July 10th
Agenda items:
Fundraisers:
-Aspen at Historical society: Reconsider this event
-Update regarding Carbondale event, Wendy A. and Lisa Ruoff
-Discussion regarding films: MT is checking with Food, Inc distributors. We also discussed the possibility of having ‘home showings’ with book clubs, etc. of Fresh for mini-fundraisers
Email blast/newsletter:
-Who designing (MT is following up with Elliot)
-Databases...individually and/or collectively...WHO collating ( Everyone to be gathering and preparing their own for a blast VERY soon)
Printed material:
-status: Tom and Roy are working on a logo for immediate creation of all printed materials including brochure, stationery, cards, etc. Tom is gathering materials and creating a generic packet for foundations, etc.
Website:
-status and who is doing what: MT, AJ, Danny and Elliot will have this up and running by our next meeting…..tomorrow???
-PayPal: Only need confirmation of 501c3 status from either MT or Susan, whomever receives the email from PayPal first!
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Monday, June 15, 2009
FCF Website Update
HOME:
Mission Statement - is it the best it can be? Should there be more? A list of Goals? Accomplishments? (CSA Farm School)
PROJECTS:
CSA Farm School (Danny's Video), teacher bios, link to Aspen Homegrown, Common Sense Regen;
Yampah Mtn HS
RFHS
Aspen MS
Ag-Zoning
CURRICULUM: (Google Calendar?)
CSA Farm School Classes
CMC Classes
Heritage Fruit Tree Caretaker Classes
Cooking & Food Preservation Classes
Volunteer Opportunities Calendar (links to volunteer registration)
VOLUNTEER:
Register for volunteer opportunities, event description (who-what-when-where-what to bring)
DONATE:
PayPal link, Fat City Farms mailing address, database fields to record who donates what, when, and what is their mailing address so we can mail a thank-you card.
CONTACT:
Add mailing address, names and phone numbers for roles, responsibilities:
General Information: David Bedford, Board Member, geninfo@fatcityfarmers.org
Registering Students: Susan Brady, President school@fatcityfarmers.org
Making Donations: Tom Jones, Executive Director donate@fatcityfarmers.org
School Greenhouse Projects: MT projects@fatcityfarmers.org
ABOUT US:
Bios, photos
LINKS:
Fine as is, any other links we should add?
THANKS:
List of donors
BLOG:
Link to our Fat City Farmers blog;
Search Engine Optimization:
Key words people are using, when we want to be in their search results:
"CSA"
"Farm School"
"Permaculture"
"Edible Schoolyard"
"Farm to School"
"School Greenhouse"
"Local Food"
"Organic Farming"
"Garden Classroom"
Mission Statement - is it the best it can be? Should there be more? A list of Goals? Accomplishments? (CSA Farm School)
PROJECTS:
CSA Farm School (Danny's Video), teacher bios, link to Aspen Homegrown, Common Sense Regen;
Yampah Mtn HS
RFHS
Aspen MS
Ag-Zoning
CURRICULUM: (Google Calendar?)
CSA Farm School Classes
CMC Classes
Heritage Fruit Tree Caretaker Classes
Cooking & Food Preservation Classes
Volunteer Opportunities Calendar (links to volunteer registration)
VOLUNTEER:
Register for volunteer opportunities, event description (who-what-when-where-what to bring)
DONATE:
PayPal link, Fat City Farms mailing address, database fields to record who donates what, when, and what is their mailing address so we can mail a thank-you card.
CONTACT:
Add mailing address, names and phone numbers for roles, responsibilities:
General Information: David Bedford, Board Member, geninfo@fatcityfarmers.org
Registering Students: Susan Brady, President school@fatcityfarmers.org
Making Donations: Tom Jones, Executive Director donate@fatcityfarmers.org
School Greenhouse Projects: MT projects@fatcityfarmers.org
ABOUT US:
Bios, photos
LINKS:
Fine as is, any other links we should add?
THANKS:
List of donors
BLOG:
Link to our Fat City Farmers blog;
Search Engine Optimization:
Key words people are using, when we want to be in their search results:
"CSA"
"Farm School"
"Permaculture"
"Edible Schoolyard"
"Farm to School"
"School Greenhouse"
"Local Food"
"Organic Farming"
"Garden Classroom"
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Fat City Farmers - email invitation
SCHOOL GARDENS COMING TO CARBONDALE!
Fat City Farmers, the Central Rocky Mountain Permaculture Institute (CRMPI) and others are applying for grants and organizing the Carbondale community for a Garden Raising at the Roaring Fork High School. The gardens will include a Growing Spaces Greenhouse Dome and a 1.5-acre fenced outdoor Edible Forest Garden.
Fat City Farmers, the Central Rocky Mountain Permaculture Institute (CRMPI) and others are applying for grants and organizing the Carbondale community for a Garden Raising at the Roaring Fork High School. The gardens will include a Growing Spaces Greenhouse Dome and a 1.5-acre fenced outdoor Edible Forest Garden.
High School teachers and students will learn the arts of growing food in our climate, with expert instructors from CRMPI, and there will be many classes for the community, so we can all learn to grow our own food year-round, successfully. This facility will help set a foundation of knowledge for an emerging local food economy, and an age of local artisan foods.
Will you help us to build this wonderful Agricultural Classroom? We are seeking to raise funds through a fundraising dinner in early July, a screening of the films "Food, Inc.", and "FRESH" in late July, as well as ongoing grant applications. You can easily donate online on the Fat City Farms website. All donations are tax-deductible.
We have School Board and Neighborhood approvals, and we are progressing with the design, which can be followed on the RFHS Gardens Blog as the CRMPI Permaculture Design Course designs the garden and greenhouse planting systems. All we need is the community enthusiasm and support only YOU can provide! Please join us!
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Let's go to the Movies!
David and MT talked recently, and came up with the idea of hosting community screenings of two new movies, "FOOD, Inc." and "FRESH!" These two releases are about our mission, and the films are not scheduled to play in Aspen - yet. FOOD, Inc. should play at one of the Aspen theaters in July, but they don't have a date yet. FRESH! muyst be arranged as a community screening, as this movie is not part of the commercial film distribution system. MT has ordered it on DVD and will holler when it comes in. See the trailers of both films in the sidebar.
Monday, June 1, 2009
RFHS Project - Printing - Website
Our Goal is to raise $100,000. for the RFHS Garden & Greenhouse Project by August, two months away. CRMPI is researching and filing for grants.
Fat City Farms will work local organizations to raise support. We have several networks in which to work:
Foodie Summit network;
Common Sense Regeneration Project network;
Sustainable Settings network (I have begun talking with Brook LeVan about this, and expect some help from his network);
C.O.R.E. network;
Eco Goddess Edibles and Carbondale Restaurant network;
Basalt Thrift Store network (we know they don’t want to be left out of this)
Carbondale Mountain Fair network (some of the same ladies we impressed at the 5 Point Filmfest);
Each of us must help with this, and we need to enlist many more people. We can each ask of ourselves, "Who can I contact, and how can they help?" We should each make our list and show it to everyone else, then set about to contact and motivate the community.
I talked with my friends at Metaphor Art, who can design and print any graphics we need, and they are on the job. We won’t get a better deal, nor more professional work, anywhere. They are a family business, with three creative children, who are going to help us design logo and artwork. They will be taking classes at the facility we are building, and they are excited about helping. I have defined what we need so far as:
Logo artwork;
Letterhead (design to be printed with letters);
Thank you cards, with 501c3 EIN, for tax returns;
Posters for events;
Face to Face meeting this Wednesday morning at Limelight, 10:00 am - MT must leave at 11:00 am.
Fat City Farms will work local organizations to raise support. We have several networks in which to work:
Foodie Summit network;
Common Sense Regeneration Project network;
Sustainable Settings network (I have begun talking with Brook LeVan about this, and expect some help from his network);
C.O.R.E. network;
Eco Goddess Edibles and Carbondale Restaurant network;
Basalt Thrift Store network (we know they don’t want to be left out of this)
Carbondale Mountain Fair network (some of the same ladies we impressed at the 5 Point Filmfest);
Each of us must help with this, and we need to enlist many more people. We can each ask of ourselves, "Who can I contact, and how can they help?" We should each make our list and show it to everyone else, then set about to contact and motivate the community.
I talked with my friends at Metaphor Art, who can design and print any graphics we need, and they are on the job. We won’t get a better deal, nor more professional work, anywhere. They are a family business, with three creative children, who are going to help us design logo and artwork. They will be taking classes at the facility we are building, and they are excited about helping. I have defined what we need so far as:
Logo artwork;
Letterhead (design to be printed with letters);
Thank you cards, with 501c3 EIN, for tax returns;
Posters for events;
Face to Face meeting this Wednesday morning at Limelight, 10:00 am - MT must leave at 11:00 am.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Edible Schoolyard Program
Edible Schoolyard / CSA Farm School Project
Preliminary Management Structure
This purpose of this document is to outline CRMPI’s role in construction, infrastructure and consulting for the school projects. The Roaring Fork High school project has been approved by the school board and will begin infrastructure and greenhouse building over the summer of 2009. Division of labor and job assignments is where our focus lies right now so that we may begin this project in an orderly and timely fashion. We welcome input and feedback from all the other involved parties in this process.
CRMPI’s Role: CRMPI is a 501(c)3 that will umbrella the school projects and provide staff and support to develop and oversee Edible Schoolyard and CSA Farm school projects. Students for the CSA Farm school will be recruited through CRMPI’s website and advertising as well as through postings on other sites such as ATTRA.gov.
EDIBLE SCHOOLYARD – Operated during the 9 month regular school year
The Edible Schoolyard project will be managed and maintained by hired staff members once the construction of the greenhouse and gardens and infrastructure are complete. There will be 2 part to full time positions required for this purpose.
• An Edible schoolyard coordinator – will work with teachers from RFHS and visiting schools to schedule class times and activities. This person will be in charge of the educational component of the Edible Schoolyard and will act as a liaison between the school and CRMPI. 9 months per year
• A Garden Manager – a person with gardening abilities and training to coordinate all the growing related tasks of the garden and greenhouse. This person will be in charge of planting and harvesting schedules, greenhouse and irrigation maintenance and composting. An experienced gardener is needed for this scale of a project. The gardener may be called upon at times to give advice or help with student planting projects. 9 or 12 months TBD
CSA FARM SCHOOL – Operated for 5 months including summer break
The CSA Farm School will continue to be operated by CRMPI and instructors will be hired to operate the program and manage the CSA with the students. Outside instructors, who have CSA operational experience, may be contracted to teach and the students will visit larger farms to learn larger scale farming techniques. The CSA Farm School will operate on tuition, CSA membership proceeds, donations and grants. We see the need for 1 full time Instuctor/Manager initially and depending on class size, a second staff member may be required. Class size will be capped at 20 students to guarantee a quality instruction for all students.
• CSA Farm School Instructor / Manager – this position will require some prior CSA knowledge and experience. This person will make lesson plans based on curriculum written for this program and work directly with students in hands-on application of the course materials. This person will be in charge of handling CSA tuition and membership monies and budgeting expenses for operating costs. 5 Days per week (flexible) 5 months per year with some possible overlap time
CRMPI Project Team – Initial phases:
Jerome Osentowski
Infrastructure development, Consulting, staff recruitment, training staff
Brian Blount
Infrastructure development, research & writing (grants, curriculum), graphic design for printed materials and websites, labor
Illene Pevec
Program advisor, Grant writing, volunteer coordinator, curriculum building
Recruited volunteer labor and hired contractors:
Many tasks will require volunteer labor and some will require the hiring or in-kind donation of experienced tradesmen:
Irrigation, Greenhouse construction, Fence building , Security system, Electrical, Excavation for greenhouse, Concrete?, Compost bins
Compensation for CRMPI team:
Community support for this project will be crucial to its long-term success. CRMPI will provide the technical support for the project based on the experience of Jerome and his staff of gardening and CSA operation in this climate zone.
Actual time is hard to estimate until the project gets started, so this pay scale is to help structure a preliminary budget. We are basing the initial project time at 30 hours per week, but actual time may greatly exceed that. CRMPI will be assigning students from the Permaculture design courses individual components of the school design to help cut design and consulting fees. We will find volunteer labor and licensed professional who are willing to donate their time as in-kind donations whenever possible.
Jerome Osentowski:
Consulting: $100 per hour ($50 billed, $50 in-kind donation)Includes design and layout work for greenhouse and gardens during the design and construction phases
Oversight/Management: $35 per hourGeneral project management time where Jerome is on site or doing project related work (hiring employees, reading proposals, etc.)
Teaching/Training: $75 per hour ($50 billed, $25 in-kind donation)Time for training employees, teaching classes
Initial retainer fee:
Brian Blount:
Graphic Design: $35 per hour ($25 billed, $10 in-kind donation)Includes design for printed materials, advertising and website design
Grant / Curriculum - Research & Writing: $40 per hour ($20 billed. $20 in-kind donation)Research for available Grants for both projects, grant writing and compiling curriculum
General Time: $15 per hour Construction, labor
Preliminary Management Structure
This purpose of this document is to outline CRMPI’s role in construction, infrastructure and consulting for the school projects. The Roaring Fork High school project has been approved by the school board and will begin infrastructure and greenhouse building over the summer of 2009. Division of labor and job assignments is where our focus lies right now so that we may begin this project in an orderly and timely fashion. We welcome input and feedback from all the other involved parties in this process.
CRMPI’s Role: CRMPI is a 501(c)3 that will umbrella the school projects and provide staff and support to develop and oversee Edible Schoolyard and CSA Farm school projects. Students for the CSA Farm school will be recruited through CRMPI’s website and advertising as well as through postings on other sites such as ATTRA.gov.
EDIBLE SCHOOLYARD – Operated during the 9 month regular school year
The Edible Schoolyard project will be managed and maintained by hired staff members once the construction of the greenhouse and gardens and infrastructure are complete. There will be 2 part to full time positions required for this purpose.
• An Edible schoolyard coordinator – will work with teachers from RFHS and visiting schools to schedule class times and activities. This person will be in charge of the educational component of the Edible Schoolyard and will act as a liaison between the school and CRMPI. 9 months per year
• A Garden Manager – a person with gardening abilities and training to coordinate all the growing related tasks of the garden and greenhouse. This person will be in charge of planting and harvesting schedules, greenhouse and irrigation maintenance and composting. An experienced gardener is needed for this scale of a project. The gardener may be called upon at times to give advice or help with student planting projects. 9 or 12 months TBD
CSA FARM SCHOOL – Operated for 5 months including summer break
The CSA Farm School will continue to be operated by CRMPI and instructors will be hired to operate the program and manage the CSA with the students. Outside instructors, who have CSA operational experience, may be contracted to teach and the students will visit larger farms to learn larger scale farming techniques. The CSA Farm School will operate on tuition, CSA membership proceeds, donations and grants. We see the need for 1 full time Instuctor/Manager initially and depending on class size, a second staff member may be required. Class size will be capped at 20 students to guarantee a quality instruction for all students.
• CSA Farm School Instructor / Manager – this position will require some prior CSA knowledge and experience. This person will make lesson plans based on curriculum written for this program and work directly with students in hands-on application of the course materials. This person will be in charge of handling CSA tuition and membership monies and budgeting expenses for operating costs. 5 Days per week (flexible) 5 months per year with some possible overlap time
CRMPI Project Team – Initial phases:
Jerome Osentowski
Infrastructure development, Consulting, staff recruitment, training staff
Brian Blount
Infrastructure development, research & writing (grants, curriculum), graphic design for printed materials and websites, labor
Illene Pevec
Program advisor, Grant writing, volunteer coordinator, curriculum building
Recruited volunteer labor and hired contractors:
Many tasks will require volunteer labor and some will require the hiring or in-kind donation of experienced tradesmen:
Irrigation, Greenhouse construction, Fence building , Security system, Electrical, Excavation for greenhouse, Concrete?, Compost bins
Compensation for CRMPI team:
Community support for this project will be crucial to its long-term success. CRMPI will provide the technical support for the project based on the experience of Jerome and his staff of gardening and CSA operation in this climate zone.
Actual time is hard to estimate until the project gets started, so this pay scale is to help structure a preliminary budget. We are basing the initial project time at 30 hours per week, but actual time may greatly exceed that. CRMPI will be assigning students from the Permaculture design courses individual components of the school design to help cut design and consulting fees. We will find volunteer labor and licensed professional who are willing to donate their time as in-kind donations whenever possible.
Jerome Osentowski:
Consulting: $100 per hour ($50 billed, $50 in-kind donation)Includes design and layout work for greenhouse and gardens during the design and construction phases
Oversight/Management: $35 per hourGeneral project management time where Jerome is on site or doing project related work (hiring employees, reading proposals, etc.)
Teaching/Training: $75 per hour ($50 billed, $25 in-kind donation)Time for training employees, teaching classes
Initial retainer fee:
Brian Blount:
Graphic Design: $35 per hour ($25 billed, $10 in-kind donation)Includes design for printed materials, advertising and website design
Grant / Curriculum - Research & Writing: $40 per hour ($20 billed. $20 in-kind donation)Research for available Grants for both projects, grant writing and compiling curriculum
General Time: $15 per hour Construction, labor
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Launch the RFHS Greenhouse! - Conference call Tues. May 26, 9am
AGENDA:
News:
Cleveland Foundation donation received, in the name of Mrs. Anne M. Jones of Chagrin Falls, OH, for $5,000. Toward the Roaring Fork High School Project.
5 Point Film Festival bake sale - $2,000. expected, plus a generous donation from the festival itself, still being determined. Major Kudos from the festival organizers and the public, on the quality, quantity and consistency of the baked goods our network of friends produced and delivered!
RE-1 School Board gave us unanimous approval to proceed with the RFHS Garden and Greenhouse Project. Now we must raise the funding to build it all, this Summer. (see below)
RFHS Greenhouse & Garden Project:
Project Goal: $85,000. to build a 42-foot dia. Growing Dome, and a 1.5-acre fenced Garden.
The most important thing we have to discuss is the long list of grant applications we must make, with lots of help from Jerome and his interns, and the fun part, gathering the community of Carbondale for one or more fundraising events this Summer, to get all the money we need to build both greenhouse and garden at the high school, before September. Jerome says the money is out there and available, and it's time to harvest it.
I propose we plan a large dinner at the Rec Center, with food from all the restaurants. The Roaring Fork HAMS Homebrewers Club is willing to brew beer for a community dinner fundraiser this Summer, a half-dozen taps of homebrewed beer in as many flavors.
DONORS: Imagine yourself at the start of the school year, at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, with the honor of reading the list of donors who helped make it happen. This is the list of people we will be asking, and none of them wants to be missed when we read that list, and when it's published in the newspapers. - C.O.R.E. / Sopris Foundation / Fat City Farms donors / Sustainable Settings Ranch / Neislank Ranch / Turnbull Ranch / River Ranch HOA / Aspen Glen HOA / Churches / Carbondale Businesses / Carbondale Town Council / Carbondale Citizens /
GRANTS: Jerome and Brian have a long list of Grants that are perfect for this project, with application deadlines, and are working on them. We can work with CRMPI enormously by donating money to hire them some help, or by diving in and helping with the research, writing, printing, mailing and followup.
Summary:
The one big thing we can do to help raise money is to mobilize the community of Carbondale, and to help organize them. How can we get the word out? What do we say when someone asks, "What can I do to help?" Let's create that list, and keep it here on the blog, and expand it into our website, into the Volunteer and the Donate tabs. We should have plenty of harnesses hitched to this wagon!
Carbondale is a community where when there's a parade, no one is watching, because everyone is marching. Let's harness that energy and kick it into high gear!
Food & Cooking Classes:
It may be time to kick this idea into second gear: A marriage of Local Food Growers, Local Chefs, Realtors with fancy kitchens (and houses) for sale, and some wonderful real-time and time-lapse Video Production, for Grassroots TV and our own website. Fat City Farms is evolving into the "Community Yeast" that will mobilize Carbondale, then Aspen and Basalt, to support these school greenhouse projects. What better to be known for than connecting the dots, bringing the community together, over local food, its preparation and preservation? Each of us can help move this along by talking with Realtors and Growers about it, lining up the kitchens, the gardens, the chefs and the video-meisters, setting some dates and recording Class #1.
See you all at 9:00 am Tuesday, May 26.
News:
Cleveland Foundation donation received, in the name of Mrs. Anne M. Jones of Chagrin Falls, OH, for $5,000. Toward the Roaring Fork High School Project.
5 Point Film Festival bake sale - $2,000. expected, plus a generous donation from the festival itself, still being determined. Major Kudos from the festival organizers and the public, on the quality, quantity and consistency of the baked goods our network of friends produced and delivered!
RE-1 School Board gave us unanimous approval to proceed with the RFHS Garden and Greenhouse Project. Now we must raise the funding to build it all, this Summer. (see below)
RFHS Greenhouse & Garden Project:
Project Goal: $85,000. to build a 42-foot dia. Growing Dome, and a 1.5-acre fenced Garden.
The most important thing we have to discuss is the long list of grant applications we must make, with lots of help from Jerome and his interns, and the fun part, gathering the community of Carbondale for one or more fundraising events this Summer, to get all the money we need to build both greenhouse and garden at the high school, before September. Jerome says the money is out there and available, and it's time to harvest it.
I propose we plan a large dinner at the Rec Center, with food from all the restaurants. The Roaring Fork HAMS Homebrewers Club is willing to brew beer for a community dinner fundraiser this Summer, a half-dozen taps of homebrewed beer in as many flavors.
DONORS: Imagine yourself at the start of the school year, at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, with the honor of reading the list of donors who helped make it happen. This is the list of people we will be asking, and none of them wants to be missed when we read that list, and when it's published in the newspapers. - C.O.R.E. / Sopris Foundation / Fat City Farms donors / Sustainable Settings Ranch / Neislank Ranch / Turnbull Ranch / River Ranch HOA / Aspen Glen HOA / Churches / Carbondale Businesses / Carbondale Town Council / Carbondale Citizens /
GRANTS: Jerome and Brian have a long list of Grants that are perfect for this project, with application deadlines, and are working on them. We can work with CRMPI enormously by donating money to hire them some help, or by diving in and helping with the research, writing, printing, mailing and followup.
Summary:
The one big thing we can do to help raise money is to mobilize the community of Carbondale, and to help organize them. How can we get the word out? What do we say when someone asks, "What can I do to help?" Let's create that list, and keep it here on the blog, and expand it into our website, into the Volunteer and the Donate tabs. We should have plenty of harnesses hitched to this wagon!
Carbondale is a community where when there's a parade, no one is watching, because everyone is marching. Let's harness that energy and kick it into high gear!
Food & Cooking Classes:
It may be time to kick this idea into second gear: A marriage of Local Food Growers, Local Chefs, Realtors with fancy kitchens (and houses) for sale, and some wonderful real-time and time-lapse Video Production, for Grassroots TV and our own website. Fat City Farms is evolving into the "Community Yeast" that will mobilize Carbondale, then Aspen and Basalt, to support these school greenhouse projects. What better to be known for than connecting the dots, bringing the community together, over local food, its preparation and preservation? Each of us can help move this along by talking with Realtors and Growers about it, lining up the kitchens, the gardens, the chefs and the video-meisters, setting some dates and recording Class #1.
See you all at 9:00 am Tuesday, May 26.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Fat City Farms WEBSITE UPDATE
Everyone please review and post comments at the bottom. We are embarking on a Fat City Farms website overhaul, to accurately describe our mission, especially with respect to CRMPI and other groups in the valley.
Mission: the reality is that CRMPI is responsible for running the CSA Farm School, and FCF is raising the funds necessary to run the school. Likewise, this translates into the mission to build Greenhouses and Gardens at local schools - CRMPI and Eco Systems Design will plan, design and help to build them, while Fat City Farms will be the community glue that brings all the resources together, networking to raise funds and volunteers. Does that make sense? Does anyone have other elements of the FCF mission to suggest? For now, I propose to expand our mission statement, something like: "Growing Community and Farmers for a Healthy Local Food Economy"
The "buttons" on our home page would be in the following two rows:
home - contact - links - donate
projects - curriculum - volunteer
Home: as it is currently, with an altered mission statement;
Contact: list email as: info@fatcityfarms.org and have AJ forward emails from there to MT
Links: CRMPI, CORE, Basalt Thrift, Common Sense, Ecosystems Design, Aspen Homegrown, Yampah Greenhouse blog, RFHS Greenhouse blog, Pitkin County Greenhouses blog, Heritage Fruit Trees blog,
Donate: what does it take to set up a PayPal account that allows people to donate money to FCF, with good records for who, when, how much, so we can generate a thank you letter?
Projects: A list of Projects, and links to them:
CSA Farm School - Danny's video of 2008 summer classes, CRMPI Phoenix reconstruction, etc;
Heritage Fruit Tree Project, with link to our HFT-Blog http://heritagefruittrees.blogspot.com/
Yampah Mtn HS Greenhouse, with link to Blog http://yampahgreenhouse.blogspot.com/
Roaring Fork HS Gardens, with link to Blog: http://rfhs-greenhouse.blogspot.com/
Pitkin County Greenhouses, with link to Blog: http://pitkingreenhouses.blogspot.com/
Curriculum: Google Calendar, covered with classes being offered by CRMPI, CSA Farm School, CMC, Sustainable Settings, Fresh & Wyld, Common Sense Re-Generation, anyone else teaching toward our mission - one thing we are missing is a Cooking and food preservation school, which is a community-building opportunity no one is addressing yet? FCF could take this on as a signature, using it to create all kinds of community celebrations!
Volunteer: this could become volunteer-central for many things, starting this summer with the RFHS Greenhouse construction. We can expand the influence of this Volunteer Bulletin Board to include community garden projects, tree-pruning parties, school garden and greenhouse planting parties, harvest parties, etc.
That's all for now!
MT
Mission: the reality is that CRMPI is responsible for running the CSA Farm School, and FCF is raising the funds necessary to run the school. Likewise, this translates into the mission to build Greenhouses and Gardens at local schools - CRMPI and Eco Systems Design will plan, design and help to build them, while Fat City Farms will be the community glue that brings all the resources together, networking to raise funds and volunteers. Does that make sense? Does anyone have other elements of the FCF mission to suggest? For now, I propose to expand our mission statement, something like: "Growing Community and Farmers for a Healthy Local Food Economy"
The "buttons" on our home page would be in the following two rows:
home - contact - links - donate
projects - curriculum - volunteer
Home: as it is currently, with an altered mission statement;
Contact: list email as: info@fatcityfarms.org and have AJ forward emails from there to MT
Links: CRMPI, CORE, Basalt Thrift, Common Sense, Ecosystems Design, Aspen Homegrown, Yampah Greenhouse blog, RFHS Greenhouse blog, Pitkin County Greenhouses blog, Heritage Fruit Trees blog,
Donate: what does it take to set up a PayPal account that allows people to donate money to FCF, with good records for who, when, how much, so we can generate a thank you letter?
Projects: A list of Projects, and links to them:
CSA Farm School - Danny's video of 2008 summer classes, CRMPI Phoenix reconstruction, etc;
Heritage Fruit Tree Project, with link to our HFT-Blog http://heritagefruittrees.blogspot.com/
Yampah Mtn HS Greenhouse, with link to Blog http://yampahgreenhouse.blogspot.com/
Roaring Fork HS Gardens, with link to Blog: http://rfhs-greenhouse.blogspot.com/
Pitkin County Greenhouses, with link to Blog: http://pitkingreenhouses.blogspot.com/
Curriculum: Google Calendar, covered with classes being offered by CRMPI, CSA Farm School, CMC, Sustainable Settings, Fresh & Wyld, Common Sense Re-Generation, anyone else teaching toward our mission - one thing we are missing is a Cooking and food preservation school, which is a community-building opportunity no one is addressing yet? FCF could take this on as a signature, using it to create all kinds of community celebrations!
Volunteer: this could become volunteer-central for many things, starting this summer with the RFHS Greenhouse construction. We can expand the influence of this Volunteer Bulletin Board to include community garden projects, tree-pruning parties, school garden and greenhouse planting parties, harvest parties, etc.
That's all for now!
MT
Sunday, May 3, 2009
5 Point Film Festival - for the RFHS Greenhouse Project!
This Thursday evening, May 7, the 2nd annual 5-Point Film Festival will open in Carbondale, running through Sunday, May 10. Festival organizers are featuring our School Greenhouses, and are donating a portion of festival proceeds to the Roaring Fork High School Greenhouse & Gardens project. This event has great potential to inspire the Carbondale community, as well as the whole Valley, to help with our school greenhouses. We already have one success underway, in the Yampah Mtn. HS Greenhouse dome, featured this past week in the Glenwood Post Independent.
We have agreed to provide refreshments for the four days of the festival, in the form of baked goods, such as cookies, brownies, fruit bars, etc. Estimated quantity needed: 700 – 900 items. They don’t need to be individually wrapped, a wrapped plate of cookies will be fine. So, if each baker made 40 pieces, we would need to have 20 bakers; 80 pieces per baker = 10 bakers, etc. I am freezing 30 oatmeal-plum bars today, and will make more Monday evening. If you can help, please reply to this email to let me know what you can provide. We will post drop-off instructions for midday this Thursday, May 7, on the RFHS Greenhouse blog
Danny Brown and Fat City Farms have teamed up to produce a film trailer about the School Greenhouses. You can preview a draft of the trailer: http://www.fatcityfarms.org/video/1.html
We hope everyone agrees this is a wonderful opportunity for all the food groups in the Valley to shine, and to inspire many others to join the work we are doing.
Thank you SO MUCH for your help, and your wonderful baking skills!
Michael Thompson
http://www.fatcityfarms.org/
'growing farmers'
970-274-0634
Baked Goods Drop Off Instructions: RFHS Greenhouse Blog
We have agreed to provide refreshments for the four days of the festival, in the form of baked goods, such as cookies, brownies, fruit bars, etc. Estimated quantity needed: 700 – 900 items. They don’t need to be individually wrapped, a wrapped plate of cookies will be fine. So, if each baker made 40 pieces, we would need to have 20 bakers; 80 pieces per baker = 10 bakers, etc. I am freezing 30 oatmeal-plum bars today, and will make more Monday evening. If you can help, please reply to this email to let me know what you can provide. We will post drop-off instructions for midday this Thursday, May 7, on the RFHS Greenhouse blog
Danny Brown and Fat City Farms have teamed up to produce a film trailer about the School Greenhouses. You can preview a draft of the trailer: http://www.fatcityfarms.org/video/1.html
We hope everyone agrees this is a wonderful opportunity for all the food groups in the Valley to shine, and to inspire many others to join the work we are doing.
Thank you SO MUCH for your help, and your wonderful baking skills!
Michael Thompson
http://www.fatcityfarms.org/
'growing farmers'
970-274-0634
Baked Goods Drop Off Instructions: RFHS Greenhouse Blog
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Board Meeting Agenda 2009-April15
Meeting at MT's house, 124 E. Sopris Drive, 5:30 - 7:30pm
AGENDA:
Projects:
1> Yampah HS Greenhouse under construction, see Yampah HS Greenhouse blog;
2> RFHS Greenhouse planning, see RFHS Greenhouse blog, meeting with Sup't. Judy Haptonstall Thursday April 16, meeting with RE-1 School Board Wednesday, April 22;
3> Initial meetings with Aspen Middle School administration and verification of re-use of Planted Earth Greenhouse components, fitting available space in AMS courtyard;
4> Meeting with Basalt Elementary School parents group and administration Thursday April 16, 9:30 am;
5> Heritage Fruit Tree Project - Pruning Classes, small fundraising, Aspen Historical Society, "deal" MT made with RFOV for use of Pruning Tools;
6> "Foodie Summit" consensus that Zoning Revision efforts are the most important next steps in Pitkin, Eagle and Garfiled Counties - see Pitkin County Greenhouses blog;
Fundraising:
1> Brady Foundation contributed $5,000. in late March;
2> Tom has submitted a brochure and application to Cleveland Foundation;
3> 5Point Film Festival in Carbondale has dedicated profits from 2009 festival for RFHS Project - Danny Brown is editing a new "film trailer" for presentation at the festival, funded by Fat City Farms, for use on our website;
4> MT has completed concept design and estimate for 2,500.sf RFHS Greenhouse, at $88,500. ($35./sf), and for the RFHS Garden, at $55,000. Estimate for alternate 42-foot diameter (1,300.sf) greenhouse dome is $45,500. ($35./sf). We will present both to the RE-1 Board, and choose the solution for which we are able to raise funding.
5> Both RFHS Greenhouse concepts sent to C.O.R.E., for advice on thier next funding cycle.
6> Illene Pevec and Brian Blount are investigating potential grants for RFHS and AMS facilities;
7> Can we raise the necessary funds to make RFHS happen this Summer, and AMS in 2010?
8> Proposal to AHS for June evening presentation on School Greenhouses, to raise more Community interest, primarily for AMS greenhouse project in 2010.
9> "First Giving"
Website:
1> Role of CRMPI as the CSA Farm School administrator, Fat City Farms, C.O.R.E., Basalt Thrift Store and others, as Community Support Organizers and Fundraisers;
2> FCF Website to be primary information center for Projects, Classes and Curriculum, as well as donations. How does everyone see FCF Role in local food economy and education development? What else can we do to further our mission?
3> Links to:
CRMPI, CORE, Yampah, RFHS, AMS, BES, Heritage Fruit Tree Project;
4> Televised Cooking School?
5> What is the story we want to tell with the Fat City Farms website? How can we leverage it to encourage maximum community awareness and support?
Questions, suggestions?
> First Giving
> Radio SHow w/ Michael Conniffe
AGENDA:
Projects:
1> Yampah HS Greenhouse under construction, see Yampah HS Greenhouse blog;
2> RFHS Greenhouse planning, see RFHS Greenhouse blog, meeting with Sup't. Judy Haptonstall Thursday April 16, meeting with RE-1 School Board Wednesday, April 22;
3> Initial meetings with Aspen Middle School administration and verification of re-use of Planted Earth Greenhouse components, fitting available space in AMS courtyard;
4> Meeting with Basalt Elementary School parents group and administration Thursday April 16, 9:30 am;
5> Heritage Fruit Tree Project - Pruning Classes, small fundraising, Aspen Historical Society, "deal" MT made with RFOV for use of Pruning Tools;
6> "Foodie Summit" consensus that Zoning Revision efforts are the most important next steps in Pitkin, Eagle and Garfiled Counties - see Pitkin County Greenhouses blog;
Fundraising:
1> Brady Foundation contributed $5,000. in late March;
2> Tom has submitted a brochure and application to Cleveland Foundation;
3> 5Point Film Festival in Carbondale has dedicated profits from 2009 festival for RFHS Project - Danny Brown is editing a new "film trailer" for presentation at the festival, funded by Fat City Farms, for use on our website;
4> MT has completed concept design and estimate for 2,500.sf RFHS Greenhouse, at $88,500. ($35./sf), and for the RFHS Garden, at $55,000. Estimate for alternate 42-foot diameter (1,300.sf) greenhouse dome is $45,500. ($35./sf). We will present both to the RE-1 Board, and choose the solution for which we are able to raise funding.
5> Both RFHS Greenhouse concepts sent to C.O.R.E., for advice on thier next funding cycle.
6> Illene Pevec and Brian Blount are investigating potential grants for RFHS and AMS facilities;
7> Can we raise the necessary funds to make RFHS happen this Summer, and AMS in 2010?
8> Proposal to AHS for June evening presentation on School Greenhouses, to raise more Community interest, primarily for AMS greenhouse project in 2010.
9> "First Giving"
Website:
1> Role of CRMPI as the CSA Farm School administrator, Fat City Farms, C.O.R.E., Basalt Thrift Store and others, as Community Support Organizers and Fundraisers;
2> FCF Website to be primary information center for Projects, Classes and Curriculum, as well as donations. How does everyone see FCF Role in local food economy and education development? What else can we do to further our mission?
3> Links to:
CRMPI, CORE, Yampah, RFHS, AMS, BES, Heritage Fruit Tree Project;
4> Televised Cooking School?
5> What is the story we want to tell with the Fat City Farms website? How can we leverage it to encourage maximum community awareness and support?
Questions, suggestions?
> First Giving
> Radio SHow w/ Michael Conniffe
Friday, March 27, 2009
RE-1 Superintendent Judy Haptonstall - notes
Fat City Farms
Project Proposal
Roaring Fork High School
Fat City Farms is a non-profit organization devoted to developing gardens and greenhouses on various community sites includes schools. This project is proposed at no-cost to the school district and would provide the following benefits:
Integrated learning opportunities with high school science classes
Provide fresh fruit and produce for the school lunch room
Opportunities for community volunteers to be involved in the garden, greenhouse, and instructional program
The green house, a 30X60 foot structure will be removed from a site in Glenwood Springs and reconstructed on a site behind Roaring Fork High School, of approximately one acre in size, that has been mutually agreed upon by Fat City Farms and the RFSD office staff, including Larry Estrada, our facilities director.
In addition to the green house, a small section of land on the south side of the high school will be used for a garden area. The garden area will be fenced to prevent deer from disturbing the garden and will contain a small tool shed to hold the necessary equipment.
The school will be responsible for providing the community, teacher and student volunteers to work with and in the program.
Fat City will be responsible for work done in the greenhouse and on the garden in the summer time. They use community volunteers and college students
Prior to coming to the Board for approval, Fat City Farms will create a draft of an MOU that addresses the following:
Liability insurance provided by Fat City Farms
Provision for a green house manager
Code issues regarding placement of the green house and garden
Code issues/state health issues regarding the use of produce in the school lunchroom
Funds for the program to be provided by Fat City Farms
Placement of lights and security cameras behind the building
Damage insurance
Termination of program
Responsibility for upkeep and maintenance
Access to the green house and garden via the fire lane
Parking for volunteers
Solar lighting around the greenhouse for security
Construction materials and height of fence around the garden
Access to water for watering the plants as well as access to potable water for washing and cleaning the fruits and vegetables
Maintenance of grounds around the outside of the fenced garden
Construction and composition of compost bins
We have asked the FCF meet with the neighbors adjacent to the RFHS property to insure that we have addressed any issues they may have regarding the placement of the garden or greenhouse
FCF would like to have an agreement in place by spring and begin the placement of the green house and garden area soil preparation.
Project Proposal
Roaring Fork High School
Fat City Farms is a non-profit organization devoted to developing gardens and greenhouses on various community sites includes schools. This project is proposed at no-cost to the school district and would provide the following benefits:
Integrated learning opportunities with high school science classes
Provide fresh fruit and produce for the school lunch room
Opportunities for community volunteers to be involved in the garden, greenhouse, and instructional program
The green house, a 30X60 foot structure will be removed from a site in Glenwood Springs and reconstructed on a site behind Roaring Fork High School, of approximately one acre in size, that has been mutually agreed upon by Fat City Farms and the RFSD office staff, including Larry Estrada, our facilities director.
In addition to the green house, a small section of land on the south side of the high school will be used for a garden area. The garden area will be fenced to prevent deer from disturbing the garden and will contain a small tool shed to hold the necessary equipment.
The school will be responsible for providing the community, teacher and student volunteers to work with and in the program.
Fat City will be responsible for work done in the greenhouse and on the garden in the summer time. They use community volunteers and college students
Prior to coming to the Board for approval, Fat City Farms will create a draft of an MOU that addresses the following:
Liability insurance provided by Fat City Farms
Provision for a green house manager
Code issues regarding placement of the green house and garden
Code issues/state health issues regarding the use of produce in the school lunchroom
Funds for the program to be provided by Fat City Farms
Placement of lights and security cameras behind the building
Damage insurance
Termination of program
Responsibility for upkeep and maintenance
Access to the green house and garden via the fire lane
Parking for volunteers
Solar lighting around the greenhouse for security
Construction materials and height of fence around the garden
Access to water for watering the plants as well as access to potable water for washing and cleaning the fruits and vegetables
Maintenance of grounds around the outside of the fenced garden
Construction and composition of compost bins
We have asked the FCF meet with the neighbors adjacent to the RFHS property to insure that we have addressed any issues they may have regarding the placement of the garden or greenhouse
FCF would like to have an agreement in place by spring and begin the placement of the green house and garden area soil preparation.
Roaring Fork High School, Carbondale - proposal
RE-1 School District 2009.03.25
Re: Garden, Greenhouse at RFHS
Who we are:
Central Rocky Mountain Permaculture Institute, running a CSA Farm School, with a network of supporting organizations, and a mission to “grow farmers” for an emerging local food economy and culture. We will briefly introduce our partner organizations, Fat City Farms, C.O.R.E., the Basalt Thrift Store, and Slow Food Roaring Fork, and thank the School Board for this meeting, and for their questions, after.
Why we are before you:
We are part of a growing national movement to improve our food supply in healthfulness, safety, and security, as well as to reduce the food industry’s “carbon footprint” by creating local food production and distribution networks. We are very fortunate in the Roaring Fork Valley, to have a history of farming and ranching, as well as excellent present-day instructors, experienced with growing food in this climate: Jerome Osentowski, Ken Kuhns, Jennifer Craig, and others. Some of the essential “glue” that binds all these efforts together is fundamental: improving the healthfulness of food for our children, in their school lunch. Giving them the understanding and the skills to grow their own food, and to learn how to grow it in ways that are healthy for the eater, as well as for the land, is “priceless”.
What we propose:
A partnership with RE-1 to provide the land and water at RFHS, for us to build a greenhouse and a fenced-in garden area, as a Carbondale Center for our CSA Farm School operations, and for the RE-1 School District’s emerging agricultural curricula. Our CSA Farm School will use garden and greenhouse facilities from early May through September (5 months) each year. Some of our Farm School instructors and graduating students will be available to assist your Teachers, as they prepare and run their own classes, from October through April (7 months) each year. We will use September to wind-down our operations, and to give your Teachers and their Students “tours” to orient them for their school year in the greenhouse. We will also be able to involve the classes in outdoor harvesting work during September and October, when they can reap some of our Summer crops for their cafeteria. We will also engage with your Teachers and Students in the Spring, as we come in to help plant the outdoor gardens in April, and take over for our CSA Farm School operations in May.
How we will accomplish this goal:
· Fundraising efforts already underway, for private and foundation grants, for the design and construction:
· Greenhouse frame to be donated by the City of Glenwood Springs, for a structure measuring 31’ x 76’, and 13’ tall in the center. We will place this structure outside the wood shop and kitchen.
· Greenhouse foundation, “climate battery” solar heat storage system, frame assembly, double-inflated poly greenhouse covering, vent panels and ventilating fans, controls, backup heating, planting beds, potable water wash sink and irrigation systems, purchased with outside funding;
· Outdoor Garden fencing, terracing, irrigation, tool storage shed, soil, mulch, and annual and perennial plants, purchased with outside funding;
· Construction and assembly of the greenhouse and garden area will be accomplished largely by volunteers, guided by CSA Farm School instructors and students, who will be working continuously through the Summer on it. If private funds are available in sufficient amounts, we will provide paid labor to accelerate the one-time construction process.
· Provide a Greenhouse Manager to “check in” frequently with RFHS Teachers, regarding maintenance of greenhouse climate control systems, backup heating, etc. As the RFHS curricula develop and Teachers gain experience, this position may fall back to “on-call” status.
· CRMPI will provide complete liability insurance for property and participants in our CSA Farm School program. Protection of RFHS property, students and other local public and private school participants, during their use of the facilities, would be covered by RE-1 School District insurance, already in place.
· Complete communication, review and periodic inspection by Colorado Health Dept. inspector, for all agricultural operations on the site.
· Ongoing maintenance of greenhouse and garden areas, complete with replacement of damaged components and plants, as necessary.
What we will need from the RE-1 School District:
· A letter of support for this project;
· A letter of RE-1 Board concerns, if any, that have not yet been addressed;
· Co-sponsorship of an agreement, for a minimum of ten years, to lease the greenhouse and garden areas to CRMPI, for its CSA Farm School, with all conditions detailed;
· Some help with security, to focus one or two security cameras on the greenhouse and garden areas, to help deter, or to determine identity of vandals, if possible. We would rather deal with some sort of vandalism loss, than to create a prison-like atmosphere for our school farm.
· Access to land, irrigation water, potable water for the greenhouse. We will obtain a donation from Solar Energy International, of a solar photovoltaic electric system for ventilation and heat storage fans, with batteries.
· An Ag-program coordinator, to schedule classes among RE-1 Teachers and Students, as well as occasional visiting classes from other school districts, and continuing education classes for the community. CRMPI’s CSA Farm School program coordinator will take over scheduling of classes during the Summer season.
What opportunities will this present to RE-1 students and their community?
· Real, homegrown food for lunch! “I grew this!”
· Farming curriculum, uniting science, sociology, zoology, civic studies, language, art, into FOOD. Priceless!
· Extracurricular learning through CSA Farm School, Summer programs, internships, lifelong education.
· Creating a culture of locally made food, will help generate the evolving “eco-science” of inhabiting this place, in a way that is healthy for the land, as well as for the people. This is exactly the science we need now, always.
· Creating a culture of locally made food, will keep a major economic resource re-circulating in the local community, re-generating local prosperity, supporting schools, families, businesses. We will begin building this economy together, starting with our schools.
We hope everyone is enthusiastically interested in this partnership and project. We are already underway, helping create a small geodesic dome greenhouse at Yampah Mountain High School, scheduled to be built in April. We intend to help all the willing schools in the Roaring Fork Valley to enter this emerging curriculum, with greenhouses and gardens wherever possible. We hope to reach our goal of an agricultural facility at each of the Valley’s public and private elementary and secondary schools, within the next half-decade.
Re: Garden, Greenhouse at RFHS
Who we are:
Central Rocky Mountain Permaculture Institute, running a CSA Farm School, with a network of supporting organizations, and a mission to “grow farmers” for an emerging local food economy and culture. We will briefly introduce our partner organizations, Fat City Farms, C.O.R.E., the Basalt Thrift Store, and Slow Food Roaring Fork, and thank the School Board for this meeting, and for their questions, after.
Why we are before you:
We are part of a growing national movement to improve our food supply in healthfulness, safety, and security, as well as to reduce the food industry’s “carbon footprint” by creating local food production and distribution networks. We are very fortunate in the Roaring Fork Valley, to have a history of farming and ranching, as well as excellent present-day instructors, experienced with growing food in this climate: Jerome Osentowski, Ken Kuhns, Jennifer Craig, and others. Some of the essential “glue” that binds all these efforts together is fundamental: improving the healthfulness of food for our children, in their school lunch. Giving them the understanding and the skills to grow their own food, and to learn how to grow it in ways that are healthy for the eater, as well as for the land, is “priceless”.
What we propose:
A partnership with RE-1 to provide the land and water at RFHS, for us to build a greenhouse and a fenced-in garden area, as a Carbondale Center for our CSA Farm School operations, and for the RE-1 School District’s emerging agricultural curricula. Our CSA Farm School will use garden and greenhouse facilities from early May through September (5 months) each year. Some of our Farm School instructors and graduating students will be available to assist your Teachers, as they prepare and run their own classes, from October through April (7 months) each year. We will use September to wind-down our operations, and to give your Teachers and their Students “tours” to orient them for their school year in the greenhouse. We will also be able to involve the classes in outdoor harvesting work during September and October, when they can reap some of our Summer crops for their cafeteria. We will also engage with your Teachers and Students in the Spring, as we come in to help plant the outdoor gardens in April, and take over for our CSA Farm School operations in May.
How we will accomplish this goal:
· Fundraising efforts already underway, for private and foundation grants, for the design and construction:
· Greenhouse frame to be donated by the City of Glenwood Springs, for a structure measuring 31’ x 76’, and 13’ tall in the center. We will place this structure outside the wood shop and kitchen.
· Greenhouse foundation, “climate battery” solar heat storage system, frame assembly, double-inflated poly greenhouse covering, vent panels and ventilating fans, controls, backup heating, planting beds, potable water wash sink and irrigation systems, purchased with outside funding;
· Outdoor Garden fencing, terracing, irrigation, tool storage shed, soil, mulch, and annual and perennial plants, purchased with outside funding;
· Construction and assembly of the greenhouse and garden area will be accomplished largely by volunteers, guided by CSA Farm School instructors and students, who will be working continuously through the Summer on it. If private funds are available in sufficient amounts, we will provide paid labor to accelerate the one-time construction process.
· Provide a Greenhouse Manager to “check in” frequently with RFHS Teachers, regarding maintenance of greenhouse climate control systems, backup heating, etc. As the RFHS curricula develop and Teachers gain experience, this position may fall back to “on-call” status.
· CRMPI will provide complete liability insurance for property and participants in our CSA Farm School program. Protection of RFHS property, students and other local public and private school participants, during their use of the facilities, would be covered by RE-1 School District insurance, already in place.
· Complete communication, review and periodic inspection by Colorado Health Dept. inspector, for all agricultural operations on the site.
· Ongoing maintenance of greenhouse and garden areas, complete with replacement of damaged components and plants, as necessary.
What we will need from the RE-1 School District:
· A letter of support for this project;
· A letter of RE-1 Board concerns, if any, that have not yet been addressed;
· Co-sponsorship of an agreement, for a minimum of ten years, to lease the greenhouse and garden areas to CRMPI, for its CSA Farm School, with all conditions detailed;
· Some help with security, to focus one or two security cameras on the greenhouse and garden areas, to help deter, or to determine identity of vandals, if possible. We would rather deal with some sort of vandalism loss, than to create a prison-like atmosphere for our school farm.
· Access to land, irrigation water, potable water for the greenhouse. We will obtain a donation from Solar Energy International, of a solar photovoltaic electric system for ventilation and heat storage fans, with batteries.
· An Ag-program coordinator, to schedule classes among RE-1 Teachers and Students, as well as occasional visiting classes from other school districts, and continuing education classes for the community. CRMPI’s CSA Farm School program coordinator will take over scheduling of classes during the Summer season.
What opportunities will this present to RE-1 students and their community?
· Real, homegrown food for lunch! “I grew this!”
· Farming curriculum, uniting science, sociology, zoology, civic studies, language, art, into FOOD. Priceless!
· Extracurricular learning through CSA Farm School, Summer programs, internships, lifelong education.
· Creating a culture of locally made food, will help generate the evolving “eco-science” of inhabiting this place, in a way that is healthy for the land, as well as for the people. This is exactly the science we need now, always.
· Creating a culture of locally made food, will keep a major economic resource re-circulating in the local community, re-generating local prosperity, supporting schools, families, businesses. We will begin building this economy together, starting with our schools.
We hope everyone is enthusiastically interested in this partnership and project. We are already underway, helping create a small geodesic dome greenhouse at Yampah Mountain High School, scheduled to be built in April. We intend to help all the willing schools in the Roaring Fork Valley to enter this emerging curriculum, with greenhouses and gardens wherever possible. We hope to reach our goal of an agricultural facility at each of the Valley’s public and private elementary and secondary schools, within the next half-decade.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Fat City Farms - Board Assignments
I would like to suggest some serious assignments so we can make serious applications. We should dedicate ourselves to the fundamentals:
A specific Project: What will it cost? Carbondale or Aspen first? – MT
What donations of money, time, material, equipment and land, can be generated locally? DB
What donations of money can be generated in the outside world? SB and TJ
What do our Financials look like? AJ
How are we networked into the world, and with our sibling organizations? AJ, Danny and Brian
Everybody ready to get to work? Are our assignments clear? Does anyone feel misplaced?
So, in clarification and addition:
Tom, please create and maintain a schedule of grants and application deadlines, both locally and worldly.
David, please pass along to Tom any grant programs you find in the local community, and to me any offers of work in-kind, for my Project estimates.
Jerome, you have the best nose for in-kind donations, please pass along your bounty to me as well.
MT and AJ will work with Danny on the website, and spin off graphics for the brochure pieces;
Susan and Tom will create the documents for grant applications, including the brochure, with Danny.
Please feel free to split up work as it fits you.
When we are ready, we will start pumping the applications out.
Danny, Jerome and MT will work on their “Naturalist Nights” presentation, remaking it into 15-min. and 30-min. versions, to help educate and activate the local community. We will present our short version at the "Foodie Summit" in Woody Creek on Thursday evening, April 9, and at the RE-1 School Board meeting in Glenwood Springs, Wednesday evening, March 25.
A specific Project: What will it cost? Carbondale or Aspen first? – MT
What donations of money, time, material, equipment and land, can be generated locally? DB
What donations of money can be generated in the outside world? SB and TJ
What do our Financials look like? AJ
How are we networked into the world, and with our sibling organizations? AJ, Danny and Brian
Everybody ready to get to work? Are our assignments clear? Does anyone feel misplaced?
So, in clarification and addition:
Tom, please create and maintain a schedule of grants and application deadlines, both locally and worldly.
David, please pass along to Tom any grant programs you find in the local community, and to me any offers of work in-kind, for my Project estimates.
Jerome, you have the best nose for in-kind donations, please pass along your bounty to me as well.
MT and AJ will work with Danny on the website, and spin off graphics for the brochure pieces;
Susan and Tom will create the documents for grant applications, including the brochure, with Danny.
Please feel free to split up work as it fits you.
When we are ready, we will start pumping the applications out.
Danny, Jerome and MT will work on their “Naturalist Nights” presentation, remaking it into 15-min. and 30-min. versions, to help educate and activate the local community. We will present our short version at the "Foodie Summit" in Woody Creek on Thursday evening, April 9, and at the RE-1 School Board meeting in Glenwood Springs, Wednesday evening, March 25.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Fat City Farms Budget 2009
Here is a financial report, of sorts:
Bank balance as of Feb 28:
$ 1,352.21
Checks written since Feb 28:
$ 499.50 Cohen Law Firm, re: Basalt Thrift Store
Anticipated expenditures:
Danny Brown, web & brochure development March-May ‘09 $ ??.
Brochure printing & mailing March-May ’09 $ 350.
MT, conceptual project designs (after discount):
Carbondale High School March ’09 $ 500.
Aspen Middle School GH March ’09 $ 350.
MT, Jerome, Detailed project designs for construction: (after discount):
Yampah High School March-April ’09 $ 500.
Carbondale High School April-May ’09 $ 2,500.
Aspen Middle School GH April-May ’09 $ 2,000.
CSA Farm School 2009:
Detailed budget to follow, but anticipate summer budget of: $ 9,000.
Tuition? Scholarships?
Instructors?
Expenses?
Construction money for:
Yampah Mtn HS $ 3,500. max.
Carbondale HS (tbd)
Aspen MS (tbd)
Obviously, we need to hold some meetings to cover all the details around these numbers, and around planning our summer classes with Jerome and others.
Jerome and I met with the Yampah HS staff Monday, and their excavator. We staked out the dome, and discussed the steps we'll take to breathe life into their new classroom. That was one group of excited teachers! I congratulated them on being the little "alternative school", first of all the schools in the valley to bring a greenhouse online. Go Farmers!
Bank balance as of Feb 28:
$ 1,352.21
Checks written since Feb 28:
$ 499.50 Cohen Law Firm, re: Basalt Thrift Store
Anticipated expenditures:
Danny Brown, web & brochure development March-May ‘09 $ ??.
Brochure printing & mailing March-May ’09 $ 350.
MT, conceptual project designs (after discount):
Carbondale High School March ’09 $ 500.
Aspen Middle School GH March ’09 $ 350.
MT, Jerome, Detailed project designs for construction: (after discount):
Yampah High School March-April ’09 $ 500.
Carbondale High School April-May ’09 $ 2,500.
Aspen Middle School GH April-May ’09 $ 2,000.
CSA Farm School 2009:
Detailed budget to follow, but anticipate summer budget of: $ 9,000.
Tuition? Scholarships?
Instructors?
Expenses?
Construction money for:
Yampah Mtn HS $ 3,500. max.
Carbondale HS (tbd)
Aspen MS (tbd)
Obviously, we need to hold some meetings to cover all the details around these numbers, and around planning our summer classes with Jerome and others.
Jerome and I met with the Yampah HS staff Monday, and their excavator. We staked out the dome, and discussed the steps we'll take to breathe life into their new classroom. That was one group of excited teachers! I congratulated them on being the little "alternative school", first of all the schools in the valley to bring a greenhouse online. Go Farmers!
Blog Conferences - Scheduling
Susan -
Michael - I'm on the computer most mornings and late afternoons on weekdays, available for blog conferences.
David -
AJ -
Tom -
Danny -
Michael - I'm on the computer most mornings and late afternoons on weekdays, available for blog conferences.
David -
AJ -
Tom -
Danny -
CSA Farm School Insurance
Jerome's Central Rocky Mountain Permaculture Institute, with it's two decades of teaching, can get the CSA Farm School insurance we'll need to obtain and maintain agreements with the School Districts.
Jerome is expecting school insurance quotes by March 20. Fat City Farms will raise the money to fund the insurance and the school, until the school can pay these expenses independently
CRMPI will run the school, generate curriculum, hire instructors, raise students, and collect tuition, when we all agree it is appropriate to charge tuition, and how much.
I will add the details to this post when they become available:
Jerome is expecting school insurance quotes by March 20. Fat City Farms will raise the money to fund the insurance and the school, until the school can pay these expenses independently
CRMPI will run the school, generate curriculum, hire instructors, raise students, and collect tuition, when we all agree it is appropriate to charge tuition, and how much.
I will add the details to this post when they become available:
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