UN Commission on Sustainable Development Food Conferences

Register for City Farm Linkages Learning Event Sunday May 11 at Teachers College

The global food crisis, climate change and sustainable agriculture are among the many topics that will be addressed by leaders of farmers, women, indigenous peoples, trade union, youth and other major groups of civil society around the world. Representatives of civil society and government delegations will share their reflections on the first week of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development and debate the way forward for food and farming systems of the world.

The City and Farm Linkages Showcase for CSD puts the best of New York and US food and farming system innovations on display as part of hosting and learning from equally creative food and farm movements around the world! You are invited to actively participate in a day-long symposium at Teachers College, with plenary and workshop sessions described in the program now available [this file was too large for one of the lists. If it didn't go through - email me. I'll send it to you]. Translation into French and Spanish will be provide in plenary sessions. A sack lunch and beverages will also be provided.

To register for the free learning event, go to www.sustainablefoodmonitor.org.

The deadline for registration is Thursday, May 8. The Showcase reception on Friday May 9 and the two City and Farm bus tours on May 10 are full, but the market tour on Saturday and the learning event on Sunday are still open.

Other ways you can participate related to the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) meetings from May 5-16:

Volunteers are needed for Sunday's event to help with registration and display areas. For more information and to sign up, contact Lillian Dunn, <lillian.dunn@yahoo.com>

If you are a food media professional, writer or journalist, and wish to join our UN food media team, contact Tabitha Alterman, Mother Earth News, at tabitha Alterman <talterman@motherearthnews.com>

If you would like to join a nimble team of food rapporteurs, or "CSD rappers" from New York who will be capturing the common themes for Sunday's learning event, contact Ryan Wood at <ryan.joseph.wood@gmail.com>

If your organization can help make copies for the program packets before Thursday, May 8, contact Thomas Forster at thomas.forster@practice2policy.org

You can follow what is going on at the UN CSD meetings by logging onto www.sustainablefoodmonitor.org where links to daily news, blogs and other resources will be posted.

Norwich Meadows CSA Share

For CUFSP members, groupies, and the Columbia/Morningside community at large, we have a great opportunity for you to sign up for a CSA (community supported agriculture) share!

Here's the deal:You (and maybe a friend, depending on how often you cook and how many vegetables you eat) pay $140 up front, then in the fall you will receive 8 weeks of great, local produce raised by Zaid Kurdieh, a farmer who owns Norwich Meadows Farm, located near Binghamton, NY. You can learn more about his farm, his beliefs, and his products here: http://www.norwichmeadowsfarm.com/

The exact location of the produce pick-ups is yet to be established, however it will be convenient for Columbia students, either on campus or at a nearby establishment. Produce will be delivered every Thursday and you will be able to pick up your share during a scheduled pick-up time (to be determined based on CSA shareholders' availability). One share will have 6-8 items, and one item could be a head of lettuce, a bunch of carrots, a couple eggplants, a few potatoes, etc. Farm-fresh, sustainably-grown, and locally-produced--does it get any better? Oh wait, it does! There will also be the option of purchasing addtional goods such as halal chicken, maple syrup, and dairy products on an occasional basis.

Interested? Email Megan McNally at megan.mcnally@gmail.com and let her know you'd like a share. A possible farm visit and cooking tips will be part of the package as well, for those who are interested! Tell your friends!

Meeting Recap 4.27.08

Still plenty of help needed to finish the garden within the next few weeks! Here's where
volunteers are needed:

TRELLIS BUILDING--this weekend, probably Sunday afternoon. Email me
(rmd2154@columbia.edu) with a good time window for you if you are available to take a
study break and help finish the trellises.

BUYING VEGETABLE STARTS-- Saturday May 10th, our planting date, I need 2 or 3 helpers to go to Union Square to buy vegetable starts in the morning. I can't carry them all alone!
If you can't help plant in the afternoon this would be a great opportunity to help out.

PLANTING VEGETABLE STARTS AND SEEDS, FINISHING GARDEN SET-UP-- May 10th, 3pm, is our current scheduled time to finish planting starts and seeding the garden (email me if this time does not work for you). We also need to set up the benches and compost bins.

Plant watering schedule:

Wed 4/30-Liz
Fri 5/2-Andrew
Sun 5/4-Sarah
Tues 5/6-Liz
Thurs 5/8-Julie
Sat 5/10-Ted
Mon 5/12-Hannah P.
Wed 5/14-Becky
Fri 5/16-Maddie

Reminder: email Kari (kmh2121@columbia.edu) if you will be around this summer and want to
help maintain the garden.

Reminder: Monday May 5th there will be a local foods brunch in John Jay! Thanks to Liz
and Julie for their work with Dining Services to make this happen. I encourage everyone
to go!

Plastic take-out bags report: Inquiring about resolution process.

Reusable take-out containers report: Liz is receiving the samples and creating a survey
to monitor take-out use among students.

Stop by the garden if you haven't recently to see the tiny red buds of the tangerine sage plant in the left-side plot and don't hesitate to smell the leaves. They're tantalizing!