<div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div style=""><font face="arial, sans-serif" style="">Hello, </font></div><div style=""><font face="arial, sans-serif">We're co-hosting a collaborative policy platform event in just over 2 weeks on 11/13. Please consider adding it to your calendar and attending- we'd love to hear from you!</font></div><div style=""><font face="arial, sans-serif"><br></font></div><div style=""><span id="m_2055764211472762776gmail-docs-internal-guid-b2a1c3ba-7fff-b490-8dd2-f1876acf124b"><font face="arial, sans-serif"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(33,37,41);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">For too long, decisions about food and farming have been made without urban farmers, and these decisions have rippled across the food system, affecting who has access to land, food, and resources.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;padding:12pt 0pt"><span style="color:rgb(33,37,41);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">In order to transition to a just and regenerative food system that truly values and reflects the people it serves, the stories, experiences, and vision of urban farmers must be shared and valued. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;padding:0pt 0pt 12pt"><span style="color:rgb(33,37,41);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">Illinois Stewardship Alliance and Advocates for Urban Agriculture want to hear from urban farmers. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;padding:0pt 0pt 12pt"><span style="color:rgb(33,37,41);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">If that’s you, please RSVP or share this invitation with friends in the urban farming community. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:center;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">“What’s on the Menu: Draft Policy Platform Review with Urban Farmers” </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:center;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">Co-hosted by Illinois Stewardship Alliance and Advocates for Urban Agriculture</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:center;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline"><b>Wednesday, November 13th</b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:center;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline"><b>4:30pm - 6pm</b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:center;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline"><b>Virtual on Zoom</b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:center;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/whats-on-the-menu-for-a-better-food-and-farm-future-tickets-1050686731297?aff=oddtdtcreator" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line:none"><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline"><b>RSVP</b></span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;padding:12pt 0pt"><span style="color:rgb(33,37,41);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline"> A $25 stipend is available to support your time and contributions to this cause. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(33,37,41);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">At this virtual event urban farmers will: </span></p><ul style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><li dir="ltr" style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;color:rgb(33,37,41);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">Review and provide feedback on a list of challenges facing urban farmers-- land access, burdensome regulations, unequal access to farm subsidies, etc-- and solutions you want to see to tackle these challenges</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;color:rgb(33,37,41);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">Network and build relationships with other urban farmers in the Chicagoland area and across Illinois</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="margin-left:15px;list-style-type:disc;color:rgb(33,37,41);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">Learn how you can be part of building collective power to bring those policy solutions to life</span></p></li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:0pt;padding:0pt 0pt 12pt"><span style="color:rgb(33,37,41);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">Input from the urban farming community will help shape the Alliance’s statewide Policy Platform for a just and regenerative future.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;padding:0pt 0pt 12pt"><span style="color:rgb(33,37,41);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">With your help, we'll create a pathway forward so that farmers and eaters of all walks of life can work together to make our shared vision a reality. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">All the best,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br></p><p style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt">Viviana Okakpu</p><p style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt">Co-Operations Steward with AUA</p><p style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><a href="mailto:viviana@auachicago.org" target="_blank">viviana@auachicago.org</a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">P.S. If you are not an urban farmer, </span><a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfZfQ4L79-DKLAWeNCYTyFKdUutZGClhW70T7RXKn2dlOKR8g/viewform?usp=sf_link" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line:none"><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline">you can review and provide feedback on our draft Policy Platform by taking this survey</span></a><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline"> or </span><a href="https://ilstewards.org/events-calender/" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line:none"><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline">become a member and join us at one of our upcoming platform review events</span></a><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">. In the meantime, please feel free to share this invitation with your friends and colleagues in the urban farming community. </span></p><div><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline"><br></span></div></font></span></div><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div style="color:rgb(136,136,136)"><div style="color:rgb(34,34,34)" dir="ltr"><br></div></div><div style="color:rgb(136,136,136)"><div style=""><font face="arial, sans-serif"><br></font></div><div style=""><font face="arial, sans-serif"><img width="200" height="21" src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/mail-sig/AIorK4yKBBZ75OK8y1-H4nK4D4sAv-gCp0xiLNGSWRKQjpLEpJ7d2EORtm3Hg2K2UHBVET0rXD8zqQB2DTMs"><br></font></div><div style=""><font face="arial, sans-serif"><br></font></div><div style=""><div style=""><div><div style="color:rgb(136,136,136)"><font face="arial, sans-serif"><i>Support the vibrancy of Chicago's 77 neighborhoods by <a href="https://auachicago.networkforgood.com/projects/161673-main-donation-page" target="_blank">donating</a> </i><i>today!</i></font></div></div></div><font face="arial, sans-serif" style=""><br></font><br></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>
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