Inspired

I heard Will Allen speak at First Unitarian Church...talk about being inspired.
He started Growing Power He is a farmer who started out by hiring teens from Milwaukee to help him farm. Now they are a national organization.

Here are a few things I remember from his talk:
The key is soil. If you don't have good soil you can't grow anything. And we have lost soil ( to erosion) and polluted soil with chemicals..so they make compost...a LOT of compost. He has worked out deals with grocery stores around Milwaukee to get any produce they are going to throw out. They use the compost in gardens..and sell it.

Make use of what you have...for instance...they vermipost ( use worms to compost)...and the compost piles get really hot (150') so they put compost piles in the green houses to heat them in the winter ( they also put compost along the outside walls.) They don't need any additional heat all winter.

Access to healthy food is important. They have been experimently with ways to grow food all year round ( even in WI winters). In their green houses..they grow things on 7 different levels..so no space is wasted.

They have expanded into raising fish, chickens and bees. And even as he expands he has continued to hire and train young people.

This is truly a hero story..one person making an incredible difference in many, many lives. Check them out at Growing Power Sice their headquarters is in Milwaukee..we plan to take the kids and go for a visit.