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June Newsletter:

Reconnect with the Land & Each Other 

Summer is finally here! After a long winter and many years of separation, this summer feels like a special opportunity to be in community and spend time with the earth. As growers, this season represents a kind of possibility and joy that has felt illusive to many for a long time.
 Photo: The Kitchen Community harvesting at Miles Davis Elementary, 2013
In our last newsletter, AUA team member Viviana invited readers to share their response to the prompt “Urban agriculture is…”  with an image, writing or piece of art. Ericka Gonzalez Guzman shared a sweet reflection: 

“To me “Urban agriculture means a bridge to reconnect nature with human societies, to restore the deserved value of ancestral knowledge and to link it with modern technologies that will move us forward to achieve food sovereignty.” Feel free to reply to this email with other responses to the prompt so we can feature your reflections in future newsletters! Read on for exciting updates and opportunities." 

Feel free to reply to this email with other responses to the prompt so we can feature your reflections in future newsletters.

Read on for exciting updates and opportunities!
 

AUA UPDATES 

New Team Members! 
 Photos (from left to right): Jasmine Barnes, Liana Fu
We’re so excited to welcome Jasmine Barnes and Liana Fu to the AUA team. Jasmine is the Communications and Activation Steward and Liana is the Digital Organizing Steward. Look out for additional communication from them as they engage and activate the AUA community over the coming months. 
 
Seeking New Board Member

AUA is seeking to expand its Board! If you or someone you know have experience in urban agriculture or advocacy work in the city of Chicago, please have them complete this nomination form. We’ll be reviewing submissions on a rolling basis! 
 
Apply Here!
Community Activation! 
The first Food Sovereignty Action Day of the season happened at Shavon L. Dean Serenity Memorial Garden. Volunteers supported with garden care and maintenance to kick off the 2022 growing season. This garden is also one of the many gardens without water in Chicago. Yet, Ms. Deborah Dean continues to cultivate this space with fierce love and dedication for her daughter and her community.

The second Food Sovereignty Action Day was at Earl’s Garden Mae’s Kitchen in the Englewood neighborhood on Saturday, June 11th. Together we cared for the garden in anticipation of next weekend’s Juneteenth event
Photos (from left to right): Farmer-to-Farmers gathering participants, Food Sovereignty Action Day attendees, AUA team members
Our Farmer to Farmer Mentorship cohort enjoyed an amazing tour of Cedillo's Fresh Produce and where many of our Farmer to Farmer Mentorship participants learned about bee keeping with Oscar Villa. They also also visited Herban Produce last month to learn more about specialty vegetables and flowers. 

The AUA team also visited Farmer to Farmer mentor, Azizah Ashraf-Ali’s, farm a few weeks ago to support her at the start of growing season and to activate their newly built hoop house.

To learn more about our programs, technical assistance, regranting, resources and progress click the links below! 
AUA's 2021 Annual Report
AUA's Resource Guide
Donate to AUA
Water Access
AUA & NeighborSpace, in partnership with the Urban Ag Partners, are still providing city hydrant access support to Chicago urban growers for the 2022 growing season. If your farm/garden is planning on using city hydrant water access, and you haven’t applied for your annual permit, be sure to apply though the city’s website or complete this form so AUA can support you with your application.   

COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Event Vendors Needed! 
AUA is co-hosting a pop-up market and infused drinks community event with KOVAL at their distillery in Ravenswood. We're seeking aligned vendors who might want to sell their goods at the pop-up portion of the event. Please read the flyer and complete the interest form if you'd like to sell your goods or products at the event! Be sure to share with others in your network who might be a a good fit. Submissions close on June 30th! 
Roots Watering Hole Podcast 

The Roots Watering Hole podcast is a monthly gardening education and food literacy series co-hosted by Orrin Williams the Food Systems Coordinator at the University of Illinois at Chicago and soil scientist Dr. Akilah Martin. It is also devoted to independent content created by Orrin Williams and Dr. Akilah Martin as co-hosts and individual producers. Check out one of their latest episodes with author Clyde W. Ford who offers a compelling and insightful look at African descendants in the United States and their historical foundation. Shout out to our board member, Dr. Akilah Martin, and AUA original steering committee member Baba Orrin Williams, for doing this amazing work! 
Free Movement Farm Compost Service
Free Movement Farm is a residential compost service. You can complete this form to start your composting process. You will receive an email with pick up/drop off instructions, a list of compostable items, and the steps to set up payment before the first week of service. If you have any further questions or comments please email freemvmtfarm@gmail.com.
Jobs and Grant Opportunities

To learn about new jobs and grant opportunities in urban agriculture, check out the Jobs and Grant Opportunities page on our website. You can also join our listserv to share opportunities and get first alerts about what’s going on in the greater Chicago area! Click through the links below. 
Job Opportunities
Grant Opportunities
AUA's Listserv
Thank you for supporting Advocates for Urban Agriculture (AUA) to continue empowering urban growers, and foster thriving communities through sustainable agriculture and equitable food systems. 
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