For those of you in the Piedmont area, you probably have eaten some fantastic cheese from the Chapel Hill Creamery. Women-owned, this wonderful small dairy farm also specializes in farmstead cheesemaking.

Unlike some larger, industrial dairy plans, Chapel Hill Creamery is completely transparent, allowing visitors to learn about how the animals are cared for and how the cheese is made.

Using Jersey cows for the quality of their milk, the cows are pregnant for 9 months, then rest for 3 months. They are pasture-raised, using an intensive rotational grazing system. The attention placed on the land, the animal, and the food production makes for a sustainable cycle.

This process ensures happier cows and happier people (eating the happier cheese).

Strawberry Granola bar...amazing.

Started in 2009, Boxcarr Farms, this family farm is a true example of biodiversity. On over 30 acres, Boxcarr takes care in ensuring a diversity of seeds and crops, growing many heirloom varieties.

The heirloom varieties also extends to their diverse flock of animals, including heritage chickens and pigs.

Honeybees and goats share the beautiful land, all fed with natural feed without antibiotics or hormones.

Their mobile food truck has some amazing food – from fresh sandwiches to the most amazing strawberry granola bar, this food truck is so worth the stop.

Jack and Sandy Pleasant consider themselves the stewards of the 260 acres that have been in Jack’s family for 200 years. Without any experience in livestock, Jack read some how-to books, and started The Sunset Ridge Buffalo Farm on his family’s land.

With 120 buffalo, Sunset Ridge has the second largest bison herd in the state. The bison are pasture raised, and are never treated with antibiotics or growth hormones.

The Farm gives tours and is completely transparent it how they raise and slaughter the bison. They take particular care of how to keep the land pristine through animal husbandry and sustainable practices.

For those who eat red meat, the Farm also provides a lot of information on the nutritional benefits of bison as well as recipes. They also are present in the area’s local farmer’s market – a true example of how the farm, the land, the animal, and the community can be connected to each other through the centuries.

In addition to promoting creativity and language acquisition, Mmofra encourages children to learn about sustainability and nutrition through its living classroom in its organic urban garden. Owned and managed by one of the city’s most successful urban gardens, this classroom gets kids to learn about healthy eating and caring for the earth in the heart of the city.

Source: Mmofra Foundation

Source: rectorani.ru

From learning how to use organic vegetables from the garden to making cakes, children get to experience nutrition and healthy foods…while their parents can relax with a cup of tea and watch (and get their food served!)

The attention placed on fresh ingredients, culture, and cooking techniques not only enhances children’s understanding of the world, but also their social skills and enjoyment of food.

Source: Culture Kitchen

NPR did a great piece on them not too long ago. What a great way to honor tradition, share culture, and raise not just tolerance, but friendship.

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Source: Tsyunhehkwa

Tsyunhehkwa, which loosely translates into “life sustenance” in the Oneida language, is the Nation’s community, cultural, and agricultural program. Located on 83-acres, its farm is a certified organic farm focuses on caring for its White Corn and the Three Sisters (Corn, Beans, and Squash). The farm also has an organic herb gardening, solar greenhouse, and grass-fed cattle and battle on over 25 acres of pastures. With its community workshops on topics from berry workshops to holistic health, there is also a pick-your-own orchard, farmer’s market.

Focusing on self-sustainability and food security, the Tsyunhehkwa Cannery also offers assistance and support to process and preserve traditional foods, including its organic heirloom white corn. Its youth programs shares not only knowledge about preservation, but also nutrition and cooking. Check out this great work.

Source: hellgatereview.org

GreenHouse seeks to change this by providing inmates with hands-on experience “designing, installing, and maintaining” the 2 1/2 acres of multi-use gardens, greenhouse, and gardening classrooms. About 125 inmates participate each year, gaining remedial and vocational training, such as woodworking. After graduating, some join the “GreenTeam,” an internship program that sends that to places through New York City to maintain gardens.

Does it work? Well, according to Greenhouse, not only do some find permanent positions, but the recidivism rate is under 10%, whereas it is typically 65% there. Go gardens!

Based in Arkansas, Oaxaca Streetchildren Grassroots, it works with families to provide meals and medical care to the children most in need. At its inception, the organization focused on the  Triquis community, one of the poorest indigenous groups in the country. It now works with all children based o need. It also works with its sister organization, el Centro de Esperanza Infantil, which works with children to seek education. Check this organization’s work – they are always seeking volunteers – and sign up for their Facebook or YouTube.

Source: http://www.us-passport-service-guide.com

Or do you?

Source: Summer of Solutions

Summer of Solutions is an organization in Hartford, Connecticut that trains young leaders between the ages of 15 and 30 to work in the community, which faces food injustice for 8 weeks during the summer. The goal is to “create self-sustaining, environmental, social justice, and economic solutions to the problems that plague” their communities.

Now that’s a summer worth talking about. Check them out.