When you think agriculture, food, sustenance, do you think of huge stretches of rural farm-land? Did you know there are dozens of great places within town limits that practice sustainable farming and agriculture practices, right in our own backyard?!
People are keeping bees, raising chickens, and tending gardens that sustainably produce delicious healthy food (as well as herbs, and other key crops!)
Considering that our country’s largest crop is lawn grass, covering 28 million acres (3 times the land used to grow and irrigate corn) and requiring 800 million gallons of gas to mow —urban farming can be a key way to not only have healthier local food, but greatly reduce unnecessary carbon emissions and petroleum use.
Join us in efforts to make these practices visible and educate folks about the immense possibilities for becoming healthier and more sustainable. Participate in creating Carrboro/Chapel Hill’s first ever Urban Farm Tour.
**The Urban Farm tour project will include a one-day event, September 13, as well as an ongoing mapping project. **
For more info or to get involved email us at
When:
Sat, Sep 13, 2008
Where:
Carrboro and Chapel Hill
Map coming soon
COMMUNITY ACTION CALL
Dear Community member,
In the last few weeks a REAL chance to save one of the only green spaces left in downtown Carrboro has emerged; but we need your help to make it happen! As of November 19, we received news that there is a potential buyer willing to help purchase the property and support its preservation IF they can a) partner with the town, b) be assured of community investment in and support for purchasing and conserving the land.
We know for a fact the town is interested, but we need to convince them that a) residents really, really want this, and 2) that this is economically viable. The town was recently sent an official proposal and a request to partner… this means that if there was ever a time to save this magical property, it is probably now. Please help us make this effort a reality!
Please take action today! There are several things you can do to help, some take less than one minute, and might make all the difference:
(If you have already signed the petition, please forward to others! Also make sure your name appears on the online petition Some names have already been transferred. )
2) PLEDGE! Any pledges—large or small will not only help supplement the cost of the land purchase, they can also go a long way in convincing both the town and the perspective buyer that people are so committed to seeing this land preserved, and turned into a community space, they are even willing to put their own money into it! This is not a pipe dream, only a few years ago residents of Orange and Durham counties helped save 100+acres that were going to be developed precisely through pledges. If you are willing to pledge, please email .
3) Contact TOWN OF CARRBORO! Mayor Mark Chilton and all Board of Aldermen members have recently received a proposal from Unique Places, so now is the perfect time to meet with them, email them, call them and let them know how many community members would support their commitment to preserving the property and turning it into a public space. You can find emails, phone numbers etc at: http://www.ci.carrboro.nc.us/BoA/boaMembership.htm (New term starts in January so some of the new members are not yet listed there!)
4) SPREAD THE WORD! Forward the petition, this letter, etc. to as many people as you can. For folks unfamiliar with the space, check out our website where you can find photos, a video and links to articles about the space: www.carrborogreenspace.org.
About the Carrboro Greenspace: Center for Community and Sustainability
This 10.5 acre piece of land, just a five minute walk from downtown Carrboro, houses hardwoods, a tributary to Morgan creek, and many plant and animal species—some even considered rare by state wildlife experts. If made public its terrain would help connect the walking and biking greenways projected for Carrboro and Chapel Hill, as well as provide walking and running trails downtown.
In addition to its ecological diversity & geographic importance to the region the land has also become home to important community projects and spaces. These include the ReCYCLEry, the Walk-In Tributary Theater, as well as space for meetings and other artistic and cultural events. Both the land and conglomeration of projects have come to be known as the Carrboro Greenspace: Center for Community and Sustainability.
The Greenspace mission is to cultivate community, environment and culture for a livable tomorrow, through educational and community projects. It is both a site for learning about and engaging with alternative technologies, life-practices, and cultures, and a beautiful place where people can simply be-in community. This land is a treasure that we simply cannot afford to lose!
Pledge !
In addition to signing our petition, we are asking for pledges—large and small. These pledges will not only help supplement the cost of the land purchase, they can also go a long way in convincing those with the means –whether that’s local government agencies, or a philanthropist—that people are really committed to seeing this land preserved, and ideally turned into a community space where sustainable environmental and community practices are supported and developed.
This is not a pipe dream, only a few years ago residents of Orange and Durham counties helped save 100+acres that were going to be developed precisely in this way.
To pledge please e-mail us at
Pledges will not be collected until it is clear the land will be preserved and the purchase is viable!
Carrboro Greenspace on YouTube
TheCarrboro Greenspace documentaryis now on You Tube! Thanks, Thomas, Jagmeet, Michael for working on this! -Michael Whitmore
