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| The theme for November is grateful and grounded. The grateful part is pretty obvious, right? It is Thanksgiving, after all: which at its best is a time for reflections on gratitude, an opportunity for generosity, and a chance to learn more about the history of the United States (as Megan, our VISTA, shares later in this edition of the newsletter).
"But what about the grounded part?" you might ask.
Grounded: as in rooted, as in belonging, as in earth-related, earth-dependent, earth-connected. Grounded. Standing our ground. Standing for what we believe. FRESH believes in young people! Their energy and wisdom and spirit! We will hear from a talented and thoughtful young person later on here. FRESH believes in nurturing and supporting everyone's ability to grow food. FRESH believes that community-- people connecting and working together-- can accomplish so much good. These beliefs ground us! Some of us felt run-aground by this recent election, but that is not what we are talking about here... Nope!
As we gather with friends and family this week, as we eat ourselves silly (up to 4,500 calories by one estimate), as we donate to food pantries and volunteer at soup kitchens, let's be grounded: recommitted to the work of growing food, empowering young people and connecting communities. That's FRESH New London's mission, and we can't do it without you! We are grateful and grounded and we hope you are too! |
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In this issue, we are grateful and grounded, as we share:- Mushrooms Grow in New London
- An Interview with Makeeda, Youth Leader
- Seed Money Challenge: FRESH Wins!
- Our Name in Lights! A Short Film Features FRESH
- A Reflection on the Land and Thanksgiving, by Megan Griffin
- Recipe: Collard Greens, a delicious Thanksgiving (or any day) Side Dish
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| | | Cara, Alianna and other FRESH youth plant mushroom spores at the FRESH Urban Farm and Education Center at the end of October. These are wine cap mushrooms, thanks to Laurie Gorham! |
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| | GRATEFUL FOR YOUTH LEADERSHIP |
| | An Interview with Makeeda Bandele Asante |
| | Makeeda joined FRESH this past summer as a Crew Member and has evolved within the organization into a true leader. She has been helping recruit new members and she managed our social media at a recent conference in Hartford, where she also shared her knowledge with other youth that are doing similar work around the Northeast. We caught up with this busy, vibrant junior to ask her what she likes about FRESH and why youth involvement in the food justice movement is so important.
What brought you to FRESH?
Chloe Murphy, who is FRESH Junior Staff, introduced me to the Summer Youth program at FRESH back in June. She told me a little bit about the organization and its goals to change the food system. What do you feel is the most important thing you have learned? I learned how food insecure many communities are. I learned about food deserts and how we can better the lives of people who have poor access to food. What is one thing you have shared with your family that you learned at FRESH? The produce from the garden!! What do you like about your work at FRESH? How cool and accepting the people here are! Why should people support youth and their work through this organization? The food we put into our bodies should be healthy and preferably local. FRESH cares about our community and is working hard to educate youth and adults on food sovereignty, safety and community organizing. Thanks Makeeda! You go to the Science and Technology Magnet High School, right? Yes! It is Spirit Week. Today is School Colors Day, which is why I have yellow and green paint on my face! |
| | | | SEED Money for McDonald Park: FRESH Meets Our Goal |
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| | | | | It was our maiden voyage into the world of competitive fundraising.
The challenge: raise $600 from supporters for our Edible New London campaign to build a new community garden in McDonald Park in a few weeks.
The prize: an additional $400 in support from Seed Money, a non profit that helps garden groups crowdfund.
The verdict: We got support! We got friends! And $20-50 donations add up quick! We met our goal in a three days!!
The campaign is still up and the need is still there! FRESH is convening a meeting of community members interested in gardening at McDonald Park on Thursday, December 1st. We are setting a new goal of $1,000 and it would be great to tell friends at the meeting that this project is valued and has the support of the FRESH community. |
| | GROUNDED IN HISTORY Some Thoughts on Thanksgiving, by Megan Griffin |
| | I spent my entire childhood in Southeastern Connecticut, and am only now learning meaningfully about the First Nations of my true homeland: The Pequot (that's the Mashantucket Pequot symbol to the left) , the Mohegan, the Narragansett and the Nehantic. During this National American Indian Heritage Month, as the Standing Rock Sioux put their bodies on the line to defend their water and land, and as First Nations throughout the U.S. and Canada contend with the very real possibility of Keystone XL’s resurrection, I feel compelled to share a piece of this new knowledge.
The first colonists in Connecticut believed that humankind had been set on the earth to till, cultivate and improve the earth as God’s garden. By their logic, First Nations only truly owned their cornfields, as the rest of their land went unchanged by settled habitation or cattle. The colonists judged that they could lawfully take the rest.
The English referred to their occupation of “the garden of New England” as a “planting.” They themselves were the “plants” of the garden. When disease upended most of the First Nations’ population, English settlers built their “plantations” right on top of the old villages, raiding the old gardens. As the colonists transformed the landscape, subsistence farming gave way to commercial agriculture, and plantations governments altered the local economy to favor themselves alone. For example, they granted colonists the exclusive rights to purchase land that American Indians sold.
People often focus on violence and war in history, and there was plenty between English colonists and American Indian peoples. But the appropriation and alteration of land, agriculture and economy had at least as disastrous an effect. The struggle for land ownership, food and agricultural sovereignty and an economy that works for all pursues First Nations and many others to this day. For me, the best way to honor my homeland and attempt to redress what my English ancestors did in its history is to participate in that struggle. I am thankful for the chance to do so.
For more reading on the environmental history of the Americas, try:
-Basta! Land and the Zapatista Rebellion in Chiapas, Harry Cleaver
-The Earth Knows My Name, Patricia Klindienst
-Tracking the Ancestry of Corn Back 9,000 Years, Sean Carroll, The New York Times, May 24, 2010
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| | | GROUNDED: Even Though We Are In A Movie!! |
| | No autographs, please. It really isn't a big deal. But we are proud to announce that FRESH was featured in a short movie about Connecticut's efforts to become more environmentally and economically sustainable.
Alot of filming was done on our last big work day/pizza party at the Urban Farm, so watch closely, because you might see yourself in the background! |
| | | RECIPE OF THE MONTH: Collard Greens
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| Besides the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States, the other big news of early November was that luxury department chain Neiman Marcus was selling four servings of collard greens for $66, plus another $15 for shipping. Now, there is no denying that collard greens are a treasure! The dark leafed green is an excellent source of vitamins A, C and K and a good source of calcium and vitamin B6 too. But they are great because they are cheap (often less than a dollar a pound conventional and about $2.50 when you buy organic) and hearty and easy to grow. They are also easy to cook, so no one should pay that much for the pleasure of eating collards!
While collard greens are often associated with southern cooking, they are part of traditional diets all over the world-- from Tanzania where they are thinly sliced and cooked with tomatoes and spices and eaten along with maize cakes, to Brazil where the greens are required for a popular soup called caldo verde, to Kashmir (a mountainous region claimed-- and fought over-- by India and Pakistan) where the whole plant-- which they call haak-- is eaten. So, there. We just gave you three recipes for collard greens and we haven't even gotten to the FRESH New London recipe yet!
So here it is. Simple, tasty, healthy side dish that lets the greens speak for themselves
2 tablespoon olive oil or butter
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 pound collard greens, chopped
3 cups vegetable stock (or water)
Salt and black pepper
In a large pot over medium heat, heat oil/butter. Saute onions until slightly softened, about 2 minutes, then add the red pepper flakes and garlic, cook another minute. Add collard greens and cook another minute. Add the vegetable stock, cover and bring to a simmer. Cook until greens are tender, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper. Eat alongside anything and everything.
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WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT
Interested in supporting FRESH with a tax-deductible donation? Of course you are!! Donate Here or follow this link: http://www.freshnewlondon.org/donate/ |
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