Brunch on Feb 3 | Urban Ag Working Group

January 21, 2019

Open Silo Dispatch

Hello friends! I hope your 2019 has been a good one so far. What with an interminable government shutdown, a copious amount of rain, our own Rams heading to the Super Bowl, a v cool Blood Wolf Moon, this month has turned out to be an interesting start. But we're excited to get back to work and see the urban ag community grow.

1. Resolution Brunch | February 3

You're invited to our first ever Food & Farm Advocates Resolution Brunch! The Urban Homestead and Open Silo are hosting a community brunch as an opportunity for all of us to reconnect and share our goals and visions for the coming year. Located at the Urban Homestead's farm, this will also be a chance to get inspired by this compact, backyard farming model and get some tips on early spring plantings. You are welcome to bring a dish to share, but we are also planning to provide a spread of frittata, fruit, pastries, coffee, and juice for a modest donation of $5. RSVP on Eventbrite by Feb 1 so we can prepare accordingly. See you there!

Feb 3, 2019 | 9 am - 12 pm
The Urban Homestead
631 Cypress Ave,
Pasadena, CA

2. LAFPC Urban Ag Working Group | January 29

I am honored and excited to serve as one of three new co-chairs for the LA Food Policy Council's Urban Agriculture Working Group in 2019! Christina Perez of Social Justice Learning Institute and Mary McVean of GrowGood are also new co-chairs, and we are looking forward to connecting our Working Group members with opportunities to advocate for new and better public policy for our local growers. The Working Group meetings are open to all, and our first meeting of the year is January 29. If you are interested in being an advocate for good food and local farmers, come check out the meeting or email Rosana at rfranco@goodfoodla.org to get on the listserv and stay updated.

Jan 29 | 1:30 - 3 pm
Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles
840 Echo Park Avenue
Los Angeles, CA

P.S. Shout out to Christina Perez and her Farmer Spotlight by the Pesticide Action Network!!

3. Policy Advocacy 101 Webinar | February 1

As an urban planner, state-level policy is not always something that I focus on, but it can be a really effective way to make change on a wide scale and help local politicians move forward with good ideas. For example, the Urban Ag Incentive Zone, which we now have as a local policy in LA and Long Beach, was first initiated as a California state bill. If you're interested in learning more about the state-level advocacy process, the California Food & Farming Network (CFFN) is hosting a free webinar to break it down and help you get those skilllllzzzz!!!!

February 1 | 10 am - 12 pm
RSVP here by January 25
Location: Online (but email me at jes@opensilo.org if you're interested in hosting or joining a group screening!)

Description:

This introductory webinar training is geared toward food system advocates that want to build their skills to influence food and farming policies. This training will help you:
1. Understand the structure and timeline of the state legislative process;
2. Gain knowledge and language needed to increase your effective engagement with elected officials and influence in the legislative process; and
3. Obtain skills and resources for practical application within CFFN's Engagement Series and broader policy advocacy at the local level.

4. Upcoming Events

Still getting back in the calendar-tracking groove! Send your upcoming events to jes@opensilo.org

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A DISPATCH FROM OPEN SILO,
A PROJECT SUPPORTING THE URBAN AGRICULTURE COMMUNITY IN LOS ANGELES.
LEARN MORE AT OPENSILO.ORG

URBAN AGRICULTURE HOTLINE 304-804-OPEN