Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County’s Post

#WeeklySafetyTopic Kids FarmSafe Week We all know that hard work, responsibility, and pride are essential values for raising great kids. And who better to teach these qualities than our farm kids? They get to learn firsthand about the importance of taking care of land and animals, and the satisfaction of a job well done. Living on a farm is an amazing experience for children. But it's important to remember that farms are not playgrounds - they're places where important work happens. It's crucial that we teach our little ones about safety on the farm while still letting them enjoy all the wonders it has to offer. Check out these resources to help your family thrive and stay safe: - https://ow.ly/hC2M50RGbkx - https://ow.ly/ofpf50RGbkz - https://ow.ly/nOqc50RGbky Let's continue fostering a love for hard work and responsibility in our children while keeping them safe on the farm. The future depends on their growth into responsible stewards of our land and livestock! Think. Act. Be Safe. #Pattisonag #PattisonAgSafety #KeepKidsFarmSafe #ThinkActBeSafe

Urban Gardening ~ creatively using our environments to grow fresh produce, encourage an active lifestyle, meet others, and reduce the pull on our international food market. While we're entering into the harvest season, I'd encourage you to check out The Gardens Network by Rooted. This is an organization who's mission is to "work toward an equitable food system by ensuring access to garden space and healthy food, and by educating beginning farmers and gardeners of all ages." Maybe this upcoming year is the time for you to learn the basics of gardening, jump back into a long-neglected pastime, or share your own horticulture expertise with someone just starting out! https://lnkd.in/gmaWGznp

Sun volunteers to provide energy and light. Bees volunteer to pollinate flowers. Butterflies volunteer in seed dispersal. Birds volunteer to keep insect populations in check Earthworms volunteer to enrich and aerate the soil Ants volunteer to turn over soil. This Pongal, let’s thank nature and our farmers for putting food on our plates. Let’s volunteer like nature to save nature. #pongal #farmer #nature #volunteer #volunteering #volunteeringmatters

Important to maintaining a sustained and resilient food system regionally!!

Calling all Washingtonians: Are you concerned about farmland loss in your community? Many farmers and ranchers are seeing urban sprawl threaten their farms and the local food system; at the same time, development pressure is increasing the cost of land, creating barriers for the next generation of farmers. In 2022, American Farmland Trust mapped urban and low-density residential development from 2001 to 2016. In that time, Washington lost nearly 98,000 acres of farmland. By 2040, we stand to lose another 192,000 more acres of our best farmland if we do not change this pattern.     The primary mechanism to protect farmland in Washington is the Growth Management Act (GMA). Through comprehensive plans, local elected officials balance many priorities to manage population growth, including farmland protection. But the success of the GMA relies on active communities that advocate for the things we want to protect. Counties across western Washington are currently updating their comprehensive plans, and the rest will follow in the coming years.    Join my colleagues Dani Madrone and Addie Candib for a virtual training on February 8th from 10-11:30 am Pacific Time. Dani and Addie will teach farmers and farmland enthusiasts how to influence change in their communities through upcoming comprehensive plan updates. Participants will learn how to engage in county planning, develop talking points to share stories that inspire change, elevate the urgency of farmland protection, and offer tangible solutions to local policymakers.     Local Advocacy 101: Protecting Farmland in Washington  Register at https://lnkd.in/gHRr6jC3   #NoFarmsNoFood

True impact is on the ground

Sun volunteers to provide energy and light. Bees volunteer to pollinate flowers. Butterflies volunteer in seed dispersal. Birds volunteer to keep insect populations in check Earthworms volunteer to enrich and aerate the soil Ants volunteer to turn over soil. This Pongal, let’s thank nature and our farmers for putting food on our plates. Let’s volunteer like nature to save nature. #pongal #farmer #nature #volunteer #volunteering

Yesterday, we launched a new educational campaign in Royal Oak. The Leave Your Leaves Campaign is an extension of the hard work of young and tenacious residents who, a few years back, urged Royal Oak to adopt No Mow May to help protect shelter for pollinators. The Leave Your Leaves Campaign is as simple as it sounds. Simply leave your leaves to act as ground cover, protect leaves that may carry eggs of pollinators like bees, butterflies, and caterpillars, and provide shelter to those who use the leaves as a home to hibernate. The Royal Oak website has tips, tricks, and ways to tackle these cultural and behavioral shifts. We inform about the "Mullet Method," which many people are getting a kick out of. Thankfully, Royal Oak does not have an ordinance that would penalize residents who choose to participate, so this is more of an educational campaign than No Mow May, which requires a commission meeting to delay ticketing of overgrown yards. Between these efforts and the Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner (WRC) Rain Smart Program, many Royal Oak yards look vastly different than they did years ago. Seeing how residents are using their land as a force for good is exciting. I hope this is a sign that you also should leave your leaves. Take that day off to enjoy nature with the ones you love. Come spring, mulch your leaves with your lawn mower to fertilize your lawn, or better yet, save them to act as the "brown" source in your compost pile. https://lnkd.in/gdfKVbvC

🏡 Imagine a world where farming families thrive together, not just in work but in life! Through the Funding of Family Farm Team (FFT) trainings, couples are learning to set goals, plan collectively, prepare and consume nutritious meals, communicate effectively, and make sound financial decisions. 💡 With more funding or sponsorships, we can extend these invaluable training opportunities to even more farming couples, fostering sustainable agriculture and robust community development. The ripple effect is astonishing, as knowledge and skills gained are passed down to future generations, ensuring a strong and resilient farming community. Join us in supporting this vital initiative. Your contribution to the Funding of Family Farm Team (FFT) trainings can make a world of difference. Let's cultivate a brighter, more sustainable future, one farm at a time! 🌍 #FamilyFarmTeam #CommunityDevelopment #SustainableAgriculture

As of 2022, 55 percent of Iowa’s farmland is now owned by someone who does not farm. Who owns the land? Family members who inherited the land or investors, neither of whom have ever lived on a farm, and now lease it out to farmers. Given that a full two-thirds of the state’s farmland is now owned by those over 65 (and 37 percent are over 75) it is likely a problem that will only get worse. Much worse. https://lnkd.in/ePbmPr6Z