Hi foodies!
After a bit of a hiatus, the blog will be coming back with a new look and fresh content very soon. Expect to see updates rolling out in the next few weeks.
Author: aufoodies
New Job Link!
Check out this facebook group that posts sustainable agriculture jobs, internships, and other opportunities
Policy Associate, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
Posted: January 25, 2013
Position Announcement: Policy Associate (Conservation and Farm Programs)
Location: Washington, DC
Location: Washington, DC
Description
The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) is an alliance of grassroots organizations that advocates for federal policy reform to advance the sustainability of agriculture, food systems, natural resources, and rural communities. NSAC is currently seeking a Policy Associate for conservation and farm program issues. This position is located at NSAC’s DC office on Capitol Hill.
NSAC’s Policy Associate will help to develop and implement policy and strategy focused on agricultural conservation, especially working lands programs, and on farm program reform, especially crop insurance programs. The Policy Associate will advocate before the US Congress and executive branch agencies, particularly the US Department of Agriculture. The Policy Associate will staff and help lead NSAC’s Conservation, Energy & Environment Issue Committee, and will also have assignments within NSAC’s Farming Opportunities and Fair Competition Committee. The associate will draft documents, including legislative language, policy papers, testimony, advocacy materials, and comments relating to USDA working lands conservation programs, climate change, crop insurance, and other issues. She or he will contribute to the organizations annual planning and priority setting, budgeting, and fundraising; participate in the planning and execution of coalition-wide meetings; assist with grassroots and grasstops outreach; write policy blogs; represent NSAC at Conservation Coalition and other similar DC partner meetings; and represent NSAC at events and to the media. The Policy Associate, one of four Policy Associates at NSAC, reports directly to NSAC’s Policy Director.
Qualifications
-An understanding and passion for sustainable agriculture, including farm conservation and environmental protection and family farm livelihood and opportunity
-Knowledge of the federal policy-making process
-A minimum of three years Hill/lobbying experience or other agricultural policy experience
-Experience advocating in support of conservation programs or farm program reform is preferred
-Background with grassroots advocacy campaigns
-Excellent written and verbal communications and public speaking skills
-Experience with print, radio, and online media
-Experience with large, multi-organization grassroots coalitions
-Ability to both work independently and be a good team player
-Willingness to work around a demanding congressional schedule and administrative deadlines
-Willingness to travel domestically several times a year
Compensation and Benefits
Salary is on a non-profit scale and will be commensurate with experience and qualifications. NSAC offers an excellent employer paid benefits package and a lively and collaborative work environment.
Application
Please send resume, cover letter including an explanation of your interests in sustainable agriculture, salary history, and the names of three references to Emily Gilbert at egilbert@sustainableagriculture.net.
NSAC is an equal opportunity employer. We actively encourage people of color to apply for this position and all positions at NSAC.
Graduate Students: A Fantastic Opportunity in My Home State!
FOOD POLICY INTERNSHIP
The City of Newark’s Sustainability Office works to make the environment of the city support long-term health, wealth, and opportunity for Newark residents, businesses, and institutions. We do this by supporting programs and activities that:
§ Improve public health and the quality of life
§ Reduce costs of living
§ Expand green jobs and business opportunities for Newark residents
We are seeking graduate students with an interdisciplinary background, an understanding of systems thinking and a passion for food justice to assist the Food Policy Director in the research of policies that will promote greater food access in the city of Newark and assist in the implementation of initiatives that will create a just and sustainable local food system.
RESPONSIBILITIES
1) Review and analyze pending local, state, and federal-food related policies and legislation and draft policy briefs for the Food Policy Director.
2) Conduct legal research and analysis within one or more of the issue areas listed below:
- Urban agriculture
- Public safety &food access
- Employment opportunities in food enterprises
- Community health and wellness
3) Support the creation of Newark’s Food Policy Council and its community-driven agenda
4) Conduct best practices research and analysis in order to identify national proven and promising policies and programs
QUALIFICATIONS
- Current graduate student in law, public policy, public health, social work, public administration or related field required. Joint degree students encouraged to apply.
- Newark interest or experience: familiarity with community needs, resources, history, culture and values preferred.
- Demonstrated interest in social justice.
- Community organizing experience.
- Excellent analytic, verbal and writing skills.
- Successful candidates will possess the requisite discipline, organization, and self-motivation to work independently.
HOW TO APPLY
Send a cover letter and resume to the Food Policy Director at reynosoe@ci.newark.nj.us and call (973) 733-4828. For further information about the City of Newark’s Sustainability Office please visit our website http://sustainablenewarknj.com and follow us on Twitter @SustainableNwk.
Unite Here: Real Food, Real Jobs at AU August 8th
The Real Food, Real Jobs campaign is a campaign run by Unite Here which is the largest food service workers union in North America. The campaign focuses on making food service jobs sustainable through a livable wage, healthcare, job and retirement security and respect on the job. As students on campus, we can help to ensure that the workers who provide us with healthy food options in our cafeterias are able to do the same for their families and for themselves during their breaks by helping to learn more about what exactly their role is in bringing us local, fresh, healthy options to our cafeteria.
Join us at 5pm on Wednesday August 8th in the Kay Spiritual Center for a locally grown, produced and cooked meal to be shared with food workers and students from all of DC’s universities.
La Grange Local Food Intern
La Grange is a modern general store in Oakland with a focus on urban agriculture and local organic food. The business is in the planning phase, with launch targeted for September 2013. The intern is responsible for research, operations and marketing support, and project management.
This is a 3 month position, $15/hour, 16 hours per week.
Responsibilities
– Research. Initial projects include customer interviews, research into permits and the regulatory environment for the proposed business, costs, and competitive research. More will arise as the research plan is fully fleshed out.
– Operations and marketing support. Participation in planning and execution of beta projects to test the concept(s), community building through social media, website updates, etc.
– Project management: meeting notes, milestone tracking, decision log, and contact database.
– Additional support for the business planning process, including the creation of exhibits.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
– BA required
– Experience with community building, food systems, and/or social entrepreneurship
– Fantastic communication skills
– Highly organized and able to help others be organized
– Able to solve complex problems
– Analytical
– Tolerant of ambiguities
– Flexible, creative, and fun
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I’m looking for an intern to join a team of creative, successful food entrepreneurs to bring a new sustainable ag and food project in Oakland to life. Further information below. If interested, please send your resume to me at shivaniganguly@gmail.com.
Thanks,
Shivani
Tuesday at 1:30: Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food 2.0
UPDATED: Media Advisory: USDA Deputy Secretary Merrigan to Host #ASKUSDA Virtual Office Hours on Local Food
Focus on 2.0 version of USDA’s Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Compass
WASHINGTON, July 20, 2012—On Tuesday, July 24, at 1:30 pm EDT, Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan will host a live Twitter chat focusing on the Department’s support for local and regional food systems and the recent release of the 2.0 version of the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Compass. Deputy Secretary Merrigan will answer your questions about the Department’s work related to local food and ways the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Compass can assist your community.
This Twitter chat is a follow-up to last week’s Google+ Hangout hosted by the White House and USDA on the same topic.
The Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Compass is a digital guide to USDA resources that support of regional food production. Originally released in February 2012, the 2.0 version of the Compass guide contains new case studies of successful regional food projects, while the interactive map feature now includes data on food hubs, farmers markets, meat processing facilities and more, as well as data on USDA-supported projects in all fifty states. The map is also searchable by key word and zip code, enabling users to zero in on the topics or regions that interest them most and see how USDA can help.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
1:30 p.m. EDT
WHAT: USDA Deputy Secretary Merrigan will answer questions about USDA’s support for local and regional food systems and the 2.0 version of the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Compass.
WHERE: Follow the @USDA Twitter account. Use hashtags #askUSDA and #KYF2 to submit questions in advance and during the live Twitter chat.
USDA Virtual Office Hours, a monthly live question and answer series, allows stakeholders to directly engage with USDA leadership and subject matter expertsthrough Twitter. Sessions are focused on a specific mission, issue or program as aligned with the Department’s strategic goals and based on stakeholder interests.
It’s Eat Local First Week in DC!
AND Farm-to-Table Week! Learn more about this week’s events (like this evening’s Edible Urban Garden Tour) here, and come on out!
You can also check out USDA’s Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Compass 2.0, released today, at the following link: http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?navid=KYF_COMPASS
E-event on Local Food and Women tomorrow!
USDA and White House Office of Public Engagement to Host Google+ Hangout to Highlight Local Food Initiatives
WASHINGTON, July 13, 2012— On Tuesday, July 17, Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan and Jon Carson, White House Director of Public Engagement, will host a Local Foods in Our Community As Told By Women Google + Hangout to highlight efforts to strengthen local and regional food systems.
Tuesday’s event will be an opportunity to talk about local food with inspiring women from around the country, including:
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Cory Carman of Carman Ranch in Oregon, a fourth-generation farmer who works closely with local processors and distributors to sell her beef directly to customers and to local universities, colleges, and restaurants;
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Susan Noble, Executive Director of the Vernon Economic Development Association (VEDA) in Wisconsin, who spearheaded revitalizing an abandoned factory into a successful food businesses incubator;
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Chris Kirby, who coordinates a Farm to School program on behalf of the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture and connects local producers with hundreds of local schools across the state;
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Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake of Baltimore, MD, who created the Baltimore Food Policy Initiative, an inter-governmental collaboration aiming to increase access to healthy affordable food across the city;
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Pamela Roy, Executive Director of Farm to Table in Albuquerque, NM and Director of the New Mexico Food and Agriculture Policy Council, which advocates the connection between local food systems, health, nutrition, hunger and stewardship;
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Valerie Segrest of the Muckelshoot Indian Tribe near Seattle, WA, who works as the Community Nutritionist and Native Foods Educator for the Northwest Indian College’s Cooperative Extension Department and sees local and traditional foods as a way to preserve her heritage.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
3 p.m. EDT
WHAT: Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan and Jon Carson, White House Director of Public Engagement, will host a Local Foods in Our Community As Told By Women Google + Hangout
WHERE: Watch on WhiteHouse.gov/live, or on the White House Google+ page
Participants can ask questions on the White House Google+ Page, or on Twitter using the hashtag #WHHangout.
Online course: Community-Based Food Systems
I will be teaching a five-week online course through Village Earth/Colorado State University on “Community-Based Food Systems” (June 1 – July 6). Admission to Colorado State University is NOT required. The course is geared towards activists, professionals and academics who want to develop their analysis of food systems issues. We will also look at different strategies and approaches for effecting food system change. Please share the course info below, or contact me with any questions. The deadline to register is May 27.
Regards,
Tanya Kerssen
Researcher/Analyst
Researcher/Analyst
Food First/Institute for Food & Development Policy
398 60th St. Oakland, CA 94618
June 1 – July 6, 2012
Registration Deadline: May 27
The cultivation, preparation, distribution, and consumption of food are practices that shape how we organize ourselves socially, economically and politically. Control over food is central to the sustainability and self-determination of communities. In this seminar, you will learn about different approaches to building community-based food systems and movements for food justice around the world. Together, we will evaluate various strategies for protecting community food resources and rebuilding local food economies, as well as the factors that threaten these efforts. With special consideration for marginalized communities in the global North and South, students will develop a conceptual toolkit and set of resources to help them assess the limitations and possibilities of their own community’s food system.
Upon completion of this course participants will be able to:
- Understand the historical and economic “root causes” of global hunger, peasant displacement and environmental degradation.
- Understand the key differences between the “dominant paradigm” of food system change and alternative models based in food sovereignty and food justice.
- Identify concrete examples of political and practical strategies, in the global North and South, for promoting community-based food systems; and evaluate the effectiveness of these strategies.
- Support local and global movements for community-based food systems by engaging in informed activism.
For more information, please contact Kristina at Kristina@villageearth.org or the course instructor Tanya at tkerssen@foodfirst.org
Course web page:
To register, visit:
AU Foodies 