Nourish Iowa: Urban Farm Access Vista at Tapestry Farms
Americorps - Cedar Falls, IA
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Nourish Iowa: Urban Farm Access Vista at Tapestry Farms A large portion of the Quad Cities is a federally identified food desert - there is inadequate access to grocery stores and at least one quarter of the population is food insecure. At Tapestry Farms, we believe every person deserves access to the resources necessary to live a healthy, joyful life. Our mission is to help cultivate a system where refugees and neighbors can flourish together. We work to nourish people and land, in hopes that all in our community will be abundantly fed. Tapestry Farm's urban farm system reclaims underutilized local land to grow culturally specific fresh produce and flowers. Refugees and volunteers work together in 10 plots throughout the Quad Cities, using regenerative growing practices to benefit the community. Free or low-cost, culturally relevant produce, offered at accessible locations is one of the main priorities of Tapestry Farms. Produce is distributed to people in the Quad Cities who live with limited resources by delivery and through a network of food pantries. As a member of the Tapestry Farm Team, we hope you can experience this mission firsthand. You will always be welcome to take whatever you may need from our growing operations and food and toiletry pantries. As a Nourish Iowa VISTA member, you will serve among a cohort of members whose service is building a more equitable food system in Iowa. You will have frequent opportunities to share knowledge within this community through cohort-wide meetings & site visits. In addition to all standard VISTA benefits, you will engage regularly with leaders in food systems via local, statewide, and national coalitions and associations, in addition to professional development opportunities coordinated by a VISTA Leader in your cohort. Nourish Iowa members are also eligible for free enrollment in Iowa State University's Local Food Leader certification course. Please visit our website for more openings and information about current living allowance rates and benefits. Further help on this page can be found by clicking here. Member Duties : As an Urban Farm Access VISTA with Tapestry Farms, you will increase the capacity and efficiency of existing urban farm sites, identify additional sites in food deserts to establish new garden plots, and coordinate with the local food pantry to expand offerings of culturally relevant foods. Your service will contribute to the sustainability of Tapestry Farm's volunteer network through the establishment of a volunteer welcome initiative and programming to increase volunteers' understanding of food access and security. During your term, you will gain the valuable skill of fund allocation for a cause by helping with the identification and acquisition of financial assistance to increase growing operations. You will also gain a strong understanding of the local food system and how to navigate the government programs that support our work and the well-being of the people we serve. Program Benefits : Stipend , Health Coverage* , Choice of Education Award or End of Service Stipend , Childcare assistance if eligible , Education award upon successful completion of service , Training , Living Allowance . Terms : Permits attendance at school during off hours , Permits working at another job during off hours . Service Areas : Environment , Community and Economic Development , Hunger , Community Outreach , Technology , Health . Skills : Team Work , Community Organization , Writing/Editing , Communications , Social Services , Urban Planning .
Created: 2024-10-07