2009 FARM to FORK SUMMIT:

Working Issue Teams

Youth and Social Networking

WORKING ISSUE TEAMS: Community Gardens 2009 FARM to FORK SUMMIT

WIT: Youth and Social Marketing

Putting youth at the forefront of community

outreach & education of statewide, local and

sustainable food efforts through education,

training, and empowerment

WORKING ISSUE TEAMS: Community Gardens 2009 FARM to FORK SUMMIT

WIT Committee

• Shorlette Ammons-Stephens, Wayne County Public Library, Wayne Food Initiative

• David Hamilton, The Real Food Challenge

• Sally Lee, RAFI, co- founder of FLO Food at UNC–Chapel Hill

• Rob Jones, Crop Mob

• David Jones, Ag Extension, LYFE

• Karlie Justus, NCDA & CS

• Kavanah Ramsier, SEEDs

• Justin Robinson, The Carolina Chocolate Drops

• Chris Rumbley, Bountiful Backyards and Good Work

• Rachel Smith, NC DENR, Environmental Ed

• Tahz Walker, Stone House Center and SEEDS

• Hillary Wilson, Maverick Farm, BLAST cadre

WORKING ISSUE TEAMS: Community Gardens 2009 FARM to FORK SUMMIT

Youth and Social

Networking: the status in

North Carolina

• Durham Inner-city Gardeners (DIG) at SEEDS empowers teens

by teaching organic gardening, sound business practices, healthy

food choices, and food security values.

• Fair Local Organic (FLO) Foods is a UNC-CH student

organization providing more sustainable food in on-campus dining.

• Linking Youth and Farm Enterprise (LYFE) is a NCA&TSU program that

supports interest in farming endeavors by linking youth with mentor growers.

• Real Food: The Southeast Youth Food Activist Summit

(SYFAS) focuses on building campus coalitions by sharing

strategies to create solutions to food challenges through activism,

research and education.

WORKING ISSUE TEAMS: Community Gardens 2009 FARM to FORK SUMMIT

Youth: Opportunity

• carry movement forward through future leadership

• understand social networking and know how to mobilize groups

• collaborations between food and social activists

• image shift of farmers and farming

• creativity and out of box thinking

• intergenerational connections

• cross-cultural potential

WORKING ISSUE TEAMS: Community Gardens 2009 FARM to FORK SUMMIT

Youth: Challenges

• farming not cool

• farming not seen / is not viable career option

• local food movement very homogeneous

WORKING ISSUE TEAMS: Community Gardens 2009 FARM to FORK SUMMIT

Youth: Benefits

• creating a generation of future leaders

• changing systemic patterns of the way food is produced, consumed and appreciated

• new career options

• for young people

WORKING ISSUE TEAMS: Community Gardens 2009 FARM to FORK SUMMIT

Ideas generated at WIT meetings

• Music and Art statewide celebrations

• YouTube promo and skill-share

campaign

• Emphasis on toolbox ideas…

WORKING ISSUE TEAMS: Community Gardens 2009 FARM to FORK SUMMIT

Game Changer

• NC Food Corp

• 15-25 year olds – high school to young adult

• training in food & food systems, leadership and diversity

• train-the-trainer & pass-it-forward structure, building a network

• intergenerational and career mentor component

WORKING ISSUE TEAMS: Community Gardens 2009 FARM to FORK SUMMIT

Game Changer rationale

• School to farm and programming for younger children is strong & growing in NC, so we need a bridge from childhood to young adulthood

• Models such as Americorp provide a familiar and attractive concept for public engagement for Youth Leadership

• Models specifically in Su Ag and Food Justice Youth Leadership through programs like BLAST of The Food Project have been highly successful

• Major foundations and organizations have recognized the necessity of focusing on youth leadership in order to really make change

WORKING ISSUE TEAMS: Community Gardens 2009 FARM to FORK SUMMIT

Game Changer implementation

• Gather youth and youth leaders to design a pilot program…

• Involve the pilot cadre youth themselves in designing a long-term plan and

structure…

(Just beginning ideas)

WORKING ISSUE TEAMS: Community Gardens 2009 FARM to FORK SUMMIT

Local Tool Box ideas

• How To Food System senior project kit (mentor lists, project ideas, linkage of projects to careers and business development ideas)

• How To for groups wanting to “do something green”

• Youth Recruitment and Outreach tools (for example, groups to connect with and guides to creating multi-age project guides)

• Mapping of all Children and Youth food system projects across NC (linked with Ag tourism map)