Cleveland Guardians’ Post

Pembroke Pines: It's not just a place, it's a community where life's moments are celebrated. Here's what makes life here so special: 📌 Community Events: From the vibrant Artfest in the Pines to spirited high school football games, there's always something that brings us together. 🌴 Green Spaces: Enjoy tranquility and nature at Chapel Trail Nature Preserve or take part in family fun at Pembroke Shores Park. ☕ Local Love: That small-town feel with a smile from your favorite barista or a neighbor waving hello. Local farmers' markets where you know vendors by name. 📖 Education: Committed to the future with top-tier schools nurturing our youngest residents into tomorrow's leaders. 🏪 Convenience and Lifestyle: Everything you need is right here, from shopping at Pembroke Lakes Mall to dining at local gems. Plus, easy access to major roads keeps the rest of South Florida within reach. 💚 Community Spirit: A place where the sense of togetherness is palpable, and neighbors become lifelong friends. If Pembroke Pines sounds like the community you’ve been searching for, let’s find you a home here. We're not just about real estate; we're about welcoming you into our family. #PembrokePinesLiving #theniceagent #realestate #pembrokepines #pembrokepineshome #pembrokepinesFL #florida #realtor #floridaproperties #success #dreamhome

Speaking of alt programming, mark your calendar now and come to Denver Urban Gardens’ Summer Plant Sale on August 10. Yes, SUMMER Plant Sale. Plant new things in the ground in August/September. But, wait! Everyone says Colorado’s growing season is May-October - August/September is too late!!! Alas, not so. Let me tell you why. While it is not the time to start your tomatoes or the things that take months and months and hot temperatures to grow (tomatoes, pumpkins, peppers, eggplants), there are - shockingly - many other foods out there. Foods that do not have a long growing cycle. Foods that do not require relentless heat and sunlight. Foods like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and kale! You get even more of you growing season if you apply season extension techniques like hoops to your garden… It is also the time to plant trees! (September/October is really the time) Trees should be planted in the spring and fall. Not the summer which is prime growing time. Planting them in summer disrupts their peak season. The shoulder seasons let them move into a new home while things are quiet and calm. Lets them settle in. Cover crops. Here is true alt programming. Put time and resources into your garden so that it can be “healing” during the fall and winter. Analogy - beauty rest, restorative yoga. The growing season takes a lot. Asks a lot of our soil. By planting cover crops such as hairy vetch (best name ever) and winter rye, we feed the soil and give it the nutritive and protective resources to rebuild and restore from its hard working food crop growing season. There is so much more. But I’d like to invite you to come visit us on August 10th to find out. Learn. Meet others. Get the seeds, trees, compost and hoops. Bring your friends. https://lnkd.in/gt9qhWQv In the meantime, we’ve also got this great resource bank on the topic of fall crops for a little pre-reading. https://lnkd.in/gqTU5BCF #denverurbangardens #seasonextension #fallcrops #covercrops #soilhealth #foodcommunityclimate #foodaccess

We're sharing an initiative from Soil Association Food for Life today, which may come in handy as an activity to entertain the children during the Easter break. Welcome to the #plantandshare project, which is an opportunity to try your hand at growing, on any scale takes - from a simple pot of cress to a whole allotment. Food and Farming is an important consideration for sustainability and climate awareness, and we are firm believers in sharing the journey of food with children as part of their upbringing and education. When children develop an understanding of where our food comes from and the importance of growing and eating with the seasons (where possible), it helps towards learning how to live more sustainable lives. What's more, children can impart their knowledge and understanding, and influence their families, friends and local communities to get involved too. The Food for Life website shares more details of this initiative and its impact: "Taking place throughout the spring, Plant and Share is all about growing and sharing that love of growing, or produce of growing with friends, family, classmates, teachers, community groups or even someone you've never met before but shares an interest. Running for a month throughout April – May, in 2023 we had an estimated 46,000 people attend a plant and share event across the country, with the highest registrations we’d ever seen across a vast selection of areas, from community gardens, to libraries with an apiary, to community groups growing food from African heritage in Birmingham and Cardiff, and the many schools and early years settings who took over their garden spaces with their grandparents, for Grandparent Gardening Week." Do take a look, and let us know what your children might be growing this year. 🌱 https://lnkd.in/e7WfEdSn

So appreciating this growing movement, and specifically appreciating Boston Food Forest Coalition and all that it is doing here in my home state. "Food forests are public edible parks maintained by community members, for community members. A food forest is a diverse arrangement of plants that attempts to mimic the #ecosystems and patterns found in nature. Inspired by the style of land management known as permaculture, this approach to land management focuses on growing perennials (i.e. plants that return year after year) and viewing the whole ecosystem rather than individual parts. Food forests build environmental #resilience. Some ways they do this include: tree canopy cools the air in hot weather; plant, tree, and shrub roots stabilize the soil to protect it from erosion; biodiverse plant species provide habitat for beneficial insects, pollinators, songbirds, & wildlife; carbon is sequestered (i.e. stored in the soil rather than the atmosphere). Food forests also provide delicious seasonal foods and safe, natural spaces for neighbors to gather, and are distinct from #community gardens in various ways — mainly that they are initiated, built, and cared for by neighborhood volunteers (called ‘stewards’) who enjoy the spaces without reserving or paying for use in advance. Naturally, this approach invites #collaboration and democratic decision-making when developing a space. For this reason, food forests lend themselves well to the community land trust model, which center neighbors and community at the heart of these special spaces." More here - https://lnkd.in/e2idnmpC

Today, we share the second video in our 3-part series on the kitchen gardens we've established in schools nationwide. In this video, we focus a bit more on the pressing issue of food security and showcase how this initiative is making a difference. By teaching young minds the benefits of planting and growing their own food, we are not just planting and nurturing gardens but also cultivating knowledge and resilience. This project is a testament to Massy Stores' unwavering commitment to being a strong corporate citizen. We believe in investing in our communities and empowering future generations through education and sustainable practices. Take a look at the video to see how this initiative is a small yet impactful step towards closing the gap, one garden at a time. #MassyStores #FoodSecurity #Sustainability #CommunityInvestment #Education #CorporateCitizenship

Did you know that some Community Land Trusts (CLTs) offer community gardens to residents and the surrounding community? These gardens serve as vibrant hubs for cultivating not just plants, but also a sense of community and connection to the land. Community gardens within CLTs are more than just green spaces. They are living classrooms where residents can learn about sustainable agriculture, healthy eating, and environmental stewardship. They provide a space for neighbors to come together, share knowledge, and build relationships that strengthen the fabric of the community. These gardens often feature a variety of plants, from vegetables and herbs to flowers and fruit trees. Residents can participate in gardening workshops, seed swaps, and community workdays, creating a sense of ownership and pride in their shared space. By offering community gardens, CLTs promote food security, sustainability, and community resilience. They are a testament to the power of community-driven solutions and the positive impact they can have on neighborhoods and the environment.

This is what community spirit looks like in action. And guess what? It's great for nature too. 🌱 If you're looking for a feel-good story about what's possible when people come together, look no further. This is all about neighbours getting together and turning the alleys (or 'ginnels') between their houses into green oases. 🌸 Among the nuggets here is that by greening the alleys the residents have not only brought nature back, but they've reduced fly-tipping and anti-social behaviour. Patrick Smikle, who is credited with being one of the first in Manchester to green up his alleyway, talks about it like this: “When you start it, you start off small, but it will mature, and... in time, everything takes shape and grows.” He could be talking about community action itself. This isn't an article about our work at Hubbub or In Our Nature, our city-wide climate campaign. But it ticks a lot of the same boxes: ✅ Urban greening ✅ Communities working together ✅ Multi-solving social & environmental issues ✅ Starting small & building ✅ Manchester! & more... Give it a read: https://lnkd.in/eKzTWnFD 📰 ++ P.S. I'm CEO of environmental charity Hubbub. We bring business, government and civil society together to create campaigns that inspire & support people to make choices that are good for the environment. Follow me - Alex Robinson - for insights on environmental change, leadership and more. #environment #sustainability #nature #urbangreening #community  

OmniAction's journey began with a meditation on bees. We span out of a campaign to the first UN Food Systems Summit which was led by Quota.Media (a magazine that's currently in hibernation). Quota adopted an ancient bee goddess from Rhodes as its logo, reflecting the vital role bees play in the food system, the pollination of ideas and better relationships, and the great pleasure that honey has always been – our first sweet treat before sugar crops were developed. Our campaign to the UN was a success and early funders said, "Turn the activism into action." We began by mapping the UN Sustainable Development Goals and UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples to the full impacts of the global food system – addressing in particular Indigenous People’s rights, forced and child labour rights, gender rights, rights to food, water and clean air, and the right to participate knowledgeably in environmental transformation. We brought together a global community of experts from industry, academia and government policy, who are tackling real-world sustainability challenges across the food system. Our hivemind produced an agreed framework, metric and methodology - defining and measuring sustainability in food and agriculture. One of our many achievements in 2022 was developing a new training programme to build empathy in food system leaders. Called Being More, it's designed around the lived experiences of farmers and others in the food chain, in partnership with the UNDP-convened Conscious Food Systems Alliance. Still inspired by bees, we're working inside the food system, bringing our hivemind to each sustainability challenge as it arises. So do reach out, for training, consultancy, planning, projects, reports and presentations. We're working at local, national and global level on policy, industry and academic solutions.

We grew up in what is now called South Los Angeles. Then, it was called South Central Los Angeles and my oh my, has so much changed since the days of walking down the corridors of our West Athens neighborhood. What hasn't changed is the neighbor or family member who grew fruit, collard greens and tomatoes in their backyard that you would pick around the holidays. For us sisters at Black Farmers Index, it was our neighbor and church member, Ms. Thompson who we called MiMi, who hooked us up with the greens. But year round, it was Uncle Don's backyard garden that had dozens of oranges, tomatoes, lemons and greens. Ayanna, one of the members of The Index still goes to his backyard to pick. Though our Uncle Don has transitioned, our Aunt Ethel encourages us to pick as much as we can from the fully blossomed trees. We bring up this memory because the urban gardener is also etched into the Black farming legacy. Those who migrated from the south packed those growing traditions into their suitcases and replanted them in inner cities like South Central. What we didn't realize then, but now we understand too keenly now with the rising prices, and the high-costs to live in the city, those gardens subsidize household incomes. Sadly, gentrification and the implosion of social issues has erased many of those gardens in the beloved neighborhood we grew up in. However, we're seeing pops of green patches that are working to sustain. That is why supporting farmers in both rural and urban landscapes are equally important, as they are critical in preserving and growing the legacy of Black farming.

Updates & Notices - July 2024 I wanted to provide some updates to folks around the region and in my networks about the work I have been doing and the changes that have occurred so that there is clarity about when I am, who I work with, and what I am endorsing. As a regional food systems leader that has worked with many organizations in Oregon and Washington I know that how I work across lines and boundaries can be confusing - so here is the clarity in honor of this weeks astrology. This is also important because there are some assumptions that I am hearing in recent food systems meetings I and others in my network attend that assume that I am employed, benefitting, or advancing in leadership on projects that have been awarded large grants. 1. I am no longer working, involved in, or benefitting from any work or efforts of the Black Food Sovereignty Coalition in Portland, Oregon. I resigned from the organization last October 2023 and passed the baton to that team and as a Founder in 2019, moved on. I am also no longer being contracted on any work since and have no stake in their work in 2024. #blackfoodsovereigntycoalition I did lead and work to secure the 43 acre property in Centralia/Rochester WA with Washington Farmland Trust, and am not involved in the current work. 2. I am not a member or in the leadership of the Black Agriculture Leadership Council working out of Tacoma WA and based with the Sacred Land Collective in Auburn WA. #sacredlandcollective 3. I am not in the leadership or membership of the Black Oregon Land Trust. Never have been. Totally supported them though and love that they are moving good work forward. #blackoregonlandtrust 4. I no longer help operate any farms in the Portland Metro area. 5. I am on the Board and operations team of ACHEM advancing regional regenerative agriculture work in BIPOC and underrepresented communities in peri-urban and rural areas of Oregon. 6. I am on the Board and launching a new regenerative agriculture project with Tainable and the awesome team at Chapul Farms. 7. I do run and coordinate my new work through my food systems and urban/rural planning consultancy Urban Civic Group West, a company launched in partnership with Ahmed Martin, who started Urban Civic Group back in 2014. These are the prioritized updates that should provide a much clearer view about what I am doing, who I am working with, and where I am at any given time bringing what I do to the tables and rooms that are focused on building a coordinated, collaborative, and impactful regional food system for all. Or team is actively seeking funding and collaboration with integrated infrastructure, local to regional food and beverage cold-chain innovation 💡 i.e. cooperative, regenerative food Loop planning and design, and IQF for F2I/F2S biz dev. #foodsystemsdevelopment