Students: Cate Adams, Emma Clopton, Isabelle Spirk, and Julie Wright

1. Identify two SPECIFIC funding sources for the design phase of your project and two SPECIFIC funding sources for the dissemination (implementation / distribution / commercialization) phase of your project. For each funding source, explain why this is a good fit for your project, and what SPECIFIC aspect of your project might the funding source support.

• Grants 
  • Grants directed towards regenerative agriculture research/urban ag/ agriculture at large  
• Workshops
  • One-on-one specialized workshops, whether it be for a personal project or an urban design project. 

 

2. Identify five specific partnerships that you need to forge to advance your project forward with the ultimate goal of positively impacting at least one million people. Describe exactly how that partnership might help you achieve scale and why that entity might be willing to work with you.

1. The Rodale Institute:  
   1. If we develop a strategic partnership with the Rodale Institute, we will be able to expand the practices of permaculture. The Rodale Institute has done extensive research on regenerative agriculture and the connection between healthy soil & healthy people. Rodale exclaims that healthy soil is linked to the total health of our food systems. 
   2. A partnership with Rodale would allow us to learn how to best integrate regenerative agriculture practices into an urban setting. They could help us extend our mission further outwards across the Lehigh Valley and beyond. 
2. CADB (Community Action for Development Bethlehem)
   1. Community Action Development Bethlehem is a hub for environmental health and community engagement in Southside Bethlehem. CADB hosts a variety of meetings open to residents and employees at various community organizations to discuss different projects ranging from community cleanups to programs aimed at integrating the outdoors into treatment for those suffering with mental health issues. CADB not only provides an opportunity to engage with residents and better understand the specific struggles faced in Southside Bethlehem, but it also provides us with an opportunity to network with a variety of people involved in the environment in Southside Bethlehem to potentially partner and collaborate with.
3. The Kellyn Foundation:
   1. The Kellyn Foundation has several programs that are healthy food/ healthy choice related. The foundation’s Healthy Neighborhood Immersion Strategy program and its sub program “Food Access”  are great intersections for the permaculture park to be involved in. The HNIS is a collaborative community-based initiative that encourages communities to make health conscious decisions to encourage a healthier lifestyle. The Food Access program brings nutritious foods to Lehigh Valley’s food deserts, such as Bethlehem, for an affordable rate. 
   2. A partnership between Kellyn and the Southside Permaculture Park could assist us in community building with the Lehigh Valley. We would be able to harvest and provide nutritious food for people to buy or freely take from Kellyn’s mobile markets. This will allow us to expand our name and our mission throughout the LV and make a direct impact on the community. We could also promote the practices of permaculture to community members, as well as implement these practices within the community gardens that Kellyn works to develop. 
4. Sierra Club
   1. As a current partner, we plan to host more collaborative events with the Sierra Club and the greater community to educate residents about permaculture and sustainable living. The Sierra Club can also work with us to ensure that the park is being managed sustainably. Since the Sierra Club network is so large, a strategic partnership would boost publicity about the impacts of permaculture and urban agriculture. 
5. Natural Builders’ Guild 
   1. The Natural Builders’ Guild has already helped us with building our tool shed, and we have been able to maintain this connection over multiple teams of fellows. The people we have met from the Natural Builders’ Guild can also help us find more partners throughout the Lehigh Valley. 

 

3. Review the sample questions for your semester-end presentations:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RObgGrePBUjAYN9DRhPG9kg4DjGvstVnElCrYstlbF4/edit 

As a team, identify the top five questions that you don’t know how to answer. Your questions will serve as the nucleus for conversations during our final class next week.

• What kind of competition do you face?
• What is your monitoring and evaluation strategy?
• What knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) do your customers need to have to successfully use and benefit from your product?
• At what point will you go from being an informal project to some kind of a formal, legal entity?
• What kinds of actions might compromise your relationships?