To: nikk...@yahoo.com FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Tanikka Cunningham (888) 415-2667x702 tcunningham [at] healthysolutionsgroup.org Michael Harris (916) 997-2451 blackagriculture [at] yahoo.com
National Black Agriculture Awareness Week Creating Opportunities for: Awareness, Education, Outreach, and Volunteerism around Black Agricultureâ NATIONAL (June 6, 2011) Healthy Solutions, Black Agriculture, Southeastern African American Organic Network (SAAFON), and community stakeholders will host advocacy events, programs, and services nationally to Create opportunities for: Awareness, Education, Outreach, and Volunteerism around Black Agriculture for the first ever National Black Agriculture Awareness Week during the week of July 10- 16, 2011. National Black Agriculture Awareness Week is about recognizing, educating, and celebrating the contribution of African Americans, and People of African Descent, to agriculture in our everyday lives. The National Black Agriculture Awareness Week encourages everyone to: -Understand how the decline in Black Agricultural Producers is an issue that needs immediate attention. -Educate youth to want to pursue Agriculture as a viable option to build a foundation for themselves and communities. -Appreciate the many agriculturally related accomplishments that benefit not just black agricultural producers, but agriculture as a whole, and impact us on a daily basis. -Bring awareness to food and agricultural issues in the African American community as a whole. Currently Black agricultural producers, farmers, and ranchers make up 1% ( 1 in 100 farmers) of all agricultural producers, farmers, and ranchers nationally, and combine for an average of 63 years of age. This time is critical point and time for black producers, says Tanikka Cunningham, Healthy Solutions Executive Director, we are at a point and time in our lives, where if something is not done soon to create more black farmers, sustain our current black producers, and educate our communities about agriculture, we can see the extinction of Black Agriculture as we know it. We believe that with creation, and implementation of this necessary National Black Agricultural Awareness Week can help plant the seeds to revitalize black agriculture while paying respect and celebrating what black agricultural producer, farmers, ranchers, inventors, scientist, and communities have done for agriculture in the United States, and beyond. "This week is not just about Black Farmers, but it is a week to eliminated artificial barriers and continue to make progress toward implementing a National Black Agriculture Action Agenda that bring together federal, state and local; U.S. Agriculture stakeholders, toward expanding job creation, career development and sustainable communities around Agriculture, says Michael Harris, publisher of Black Agriculture. For More Information: For more information about how to get involved, plan events, sponsorship, or supporting this week in anyway more information about the National Black Agriculture Awareness Week, can be found at www.saveblackfarmers.org. ### Healthy Solutions is a 501 (c)(3) organization whose mission is to increase the capacity of communities of color, particularly African Americans, to achieve self-reliance through distribution, agriculture, entrepreneurship, and cooperative healthy food enterprises. Our vision is to use this model to create sustainable, equitable communities that realize both the health and economic benefits of their community food systems and their community food security.www.healthysolutionsgroup.org Black Agriculture is a quarterly publication whose purpose is to educate industry and community of the needs and importance of Agriculture producers. www.blackagriculture.com Southeastern African-American Farmers Organic Network (SAAFON), a project of the SoGreen Network, is a network of farmers using sustainable growing methods. The Network is comprised of small and limited resource farmers that are either certified organic or growing organically. Currently SAAFON farmers are located in six states and the Virgin Islands: Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, and St. Croix Island. www.saafon.org -End- Tanikka Cunningham Executive Director Healthy Solutions Office: 888-415-2667x 702 Fax: 877-349-0272 email: tcunning...@healthysolutionsgroup.org - - Earn your Permaculture Design Certificate with the Finger Lakes Permaculture Institute July 22 through August 7, 2011 http://www.fingerlakespermaculture.org - - _______________________________________________ FingerLakesPermaculture mailing list FingerLakesPermaculture@lists.ibiblio.org http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/fingerlakespermaculture Visit http://FLXpermaculture.Net to manage your subscription.
