[Sc-aquaponics] Will Allen's 2014 Year End Letter

Mon Dec 29 11:11:49 EST 2014

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           GROWING POWER 2014 HIGHLIGHTS

 Dear Friends,

Dear Friends,

As I write this letter, the year is drawing to a close and our farmers are still harvesting vegetables from the greenhouses. As we head in to the new year, we must continue to build the infrastructure of our farms so that we can continue to eat nutritious food for our health and prosperity year round. As you may know, we are in a local, regional, national and international food crisis. There is not enough good food to feed us. Many factors have contributed to this crisis.

Allow me to convey to you what we at Growing Power think will help us to build a new food system that is just and fair; a food system that will guarantee that we all can have access to high quality food:

1. We must have access to land inside and outside cities to grow healthy sustainable food.

2. We must grow farmers. With the average age of farmers at over 65 years of age, we need new younger farmers, in addition to other food system workers. We must train these new farmers how to grow sustainable food.

3. We need strong leadership. Elder leaders must pass on leadership skills to this next group of young food system leaders.

4. We must create living wage jobs. There are hundreds of jobs that can be created in this industry.

5. We must grow soil. We have contaminated our soil throughout our country and the world. Diverting over 40% of food and animal waste along with carbon out of the landfills, we will be able to grow fertile soil.

6. We must educate the public, our youth, our politicos, corporations, and universities, (i.e. all of us), on the importance of building a strong food system.

7. We must have representation at the national level within the USDA, the primary grant source that serves urban and small farmers. We need advocates in place to assist us in securing more funding in the next farm bill that will help build the good food revolution.

8. We need to continue trainings to grow more aquaculture farmers. We currently work with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, School of Freshwater Sciences in order to produce and share our research.

9. We must continue our focus building the world’s first true vertical farm at Growing Power’s National Headquarters in Milwaukee. Vertical Farms will be necessary to feed an increased population where 75% of the world’s people will live in and around major cities.

10. Climate change will make growing inside controlled environmental spaces a must, i.e. greenhouses and hoop houses. We need to continue building that infrastructure.

We don’t really have a choice. Building the Good Food Revolution must be done the right way. It needs to be sustainable. We must think of future generations. We MUST build a system with social, food and environmental justice principles.

Help Growing Power continue into its twenty-second year: Participate in building a sustainable food system. Please donate generously.

Thank you for your continued support and best wishes for a wonderful New Year!

Attached are Growing Power’s 2014 accomplishments outlined in our 2014 Newsletter<http://growingpower.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d546a816983170925ace74bfb&id=d9a3af4597&e=9e13893a38>. It is with the help of so many generous folks like you that we are able to make an impact in the lives of so many.

Sincerely,

Will Allen
Farmer, Founder & CEO

Growing Power 2014 Board of Directors:
Welford Sanders, President ~ Oliver Plunkett, Treasurer ~  Mathew Cain, Secretary ~  Clyde Mathews ~ Don Richards ~ Ariel Kaufman ~  Larry Adams ~  Don Austin ~ Sharon Adams

2014 HIGHLIGHTS

We have attached our 2013 Highlights newsletter so you can get more information about our programs, and what your donation can help us do. Click the "Highlights" link below.

HIGHLIGHTS<http://growingpower.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d546a816983170925ace74bfb&id=d07320299c&e=9e13893a38>

2015 WORKSHOPS

Our 2015 Commercial Urban Agriculture program and "From the Ground Up!" and Aquaponics Workshops will begin in January. They fill up quickly so sign up now to reserve your spot.

WORKSHOP<http://growingpower.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d546a816983170925ace74bfb&id=16b7852d57&e=9e13893a38>

HELP THE CAUSE

You can help us continue the work of The Good Food Revolution; all it takes is a small donation.

DONATION <http://growingpower.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d546a816983170925ace74bfb&id=7328d67164&e=9e13893a38>

Our mailing address is:
Growing Power
5500 W Silver Spring Dr
Milwaukee, WI 53218

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