Posts tagged with ‘video’

Going to Market: a Hudson Valley Harvest

Gleanings from the Valley

October 14, 2010 by Sara Grady

The benefits of public markets have been widely acknowledged: markets are social, they create community, they are “our neighborhoods’ original civic centers.”

Food markets also educate: the market is where urban meets rural, where city dwellers learn about farms. Going to market is an introduction to the surrounding region. The collection of regional products at a market represents that region’s nature and culture – the food tells us about the land, climate, and water; and the products made from that food tell us about the people and the history of the place.

For all these reasons, Glynwood has collaborated with New Amsterdam Market in New York City to host “Hudson Valley Harvest” at the market on October 24.

New Amsterdam Market, photo by William Coupon.

This special gathering of artisans, producers, and food advocates from throughout the Hudson Valley will celebrate the bounty and the beauty of the region.

READ MORE

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Be Sociable, Share!

 

The Hudson Valley’s Working Lands: Part of America’s Great Outdoors

Gleanings from the Valley, Notes from Glynwood’s President

August 22, 2010 by Judith LaBelle

It’s not often that the Secretary of the USDA comes to the Hudson Valley to hear about our efforts to save farming and to see our region’s farms. In fact, prior to Secretary Vilsack’s recent visit, no one could remember the last time the head of the USDA was actually here.

Glynwood President Judy LaBelle answering questions from USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, in a listening session for America's Great Outdoors.


So the Secretary’s presence here on August 6th, as part of a “listening tour” for President Obama’s America’s Great Outdoors Initiative, was an unusual opportunity for us to make the case for the importance of the Hudson Valley’s farms and working landscapes.

This Initiative was created by the President to develop a conservation and recreation agenda for the 21st century.  He recognized that in some parts of the country, conserving the “great outdoors” requires the conservation of working farms and forests as well.

It was very significant that the USDA, rather than one of the many other agencies involved, was leading the delegation to the Hudson Valley. It signaled the importance of the working lands in this region and the farmers who maintain them, in particular to the Valley’s economy and quality of life.

READ MORE

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Be Sociable, Share!

 

The Food and Climate Connection

Beyond the Valley, Glynwood Institute

July 23, 2010 by Sara Grady

Prior to joining Glynwood’s staff this year, I directed and co-produced a video with WhyHunger titled “The Food and Climate Connection: From Heating the Planet to Healing It.” Featuring interviews with farmers, community leaders, and sustainability advocates, the video highlights how the industrial food system is among the greatest contributors to global warming and how sustainable farming practices can pose a powerful solution to the crisis.

“We cannot address climate change without addressing the food system” says Christina Schiavoni, Director of the Global Movements Program at WhyHunger.

Anna Lappé, author of Diet for a Hot Planet and also one of the Glynwood Institute’s first Innovators, is featured in the film. “Industrial crop and livestock production is wreaking havoc on our planet and our health,” says Anna. “But the good news is sustainable farming methods can help cool the planet, foster food system resiliency, and promote biodiversity and healthy eating—all at the same time.”

READ MORE

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Be Sociable, Share!

 

Slow Money… to make the world go ’round

Notes from Glynwood’s President

June 10, 2010 by Judith LaBelle

“Money makes the world go around…”  You may remember Joel Gray’s cynical rendition of this line in Cabaret. Or it may just be a trueism you have heard along the way.

In any event, we need more in the sustainable food and farming movement!  To support entrepreneurs who have a great idea for a new value-added product, or to make it possible for a local organization to recreate a needed piece of infrastructure, or you name it.

Today and tomorrow I will be attending Slow Money’s National Gathering at Shelburne Farm in Vermont to learn more about this emerging movement and the support it may provide for the sustainable food and farming movement.  The basic idea behind Slow Money is to create a cadre of investors who are not focused on immediate, quarterly returns, but are willing to invest in socially oriented enterprises for smaller returns over the longer term.

Bill McKibben, Joel Salatin, Gary Hirshberg, Eliot Coleman, and Erika Allen will be here, in addition to investors and entrepreneurs from around the country.  Should be an interesting two days.  Stay tuned!

Judith LaBelle is the President of Glynwood. She will be posting more comments about the conference after it concludes – in the meantime, enjoy this video from the folks at Slow Money:



Tags: , , , , , , ,

Be Sociable, Share!

 

The Modular Harvest System: Meeting the Needs of Small Farmers and Communities

Notes from Glynwood’s President

May 26, 2010 by Judith LaBelle

Glynwood has just announced the launch of the first USDA inspected mobile slaughterhouse for large animals east of New Mexico.  The Modular Harvest System™ (MHS) addresses a critical gap in the infrastructure needed by livestock producers in the Hudson Valley, a region with many dispersed smaller farms near a major metropolitan market, and provides a model for other similar regions.

Cattle and sheep grazing in the Hudson Valley.

The need for additional slaughtering capacity had been recognized – and studied – for several years.   In late 2008, Glynwood created a task force to address this need.  (To hear the need described by farmers, chefs and others, please take a look at a video we produced early in this project.)

Having the MHS, a “next generation” modular mobile unit, in operation on its first docking site in Delaware County about 18 months later represents a major accomplishment, achieved with the support, assistance and encouragement of the members of the task force and a great many other people from across the Valley.

But why did Glynwood think it was so important to grasp the nettle on this issue — and believe me, that nettle had some very sharp points along the way!

READ MORE

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Be Sociable, Share!

 

Glynwood: Because Farming, Food, and Community Matter

Fresh from Our Farm, Gleanings from the Valley, Keep Farming

May 20, 2010 by Sara Grady

Last year, we created a video about our mission to save farming. We were honored to have the  participation of so many leaders in our local system (see the full list of interviewees after the jump).

Since its completion, the video has been  touring with the Wild & Scenic Film Festival, and has played in venues across the country, including California, West Virginia, Indiana,  Massachusetts, Utah, Wisconsin – and of course, here at Glynwood.

Please watch and share it widely:

READ MORE

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Be Sociable, Share!