What's Happening At Food Well Alliance - October, 2020
/Welcome to our monthly blog, keeping you in the loop about what we’ve been working on and what’s coming next. Check back each month for updates or sign up to receive quarterly newsletter updates here. If you have any questions about the content written here, please email info@foodwellalliance.org.
The East Point City Agriculture Planning Steering Committee met together in January.
USDA Awards Atlanta Region’s First City Agriculture Plan
Food Well Alliance became one of 23 organizations across the nation - and the only organization in Georgia - to be awarded a brand new USDA grant authorized by the 2018 Farm Bill. Our $250,000 Regional Food System Partnerships Grant will advance implementation of the Atlanta region's first-ever City Agriculture Plan being piloted in the City of East Point and guided by Food Well Alliance in partnership with the Atlanta Regional Commission.
Initial funding for the City Agriculture Plan pilot was made possible by the Zeist Foundation and the James M. Cox Foundation.
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Another 3-Bin Compost System Successfully Installed
Food Well Alliance recently installed a 3-Bin Compost System at Stone Mountain Community Garden as part of the 2020 Community Garden Grants with help from garden members and DeKalb County Extension. We will be working to install 4 additional compost systems this year with Compost Bin recipients from this year's Community Garden Grant. Other recipients include: the Camp Truitt Community Garden in College Park, Rex Park Community Garden at the Carl Rhodenizer Recreation Center in Clayton County, White Street Park Harvest Farm Community Garden and Orchard in Suwanee, and the East Atlanta Village Edible Learning Garden.
Information about the 2021 Community Garden Grants will be available in January.
Labor Support Continues for Farms this Fall
As part of our initial response to COVID-19, we offered labor support to keep growers growing. We are excited to offer this resource on a continuing basis moving forward. For more details, visit our Resource Center page. This fall, thanks to our farm resource partners like Eco-PARADIGM and Small Farmer at Large, we have supported eight farms with 50 hours of mechanical assistance work and over 100 hours of labor assistance.
Fall Plant. Eat. Repeat. Workshops Available Online
Plant. Eat. Repeat. is on Facebook! Check out videos about cover crops, composting, and winterizing your garden from different community gardens around metro Atlanta. The live workshops were led by Moe Hemmings, Community Outreach Manager at Atlanta Botanical Garden.
Here are the links to the workshops:
Bucket Brigade Returns to East Point
The East Point City Agriculture Steering Committee led a bucket garden giveaway at the East Point Farmers Market on October 7, distributing over 150 seedlings to East Point residents interested in learning more about growing their own food, thanks to grant funding from Love, Tito's. Plants included kale and collard greens and were sourced from our friends at Metro Atlanta Urban Farm.
Tool Lending Program Saves Time and Money
Our Tool Lending program is still going strong! For anyone who has completed the BCS safety training, the BCS tractor and attachments are still available to pick up from the Atlanta Community ToolBank. We’re also working on a socially distant training process that could include virtual and in-person components to ensure maximum safety due to COVID-19. Special thanks to Whole Foods Market and the Atlanta Community ToolBank for supporting this program.
