Chipotle Cultivate Foundation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMfSGt6rHos

Thanks to my brother, Ray, for sending me this video.

This video is fantastic!  Yeah, it is ultimately an advertisement for Chipotle (which I must admit is one of my favorite restaurants), but the message behind the video is powerful.

Chipotle is literally putting their money where our mouths are... in sustainable agriculture.  They have created the Chipotle Cultivate Foundation.  From their website:

The Chipotle Cultivate Foundation is committed to creating a more sustainable and healthful food supply and to raising awareness concerning food issues. This is realized through the support of family farmers and their communities, educators and programs that teach younger generations about food matters, along with support for ranchers and farmers who are working to develop more sustainable practices. 


Over the last several years, Chipotle has contributed more than $2 million to help fund initiatives that support sustainable agriculture, family farming, culinary education, and innovation that promotes better food. The Chipotle Cultivate Foundation is a non-profit organization established by Chipotle Mexican Grill to continue and strengthen its philanthropic efforts. 




This idea, philosophy, is directly in line with what Permaculture is all about.  Check out their website if you get a chance!

cultivatefoundation.org

The Xerces Society

www.xerces.org

From their website:
The Xerces Society is a nonprofit organization that protects wildlife through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitat. Established in 1971, the Society is at the forefront of invertebrate protection worldwide, harnessing the knowledge of scientists and the enthusiasm of citizens to implement conservation programs.


Butterflies, dragonflies, beetles, worms, starfish, mussels, and crabs are but a few of the millions of invertebrates at the heart of a healthy environment. Invertebrates build the stunning coral reefs of our oceans; they are essential to the reproduction of most flowering plants, including many fruits, vegetables, and nuts; and they are food for birds, fish, and other animals. Yet invertebrate populations are often imperiled by human activities and rarely accounted for in mainstream conservation.


The Society uses advocacy, education, and applied research to defend invertebrates.


Over the past three decades, we have protected endangered species and their habitats, produced ground-breaking publications on insect conservation, trained thousands of farmers and land managers to protect and manage habitat, and raised awareness about the invertebrates of forests, prairies, deserts, and oceans.

One of the programs that they offer (I am hoping to take one of these days) is their Pollinator Conservation Course.  Many of these day-long courses are offered for free or for minimal cost (around $30).  They are offered in many places around the U.S. and they were just approved through a grant by the SARE to do a tour through the southeastern United States.  Their Pollinator Conservation page is here.  Their extensive Pollination Conservation Resource Center page is here.  Their listing of upcoming Pollinator Conservation Courses is here.

Take some time to check out this website, their resources, and find out what they may be doing near you.

Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education

www.sare.org

I know that there are a lot of people who strongly dislike the United Stated Department of Agriculture (USDA) for their politics, short-sightedness, bureaucracy, and policies that promote big-business agriculture or the status quo to the detriment of the environment and personal and public health, and while I often agree, we do need to acknowledge when they are doing something right.  Their department of Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education is a step in the right direction.

The site is packed with really good information: videos, bulletins, fact sheets on research, and newsletters.  Many of these items are specific to a region in the U.S. (Western, Southern, North Central, Northeast).

They also offer free online courses/curricula through their Learning Center.  Just click on this link to view all the offerings - you will need to register to start.  Some of the courses are designed more the extension agents, but they are still free to anyone.  Not too many yet, but a great resource for free education!

If you are interested in performing research on Sustainable Agriculture, this site is your source for grants to fund your project.

If you have a chance, I highly recommend that you take the time to browse this site.