LLOOF Cover Letter – 2013 (PDF)

LLOOF Application and Agreement – 2013 (PDF)

Little Artshram is supporting the work of O’k CSA as they develop the LLOOF project, which presently fills the niche for part of our Summer 2013 apprentice and intern needs:

General info. about O’k CSA and Market Garden, and the LLOOF Program

We are celebrating our 7th year as TC’s first Urban CSA involving area youth and adults as market garden-farmers, and we have revamped it to make it better than ever!  We have exciting changes in this year’s Market Garden and CSA program, which is part of an Urban Farm Project that includes 3 additional garden-farm sites in Traverse City, AND, a LLOOF (Learning Local on Organic Farms) program that provides a work-exchange and permaculture training for green-collar jobs!

This project is based on the concept of CSA, or Community Supported Agriculture. On a CSA farm, buyers invest up front in a full season of vegetables. The commitment of the sponsors and shareholders to the farmer stabilizes the farmer’s income, assures subscribers of fresh, healthy, local produce, and distributes agricultural rewards and risks fairly within the community.  This popular economic model establishes a practical and mutually beneficial relationship between farmers and subscribers, building a strong community as a result.

 

The LLOOF project has four main areas of experiential learning:  Education. Older youth through adults will participate in securing commitment of sponsors and shareholders, receive hands-on training in basic intensive urban gardening and permaculture techniques, including soil preparation and conditioning, seedling cultivation, use of nutrients and organic fertilizers, composting, water collection, pest and weed education, harvesting and preparing and marketing food for sale.

Some of the Gardening and recycling methods, that will be initiated this year, and are common to permaculture include edible landscaping, keyhole gardening, companion planting, trellising, sheet mulching, chicken tractors, solar greenhouses, spiral herb gardens, swales, and vermi-composting.

 

Production and Profitability.  More than just a teaching garden, the garden farm sites are cultivated by O’k CSA and LLOOF participants and will be designed for production and profitability, hence demonstrating the viability of “green collar” jobs in small-scale agriculture. And we will eat from our garden, tasting and understanding what we are growing!

Mentorship.  Participants will be mentored in gardening and permaculture practices and further develop those skills as they work alongside younger students in special field trips by the Summer Camp program.

Sustainability.  O’k CSA and LLOOFers will work together to design this year’s program to feed into and support next year’s market garden through record-keeping, and, develop a sustainable business plan, with ample startup funds. The LLOOF crew will work with O’k CSA, understanding the organizational structure and framework that Little Artshram provides as the non-profit sponsor.  All LLOOFers will be offered compensation based on profits from Market sales, educational opportunities and fresh weekly produce as work-exchange compensation. A Michigan Permaculture Convergence and series of Permaculture trainings  will also be offered to LLOOFers to choose from, August – November, 2013.

About the LLOOF work-exchange and the 2013 O’k CSA offerings:

Youth 16 years and older, along with adults, work “green-collar” jobs as LLOOFers (Learning Local on Organic Farms) with O’k CSA,  growing food at four urban garden farms In Traverse City.

The LLOOF project works with O’k CSA and this year, will be offering Full and Half-size shares of fresh vegetables, herbs and flower bouquets, as well as sponsorships, beginning in June, through the season (We predict 12 full weeks) with pick-up on Friday’s at the O’k Market at our Peace Patch garden farm site on the corner of 7th and Oak St., Traverse City.

 

Our Market Garden CSA goals:

~To create green collar jobs, through the LLOOF program, working with and eating REAL, fresh, local, food.

~To learn and apply permaculture and perennial growing practices in our garden.

~To help our business grow and continue successfully into 2014 and beyond.

~To assist and inspire growing more garden farms in the TC area.

~And, to provide good food for good people!

 

We invite folks to become a Sponsor or Share-holder of the Market Garden & O’k CSA:

As a Sponsor we will give you a half-price discount on our weekly harvest on Fridays at

the O’k Market @ the Peace Patch garden, corner of 7th and Oak St., in Traverse City, 4-6 pm., to apply to fresh produce purchased for the duration of the market season taking place for up to 12 weeks, June-September.

As a Share-holder you will pick-up a box of fresh produce which will include vegetable, herbs, flowers, (both annuals and perennials).  We are planning that our first market day will be in mid-June.  Depending on the success of our gardening efforts, the season may extend into September, for 12 weeks.

 

 

Your pick-up will be at the Peace Patch garden, corner of 7th and Oak St., every Friday, from 4-6 pm.

Both Sponsors and Share-holders also receive:

~a weekly newsletter written by O’k CSA and the LLOOF crew

~FREE hugs, potential dance party’s @ the Peace Patch

~Recipe ideas and samples at the O’k Market on Fridays

~FREE admittance to our community gatherings and Harvest Festival

More information on joining the CSA: penny.ok.art@gmail.com or 231-922-2014

 

 

MORE about LLOOFing (Learning Local on Organic Farms)

Heard of WWOOF?  Well, here’s an opportunity to get a whiff of an exciting new opportunity to LLOOF!  What is LLOOFing?  LLOOFing is: Learning Local on Organic Farms, and it debuted in Traverse City at four urban garden-farm sites last summer.  LLOOF is organizational framework creating an educational and cultural exchange in our home-towns, in it’s second year in Traverse City.

What is the origin and inspiration of LLOOF? LLOOF is inspired by the principle of exchange, and in particular by WWOOF which is a worldwide network of organizations connecting individuals with the desire to gain a first-hand experience of organic farming to hosts willing to share insights into sustainable ways of living.

Founded in England in 1971, the early organization was the initiative of Sue Coppard, a London secretary who recognized the need for city-dwellers to get away from their desks and the demand for a more practical understanding of organic farming. Originally called ‘Working Weekends on Organic Farms’, large numbers immediately responded to the concept of skills trade.

The name was later changed to ‘Willing Workers on Organic Farms’, in recognition of the demand for longer stays; and more recently, to ‘Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms’, which acknowledges the international nature of the organization as WWOOF has gradually been adopted by countries world-over, in climates as diverse as Scotland and Sierra Leone.

LLOOF is founded by Penny Krebiehl, who continues to develop art and permaculture projects and programs for children, youth and families in Michigan, recognizing the continued need for city and town-folks to gain a deeper understanding of the benefits of practicing urban gardening, farming.  LLOOF is also a means by which to share permaculture education directly linking to developing food security plans, as we learn to live a lower energy lifestyle.

The difference between LLOOFing and WWOOFing is bringing the focus of experience back to “zone 0”, or to re-wire some of the broken down systems in our home-places before trekking out across the beautiful planet.  We still encourage learning and experiencing world-wide adventures, but, most of us return home, and wish for it to be welcome return.  LLOOFing is focused on LEARNING and applying what we learn to local exchange, right where our roots are, and where we come from.

LLOOF will begin offering exchange opportunities with the 2013 Market Garden and O’k CSA program, beginning February 1, 2013.  In this work-exchange program, volunteers willing to work an agreed number of hours (Generally, five-four hour days, five days a week) receive a 5 week Introduction to Urban Permaculture training, with an opportunity to continue in a full Permaculture Design Course in the fall or winter of 2013/14.  The Introduction to Urban Permaculture Design is a prerequisite to earning a Permaculture Design Certificate through O’k CSA (with Penny Krebiehl and other certified permaculture instructors).  To earn a PDC requires no less than 72 hours of class time plus a group design project, field practice and a final test.

After the 2013 growing season, our vision is to expand and offer LLOOF throughout Michigan, dividing into regions.  Our vision is that each region’s organization will exist independently within the LLOOF network and charge a low annual membership fee from LLOOFers in exchange for garden-farm contact details, from which LLOOFers can organize their work-exchanges directly with the neighborhood garden managers.

Anyone interested in participating in a 6-month LLOOF work exchange program in Traverse City, based entirely on local currency and gift economy contact O’k CSA today for an application:

penny.ok.art@gmail.com

231-922-2014