newsletter 2012 february

8/2/2019 Newsletter 2012 February

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Sankofa HEAL Project – Working Youth in our Community

Since November 2011, Sankofa CDC has beenworking with students from KIPP Renaissance High Schoolat Frederick Douglass on the Sankofa Health, Education,Agriculture, and Leadership Project (HEAL). The KIPP

Renaissance students participating in the HEAL Projecthave been working in the Frederick Douglass Garden,growing and harvesting vegetables, herbs, and cut flowers.This school-based community garden, located at Paulineand North Rampart Streets, is an outdoor classroom throughwhich students learn heart health and nutrition education,leadership, financial literacy, and gardening. Funding for theproject is provided by Astrazeneca HealthCare Connectionsfor Cardiovascular Health Foundation and the Wisner Foundation of New Orleans. This funding supportsnecessary staffing, gardening, and educational resourceswhich are vital to the outreach, success, and longevity of theprogram.

The nutrition component of the HEAL Project is ledby Bertina McGhee, a registered dietician and the LSU AgCenter Orleans Parish Chair & Extension Agent for Nutrition.McGhee teaches weekly nutrition workshops to better informthe KIPP Renaissance students about the benefits of eating

well and staying active. The leadership enrichment portioof the program consists of meetings with Casey Versaillesthe Orleans Parish 4-H Youth Development AgenVersailles provides the students with leadership skills anexperiences that they will be able to incorporate into thefuture professional lives to assist them with achieving thegoals. Students are also provided with opportunities to travethroughout Louisiana and other states to attend variouleadership conferences, including a trip to Washington DC!

The KIPP Renaissance students currently work ithe Douglass Garden with Brennan Dougherty, SankofGarden and Farm Manager. They learn various horticulturtechniques and reap the benefits of their hard work bselling the harvested crops at the Sankofa Farmers MarkeDaughters of Charity at St Cecelia’s is also partnering witSankofa CDC on this project to provide education about risfactors for diet-related illnesses and cardiovascular healtscreenings. The students will help to coordinate anparticipate in two community health fairs in the DouglasGarden at the end of their school semester term.

During the month of February, the KIPRenaissance students will conduct demonstrations wit

February 201

Planting Seeds for Healthy Communities

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Sankofa News Issue 04

The Bird

Inside this Issue:

Sankofa HEAL Project p.1

Supporting Urban Agriculture p.2

Sankofa Urban Farm Project p.2

Staff Top Market Picks p.3

Culinary Corner p.3

Q & A: Spring Garden p.3

Semester of Service p.4



Sankofa HEAL ProjectCONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

fresh fruits and vegetables at the Saturday MarkThey will also have the opportunity to shainformation about the benefits of eating fresh produwith marketgoers. The students are very excited abthe current activities and future programs within HEAL Project. Students have taken ownership and adeveloping a sense of pride in their garden. Pleastop by, grab a shovel, and learn a few gardening sk

at Community Garden Day, held every 1st Saturdaythe month. We hope to see you there!

Students from KIPP Renaissance High School at Frederick

Douglass enthusiastically work in the garden every week.

Supporting Urban Agriculture (SUA) is a regular at the Sankofa Farmers

Market, selling a variety of fresh herbs and hot sauces. Supporting Urban Agriculture at the

Sankofa Farmers Market

Many Sankofa Farmers

Market customers are familiar with the Supporting Urban Agriculture (SUA) vendor booth,which usually boasts a varietyof specialty produce and freshherb bouquets. Founder of SUAand nascent grower, JamalElhayek, started out in May2011 selling produce and herbsgrown in urban gardensthroughout the city at theSankofa Farmers Market. He isinvolved in all aspects of food,

from cooking, to natural grocer,and most recently, New Orleansmarket vendor and gardener.“The mission of the SupportingUrban Agriculture is to build andsupport a network of gardensand farms in New Orleans,”says Elhayek. “We want tocollectively strengthen localfood security and accessthrough sustainable growing,buying, and selling practicewhich improve economic,environmental, and publichealth outcomes in our affectedcommunities.”

The idea for a collectivegroup of growers and foodadvocates stemmed fromdiscussions in a food justicecourse formally offered by GiaHamilton at the Gris Gris Lab.SUA is in part inspired by thepopular Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) model inwhich farmers sell seasonalshares of the harvest in the

form of weekly boxes to

customers. This system

ensures that farmers are able tosell what they produce andshare their personal stories withthe customer, thus fosteringcommunity support and a morethorough understanding of localand sustainable foodproduction. The SUA groupsought to create a communitysupported food system with aneye towards equal access andurban growers in the city of New Orleans.

SUA is currently agroup of five urban growerswho are marketing their products together in order tostrengthen their retailopportunities and sustain their gardens. Contributinggardeners include RamonaWallis, Jeanette Bell, PamelaBroom, Philip Soulet, and JamalElhayek, whose gardens arelocated in Central City andGentilly. The group hasrecently starting selling torestaurants and the NewOrleans Food Co-op, in additionto offering weekly boxes andattending the Sankofa FarmersMarket. Future plans includeincreased production andexpansion of the variety andquantity of food for the member boxes and Market table. Visitthe SUA table at the Market for more information about thisburgeoning effort to build amore sustainable and just food

system in our City.

Sankofa Urban Farm Project

is in Development

The Sankofa Urban Farm project is beginnbeautifully this spring. For the past month, SankoCDC has been working with Russell Harris, LSU Center Orleans Parish extension/county agent, aEdwin Marty, executive director of Hampstead Instit(former director of Jones Valley Urban Farms). Haand Marty are both assisting us with the developmeof a solid sustainable design for our first 'farm' at 27 Claude Ct. in the Lower 9th Ward. We recently tourvarious agriculture sites in Louisiana and reviewfarm models with Harris. He is aiding in tdevelopment of the irrigation system and infrastructufor the farm. Marty provides support with concept

development and planning for the overall projeDuring the past few weeks, Sankofa CDC stmembers have been meeting with local fenccompanies, plumbers, irrigation specialists, and sproviders. Things are moving rapidly! Before we knit, it will be time to till the soil and lay the planting bed

Although our winter is not yet over (do notthis warm weather fool you!), we will be ready to hit tground running by the end of this month with nplants in the ground. Keep an eye out for the progreof this project as we work to create a healthy fosource, beautiful community space, and futuemployment opportunities for young adults in the NinWard in the coming months.



Culinary Corner Recipes for your culinary needs!

Blood Orange Spritzers

A great, nutritious beverage toenjoy during carnival season!

Ingredients: - 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves

- Ice

- 2 cups blood orange juice

- 2 cups sparkling mineral water - 1 1/4 cups cranberry juice

- 8 sugar cubes

-blood orange slices

- mint sprigs

Directions: In a pitcher, crush the 1/2 cupmint leaves with the back of aspoon. Add ice, orange juice,mineral water, and cranberry juice. Place a sugar cube,orange slice, and mint sprig ineach of 8 glasses. Dividemixture evenly. Serveimmediately. Makes 8.

For a bubbly version, substitutecranberry juice for sparklingcider!

Courtesy of CountryHome.com

Q&A: Spring Garden PreparationQ: What can I do to get ready to plant a spring garden?

Here in New Orleans we have the luxury of a nearly12 month growing season! Therefore, when we talk aboutthe spring, we're talking about finally getting our tomatoes,peppers, and other favorites back into the ground. Due to anextremely warm winter, some of these plants have thrived inunpredictable ways! However, the experienced farmerswarn that we may still have a cold snap coming, so its bestto always be prepared. Get ready to cover existing plants if temperatures drop below 40 degrees at night. Also, makesure plants have been well watered by midday; this will helpthem handle the stress of a hard cold.

In preparing for spring, it is important to remember that the most important piece in the system of growing agarden is soil. Poor growing soil will affect plants

immediately. Compost and other amendments are simple,organic ways to give nutrition to soil that may not be as aliveas your garden needs. A consistent application of 4 inchesof composting before any new plantings is a good rule ofthumb. The LSU Ag Center has some great onlineresources for planting seasons in Louisiana. They alsoprovide incredible extension agents who are capable ofadvising gardeners on techniques to better their soil. Manyhardware and garden stores also carry home tests for soil.So, thoroughly prepare your soil and get ready to plant! Ourrecommendation: give back and you shall receive bountifullyin return!

Staff Top Market Picks

This month, we challenged three more Sankofa CDC staff members to pick just oneem from the Sankofa Farmers Market that they just couldn’t live without! As the end of he winter season looms closer, our staff members can’t get enough of theseeliciously fresh products while they’re still in season at the Market! Don’t just take our

word for it! Hurry and stop by for a taste of these products before they’re gone!

Quella’s Pick:

Satsumas

One of my favorite things athe Sankofa Farmers Marketare satsumas. They are aitrus fruit, simliiar to oranges.

The satsumas at the Marketare grown right here inLouisiana. From the first time Iasted a satsuma, I knew that

was something that I musteep in my kitchen. Satsumas

are sweet and usuallyeedless. The skin is loosely

attached to the fruit, making iteasy to peel. My two-year -old

aughter loves them. Shepeels and eats them all by

erself. They are not only

elicious, but are alsobursting with nutrients. As a

ood source of fiber, a singleatsuma can also provideearly half of your daily

allowance of Vitamin C. Iwould recommend everyoneo try satsumas.

Casey’s Pick:

Turnips

My go-to vegetable atthe Market over the pastfew weeks has been theturnip. Turnips are a

starchy vegetable, buthave only one third thecalories of a potato.Turnips are also a greatsource of Vitamins A,B6, C, and E, as well asfolic acid, calcium, andfiber! I’ve found that thebest way to prepareturnips is to chop theminto cubes, steam with alittle bit of water, andadd a couple of pinches

of sugar. Adding thesugar is key! It cuts outall of the bitterness of the turnip. After theturnips have beensteamed, sprinkle withsalt and enjoy!

Brianna’s Pick:

Broccoli

I absolutely love broccoli –always have, always will. Itwasn’t until recently when Itried broccoli from the

Market that I realized howmuch flavor I had beenmissing out on. Broccolifrom a grocery store justdoesn’t do it justice! Asidefrom the great taste, broccoliis an excellent source of Vitamins C and K, so it helpskeep bones, joints, and skinstrong. In my opinion, thebest way to prepare broccoliis by roasting it. On a bakingsheet, toss broccoli with

olive oil, salt, pepper, and 2sliced garlic cloves. Roast inthe oven at 425 degrees for 20 minutes and then tosswith lemon zest, lemon juice,and freshly shredded or grated parmesan cheese.Delicious!



Second Saturday at the Sankofa Farmers Market

Saturday, February 11th- 10am - 2pm

Veggie Power Dollars Program

Live Music from House of Cards (11am-1pm)Children’s Market Scavenger HuntDental Screenings from Just Kids DentalBlood Pressure and Glucose Screenings with Tulane Community Clinic at Covenant HouseCooking Demonstration with LSU Ag Center nutritionist Emelia Clement

3401 St. Claude Avenue, Suite 2A, New Orleans, LA 70117 | 504-872-9214 | sankofacdcnola.org

Semester of Service: Notes from a Tulane Volunteer

Community Garden Day at the Frederick Douglass Garden

at KIPP Renaissance High School Saturday, February 4th- 10am - 3pm

Upcoming Events

It is common knowledge these daysthat for a garden to flourish it needs the proper soil. This past year, my colleagues from theHillel Group at Tulane University were readyto develop their community engagement andsustainable lifestyles but just needed theproper place to foster it. We found thatnutrient-filled ‘proper soil’ with the Sankofa

CDC team, and have experienced nothing buta positive relationship with them this pastsemester. We were enchanted by the cheeryatmosphere of the Sankofa Farmers Marketand the fresh aroma of the Frederick DouglassGarden at KIPP Renaissance High School.

We are excited to build on our partnership with Sankofa CDC and to pursueour own projects in the future, from building to composting to fundraising. This pastsemester, we feel that we have already accomplished quite a lot. We have designed acomposting system at the University and have carried out an astonishingly successfulfundraiser. We cleared the space at the Sankofa Urban Farm at 27 St Claude Ct,helped prepare the soil for the mini-farm, aided in designing a new herb garden space,represented Sankofa CDC in a community health fair, and assisted at the Market.

There is quite the enthusiasm about joining our group from other students atthe University. Our team continues to grow, and many have joined us in our efforts. Allof the volunteers who have donated their time and hard work have enjoyed themselvesand are eager to return. It is refreshing to see the amount of interest in the Garden andFarm. We are looking forward to further enlightenment this upcoming semester!

Community Garden Day at the Douglass Garden, 3820 Rampart Street. Open to the

public for all ages! Bring your working clothes and help out or simply stop by and enjoythe growing plants! Stop by before or after you visit the Market!

Fruits · Vegetables · Seafood · Milk ·

Tofu · Bread · Herbs · Eggs ·

Baked Goods ·Barbeque· Prepared Foods

3500 St. Claude Ave

E VERY S ATURDAY 10 AM-2PM

sankofafarmersmarket.org

Ophir, of the Hillell Group at Tulane

University, with Stephen and Lanea in the

Douglass Garden.

Sankofa HEAL Project Press Conference at the Frederick

Douglass Garden at KIPP Renaissance High School

Thursday, February 16th- 12pm - 2pm Join us for a press/awareness event at the Douglass Garden at KIPP Renaissance HighSchool, 3820 Rampart Street. This meet-and-greet will feature AstraZeneca Foundationspokespersons, organization stakeholders, and a cooking demonstration by the students.

HEAL Project Cooking Demo at the Sankofa Farmers Market

Saturday, February 18th- 10am - 2pm

The students participating in the Sankofa HEAL Project from KIPP Renaissance HighSchool at Frederick Douglass will be conducting their very first cooking demo at theMarket!

Publisher: Rashida Ferdinand

Editor and Designer:Brianna Nowlin

Writers: Megan Burns, Casey

Derbes, Brennan Dougherty,Ophir Haberer, CharquelleMorgan, Brianna Nowlin, BonnieRuyle

Contributors: Angele James,

Tasha Jones Steele

newsletter 2012 february

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