Cleveland Wwoofs!

Cleveland Wwoofs!

A one of a kind opportunity to explore Cleveland’s Local Food Movement!

Be our guest this summer – work at several of Cleveland’s up and coming nationally recognized urban farms and in return receive room and board at the one and only brand new Cleveland Hostel- Opening soon in the Ohio City neighborhood – the regional hub of local food and all things awesome!

Check out Cleveland Wwoofs Now - Follow this link:

http://www.growfood.org/farm/25608

Check out the Cleveland Hostel Now – Follow this link:

https://www.facebook.com/clevelandhostel

Please contact us today to schedule your visit!  - Thank you – Lilah Zautner, Neighborhood Progress, Inc.

Please note: Clevelanders are welcome to participate. However, to qualify for room and board your permanent address must be at least 80 miles outside of Cleveland. 

More information:

This is an amazing opportunity to be a part of nationally recognized urban farms—in the heart of Cleveland, Ohio, rated #2 in the nation for local food!!  Neighborhood Progress, Inc., through their ReImagining Cleveland initiative, is partnering with multiple urban farms and The Cleveland Hostel to provide a one-of-a-kind experience.  This volunteer adventure offers you the ability to gain experience on up to nine different farms located throughout the city ranging from industrial to residential neighborhoods.  Each farm is unique and you will be exposed to growing a wide array of crops, performing multiple tasks related to urban agriculture, and get to interact with the leaders of the urban farming movement. 

Your daily activities will vary depending on which farm you volunteer with, but generally will include: watering, planting, weeding, fertilizing, mulching, harvesting, composting, and chicken and bee husbandry.  Your ability to commit to a longer stay will allow you to experience more farms and opportunities, so a minimum stay of one week would be beneficial to all.  In addition to agricultural work, there is also a need for carpentry (sheds, fences, raised beds, compost systems), marketing and outreach (website development, print and social media and branding design), alternative building skills, and accounting.  Having a diverse skill set will be very helpful to our urban farms!

EcoTuesday Meetup March 22: Hurdles for Small Farms Selling Direct

The new buzz among Americans is all about eating healthier foods. The discussion has finally come front and center in a nation struggling with diabetes, obesity, heart disease and other diet-related chronic illness. As demand for locally grown food steadily increases, supply from existing local farms cannot meet the growing demand.

North Union Farmers Market (NUFM) has been a pioneering advocate for local farmers, with a 16-year history of attracting more than 300 small farms to its eleven “certified producer only” markets throughout Cuyahoga County. In surveying local farmers over the years, NUFM has pinpointed what it perceives as the greatest threat to small farm business - over regulation by state and federal governments. The impact on local farms can be devastating - more than half have left the business of farming because of lack of funding, lack of personnel resources, physical constraints and the costs associated with running a farm business.

EcoTuesday's March 22 will address the questions striking at the heart of this critical issue affecting both our economy and our public health: How can governments protect the consumer and grow more small farms? Is it the job of government to protect the consumer? What is the government’s role in protecting the consumer while encouraging local agriculture?

Panel Members Include:

• Adam Sharp, Legislative FB Representative
• Gale Betterley, Ph.D., Dairy Farmer
• Tom Wiandt, Killbuck Valley Farm
• Eric Ross, Red Wagon Farm
• Susan Woodworth, Middle Ridge Gardens
• Louis Rorimer, Snake Hill Farm
• Todd Mogren, Millgate Farm

This amazing set of speakers has been organized by event co-planner Donita Anderson, Executive Director of NUFM.

Special Guest Moderator: Liz Lockert of the Civic Commons

For more information or to register, please visit the event website.