Garden Work Party & Workshop, the Farm Bill… and what you can do about it

Saturday, September 29: Garden Work Party

The farm needs your hands to help with harvesting sweet potatoes! Learn about growing food, meet like minded folks and support local agriculture all at the same time. Stay part or all of the day. We will break at 12:00pm for a potluck style lunch, bring a dist to share if you wish!

NEW Location: 1108 Arenal SW (87105)
10:00 am–2:00 pm

Please wear sun protection, we will provide tools, water and snacks. Always kid-friendly.

Directions to 1108 Arenal Rd (87105), Sanchez Farm Open Space
Take I-25 to Bridge/ Cesar Chavez Exit, head west, across Broadway and the Rio Grande.
The second light after you cross the river is Isleta, take a Left and head South on Isleta.
The first light you will come to after Isleta takes a sharp curve to the West will be Lopez, take a Left on Lopez and head South again.
Lopez will dead end at Arenal in front of the Sancez Farm Open Space. Take a Right on Arenal, heading West and look for the gate on your Left hand side to enter the farm.

Sunday, September 30: Erda Community Watercolor Painting Workshop

Through the medium of drawing and painting we will begin to explore plants and the living conversation we have with them. Concepts of Biodynamics and Goethean phenomenology will be interwoven throughout this workshop.

From Sally:

Create a living conversation with nature. We invite you to take one morning to honor your senses and be fully within nature. Talking in only one of the languages we will use as we enter Erda Gardens.

Included is Watercolor Painting with Sally Rutledge to meet the colors of the season. Estelle Emmett will present the “The Foolhearty Man,” an Estonian folktale. Jimmy Petit will speak to Biodynamic farming practices and their seasonality. Homemade Soup and Bread provided to end the morning.

Location: 1305 Blake SW (87105)
9:00 am–12:00 pm
Suggested donation: $20 Erda members / $25 general public. No one turned away due to lack of funds.
Pre-registration is requested call Sally at (505) 883 – 4815. All art materials are supplied.

Directions to 1305 Blake SW (87105) (Erda Gardens Main Location):
Take I-25 to Rio Bravo exit, head west on Rio Bravo.
After you cross the river, get in the right lane to take a Right on Isleta (you will be heading north).
Take a right at the second light which is Blake. Continue forward, the garden will be on your left hand side, about a 1/2 a mile up the road, before the stop sign, turn in to the drive way and park directly in the lot facing the garden.
We will be meeting at the picnic table, at the most northern part of the garden.

The Farm Bill and how YOU can support young farmers!

The summer’s transition into fall not only brings a new slate of CSA goodies, but also a new development in the creation of the latest US Farm Bill. While federal agricultural policies aren’t usually connected to the everyday operations of the CSA community, we feel that this issue is worthy of your attention.

Congress is right in the middle of putting together a new Farm Bill, since the last one expires at the end of this month. Although it’s looking unlikely that a complete bill will be finished any time soon, there is a lot of talk about slashing different programs, and we want to speak up to save one in particular, the very successfulBeginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program.

The BFRDP, which provides funding for business and technical training programs for farmers and ranchers, is at risk of losing funding, which would be a tremendous loss for American farming. Since it received funding in 2008, this program has supported 145 different training programs, from apprenticeship programs in Illinois to legal aid for farmers in Nebraska, and it is widely considered one of the USDA’s most successful programs.

We all care deeply about access to good, local food. Programs like the BFRDP provide support for continuing the legacy of community-oriented farms for the next generation of CSA farmers, and we want to see these programs secure for the future. If you agree, we would encourage you to sign this change.org petition. Together, we can ensure CSAs and other farms receive the support they need to thrive.