2013 Michigan’s AmeriCorps Russ Mawby Signature Service Project

We were honored to host a team for this year’s Russ Mawby Signature Service Project. More than 350 Michigan AmeriCorps members from across the state came together in Lansing for the annual service project. AmeriCorps members spread a truck load of wood chips around pathways and landscaping on the farm, prepared beds for summer plantings, moved our harvest fridges under our new wash pack, dug post holes for our new gate, weeded farm pathways and edges, cleaned the harvest fridges, painted stakes for reuse as crop markers, and removed brush from our newest lot. Thank you for all your hard work!

Visit us at the Allen Street Farmer’s Market!

Stop by the Allen Street Farmer’s Market today from 2:30-7pm where we’ll have:

• Baby Hakurei Turnips–delicate nutty, flavor that is well-suited to serving raw or lightly sauteed.
• Easter Egg Radishes–spicy and colorful
• Spinach–large-leafed spinach that is excellent cooked
• Spicy Salad Mix–our most popular salad mix with a slightly spicy kick from the baby arugula and mustard greens
• Beet Greens–perfect in a salad or soup
• Herbs–chives, thyme, sage, and mint

Salad Mix Available

Delicious, tender, and fresh salad mix available this week at Urbandale Farm! Stop by anytime M-F between 8am-noon or in the afternoon/evening by appointment. $3/bag and bulk rates available. Call 999-3916 or email to arrange pick up: sarah.lansingurbanfarmproject@gmail.com.

Thank you, Lansing Catholic High School!

We’re so grateful for your help!  Here’s what was accomplished: compost turned, beds broadforked, asparagus weeded, burlap laid, mulch moved, garlic mustard conquered, and cabbage transplanted. Hope you come back again next year for Global Service Day!

Spicy Mix is back!

Look for our spicy mix and scallions on the shelves at Elfco and on the menu at Fork in the Road this week!  Spicy mix, a customer favorite, is a mixture of baby arugula, mizuna, ruby streaks mustard, red russian kale, and asian greens.

Summer Internships Available

Looking for an opportunity to get outside, grow vegetables, get involved in the community, and learn about urban agriculture?  Consider an internship with the Lansing Urban Farm Project (LUFP)!

LUFP is offering six unpaid urban farmer internships for summer 2013. Interns will work with farm staff to plant, weed, tend, and harvest crops.  Interns will help prepare for markets and farm stands, participate in community outreach, and complete other farm tasks.  Interns will work alongside farm apprentices and may participate in educational discussions.  Qualified applicants will have strong communication skills, a desire to work as part of a farm team, willingness to work outdoors in all weather conditions and the ability to perform a diverse set of farm tasks that will include lifting and carrying heavy objects (as much as 40 lbs at times).

Internships will run from May 7th-August 22^nd and will require 4 hours/ week of on-site work either on Wednesdays 8am-noon or Thursdays 8am-noon.

Interested applicants may submit a cover letter and resume with contact information to kristinaa@allenneighborhoodcenter.org by Monday, April 15th.  Be sure to specify that you are applying for the Urban Farmer Internship.  Questions regarding the application process?

Kristina Adair
Volunteer and Intern Manager
Allen Neighborhood Center
1619 E. Kalamazoo St. Lansing, MI 48912
(517) 999-3919
kristinaa@allenneighborhoodcenter.org

Announcing the 2013 Apprenticeship Program

The Lansing Urban Farm Project (LUFP) will accept four Apprentices at
Urbandale Farm in the 700 block of S. Hayford. Apprentices will learn how to start
and run an urban farm and will acquire hands-on experience in growing and marketing
produce. Apprentice graduates interested in starting their own urban farm will be assisted
in finding land and planning for their first year.

• Apprenticeships run from April 30 through November 1, about 20 hours/week, and
include a mix of instruction, farm work, market experience, and field trips.

• Apprentices receive a stipend of $4000 over the course of the program.

• Apprenticeships are open to all Lansing residents, but we especially encourage
applicants who are young adults (18-25) and who live in the Urbandale Farm service
neighborhood (bordered by 496, Clemens, Kalamazoo, and 127).

• There will be an information session about the apprenticeships hosted at Foster
Community Center, 200 N. Foster, Room 109, on Thursday, March 14, at 7PM.  Attendance is strongly encouraged for those interested in the program!
Applications are due by 5PM on Tuesday, March 26.

Please call 517-999-3916 for more information.