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Arizona Community Tree Council Encourages Arizonans to

Add Even More Trees to the 2012 Count


PHOENIX, Arizona (December 8, 2011) – It’s the most wonderful time of the year . . . for tree decorating and trees for the planting and more trees for counting . . . Well, that’s not exactly how the song goes, but that’s how we feel at the Arizona Community Tree Council, where we’re in the midst of one of our busiest seasons where we make a list and check it twice on the number of trees that have been planted in Arizona this year and encourage homeowners and businesses to plant Christmas trees.

 

The Arizona Community Tree Council is very proud to report that 7,316 trees have been planted in Arizona this year, which is a huge 665 percent increase over the 2010 count of 1,100.

 

“We couldn’t be happier to be greener and cooler with 7,316 more trees. The benefits of adding trees in communities throughout Arizona are huge, making Arizona greener, cooler and cleaner. Adding trees also builds communities and encourages homeowners to put down roots,” said Harold Hummer, president of the Arizona Community Tree Council (ACTC).

 

More trees add to Arizona’s canopy, making Arizonans and their houses cooler. It reduces pollutants in the air, making Arizona cleaner. A cooler and cleaner community results in lower air conditioning bills for residents and businesses throughout Arizona. If homeowners and businesses plant trees on the west, south and/or east side of their homes, they would save 20 percent on their

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Green is the New Fresh Fall Color

Salad a Day program aims to improve health and wellness

 

(PHOENIX, Ariz., November 15, 2011) – Had enough of summer? Fall springs eternal as most of us look forward to experiencing the fresh outdoors and opening windows that have long been shuttered to protect us from the blistering heat that seems to last for an eternal summer season.

 

Duncan Family Farms is right with you and wants to share your enthusiasm about the arrival of a crisper, cooler season by sharing with you their fall bounty of fresh greens. Beyond the asphalt network of roads, office buildings, convenient stores and fast food outlets is the Duncan Family Farm in Goodyear that is harvesting fresh crops of cool, crisp greens from their rich fertile soil.

 

Duncan Family Farms is making it easy for you to get their fresh leafy greens and fantastic vegetables this season through their new program: “Salad-A-Day ~ the Duncan-Way.

Responding to requests from the public, Duncan is bringing the farm to your fork by offering this health and wellness

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Living Christmas Trees

From the Arizona Community Tree Council

 

Living trees are a perfect choice for those who want to plant a tree after the holidays. Living trees absorb carbon dioxide, supply oxygen, reduce soil erosion, increase property values, reduce energy use and beautify our surroundings.

 

Look for varieties that will grow in your area. For the low deserts choose Aleppo Pine, Eldarica (Afghan) Pine, Canary Island or Italian Stone Pine. For higher elevations look for Austrian Pine, Pinon Pine, Douglas Fir or Arizona Cypress. Make sure that the tree you choose will fit into your landscape. Most trees used as Christmas trees will eventually reach heights of 40 feet.

 

Living Christmas trees can be purchased at many nurseries and garden centers and at some retail lots and choose-and-cut farms. Purchase your tree early for the best selection. Look for trees with healthy, well-colored needles. Avoid those that show brown tips, are yellowing or shedding. Container-grown trees should not be root-bound. After purchase, be especially careful to avoid injury to the tree’s root system. Do not carry the tree by its trunk or drop it. Living trees can be stored in your yard

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PHOENIX, Arizona (September 20, 2011) – Daniel Stevens climbed to the No. 2 spot in at the 2011 ISA International Tree Climbing Championships that were held in Sydney, Australia July 23 – 24. Stevens placed second in the world in the belayed speed climb with a time of 25:90 seconds and finished as the sixth-best climber overall in the World at the international championships, which drew 62 of the world's best climbers from 19 countries. All 62 competitors advanced from regional competitions in their own countries to qualify for the international climbs.

Stevens placed second in belayed speed climb, placing behind Mark Chisolm, from New Jersey, with a time of 24:82. Chisolm won the ITCC 2010 championships. Placing sixth overall in the world, Stevens' competitors who placed first through fifth included No. 1 Scott Forrest of New Zealand, No. 2 Jared Abrojena form the U.S., No. 3 Joe Harris from Australia, No. 4 Johan Gustavsson from Sweden, No. 5 Jonathon Turnball from the UK.

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Join Duncan Family Farms in the Third Annual Friends of the Poor® Walk on Saturday, September 24, 2011 at The Hammers Complex on 99th Avenue and McDowell at 5:00 p.m. The three-mile Walk is a unique fund raising effort organized nationally and locally by Councils and Conferences of the Society of St. Vincent De Paul. It allows community members from all walks of life across the country to participate in a simultaneous, nationwide event to raise national awareness of the challenges faced by the nation’s poor and to raise significant funds for use in direct service to the poor. Funds raised locally will be used locally.

Duncan Family Farm's goal is to raise $10,000 as participants in the Annual Friends of the Poor® Walk. Arnott and Kathleen Duncan have a strong commitment to food access and participation in this national effort is one more way to support their goals.

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Arizona Organizing Project Partners With Phoenix Businesses To Create Urban Community Farm at 1010 Community Center


Community Center Farm in Phoenix to Train and Serve Homeless Population

Phoenix, Ariz. (May 24, 2011) - With literally tons of fertile donated soil, Arizona Organizing Project (AZOP) will launch an innovative partnership of local businesses to create an urban community farm on Thursday, May 26, 2011 located at 1010 West Adams in Phoenix as part of  AZOP’s Launch Week. The farm project will provide Phoenix’s downtown homeless population with easy access to locally-grown healthy food.

AZOP, committed to fostering healthy and sustainable communities organized and led by people emerging from homelessness, has partnered with Terry Ricketts and Jesse Sanchez of APS, Greg Peterson of the Urban Farm, Jim Beuerlein of GRO-WELL, Darren Chapman of Tigermountain Foundation, Phoenix Clean and Beautiful and plentiful outreach by AZOP’s peer groups and interns to initiate the 1010 Community Farm, a job retraining program focused on farming and yard design, edible landscape development and maintenance. “We’re going to transform the Capitol Mall and Woodland Neighborhoods into green plentiful urban farms, gardens and shaded homes,” says Scott Jacobson AZOP’s director of development. On Thursday, May 26 at 7:00 a.m. Greg Peterson, urban farmer extraordinaire, will be sharing his experience and wisdom as he actively mentors a group of homeless volunteers and individuals. The hands-on learning will begin with the installation of a series of 10 raised bed gardens at the 1010 Community Center. Each bed is 6 by 12 feet and one foot deep. The beds will be used to grow vegetables for the community to eat. “This is an exciting project for me as it brings the notion of growing our own food to a deeper level by sharing it with the homeless population of our community. Teaching them ‘how to fish’ in a farming sense,” states Peterson.

There will also be a series of classes offered to community members to learn about the care and maintenance of plants and harvesting techniques. Along with this program, the community members will learn yard maintenance skills they can offer local residents through the AZ Organizing Project Office.

Jim Beuerlein of GRO-WELL donated 27 yards of Premium Potting soil; lumber for the raised beds was donated by Arizona Public Service; Phoenix Clean & Beautiful donated a brand new tiller; and Urban Farm founder Greg Peterson is donating his time and effort to assist with designing the program, mentoring and instruction.

Terry Ricketts, APS commented, “Building grassroots community partnerships is the strongest tool for developing healthy communities. We get very excited about community projects like this -- it’s individuals, business and organizations working hands on in the community is the best way to bring forth long-term change.”

AZOP needs expert farmers, tools, gloves, vegetable seeds, fruit trees, anything that goes with a farm would be welcomed!  Do you know anyone who could donate their time to help train our willing novice farmers and teach farming in the Sonoran Desert where we have three full growing seasons a year?

About Arizona Organizing Project
The Arizona Organizing Project non-profit organization, operating under the 501c3 umbrella of the Atwood Health Foundation (EIN: 86-0975231), works with people currently living in chronic poverty to develop their skills and exercise their power, while supporting their efforts to take collective action to shape their own destiny.

1010 Community Center

AZOP - 1010 Community Center located at 1010 West Adams in Phoenix is a peer-run center led by formerly and currently homeless people that is a resource-rich environment for stable social enterprise development for homeless people who have a desire and aptitude to be social entrepreneurs. The work of these social entrepreneurs creates enterprises that improve the common good and solve a social problem in a new, more lasting and effective way than traditional approaches, while lifting them to sustainable prosperity.

Contact: Scott Jacobson, director of development for the Arizona Organizing Project and former executive director of Valley Leadership
Phone: 602-761-4273
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 24, 2011

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