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Female Farmers are Coming into Their Own—and Networking is Key to Their Success

Marianne Messina

April 16, 2019 |

Civil Eats |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Wisconsin

As the number of women in agriculture grows, a group of female farmers in Wisconsin participate in a networking cooperative called In Her Boots. Starting as a 12-person potluck, members of In Her Boots now come from more than 20 different counties and swap knowhow more specific to women, such as how to adjust farming practices to fit a smaller frame or how to apply for farm grants. The group is still growing and is now part of a data-gathering metric from the University of Wisconsin which aims to measure the growth of women in sustainable farming.

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Despite Many Challenges, the U.S. Has More Young Farmers Than it Did Five Years Ago

Julia Hotz

April 12, 2019 |

Civil Eats |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Boone County, Kentucky

With the average age of the American farmer at 57.5 and the number of farmers over 65 outnumbering farmers under 35 by a factor of 6 to 1, many are worried about a severe shortage of ecologically-minded young farmers to take over from the older generation. To address this gap, states and institutions are launching initiatives like debt-free agricultural college, tax incentives, and loan programs.

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Has New York Found the Secret to Linking Retiring Farmers and Eager Upstarts?

Lisa Held

January 08, 2019 |

Civil Eats |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New York

Connecting new farmers to community partners facilitates the process of buying and selling land. In addition to linking buyers and sellers, the Hudson Valley Farmlink Network (HVFN) enrolls local organizations such as GrowNYC’s FARMroots program, the Hudson Valley AgriBusiness Corporation, as well as micro lenders to make the sale of the land possible. The network increases the resources available to farmers in New York.

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The Co-op Farming Model Might Help Save America's Small Farms

Annelise Jolley

October 03, 2018 |

Civil Eats |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

Throughout the United States, farmer co-ops are gaining popularity as a means to share work and resources with fellow small farms with the goal of keeping rural communities alive. Although this model can look slightly different depending on the region and can create limitations, overall, many believe this approach may create a more resilient farming practice.

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Can Food Hubs Scale Nationally and Stay True to the Cause?

Lisa Held

January 31, 2018 |

Civil Eats |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The Common Market in Philadelphia is an example of a thriving food hub. A 2017 study showed there are at least 360 active food hubs in America that are helping small farmers sell their produce while helping people access healthy food. Now that the model has been proven at a local level, it remains to be seen whether these food hubs will have success with national expansion, though the Common Market is demonstrating success in three markets already.

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Milwaukee is Showing How Urban Gardening Can Heal a City

Laurie Mazur

October 04, 2017 |

Civil Eats |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Urban gardening initiatives strengthen health and community in Milwaukee. The Victory Garden Initiative offers affordable options for residents to begin gardening—as well as information resources and community events.

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School Lunch Share Tables Fight Food Waste and Hunger

Melissa Terry

March 27, 2017 |

Civil Eats |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Fayetteville, Arkansas

Leftover food from publicly-funded school meals is not simply an issue of wasted tax dollars and environmental concern, it is a detrimental misallocation of much needed food for many students who still go hungry in schools across the country each day. The Share Tables program is helping to more equitably distribute food by providing a space where unopened items from one student's lunch may be deposited on a designated table (or tub, or shelf) for hungry peers to take - not only reducing food waste and child hunger, but helping students develop empathy and healthier eating habits.

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How Carbon Farming Could Reverse Climate Change

Vera Liang Chang

March 16, 2016 |

Civil Eats |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Mexico, Veracruz

Carbon farming is a method that focuses on sequestering atmospheric carbon on agricultural land. While farms around the world already do it, it's not anywhere near the scale necessary to avert climate catastrophe. But paired with aggressive emissions reduction, the practice could not only mitigate global warming, but also help the most impoverished communities.

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Former Black Panther Launches Oakland Urban Farm to Give Ex-Prisoners a Fresh Start

Sarah Henry

September 09, 2015 |

Civil Eats |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Oakland, California

After incarceration, Black men and women have a difficult time re-integrating into society without financial and educational resources. A former Black Panther activist has created the non-profit Oakland &the World Enterprises to offer an urban farm as a prisoner re-entry program and community center. The Oakland project supports self-sufficiency, self-determination, and empowerment for Black people.

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