RALEIGH, N.C. (October 15, 2009) — The Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) and Burt’s Bees are pleased to present Will Allen as the 2009 Sustainable Agriculture Lecturer. Allen is the founder and CEO of Growing Power, Inc., and is the recipient of a 2008 MacArthur Fellowship, commonly known as a “Genius Grant.” He also was recently featured in an appearance in the movie Fresh.

In the world of urban “food deserts”—areas with limited access to fresh, affordable foods—convenience stores, fast-food chains and liquor stores reign supreme. The two-acre Growing Power farm in downtown Milwaukee is truly an oasis. In the early 1990s, Allen envisioned a farm using low-input, sustainable practices and staffed by area teens who needed a place to work. Through the years, this community partnership has grown to include the young, the elderly, farmers, producers and other professionals ranging from USDA personnel to urban planners. Today, Growing Power raises 159 varieties of food, including fruits, vegetables, animal forages, goats, ducks, bees, turkeys and—in an aquaponic system designed and built by Allen—tilapia and Great Lakes perch.

In 2008, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation recognized Allen for his work, naming him a 2008 MacArthur Fellow and describing him as an urban farmer “transforming the cultivation, production, and delivery of healthy foods to underserved urban populations through a novel synthesis of low-cost farming technologies” (“Meet the 2008 Fellows“). The MacArthur Fellowships are often referred to as “Genius Grants.” Allen was featured in a July 2009 New York Times Magazine article, “Street Farmer” and in a February 2009 YES! Magazine article, “Growing Power in an Urban Food Desert.”

Don’t miss these two unique conversations. Visit our Friends of CEFS Membership Benefits Web page or call (919) 513-3924 for information on reserved lecture seating or attending a “meet the speaker” reception prior to the evening lecture.

Schedule of Events for Monday, November 9, 2009

Urban Community Lecture
“Big Change in Small Spaces: Growing Food Security, Food Justice and Future Leaders”

10:45 a.m. to 12:00 noon
Wayne School of Engineering at Goldsboro High School (auditorium), 700 N. Herman St., Goldsboro, NC 27530

Sustainable Agriculture Reception

5:30 to 6:45 p.m.
E. Carroll Joyner Visitor Center, NCSU, 1210 Varsity Drive, Raleigh, NC 27695
As an expression of our gratitude, Friends of CEFS members who have joined at the Guardian Level and higher will receive an invitation (for the member plus one guest) to attend a special reception honoring Will Allen. The Sustainable Agriculture Lecture will be held immediately following the reception (see below for lecture details). The reception will be catered by Chef Sarig Agasi of Zely & Ritz. CEFS is very appreciative of our Reception Supporter: NC A&T State University Cooperative Extension Program.

Sustainable Agriculture Lecture
“Steps to Successful Urban Farming”
7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
McKimmon Center, NCSU, 1101 Gorman St., Raleigh, NC 27695
This event is free and open to the public, but open seating will be limited. Reserved seating is available to all Friends of CEFS members. To learn how to become a Friends of CEFS please visit the Friends of CEFS Web page at http://www.cefs.ncsu.edu/friends.htm.

Sponsorship opportunities are still available for these events. Please contact Nancy Creamer at nancy_creamer@ncsu.edu or (919) 515-9447.

Growing Power, Inc. is a national nonprofit organization and land trust supporting people from diverse backgrounds, and the environments in which they live, by helping to provide equal access to healthy, high-quality, safe and affordable food for people in all communities. Growing Power implements this mission by providing hands-on training, on-the-ground demonstration, outreach, and technical assistance through the development of Community Food Systems that help people grow, process, market and distribute food in a sustainable manner. http://www.growingpower.org

The Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) was established in 1994 by North Carolina State University and North Carolina A&T State University with the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services. These partners work closely with state and federal agencies, non-governmental organizations, farmers and citizens to provide agricultural research, extension, and education for North Carolina and beyond. The development of CEFS is a national model for partnership, innovation, and interdisciplinary cooperation. http://www.cefs.ncsu.edu

CEFS would like to thank Burt’s Bees, our Lead Sponsor for the Will Allen events.