CFI Newsletter, March 2023

Springing into the Growing Season

Spring is officially in full swing! Our 2023 Garden Giveaways kicked off in Mid-March, we have trays of tiny plant starts waiting to be transplanted, cherry trees are in full bloom, and ramps, bloodroot, and other spring ephemerals are up for a minute in the woods. And speaking of ramps … that’s exactly what happens every spring at CFI! We’re ramping up for the season ahead, getting everything in place for our busiest time of year.

Spring is also when we gather every year to celebrate local food and our Appalachian culture of growing and sharing the harvest. Please mark your calendars and join us for our annual gathering on April 15th -- and while you're at it, also mark your calendars for the other events mentioned below! Read on for highlights and updates.

With trowels and seeds at the ready,

The CFI team

You're Invited! Community Potluck and Annual Meeting

Please join us on Saturday, April 15th, for our annual community potluck and meeting! Everyone is welcome at this event -- membership is not required to attend.

This year the event will feature special activities that celebrate growing and sharing the harvest, with the following highlights:

12:30pm: Welcome & charcuterie demo with Chef Becky Clark (James Beard semifinalist for 2023’s Best Chef: Great Lakes, Executive Chef Little Fish Brewing Co.).
1:00pm: Potluck lunch
1:15pm: Member meeting & volunteer recognition
1:45pm: Seed swap & garden chats

Donations at the door are appreciated but not required. Please bring a dish to share and your own place setting for the community potluck lunch.

See you there! Reach out with questions and find more information on our website.

Congratulations and Thank You to Our Golden Trowel Award Winners!

Every spring we announce Golden Trowel Awards in recognition of community members who have gone above and beyond for CFI. Congratulations and enormous THANK YOU to the individuals listed below! We couldn't do what we do without the help of these amazing folks.

CFI Out & About in March!

Lots of opportunities to share our work with new audiences in March! We hosted a seed starting workshop at the Athens and Glouster library branches early in the month (huge thank you to volunteer Nick Pilewski for leading that workshop); presented the Donation Station model at the Ohio Farmers Market Network conference; and tabled and presented at the Appalachian Studies Association Conference. See photos below!

April is packed with more outreach events! Follow social media for updates on where you can find us.

Seed Potato Giveaway 2023

We had a totally spudtacular Seed Potato Giveaway in March! This year we distributed more pounds of seed and baking potatoes than ever before, with a grand total of around 70,000 pounds of potatoes going out to 175 families and organizations. Here are photos from the event – including some shots of the initial delivery: ~70,000 pounds of taters all in one place! 44 volunteer hours later, almost all of the potatoes had found a home. THANK YOU to the many, many folks who picked up potatoes to grow and share.

Thank you to ALL who made this event possible. We’re especially grateful for our amazing partners at Appalachian Center for Economic Networks (ACEnet) for making this annual event run so smoothly, and to Jackson Area Ministries for providing the potatoes.

Next up is our seed giveaway! Be sure to stop by your nearest Athens County Public Library branch to pick up garden seeds.

Get Ready for Little by Little!

We’re gearing up for the April Little By Little campaign with GlobalGiving! From Monday, April 3rd to Friday, April 7th, when you give up to $50 through GlobalGiving to support CFI, your generosity will be matched at 50%.

Can you help us meet our goal? For this April Little by Little campaign, we’re trying to raise $1,000 to help expand the Donation Stations' storage capacity in order to keep up with the ever-evolving needs of the community.

BIG change can come from little acts of kindness!

What Else?

Donation Station is at the Athens Farmers Market every Saturday, and we happily accept produce from your garden or purchased at market! See us at the NEW MARKET LOCATION at the Athens Community Center.

There's always more happening at CFI than we have room to share here. Be sure to follow us on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.

Looking for different ways to help the CFI garden grow? Visit our website for information about our programming and to see how you can get involved.

Plant a seed!

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