An exciting new entrant into the local food scene in C-U is the Sola Gratia Farm. The farm is the first example of Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) located with C-U. CSAs are an alternative method of food production and distribution that directly connect people with those that grown their food and embrace the seasonal and local character of real food.
Food from a CSA farm is distributed the same day it is harvested, and made available to those that buy shares in the farm’s output. The farm will grow 46 different varieties of fruits and vegetables, including squashes, onions, melons, peppers, tomatoes, salad greens and eggplant. Shares are available at $300 for a half share or $500 for a fall share, and are still available.
Set up as a partnership between Faith in Place and St. Matthews Lutheran Church, Sola Gratia farm will also work for social justice. To address the issue of food deserts, 10% of everything grown at the farm will be donated to the Eastern Illinois Food Bank.
Brian Sauder, the local Faith in Place Coordinator, is thrilled by the community support and hopes that this will be a model that can be replicated at other congregations. “If you buy a share, not only do you get produce for 26 weeks,” Brian added, “but you know you are supporting getting more fresh produce in local food pantries as well.”
There are many opportunities to volunteer, especially as the farm works on building a greenhouse and tunnels to extend production. If you are interested in participating, go to solagratiafarm.org for more information.
Alternative Spring Break: Go somewhere. Do something. By Linda Qiu
People often say that college is the best time to travel. At U of I, ASB is one of the best ways to do it. Alternative Spring Break is a program of the YMCA that is focused on educating people about issues concerning social activism and environmental awareness. ASB hosts seasonal trips all over the United States throughout the year, including the summer and winter. Trips are usually between 4 to 9 days long, with projects ranging from topics like HIV/AIDS to child education to sustainable agriculture. ASB’s goal is to send people into the real world and allow them to gain firsthand experience. Students not only get a chance to make a difference in others’ lives, they also make friends of a lifetime.
When Dan Guico, one of ASB’s oldest members was asked what his most unique experience was, he mentioned ASB’s staple trip- the National Coalition for the Homeless in Washington DC. The first two days of the trip are spent actually being homeless, living on the streets alone forced to find shelter and food with no assistance. Afterwards, the volunteers help out at local homeless shelters. This year, Dan is leading a trip of his own in Memphis called “Grow Memphis”, where volunteers will be helping residents start up local organic farms so that they can begin to grow their own organic produce.
This spring season, ASB is sending over 150 people on 11 trips around the US. If you’d like to get involved with ASB, check out their website at illinoisasb.org. There you can find information and applications for future trips and also see some great photos of previous projects.
Sign up and start changing the world today!
-Suhail Barot
No comments:
Post a Comment