What does growing vegetables have to do with economic security? According to community leaders Kirtrina Baxter of Southside Community Center and Dave Gell of the Black Locust Initiative, teaching young people how to garden is one of the surest ways to build both self-reliance and the entrepreneurial spirit so necessary to creating a resilient and thriving local economy. Sustainable Tompkins could not agree more, which is why Baxter’s Youth Farm Project and Gell’s Trumansburg Middle School Root Cellar were recent recipients of awards from their Neighborhood Mini-Grants Program.
Sustainable Tompkins is eager to support more projects like these and is calling on local citizens and grassroots groups to submit their applications by September 1 for the next round of funding. Over the last two years, the donor-supported program has distributed $14,455 to 35 projects with a goal of encouraging local self-reliance, strengthening neighborhood connections, and promoting long-term community well-being. Read the rest of this entry »
