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| 04.11.05 | ||||||
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Media
Contacts: New American Microentrepreneurs “Go Organic” Oakland, California – New American microentrepreneurs will plant the first-ever organic community education garden at Holy Names University on Saturday, April 16th from 10 am to 2 pm. “Green Planting Day” is sponsored by the Green Markets – Green Banana Food Incubator Project of AnewAmerica Community Corporation in partnership with the Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association (ALBA) and Holy Names University. Green Planting Day is a community event featuring a ribbon cutting and planting ceremony, an Organic Foods Workshop, food booths by AnewAmerica Food Entrepreneurs, and organic produce and fresh food boxes by ALBA Organics. The day is a milestone in a multi-year entrepreneurship program focused on creating market opportunities with healthy foods. “Organic products are good for my customers and for my business,” says Cecilia Lopez, currently working at the Green Banana Café at Holy Names. The event kicks off a unique collaboration that will bring urban and rural communities together and improve access to healthy, nutritious foods. In addition to its own organic produce, the Green Banana Community Education Garden will host an ongoing series of community events. School children will participate in garden field trips, and university students and others will participate in workshops and demonstration projects in organic farming and sustainable agriculture. AnewAmerica food entrepreneurs will use salad greens and herbs from the garden in their products, and ALBA Organics will use the garden as a platform for expanding its organic produce delivery in the East Bay. The Green Banana Community Education Garden will provide ongoing opportunities for the community to learn more about the importance of healthy foods, protecting our resources and helping bring social justice to disadvantaged communities. It will also serve as a place of solitude and renewal for the community for years to come. The garden is a part of the Green Markets – Green Banana Food Incubator Project, a joint venture of AnewAmerica and ALBA funded by grants from the Columbia Foundation and the US Department of Agriculture. It brings together new American urban food entrepreneurs and rural organic farmers to develop joint marketing ventures that extend Green Markets into low-income communities. In addition to business incubation services, food entrepreneurs also increase their awareness of organics and food security through a Green Curriculum. Based in Salinas, the Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association offers training, technical assistance and other resources to families and individuals who aspire to become farmers. The organization also promotes economically viable agricultural production that protects the environment through sustainable methods.
Holy Names University one of California’s oldest Colleges is now California’s newest University. Ranked twelfth in best value and third among Western Colleges and Universities for diversity, HNU provides an atmosphere where perspectives are valued, shared, and shaped. AnewAmerica entrepreneurs who successfully complete business planning, training and coaching will receive a Business Planning Certificate from Holy Names University. AnewAmerica Community Corporation is a Berkeley-based nonprofit serving new Americans and their families in the nine Bay Area counties. ANEWAMERICA has developed an innovative model of integrated microbusiness incubation, asset-development and social responsibility that fosters entrepreneurship, cultural identity and civic participation in the making of a new America. For more information on Planting Day or how AnewAmerica helps to promote the long-term economic empowerment of new Americans, log on to www.anewamerica.org or call (510) 540-7785 x302. |
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