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On some property in the county area surrounding a growing city, two friends and I will raise saplings native to the area grown sustainably in the shade of larger trees and sell them to the city dwellers who are suffering from the distruction of sudden urban deforestation such as landslides, wind throw, and depleted landscapes. We will also offer the sale of plants and other native wildlife and plant them to get the best use out of an area and use methods that require less reliance on city water, fertilizers and extra maintenance. We will provide the services for the cost of buying plants, drive into town and for our hourly minimum wage work. We would like to see Bellingham become close knit to their neighbors in caring for the landscape and the larger environment. By providing sustainable gardeining to people, they can feel a part of this major movement toward comfort and sustainability that these new times are calling for.

See It: The Community being helped

I've been to a few Farmers Markets that rock. The Farmers Market in my home town could use a pick me up. We need to advertise to get more local vendors in, excite the towns people about what is being offered, and educate why its important to buy local.

I am just beginning this project. I've contacted a few people who have grand Farmers Markets in their cities and will be meeting with them for ideas on how to better ours.

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As a part of Alabama agriculture, the 2007-2008 Alabama FFA Association State Officers, including myself, are making agriculture and the improvement of Alabama agriculture by educating others about the importance of agriculture and our economy. So often in our society land is sold for a quick dollar instead of using it for its intended purpose, farming. As urbanization is sweeping through our nation and farmland is taken over and turned into subdivisions. Once land has something built on it, it is almost impossible to farm on again.

By educating the general public who may not be as knowledgeable about how agriculture influences our lives everyday will hopefully one day put an end to the depreciation of American agriculture. Our officer team has been to many conferences as well as local meetings of local farmers and agriculture enthusiasts to win the support of those who are working toward the same goals.

At the National FFA Organization Convention, the six of us teamed up with the state officers from all other 50 states, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the members in attendance to discuss problems in the field of agriculture on a national level as well as on a local level. We have even pitched around ideas to help rectify some political problems, such as immigration policies.

See It: The Community being helped

Our community in Calloway County, Kentucky currently has many temporary Spanish-speaking residents who have come to our community from Mexico through the H2A program: a program that provides reliable guestworker labor to the agricultural industry. These workers labor every single day on farms in our community. Agriculture has long been known to provide one of the most dangerous job atmospheres available. Safety programs and materials have been available to American farmers for years, exposing the dangers of this way of life.

However, with this influx of labor, many American farmers are taking on new positions within their operation. Many are becoming farm managers in their business, making necessary contacts and business decisions. However, that leaves these Spanish-speaking migrant workers to do the jobs that are considered so dangerous and relatively little Spanish material to educate them of the risks. It is simply an overlooked need in our community. These workers deserve to know the risks of farm labor, how to prevent them, and how to respond if such an emergency does occur.

I am working to change this lack of knowledge. I want these workers to be informed, knowledgeable, and capable of handling these dangers, despite the language barrier. I am working to develop literature that will alert them to the risks of farm labor and distribute it among the 400-500 workers in my community. With appropriate funding, I also hope to be able to provide them with water bottles, first aid kits, or other types of care products to help them stay safe and healthy despite the dangerous atmosphere. I have named this project, ¡La Seguridad Primero! (Safety First) - Promoting Farm Safety Across Languag Barriers. I appreciate your time in exploring my project and my mission.

See It: The Community being helped

In 1999, Daniel Ross won a BRICK Award in recognition of his work as Executive Director of Nuestras Raices in Holyoke, MA. Through an urban agriculture initiative, including community gardens, a farmers’ market and a new inner-city agricultural center, Daniel is ensuring sustainable development, community revitalization, and strong and healthy Latino families in his low-income community.

See It: The Community being helped

Today’s Rural Resources staff describes themselves as “a bunch of folks who love to eat!” Their awesome work for sustainable agriculture shows that they must also be firm believers in the “you are what you eat” mantra.

For those of you that are scratching your heads right now, “sustainable agriculture” is farming that doesn’t cause long-term damage to the land or rural communities. The goal is to preserve the environment while maintaining productivity and supporting local farm families. With sustainable agriculture, we can hope to pass on a conserved or even improved ecosystem to our grandchildren, and not one that is destroyed or polluted.

ANYWAY, Karen Childress co-founded Rural Resources in 1996 in an attempt to bring sustainable agriculture to the family farms of Appalachia. The organization is dedicated not only to preserving and improving farm land, they’re also committed to the community: through education about sustainable agricultural practices, preserving the community’s rural heritage, and making locally produced farm products available.

Today, Rural Resources works for this commitment through a variety of programs, including the Farm to Community Food Project, which makes sustainable agriculture programs available to underserved neighborhoods available to underserved neighborhoods, the Farm Day Camp for local kids, and the Downtown Greenville Farmers’ Market.