By Maria Tupper, New Haven Bioregional Group
Below is the mission statement of a group that developed out of the Food Open Space that Transition Greater New Haven and the New Haven Bioregional Group held at Common Ground High School last November. The group has met several times and has come up with a mission statement.
Whereas the Transition Movement embodies a hopeful, empowering and proactive vision of local sustainability and resilience in the face of peak oil (the end of cheap energy), climate change and economic meltdown, and
Whereas creating resilient local food systems is a core component of the Transition Movement,
The mission of the Food Action Group will be:
1) to develop and implement an on-going strategy for food security and self-reliance in the Greater New Haven area/Quinnipiac Bioregion;
2) to contribute to the development of a local food infrastructure sufficient for our needs in this bioregion;
3) to promote the growing, storage, preparation and eating of real food in our locale;
4) to motivate people to start gardens and in other ways dedicate themselves to increasing our local food base; and
5) to encourage Food Action Groups in neighboring regions.
Adopted by the Food Action Group, Jan. 5, 2010
The group will next create a comprehensive list of components of the project, from which they will develop a flow chart showing how the various elements fit together to accomplish our mission. We invite everyone to bring in food-related information that might be useful in our work.
To find out when the next meeting of the group will be, contact fred.cervin@sbcglobal.net. To get all of the ongoing information about what the Bioregional Group is doing, contact mariatupper@gmail.com or visit the website, newhavenbioregionalgroup.org/default.aspx.
OTHER EVENTS: Saturday, Feb. 6 – 6 p.m. potluck followed at 7 p.m. by the movie “In Transition 1.0,” at the UU Society, 608 Whitney Ave. The Transition movement is about communities around the world responding to peak oil and climate change with creativity, imagination and humor, and beginning to rebuild their local economies and communities.
Saturday, Feb. 13, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. – The 3rd Open Space Economy & Livelihood at Common Ground High School, 358 Springside Ave. $15. Information and registration: Bernard Brennan (203) 288-0001 or BernardTransition@me.com or mariatupper@gmail.com.
