Designing Ecological Habitats - Gaia Education

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In October of 2010, the Groundswell Center won a major grant from the
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to support the training of
new farmers and urban market gardeners.
Groundswell’s New Farmer Training Project aims to increase the
number, diversity, profitability, and environmental sustainability of area
farmers by providing training, mentoring, business planning support, and
affordable access to land at EcoVillage at Ithaca.
“We are making a three-year investment to develop a strong, multicultural,
social and economic support network for beginning farmers,” said Joanna.
“We’ll be bringing together young and old, white, black, immigrant, affluent
and limited resource, beginning and experienced farmers to learn from one
another and to strengthen our local food system.”
Recognizing the diversity of potential farmers in our community,
the project will address the needs of three target groups:
• Start-Ups – those recently started in farming on their own, yet
needing further training, mentoring, and business planning support
in order to succeed;
• Farming Interns – those able and willing to spend two years
working and learning on established farms;
• Market Gardeners – urban gardeners interested in developing smallscale
commercial enterprises to serve local community markets.
In addition to supporting beginning farmers in our own community,
Green believes the project will make the Ithaca area a magnet for serious
aspiring farmers nationwide, who are looking to gain hands-on experience
and training before starting their own farms in other regions.
Thanks to Joanna, Jen and John, Todd, and other farmers, the Finger Lakes is a good
place to learn how to grow delicious food, and a great place to eat. I’m glad that our
abundant land at this ecovillage can be put to such good use.
Liz Walker is co-founder of EcoVillage at Ithaca and Executive Director of the non-profit
EcoVillage at Ithaca – Center for Sustainability Education (www.ecovillage.ithaca.ny.us),
in Ithaca, NY. This is excerpted in part from her popular book, EcoVillage at Ithaca:
Pioneering a Sustainable Culture (New Society Publishers, 2005) as well as her new book,
Choosing a Sustainable Future: Ideas and Inspiration from Ithaca, NY (New Society
Publishers, October, 2010).