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| It's spring, and the start of the growing season. Of course, FRESH is growing, too -- in this newsletter you'll meet Alicia, the new farm-to-school coordinator for the whole county, and hear about the changes we're making to our CSA/farmshare program to connect it with the mobile market. |
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In this issue:
- Secure your farmshare today
- Meet Alicia McAvay, New London County's new farm-to-school coordinator
- Youth update: Leadership training and crew recruitment
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| | FRESH Junior Staff member Julie weighs produce at a mobile market stop in August 2013. This year, the CSA/farmshare pickup at the FRESH Community Garden will be during the mobile market stop there, through a change designed to bring the community together. |
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| FRESH 20-week CSA open for registration |
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| Revamped CSA pickup will integrate more with mobile market |
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Changes to the FRESH CSA/farmshare program aim to blend the mobile market and CSA programs together into a weekly, multi-faceted food hub event.
A new joint effort to integrate the CSA and mobile market will condense three of the previous five CSA pickup locations into one. The FRESH Community Garden Center, next to Jennings Elementary School at the corner of Mercer and Williams streets, will offer CSA share pickup during regular mobile market hours, on Wednesday evenings. The change will offer a convenient, later (until 7 p.m.) pickup option for CSA members, especially those who visit the garden at that time in the evening anyway to volunteer, tend to their raised garden beds or supplement their weekly shares with delicious extras from the mobile market. With this plan, the Community Garden Center will truly be one-stop shopping for fresh, healthy, local food for all of New London. |
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"Our goal with all our food programs is to knit the community together, and increase interaction. The mobile market is a model for that," Executive Director Arthur Lerner said.
Registration is opened two weeks ago for the CSA program, which is now in its fourth year. CSA members take home 20 weeks of fresh picked, locally grown food and herbs from the FRESH farm (with fruits and corn from partner farms throughout New London County). Just as last year, share pricing will be on a sliding scale based on household income, and FRESH will accept cash, check or SNAP benefits for payment. Pickup locations are the Community Garden Center, Connecticut College and Fiddleheads Food Co-op. Registration closes June 1; distribution begins mid-June. |
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Meet Alicia McAvay, the new countywide farm-to-school coordinator |
| Alicia comes to FRESH after several years managing farmers' markets in and around Portland, Oregon. She's a southeastern Connecticut native and a UConn graduate with a master's degree in social work-community organizing. Alicia's work will help organize farmers and school food directors throughout New London County as they work together to make school meals good for students, good for the environment and good for local economies. She said she's especially excited to promote healthy local foods to youngsters. She hopes that, as students develop a preference for local, healthy food, they -- not just adults -- can be the driving force for better school food. The farm-to-school position is funded through part of a $100,000, two-year U.S. Department of Agriculture grant won by Ledge Light Health District and FRESH late last year. The health district and FRESH aim to increase the amount of local produce used in schools by 10 percent over the next two years. |
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SUPPORT
Interested in supporting FRESH with a tax-deductible donation?
Interested in visiting and volunteering at the farm? Open farm volunteer says are Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Waterford Country School. No matter your age or ability, there's a way you can help bring healthy food to all! Email us first to let us know if you're coming, so we can get you in the gate. |
| | | FRESH junior staff members and Executive Director Arthur Lerner meet with New London Foodcorps member Sarah Doherty and others at a recent meeting about creating a school garden at Jennings Elementary School. |
| | Youth staff take the lead in the community |
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Our seven junior staff members have been focusing on leadership this past month. They're talking in weekly meetings about how leaders develop into strong leaders, and how they can encourage cooperation. In addition, they recently attended an overnight youth leadership retreat with local youth groups Hearing Youth Voices and Writer's Block at the Voluntown Peace Trust. They also attended a meeting about creating a school garden at Jennings Elementary School, just steps from the FRESH office and the FRESH Community Garden Center.
During a recent discussion, this is how junior staff member Karen (pictured) described leaders:
"A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He or she doesn't set out to be a leader, but becomes one by the quality of his or her actions and the integrity of his or her intent. In the end, leaders are much like eagles -- they don't flock, you find them one at a time."
Thanks for your amazing insight, Karen! |
| DON'T MISS AN OPPORTUNITY!
FRESH is recruiting high school students age 14 or older to be part of our seasonal youth crew programs. Join us this spring to learn practical agriculture and leadership skills at the farm (and earn a stipend!). Programs meet during New London school's spring break (April 15-19), the spring season (late April through the end of May) and all summer. Application and program information is available on our website. Applications are due April 1 for spring and spring break programs! |
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