to the Farm and their food. There is a growing interest and demand for fresh, local produce in the city and CGCF engages all ages and backgrounds in learning and growing. Resources such as staff, volunteers, land, educational materials and program participants make it possible for everyone to come together to grow food for those who need it the most. Low-income residents received fresh produce on a weekly basis through our Green Tomorrows program as well as through donations to Food and Friends, Bread for the City and Food not Bombs. Activities such as workshops, school and volunteer group visits, afterschool program, and micro-enterprise have generated a greater interest and awareness of food access challenges and healthy food options in the city. CGCF acquired a greenhouse but was unable to install it this year. Seeding was done at a Department of Parks and Recreation greenhouse near the Farm.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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