Organic Allentown Pennsylvania Downtown Center Conference
Two Organic Farmers Markets Dollar for Dollar SNAP Match for all Produce vendors Token redemption system FMNP Coupons accepted Weekly June October Organic Allentown
12 local entrepreneurs 125 customers/week Just under $15,000 in produce sales Just under 6000 lbs. of organic produce sold Cooking Demonstrations Community volunteer Participation Organic Allentown Internships
Organic Farmers Market on 7th
Organic Farmers Market at the YMCA/YWCA
Organic Farmers Market at Sacred Heart
Agriculture Supported Communities (ASC) Weekly Farm-share pick-up Additional 3 Distribution sites in Allentown
Agriculture Supported Communities (ASC)
Agriculture Supported Communities (ASC) 2 Size shares: $15 or $25/week Half price with FINI SNAP Community deliveries June Nov. Weekly newsletter/recipes 100 Allentown families
ASC Farmer Training
Community Education Vertical Organic Gardening 1. Mitigates exposure to possible soil contaminants. 2. Can be constructed on concrete or asphalt. 3. Great way to garden in small spaces. 4. Useful models to provide education on plant biology and how food is grown.
Community Education
Community Education Community Canvas is a partnership with Lehigh Valley Health Network and Lehigh Valley Art Spark. 1. Conducted assemblies at six Allentown area elementary schools about organic agriculture and the importance of growing food at home. 2. Built a vertical organic garden at each school with the help of students. 3. Participated in the program s finale in a vegetarian an organic cooking contest.
Community Education
Community Education Community Food Project Grant: Head Start Healthy Start Program 1. Conducted classes for the Head Start Students at Community Services for Children in Allentown about organic farming and plant biology. 2. Built raised-bed organic gardens with the students. 3. Held a harvest and tasting party with students, and gave a cooking lesson. 4. Students came to Rodale Institute organic farm for a field trip.
Community Education
Partners Sacred Heart Hospital Community Services for Children Allentown Health Bureau Allentown YMCA/YWCA St. Luke s Lutheran Church Community Action Development Corporation of Allentown Cooking Matters Kremmer s Café and Catering
Increased SNAP usage by 200% for ASC Shares Created SNAP usage at Farmers Markets (in 2014 there were virtually no SNAP customers) Regular weekly market-goers Created SNAP revenue stream for other produce farmers Engaged approximately 100 people in cooking demos Successes
Challenges Increasing SNAP Usage! Only 10% of ASC Members and market goers used SNAP incentive Only used 5% of allocated match funds Corner Store Initiative! -Insertion & Tracking Getting the word out! New market = few vendors Connecting with SNAP administrative organization office (County Welfare office) Transient population Consistent fall sales
Lehigh Valley-wide Double SNAP Program in partnership with United Way La Ola radio marketing campaign for Spanish speaking population More community organization participation in Farmers Markets Opportunities
2016 Season Extension granted: Develop community Outreach Increase customer participation in Organic Allentown - Farmers Markets - ASC Programming Increase vendor participation
Cynthia James ASC Program Manager 610-683-1439 Cynthia.james@rodaleinstitute.org Jesse Barrett Organic Allentown Program Manager 610-683-1474 Jesse.barrett@rodaleinstitute.org
Allentown YMCA & YWCA History and Collaboration with Rodale Institute June 13, 2016 1
Overview of the Allentown YMCA & YWCA YMCA & YWCA have been a continuous presence in Allentown for over 140 years Although still separate corporations, the YMCA and YWCA combined efforts in 1996 to reduce costs and partner in each other's Missions for greater impact The Y is a key community institution providing childcare, before and after school programs, senior fitness programs, cancer survivor support and a wide range of youth and family programs 2
Child Care &Camp Programs Providing a safe, caring space and early childhood education for local children, regardless of economic status, is a core part of our mission. We provide 75 children infants, toddlers, and preschool children a safe and nurturing environment in our on-site child care. We have 250 children enrolled in eleven sits across three school districts in our School Age Child Care ( SACC ) program. Last summer we had 220 children enroll in our summer day camp programs. Over 80% of the children attending camp are on financial assistance, as are 82% of participants in our full time child care program. 3
Youth Programs We provide 325 at-risk youth a positive, structured, and cooperative environment that teaches healthy choices and life sills with our Midnight Basketball, Police Athletic League ( PAL ) Basketball and Center City Allentown Mentoring Enrichment Network Middle School Program ( AMEN ) Programs. In addition, our Youth Sports and Dance programs engage nearly 600 children, teaching them the values of playing fairly and winning gracefully. The Y s aquatics program engages over 450 youth. We have expanded the Y s Learn to Swim Program and have started a swimming team in the past year which has met with great support and success. One of our most successful team members is a graduate of the Learn to Swim Program. We will again be offering the Learn to Swim Program will provide two weeks of free swim lessons to children ages 5-10. 4
ERG ED We have worked with the Allentown School District to launch the Erg Ed indoor rowing program in the Allentown middle and high schools. Through a partnership between the Y, Lehigh University, and the school district, the Allentown School District was one of two schools nationally awarded a grant from USRowing and George Pocock Rowing Foundation in 2015 to implement an indoor rowing curriculum ( Erg Ed ). Interested students will be directed to the Y for additional program and indoor training opportunities and ultimately will be able to work with Lehigh University for on-water rowing experience. 5
Allentown Organic Farmers Markets Collaboration with Rodale Institute Over the past several years the Y has been focused on increasing our collaborations with other organizations in the area and seek to continue to leverage our key strengths with those of other organizations to provide services to the community. Our work with The Rodale Institute is one example of our successful collaborations. 6
Why Rodale Institute Collaboration? The neighborhood surrounding the Allentown YMCA & YWCA is identified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service as being as food desert. In particular, residents in the neighborhoods surrounding the Allentown YMCA & YWCA are generally low income and over one-half mile from a supermarket. Furthermore, there are areas in close proximity to the Allentown YMCA & YWCA that are over one mile from a supermarket. 7
Allentown Organic Farmers Markets Collaboration with Rodale Institute The Allentown Organic Farmers Markets at the Y provides the surrounding community access to local, organically grown farm products In addition, we are developing programs to engage in urban growing and also healthy eating education programs, including cooking demonstrations via the Y s commercial kitchen. 8