Global food prices have dropped out of the headlines, lacking the drama of early July, which seems an eternity ago. Today’s Economist food price index sits at 232.2, up just 17 percent from a year ago. Positively tame in comparison.
jfleck at inkstain
A few thoughts from John Fleck, a writer of journalism and other things, living in New Mexico
After Obama or McCain is elected this November, will the new president learn a lesson from past prez FDR and respond to the global economic (and food) crisis with a hands-on, ground-breaking approach … by planting a farm at the White House?
I hope so! As a young farmer with La Placita Gardens in the South Valley, I will be joining the White House Organic Farming Project’s amazing “art bus” tour of Albuquerque this weekend, to harvest support for their petition to initiate an organic farm at the White House in Washington DC as a model of sustainability to the nation and the world.
TheWhoFarmMobile, as it’s called, is an amazing upside-down double-decker bus with an organic garden on the roof! You really have to see it to believe it … and you’ll have a chance to see the bus (and meet the founding WhoFarmers, Daniel and Casey) at events in Albuquerque all weekend. Give the guys a friendly donation to help fill the tank with biodiesel for their next tour leg into Texas, and I bet they’ll even let you taste some rooftop lettuce or basil!
Here’s the full scoop:
PRESS ADVISORY – for September 27-28, 2008
*** PHOTO AND INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITY ***
TheWhoFarmMobile, a spectacular “art bus” on a cross-country tour for the
White House Organic Farming Project, will be passing through Albuquerque
this weekend, Saturday September 27 and Sunday September 28.
Daniel Bowman Simon and Casey Gustowarow, creators of TheWhoFarm project,
are on a nationwide tour in their upside down double decker “topsy turvy”
school bus with an experimental edible roof, on a mission to promote their
non-partisan petition directed at the next president of the United States:
“We, the people, respectfully request that an organic farm be planted on
the grounds of The White House, at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, Washington, DC.”
Daniel and Casey have traveled from New York City to California and are
now heading back East across the country to be in Washington, D.C. during
the presidential election. They will be at events in Albuquerque this
weekend talking to interested people about their project and collecting
signatures for their petition.
On Saturday September 27, TheWhoFarmMobile will be at the Harwood Carnuel
Road Parade & Fiesta, starting at 11am. (Directions:
http://www.harwoodartcenter.org/ss/carnuel-road-parade) Before the parade,
we will be at the Downtown Albuquerque Farmers Market from about 9 to 10
am.
On Sunday September 28, TheWhoFarmMobile will be at the Erda Gardens 13th
Annual Harvest Festival, from 2 to 6 pm at Sanchez Farm in the South
Valley. (Directions: http://www.sustainableabq.com/news_events.htm)
Included here are a few pictures of TheWhoFarmMobile while Daniel and
Casey were in the San Francisco Bay Area for Slow Food Nation. San
Francisco mayor Gavin Newsome signed the petition; world class chef Alice
Waters came aboard the bus; and the WhoFarmers visited a school in Oakland
to talk to youth about their project.
Please come out and talk to Daniel and Casey in Albuquerque this weekend!
If you cannot come talk with TheWhoFarmers at these events, but would
still like to publish a story, please let us know and we will attempt to
work something out.
Daniel can be contacted at daniel@TheWhoFarm.org
Casey can be contacted at casey@TheWhoFarm.
To learn more about The White House Organic Farm Project, please visit
http://www.thewhofarm.org
Thank you,
TheWhoFarmers
Casey and Daniel