THE ORGANIC BEET:
FOG's Bi-Monthly E-Newsletter
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New email list for Organic Farming in Subtropical and Tropical Growing Regions
Based on the feedback that we have received from growers that there are not enough resources for producers seeking organic solutions in sub-tropical and tropical growing regions, FOG has created a new discussion forum and email list serve for producers to share information, resources, and ideas. Check it out!
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Support FOG while you shop!
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Doing some shopping for the holiday season?
Amazon customers can elect to donate 0.5% of their purchase to the charity of their choice
by shopping through
smile.amazon.com
If you already shop on Amazon, or you’d like to start,
we invite you to shop at
smile.amazon.com
and choose Florida Certified Organic Growers & Consumers, Inc. as your charity of choice!
To do so simply:
(1) Go to FOG’s Amazon Smile landing page located
here
(2) Sign in to your Amazon account
(3) Shop as usual! 0.5% of your purchase will be donated to FOG automatically from Amazon
Thank you for your support!
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Special "FOG Lifter" Organic Coffee Now Available from Sweetwater Organic Coffee Co.
Purchasing these delicious coffee blends (medium and dark roast available), you can support a pioneering organic coffee company based in Gainesville, FL, FOG, and Fair Trade!
Order online
or at your local supplier of Sweetwater Organic Coffee!
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Partnership with Alachua County Work Release and Metamorphosis Treatment Center
Alachua County, in partnership with FOG, has been selected as a grantee in the Aetna Foundation’s Cultivating Healthy Communities program to improve health and wellness outcomes for individuals at Alachua County Work Release and the Metamorphosis Treatment Center by helping residents start vegetable gardens, plant and harvest vegetables organically, prepare healthy meals, and learn healthy behaviors and life skills through regular workshops and education opportunities. The ultimate goal of the project is for participants in Work Release and Metamorphosis to return home to their families with new skills and healthy habits that they can share and pass on.
“The Aetna Foundation is committed to addressing the social determinants of health in order to reduce health disparities,” said Dr. Garth Graham, president of the Aetna Foundation. “By identifying community-specific challenges, and unique ways to combat them, this year’s grantees are a shining example of organizations who strive to make a measurable and positive local health impact. We are honored to contribute towards the great work they are doing in pursuit of health equity.”
This funding addresses the need to improve opportunities for all Americans—regardless of income, education or ethnic background—to take an active role in living healthier lives. For more information on the Cultivating Healthy Communities program visit, visit
www.aetnafoundation.org.
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New Farmers' Market at Alachua County Department of Health
New Farmer’s Market located at the Alachua Department of Health on Friday mornings from 8 am – 12 pm. SNAP/EBT Accepted through FOG’s Local Food Security Project, supported in part by Wells Fargo. Market is located in the Health Dept. parking lot at 224 SE 24
th
Street, for more information contact
candi.morris@flhealth.gov
or
xanna@foginfo.org
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FOG Learning Garden
This fall has seen the first harvest of the FOG Learning Garden in partnership with the Cone Park Community Garden in East Gainesville, and made possible with funding from Lucky's Market. Our students have successfully cultivated kale, collard greens, cow peas, sweet potatoes, broccoli, green peas, and most importantly a greater knowledge of gardening, each other and themselves. As a group, we've balanced our time in the garden (prepping the garden beds and soil, planting seeds, removing caterpillars, and harvesting veggies) with lessons in the adjacent classroom at the Cone Park Library Branch on soil, organic pest management, and how to create and use a budget to manage finances. We are looking forward to more growing and learning in the spring with lessons on food preservation and preparation, social and emotional awareness, and nutrition and exercise. Follow our progress on our website
http://www.foginfo.org/our-programs/fog-learning-garden/
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Food Justice Study Group
The reading selections for the month include Garrett M. Broad’s
More than Just Food: Food Justice and Community Change.
The book spotlights Community Services Unlimited, a food justice organization that grew out of the Southern California Black Panther Party and how the “organization seeks balance–between social change ideals and the compromises necessary to maintain fiscal solvency; between a focus on community needs and broader national and international movements; and between communicating with local residents and larger publics,” as Andrew Wenzel from the University of Southern California writes in a book review. We recommend the book to anyone involved in the food justice movement, including activists, journalists, and foundations.
Questions? Suggestions for a book or documentary to feature?
Email us
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Gainesville Housing Authority will be hosting its first Career & Community Resource Fair! This event is open to the public and free for all! It will be held on Wednesday January 17
th
, 2018 from 11:00am – 1:30pm at the Pine Meadows Community: 2626 E. University Avenue Gainesville, FL.
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The second annual Gainesville VegFest will be held on Saturday, February 17, 2018 from 10 AM - 5 PM
200 SE Depot Avenue, Gainesville, Florida 32601
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Support us as we continue the fight for organic and sustainable agriculture!
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We need your support
as we continue the fight for organic and sustainable agriculture in Florida and beyond! We have plans to host more on-farm educational workshops, continue to support farmers with training and educational resources, engage the community in organic gardening and social justice initiatives, and more!
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