Cohousing-L Mailing List: Invitation to National Foodcycle Week

[Mary Baker, Solid Communications (mary]

National Foodcycle Week is coming up this April 20-26 and I am seeking 
gardening participants for the 2016 growing season. I organize twice-annual 
awareness media blitzes in April and October, but it is also a year-round 
project.  
There are several ways that you can participate.

  a.. commit to “grow a row” for the hungry 
  b.. commit a berry patch, single tree or orchard harvest 
  c.. donate eggs or honey from your poultry and hives 
  d.. offer to print and distribute awareness flyers 
  e.. host an awareness event in your town or neighborhood
I will be sending out press releases on April 19, so if your cohousing is 
seeking new members, this can be a positive way to get some free press and 
social media. I’ll interview you about your coho and Foodcycle project. It’s 
also a great way to demonstrate that coho values of sharing and kindness can be 
applied to our larger communities as well.

Learn more here: 
http://www.solid-communications.com/category/national-foodcycle-week/ (see 
sidebar for more links)
List of 2016 participants so far: 
http://www.solid-communications.com/2016-national-foodcycle-participants/
National Foodcycle Week is an awareness program that encourages home gardeners 
and orchard owners to plant a row for the hungry, or dedicate space in their 
garden or orchard for growing fresh produce for local food banks. Our spring 
2016 event will span the dates of April 20-26 and will focus on garden 
planning, planting, and hosting awareness events. The fall event, held on 
October 20-26 every year, has a harvest theme.  

The larger charities and food banks qualify for fresh produce from the large 
non-profit distributors like Feeding America, but there are many small shelters 
and soup kitchens in your area who do not qualify. Their meals depend heavily 
of boxed, canned and processed food and they have a desperate need for small 
deliveries of fresh produce, fruit, meat and eggs. 

If you are interested in participating, I will help you find a shelter or food 
bank near you that accepts locally grown produce. I will also create a custom 
flyer for you if you would like to spread the word online or in your 
neighborhood.

I am also proud to announce that I am working with Sean Davey, a member of 
Sonora Cohousing and the creator of cohousing.site software, to create a 
gleaning website similar to GleanSLO (http://www.gleanslo.org/harvestlist.php). 
Like cohousing.site, GleanMe.org software will be free, so anyone can set up a 
neighborhood or regional gleaning site.

Let me know if you are interested in participating! I would love to have some 
cohousings represented!

Warm regards,

Mary Baker