Dear Friends,
Happy new year! Thanks to support from you, our year end appeal has so far raised $9,650. Your generosity is already making an impact. Our environmental team is gearing up for a robust 2020 by taking new courses and trainings!
Blue Skies Landscaping (BSL) team members are hitting the books at MATC in Landscape Horticulture, enhancing their knowledge and abilities in the landscaping trade. The opportunity to grow leadership within the team is an important value in our work.
Aton and several BSL staff are currently refining their skills in Milwaukee JobsWork’s Career Readiness Workshop. According to Aton, “the training is helping me take time to think of where I’m at in terms of my wellness and career. It has helped me reassess where my goals are and how I can reach them moving forward.”
Additional opportunities for professional growth are now mapped out, including an all-staff excursion to the iLandscape show in Illinois in late January, and trainings in construction math, OSHA safety, green infrastructure, and leadership.
The Walnut Way Campus continues to be a busy hub for environmental stewardship as the work has grown to keep staff engaged and working year-round. In winter, we perform snow removal services and special projects such as renovation and remodeling work and post-harvest handling of our farm’s produce. For example, organic leeks harvested by the team are being dehydrated for sale this year at Fondy Farmers Market and to wholesale customers.
Our campus continues to grow as we revitalize the built environment and enhance our commercial corridors with The Innovations and Wellness Commons. In November, we broken ground for the much anticipated Phase II of the Innovations and Wellness Commons. In order to enable affordability and sustainability, Walnut Way has refinanced our Phase I loan, into lower monthly payments that are interest-free for 18 months and we have secured financing from IFF for Phase II to complete construction.
We are excited for what 2020 will bring, which makes this our 20th year in operation. We hope to see you in the new year. Thank you for supporting our work – many hands truly make it light. Without you, it is not possible.
Warm wishes in the new year!
Antonio Butts,
Executive Director, Walnut Way Conservation Corp.
