Penn State Cooperative Extension (http://extension.psu.edu/ [1]) is an educational network that gives people in Pennsylvania's 67 counties access to Penn State's resources and expertise. Through this county-based partnership, Penn State extension agents, faculty, and local volunteers work together to share unbiased, research-based information with local residents. The extension network is one part of Penn State Outreach and Cooperative Extension.
PSCE helps individuals, families, businesses, and communities throughout Pennsylvania with information and a broad range of educational programs designed to:
• Support productive, profitable, and competitive businesses and a strong agriculture and food system
• Strengthen families, children and youth, and the elderly
• Build caring, safe, and healthy communities
• Ensure the long-term vitality of Pennsylvania's natural resources
• Enable people to better understand and deal with complex public issues
Penn State Cooperative Extension is partnering with the SCA to take on a Sustainable Agriculture Fellow. This Green Cities Corps member will assist with (but not be limited to) projects that focus on food policy and strengthening the local food infrastructure in Western PA by connecting the supply and demand sides of our foodshed. These projects will highlight timely info for and about farmers, food, events and resources in our community.
The Sustainable Agriculture Fellow is responsible for:
- Yumpittsburgh.com – writing and researching for web posts
- Helping to coordinate “Farm Profiles”, a service where PSCE creates marketing materials for farm
businesses
- Assisting with preparations, promotions for “Local Food Showcase” to be held at Chatham University
March 11, 2010
- Assisting with preparations, promotions for educational programs offered to farmers
- Exploring the Small Farm Dream to be held March 2010.
- E-Marketing – How to use internet tools to market your agriculture business, March 2010
- Attending grower meetings – usually in the spring / summer, held on farm
- Attending conferences, man the vendor table
- “Farm to Table” conference in Pittsburgh is schedule for March 26-27
- Providing high level administrative support. Taking notes at monthly meetings, then preparing and
posting to the Google Group
- Benchmarking research on other Food Policy Councils from around the country
- Researching and identifying stakeholders that can help support the Statement of Purpose for the
Council
- Posting research to Google Group
- Creating promotional material and exhibit material, and representing the group at conferences
