Project Description

Here's the plan: We're going to grow a large plot of cut flowers this spring, organically - without pesticides, chemicals, etc.. Mid-summer, we'll get a spot in the local farmers' market and sell the flowers in mixed and make-your-own bouquets. All profits we earn will be donated to The Washington Community Arts and Cultural Center (Wash Arts), in Washington, PA.

Wash Arts offers instruction in painting and drawing, dance, theatre, poetry, and music. They have some wonderful outreach programs for low-income kids and families, offering quality art education to people from all walks of life. They also host many art events and exhibits, and run a local non-profit coffeehouse. Their presence in our community has made art and creative expression accessible to all of us, and opened a whole new world for many children. (For more information, visit www.washarts.org)

In carrying out this project, we will be supporting not only Wash Arts, but the local farmers' market as well, attracting customers with a new product and adding color and variety to the market as a whole. This will strengthen the market, keeping quality local produce available and abundant in our community.

In volunteering our time for this project, we will learn not only growing techniques involved in raising cut flowers, but how to market and sell a product as well. This will give us valuable skills and experience, while supporting two excellent causes.

Project Description

Cambodia is one of the poorest countries in world, due to much external and internal conflict. Though the situation in Cambodia has stabilized, modern agricultural techniques are largely non-existent, and most farming is done at a subsistence level, with rice constituting 92 percent of food production (ruralpovertyportal.org). According to the World Food Programme, 35 percent of the population is malnourished. Education on productive, sustainable, diverse organic farming is needed to improve health and increase food security while not causing environmental degradation in Cambodia. The Global Child, a non-profit running a school for street children in Phnom Penh, is building a school campus for approximately 40 students and teachers on a four-acre plot in Siem Reap, Cambodia. The Global Child will be moving from its current location in Phnom Penh to Siem Reap, tentatively in June 2008. The new campus will span four acres, and a major component of this campus will be an organic farm. The purposes of the farm are to: 1. Provide a place to test and disseminate organic, sustainable farming techniques. 2. Create an economically successful model of a farm that demonstrates good stewardship of the environment. 3. To educate and excite the students about sustainable agriculture, to aid in ensuring a future of food security and environmental consciousness in Cambodia. I have been working closely with The Global Child since October on the design and logistics of this organic farm, and also on a curriculum for the students in Phnom Penh (elementary, middle, and high school students) to learn about sustainable, organic agriculture through experimentation and hands-on projects. I am hoping raise enough funds to travel to Cambodia in January 2008 to extend and begin implementation of these designs. The students at The Global Child have lived in the city of Phnom Penh their entire lives, and need to be introduced to the concepts of agriculture, and excited about the possibilities in Siem Reap. In Cambodia, I will be working with the teachers at The Global Child to create and implement a hands-on program of gardening, experimentation, ecology, permaculture, and composting in an urban setting to get the students interested in and excited about sustainable agriculture. In addition, I will be following up with contacts I have made in Phnom Penh with NGOs and agricultural governmental organizations, and work with them to gather first-hand information on agriculture specific to Cambodia, and establish a relationship between them and The Global Child. Finally, in Siem Reap, I will be working on the logistics of the organic farm, establishing connections with the local provincial office and seed suppliers for necessary seeds and machinery. I will also work with the Singing Tree Café, a local non-profit, to plan a seed bank for organic, native heritage seeds, in collaboration with The Global Child. Currently in Siem Reap, there no seed bank for organic, sustainable seeds, and this is a need in the area to preserve biodiversity and promote food security. In Siem Reap, I will also explore the viability of avenues such as farmer’s markets, Community Supported Agriculture, and local restaurants for selling produce from The Global Child’s farm. By traveling and working in Cambodia, I hope to increase interest in sustainable, organic agriculture to lead to increased food security, and economic development that also focuses on stewardship of the land. By focusing my efforts on education and students, I hope to help ensure a better future for Cambodia. Cambodians has been a victim of war and internal strife, and as in any conflict, children are victims. I truly believe in The Global Child’s vision of creating future humanitarians through education, and I want to help empower Cambodia’s children with The Global Child.

Project Description

Elements in Time is dedicated to creating sustainable social and environmental change with documentary media.

This includes:

1. Educating the world community about self-sustainability models which take into account ongoing global changes in climate and energy availability.

2. Promoting resilience and sustainable adaptation in areas of the world most at risk now and in the future.

3. Provoking sustainable local and worldwide solutions to social and environmental issues, focussing on the quality of life and future for humans and all other species.

Project Description

Full size school bus converted to an RV ( we installed a dinette, 4 bunks or 2 bunk beds, storage cabinets, water tank, sink, propain stove, toilet, shower ). The bus is set up to run on used veggie oil collected from the oil dumpsters behind restaurants. Our plan is to study organic farming and sustainable living by traveling around the country. Their are two of us on the bus with 4 bunks, we plan to rotate other individuals to give other people the chance to share our experience.