Food Independence Day

Local foods are patriotic, whether you’re buying them from...

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 13:50:00 -0400

Local foods are patriotic, whether you’re buying them from producers in your area or growing some of your own. They’re good for our local farmers, our economies, our health, and that of the planet. Best of all, they taste great because they’re fresh from the soil.

We’re asking our nation’s first families not only to lead by example but to eat by example by sourcing their meals as locally, deliciously, and sustainably as possible.

Here’s what you can do:

Sign our petition below or on Facebook
Contact your state’s first family and ask them to source their meals locally
Inspire them and others by adding a locavore marker (click “add”) to the map
If you’re a kid and growing some local food of your own, share your story with others through the “Why I’m a Victory Grower” video contest.

Video

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 13:43:00 -0400

“Why I’m a Victory Grower” video contest

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 11:32:00 -0400

Attention Kids!
Get Involved: Submit Your “Why I’m a Victory Grower” Vision Video

Do you love growing food in your garden? Maybe your dream is to become a farmer and spend your days outside in the field? Do you hope to one day feed others with the food you grow? That makes you a Victory Grower, one of hundreds of thousands of kids who realize growing your own food is fun, healthy and patriotic. Please join in on telling us “Why I’m a Victory Grower” and submit your “vision video” on as part of Food Independence Day!

To participate and receive a free one-year membership and a packet of seeds from Seed Savers Exchange, log on to TEL•A•VISION (www.telavision.tv) to access the free tools that will help you easily create a vision video.

Tell us why you’re a Victory Grower and how that affects who you want to be and what you want to do in the future. Maybe you really just like playing in the dirt, but deep down, gardening, farming or otherwise raising good food supports the American economy, preserves natural resources and can help stamp out hunger.

The top five videos will be shown at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) Food and Society Fellows Conference in Washington, D.C. on September 9-11.
FoodIndependenceDay.org’s “Why I’m a Victory Grower” Project Details

* Tell us “Why I’m a Victory Grower” and submit your “vision video” as part of Food Independence Day! Visit http://www.onetruemedia.com/gallery/food_independence_day?pid=45213 for examples of “Why I’m a Victory Grower” videos other kids across the nation have already created.
* Participating kids will receive a free packet of seeds and one-year membership to Seed Savers Exchange (www.seedsavers.org).
* The top five “Why I’m a Victory Grower” videos as chosen by the Food and Society Fellows will be announced and featured at the (IATP) Food and Society Fellows Conference in Washington, D.C. on September 9-11.
* Deadline for submissions is Sept. 1 at Noon Eastern.

Get Started!

* It is easiest to print out these instructions so you’ll have something to refer back to as you make your video.
* Go to www.telavision.tv and sign up for a free account (you’ll need your parents permission).
* After you’ve signed up, visit the “For Students” section on the TEL•A•VISION Website for helpful tutorials and instructions on creating your video. www.telavision.tv/tutorials
* Click on “Create” to get started.
* To submit an entry for “Why I’m a Victory Grower”, make sure the first slide in your video is the Victory Growers logo. You can get the logo two ways:

1) Right click on the image at the top of this page and select “Save As.” Save it to your desk top as “Victory Growers.jpg” and then upload it to the TEL•A•VISION site.

2) You may also find the logo at

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fasfellows/sets/72157619231574962/

* The second slide should include your first name and last initial.
* Try to use complete sentences describing “Why I’m a Victory Grower” of 6 words or less. Have fun!
* Create a TEL•A•VISION Video of around three minutes or less, matching each sentence with at least one meaningful picture related to the words. Take photos of your garden, the fresh vegetables on your dinner plate, the farmers market or community garden, local farms or choose from free images from the Food and Society Fellows flickr site http://www.flickr.com/photos/fasfellows/sets/72157619231574962/
* Add video, effects, music — anything you want to enliven your video.
* Be sure all pictures that are not your own are from the TEL•A•VISION site, flickr page or Creative Commons photos approved for non-commercial use.
* Be sure the music is from the TEL•A•VISION site or that you have the artists rights to use it.
* At the end of your video, list any photographers whose photos were used. The last slide needs to be the TEL•A•VISION logo.

When your vision video is finished do the following:

* From Video/Project Home select “Share and Post Online”.
* At the bottom of the page select “Change My Share Options”.
* On the Share Options page put a check mark in the box for “Allow viewers to remix this project”. This will allow us to download your file if it is selected as one of the top five.
* Click “Save.”
* You will now be back on the Share page. Click “Add to the Gallery.”
* If you haven’t already, create a video title. This is the title for your video that will appear online.
* Keep the “Available Styles” in “Large format.”
* Click the green “Continue” button.
* Under “Category” select “Food Independence Day” and click submit.
* Click “Return to Project.”
* Click “Share and Post Online” and click “Grab Links and Code.”
* Click “Select” for the second select option (the URL), it will become highlighted. Then, copy and paste the code in an email to angie.tagtow@mac.com, along with your full name, address, city, state, zip code, phone number and email address. This information will only be used for your free Seed Savers Exchange membership and seed packet.
* Congratulations! You have now completed your submission. All of these guidelines must be met to qualify as part of the Victory Growers group and receive your free packet of seeds along with the one-year membership to Seed Savers Exchange.
* To see all of the “Why I’m a Victory Grower” videos, click on “Watch” from any of the telavision.tv Web pages and select “Food Independence Day.”

For more information on kids gardening, visit:

http://www.kidsgardening.com/
National Gardening Association Site

http://groups.ucanr.org/victorygrower/
University of California

http://www.jmgkids.us/
4-H Junior Master Gardener Program

http://blogs.cornell.edu/garden/
Cornell Garden-Based Learning

http://www.mastergardenerssandiego.org/schools/schools.php
University of California Master Gardeners – school gardens

ABOUT THE “WHY I’M A VICTORY GROWER” PROJECT

The “Why I’m a Victory Grower” project was created as part of the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy’s (IATP) Food and Society Fellows “Food Independence Day” campaign, in partnership with TEL•A•VISION. The goal of the project is to empower children to cultivate healthy lifestyles by growing and eating fresh, whole foods and directly involves them in the themes of Independence Day, victory and patriotism through growing their own food.

Rekindling the WWI and WWII Victory Garden campaigns to build hope and positive thinking among American families, the project taps the creativity of children nationwide by calling on them to create and share short “vision videos” online about how gardening, raising good food, soil stewardship and preserving natural resources can transform the food system in communities and the world. The “Victory Growers” theme additionally enables kids to explore related, integral themes beyond the garden to cultivate independence through other sustainable lifestyle choices.

ABOUT THE FOOD INDEPENDENCE DAY CAMPAIGN

The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) Food and Society Fellows Food Independence Day campaign (www.FoodIndependenceDay.org) was developed to raise public awareness and media attention to the importance of home gardening and related resources as well as to introduce broader issues of personal health and nutrition, self-reliance, sustainability and independence and how these concepts relate to a good, healthy food system and public health.

ABOUT TEL•A•VISION

TEL•A•VISION, a partnership between George Johnson and Haberman & Associates (www.modernstorytellers.com), a national brand public relations firm, was formed to help create a world that works for all. Its purpose is to counteract negativity by promoting visions of hope and possibility among youth throughout the world. For more information, or to create and share a vision for a better world, visit www.telavision.tv.

ABOUT SEED SAVERS EXCHANGE

Seed Savers Exchange is a nonprofit, member-supported organization that serves its members, and the public, through its charitable mission of safeguarding our food future by saving and sharing the world’s diverse but endangered garden heritage. Founded in 1975, Seed Savers Exchange is the largest non-governmental seed bank in the United States. The 890-acre Heritage Farm is located in Decorah, Iowa, and permanently maintains many thousands of rare and endangered vegetable varieties. The collection includes varieties native to the Americas, plus many more seeds brought to the United States by members’ ancestors who immigrated from the far corners of the world. For more information, visit www.seedsavers.org.

Here’s a short video about the TEL•A•VISION platform.

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 10:32:00 -0400

Here’s a short video about the TEL•A•VISION platform.

Help us spread the word!

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 10:31:00 -0400

It’s possible to add the Food Independence Day map and petition to your website or blog. All you need to do is copy and paste the code where you want it, publish, and you’re good to go.

1) map:

2) petition:

Loading…

3) blog images

4) blog/social network widget:

http://seed.sproutbuilder.com/fACFBbu2FXe1uaFA

5) blog sidebar buttons:

Press Release

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 10:30:00 -0400

DECLARE YOUR FOOD INDEPENDENCE THIS JULY 4!

Petition for Individuals to Eat Locally-Sourced Food Spreads Nationwide

SCARBOROUGH, Maine (June 22, 2009) – This July 4, celebrate the bounty of your local community by declaring your food independence and eating a locally-sourced holiday meal.

That’s the vision of a grassroots group of individuals, passionate about the healthful and economic benefits of local food, who have created “Food Independence Day,” encouraging people to source local and sustainably-produced ingredients for their meals.

To date, more than 5,000 individuals have visited the Food Independence Day Facebook page and/or www.FoodIndependenceDay.org and pledged to eat a meal made with local food on July 4.

Once on the www.FoodIndependenceDay.org site, some participants are also sharing details, photos, menus and locations of their own locally-sourced 4th of July meals at: http://foodindependenceday.org/post/116860097/map.www.FoodIndependenceDay.org site, some participants are also sharing details, photos, menus and locations of their own locally-sourced 4th of July meals at: http://foodindependenceday.org/post/116860097/map.

Petition Also Encourages Governors to Promote Local Foods

The Food Independence Day petition asks the nation’s 50 governors to likewise participate and share their menus on the site.

Located on Facebook at http://apps.facebook.com/causes/petitions/153, the petition asks governors to “Whet our appetites by publishing your planned menu in advance of the holiday. Share your recipes and the names of the local farmers, fisherfolk and food producers whose ingredients you’ll be using.

“As residents of your states and by our signatures below,” the petition continues, “we pledge to join you in this celebration of edible independence by eating healthy and delicious foods from our own local farms, gardens and communities.”

Organizers of Food Independence Day are Kitchen Gardeners International, with support from the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy’s Food and Society Fellows Program and the Mother Nature Network. The initiative follows Kitchen Gardeners International’s campaign, “Eat the View: Replant a White House Victory Garden,” which earlier this year garnered more than 100,000 signatures to successfully petition the Obama administration to plant a garden on the White House South Lawn.

“Food Independence Day brings the spirit of the White House garden effort to a state by state, and even house by house level,” said Roger Doiron, founder of the nonprofit Kitchen Gardeners International and current Fellow with the IATP Food and Society Fellows Program. “We hope to foster enough interest and momentum that our 50 governors and their families will take note and enjoy their July 4 celebrations by feasting on local produce, meats, beverages and desserts from their own states or as nearby as possible. In doing so, we hope they set an example for and encourage their constituents to do the same.”

To view an image of the Statue of Liberty celebrating in her own unique way, click here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/42913695@N00/3641710422/.

About Kitchen Gardeners International

KGI is a nonprofit network of over 10,000 gardeners from 100 countries who are working together to help individuals, families and communities achieve greater levels of food self-reliance through the promotion of kitchen gardening, home-cooking and sustainable local food systems. In doing so, KGI seeks to connect, serve and expand the global community of people who grow some of their own food. www.kitchengardeners.org.

About the IATP Food and Society Fellows Program

The IATP Food and Society Fellows Program provides fellowships to professionals in food and agriculture from across North America, enabling them to use mass media channels to inform and shape the public agenda. The goal of the program is to create sustainable food systems that promote good health, vibrant communities, environmental stewardship, worker justice and accessibility for all. Fellows come from many disciplines—chefs, farmers, nutritionists, activists, public health professionals, fishers, policy experts and academics. www.foodandsocietyfellows.org.

About the Mother Nature Network

The Mother Nature Network is an environmental news and information website that launched in January 2009. Designed to be a one-stop resource on a full range of environmental subjects, they offer original programming, articles, blogs, videos and how-to guides, along with breaking news stories. www.mnn.com