[Community_garden] Community school gardens in the Farm bill

[Jim Flint]

Kristen and ACGA colleagues,

Thanks for your notes, questions, and support for the community 
school garden amendment to the Farm Bill. It's great to see the 
California School Garden Network and the National Gardening 
Association signing on in support of the amendment.

The legislative and funding process for a bill takes an 
uncertain amount of time and requires multiple steps. The step 
we're at now is to network nationally to build congressional 
support (through advocacy from people across the country) to 
keep the garden amendment as part of the Farm Bill. It's 
important to also note that the amendment would "authorize" 
rather than "appropriate funding", which is a later step in the 
process. For now, keep the emails, letters, and phone calls 
coming to your representatives!

--Jim

Jim Flint, Executive Director
Friends of Burlington Gardens &
Vermont Community Garden Network
180 Flynn Ave Studio 3
PO Box 4504
Burlington, VT  05406-4504
802-861-4769
www.burlingtongardens.org


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kristen Spoales" <spoalesk at yahoo.com>
To: "Molly McCluer" <molly.mccluer at gmail.com>; 
<gorbehfarsi at verizon.net>
Cc: "Jim Flint" <jimf at burlingtongardens.org>; 
<community_garden at list.communitygarden.org>
Sent: Wednesday, December 19, 2007 1:13 PM
Subject: Re: [Community_garden] Community school gardens in the 
Farm bill


When will we find out how this pans out and how to
apply for available funding?
Thanks!

--- Molly McCluer <molly.mccluer at gmail.com> wrote:

> They've not yet been appointed.
> - Molly
>
> On Dec 18, 2007 11:11 AM, gorbehfarsi at verizon.net
> <gorbehfarsi at verizon.net>
> wrote:
>
> > Would you send us a list of conference committee
> members please? If
> > our members are not on the committee, it probably
> wouldn't have much
> > effect to contact them.
> >
> > Libby
> >
> >
> >
> > On Dec 18, 2007, at 9:41 AM, Jim Flint wrote:
> >
> > >
> > >     To:  Fellow ACGA members
> > >
> > > From:  Jim Flint, Vermont Community Garden
> Network
> > >
> > >     Re:  Senate Farm Bill and school garden
> amendment
> > >
> > > Date:  December 18, 2007
> > >
> > >
> > > Dear ACGA Colleagues,
> > >
> > > Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont has included
> an amendment in
> > > the Farm Bill to authorize $10,000,000 to
> establish a pilot
> > > program for community school gardens.
> > >
> > > The Farm Bill passed the Senate by a vote of 79
> to 14 on
> > > December 14, with the school garden amendment
> intact. The Farm
> > > Bill is now headed to conference committee where
> the Senate and
> > > House will determine the final version of the
> bill which goes to
> > > the President.
> > >
> > > Time is now of the essence to ensure that the
> school garden
> > > amendment is included in the final version of
> the Farm Bill.
> > >
> > > Letters, emails, and phone calls from ACGA
> members to their
> > > representatives in the House can help make the
> difference when
> > > the House and Senate conferees meet.
> > >
> > > The key message to communicate is as follows,
> restated in your
> > > own words:
> > >
> > > "Dear Representative ________________.  Please
> make sure that
> > > the Senate provision in the Farm Bill for
> setting up a pilot
> > > program for community gardening in high-poverty
> schools is
> > > included when the House and Senate conferees
> meet.  Please
> > > support community gardening in schools as a
> means for learning
> > > about agriculture, improving the diet of
> childrens and youths,
> > > and growing healthy food for use in summer
> nutrition programs."
> > >
> > > For reference, the text of the school garden
> amendment is
> > > reprinted below. Please take time TODAY to
> contact your
> > > representative in Washington and help to ensure
> that the school
> > > garden amendment stays in the Farm Bill.
> > >
> > > Sincerely,
> > >
> > > Jim Flint, Executive Director
> > > Friends of Burlington Gardens
> > > Vermont Community Garden Network
> > > 180 Flynn Ave Studio 3
> > > PO Box 4504
> > > Burlington, VT  05406-4504
> > > 802-861-4769
> > > www.burlingtongardens.org
> > >
> > > ______________________________
> > >
> > > TEXT OF SANDERS AMENDMENT TO THE SENATE FARM
> BILL AUTHORIZING
> > > FUNDING FOR COMMUNITY SCHOOL GARDENS
> > >
> > > INCLUDED IN THE HARKIN MANAGER'S AMENDMENT
> PASSED BY U.S.
> > > SENATE - DECEMBER 14, 2007
> > >
> > > (3) PILOT PROGRAM FOR HIGH-POVERTY SCHOOLS.--
> > >     (A) DEFINITIONS.--In this paragraph:
> > >
> > >     (i) ELIGIBLE PROGRAM.--The term `eligible
> program' means--
> > >
> > >     (I) a school-based program with hands-on
> vegetable gardening
> > > and nutrition education that is incorporated
> into the curriculum
> > > for 1 or more grades at 2 or more eligible
> schools; or
> > >
> > >     (II) a community-based summer program with
> hands-on
> > > vegetable gardening and nutrition education that
> is part of, or
> > > coordinated with, a summer enrichment program at
> 2 or more
> > > eligible schools.
> > >
> > >     (ii) ELIGIBLE SCHOOL.--The term `eligible
> school' means a
> > > public school, at least 50 percent of the
> students of which are
> > > eligible for free or reduced price meals under
> this Act.
> > >
> > >     (B) ESTABLISHMENT.--The Secretary shall
> carry out a pilot
> > > program under which the Secretary shall provide
> to nonprofit
> > > organizations or public entities in not more
> than 5 States
> > > grants to develop and run, through eligible
> programs, community
> > > gardens at eligible schools in the States that
> would--
> > >
> > >     (i) be planted, cared for, and harvested by
> students at the
> > > eligible schools; and
> > >
> > >     (ii) teach the students participating in the
> community
> > > gardens about agriculture, sound farming
> practices, and diet.
> > >
> > >     (C) PRIORITY STATES.--Of the States provided
> a grant under
> > > this paragraph--
> > >
> > >     (i) at least 1 State shall be among the 15
> largest States,
> > > as determined by the Secretary;
> > >
> > >     (ii) at least 1 State shall be among the
> 16th to 30th
> > > largest States, as determined by the Secretary;
> and
> > >
> > >     (iii) at least 1 State shall be a State that
> is not
> > > described in clause (i) or (ii).
> > >
> > >     (D) USE OF PRODUCE.--Produce from a
> community garden
> > > provided a grant under this paragraph may be--
> > >
> > >     (i) used to supplement food provided at the
> eligible school;
> > >
> > >     (ii) distributed to students to bring home
> to the families
> > > of the students; or
> > >
> > >     (iii) donated to a local food bank or senior
> center
> > > nutrition program.
> > >
> > >     (E) NO COST-SHARING REQUIREMENT.--A
> nonprofit organization
> > > or public entity that receives a grant under
> this paragraph
> > > shall not be required to share the cost of
> carrying out the
> > > activities assisted under this paragraph.
> > >
> > >     (F) EVALUATION.--A nonprofit organization or
> public entity
> > > that receives a grant under this paragraph shall
> be required to
> > > cooperate in an evaluation in accordance with
> paragraph
=== message truncated ===



      ____________________________________________________________________________________
Never miss a thing.  Make Yahoo your home page.
http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs