Gradually but surely, our vision for new ways of feeding ourselves and each other is becoming an exciting reality.  A new booth is a weekly fixture at the Farmer's Market this year.  Sharing the Bounty is a collection site for receiving donations of fresh produce (either excess produce from your own garden or purchased items from the farmer's market), which are then passed on to the soup kitchen, the food bank, Head Start when it reopens, and broader public distribution as donations grow. 

 

The first two weeks of the market brought donations of rhubarb from a local garden, and beets, turnips, and free range eggs purchased from the market.  All of these went to the soup kitchen.  Week three brought a dramatic increase in donations  that included radishes, beans, beets, cabbage, peaches and apricots.

We are still working out the process for this major project (it took three weeks to finally purchase a canopy that will hold up to Laramie weather).  Right now, food must be stored over the weekend and delivered on Monday.  We're looking into a more rapid and efficient distribution process.  Other plans in the works:  additional drop-off sites for produce donations on Friday mornings, expanded outreach to inform the community of the program, additional educational activities/handouts from social service nonprofit efforts that can be promoted at the Sharing the Bounty booth.

 

For information regarding Sharing the Bounty, contact one of our coordinators any time.  Anndee Gilliam (anndgilliam@msn.com, or 307.760.8263); Melodie Edwards (melodie.edwards@gmail.com, or 307.760.7106); Gayle Woodsum (gmwrites@aol.com, or 307.399.3815).

UW Cooperative Extension and Laramie Local Foods are partnering to provide a tour of local chicken coops again this fall. This year's tour will include a small-scale commercial operation, as well as in-town back-yard coops.

 

If you would like to be added to a Laramie backyard chicken email list, where you can share information with other local chicken enthusiasts, please contact Deb Paulson at deborah.paulson@gmail.com .

Laramie’s 2nd Annual

 

Tour De Coop

 

Saturday, September 11th

Time—TBD

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Join this group every Thursday from 9:00 am to 10:30 am and learn about gardening in Laramie’s challenging environment from seeds to harvest!  You will be actively involved in preparing, planting, and nurturing the garden.  We will have guest speakers throughout the summer with topics including:  bees and pollination, composting, nutrition and food preparation.  Gardeners from the Laramie Garden Club will be mentoring kids with hope of inspiring future gardeners!

 

Bring a hat, water bottle, sunscreen, good gardening shoes.  Gloves are optional. Waivers will be signed the first day of class.

 

Classes continue through August 12^th.

Time:                 9:00 am – 10:30 am

Location:          New Kids and Community Gardens at LaBonte Park, near 9^th and Shields (across from the Developmental Pre-School and Day Care Building)

Ages:                7-12                  

Cost:                Free

Harvest:       Kids may continue to water, weed, and harvest the garden throughout the growing season.

SHARING THE BOUNTY TABLE

at the

LARAMIE FARMER’S MARKET

 

Article From Let's Eat Local E-newsletter