Foundation Journal

There's always a pleasant surprise during visits to sites on the KC Urban Farm Tour. This year was no different when a lively discussion on growing plants from seeds ensued at City Bitty Farm. The owners of City Bitty, a husband and wife team, gave tours of their 2.5 acre property, which included a demonstration tunnel, large rainwater container, and microgreens. One of the tour participants asked Jennifer of City Bitty Farm about their success with growing edible plants from seeds, mentioning his difficulty in consistent plant growth this year. Others described how they saved and used seeds. Another person added that corporate seed producers are engineering the seeds to prevent using them in subsequent years. Still another tour participant remarked that a failsafe way to find seeds that allow growers to save plant seeds is to use "heirloom" varieties. Someone else in the tour group mentioned that Belton's new policy on beekeeping has affected their growing.

Missouri food banks are continuing efforts to support individuals impacted by the Joplin tornado last month. Now news about historic water releases from upstream Missouri River resevoirs is prompting agencies and organizations to plan for relief efforts, including around the St. Joseph, Missouri area. A recent news report on the Joplin KOAM-TV website indicated a tent city was created to support tornado victims. A tent city created by homeless people in Joplin was bulldozed in 2010 by city officials. An  article in the Joplin Globe reinforced common stereotypes of homeless people rather than explore socio-economic conditions in the area which may have caused the need. “The kinds of reports we’ve been called to are varied: assaults, drinking, various code violations, intimidating behavior,” Police Chief Lane Roberts said. “It runs the gamut, but it’s difficult to control because it’s off the beaten path.” Around 20 tornado survivors have been staying in tents there since at lea

Representatives of Hunger-Free Minnesota, an important statewide Minnesota initiative on hunger, held a press conference today ( streamed live on UStream ) in Minneapolis. The conference was preceded by a recorded segment which included first-person accounts by people that have recently sought food assistance. These stories documented strong emotions experienced by a range of people receiving food assistance, including veterans, immigrants, a financially-strapped teacher, elderly people, a person making ends meet after a job loss, a woman facing home foreclosure after a divorce -- all people not typically considered as needing food assistance. After the recorded segment leaders of a coalition of food and health corporations, along with leaders from non-profit emergency assistance organizations, spoke about the Minnesota initiative to fill a gap of 100 million meals. Emery Koenig, a senior vice president with Cargill, spoke about efforts to increase the storag

Riding bicycles along the Katy Trail in Missouri is a reminder of bygone years between Clinton and Calhoun. The ride east out of Clinton traverses farm fields for three miles, so the sky is clearly visible along the mainly flat route. At this point, the trail crosses several creeks -- Deer Creek, Sand Creek, and two forks of the Tebo Creek, among others -- and the landscape and noises change significantly. Sights and Sounds on the Katy Trail The ride along the trail between Clinton and Calhoun is an easy one as the elevation changes little except for small rises and falls leading to creeks. We saw only a few bicycle riders along the trail. Pictures of solitude are a little misleading because of occasional loud motor engines from the highway 50 feet away. However, the visual beauty is accented by the sounds of nature -- what seems like millions of frogs in the area marked "prairie restoration" and the early sounds of Missouri cicadas. The cicadas are as loud as bird scree