The vision for Regional Outreach Training Centers is to provide Growing Power’s technical training support at the local level as an expansion of Our Vision: Inspiring communities to build sustainable food systems that are equitable and ecologically sound, creating a just world, one foodsecure community at a time. A Regional Outreach Training Center, or ROTC, will be able to host Growing Power, “From the Ground Up” type workshop for the region and will receive technical support to plan and develop a Community Food Systems project inspired by Growing Power’s Community Food Center and Projects.

ROTC expectations:

• Provide workshops and education to the local community.
• Create green jobs.
• Improve to the environmental health of the area.
• Develop a large scale composting system.
• House and operate working Aquaponics systems.
• Develop other programs and initiatives that move community food systems forward in the region.
• Host regular Growing Power “From the Ground Up Training.
• The ROTC will be able to use Growing Power's name to advertise trainings. Ability to fundraise to pay for Growing Power’ s fee for services $15,000 per year minimum not including travel/ lodging and materials. Fee for services includes but not limited to hoophouse construction, Will Allen's community, presentation on food systems, and an aquaponics workshop. Does not includes travel, hotel, and materials for workshops, systems construction, printing of curriculum.
• The ROTC must have its first training within two years of signing its Memorandum of Understanding.

Growing Power will:

• Assist in developing partner’s ability to provide local trainings. Provide community food systems project planning and site planning and assessments.
• Contribute to the development of a production infrastructure (compost/vermicompost systems, hoop greenhouse construction, aquaponics, food distribution program design, and logistical developmenttransportation of produce.
• Establish a five year Memorandum of Understanding that clarifies expectations for the ROTC host partner and Growing Power’s role in evaluating the ROTC’s progress toward achieving benchmarks identified in the project plan.
• Provide regular 12 day training hosted by ROTC partner and offered to the community at large for a reasonable “market rate” fee; advertise event on our web site and enewsletter.
• Assist ROTC leaders via Commercial Urban Agriculture Training Program in Milwaukee to train staff to farm and manage systems. (fee for service).

Want to become an ROTC site? Prerequisite for ROTC site:

• Attend all five months Commerical Urban Agriculture Training. Strong organizational leadership in place.
• Organization must own or have long term access to the land they will be farming on.
• Organization must have the financial resources or the ability to fundraise to pay for Growing Power’ s fee for services ($15,000 per year minimum not including travel/ lodging and materials).

If you meet all four criteria, please complete the ROTC application and return to will@growingpower.org

ROTC Events: See Events Page for upcoming training

ROTC In the News:

• With conservation protection in place, Lynchburg Grows looks ahead
  
• A Bright Spot in the Heart of Lynchburg
• Breaking New Grounds Documentary
• Breaking New Grounds Featured in Business First 'Green Business' Issue

• Systems Change Malik Yakini video (Oct 9, 2011)
• Malik Yakini "Undoing Racism in the Food System" (Oct 24, 2011)
  
• Detroit Urban Agriculture Movement Looks to Reclaim Motor City (June 24,2010)

  
  

Milwaukee Headquarters:  5500 W. Silver Spring Drive, Milwaukee, WI 53218

Store & Market Basket Hotline: 414.527.1930 /Office Tel. 414.527.1546 / Fax 414.527.1908

Chicago Projects Office:  3333 S. Iron Street, Chicago, IL 60608

Tel. 773.376.8882