FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 14, 2012 Contact: Hannah Hemmelgarn, AmeriCorps VISTA Missouri River Communities Network

200 Old 63 S., Suite 203 Columbia, MO 65201 Phone: (573)256-2602 Fax: (573)256-4602 hlhemmelg@gmail.com www.moriver.org

Five AmeriCorps VISTA Members Begin Service Promoting Local Food Columbia and Boonville

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This March, the Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture (CCUA) and the Missouri River Communities Network (MRCN) together welcome five AmeriCorps VISTA members to join in efforts to grow and promote local food in Mid-Missouri. AmeriCorps VISTAs, or volunteers in service to America, serve under the Corporation for National and Community Service in order to fulfill unmet community needs. Host non-profit organizations CCUA and MRCN recognize a growing movement of Mid Missouri citizens toward local, accessible, healthy food, as evidenced by the increasing number of community and backyard gardens, attendance at farmers markets, and organized interest from the public in knowing food sources. Local Farmers Markets have recorded weekend customer counts regularly surpassing 4,000 customers and the number of producers has expanded to more than 80 local farmers and artisans. The five new AmeriCorps VISTA members will enhance the efforts to strengthen and expand this growing movement in Columbia and Boonville. Meet this years AmeriCorps VISTA volunteers: Heather Gillich is serving with the Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture as the Education Coordinator at the Urban Farm in Columbia. Heather, with CCUA production manager Carrie Hargrove, will be developing educational programs, events, and farm tours to promote urban agriculture. Having relocated from West Virginia, she looks forward to sharing her gardening skills while organizing fun classes and events for the whole family! Natalie Suntrup, originally from Wildwood, MO, is filling the Columbia Center for Urban Agricultures Urban Farm Marketing position with marketing manager Billy Polansky. She is responsible for designing advertisements, creating press releases, staffing the CCUA's Farmer's Market booth, event planning, and fundraising. She is also thrilled to be joining the team of gardeners and farmers at CCUA. Samantha Pounders, from St. Louis, MO, with CCUAs education manager Daniel Soetaert, will continue to grow the organizations Opportunity Gardens Program throughout Columbias underserved neighborhoods by assisting residents with garden installation, seeds, starts and educational opportunities to help families and communities become more self-sufficient. She will also be working with the Edible Landscaping Program, which designs and installs perennial bed space in public areas within the Columbia Housing Authority.

Nelle McKay will be coordinating the development of an urban farm in Boonville, Missouri, which is a project of the Cooper County Healthy Lifestyles Initiative. Partners in this project include: the Boonslick Heartland YMCA, the Cooper County Health Department, University Extension, the Boonville Concerned Citizens for a Better Community, MRCN and CCUA. A New York City native, Nelle is glad to be part of this newly budding urban farm project. The next meeting of the Boonville Farm and Garden Coalition group will be at 10:00am Wednesday April 4th at the Heartland YMCA in Boonville. Any residents interested in helping to enhance this local food effort in Boonville are encouraged to attend. Hannah Hemmelgarn will be serving with the Missouri River Communities Network in Columbia, to develop and maintain an ongoing public relations presence promoting urban farming and assisting MRCN to connect with the public about farmers markets, local food projects, events, workshops and educational activities related to healthy food. To learn more and be involved in the exciting undertakings of these community members, please stop by the Columbia Center for Urban Agricultures Urban Farm at 1209 E. Smith Street (just south of the intersection of Business Loop 70 East and North College Avenue) during their volunteer work days, every Thursday from 4-6pm starting March 22nd. Or stop by the Urban Farm every Monday from 4-7pm this summer and buy produce freshly picked from the Farm. More information about this project can be found online at: www.columbiaurbanag.org and www.moriver.org.
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