Goal #1: Growing Food

1. Grow, market, sell and distribute locally grown, beyond-organic, year-round (or extended season), fish, food, flowers, and other value-added products to the citizens, visitors and neighbors of Oshkosh, Wisconsin.Some of the food we are already growing!

2. Provide low-cost (or free) delicious and nutritious food and/or program services to those who are most in need within the community. (Potential partners include, but are certainly not limited to: food pantries, warming shelters, community centers, senior centers, nursing homes, assisted living communities, hospitals and clinics, schools and childcare centers, and other non-profit agencies or social service organizations serving the greater Oshkosh area.)

 

Goal #2: Growing Jobs

1. Create and sustain local jobs for local people. Employment/volunteerism opportunities abound in:Carpentry is one of the many opportunities for job training at GO!Traditional urban, and/or rural farming, gardening, and landscapingAquaponics and fish husbandryComposting & vermicomposting (worms!) including waste collectionBuilding, construction and facility maintenanceInstalling, operating and maintaining renewable energy technologiesSelling, marketing and distributing sustainable products and servicesEducation, outreach, community organizing and programming

2. Create job-training opportunities by hiring student interns and/or creating apprenticeships with local high schools, colleges, universities, and vocational/technical schools.

 

Goal #3: Growing Community

1. Revitalize and beautify Oshkosh, neighborhood by neighborhood, by turning unsightly, vacant, or abandoned property into vibrant, awe-inspiring, and alive local places of pride.

2. Make Oshkosh an eco-destination and regional educational center by educating citizens and visitors first-hand through interactive, hands-on programs, services, classes, workshops, and other special events.

 

Goal #4: Growing Habitat

1. Grow, sell, and/or donate native fish, plants, flowers, and seeds to local agencies or organizations working to conserve, preserve, or restore wildlife habitats and native ecosystems.

2. Attract a wide variety of local pollinators by planting butterfly and hummingbird gardens that will also serve as inclusive neighborhood gathering places for relaxation and recreation.

3. Create additional habitat and wildlife corridors for disappearing grassland and wetland birds by restoring and beautifying our shorelines, the Fox river and Winnebago pool lakes.

 

Goal #5: Growing Hope

1. Instill a sense of hope and community especially in at-risk populations and neighborhoods, by providing opportunities for people of all ages and socioeconomic status to learn a new skill or trade, or simply be a part of a healthy, growing, and inclusive community.

2. Engage and inspire others, especially children, to create their own food and flower spaces, and join in the “Eat Local” and “Good Food” revolutions.

3. Incorporate art, music, and fun into each project, program, and event to engage a wider group of diverse citizens to grow a more sustainable Oshkosh.