All Entries Tagged With: "EarthDance Farms"
EarthDance Fresh Ideas returns for Summer 2011
The Real Dirt on Farmer John is one of three documentaries featured in the 2011 EarthDance Fresh Ideas film and lecture series.
Following its successful launch in 2010, EarthDance Farms’ Fresh Ideas series is back for another summer of enlightening films and engaging conversation. Come out and meet all kinds of creative, green-minded people at these three upcoming events, two of which are here in NoCo:
June 12, 4-7PM: The Real Dirt on Farmer John and CSA Discussion
Fresh Ideas 2011 will begin with a focus on the Community Supported Agriculture movement (CSA). This innovative model personalizes the relationship between farmers and the consumers who enjoy their produce. On Sunday, June 12, 4-7PM, EarthDance will screen the film The Real Dirt on Farmer John, about legendary CSA farmer John Peterson of Angelic Organics. A panel discussion will follow, featuring local CSA farmer Liz Graznak, CSA organizers Sara Hale and Jaime Choller of Fair Shares, and Robyn Strengquist, longtime CSA subscriber. Refreshments will be available, including free, local, organic popcorn! Location: Saint Stephens Episcopal Church, 33 N. Clay, Ferguson MO, 63135
July 24, 4-7PM: The Garden and Community Gardening Discussion
The second Fresh Ideas gathering highlights the potential of Community Gardens. Yielding fresh food and green space, gardens revitalize neighborhoods and feed families in many ways. On Sunday, July 24th, 4-7PM, EarthDance will screen The Garden, the story of a remarkable 14-acre garden in South Central Los Angelos, lovingly tended by city residents. When the garden is threatened by redevelopment, the gardeners rally mightily in an attempt to save their urban oasis. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion on the achievements of some of Saint Louis’ diverse community gardens, featuring local garden leaders. Refreshments will be available, including free, local, organic popcorn! Location: Saint Stephens Episcopal Church, 33 N. Clay, Ferguson MO, 63135
August 12, 7-10pm: PMFeeding the Muse: EarthDance’s Sustainable Art Happening
EarthDance promotes the best of all things local, including the arts, through its Artist-In-Residence program, on-farm art workshops, and plein air painting sessions. In partnership with their current Artists-in Residence, Dail Chambers and Chinyere Oteh of Yeyo Arts Collective, EarthDance presents Feeding The Muse: A Sustainable Art Happening. Join EarthDance on Friday, August 12th, 7:00-10:00PM at Gya Community Gallery for an exploration of sustainability and the arts. The evening will feature interactive Agri(Cultural) art activities, and presentations from local artists, whose projects explore the intersection of eco-consciousness and creativity including clothing designer Michael Drummond and Jenny Murphy, founder of Perennial. Location: GYA Community Gallery, 2700 Locust Ave St. Louis Mo 63103
About EarthDance
EarthDance is a non-profit organization, whose mission is to grow and inspire local FARMS—Food, Art, Relationships & Music… Sustainably! EarthDance farms at the historic Mueller Organic Farm in Ferguson, MO. EarthDance is embarking on its third year of operating a season-long educational apprenticeship program which trains participants in organic farming and gardening—from seed propagation to farmers markets. In 2009 EarthDance inaugurated the part-time training program for 12 beginner farmers. This year, a class of 33 apprentices will grow food for two farmers markets and 100 CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) share holders.
EarthDance’s Molly Rockamann wins national award
Though her Jeske Park home took a good bruising in Friday night’s tornado, Ferguson resident Molly Rockamann is celebrating today. Not only because she escaped the storm unharmed, but also because she just won a prestigious national award from the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Announced this afternoon, Rockamann is the 2011 Young Food Leader in the NRDC’s Growing Green Awards, which recognize “extraordinary contributions that advance ecologically integrated farming practices, climate stewardship, water stewardship, farmland preservation, and social responsibility from farm to fork.” The winner of a $5,000 prize, she was recognized for her work with EarthDance Farms, the Ferguson-based nonprofit that trains aspiring farmers at Missouri’s oldest organic farm.
“I am extremely honored and humbled to receive this award,” Rockamann, 29, says. “My dream to preserve the Mueller Organic Farm as an educational organic farm is still in the works, and to be recognized for my work with EarthDance towards this end is to validate the significance of what we’re trying to achieve. Al & Caroline Mueller created an agricultural legacy that deserves to be carried on, and I am grateful to have the opportunity to work, teach in, and eat from the living soil that they helped to create.”
In addition to teaching more than 30 farming apprentices every year, EarthDance hosts the Fresh Ideas film & lecture series, the Educators Learning Circle, and several other fun and educational events. Rockamann and her “freshmen farmies” also sell produce at the Maplewood and Ferguson Farmers Markets, run a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, and are preparing to launch a summer day camp for kids.
If you want to sign up for the CSA, act quickly! There are just 10 shares left. You can also read about Camp EarthDance, which starts in June, by clicking here.
To learn more about Molly and the great work she does as a Young Food Leader, check out this short video made by the NRDC:
EarthDance launches Educators Learning Circle
The documentary Grown in Detroit, which follows pregnant teens as they learn about urban farming, is one of two films EarthDance will be screening soon.
Now in its third year of teaching organic farming to a diverse group of 30+ apprentices, the Ferguson-based nonprofit EarthDance Farms is trying to fill a gap. Not everyone can commit to its intensive nine-month training program, but many folks still want to learn, so founding director Molly Rockamann and her crew came up with a plan.
Through the new Educators Learning Circle, EarthDance will host a series of four educational sessions, each addressing topics like sustainable agriculture and healthy eating. The program is open to all, but it’s specifically geared at teachers, school administrators and home-schooling parents. Those who work with school cafeterias would also benefit.
If you want to attend all four sessions, the cost is $40. Or you can register one at a time for $15 each. You’ll find the registration form here.
The Educators Learning Circle kicks off on March 10 and includes the following sessions:
Two Angry Moms Screening and Discussion – March 10, 4- 7pm
Two Angry Moms tells the story of mothers on a mission to improve school lunch programs.
Frustrated by the neon green slushies, greasy fries, and jumbo cookies their kids’ schools offered students at lunch, Amy Kalifa and Susan Rubin set out to find solutions to the status quo in the lunch line. Two Angry Moms shows not only on what is wrong with school food; it offers strategies for overcoming roadblocks and getting healthy, good tasting, real food into school cafeterias. A healthy meal will be served at this event. Location: St. Stephen’s, 33 N Clay Ave, 63135.
Grown In Detroit Screening and Discussion – April 7, 4- 7pm
Grown in Detroit focuses on the urban gardening efforts managed by a public school of 300 mainly African-American, pregnant and parenting teenagers. As part of the curriculum, the girls are taught agricultural skills on the school’s own farm located behind the school building. Taking care of animals, growing produce, and earning money to do so is helping to shape these girls into strong, independent and hopeful women. A healthy meal will be served at this event. Location: St. Stephen’s, 33 N Clay Ave, 63135.
Field trip to New City School & Maplewood-Richmond Heights Early Childhood Center – May 5, 7pm
New City School educator Claire Reinbold is a 2010 EarthDance Apprenticeship Alum and co-leads their school gardening project and regularly integrates food-based curricula into her teaching. Seed to Table Director Debi Gibson is in her 5th year of guiding the Maplewood-Richmond Heights School District’s innovative gardening and nutrition education initiatives that span early childhood programs to middle schools. Educators Learning Circle members will have the opportunity to tour each site, and ask questions of program leaders. A healthy snack will be provided.
Field trip to Camp EarthDance – June 9, 9:30am – noon
Visit a farm-to-table day camp for local middle schoolers, at a 14-acre suburban farm in North St. Louis County. Camp EarthDance will include time on the farm, healthy cooking/ eating lessons, agriculture-related art projects, and fitness activities. Learning Circle members will have the opportunity to see youth agricultural education in action, speak to campers and the camp organizers. Participants will also see the EarthDance Organic Farming Apprenticeship program in action, and evaluate the farm as a potential field trip site. A healthy snack will be provided. Optional: Brown Bag Lunch Picnic afterward at nearby January Wabash Park.
For more information about the Educators Learning Circle, visit the EarthDance website or call (314) 521-1006.
Another successful Pesto Festo for EarthDance
Molly Rockamann addresses a packed house at EarthDance's 2010 Pesto Festo
Hundreds of green-minded St. Louisans came together in Ferguson this past Saturday, attending EarthDance’s third annual Pesto Festo. Part fundraiser, part awards ceremony, the event celebrates “farms, art, relationships and music…sustainably” and recognizes local people who’ve made a difference in each of those fields.
I attended last year’s Pesto Festo and it was a blast. This year, I was in bed by 9:30 with a dreadful sinus headache. Oh well. My loss. EarthDance founder Molly Rockamann tells me that this year’s event was the best ever. During the live auction, NINE scholarships were sponsored to a tune of $500 each, meaning nine lucky folks will get a chance to participate in EarthDance’s organic farming apprentice program for free!
As for the Mission Awards part of the show, wow, what an awesome group of honorees! For farms, my friends and neighbors Larry and Heather Robinett won for their tireless work with the Old Ferguson West Community Garden. For art, it was the incredibly talented sculptor Don Wiegand. For relationships, it was Shiela Pryor from Achievers Step by Step, an amazing nonprofit that promotes strong family relationships and healthy eating in the African-American community. And for music, it was Steve Housewright, one of the kindest, most generous guys around, who runs the Strings Attached music program at St. Stephens & the Vine.
These are the people making the world a better place, and yet you’ll rarely hear about them in the news. Need a dose of feel-good? Learn more about the Mission Awards in this short but sweet video. Congratulations to this year’s winners and to Molly and everyone else at EarthDance for another successful Pesto Festo!
Are you getting ready for the big day? NOCO is a proud sponsor of the 3rd annual Live Well Ferguson 5K