Applications are now being accepted for the Spring 2012 class, which begins on Tuesday, March 20, 2012 and will meet each week until June 5. Completed applications must be submitted by February 10, 2012, and both the application and additional information are available online.

For more information about the L.A. County Master Food Preserve Program, visit their webpage on the University of California’s Cooperative Extension site, like their Facebook page, and/or follow them on Twitter @LACountyMFP.

Details noted below. For more information, contact Mud at schoolgarden [at] gmail [dot] com or find him on Twitter @cocoxochitl.

August 2, 2011 September 8, 2001: Conversation and cocktails with Robert Kenner and Barbara Spencer from 7:00pm until 10:00pm at FOOD on Pico in West L.A. [Note date change from August 2 to September 8.]

10 volunteers needed: Please contact Kelsey if interested.

Assistance needed with: Event set-up from 4:00pm-5:00pm; preparation of flower arrangements; limited bartending/beverage service; reception (including gathering information and collecting admission payments); food and beverage service assistance; clean-up of restaurant (after 10:00pm)

Attendance will also be required at a volunteer meeting on Sunday, July 31.

August 27, 2011: Breakfast event at Santa Monica Place
Volunteer needs are currently being assessed; please contact Kelsey if you wish to volunteer and details will be shared as they become available.

September 14-18, 2011: Lexicon of Sustainability exhibit at the Good Food Festival and Conference, Santa Monica

We anticipate a need for at least two volunteers to help set up this large-scale photography exhibit and four volunteers who could man the exhibit in shifts throughout the Festival and Conference. Volunteers manning the exhibit will be provided detailed information about the exhibit and its development and will be expected to answer questions and direct visitor to additional resources.

Roots of Change has announced two new positions within the organization, a part-time position as an Events Director, and a full-time position as the Program Manager of the Farmers’ Market Consortium. The Program Manager position will be based in San Francisco; the Events Director position will require travel to San Francisco and Sonoma, but does not require relocation to San Francisco. For information about both positions, visit the careers page on their website.

In 2011, the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center (OAEC) is pleased to offer a new internship opportunity in our beautiful rustic vegetarian kitchen. The Kitchen Internship is just under 10 months long, starting Feb. 22, 2011 and ending Dec. 15, 2011. The kitchen is the hub and hearth of our land-based intentional community, as well as for the many guests who attend OAEC’s courses, rentals, and events. It serves as the dynamic intersection between our 36-year-old biointensive organic gardens and other local farms in Sonoma county, and is at the heart of our land-based local food system.

The intern position is 25 hrs/week, though the exact weekly schedule is determined by the varying needs of the kitchen.  Some hours will be at regularly scheduled times, and others will be flexible; and some weekend work is required.

The ideal kitchen intern will be responsible, motivated, community-oriented, flexible, dependable, and able to take direction well. A sense of humor is a huge plus! We are looking for a self-starter, who is at ease and focused whether working alone or with others. Prior kitchen experience is desirable, but the most important thing is a desire to learn various aspects of running a rural commercial kitchen, including bulk food ordering, maintaining fridge and pantry organization, food preservation, and cooking and prepping for meals.

The intern must be willing to be on-call for occasional last-minute emergencies and jump in to help resolve situations when the kitchen manager is unavailable. Since all OAEC interns participate in the intentional community, strong communication skills, appreciation for group process, and a desire to contribute to the community are essential.

Though not required, it is highly preferred that Kitchen Intern applicants attend a Wednesday Garden Volunteer Day to meet the staff and get a sense of our full soil-to-table cycle.  Plan to stay at least 2 hours, including an hour-long lunch (12:30-1:30pm) and another hour of working in the garden.  Garden Volunteer Days are every Wednesday, 10am-5pm, and you are welcome to stay longer than 2 hours, if you like.  Please wear gardening clothes.  If you are able to attend, email Janell, the Kitchen Manager (janell@oaec.org), ahead of time to coordinate the day and time.

To apply, email cover letters and resumes no later than January 15, 2011 to:
Janell Lundgren
Kitchen Manager
janell@oaec.org
(707) 874-1557 ext. 235

After initial selection of potential candidates, on-site interviews will be scheduled in January.  Phone interviews are generally not possible.

See OAEC’s web site for background on what we do: www.oaec.org

Looking ahead to the school year that’s about to begin, Jennie is looking for chef volunteers who can commit to teaching class to students in the garden for the school year. Even if your availability is limited, volunteers who can commit to teaching once per week or once per month are welcome. A background in nutrition or culinary arts is preferred but not essential. Volunteers forage, clean, cook, and eat from the garden with students.

Teaching sessions will begin in October but training begins later this month. There is a reimbursement for expenses and a small stipend of $75 per day for two, one-hour sessions, between 8:30am and 11:30am, on weekdays.

If you’re interested in joining Jennie and working in the garden, please contact her directly. She can be reached by email at jennie [at] jenniecooks [dot] com or by phone at 1.323.982.0052.

When: Wednesday, June 30, 2010 from 10:00am until 4:00pm
Where: The Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, 1855 Main Street, Santa Monica
Cost: Free to veterans

If you’re a veteran and are interested in considering career options across the food spectrum, if you’re an employer in a related industry who is seeking employees, or if the mission of the Coalition resonates with you and you believe you can offer assistance, please visit the Farmer Veteran Coalition’s website.

The goal of this event is to connect returning veterans with viable jobs, internships, training programs, and two- and four-year colleges in the food and farming industry throughout southern California, and to offer assistance to those veterans starting their own farms and food-related businesses. Almost 2 million young men and women have served in the military since 9-11, and many are entering the work force facing unemployment at rates much higher than the already troubling numbers of the general public. As Michael O’Gorman, the executive director of the Farmer-Veteran Coalition noted recently:

Our Fair is about opportunity: The opportunity to find good workers, and for men and women willing to work hard through a cultivated work ethic, discipline, and focus to find new opportunities. These are men and women who possess a sense of sacrifice and service, and are eager to learn a new trade.

The City of Santa Monica and the Santa Monica Farmers’ Markets have been extraordinarily supportive of these efforts, and over 60 organizations and businesses are scheduled to participate. Farms represented will include the McGrath Family Farm, Weiser Family Farms, Windrose Farm, Bill Lewis of Bill’s Bees, Caifornia Family Farms, CAFF, and Carlsbad Aquafarm. If you or your organization wish to share an opportunity but cannot attend the event, please contact Michael Porter, the Coalition’s director of career development, at michaelp [at] farmvetco.org.

Veterans who wish to attend can do so free of charge, and are asked to register in advance at: http://www.farmvetco.org/career-fair/registration/.

Volunteers should bring garden gloves, water, sunscreen, and a shovel or pitchfork to help with building new beds and preparing the garden’s 75-foot production bed. Other volunteers will be asked to assist with spring plating and building infrastructure (benches and compost sifters).

For more information about the Garden School Foundation, visit its website or contact Nat Zappia for more information about the organization, its work at the 24th Street School, or how to volunteer time or donate to their efforts.

The Garden School Foundation has announced that it will hold a workday on Saturday, February 27th, at the 24th Street School (2055 West 24th Street, in Los Angeles). If you’re interested in contributing to the school’s efforts to develop its garden and are available between 9:00am and noon, please contact Nat Zappia, the GSF Director, at nat [at] gardenschoolfoundation [dot] org.

Volunteers should bring garden gloves, water, sunscreen, and a shovel or pitchfork to help with building new beds and preparing the garden’s 75-foot production bed. Other volunteers will be asked to assist with spring plating and building infrastructure (benches and compost sifters).

For more information about the Garden School Foundation, visit its website or contact Nat Zappia for more information about the organization, its work at the 24th Street School, or how to volunteer time or donate to their efforts.

For those who do not keep up with Food Forward via Twitter, Facebook, or email, please note the following February events at which you can learn more about the organization or offer your time and services:

Thursday, February 4, 2010, 7:00 pm until 8:30 pm
Food Forward’s 3rd Volunteer Meet N’ Greet for all new, current, or interested volunteers
SOVA 16439 Vanowen St., Van Nuys, CA 91406. (behind the Alta Dena store)

Saturday, Feburary 6, 2010, 10:30 am until 12:30pm
San Fernando Valley Pick Citrus Pick
Where: To be determined
Spots available: 6

Sunday, February 7, 2010, 10:30 am until 12:30pm
“Fruit Bowl Pick” in Granada Hills
Spots available: 8
Details: Start your Super Bowl Sunday off right with the “Fruit Bowl” Pick, (4) Trees, Family friendly

Sunday, February 14, 2010, 10:30 am until 12:30pm
“Love Pick” – Calling all who are in love or looking for love (singles, couples and lovebirds welcome) – come find love in the orange grove…
Where: Franklin Canyon Orange Grove (off of Coldwater Canyon)
Spots available: 40
Details: Multiple Trees

Sunday, February 21, 2010
“Big Pick #4″
Morning Session 9 am – 12 noon
Pot Luck Lunch 12 noon – 1 pm
Afternoon Session 1 pm – 4 pm
Where: Chatsworth
Spots available: 30 in the morning, 10 in the afternoon
Details: Beautiful private estate with Multiple Trees, Pot Luck Lunch

Sunday, February 28, 2010, 10:30 am until 12:30pm
Event: San Fernando Valley Pick Citrus Pick
Where: To be determined
Spots available: 6

If you wish to attend any of these gatherings or workdays, please RSVP to Carl Buratti (carl [at] foodforward [dot] org) with the following information:
1) Date of pick requested
2) Total number of spots requested and name(s) of pickers (please include ages of children if they are under 18)
3) Your email address
4) Cell phone number that you can be reached at on the day of the pick

Or… if you have trees heavy with fruit and would like to donate it to those in need, please contact Erica (erica [at] foodforward [dot] org) or visit Food Forward’s donation page on their website. It is through the generosity of those with fruit to share that Food Forward is able to do the good work it does.

In many neighborhoods across the country–including several in Los Angeles–access to fresh fruits and vegetables is nearly nonexistent while junk foods abound. This Center Scene program goes behind the scenes of America’s food system with a screening of the documentary Food, Inc. and explores how South Los Angeles youth are bringing healthy options to their community.

When: Tuesday, November 17, 2009 beginning at 6:00pm
Where: The California Endowment’s Center for Healthy Communities, 1000 North Alameda Street in Los Angeles
Cost: Admission and parking are free, but a reservation is required and the use of public transportation is encouraged. (The California Endowment is within walking distance–1 and a half blocks–of Union Station.)

In addition to seeing Food, Inc., you’ll also hear how the South L.A. Healthy Eating, Active Communities initiative and Public Matters engage young people, and you’ll learn how to convert corner stores into sources of healthy foods using the online toolkit at MarketMakeovers.org. The program will begin with a short panel discussion about market makeovers featuring youth from South Los Angeles HEAC. The film screening and a networking reception will follow.

On Tuesday, July 21, 2009, the GSF is hosting a fundraiser at the Peter Fetterman Gallery in Bergamot Station to benefit the Children’s Kitchen Garden at the 24th Street Elementary School. The reception runs from 6:30pm until 9:00pm. At 7:30pm attendees are invited to participate in a talk about the work of photographer Sebastião Salgado, whose striking images of Africa are currently on display at the gallery. Admission to the event is $35.00 per person; those interested in attending should contact Nat Zappia by email or by phone at 310.699.2902 (extension 23).

Throughout the month of July, Pourtal wine tasting bar is donating a portion of its Enomatic wine sales during its afternoon happy hour to the GSF. From Monday through Friday, 4:00pm until 6:00pm, a portion of Pourtal’s proceeds will benefit the Foundation’s work. Pourtal is located at 104 Santa Monica Boulevard in Santa Monica.

For more information about the Foundation and volunteer opportunities, visit the GSF website.

Picking volunteers needed:
Wednesday, July 15 at 5:30pm in West Hills
Sunday, July 19 at 10:00am in North Hills
Wednesday, July 22 at 5:30pm in Winnetka
Sunday, July 26 at 10:00am (location to be determined)

Food Forward also has other volunteer opportunities that are less physical but just as important as participating in their picks. Rick says they are looking for people with good follow-through skills to help with:
++ Outreach to school and faith based groups
++ Outreach to local corporations and non-profit organizations for group picks
++ Site checks (to pre-screen properties with a short personal visit and fruit tasting)
++ Website maintenance (solid HTML/Dream Weaver experience essential)

If you have a few hours to spare, would like to help Food Forward, and have good phone/email skills, please let Rick know. Thanks to the great reception Food Forward has received, Rick and his core group of volunteers are super busy.
Rick can be reached at:
818.530.4125 (messages)
310.666.8687 (cell phone)
Via the Food Forward website
On Twitter: @foodforwardla
And on the Facebook group: Food Forward

J. Delila Vallot
Black Equities Group
Email: delila@blackequitiesgroup.com
or phone: 310.278.5833