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7. 2006 Annual Detroit Agriculture Network Garden Tour Wednesday, August 9th. Thew annual garden tour is a unique opportunity to highlight the great work and accomplishments of community and school gardens across the city of Detroit which participate in the Detroit Garden Resource Program. We value our partnership with you and the support that you provide to the Detroit Garden Resource Program and would be honored to have you join us for this special event. This year, we will begin and end the tour at Catherine Ferguson Academy, a Detroit Public school for pregnant and parenting teens with a working farm and agriscience program. We are expanding the tour this year to include two tour routes in order to highlight more gardens and to explore themes and issues relevant to community and school gardens. Tour #1, featuring gardens on the Eastside of Detroit, will explore the themes of "food security" and "youth" in urban gardens. Tour #2, featuring gardens on the Westside of Detroit, will highlight themes of "community building" and "education" in urban gardens. To reserve a seat for this event, please contact me at 313-237-8736 or email [log in to unmask] Please also let me know which tour you prefer to attend. PLEASE NOTE LOCATION CHANGE FOR 2006 TOUR!! This year, we will be starting and ending the tour at Catherine Ferguson Academy at 2750 Selden. Registration begins at 4:30PM. Buses will leave promptly at 5:30. The tour buses will return at 8PM and all are invited to stay for a harvest potluck. Donations: Suggested donations for the tour are sliding scale $1-$20. If you would like to write a check, your donation is tax-deductible. Please make checks payable to "The Greening of Detroit" with Detroit Garden Resource Program in the subject line. To find out more about the Garden Resource Program and the gardens in our network please visit www.detroitagriculture.org <http://www.detroitagriculture.org/> . I'm looking forward to seeing you on August 9th! Ashley (PLEASE FORWARD this information to anyone you think may be interested) Maybe you can share this with your neighbor in a friendly way when they feel there is nothing they can do to help their health and environment. Environmental advocates, industry groups argue over lawn chemicals' effects on health By MARIE ROHDE [log in to unmask] 8. SouthEast Area Farmers Market Working to build a stronger community through good food Thursdays 1 - 6pm SW corner of Franklin & Fuller. Stop by and pick up some fresh sweet corn, sugarsnap peas, cherries and other fresh fruits & vegetables from area farms. We are looking for more vendors! The market is growing :o) Community organizations welcome. Please help us get the word out, stop by and let people know about this Thursday fresh & local food opportunity For more information please contact Tom Cary at 616-451-3051. 9. MSU New Product Center is offering a Workshop for Cooperative Strategy If you are an officer or board member of a cooperative and would like to expand or improve take a look at this upcoming workshop. If you would like the registration info and form please email Vicki Morrone ([log in to unmask]) or go to the MSU Product Center web site: [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]> . September 7 The Product Center program kicks off with a casual evening of networking and a presentation on the changing cooperative model. Between the need for more seamless transition between local and federated levels and the increased diversification of business activities, board members and executive managers are looking for fresh ways of meeting current challenges. (Speaker to be announced.) 6:00- 7:30 Welcome reception and barbeque dinner on the Kellogg Center east patio. 7:30- 8:30 The Evolving Cooperative Organizational Model. September 8 The process of strategic planning is critical to the success of modern cooperatives. In this session you'll learn the steps and techniques of strategy formulation with a mind toward jointly developing your cooperative strategy. Throughout the day lessons will be illustrated by a case study of the Scenic Hills Cooperative. Professor Chris Peterson has facilitated the strategic planning process for numerous businesses and cooperatives around the county and teaches a graduate level course at MSU on strategy. Dr. Peterson serves as Director of the MSU Product Center for Agriculture and Natural Resources, an outreach program that provides business counseling services, entrepreneurial educational programs, and market information for firms in the agri-food sectors across the state. This day fulfills the strategic planning portion of the MACC Cooperative Director Certificate Program. 8:30- 9:00 Registration Lincoln Room of the Kellogg Center 9:00- 9:15 Program Overview Tom Kalchik, Associate Director, MSU Product Center 9:15-10:15 Thinking Strategically Chris Peterson, Director, MSU Product Center 10:15-10:30 Break Networking time 10:30-12:00 Strategic Analysis Chris Peterson 12:00- 1:00 Lunch Riverside Room 1:00- 2:15 Strategy Formulation Chris Peterson 2:15- 2:30 Break Networking time 2:30- 3:45 Views from the Firing Line Facilitated discussion with several leading cooperatives who have developed strategies that work, including views from both a board 3:45- 4:00 Wrap Up member and an executive staff member. CoBank will be participating on the panel. If you would like to access previous postings to the Mich-Organic listserv you can copy and paste the following URL into your browser address bar http://list.msu.edu/archives/mich-organic.html