EBONY Magazine,  a national publication that boasts to be the “heart” of Black America, selects Charlotte resident and Sow Much Good Executive Director, Robin Emmons, for a feature about helping others in its May 2013 issue which hit stands and online apps today.

EBONY introduces its readers to ten “Heroes Next Door.” These people were described as ordinary people doing extra ordinary work in their communities, every day. The popular monthly lists change agents who have decided to make offering assistance to others precedence in their lives. Emmons was named in this inaugural class.

Robin’s section speaks about her growth from gardening in her own backyard to opening a new Urban Farm in the West Charlotte Corridor. The farm, which celebrated its groundbreaking ... Read More »]]> EBONY Magazine Names Charlotte Woman ‘Hero Next Door’

Sow Much Good Receives National Recognition for Helping Underserved Populations in Food Deserts

Robin Emmons featured as Heroes Next Door!

EBONY Magazine,  a national publication that boasts to be the “heart” of Black America, selects Charlotte resident and Sow Much Good Executive Director, Robin Emmons, for a feature about helping others in its May 2013 issue which hit stands and online apps today.

EBONY introduces its readers to ten “Heroes Next Door.” These people were described as ordinary people doing extra ordinary work in their communities, every day. The popular monthly lists change agents who have decided to make offering assistance to others precedence in their lives. Emmons was named in this inaugural class.

Robin’s section speaks about her growth from gardening in her own backyard to opening a new Urban Farm in the West Charlotte Corridor. The farm, which celebrated its groundbreaking last Friday with partner Martin Marietta Materials, looks to serve people without access to chemical free produce.

The farm will have a delivery service, drop locations, eggs, honey and life skills classes such as healthy cooking and canning for its customers.

Obesity, hypertension, diabetes, heart disease and some forms of cancer disproportionately affect people who live in underserved and underrepresented communities, some of which lack a full service grocery store. There are 73,000 people in Mecklenburg County that live in a neighborhood or food desert like this and Sow Much Good’s mission is to serve this population.

Sow Much Good Partners with Martin Marietta Materials to Break Ground on New Urban Farm

Sow Much Good will break ground on their new Sunset Road Urban Farm on April 12 at 8:30 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.  The farm is a neighborhood collaborative that will provide fresh affordable produce, honey, eggs and flowers to people living in urban food deserts. The Urban Farm is located at 3416 Sunset Road in Charlotte.

In 2012 a leading producer of construction aggregates in the U.S, Martin Marietta, provided Sow Much Good four acres of land to develop a farm and open a neighborhood farmer’s market to sell goods to people in the west Charlotte corridor. Since 2008, the Charlotte nonprofit has set-up farm stands to give low-income populations access to chemical free foods.

The generous donation allows Sow Much ... Read More »]]> Partnership Brings Local Foods Movement to Underserved Neighborhood

Sow Much Good Partners with Martin Marietta Materials to Break Ground on New Urban Farm

Martin Marietta volunteers help to remove debris and dying trees from the grounds.

Sow Much Good will break ground on their new Sunset Road Urban Farm on April 12 at 8:30 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.  The farm is a neighborhood collaborative that will provide fresh affordable produce, honey, eggs and flowers to people living in urban food deserts. The Urban Farm is located at 3416 Sunset Road in Charlotte.

In 2012 a leading producer of construction aggregates in the U.S, Martin Marietta, provided Sow Much Good four acres of land to develop a farm and open a neighborhood farmer’s market to sell goods to people in the west Charlotte corridor. Since 2008, the Charlotte nonprofit has set-up farm stands to give low-income populations access to chemical free foods.

The generous donation allows Sow Much Good to establish offices directly in a community it serves, and creates a space customers  can visit several times per week to buy produce, participate in canning and preserving and other “life skill” building classes.

“Martin Marietta is extremely excited and proud to be partnering with Sow Much Good on the new Urban Farm.  We have known Robin for several years and watched Sow Much Good grow tremendously. This partnership was a perfect fit, we had the property available and we felt like this organization’s commitment to tackling social issues in the community mirrored our own.  On Friday, we are able to show our commitment and support to Sow Much Good’s mission by putting boots on the ground and volunteering our backs and hands,” said Brandon Lindsay the Martin Marietta district sales manager.

The Martin Marietta Day Groundbreaking will feature several of Martin Marietta employees along with heavy equipment to remove dying trees, grade the land and clean debris from the landscape. These changes to the land are necessary to prepare the grounds for planting.

”Martin Marietta has been a strong supporter of our work since the organization’s founding. We are thrilled about this most recent generous contribution and about the opportunity to strengthen our partnership with Martin Marietta for the benefit of Sunset Road residents and members of surrounding communities,” said Robin Emmons, executive director of Sow Much Good.

Currently the government spends over $168 billion dollars on un-insured or under insured people suffering from hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol and obesity. These types of diseases occur heavily in poor communities. There are 73,000 people in Mecklenburg County living in neighborhoods that do not have easy access to fresh produce that could prevent these diseases. Sow Much Good’s mission is to serve this population.

The Urban Farm will feature an on-site farmer’s market offering local honey from bee hives on the grounds; organic eggs from the planned chicken coop on site; flowers; organically grown okra, tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, onions, strawberries, peaches, and much more.

With the President’s March 26th signing of the Bill aptly named “The Monsanto Protection Act”, we now have even more proof that growing our own food and investing in organic, community supported agriculture is not a mere nicety. Rather, it is a critical and urgent necessity to protect our families, our communities and the future of our food. Read on and let us know what you think and how you plan to respond to this continuing and increasing threat to our food security and sovereignty.  

“With the president’s signature, agriculture giants that deal with genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and genetically engineered (GE) seeds are given the go-ahead to continue to plant and sell man-made crops, even as questions remain largely unanswered about the health risks these types of products pose to consumers…”

http://rt.com/usa/monsanto-bill-blunt-agriculture-006 

Location: Davidson College

Private Class Event

Speaking Topic: About Sow Much Good, food deserts in Mecklenburg County and corresponding social justice issues.

Robin Emmons will speak to Davidson College students during their Environmental Justice Class about everyone’s right to chemical free food.

(Private Event)

Planting and growing things is nothing short of magical. I remember sometime ago diligently planting my first seeds of both flowers and vegetables, watering and not so patiently, waiting. As always, nature did her thing and each time she would give her spectacular performance, I would be ecstatic! As I speak with groups and individuals about the benefit of controlling even a small amount of their food source, I often hear that the barrier to getting started is not only a lack of knowledge, but also a lack of space. To the space issue, I always tell my audience two things: “look up” and “don’t think rows”….

Basically, I encourage vertical growing on plant stands and outdoor shelving systems in pots and containers when space is an issue. You don’t need an ... Read More »]]> ‘Tis The Season To Get Growing… 

Planting and growing things is nothing short of magical. I remember sometime ago diligently planting my first seeds of both flowers and vegetables, watering and not so patiently, waiting. As always, nature did her thing and each time she would give her spectacular performance, I would be ecstatic! As I speak with groups and individuals about the benefit of controlling even a small amount of their food source, I often hear that the barrier to getting started is not only a lack of knowledge, but also a lack of space. To the space issue, I always tell my audience two things: “look up” and “don’t think rows”….

Basically, I encourage vertical growing on plant stands and outdoor shelving systems in pots and containers when space is an issue. You don’t need an acre to get started. Nope. Just a love for good clean food and an appreciation for the perfection that is inherent in nature’s process and provision. And, once you become accustomed to that, you will soon find new and inspiring ways to again experience the magic of your garden or small farm, each season.

Of course, if you have an acre or more, develop it slowly, building an eco-system of bees, chickens and even goats! You’ll be amazed by the synergistic relationship among seemingly separate elements and living beings in your growing space and, humbled by the wisdom inherent in nature.

As for  lack of knowledge, I suggest starting with fast growing, low maintenance crops and cultivars like leaf lettuces and spinach, in early spring. Your first yields will build your confidence and your curiosity, and inspire you to learn more about other crops and cultivars that you can grow either in containers, in a small yard space or a larger area. In any case, spring is just around the corner and the important thing is to get started! And, as your garden or small farm grows, so will your appreciation of a brilliantly designed system that is interconnected in ways that support and sustain our very lives.

For the population that we at Sow Much Good serve, it is not just a nicety or leisure activity, but it is also a necessity to health, food and economic security, which are issues that affect the vibrancy of communities, as a whole. So, what are you waiting for? Let’s Get Growing!

Need a little hands-on experience to develop your proverbial green thumb? Consider volunteering with us! We’d love to have you work along side us as we continue to Sow Much MORE Good this season! Sign up for volunteer opportunities by contacting our Volunteer Coordinator Maureen Sullivan at: mlsullivan_charlotte@yahoo.com

Leave a comment and let us know your growing plans for this season. We’d love to hear from you and as always, we  look forward to seeing you on the land…

In the interim, Eat Well!

Robin 

The budding of daffodils that dance gracefully in the wind and cherry blossoms in bloom are sure signs that spring has all but arrived. It’s hard to believe that winter is quickly coming to a close after another unusually mild showing. Today, as I venture back outdoors after a brief indoor solace, I am struck by the beauty of the Cardinals that flit about our growing sites; and I am renewed, once more.

As the earth begins to slowly awaken from her mild winter slumber, I am anxious for the newness of spring. I simply adore the spring! Not only for the digging of my hands into the warm and fertile earth, beckoning her to yield abundantly, once more. No. It’s more that my heart sings a little louder, recognizing spring as the season of renewal and rebirth. Like ... Read More »]]>  A Welcomed Renewal!

The budding of daffodils that dance gracefully in the wind and cherry blossoms in bloom are sure signs that spring has all but arrived. It’s hard to believe that winter is quickly coming to a close after another unusually mild showing. Today, as I venture back outdoors after a brief indoor solace, I am struck by the beauty of the Cardinals that flit about our growing sites; and I am renewed, once more.

As the earth begins to slowly awaken from her mild winter slumber, I am anxious for the newness of spring. I simply adore the spring! Not only for the digging of my hands into the warm and fertile earth, beckoning her to yield abundantly, once more. No. It’s more that my heart sings a little louder, recognizing spring as the season of renewal and rebirth. Like a newborn baby, this season brings with it the sweetness of new beginnings and endless possibilities. And I can hardly wait to begin, again!

Let’s Get Started…

As the season begins, we are launching new projects, presenting new volunteer opportunities and offering new ways for you to support the work we are doing. We hope you’ll join us in any way that you are able, as we continue executing our mission to create a more equitable and just food system and community for us all. As a prelude to what we have in store, I invite you to read on for a glimpse of where we are today, how you can get involved and how together, we can make a real and meaningful difference. So, lets get started!

What’s Happening, Now…

NEW! The Sunset Road Urban Farm – Charlotte, NC

The Spring cannot arrive soon enough as we can hardly contain our excitement about our newest initiative made possible through a collaborative partnership with Martin Marietta Materials, Inc., Perkins & Will Architecture and Social Venture Partners Charlotte. We are thrilled to announce that this Spring, Sow Much Good will launch its first Urban Farm in an under served neighborhood in the West corridor of the city!

The Urban Farm will be situated on 3.5 acres of land in the Sunset Road community and will serve as the fertile ground for more of our abundant, organic produce. It will also provide a home for our flock of heritage chickens adding organic eggs to our current agricultural offerings; and it will serve as an urban oasis for our magical honeybees that will yield the tasty, sweetness of our own local honey AND at the same time, handily boost our agricultural production through their magnificent and unmatched pollinating abilities.

The Sunset Road Urban Farm is a huge deal for us for many reasons. Not the least of which is the long held desire and plan for an urban farm and our steadfast belief that being “boots on the ground”, directly in the community is the surest way to build relationship and to honor our common humanity with those we serve. As you may know, we’ve spent the last couple of years operating by way of our well-known farm stand model in under served neighborhoods in the Charlotte area. However, The Sunset Road Urban Farm will allow us to create a more permanent and meaningful space in the community, while still providing direct access to organic food sources, along with our comprehensive nutrition, cooking and environmental education programs.

Want to get involved? We’ll begin developing the farm’s infrastructure on March 23rd, readying the soil for row crops; pruning the huge Willow Oaks; fertilizing the mature pecan, apple, and peach trees that were planted on the site some 40 years ago. We’ll also begin cleaning out sheds on the land; designing edible, permaculture gardens in the spaces in-between; and renovating the existing buildings to create a home for our chickens; a storage space for tools and a new headquarters for our day-to-day work, staff and volunteers. Want a preview of what’s to come at the Urban Farm site? Check out The Charlotte Business Journal’s recent coverage here: http://www.sowmuchgood.org/business-journal-features-sow-much-goods-new-partnership/

The work to build our Urban Farm will be ongoing throughout the season. Interested in being a part of our newest Urban Farm initiative? Read on for this and other volunteer events lined up for the early part of the season and stay tuned for more events throughout the spring and summer season well into the Fall.

Hubbard Road 4-Acre Farm Site – Huntersville, NC

Thanks to forty-two (42) young, dynamic women who came to us from Davidson College’s Turner House Sorority on an unusually warm March Saturday, our Hubbard Road Farm site is now ready for the hundreds of spring seedlings that have begun sprouting in flats that await us in the greenhouse. A small group of raised beds at the farm site have also been turned and fed with beautiful, nitrogen rich compost, and weeds that took up residence during the cooler months of the new year have now been evicted. Soon, our farm equipment will begin creating rows in the large field that will in the next several weeks host okra, tomatoes, beans, squash, eggplant, peppers, onions and many other spring and summer crops, supporting our mission to provide access to healthy, organic foods in neighborhoods where currently, it is not otherwise available.

Our beehives have also been installed at Hubbard Road and the bees are ready to begin pollinating our forthcoming crops to increase the abundance the earth will yield. The women of Davidson’s Turner House provided a great start to the new season at the site. However, there is still much to be done to reap all of the benefits the site will yield the season. Won’t you join us? Volunteer opportunities are available and we’d love to see you there!

The Sow Much Good Production Garden – Huntersville, NC

The Genesis of the organization, The Sow Much Good Production Garden, has been prepped and is ready for planting thanks to the support of a small and committed group of volunteers who generously gave of their time at the end of last season and during the opening days of the first quarter of the new year. Volunteers came armed with garden shovels, gloves and weeding tools determined to ensure that when the time is right, we’d be well prepared to again drop into the fertile earth, the seeds of greens, cabbages; radishes; carrots; parsnips; cauliflower, spring kale, beets and more that will not long after planting, spring into action! In the coming weeks, we’ll begin planting our early spring vegetables that will soon yield a bounty sufficient to feed many. And, before we know it, we’ll begin, again distributing our organic bounty to low-income families, faith based feeding programs and hunger relief organizations in our community.

Want to help us in the SMG Production Garden? Please join us, as we begin again this vitally important work to promote health and well being for the neighborhoods we serve and for the people who reside in them. We are always grateful for your support and needless to say, as the mercury rises, so does our anticipation for the start of the impending growing season.

Please join us! We’d love to have you work along side us as we continue to Sow Much MORE Good this season. For details about opportunities at any one of our sites and to sign up for planned volunteer events, contact SMG’s Volunteer Coordinator, Maureen Sullivan at mlsullivan_charlotte@yahoo.com

Current Schedule of Volunteer Events:

March 23, 2013
Sunset Road Urban Farm Kick-off & NC Arbor Day Celebration

March 30, 2013
Operation 3,2,1 – Sunset Road Urban Farm

April 6, 2013
Operation 3,2,1 – Hubbard Road Farm

April 13, 2013
Operation 3,2,1 – SMG Production Garden

April 20, 2013
Operation 3,2,1 – Sunset Road Urban Farm

April 27, 2013

Operation 3,2,1 – National Arbor Day Celebration – Sunset Road Urban Farm

A special thanks to our Sunset Road Urban Farm Partners & Sponsors. We are Grateful to you!

 Social Venture Partners Charlotte

Martin Marietta Materials

Perkins & Will Architecture

J’Nell Bryson Landscape Design Group

Interested in becoming a partner or sponsor for one of our farm sites? Contact us at info@sowmuchgood.org or at 704.947.6842

_____________________________

Sow Much Good is committed to growing healthy communities in under served neighborhoods by providing direct access to fresh and affordable food, educating and engaging residents to adopt healthy eating habits and advocating for the right of every person to have real food security. To learn more visit us at: www.sowmuchgood.org

1. Operation 3, 2, 1 is an event series developed and branded by SMG to reflect volunteer opportunities at our sites during the months of March & April 2013. The title Operation 3, 2, 1 denotes: Three (3) Sites, Two (2) Months, One (1) Mission

Charlotte Business Journal

Architecture and design firm Perkins+Will is providing some pro bono assistance to a local nonprofit that is planning a new headquarters.

The firm donates 1% of its time annually to pro bono design projects that address basic human needs including food, shelter, health, education and empowerment. Sow Much Good, based in Huntersville and headed by Robin Emmons, fits the bill: The organization works to provide access to fresh food in underserved neighborhoods and to promote healthy lifestyles.

Construction aggregates producer Martin Marietta Materials recently agreed to donate 3 acres on Sunset Road to the organization for a new headquarters space …(to continue reading visit http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/print-edition/2013/03/15/table-talk.html)