Join food activists, farmers, and students for five days of in-depth conversation and community outreach to realize a more food secure community in the Flathead Valley. Alternative Spring Break is a chance for university students from across Montana to converge and learn about the challenges and ongoing solutions facing the Flathead foodshed. Students will spend the week participating on a working farm for at least four hours each day, punctuated by field trips to local farms, community outreach projects and evening group discussions. Activities are designed to be place-based and solutions oriented, with the focus on creating a more vibrant food system within the communities of the Flathead Valley.
Alternative Spring Break is a hands-on opportunity for students to engage with issues like:
•How-to’s about farming in short seasons
•Food justice
•Agricultural policy
• Economic factors influencing local food production
• Infrastructure and facilities required for value-added food processing
• Community-led initiatives to increase food access to underserved communities
Alternative Spring Break (ASB) is designed to give participants insight into the food and farming issues facing the host community. All activities are highly participatory in nature and are designed to stimulate discussion and facilitate collaboration between ASB participants and community members.
The Flathead Valley is a unique venue for Alternative Spring Break 2011. The valley supports the towns of Columbia Falls, Kalispell, and Whitefish, each with their own challenges and opportunities for developing a secure food system. ASB participants spend each day getting handson experience on a working farm, while afternoons and/or evenings entail in-depth conversations, tours with local food-related organizations from the three neighboring towns, and a capstone community outreach event.
Participating organizations include 1000 New Gardens, Alternative Energy Resources Organization, Bozeman Youth Initiative, First Best Place, Nourish the Flathead, and University of Montana Farm to College program.
See http://purplefroggardens.org/?page_id=212 for details
