A Good Time Was Had By All

Who says face paint is for kids? Thank you Nancy for your invaluable leadership year after year. We'd have never done it without you.
Snowball delighted children and grownups alike.There were many astonishing things to learn as children filled out their Market Passports by visiting each booth.
Our Guatemala Project could afford to take it easy with all those Change for Kids Challenge Goats on the way.
Thanking David Boothby for his many years of service with Heifer International. We'll miss you, Dave.Shoppers enjoying the beautiful fair-trade goods Esperanza en Accion brought us from Nicaragua.
We all learned a lot about poultry. Who knew domesticated birds were so diverse--and beautiful.A bin of worms, perfect for a little early Halloween.
The chick, sheep and tree beg to be bought. Who can resist such a sweet sale's pitch!
Eating and Talking in the Heifer Cafe.
A market visitor who had known Dan West assured us that Steve Ellens was very authentic in his presentation of "Meet Dan West" in our Heifer Theater.

Bob Zabonick took the above photographs and we thank him for using his talents on our behalf.

We Broke the Ark Barrier!

Third time's the charm! Heifer Happening earned a grand total of $6,681.49, $1,681.49 more than an Ark. We are so thankful for all the market visitor's who purchased animals. Together they raised $4,567.00. Our Change for Kids Challenge was a great boost raising a total of $1,180.14. We were particularly surprised by Faith United Methodist, which contributed the highest amount at $802.30 and won our "You Really Got Our Goat!" trophy. Other funds were collected through smaller ventures such as the Heifer Cafe and the Take Your Photo with an Animal Booth.
We would also like to thank our business sponsors for their gracious donations totaling 900 dollars. They gave us a head start on exceeding our goal, and we are exceedingly grateful. Be sure and say thanks to Russ' Restaurants, Dan Vos Construction, Quality Industrial Services, H&W Farms, BHT&D Financial Group, Dr. Linda Satterlee, Grand River Physical Therapy, LaFontsee Gallery, Brann's Steakhouse, and Affordable Feasts. Their support gave us hope and confidence.
We also have to thank the many Heifer volunteers who spent hours preparing booths, recruiting partners, coordinating materials and bringing in animals. Heifer Happening wouldn't happen without our dedicated volunteers.

A Child's Day at the Market

Arrive at Wesley Park UMC and say hello to the Alpaca on the church lawn.
Receive the Market Passport filled with games and activities and opportunities to win prizes.
Dash over to the Change for Kids Challenge booth to have the change in the Ark bank counted and be entered into the "You Really Got Our Goat!" Competition.
Meet the animals and learn about how they help families provide food, clothing, shelter and education to children around the world.
Take a tour of the world by visiting the Project booths.
Listen to the Storyteller and learn some songs at the Heifer Theater. Hang around to see the video about Beatrice Biira, from the book Beatrice's Goat, now that she is all grown up.
Take a break and get some food downstairs. All this talk about World Hunger can sure get your tummy rumbling!
Drop by the craft table for face painting and fun craft projects with Lori.
Look at the cool fair-trade purchases mom made.
Pick up your prizes at the Redemption Barn.
Say goodbye to the alpaca on your way back to the car, full of happy memories and dreams for a world without hunger.

Heifer Theater

This year all of our entertainment activities will take place in a separate area we've dubbed, The Heifer Theater. For all of our Change for Kids Challenge families we'll be presenting "Beatrice's Goat" the 60 Minutes program about Beatrice Biira and the goat that changed her life, allowing her to attend school and eventually college here in the US. One goat can make an amazing difference in a struggling family's life. Hopefully we'll have raised enough change to make a difference for a family in Guatemala.

Steve Ellens of Master Arts Theater will be presenting "Meet Dan West" a monologue about Heifer Internationals' visionary founder which will help our guests connect with Heifer's can-do, agrarian roots. Steve has been performing since 1976, and has performed other monologues about visionary leaders. He's also played Gandalf from The Hobbit and Zophar from The Book of Job.

Libby Kinsey has agreed to be our Storyteller and to teach the children songs. She is a seventh grade teacher with four grandchildren and a lot of experience pleasing an audience of young people. This can be a great break for parents of young children.

Pam Clevenger is also a long time performer who will favoring us with folk music from around the world on her violin. Thrilled to participate for the first time this year, she feel that Heifer's requirement of Passing on the Gift is the best thing about Heifer, turning receivers into givers.

We will also be showing a more general video about Heifer's work titled Passing on the Gift. Below is a time table for all the Heifer Theater activities.

9:30 – “Beatrice’s Goat”

10:00 – “Meet Dan West”

10:30 – Storyteller

11:00 – “Passing on the Gift” DVD

11:30 – “Meet Dan West”

12:00 – Storyteller

12:30 – “Beatrice’s Goat”

1:00 – “Meet Dan West”

1:30 – Storyteller

2:00 – “Passing on the Gift”

Rabbits and Goats and Alpacas, Oh my!

One of the best things about the Living Gift Market is the live animals. Many of us live lives separated from anything more exciting than a pet cat or dog by a long drive out to the country. The market brings the animals to you, and helps us all to remember the intimate connection between human beings and other mammals.
Cartoons have been the only education some of us have had on the habits of farm animals, and not surprisingly a lot of those assumptions are wrong. Our many 4H and other volunteers have been quick to correct misconceptions about such animals as goats. "They don’t really eat everything the way people think they do," Jean Kuhlman was quick to say when I interviewed her about bringing goats to the market. She pointed out that goats are very versatile and fun to raise. In many countries children care for goats because they are so loving and gentle.
Lucky for us the seemingly exotic alpaca is being raised by the Binkowski family who started working with sheep, but after learning how to shear alpacas became increasingly involved in both shearing and raising alpacas. When I asked Nancy why she thought the alpacas are such a hit each year at the market, she said, "I think the one thing that makes them a hit at the LGM's is that they are friendly and people can touch them and feel how soft they are, people love to have their pictures taken with them, which we love to have them do. Sometimes you might even get one of them to kiss you. " Alpaca fleece is very soft, warm and lightweight. Not only are alpacas great for the people of Peru, American alpaca farmers are working to educate Americans about the many benefits of Alpaca fleece.
Rabbits are another favorite, and who can resist their long ears, soft fur and wriggly noses, but a gift of rabbits to a family with little land and few resources should never be underestimated. Families with Heifer rabbits are raising them on the back porch — or even in the kitchen. So long as they are warm and dry, rabbits thrive, and they love to eat leftover vegetables. In turn, families get nitrogen-rich manure to use on gardens or to sell as fertilizer. And since rabbits have up to 40 offspring a year, they provide families with steady sources of protein and income.

Good Eats

As we have for the last three years, we will be offering breakfast and lunch at the market. Sue Alexander, a professional cook, will be slinging the hash. The menu hasn't been finalized yet, but it will most likely include--coffee and donuts for breakfast, sandwiches, chips and snack items for lunch. One of the more unusual items on the menu will be the "Walking Taco." Pictured on the right it features corn chips, taco meat and cheese and at our event it will be served in a cup and eaten with a spoon. Walking Tacos are a neater, handier version of the original. While we all work together to help make sure that others don't go hungry, Sue will be making sure our stomachs aren't rumbling either. All proceeds will go toward the purchase of animals.

Managing the Animals

Keep an eye out for Joanna Willoughby, our animal manager. She'll be responsible for setting up the pens and discretely dealing with the "effluvia" that is the by-product of live animals. A key member of the planning committee, Joanna has been a great help in getting the event organized and recruiting sponsors.

Joanna has heard about Heifer through her church and she was thrilled to discover that a living gift market was taking place so close to her house. When she attended last year she told Nancy she wanted to help. We've been so glad she did.

Our Thanks to Horrocks

Horrocks has come to our rescue by donating all the hay for the animal pens. Horrocks is one of Grand Rapids most unique stores offering specialty grocery, fresh produce, deli, meats, floral, garden center, nursery and home decor items.
Be sure to express your thanks the next time you're shopping Horrocks.

Exploring Heifer

Heifer has added a new feature to its extensive website. It's a tool to help people understand how Heifer does what Heifer does. The interface is easy to use and intriguing. The design is reminiscent of JK Rowling's excellent website, and should encourage folks to go deeper in their understanding of Heifer.
Check it out for yourself at http://www.heifer.org/site/c.edJRKQNiFiG/b.201470/

Getting the Word Out!

Getting people out to the market is a big push at this year's market. We've added all kinds of new tools to our publicity arsenal. We have two blogs, this one and the Change for Kids Challenge blog. We've put together an extensive press kit that we are sending out to all the media outlets in Grand Rapids, and we're actively recruiting churches for the Change for Kids Challenge via a telemarketing campaign.
Currently, we've sent out 11 press kits with another wave set to go in early October and we've contacted 336 churches via the phone. 164 churches have requested further information either by snail mail or email.
You can help by taking the message to your local organization and recruiting them to come to the market and/or participate in the Change for Kids Challenge. For fliers and brochures contact us through our email address, heiferhappening@gmail.com.

David Boothby: Our Honored Guest

David Boothby has been our regional volunteer coordinator. He is retiring soon, but he plans to continue working for Heifer as a volunteer. In that capacity he is coming to the market to help us introduce people to Heifer's mission. We will be honoring Mr. Boothby's 33 years of service throughout the day at the Living Gift Market.
David got interested in Heifer when he brought a youth group to the Heifer Ranch in 1974. From there his interest grew and eventually he signed on. Working for Heifer has sent him to 11 different countries of which, China was his favorite. He was the first American ever to visit the village where the Heifer project was located.
Make sure you look David up at the market. He has lots of stories to tell, and he knows the ins and outs of Heifer better than anyone.

How Does Heifer End Hunger?

Heifer's Steps to Sustainable Development

1. Community groups approach Heifer International for help in setting up an animal or agriculture project.

2. Country program staff meet with applicants to make sure the group's goals are compatible with Heifer's mission and that they have the capacity to carry out the project successfully. Heifer staff and project participants go through a careful planning process to decide which animals or crops would be most beneficial.

3. The project plans are submitted to the Heifer International headquarters for approval.

4. Before receiving their animals, project participants must first undergo rigorous training to learn about Heifer's Cornerstones such as gender equity and sharing and caring, which will guide them toward just and sustainable development. For many participants, the training is as important as the animals they receive.

5. Families build shelters and other facilities needed to keep animals healthy. Often, families build zero-grazing facilities - airy pens with elevated floors that keep animals with destructive grazing habits away from valuable crops. They also may plant trees and grasses to be used to feed their new animals.

6. Once families receive Heifer animals, they put their training to use. Soon, eggs, milk and meat improve nutrition. Extra eggs and milk can be sold to improve income, while animal manure fertilizes crops. Bees produce honey, and trees, vegetables, fruit and other crops begin to produce food, fuel and fibers. Water buffalo, oxen and camels provide draft power that makes farming and transportation much easier.

7. It's now time for project partners to pass on the gift of self-reliance to others. Heifer recipients pass one one or more of their animal's offspring, training and skills to another family in need. The new recipients agree to pass on the gift as well, creating a chain of giving that can touch thousands of lives.

8. Heifer project partners share stories of their successes with other groups. Project participants encourage others to seek Heifer's help so that they, too, can become self-reliant.

Music From Around the World

Pam Clevenger has been playing the violin for 40 years. This year she'll be playing for us. Pam is busy assembling folk tunes from around the world to add spice to our market. So far her favorite music comes from Bosnia. Bosnian music is a mixture of Turkish and Middle-Eastern sounds. The most difficult music to find for violin has been African music because African music is so highly rhythmic.
Pam's favorite Heifer animal is the water buffalo, and she believes the best thing about Heifer is passing on the gift. Knowing that her animal donation won't stop with the person who receives it makes giving to Heifer inspiring.
Follow your ears to find Pam at the market. Music makes the whole world kin. Thanks, Pam, for working so hard to draw us together.

Children will be busy, busy, busy, at the Market.

There has always been lots for children to see and do at Heifer Happening, but this year's market is bursting with activities even before they step in the door. Let's take a look at a young person's potential schedule at this year's market.

September 30--Pick up the Fill The Ark Bank and Calendar and begin the four week program of learning about world hunger and Heifer's friendly animal solutions. Start filling the bank one nickel at a time.
October 27--Head out to Heifer Happening.
Arrive at Wesley Park UMC and say hello to the Alpaca on the church lawn.
Receive the Market Passport filled with games and activities and opportunities to win prizes.
Dash over to the Change for Kids Challenge booth to have the change in the Ark bank counted and be entered into the "You Really Got Our Goat!" Competition.
Meet the animals and learn about how they help families provide food, clothing, shelter and education to children around the world.
Take a tour of the world by visiting the Project booths.
Listen to the Storyteller and learn some songs at the Heifer Theater. Hang around to see the video about Beatrice Biira, from the book Beatrice's Goat, now that she is all grown up.
Take a break and get some food downstairs. All this talk about World Hunger can sure get your tummy rumbling!
Drop by the craft table for face painting and fun craft projects with Lori.
Look at the cool fair-trade purchases mom made.
Say goodbye to the alpaca on your way back to the car, full of happy memories and dreams for a world without hunger.

Trees fight hunger too!

Trees are essential to life on earth. They breathe out oxygen and breathe in carbon dioxide. They hold water in the soil and moisture in the air. They provide food and medicines for birds, animals and people. That's why planting fast-growing trees that put back nitrogen in the soil, serve as wind-breaks and provide fodder, fencing and firewood is often the first step in an HPI project.
Our project in Guatemala will be establishing tree nurseries to promote sustainable agricultural practices for soil conservation such as live barriers, terracing, irrigation channels, minimum tillage, use of stubble and vermiculture, steep slopes reforestation and implementation of a nursery in each community. The project in Vietnam will be using trees as living fences for the dairy cattle we will be providing them.
Come to the market and be sure to stop by the tree booth to find out all the many ways that Heifer trees are fighting hunger around the world.

Fish Booth Addition was Inspired!

Kyle Christenson came to the first Living Gift Market and decided something was missing. We needed a fish booth! Kyle loves to fish, so he felt that we needed to know more about how fish contribute to the end of world hunger.
This year, Gambusia fish will be sent to the Navajo project. Gambusia fish are voracious eaters of mosquitoes and their larvae. Fish are often used in Heifer's Urban projects. The Living Machine aquaponic trough system provides space for a horticultural crop to be grown as well as the fish, either for personal consumption or for sale. These are just a few examples culled from Heifer projects that utilize fish.
Come to the market and get the full scoop on fish. Thanks, Kyle, for inspiring us. If you're feeling inspired to sponsor a booth, the fish booth is still available.

Three or Four Nickels

Here is a sample of the daily readings from the four-week calendar that forms the backbone of the Change for Kids Challenge. Every night as families sit down to dinner they have a little paragraph like this one to read and a giving challenge.
Teaching children about world hunger is a difficult task for any parent to undertake. The Heifer Fill the Ark Calendar and Bank helps parents present the problem with enough hope that children come away from the experience feeling empowered instead of overwhelmed. Three or four nickels is all it takes to help children begin to understand the importance of helping others.
Won't you as a church family undertake to help your children begin the lifelong habit of remembering those who won't be eating before they sit down to dinner? One little boy put his lunch in Jesus hands and 5,000 were fed. Let's see what God will do with your children's spare change.

Goat Booth Welcomes Change for Kids Challenge Participants

Jean Kuhlman, a market veteran and Judy Hyunh's sister, heads up our goat booth. Her granddaughter, Ali Chipman, has a good 4H goat that she brings to the market, and her grandmother prepares the booth. When I asked Jean what she liked best about goats, she said it was their versatility. Goats are easy to raise and fun.
Although they appear tough and gruff, goats are actually so gentle that it's usually the family's children who regularly care for them. In this way, goats really do become "nannies;" teaching their young caregivers all kinds of skills while building their self-esteem.
More and more children around the world are getting their protein from goat's milk. That's because goats thrive in extreme climates where other livestock can't, and eat grasses and leaves that cause other animals to turn up their noses (or snouts)! And if it's a Heifer goat, one struggling family can receive up to a gallon of milk from it every single day. That's more than enough milk not only to drink, but to use to make cheese, butter or yogurt, plus to sell whatever's left and buy much-needed clothes, school supplies and medicine.
We're sure that Jean and Ali will be busy this year as the children who have been saving up change for the Change for Kids Challenge drop by to see this year's star animal--the goat.
The goat booth is sponsored by Grand River Physical Therapy this year.

Change for Kids Challenge Update

In order to help churches get to the information about the Change for Kids Challenge more directly, I've created a special blog just for this aspect of Heifer Happening. As churches sign up, I'll post that information there, as well as details of the contest.
You can view the blog at http://changeforkids.blogspot.com/.

LaFont sees the Ducks and Geese. Sheep go Underground.

The LaFontsee Gallery/Underground Studio is sponsoring both the Ducks and Geese booth and the Sheep booth. An eye for truth and beauty inspired these important members of the local art scene to see the value of ending hunger. The LaFontsee Gallery is no newcomer to charitable activities. They are currently involved in supporting numerous charities of many sorts including God's Kitchen, Gilda's Club, and the Urban Institute for the Contemporary Arts.
Ducks and sheep will be given to the Navajo Project. The ducks will be part of an early detection system for the West Nile Virus, allowing the community to take action against the spread of the disease before it reaches levels threatening to humans and larger livestock. The sheep are part of a selective breeding program that aims to improve the genes of the local sheep herd.
Thank you, LaFontsee Galleries, for having the vision to provide hope.

All a Buzz about the Cow Booth

Carolyn Buskirk has the warm knowing voice of a grandmother. As we settled into our conversation about the cow booth, it was obvious that she loves working at the market. Carolyn has been a part of Heifer Happening since the first market when KeLinda Scott asked if there was anyone who could help with the animal booths. The Buskirks had been dairy farmers, so Carolyn took on the cow booth.
Making it fun for the children who come to the market was one of Carolyn's first considerations so she incorporated a game. "I enjoy the little children and watching them play the game I made for the booth. The game is a wheel with a spinner divided up into the different Heifer animals. Each child gets five spins of the wheel and if it lands on the cow they get a prize. They almost always get a prize even if it doesn’t land on the cow," she says with a chuckle.
Carolyn also values the opportunity to help people understand the importance of cows, and the value of milk. A single Heifer cow can deliver up to four gallons of protein-packed milk every day. Giving one of these cows to a hungry family changes their lives. These four gallons of milk provide children with the nourishment they need to head off to school. A school that many children are able to attend only because of their Heifer cow. Income earned by selling surplus milk pays for tuition as well as medicine, clothing and better housing.
Heifer cows can help crops grow. They are after all a natural fertilizer factory. Because a healthy cow can have a calf every year, the gift of a cow could eventually help an entire community move from poverty to self-reliance.
Brann's Steakhouse is proudly sponsoring the cow booth this year, and they've provided Carolyn with coupons for the first 100 visitors. Make sure you stop by the cow booth early.

Our First Press Kit is Finished and Available

For the first time, we are offering the media a press kit. We have gathered together all the details of the Living Gift Market including photos, interviews with market volunteers, and other useful information. Writers and members of the media may request one through our email address, heiferhappening@gmail.com. One kit per media outlet only. Thanks.

Steve Ellens will present "Meet Dan West"

Steve Ellens, of Master Arts Theater, will be presenting the monologue "Meet Dan West" at the Market this year. With decades of experience in more that 50 plays, he is sure to capture the spirit of Heifer's visionary founder. Steve is already preparing for the role by listening to recordings of Dan West speaking and rehearsing the script. He is hoping to find a video of Dan to further enable him to bring the character to life.
This isn't a new kind of project for Steve, he was also tapped to present a monologue about an influential doctor at Butterworth Hospital. Steve has directed plays and appeared in commercials. Working with Master Arts Theater seemed like a natural choice. "It’s basically a Christian Theater. They do good work, nothing half-way. I liked acting before so it was a double benefit, I could do Christian work and still act." Working with the troupe has also opened other doors for Steve expanding his career.
Steve's favorite Heifer animal is the cow. He was a farm boy for eighteen years, growing up with Holsteins. We're so glad that Steve will be able to bring some of Heifer's history to life.

Affordable Feasts Sponsors Pig Booth

Affordable Feasts knows a good bargain when they see one, after all they are experts in feasting Grand Rapids for less. Their legendary pig roast is a sure crowd-pleaser.
This year the pigs purchased at the Living Gift Market will be going to an orphanage in Poland where they will not only provide much needed income to keep the orphanage solvent, they will also provide comfort to the children and skills they can take into adulthood.
Thank you, Affordable Feasts, for making certain that Grand Rapidians aren't the only ones at the table.

While you're shopping, check out Esperanza en Accion

Esperanza en Accion will be bringing fair-trade goods from Nicaragua to sell at this year's LGM. Committed to paying fair prices to the artisans, seamstresses, and coffee growers of Nicaragua, Esperanza is changing lives in the second poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. Many of the families that work with Esperanza en Accion start out with nothing, but when they begin receiving fair wages they are able to send their children to school, build safe homes and provide for their family's day to day needs.
Be sure to stop by the table filled with pottery, jewelry, baskets, clothing and coffee from Nicaragua, and take some time to learn about the importance of fair-trade goods.

Doctor Satterlee cares for Zambian Project

Dr. Linda Satterlee of Belding has agreed to sponsor the Zambian project at this year's Living Gift Market. As a doctor she knows the importance of good nutrition and the power of putting hope in the hands of young people. We know the young people of the Monze Diocese of Zambia will be glad for the help.
We certainly are.

Quality Industrial Services takes on the Polish orphanage project.

Quality Industrial Services know a thing or two about how to help a small business expand. The Eagle's Orphanage project is a small farming enterprise that will supply vital funds to support the orphanage. The training in good farm practices will also help the orphans be prepared with life-skills they can take away into adulthood.
Thank you, QIS. We are glad we passed your inspection.

H and W Farms Sponsors Guatemala Project

H and W Farms

From one farmer to another H and W Farms, which processes one million pounds of cherries and one hundred thousand bushels of apples annually, offers support to Guatemalan farmers as they seek to become self-sufficient. This is a particularly appropriate match as organic farming methods and a tree nursery are an important part of the Guatemalan project.
Thank you, H and W Farms for passing on the gift of your success.

Navajo Project sponsored by BHT and D Financial Group

If anyone is able to way the merits of Heifer's approach to helping the poor it has to be Biggs, Hausserman, Thompson and Dickinson. BHT and D Financial Group has been providing sound financial advice to Grand Rapids businesses since 1971. We are proud to have them sponsor our Navajo Project.
Thank you, BHT and D. We appreciate your support.

Dan Vos Construction Company sponsors the Vietnam Project

A pillar in the community, recently finishing their 150th church building, Dan Vos Construction knows the value of a good foundation. For families in Vietnam, a cow can be the foundation of a successful dairy business that will make the difference between struggling to survive and success. Dan Vos Construction's sponsorship will help us raise the necessary funds to offer these families fresh hope and a strong beginning.

Thank you, Dan Vos Construction, for continuing your commitment to community service in a way that will touch the world.

Grand River Physical Therapy sponsors the Goat Booth

We would like to thank Gail Braun of Grand River Physical Therapy for agreeing to sponsor our Goat Booth. Physical Therapists specialize in relieving stress and promoting success in overcoming obstacles. By sponsoring the Goat Booth they will be doing both for families in need.
Grand River Physical Therapists offers a comprehensive list of services in a beautiful and well-stocked facility.

Thank you, GRPTS for helping us get our goat!

You Really Got Our Goat, Trophies

We are excited to announce that the organization and the individual who bring in the most change for our Change for Kids Challenge will receive our fabulous--"You Really Got Our Goat!" Trophy.
The five inch trophy with gold-colored goat on a black and marble-grain base is sure to add a special something to any mantle.
Of course, anyone who helps change a child's future is a winner in our book. We hope you'll do your part to make sure that we really do "Get Our Goat!"

Our Guatemalan Project is the destination for our Change for Kids Goat

GUATEMALA Food Security/Q’eqchi
23-0102-02

A total of 112 Maya Q’eqchi families from the regions of Carcha, Chicojl, and Cojal in north-central Guatemala will participate in this project in partnership with FUNDAMENO (Q’eqchi’ Mennonite Foundation of Guatemala). It will improve the nutritional and economic situation of the participating families by providing rabbits, turkeys, and goats. Families will be trained in animal management and in the production of organic vegetables. This project will improve overall agricultural production by incorporating worm-composting and diversification of crops, while promoting the conservation of natural resources through the establishment of tree nurseries and sustainable agriculture practices.

This project is special because it is the destination of our "Change for Kids Challenge" goat. Kids from Grand Rapids will be raising funds to purchase a goat by saving their change in our special "Ark" banks. We need a business to sponsor this special project. If you like helping "kids," this could be the one for you. Contact us at heiferhappening@gmail.com.

Living Gift Markets: A Growing Phenomenon

Holding a Living Gift Market isn't limited to Grand Rapids, there are many gift markets held around the country. I've been doing a little research and here's a few I found online.
North Manchester, IN has held a LGM since 1988 and they have managed to raise 310,000 dollars in that time span. This year they raised over 20,000 dollars.
Wright County, MN holds a Baby Animal Fair each year. This year 3,000 people attended and 13,000 dollars were raised.
West Hartford, CT has a sixth grade class that raised 18,500 dollars at their Living Gift Market in 2006.
Our Living Gift Market is a growing event, each year we get a little bigger and we go a little further. Now is a great time to get involved.

Vietnamese Dairy Production in the Mekong Delta

VIETNAM Promotion of Dairy Production
22-0775-07

This project will provide 50 dairy cows to 40 families in the Mekong Delta to increase the project family's income. Four dairy cooperatives will be set up in four villages to promote small scale dairy production and to improve the animal health in these areas.

Heifer Viet Nam will implement this project through the four dairy cooperatives which will be set up in these four villages. The animals will be distributed through the cooperatives to individual families. Training and other technical services will also be arranged through the cooperatives. Men and women equally share the leadership roles and responsibilities in the cooperative groups. Passing on the Gift will be managed by the cooperatives and the groups will also assist individual members with milk marketing.

Grass seeds will be distributed to the farmers to grow feed for the cows. Families will receive young seedlings to build living fences, which are fences made by growing trees, especially nitrogen fixing trees. The living fences will provide shade, fencing, animal feed, firewood and also prevent soil erosion.

This project is sponsored by Dan Vos Construction. If your business would like to sponsor one of our remaining projects, please contact us through our email, heiferhappening@gmail.com.

Judy Huynh's Read to Feed Table for Teachers

Karen Merchant takes a moment to chat with Judy Huynh at our Read to Feed Booth.

Judy Huynh works at our Read to Feed table. When I asked her about Read to Feed her answers were so good I'm going to let her speak for herself.

Read to Feed is a curriculum developed by Heifer to teach young people about sustainable solutions toward ending poverty and hunger in the world and to help them learn that they can make a difference in the world.The curriculum integrates all content areas. Teachers can choose to do one lesson or all the lessons. They may choose to have students involved in gathering pledges for books read to raise money for Heifer, if they wish.
Read to Feed benefits children here because they become better readers and global citizens; they understand that they can make a difference in the world by how they live their lives, and they can help children around the world to have better lives. If they choose to collect pledges for the books they read and send it to Heifer, that money will help children in the places where the money is sent to have food to eat and the opportunity to get an education. Even if students don't participate in the collecting of money for books read, they learn about the causes of hunger and poverty in the world, and they learn to make better choices in their own lives, which will impact children all around the world.
I just received a letter last week notifying me that I have been selected to serve as a member of Heifer's new School Programs Advisory Council. As a member of this council, I will be providing comments, feedback and expertise on the development and implementation of the new elementary/primary grade program for Read to Feed. Our first meeting will be a conference call on June 18th. I'm really excited about participating in this.
I have done presentations on Heifer and Read to Feed at county, state, and national conferences for teachers. I have also done workshops on Heifer for 4-H. Lynda Richter, Olga Albert, Pam Trevan and I have presented twice together in Ionia County in costume! Pam has a chicken costume, Olga has a lamb costume, Lynda has a chicken costume, and I have a cow costume! It's really fun.
To learn more about Read to Feed visit Heifer's website, readtofeed.org.