Kansas City CSA coalition

We're a new member of Kansas City's CSA Coalition and couldn't be more excited about the great work they're doing. Check out the coalition here. Check out our farm listing here.

RAPPin' it up and Blizzard of 2010...

Marion and I are in Washington DC for the annual Refugee Agriculture Partnership Program conference. New Roots is largely funded through this grant administered and guided by a partnership between ISED and ORR. This gathering happens every year and involves other grantees working with refugees in agriculture. We've been here since Wednesday night talking about challenges and fantastic things going on around the country. I presented on Thursday about the opportunities and struggles that we've faced helping refugee farmers integrate into an urban neighborhood and farmers markets. All of the programs here are really unique based on their location and participant populations. Check out some other RAPP projects:

• Josie Weldon, Association of Africans Living in Vermont, Burlington, VT
• Mandy Davis, Intervale Center, Burlington, VT
• David Beller, Mercy Corps Northwest, Portland, OR
• Shemariah Blum-Evitts, Lutheran Social Services, Westfield, MA
• Amy Carrington, Cultivating Community, Portland, ME
• Lauren Goldberg, Kentucky Office for Refugees, Louisville, KY
• Teena Hayden, International Institute of New Hampshire, Manchester, NH
• Mitch Klasky, Massachusetts Office for Refugees and Immigrants, Boston, MA
• Amy Lint, International Rescue Committee, San Diego, CA
• Joshua Lohnes, Lutheran Social Services, Worchester, MA
• Jon Vosper, Timothy Olorunfemi, International Rescue Committee, Phoenix, AZ
• Pahoua Xiong, The United Hmong Association, Hickory, NC

At New Roots we've been thinking about the next step of our program process- we've got interested folks growing on a small scale and some process and infrastructure in place. We've got a vision of small urban farms and farmsteads throughout NE Kansas City, Kansas. Where do we go from here? This week helped shape our conversation as we move forward.

Also, DC is covered in snow! We were supposed to leave this afternoon, but we'll be here until tomorrow at least. It's beautiful from the 12th floor. We bought a pack of cards at the gift shop and wish we brought snow boots!

Green in the House! with Seeds...

This Wednesday we had our first day of seed planting! We started out with broccoli, cabbage, and scallions. New Roots farmers gathered at KCCUA's community greenhouse where many farmers from Kansas City start their seedlings. Last week we mixed the soil, and so were ready to fill trays and inserts with soil and hundreds of seeds. One of the growers watered them, and now we wait for them to grow.


Seperating inserts and putting them in the trays,


Inserts are filled with potting soil,


And finally seeds!