Local Food Systems, Farm to School & School Gardens: The Importance of Food Security and Garden-Based Education

Hi Loves,

We hope you are all doing wonderful! This Thursday August, 7, we will be hosting a workshop led by Matt Bibeau, recent graduate of PSU's Leadership in Ecology, Culture & Learning program and current resident at Tryon Life Community Farm. We will begin the evening at 6:00 with a vegan potluck, and the workshop will begin at 7:00.

We look forward to seeing you! Please read on for a taste of what is to come this Thursday!

Local Food Systems, Farm to School & School Gardens:
The Importance of Food Security and Garden-Based Education

The Willamette Valley is an incredibly fertile region for growing food, and Portland's local food economy thrives as a result. What's unique about this city is that the farming isn't just happening near its borders--it's happening within them, and it's not just happening on large corporate farms--it's happening through many smaller family-owned farms and Community Supported Agriculture organizations. In addition, what distinguishes Portland from many cities around the country is how farms, gardens and food are tied into school and community eduction. There are many organizations that have found a role in supporting access to and education about healthy, local food, one of these being Portland State University's Learning Gardens Project.

In 2005 I joined the Learning Gardens Project--a project of PSU's Leadership in Ecology, Culture & Learning program--and have spent the last three years partnering with schools and communities to improve our understanding of the relationships between what we eat and where it comes from as well as between what we learn and how this influences the health of our bodies, our communities and environment.

We will take an exciting look at how much agriculture has changed in the last century to give us a unique perspective on how much we've gotten away from knowing our food and knowing our bodies. We'll take a look at how the United States differs from other countries around the world and then zoom back into our beloved home in Portland where so much is happening right now to bring our understanding of food back to an awareness of our bodies, our communities and and the environment.

Peace.

Matt Bibeau,
Graduate of PSU's Leadership in Ecology, Culture & Learning program
and current resident at Tryon Life Community Farm

WHat: Workshop on Local Food Systems and the Importance of Food Security and
Garden Based Education.
When: Thursday, August 7th: Vegan Potluck @ 6, Workshop @ 7.
Where: The Green House Collective
4407 SE Tibbetts St
*off buslines 14, 75, 9, and 4, and the Clinton St. Bikeway.

Have a great week and we look onward to seeing you this Thursday!

In Peace, Love, and Solidarity,

The Greenhouse Collective

"Now is the time. Needs are great, but your possibilities are greater."
- Bill Blackman