Elon Hillel's 2014 Alternative Spring Break trip will be to New Orleans with the Jewish Farm School March 23-30. There are two spaces left on the trip.
What is Jewish Farm School’s Organic Farming Alternative Break (OFAB)??
It is a weeklong farm-immersion experience in which students will be volunteering on urban and rural sustainable farms. Over the course of the week, participants will learn a wide range of skills in sustainable and organic agriculture such as planting, harvesting, natural building and composting. To complement the physical work, participants will have the opportunity to engage in text study and discuss with experts, topics such as Jewish agricultural laws, the agricultural roots of the Jewish calendar, and global food security. They will gain exposure to the growing food justice movement, both within the Jewish and secular worlds. You don’t need to be Jewish to participate.
We will be staying the HandsOn New Orleans Volunter Bunkhouse where we will prepare our meals using produce from local farms.
We will be flying to New Orleans from RDU on March 23, and returning on Sunday morning, March 30. The cost of the trip will be about $480 including airfare and all accomodation, meals, and program expenses. For more information, contact Nancy Luberoff, Hillel Director
Here are the farms we will be working with:
Our NOLA Gardens works on three community gardens in the city. Their goal is to provide organically grown, local, produce to neighborhoods throughout the parish. They just acquired a greenhouse warehouse. Possible work projects for our groups include laying shade cloth, construction of greenhouse growing tables and installation of mist irrigation system.
VEGGI Co-op is a community member owned and operated farmer’s cooperative based out of New Orleans East, Louisiana. VEGGI Farmer’s Cooperative is dedicated to empowering growers in the Greater New Orleans area, starting in New Orleans East, in order to create sustainable, high quality jobs that enhance the quality of life of communities through increasing local food access and promotion of sustainable agriculture.
Sheaux Fresh is a garden operation started by Prosper, a native New Orleanian. Their goal is to provide neighbors and communities with access to local healthy produce. Sheaux Fresh just acquired a piece of property in the Holy Cross neighborhood. Possible projects for our group: greenhouses, high tunnels, hydroponics, irrigation, high-end kitchen.
GrowDat Youth Farm is a non-profit that employs youth in the work of growing and selling vegetables. On the farm, they work collaboratively to produce healthy food for local residents and to inspire youth and adults to create personal, social and environmental change in their own communities. Our groups are going to be harvesting, weeding, composting & doing non-native plant removal farm work with them.