Blue Ridge Permaculture Network

upcoming events

2012-01-06T13:27:00.000-08:00

Greetings all,

Happy 2012! Below is a great collection of info on upcoming permaculture and sustainability events in the central Virginia bioregion, including our Spring 2012 BRPN Permaculture Design Course (only a few spaces left), a BRPN potluck with a community talk by Dave Jacke next Saturday (COME ONE, COME ALL), and lots of great sustainable agriculture conferences.

If you know anyone else that would like to sign up for this newsletter, or if you have an announcement, email Christine at christinegyovai@gmail.com for the next update, which are sent monthly.

Best,
Christine and the Blue Ridge Permaculture Network team
www.blueridgepermaculture.net

1. Blue Ridge Permaculture Network potluck and
Dave Jacke Community Presentation on “Ecosystem Agriculture and Forest Gardens”

Come One – Come all!
Saturday, January 14, 2012
at Mountaintop Montessori School
440 Pinnacle Place, Charlottesville, VA 22911

BRPN Potluck at 6:00 pm, 7:30 Dave Jacke presentation
Bring utensils and a dish to share
Suggested donation $10 for community presentation to support PDC scholarships

www.blueridgepermaculture.net

2. Spring 2012 BRPN Permaculture Design Course
ONLY A FEW SPACES LEFT – SIGN UP TODAY!
We are pleased to announce our winter - spring 2012 Permaculture Design Course: Sustainability Strategies for the Blue Ridge, over four weekends near Charlottesville, Virginia.

This Permaculture Design Course lays the foundation for understanding and working with natural systems to design sustainable environments that produce food, shelter, and energy. It also provides participants with models of community development and extension by which they can create networks of support for themselves and empower others to do the same. The course provides tools to help design and develop urban or rural properties or neighborhoods in a sustainable manner, revitalize local communities, and restore ecological balance.
Permaculture promotes land use systems that work with natural rhythms and patterns to create regenerative cultivated ecosystems. Participants will learn how to design and build gardens, homes, and communities that model living ecosystems. By understanding patterns in nature, students will learn how to grow food, manage water catchment and storage, utilize renewable energy and build community.

The ecological design course covers themes such as: ecological systems understanding, organic food production, natural soil improvement, watershed restoration, water conservation and management, edible forest gardening, native medicinal plants, natural habitat restoration, healthy buildings and human settlements, community and consensus building strategies, renewable energy systems, sustainable community development, local economics, and ecological planning and design methods.

This 72-hour certificate course, presented by the Blue Ridge Permaculture Network, will be offered over four weekends with leading permaculture teachers including Emily Axelbaum, Christine Gyovai, Dave Jacke, Hub Knott, Terry Lilley, Dave O’Neill, and guests (teacher bios on the website). The course will be held near Charlottesville, Virginia, at Montfair on the following dates:

Dates: Jan. 13-16, Jan. 27-29, Feb. 18-20, and March 3-4, 2012.

The cost for this course will be a sliding scale, including a discount for early registration. If you register by November 15 the sliding scale is $895-$1200. After November 15 the sliding scale is $995-$1200. A few work trade positions are available for partial tuition; inquire soon about work trade guidelines and availability. The work-trade application deadline ends on December 1st, 2011, and limited scholarships may be available, inquire for details. To register please visit the BRPN website for a registration form, or contact Terry Lilley at tygerlilley@gmail.com or 434-296-3963.

www.blueridgepermaculture.net

3. TRAINING FOR TRANSITION
Dates: February 10th-12th (Friday evening – Sunday evening)
Location: City Space, 100 5th St. NE, Charlottesville, Virginia 22902
Host Organization: Transition Charlottesville/Albemarle

Background/Purpose:
As we face the challenges of peak oil, climate change, and economic contraction, the Transition Movement is a positive approach that focuses on local solutions and building community resilience. Training for Transition is a two-day, in-depth, experiential workshop designed to introduce Transition for those considering bringing a Transition initiative to their community and/or to deepen understanding of Transition for those already actively organizing in their locale.

Participants will:
· Discuss the context for Transition initiatives, including the current global situation and converging crises of climate change, peak oil, resource depletion, and economic contraction, and how to effectively raise awareness on these issues on your home turf;
· Learn key concepts of the Transition model, guiding principles, primary ingredients, and the larger process for organizing your community towards local resilience;
· Learn how to set up a successful initiating group, organize effective meetings, inspire positive action, facilitate collaboration, reach diverse sectors of your community (including food, energy, transportation, economy, and health), and build momentum for transformational work in your community;
· Participate in a collective visioning process and develop initial action steps for yourself and your community;
· Form connections with other change leaders interested in this rapidly growing, positive, global movement!

The course delves into both the theory and practice of Transition that is working in hundreds of communities around the world. The training is a mix of presentation, visual media, participatory discussions, small group work, and practical planning that you can take home and use. Participants are invited to share their experience and learn from others throughout the course.

Who Should Attend:
People interested in learning about the Transition movement in greater depth, leaders who are already creating a Transition initiative in their community, and leaders of community groups who wish to be resources for the Transition movement in their locale.

Full and partial scholarships are available. No one will be turned away for lack of funds. To apply for a scholarship, please answer the following questions and email your responses to transitioncvilleinfo@gmail.com

Questions?
Please contact Joanie Freeman at freeman.joanie@gmail.com or Sarah Frazer at sarahfraz@gmail.com.

4. Sacred Plant Traditions workshop with Phyllis Light
March 30 - April 1, 2012
Friday - Appalachian spirituality
Phyllis will take us deep into the magical realms of Appalachian spirituality and the shamanic traditions that she learned form her elders and teachers.
Saturday & Sunday
- Natural Mental Health Approaches
With astronomical percentages of our population on some form of psychoactive medications it is time that the herbal community understand our place in this crisis.We’ll be discussing ADD/ADHD, depression, learning disabilities, OCD, etc, all as patterns of dysfunction not diagnosis. We’ll also be discussing them in relationship to constitutions.
www.sacredplanttraditions.com

5.
Farm Work – Charlottesville area farm

Looking for a Farm Assistant for 2012 season. Would be responsible for all aspects of field work (seeding to harvesting of vegetables, flowers, and herbs) and selling at farmers' market. Season would be March-November. Minimum of 1 year farming experience is required. This position would be a good fit for a person with some experience who wants to have more responsibility and learn more about all aspects of running a farm while receiving guidance and mentoring. Compensation is a weekly stipend, produce for personal use, and participation in monthly CRAFT farm tours/workshops. For more information: contact Steph at: newbranchfarm@gmail.com

6. Food Stamped at the Local Motion Film Series
Tuesday, January 17, 2012 at the Mockingbird in Staunton, VA
Time = 7:00pm until 9:00pm
Description

Film is FREE! ($5 suggested donation to help support Staunton's first and only ongoing alternative film series.)

Those of you who care about the other side of local food —how ALL locals are eating, or who are passionate about social justice and fighting hunger in America will want to see this movie.

Food Stamped is an informative and humorous documentary film following a couple as they attempt to eat a healthy, well-balanced diet on a food stamp budget. Through their adventures they consult with members of U.S. Congress, food justice organizations, nutrition experts, and people living on food stamps to take a deep look at America’s broken food system. (62 minutes)

Winner, Jury Feature Prize – 2011 San Francisco Independent Film Festival.

Co-sponsored by Transition Staunton Augusta, AmeriCorps*VISTA Food Security and the Spencer Center for Civic and Global Engagement at Mary Baldwin College. Vigorous group discussion to follow the screening.

Transition Staunton Augusta's Local Motion Third Tuesday Film Series is celebrating nearly two years of continuous film showings at the Mockingbird Restaurant and Roots Music Hall. Join us in February for our 2 year anniversary showing of The Corporation on February 21, 2012.

Doors open at 5:30 for dinner in the Roots Music Hall. Dinner reservations strongly encouraged at 540.213.8777.

7. Teaching Permaculture Creatively 2012: Eastern PA
A Nine-Day Intensive Professional Permaculture Teacher Training Course
March 23 through April 1, 2012, Kimberton Waldorf School, Phoenixville, PA

Consider this proposition: Events make the best teachers. The most significant learnings of our lives mostly come from situations we have experienced, and even when people lecture well, they make their presentation an event from which we learn. If events make the best teachers, it would follow that effective educators focus their energy on designing effective learning events. How does this apply to teaching permaculture?
This nine-day intensive Permaculture Teacher Training explores how to create permaculture learning events, applying ecological principles and processes to the design of permaculture workshops, courses, and other experiences. Learn how to quickly assess students’ learning modalities, eight intelligences, and other niche characteristics; create effective learning environments; design multifunctional, functionally interconnected courses where the whole experience is far greater than the sum of the sessions!
Each trainee in this course will design and run short classes and exercises, speak in public, plan and budget an event, and coteach a public one-day permaculture workshop at course end. What do whole learning systems look, feel and sound like? Come find out! The best way to learn is to do, and to have fun doing it! Join us!
Limited to 27 certified permaculture design course graduates; pre-course preparation required.
Course Staff:

Dave Jacke, primary author of Edible Forest Gardens, has taught innumerable workshops and courses across the country using the principles you will learn in this training. This is the fifth teacher training he will lead.

Farmer, educator, and designer Chris Jackson works with at-risk youth and livestock at a school in Plainfield, VT, and homesteads there. He took this training with Dave and Jono Neiger in 2007, and has taught three trainings with Dave since.

Kim Almeida hails from the south shore of Boston, where she farms organic annual and perennial vegetables, workshops, and social systems. This will be her second time assisting with this training, which she took in 2009.

Costs:
• A $25 nonrefundable application fee applies to course cost if accepted. You may register and pay the application fee at:http://permacultureteachertraining.eventbrite.com

• Cost for tuition, meals, lodging: $1,300-$1,700 sliding scale. Early application discount: $1,250 if completed applications are received before February 1! Commuters (no breakfast or lodging included): $1,050-$1,450 sliding scale, $1,000 if completed application received by February 1.

• An additional nonrefundable deposit of $275 is required to hold your place once accepted into the program. Full payment is required by March 1, 2010.

• Partial scholarships will be available—and your completed scholarship application will help us raise funds!

For more information, download the brochure, Student Outcomes, and the course application (includes scholarship application) at http://www.meetup.com/permie/files/.
CONTACT:
The Eastern Pennsylvania Permaculture Guild, c/o Melissa Miles,
101 Abbey Drive, Linfield, PA 19468,  (484) 949-1600,
easternpennpermacultureguild@gmail.com
ALSO: check out the Carbon Farming Course coming this January—I’ll be sharing the stage with Wes Jackson of The Land Institute! Also will include Darren Doherty on Keyline, Elaine Ingham on Living Soils, and many other great classes! www.carbonfarmingcourse.com

8. Advanced Permaculture Design Course
With Dave Jacke of Dynamics Ecological Design and
Jono Neiger of Regenerative Design Group present:

Laying Groundwork: A 9-Day Advanced Permaculture Design Course
At Brook’s Bend Farm, A Permaculture Research and Education Center
Friday evening, June 8 through Sunday, June 17, 2012

Lay the groundwork for your deepening practice of permaculture design and for the establishment of a permaculture training and demonstration center at Brook’s Bend Farm. This Advanced Permaculture Design Course (APDC) offers you direct experience designing permaculture systems that will build your design skills, your confidence and your portfolio, and spur you to deepen your self-study of the field. At the same time, you will help plan the transformation of Brook’s Bend Farm into a thriving multi-dimensional permaculture and nature awareness training and demonstration facility.

COURSE FORMAT:
Course staff and participants will together form a large-scale paraprofessional design team tasked to resolve key design challenges and create a Schematic Master Plan for Brook’s Bend Farm. This involves integrating farming, livestock, forest garden, coppice, and building systems for the farm’s 90 acres of woods, streams, pastures, and farm buildings. We’ll dive into previous site assessment and design work by students of the Conway School of Landscape Design (CSLD). Each participant will then focus on one of several key “design streams” relating to the whole design, such as: water supply and waste water treatment systems; food production, processing, storage, and distribution systems; forest use and management; livestock grazing and foraging, and buildings and energy systems. Each “stream” will take on design problems in a mentored group-learning environment. As a collective, we will synthesize these streams into a unified Master Plan and present to a larger public audience by course end.
In this APDC, you will learn through design exercises, participatory classes, observation sessions, and self-study. Pre-course homework will be required. The course itself will be a fun, full-on design charrette with classes mixed in. At course end, you and your team will synthesize everything you have learned into design schemes and details to present to the clients and the public. The design process will be your main teacher; it will tell you what you need to learn. We’ll be there to support and guide you along the way.

INSTRUCTORS:
Primary instructors Dave Jacke and Jono Neiger co-developed and co-taught “design-centered” permaculture courses together over many years. Dave is primary author of the award-winning book Edible Forest Gardens, and teaches design, permaculture, and forest gardening across the USA and Canada. He has run his own design firm, Dynamics Ecological Design, since 1984, and is now working on his second book, Coppice Agroforestry, with Mark Krawczyk (www.edibleforestgardens.com). Jono cofounded the Regenerative Design Group, a Greenfield, MA design firm (www.regenerativedesigngroup.com), is on the faculty at the Conway School of Landscape Design in Conway, MA (www.csld.edu), and is on the board of the Permaculture Institute of the Northeast. Dave and Jono both graduated from CSLD, Dave in 1984, and Jono in 2003. Apprentice teachers, as well as a coterie of guest instructors and design reviewers, will also join the course’s faculty.

COURSE COST:
Tuition and food: sliding scale $1,150-1,550, with an early registration discount of $50 before April 1, 2012. Scholarships will be available; inquire for more information. Tuition payments above the bottom of the sliding scale will be used for scholarships, so please be generous if you can.
Meals: All meals will be provided as part of the tuition.
Accommodations: Camping and limited indoor accommodations will be available on site for an additional nominal fee.

PREREQUISITES AND REGISTRATION:
• All course participants must have completed a certified Permaculture Design Course, and must furnish a copy of their course certificate with their deposit to hold their place in the APDC. If you want to take the course but cannot meet this prerequisite, please inquire.
• A $400 deposit is required to hold your place in the APDC. The full balance is due by May 15, 2011. Make checks out to Dynamics Ecological Design and mail to the address below. Credit card/Paypal payments will incur a fee from Evenbrite, and may be made at bbfadvpcdesign.eventbrite.com.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact Ben Miller, Brook’s Bend Farm
119 Old Sunderland Road, Montague, MA 01351
413-367-2132 • beenfly@yahoo.com

9. Virginia Biological Farming Conference
"Transitioning to Organic Agriculture"
Feb. 10-11, 2012
Holiday Inn, Koger Center
Richmond, Virginia

We hope you will join us for this informative, always stimulating event. Pre-conference options begin at 10 am on Feb. 10, followed by our traditional food-festival potluck-type lunch for which we ask everyone who wants to join us to bring a dish of food to share. We provide paper plates, cups, and flatware.

Our trade show begins at 11 am.
Official welcome, youth program, and opening plenary session start at 1 pm.

Who comes to the conference?

Certified organic farmers and market gardeners
Practitioners of organic farming / gardening who have chosen not to be certified
Sustainable, ecological and low-input producers
Biodynamic gardeners and farmers
Producers of pastured beef, poultry, eggs, dairy cows or goats, etc.
Home gardeners and homesteaders
Researchers and other agricultural professionals interested in organic or sustainable agriculture
Others who want to support ecological agriculture or sustainable food systems, or who simply want safe, nutritious, fresh, locally-grown food.

Mary-Howell and Klaas Martens, the Friday afternoon keynote speakers for our conference, were conventional grain farmers in New York until Klaas began to develop health problems due to pesticide exposure in 1991. Following the examples of other organic farmers, the Martens began transitioning to organic production in 1992. They received invaluable assistance from a neighbor named Cliff Peterson concerning weed control through mechanical cultivation. They also learned a great deal about management of soil fertility, organic quality control and adding value to their organic grains by producing livestock feeds. Today they operate 1300 acres organically with higher profits per acre than they ever earned using conventional practices.

The keynote speaker at the Virginia Biological Farming Conference in 2009 was Will Allen with Growing Power from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Mr. Allen described the incredible system he developed for commercial production of horticulture crops in urban neighborhoods of Milwaukee and Chicago. This inner city farming is based on utilization of compost made from food wastes collected from many urban sources such as restaurants, bakeries and institutional food services.

Renee Catacalos and Christian Melendez from ECO City Farms in Edmonston, Maryland will provide the second keynote presentation at the 2012 Virginia Biological Farming Conference. They will speak about their successful development of the Growing Power model for urban horticulture in their city in Maryland. Many people have heard Will Allen speak but these folks at ECO City Farms have actually employed the Growing Power model.

Have a look at our program to see all the other great sessions offered!

http://www.vabf.org/annual-conference

10. Richmond, VA home for sale, a two-story arts-and-crafts style house on 1/3 acre. Home is fully renovated, including refinished hardwood floors, bright and charming. The yard has lots of perennial edibles: grape trellises, dwarf apple and cherry trees, elderberry, asparagus, and rhubarb, plus perennial herbs. There are also several raised beds for annuals. $125,000. Contact Anna at annatulou@gmail.com for more info.

11. Allegheny Mountain School Seeks 7-9 Fellows for its Sustainable Food and Community Development Program in Highland County, Virginia.

Allegheny Mountain School (AMS) is assembling a group of highly curious, hardworking young adults to create a cohesive and cooperative team for living, working, and studying sustainable food systems and community development. AMS was founded in 2011 and beginning on May 1, 2012 our second group of AMS Fellows will spend 6 months (Phase I) in residence on Allegheny Mountain in western Virginia, followed by one year in the service of Partner Organizations (Phase II) along the Route 250 corridor of the two Virginias. Our goal for this year of service is that each AMS Fellow will touch the lives of at least ten families through teaching gardening and building sustainable local food programs.

AMS Fellows will be provided room and board during Phase I and there are no program fees (other than to apply). Fellows will receive a small stipend at the end of Phase I and a monthly stipend during Phase II, where they will be working within community organizations whose focus is strengthening connections to our local food system in communities, neighborhoods and schools. Fellows will be trained in a variety of farm skills, from organic gardening to permaculture site design, preserving food, carpentry skills and small animal husbandry.

The AMS Residency Program (Phase I) is located in Highland County on a 550 acre farm on the western edge of Virginia. The work/learning program will take place on the farm and at community projects in surrounding areas. Workshops and seminars will occur both on and off campus.

AMS Community Engagement (Phase II) entails working with a Partner Organization located along the Route 250 corridor of the two Virginias. Fellows will be expected to help build capacity for the organization’s mission as they share and teach the skills they have learned during their first six months in the program.

For more information, visit www.alleghenymountainschool.org/apply-for-2012 or email us at info@alleghenymountainschool.org. Allegheny Mountain School is a program of The Highland Center in Monterey VA. You can reach The Highland Center at (540) 468-1922.

12. Learn building techniques while traveling, and gain a cultural experience as well.
Natural Building Intro - January 12-17 - Hawi, Big Island, HI - $30/day or $150 for all. Register at: www.hipagriculture.org. Learn dry stack rock work, gabions for stream restoration, wood-fired cob oven building and earth bag construction during this six day workshop. Jan 12-13 Build rock stairs, and create the foundation for the cob oven using dry-stack techniques. Jan 14-15 Build a clay oven out of cob. Jan 16-17 Use Gabions and Earthbags to divert stream water to garden beds. This intro will leave students with the ability to begin planning and building their first rockwork, cob, or earthbag project. View the full flier HERE.

Earthbag Dome - January 21-25 - Mountain View, Big Island, Hawaii - $600 Artfully create your home with the soil beneath your feet. This earthbag dome class will leave you with the skills to begin planning and creating any earthbag project. In this session we will build a 7 foot dome with earthbags. This technique represents the future of woodless construction. Camping and meals included.

Wattle & Daub - Feb 5-15 - Madagascar - $1000 A local association called FIMARA is building a small clinic in a rural area west of the town of Ranomafana. Participants of this workshop will assist in the creation of this facility that will allow local healers to help the sick. Students will learn Cob building techniques including wattle and daub (application of earth over a stick frame), as well as some basic dry stack rock building technique. Like many of our workshops, this is going to be an amazing cultural experience in addition to a quality natural building skill-builder.

Adobe Brick Vault Construction - February 19-29 - Dogon Country, Mali - $1200 Experience Dogon culture while learning how to make Adobe brick nubian vaults along side villagers. These structures use earthen bricks to span the roof and can be 100% earthen. Woodless construction brings a sense of hope for proper use of nature's resources. Adobe mason Aboukar Kassogue of the town of Boro will co-teach with natural builder Scott Howard of Earthen Hand to bring you a truly cross-cultural workshop. Cultural / language guidance, Greet at airport (Bamako), Camping and meals included.

Adobe Brick Dome Construction - March 8-16 - Cairo, Egypt - $1000 Build a small Adobe brick dome for the family of Said, a local camel rider and tour guide who lives down the street from the pyramids. The dome uses earthen bricks to span the roof and can be 100% earthen. Woodless construction brings a sense of hope for proper use of nature's resources. Cultural / language guidance, greet at airport, Camping and meals included.

Natural Building Primer - April 14-20 - Rancho Mastatal, Costa Rica - $1000 Join us for this wonderful 1-week earth building experience. The course will cover the basics of building with earth and offer students a hands-on opportunity to immerse themselves in a number of earth building techniques. Participants will learn about and work with cob, wattle and daub, lime plasters and washes, earth renders and earthen floors. The workshop will be held at the Rancho Mastatal Sustainable Living Center. Students will stay at the Ranch’s amazing facilities and in addition to learning about earth building they will be exposed to a host of other sustainable living projects including a methane digester, composting toilets, Permaculture designed gardens and orchards, animal husbandry, fermented food products and much more. Register by March 14.

Earthen Paints [distance learning] - Anytime - Your house - $50 Our newest type of course allows you to study home made Earthen Paints and applications whenever you have time from your computer via our distance learning video. These techniques are very accessible and easy to learn with this kind of guidance. Earthen Paints have been used for thousands of years to beautify human dwellings, and can produce a wide variety of colors and textures. They are non-toxic, ecological, and not expensive to make. Registration is anytime and ongoing. Course includes email support. DVD is 20 minutes total.

http://www.earthenhand.com/workshops/

13.

JRGBC-Charlottesville January 10th Luncheon:
"LED Lighting and Controls"

Are you up on the latest lighting technologies and how they contribute to LEED points? If not, then start off the new year with JRGBC and Carter Adams, Principal of Lighting Virginia to learn how new LED fixtures and controls can be incorporated into your projects to save energy and earn LEED points. Carter has been in business thirty years and represents over 80 lighting manufacturers. He will discuss practical examples of parking deck, site, interior decorative and downlighting as well as emergency lighting and will have fixtures on hand to demonstrate.
This luncheon will be held on January 10th at City Space, 100 5th St. NE, on the Downtown Mall, Charlottesville, VA. Doors open at 11:50 and the Seminar begins at approximately 12:10 pm.
Luncheons are free and open to the public; however, advance registration is required by Friday, January 6th. Lunches are ordered based on pre-registration, so please RSVP by the deadline and cancel your registration if you can’t attend before the deadline.
Register Today!
https://netforum.avectra.com/eWeb/DynamicPage.aspx?Site=jrgbc&WebCode=EventList&FromSearchControl=Yes

upcoming events

2011-12-22T05:20:00.001-08:00

Greetings All,

Happy Solstice! Below is a great collection of info on upcoming permaculture and sustainability events in the central Virginia bioregion, including our Spring 2012 BRPN Permaculture Design Course, a BRPN potluck with a community talk by Dave Jacke next month (COME ONE, COME ALL), and lots of great sustainable agriculture conferences.

If you know anyone else that would like to sign up for this newsletter, or if you have an announcement, email Christine at christinegyovai@gmail.com for the next update, which are sent monthly. Wishing you a great holiday season.

Best,
Christine and the Blue Ridge Permaculture Network team
www.blueridgepermaculture.net

1. Spring 2012 BRPN Permaculture Design Course
SPACE IS LIMITED – SIGN UP TODAY!
We are pleased to announce our winter - spring 2012 Permaculture Design Course: Sustainability Strategies for the Blue Ridge, over four weekends near Charlottesville, Virginia.

This Permaculture Design Course lays the foundation for understanding and working with natural systems to design sustainable environments that produce food, shelter, and energy. It also provides participants with models of community development and extension by which they can create networks of support for themselves and empower others to do the same. The course provides tools to help design and develop urban or rural properties or neighborhoods in a sustainable manner, revitalize local communities, and restore ecological balance.
Permaculture promotes land use systems that work with natural rhythms and patterns to create regenerative cultivated ecosystems. Participants will learn how to design and build gardens, homes, and communities that model living ecosystems. By understanding patterns in nature, students will learn how to grow food, manage water catchment and storage, utilize renewable energy and build community.

The ecological design course covers themes such as: ecological systems understanding, organic food production, natural soil improvement, watershed restoration, water conservation and management, edible forest gardening, native medicinal plants, natural habitat restoration, healthy buildings and human settlements, community and consensus building strategies, renewable energy systems, sustainable community development, local economics, and ecological planning and design methods.

This 72-hour certificate course, presented by the Blue Ridge Permaculture Network, will be offered over four weekends with leading permaculture teachers including Emily Axelbaum, Christine Gyovai, Dave Jacke, Hub Knott, Terry Lilley, Dave O’Neill, and guests (teacher bios on the website). The course will be held near Charlottesville, Virginia, at Montfair on the following dates:

Dates: Jan. 13-16, Jan. 27-29, Feb. 18-20, and March 3-4, 2012.

The cost for this course will be a sliding scale, including a discount for early registration. If you register by November 15 the sliding scale is $895-$1200. After November 15 the sliding scale is $995-$1200. A few work trade positions are available for partial tuition; inquire soon about work trade guidelines and availability. The work-trade application deadline ends on December 1st, 2011, and limited scholarships may be available, inquire for details. To register please visit the BRPN website for a registration form, or contact Terry Lilley at tygerlilley@gmail.com or 434-296-3963.

www.blueridgepermaculture.net

2. Blue Ridge Permaculture Network potluck and
Dave Jacke Community Presentation on “Ecosystem Agriculture and Forest Gardens”

Come One – Come all!
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Charlottesville, Virginia (Location to be announced in next newsletter and the BRPN website)

BRPN Potluck at 6:00 pm, 7:30 Dave Jacke presentation
Bring utensils and a dish to share
Suggested donation $10 for community presentation to support PDC scholarships

www.blueridgepermaculture.net

3. Teaching Permaculture Creatively 2012: Eastern PA
A Nine-Day Intensive Professional Permaculture Teacher Training Course
March 23 through April 1, 2012, Kimberton Waldorf School, Phoenixville, PA

Consider this proposition: Events make the best teachers. The most significant learnings of our lives mostly come from situations we have experienced, and even when people lecture well, they make their presentation an event from which we learn. If events make the best teachers, it would follow that effective educators focus their energy on designing effective learning events. How does this apply to teaching permaculture?
This nine-day intensive Permaculture Teacher Training explores how to create permaculture learning events, applying ecological principles and processes to the design of permaculture workshops, courses, and other experiences. Learn how to quickly assess students’ learning modalities, eight intelligences, and other niche characteristics; create effective learning environments; design multifunctional, functionally interconnected courses where the whole experience is far greater than the sum of the sessions!
Each trainee in this course will design and run short classes and exercises, speak in public, plan and budget an event, and coteach a public one-day permaculture workshop at course end. What do whole learning systems look, feel and sound like? Come find out! The best way to learn is to do, and to have fun doing it! Join us!
Limited to 27 certified permaculture design course graduates; pre-course preparation required.
Course Staff:

Dave Jacke, primary author of Edible Forest Gardens, has taught innumerable workshops and courses across the country using the principles you will learn in this training. This is the fifth teacher training he will lead.

Farmer, educator, and designer Chris Jackson works with at-risk youth and livestock at a school in Plainfield, VT, and homesteads there. He took this training with Dave and Jono Neiger in 2007, and has taught three trainings with Dave since.

Kim Almeida hails from the south shore of Boston, where she farms organic annual and perennial vegetables, workshops, and social systems. This will be her second time assisting with this training, which she took in 2009.

Costs:
• A $25 nonrefundable application fee applies to course cost if accepted. You may register and pay the application fee at:http://permacultureteachertraining.eventbrite.com

• Cost for tuition, meals, lodging: $1,300-$1,700 sliding scale. Early application discount: $1,250 if completed applications are received before February 1! Commuters (no breakfast or lodging included): $1,050-$1,450 sliding scale, $1,000 if completed application received by February 1.

• An additional nonrefundable deposit of $275 is required to hold your place once accepted into the program. Full payment is required by March 1, 2010.

• Partial scholarships will be available—and your completed scholarship application will help us raise funds!

For more information, download the brochure, Student Outcomes, and the course application (includes scholarship application) at http://www.meetup.com/permie/files/.
CONTACT:
The Eastern Pennsylvania Permaculture Guild, c/o Melissa Miles,
101 Abbey Drive, Linfield, PA 19468,  (484) 949-1600,
easternpennpermacultureguild@gmail.com
ALSO: check out the Carbon Farming Course coming this January—I’ll be sharing the stage with Wes Jackson of The Land Institute! Also will include Darren Doherty on Keyline, Elaine Ingham on Living Soils, and many other great classes! www.carbonfarmingcourse.com

4. Advanced Permaculture Design Course
With Dave Jacke of Dynamics Ecological Design and
Jono Neiger of Regenerative Design Group present:

Laying Groundwork: A 9-Day Advanced Permaculture Design Course
At Brook’s Bend Farm, A Permaculture Research and Education Center
Friday evening, June 8 through Sunday, June 17, 2012

Lay the groundwork for your deepening practice of permaculture design and for the establishment of a permaculture training and demonstration center at Brook’s Bend Farm. This Advanced Permaculture Design Course (APDC) offers you direct experience designing permaculture systems that will build your design skills, your confidence and your portfolio, and spur you to deepen your self-study of the field. At the same time, you will help plan the transformation of Brook’s Bend Farm into a thriving multi-dimensional permaculture and nature awareness training and demonstration facility.

COURSE FORMAT:
Course staff and participants will together form a large-scale paraprofessional design team tasked to resolve key design challenges and create a Schematic Master Plan for Brook’s Bend Farm. This involves integrating farming, livestock, forest garden, coppice, and building systems for the farm’s 90 acres of woods, streams, pastures, and farm buildings. We’ll dive into previous site assessment and design work by students of the Conway School of Landscape Design (CSLD). Each participant will then focus on one of several key “design streams” relating to the whole design, such as: water supply and waste water treatment systems; food production, processing, storage, and distribution systems; forest use and management; livestock grazing and foraging, and buildings and energy systems. Each “stream” will take on design problems in a mentored group-learning environment. As a collective, we will synthesize these streams into a unified Master Plan and present to a larger public audience by course end.
In this APDC, you will learn through design exercises, participatory classes, observation sessions, and self-study. Pre-course homework will be required. The course itself will be a fun, full-on design charrette with classes mixed in. At course end, you and your team will synthesize everything you have learned into design schemes and details to present to the clients and the public. The design process will be your main teacher; it will tell you what you need to learn. We’ll be there to support and guide you along the way.

INSTRUCTORS:
Primary instructors Dave Jacke and Jono Neiger co-developed and co-taught “design-centered” permaculture courses together over many years. Dave is primary author of the award-winning book Edible Forest Gardens, and teaches design, permaculture, and forest gardening across the USA and Canada. He has run his own design firm, Dynamics Ecological Design, since 1984, and is now working on his second book, Coppice Agroforestry, with Mark Krawczyk (www.edibleforestgardens.com). Jono cofounded the Regenerative Design Group, a Greenfield, MA design firm (www.regenerativedesigngroup.com), is on the faculty at the Conway School of Landscape Design in Conway, MA (www.csld.edu), and is on the board of the Permaculture Institute of the Northeast. Dave and Jono both graduated from CSLD, Dave in 1984, and Jono in 2003. Apprentice teachers, as well as a coterie of guest instructors and design reviewers, will also join the course’s faculty.

COURSE COST:
Tuition and food: sliding scale $1,150-1,550, with an early registration discount of $50 before April 1, 2012. Scholarships will be available; inquire for more information. Tuition payments above the bottom of the sliding scale will be used for scholarships, so please be generous if you can.
Meals: All meals will be provided as part of the tuition.
Accommodations: Camping and limited indoor accommodations will be available on site for an additional nominal fee.

PREREQUISITES AND REGISTRATION:
• All course participants must have completed a certified Permaculture Design Course, and must furnish a copy of their course certificate with their deposit to hold their place in the APDC. If you want to take the course but cannot meet this prerequisite, please inquire.
• A $400 deposit is required to hold your place in the APDC. The full balance is due by May 15, 2011. Make checks out to Dynamics Ecological Design and mail to the address below. Credit card/Paypal payments will incur a fee from Evenbrite, and may be made at bbfadvpcdesign.eventbrite.com.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact Ben Miller, Brook’s Bend Farm
119 Old Sunderland Road, Montague, MA 01351
413-367-2132 • beenfly@yahoo.com

5. Virginia Biological Farming Conference
"Transitioning to Organic Agriculture"
Feb. 10-11, 2012
Holiday Inn, Koger Center
Richmond, Virginia

We hope you will join us for this informative, always stimulating event. Pre-conference options begin at 10 am on Feb. 10, followed by our traditional food-festival potluck-type lunch for which we ask everyone who wants to join us to bring a dish of food to share. We provide paper plates, cups, and flatware.

Our trade show begins at 11 am.
Official welcome, youth program, and opening plenary session start at 1 pm.

Who comes to the conference?

Certified organic farmers and market gardeners
Practitioners of organic farming / gardening who have chosen not to be certified
Sustainable, ecological and low-input producers
Biodynamic gardeners and farmers
Producers of pastured beef, poultry, eggs, dairy cows or goats, etc.
Home gardeners and homesteaders
Researchers and other agricultural professionals interested in organic or sustainable agriculture
Others who want to support ecological agriculture or sustainable food systems, or who simply want safe, nutritious, fresh, locally-grown food.

Mary-Howell and Klaas Martens, the Friday afternoon keynote speakers for our conference, were conventional grain farmers in New York until Klaas began to develop health problems due to pesticide exposure in 1991. Following the examples of other organic farmers, the Martens began transitioning to organic production in 1992. They received invaluable assistance from a neighbor named Cliff Peterson concerning weed control through mechanical cultivation. They also learned a great deal about management of soil fertility, organic quality control and adding value to their organic grains by producing livestock feeds. Today they operate 1300 acres organically with higher profits per acre than they ever earned using conventional practices.

The keynote speaker at the Virginia Biological Farming Conference in 2009 was Will Allen with Growing Power from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Mr. Allen described the incredible system he developed for commercial production of horticulture crops in urban neighborhoods of Milwaukee and Chicago. This inner city farming is based on utilization of compost made from food wastes collected from many urban sources such as restaurants, bakeries and institutional food services.

Renee Catacalos and Christian Melendez from ECO City Farms in Edmonston, Maryland will provide the second keynote presentation at the 2012 Virginia Biological Farming Conference. They will speak about their successful development of the Growing Power model for urban horticulture in their city in Maryland. Many people have heard Will Allen speak but these folks at ECO City Farms have actually employed the Growing Power model.

Have a look at our program to see all the other great sessions offered!

http://www.vabf.org/annual-conference

6. Richmond, VA home for sale, a two-story arts-and-crafts style house on 1/3 acre. Home is fully renovated, including refinished hardwood floors, bright and charming. The yard has lots of perennial edibles: grape trellises, dwarf apple and cherry trees, elderberry, asparagus, and rhubarb, plus perennial herbs. There are also several raised beds for annuals. $125,000. Contact Anna at annatulou@gmail.com for more info.

7. Allegheny Mountain School Seeks 7-9 Fellows for its Sustainable Food and Community Development Program in Highland County, Virginia.

Allegheny Mountain School (AMS) is assembling a group of highly curious, hardworking young adults to create a cohesive and cooperative team for living, working, and studying sustainable food systems and community development. AMS was founded in 2011 and beginning on May 1, 2012 our second group of AMS Fellows will spend 6 months (Phase I) in residence on Allegheny Mountain in western Virginia, followed by one year in the service of Partner Organizations (Phase II) along the Route 250 corridor of the two Virginias. Our goal for this year of service is that each AMS Fellow will touch the lives of at least ten families through teaching gardening and building sustainable local food programs.

AMS Fellows will be provided room and board during Phase I and there are no program fees (other than to apply). Fellows will receive a small stipend at the end of Phase I and a monthly stipend during Phase II, where they will be working within community organizations whose focus is strengthening connections to our local food system in communities, neighborhoods and schools. Fellows will be trained in a variety of farm skills, from organic gardening to permaculture site design, preserving food, carpentry skills and small animal husbandry.

The AMS Residency Program (Phase I) is located in Highland County on a 550 acre farm on the western edge of Virginia. The work/learning program will take place on the farm and at community projects in surrounding areas. Workshops and seminars will occur both on and off campus.

AMS Community Engagement (Phase II) entails working with a Partner Organization located along the Route 250 corridor of the two Virginias. Fellows will be expected to help build capacity for the organization’s mission as they share and teach the skills they have learned during their first six months in the program.

For more information, visit www.alleghenymountainschool.org/apply-for-2012 or email us at info@alleghenymountainschool.org. Allegheny Mountain School is a program of The Highland Center in Monterey VA. You can reach The Highland Center at (540) 468-1922.

8. EQIP Organic Initiative Signup is Open - opportunity for cost share on conservation practices

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service has released guidance to state offices for the 2012 Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), including the Organic Initiative, the High Tunnel pilot, and an EQIP On-farm Energy Program, as well as the regular EQIP. The EQIP Organic Initiative can offer cost-share for conservation practices that will help with the transition to organic production, such as cover cropping, conservation crop rotation, and other cropland conservation practices; and prescribed grazing, fencing, and other livestock management practices related to resource conservation. You can also get cost share for a High Tunnel either as part of an Organic Initiative contract, or as a stand alone practice. This is an excellent opportunity to receive some financial assistance to farm at the high level of land/resource stewardship that you would like to achieve.

The EQIP Organic Intiative is now available for signup for the 2012 growing season. Application cutoff date for the first ranking period is February 3, 2012. However, if you miss this date, there are two additional application periods this spring, one closing March 30, and the final one June 1.

These dates apply to the EQIP Organic Initiative, the EQIP High Tunnel pilot program, an EQIP On-farm Energy program, and the regular EQIP program. Note that organic farmers can apply to any of these programs.

In order to sign up, visit your district NRCS office. If this is the first time you have applied for a NRCS program, you will have some paperwork to fill out with the Farm Services Agency - they should also have an office in your district. If you have any questions or problems with the application process that the local office cannot address satisfactorily, contact the state NRCS liaison person for the Organic Initiative. In Virginia, that person is:

Ron Wood

Virginia NRCS
ProTracts, PRS, Toolkit, eAUTH - Coordinator
Organic Initiative/WHIP Manager
804 287-1660
FAX 804 287-1736

You can also find more information about the EQIP Organic Initiative in Virginia at http://www.va.nrcs.usda.gov/,

9.

PASA's 21st Annual Farming for the Future Conference
Breaking Ground for a New Agriculture:
Cultivating Versatility and Resilience

February 1, 2, 3 & 4, 2012 ~ State College, PA
Click HERE to view the current conference programming and details!
Join us as we Break Ground for a new wave of learning and growing. The trail ahead will be challenging as we define and create a New Agriculture. After a year of changing politics, weather patterns and economics, it is clear that our community must be both Versatile and Resilient to persevere and bring about through local actions solutions to the global challenges we face. The conference will pull together many ground-breakers for a series of lectures, tracks and workshops that will send you home ready to dig in and cultivate your way to a more sustainable future. Our new Friday schedule includes a third workshop slot - that means you’ll have over 100 workshops to choose from! - and we’ve built in more time for you to network with our sponsors and exhibitors, speakers and fellow conference goers. Mark your calendars now, and we’ll see you in February!
Visit the conference website here to see the program and register. Click here!
Sponsorship information for the 2012 conference is available, please click here!

The annual Farming for the Future conference is PASA's signature event and our main vehicle for community building. Widely regarded as the best of its kind in the East, this diverse event brings together an audience of over 2,000 farmers, processors, consumers, students, environmentalists, and business and community leaders annually. The sheer numbers and diversity of business and organizations that are associated with the conference are notable, through sponsoring, exhibiting and presenting. Typical conference workshops focus on such practical topics as poultry production, cheese making, riparian buffers, organic certification and raw milk marketing. The very popular day-long "Pre-Conference" tracks offer in-depth exploration of special topic areas.
The conference does not focus entirely on practical training for farmers. Keynote speeches in recent years have featured such visionaries as human rights advocate Anuradha Mittal, environmental leader William McDonough, world humanitarian Vandana Shiva, Native American activist Winona LaDuke, environmental activist Diane Wilson, ag economist extraordinaire John Ikerd and peak oil specialist James Kunstler.

The Farming for the Future conference continues to bring the PASA membership a high quality program with knowledgeable field experts, acclaimed keynote speakers, and special events. Year after year, conference staff and volunteers do their best to plan and provide this inspiring event, always with an eye to improve things as we can. Special features of the conference include; youth & teen programming, a babysitting program, a triumvirate of benefit auctions, the Sustainable TradeShow and Marketplace, and conference meals featuring sustainably, organically, and regionally raised foods from over forty PASA members throughout our region.

http://www.pasafarming.org/our-work/farming-for-the-future-conference.

10. Virginia LID Competition Call for Entries
The purpose of the Virginia Low Impact Development Design Competition is to challenge teams of development professionals to demonstrate cost-effective approaches to replicating pre-development hydrology on development sites. The Virginia LID Competition is modeled off of the highly successful Houston LID Design Competition (Details) held in 2009 in Houston, Texas.
A prize of $15,000 will be awarded in each of three design categories:

•Suburban Mixed Use
•Urban Infill
•Green Roadway

View more information here: http://www.virginialidcomp.org/

11. VCU Certificate in Sustainability 2012

The VCU School of Business Foundation – Center for Corporate Education is offering a unique professional certification program beginning early 2012.

The VCU Certificate in Sustainability Program 2012, developed by Environic Foundation International (EFI), gives participants a real understanding of sustainability as a significant force in business success in the 21st century. The program provides a practical overview of global trends and forces that are changing how business is conducted, why sustainable business practices provide businesses with a competitive advantage, and how to incorporate those lessons into your business. The program explores what business challenges and opportunities are created because of the growing need among businesses and markets to become more sustainable and examines how businesses are responding. Finally, participants work on developing approaches that can benefit their careers, businesses and communities.

The program will meet every Wednesday from 6:00 – 9:00 pm, beginning on January 18th and ending on April 25th. The program culminates with the award of a VCU Certificate of Achievement in Sustainability. Enrollment is limited and thus interested individuals are encouraged to reserve a place now if their schedule will permit.

VCU accepts payments in three installments - $500 upon being accepted, then payments of $500 in March and April 2012). For more information visit www.ciba.vcu.edu or contact Dr. Van R. Wood – vrwood@vcu.edu (804-519-2022).

upcoming events

2011-11-09T19:42:00.001-08:00

Greetings All,

Below is a great collection of info on upcoming permaculture and sustainability events in the near future in the central Virginia bioregion, including our Spring 2012 BRPN Permaculture Design Course, a rainwater harvesting and straw bale workshop, and a Food Security Summit.

If you know anyone else that would like to sign up for this newsletter, or if you have an announcement, email Christine at christinegyovai@gmail.com for the next update, which are sent monthly.

Best,
Christine and the Blue Ridge Permaculture Network team
www.blueridgepermaculture.net

1. Spring 2012 BRPN Permaculture Design Course
We are pleased to announce our winter - spring 2012 Permaculture Design Course: Sustainability Strategies for the Blue Ridge, over four weekends near Charlottesville, Virginia.
This Permaculture Design Course lays the foundation for understanding and working with natural systems to design sustainable environments that produce food, shelter, and energy. It also provides participants with models of community development and extension by which they can create networks of support for themselves and empower others to do the same. The course provides tools to help design and develop urban or rural properties or neighborhoods in a sustainable manner, revitalize local communities, and restore ecological balance.
Permaculture promotes land use systems that work with natural rhythms and patterns to create regenerative cultivated ecosystems. Participants will learn how to design and build gardens, homes, and communities that model living ecosystems. By understanding patterns in nature, students will learn how to grow food, manage water catchment and storage, utilize renewable energy and build community.
The ecological design course covers themes such as: ecological systems understanding, organic food production, natural soil improvement, watershed restoration, water conservation and management, edible forest gardening, native medicinal plants, natural habitat restoration, healthy buildings and human settlements, community and consensus building strategies, renewable energy systems, sustainable community development, local economics, and ecological planning and design methods.
This 72-hour certificate course, presented by the Blue Ridge Permaculture Network, will be offered over four weekends with leading permaculture teachers including Emily Axelbaum, Christine Gyovai, Dave Jacke, Hub Knott, Terry Lilley, Dave O’Neill, and guests (teacher bios on the website). The course will be held near Charlottesville, Virginia, at Montfair on the following dates:
Dates: Jan. 13-16, Jan. 27-29, Feb. 18-20, and March 3-4, 2012.
The cost for this course will be a sliding scale, including a discount for early registration. If you register by November 15 the sliding scale is $895-$1200. After November 15 the sliding scale is $995-$1200. A few work trade positions are available for partial tuition; inquire soon about work trade guidelines and availability. The work-trade application deadline ends on December 1st, 2011, and limited scholarships may be available, inquire for details. To register please visit the BRPN website for a registration form, or contact Terry Lilley at tygerlilley@gmail.com or 434-296-3963.
www.blueridgepermaculture.net

2. Gathering stories from PDC Alumni!

Thanks to all the past participants of the PDC course for making the BRPN what it is. For ages past, cultures have shared their stories of experience to the community. Elders of those communities have said the sharing of stories is key to making them stronger and more resilient. It was a daily practice, a core routine, that storytelling was done. It is in this light, that we are asking former BRPN alumni to share (as well people who have taken PDCs with other organizations).

Our Winter 2012 PDC is around the corner and we are hoping to collect stories from alumni to share on the BRPN website (examples: http://www.blueridgepermaculture.net/members.html) and in the course binder for the upcoming class. We are looking more specifically for stories about how you are implementing permaculture into your life and what affect your study of permaculture has had on you. Your story can be shared in a few paragraphs or so and feel free to send any photos of your work or land or life that go along with your story. We not only love to hear how it is going out there for you, but we also know that it inspires others. So thank you in advance for taking the time to tell your story.
Your stories and any questions can be sent to Emily Axelbaum, emilyaxe@gmail.com.

3.
Rainwater Harvesting Forum & Tour
November 17, 2011
9:00 am – 3:00 pm
CitySpace – 100 5th St., NE, Charlottesville
Registration Cost: $15 (lunch provided)

For architects, engineers, contractors, builders, plumbing engineers, code officials, and others interested in rainwater harvesting design and codes.

FOR MORE INFO & TO REGISTER (by Nov. 14th):
http://www.cwp.org/our-work/training/other.html

Sponsored By:
Center for Watershed Protection
Thomas Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District
City of Charlottesville
American Society of Civil Engineers – Blue Ridge Branch
Prince Charitable Trusts
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation

*Please forward this announcement to others who may be interested.

4.
2nd VIRGINIA FOOD SECURITY SUMMIT
Connecting our Farms, Food, Health, and Environment
REGISTER NOW! RESERVE YOUR SEAT AT THE TABLE!

DEC 5 & 6th ARE RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER!
On December 5 & 6th 2011, Virginia’s farm, food, health and environment advocates will meet in one place to plan for the future of food security in Virginia. Your voice is important! Please join us for this gathering of farmers, chefs, grocers, health workers, planners, and community leaders from across the state! Register Now

At the 2nd Virginia Food Security Summit YOU will:
• Hear national and state leaders discuss trends in our food system
• Help launch the Virginia Farm to Table plan, our first statewide strategic food security plan
• Develop ideas and spark action for increasing access to healthy, nutritious food in Virginia
• Meet people who come from all corners of our food system
• Learn from food system innovators from across Virginia
• Showcase your own work in a poster

WHEN: Monday, December 5, 2011 & Tuesday, December 6, 2011

WHERE: Summit Opening – Monday, December 5
Jefferson Scholars Foundation Hall
112 Clarke Court, Charlottesville, VA 22903
Summit Plenary – Tuesday, December 6
UVa Alumni Hall
211 Emmet Street South, Charlottesville, VA 22903

AGENDA: See online agenda here!: http://virginiafoodsummit.org/agenda/
Dec 5th - Crystal Ball Roundtable & Reception (only $15, includes reception!): featuring Fred Kirschenmann of the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Ken Meter of the Crossroads Resource Center, Renard Turner of Vanguard Ranch, Kathleen Merrigan (invited), USDA Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, and Todd Haymore (invited), Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry
Dec 6th (only $45, includes lunch and reception!) - Launching the Virginia Farm to Table Plan, Implementation Workshop, Showcasing Food System Innovation Across Virginia, and Networking Poster Reception

LOW REGISTRATION FEE!! Advance registration is available online.

SCHOLARSHIPS: Thanks to a generous donation from an anonymous donor, scholarships are available to ensure that the Summit is open to all who wish to attend! Register and apply for a scholarship here.: https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/eventReg?oeidk=a07e51ojqcle81e734f&oseq=

NETWORKING POSTER SESSION: If you would like to reserve space at the networking poster session to feature your community food project or program, contact us: http://virginiafoodsummit.org/contact/

WHO SHOULD COME:
• Farmers
• Agriculture and public health policy makers
• Hunger prevention people
• Land and farm conservationists
• Food buyers for schools, hospitals, institutions
• Food distributors
• CSAs
• Farmers’ market coordinators
• Farm and food co-ops
• Chefs and restaurateurs
• Nutrition and child obesity specialists
• Planners
• Academics and students
• Cooperative Extension
• Sustainable Community Groups
• Economic Development Groups
Hosted by
The University of Virginia, UVa Food Collaborative, Virginia Farm Bureau Federation, Virginia Food System Council, Virginia State University School of Agriculture, Virginia Tech Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Washington and Lee University, Piedmont Environmental Council

http://virginiafoodsummit.org/register/

5.
Straw Bale Work Day
A hands on experience in natural building home construction
Saturday, November 12, 2011
9:00AM-5:00PM
Roanoke, VA
$60 Registration

Led by Steve Kemble of MUDSTRAWLOVE
natural building trainers out of Asheville, NC
(www.mudstrawlove.com). Steve has over 20 years experience in natural building and
is the author of How to Build Your Elegant Home with Straw Bales.

You will contribute to a work in progress: the straw bale wall construction of a home in Roanoke. A natural, sustainable product, straw bales provide high efficiency insulation all year. No experience required; bring your interest and commitment to a day of learning, building, and fun.

Registration fee includes lunch and refreshments. You will be learning from a pioneer in designing, building and teaching the various forms of natural building. For more information or to register, contact sissy.kegley@verizon.net

6.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Small Flock Poultry Class held at Sweet Peeps Farm in Greene Co.
We will cover the basic management of small flock poultry and have a show and tell around the farm looking at layers, heritage turkeys and more!

$10 for the class

You will receive directions and additional details about the class once you register with John Thompson at 434-591-1950 or jthomp75@vt.edu

This class is part of a series of classes designed to educate homeowners on how to live more fully from the land. The series provides basic information and production options and is designed to
help first time producers and farmers as well as long time producers. You will also leave with a greater knowledge of resources available to assist in planning, marketing, and crop production. You will be provided with resources to assist in decision making, and you will gain awareness of where to find additional information and assistance.

Cathryn Kloetzli
Extension Agent, Agriculture and Natural Resources
Virginia Cooperative Extension
Albemarle County Office
460 Stagecoach Road
Charlottesville, VA 22902
(434) 872-4580
Fax: (434) 872-4578

Serving the counties of Albemarle, Fluvanna, Greene & Louisa

7.
Virginia Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coalition Hiring a 2nd Farm Mentor Coordinator

Farm Mentor Coordinator Position
The Farm Mentor Coordinators will work under the direct supervision of the Virginia Tech Project Management Team and Project Director of the Virginia Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coalition Project. The individual will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of the proposed activities to support the development and growth of the farm mentor network that is to be integrated throughout the 3 year project. Major activities and responsibilities include: farmer recruitment and coordination, database management, and mentor-mentee curriculum development and training. Additionally, these individuals will work collaboratively with the Virginia Tech Management Team and Project Coalition to support the development and implementation of classroom, online, and on-farm educational activities and events. The work schedule will vary. It may involve seasonal variability based on curriculum implementation and farm mentor schedules, at which time appropriate adjustments would be made to the work week.

Required Qualifications:
Strong organization, communication, and interpersonal skills; Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and effectively with others; Experience with training farmers and/or gardeners in classroom and/or field settings; Ability to work independently; Ability to manage detailed, complex tasks with good results; Familiarity with whole farm planning; and, Experience working with a diversity of agricultural stakeholders and practices (e.g., women, minority, small-scale, farmers with disabilities).

Role and Position Category:
Agricultural Specialist III, Part time. Hourly Wage Staff, limited to 1500 hrs/year.

Advertised Pay Range:
Commensurate with education and experience.

Applications will be reviewed starting October 28th, 2011. - APPLY ASAP!

For more information:
Please see the Virginia Tech Human Resources website for job posting #0111091: https://listings.jobs.vt.edu/applicants/jsp/shared/position/JobDetails_css.jsp
Also see the attached PDF job announcement.

Questions about the position may be directed to Kim Niewolny at niewolny@vt.edu or 540.231.5784.

8.
Farm Manager = The Farm at Sunnyside

Located 70 miles west of Washington, DC in Rappahannock County, VA, the Farm at Sunnyside produces certified organic fruits and vegetables for sale through local farmers' markets, and on-farm CSA, and select wholesale outlets. The farm has substantial infrastructure and equipment and a core team of dedicated staff. Adjacent to Shenandoah National Park, the property seeks to integarte agricultural and environmental concerns in a sustainable and mutually reinforcing fashion.

The Farm at Sunnyside is looking for a farm manager to lead its ongoing development. The succesful candidate should be committed to building an integrated organic farm that grows the highest quality nutritious produce; enhances its natural resource base; provides a healthy, rewarding and productive work environment; and is financially profitable. The position offers a competitive compensation package, including the potential to build long-term equity.

For more information or to apply, please contact Ellen Polishuk at farmerellen@loudounwireless.com, or 38369 John Wolford Rd, Purcellville, VA 20132; tel. 703-727-2996.

9.
Excellent film near Charlottesville:
7pm – Dec. 13, 2011
(540)456-8020

Blue Mountain Brewery

9519 Critzers Shop Rd., Afton.
(540) 456-8020.

Enjoy a three course dinner and watch the film, The Last Mountain , an excellent film about mountaintop removal mining and people working to stop it, on a big screen. Reservations required.
http://www.c-ville.com/Event/Music_Events_Calendar/Brew_View

10.
Attention Researchers and Agricultural Service Providers

CALL FOR POSTERS
We are pleased to announce the Call for Posters for our Practical Tools and Solutions for Sustaining Family Farms Conference. Our mission is “To empower and inspire farmers, individuals, and communities in the South to create an agricultural system that is ecologically sound, economically viable, socially just, and humane. Because sustainable solutions depend on the involvement of the entire community, Southern SAWG is committed to including all persons in the South without bias.”

Our Practical Tools and Solutions for Sustaining Family Farms Conference attracts over 1,200 farmers and advocates every year and provides a great opportunity for researchers to disseminate research results and for service providers to share program outcomes (separately we offer trade show tables for organizations, agencies and businesses to distribute materials, demonstrate or sell services/products, and/or interact with target audiences. See our website for details about trade show exhibits).

Poster content should be aimed at providing practical tools and solutions for sustaining family farms and creating local food systems.
Those interested in displaying a poster(s) at this event must first submit a brief abstract for each poster. Members of the Southern SAWG Scientific Committee will review all submitted abstracts and make decisions regarding acceptance.

We invite abstracts for posters that focus on issues related to sustainable agriculture including, but
not limited to, the following topics:
- organic or sustainable commercial production of vegetable crops, field crops, poultry, livestock, forest crops, fish, cut flowers, value-added products or other specialty crops;
- business & risk management;
- direct or alternative marketing strategies;
- local food systems;
- climate change impacts on agriculture;
- sustainable energy;
- youth in agriculture;
- community development

Please email all abstracts for review to: poster@ssawg.org by December 1, 2011.
Accepted posters will be notified within 2 weeks and registration materials will be provided at that time.

Abstract Details
Abstracts are due by December 1, 2011.
Abstracts should be in the following format: one-half page; single-space; title; author(s); institution or organization; and contact information (address, phone number, email address). You may submit more than one abstract, although not all may be accepted for poster display. Members of the Southern SAWG Scientific Committee will review all submitted abstracts and make decisions regarding acceptance.

Poster Details
Upon acceptance of your abstract, a poster registration form with payment options will be sent to you via email. Your $150.00 poster registration will be due January 6, 2012. Conference registration ($165) is separate, if you wish to participate in the conference (see our website for conference program). We cannot accept purchase orders or vouchers. Personal or institutional checks or credit card information must accompany your registration form.
The poster size should not exceed 46” x 36” (or 36”x46”). High-quality printing is requested.
Posters must be received by Noon, January 19, 2012. The poster can be either delivered or shipped to us in Little Rock. Southern SAWG staff will install posters for display onsite. Researchers are welcome to take their poster at the end of the event. However, we cannot return any posters that wereshipped to us.
Posters will be on display at The Peabody Hotel-Little Rock in our Trade Show area during regular trade show hours January 20-21, 2012.
Abstracts will then be posted on Southern SAWG website (www.ssawg.org) for one year, to reach those who could not attend the conference.

Timeline and Registration
December 1, 2011- abstract submission due (send via email to poster@ssawg.org )
December 9, 2011- abstract acceptance notification and registration material provided
January 6, 2012 - $150 early-bird poster registration due; $225 if payment is received after January 6.
January 19, 2012 – poster received at conference facility by Noon

upcoming events

2011-10-12T13:35:00.000-07:00

Greetings All,

Below is a great collection of info on upcoming permaculture and sustainability events in the near future in the central Virginia bioregion, including our Spring 2012 BRPN Permaculture Design Course, apprentice teacher opportunities, and a chance to feature your project on the BRPN website.

If you know anyone else that would like to sign up for this newsletter, or if you have an announcement, email Christine at christinegyovai@gmail.com for the next update, which are sent monthly.

Best,
Christine and the Blue Ridge Permaculture Network team
www.blueridgepermaculture.net

1. Spring 2012 BRPN Permaculture Design Course
We are pleased to announce our winter - spring 2012 Permaculture Design Course: Sustainability Strategies for the Blue Ridge, over four weekends near Charlottesville, Virginia.

This Permaculture Design Course lays the foundation for understanding and working with natural systems to design sustainable environments that produce food, shelter, and energy. It also provides participants with models of community development and extension by which they can create networks of support for themselves and empower others to do the same. The course provides tools to help design and develop urban or rural properties or neighborhoods in a sustainable manner, revitalize local communities, and restore ecological balance.

Permaculture promotes land use systems that work with natural rhythms and patterns to create regenerative cultivated ecosystems. Participants will learn how to design and build gardens, homes, and communities that model living ecosystems. By understanding patterns in nature, students will learn how to grow food, manage water catchment and storage, utilize renewable energy and build community.

The ecological design course covers themes such as: ecological systems understanding, organic food production, natural soil improvement, watershed restoration, water conservation and management, edible forest gardening, native medicinal plants, natural habitat restoration, healthy buildings and human settlements, community and consensus building strategies, renewable energy systems, sustainable community development, local economics, and ecological planning and design methods.

This 72-hour certificate course, presented by the Blue Ridge Permaculture Network, will be offered over four weekends with leading permaculture teachers including Emily Axelbaum, Christine Gyovai, Dave Jacke, Hub Knott, Terry Lilley, Dave O’Neill, and guests (teacher bios on the website). The course will be held near Charlottesville, Virginia, at Montfair on the following dates:

Dates: Jan. 13-16, Jan. 27-29, Feb. 18-20, and March 3-4, 2012.

The cost for this course will be a sliding scale, including a discount for early registration. If you register by November 15 the sliding scale is $895-$1200. After November 15 the sliding scale is $995-$1200. A few work trade positions are available for partial tuition; inquire soon about work trade guidelines and availability. The work-trade application deadline ends on December 1st, 2011, and limited scholarships may be available, inquire for details. To register please visit the BRPN website for a registration form, or contact Terry Lilley at tygerlilley@gmail.com or 434-296-3963.

www.blueridgepermaculture.net

2. Apprentice Teachers for Spring Permaculture Design Course

The Blue Ridge Permaculture Network is now accepting applicants for two apprentice teaching positions for the Winter-Spring 2012 PDC. Please see the website for more details on how to apply: http://www.blueridgepermaculture.net/courses.html. Applications should be submitted by October 24, 2011. We are looking forward to hearing from you!

3. Gathering stories from PDC Alumni!

Thanks to all the past participants of the PDC course for making the BRPN what it is. For ages past, cultures have shared their stories of experience to the community. Elders of those communities have said the sharing of stories is key to making them stronger and more resilient. It was a daily practice, a core routine, that storytelling was done. It is in this light, that we are asking former BRPN alumni to share (as well people who have taken PDCs with other organizations).

Our Winter 2012 PDC is around the corner and we are hoping to collect stories from alumni to share on the BRPN website (examples: http://www.blueridgepermaculture.net/members.html) and in the course binder for the upcoming class. We are looking more specifically for stories about how you are implementing permaculture into your life and what affect your study of permaculture has had on you. Your story can be shared in a few paragraphs or so and feel free to send any photos of your work or land or life that go along with your story. We not only love to hear how it is going out there for you, but we also know that it inspires others. So thank you in advance for taking the time to tell your story.

Your stories and any questions can be sent to Emily Axelbaum, emilyaxe@gmail.com.

4.
Good to Go Foods' of Roanoke, VA offers monthly programs in growing, harvesting, preparing and preserving the abundance of Southwest Virginia. Cooks' Collaborative brings folks together to share cooking skills and the fruits of our work. Star City Culture Club helps participants learn and share traditional fermentation skills: making breads, cheese, yogurt, cultured vegetables, tempeh, and medicinal libations.
Nancy is available for cooking classes, food writing and research, recipe development, and free-lance, natural foods and/or vegetarian chef services. She would love to entertain and inspire your group or class on almost any topic related to growing, preparing, and preserving vegetables and herbs. Phone Nancy Maurelli at 540/345-3405 to register/receive location details or check out the Good to Go Foods listing at LocalHarvest.org.

5.
Sacred Plant Traditions - Foundations of Herbalism Program

This is the heart and soul of our teachings here at SPT. These programs are for those wishing to help their friends and families maintain health, deepen their plant knowledge or begin the training as a community herbalist. The curriculum is dynamic, contemplative and provides a sense of community as we move through the seasons learning each step of the process. The course of study is one weekend per month beginning March of 2011.

It is time to register for our Nine-Month Foundations Program beginning March of 2012!

www.sacredplanttraditions.com

6.
Cville CSF, a CSA for fish started by students in the School of Architecture at U. Va., will begin its fall season this Saturday! The community-supported fishery is a subscription program that features responsibly-raised catfish, rainbow trout, and freshwater prawns from south-central Virginia, brought on a biweekly basis by one of the farmers to the Charlottesville Farmers' Market. All of the fish is raised without hormones or antibiotics and on land free of pesticides and herbicides. The farmers take great pride in their fish, and have expressed their deep gratitude for the guaranteed market the CSF model
provides.

For our fall season, we offer shares of catfish, trout, and prawns individually, as well as shares that mix and match the three species. Our brochure is attached to this email, which describes all of our share options in detail. Each share consists of six pickups over the course of twelve weeks, but if anyone expects to miss a week, we offer reduced subscriptions, as well. Please feel free to either email me or Doug Dickerson (dickerson.douglas@gmail.com) or go to our website: cvillecsf.com. There you can find a profile of the farmers, as well as purchase shares online. We ask that all orders be received by this coming Friday, but any latecomers are welcome as well!

If you're looking for local fish and would like to help support small farm communities, please consider joining us!

7.
Transition C'ville/Albemarle
When: Mon, October 17, 6pm – 9pm
Where: Unitarian Church - 717 Rugby Road (map) in Charlottesville
Description: TRANSITION CHARLOTTESVILLE/ALBEMARLE Transition Charlottesville/Albemarle is a group of individuals attempting to discover ways to help our communities adapt and thrive in response to climate change, peak oil, and a challenging economy. For more information goto http://transitioncville.org/ and http://transitionus.org/transition-101 We meet the third Monday of each month at the Unitarian Church 717 Rugby Road 6:30 P.M. – Pot Luck meet and greet newcomers – powerpoint introduction 7-8:30 P.M. Meeting

http://www.transitioncville.org

8.
Thursday, October 13th, 6pm
Green Drinks Charlottesville
Brookeville Restaurant (225 West Main St, above Escafe)
Several of us went last week, shared a local brew, and met others working and organizing to keep our communities groovy and green. We hope you’ll join us this time around!

http://www.greendrinks.org/index.php?city=Charlottesville&country=USA

9.
October 21-23, come out and share our local sustainability efforts at the Roanoke Outdoor Circus.
The Urbiculture Foundation will be organizing local sustainability people who want to help spread the word. Whether you have a cool sustainable demo, information or want to help the road crew, let us know!
We have jobs for setting up, taking down, providing information at the tables and more. We’re looking for creative ideas, too.

http://urbiculture.org/2011/10/10/contact-us-about-the-sustainable-living-roadshow-in-roanoke/

10
Common Good City Farm in D.C.
Upcoming Events & Workshops

Common Good City Farm is an urban farm and education center growing food for low-income residents in Washington, DC and providing educational opportunities for all people that help increase food security, improve health, and contribute to environmental sustainability.

Sat. 10/22: Workshop (Free) "Protecting Watersheds: Rain Gardens in our Landscapes"
1:30pm. Learn about the relevance of rain gardens. Website below

Mon. 10/24: International Food Day & Free Movie Screening
6:30pm to 8:30pm. The new documentary "A Community of Gardeners" explores seven community gardens in DC. Website below

Thu. 10/27: Suckers at DC9 — A Concert Benefit.
Brooklyn band "Suckers" at DC9 Nightclub. Ticket proceeds benefit Common Good. Website below

Sat. 10/29: Harvest Festival
11am to 2pm. A free event celebrating the fall and a great growing season. Learn more & RSVP >>

http://www.commongoodcityfarm.org

11.
2011 Governor's Conference on Energy Post-Conference Event

Registration Form: Green Building Tour

October 19, 2011 • 8:30 am–12:30 pm

Co-hosted by VSBN and James River Green Building Council
REGISTRATION AND EVENT INFORMATION

Meet at the Science Museum of Virginia, 2500 West Broad Street, Richmond, at 8:30 am to go by bus to the three Green Building tour locations. This tour will feature the Moseley Architects office, an historic building renovated to high performance standards; the Virginia Commonwealth University Cary Street Gymnasium, another historic building now featuring 21st century systems; and the McGuire Veterans Hospital, a major institutional campus, which features existing building upgrades, as well as new construction. The tour group is limited to 20 participants.

http://www.vsbn.org/registrationform_20111019.html

12.
Two excellent PBS programs dealing with sustainable agriculture. They are archived on the PBS site and you can stream either one on your PC.

The first, "The Botany of Desire" has a racy title and is quite fascinating, but actually covers the origins of some of the world's most popular plants, the need for biodiversity and preservation of native species, and the problems and risks created by modern industrial farming. The link below is a 5 minute trailer, which then gives you the option of watching the entire 1:55 hour program or selected chapters by topic. The trailer is here: http://video.pbs.org/video/1220836827/

The second is "Silence of the Bees". The dwindling populations of native honeybees around the world is alarming -- Especially since the stinkbug invasion the past two years has led to widespread use of systemic pesticides in the US that are banned in Europe due to their observed link to Colony Collapse Disorder. The gardening websites I frequent now have threads raving about the benefits of Ortho Flower Fruit and Vegetable Spray which contains neonicotinoid neurotoxins.

According to the product label, this chemical is toxic to humans, just not as toxic as it is to insects. It is a systemic insecticide, meaning it is absorbed into the capillary system of the plant - you can't get rid of it by washing, peeling, etc., but you can pass it on to your baby if you are pregnant or nursing. It is also exuded into the nectar and pollen -- thus poisoning all pollinating insects, not just honeybees. Don't get me started.

Albert Einstein once said, "If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe then man would only have four years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man."

Anyway, this link gives you the option of watching the entire program or selected segments:
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/silence-of-the-bees/introduction/38/

Finally, if you follow Dr. Mercola as I do, here's a link to his article discussing the health implications of the above topics (also be sure to check out the readers' comments following the main article):
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/09/25/why-are-the-bees-disappearing.aspx?e_cid=20110925_SNL_Art_1

13.
Elfin Permaculture Announces
15th Annual Permaculture Design Course Online

After a one-year sabbatical, Elfin Permaculture's Annual Permaculture Design Course Online resumes, beginning Jan. 9, 2012. The course benefits from experience gleaned during a decade and a half of Elfin Permaculture online courses, and about 30 years of permaculture teaching by the lead instructor, Dan Hemenway.

The certificate course runs six months and includes the following learning approaches:

• Extensive reading in books, papers, both in print and on the course CD-ROM;
• 21 modules of at least one week, mainly presented on the CD, representing the formal presentations of course instructors;
• At least four reports from each student, including a full permaculture design report[1];
• Class discussion, via email, of readings and reports, as well as questions and issues raised by students or instructors;
• The opportunity to participate in student study groups where interested students can pursue any agreed-upon topic for as long as they wish (independently of the course schedule);
• Support for students by three instructors: Dan Hemenway, course designer leader; Cynthia Hemenway CNM, designer and discussion leader for a special week on Design for Health, and Robert Waldrop, founder of the Oklahoma Food Cooperative and leader of several online discussion groups, our course moderator and discussion leader. You may read further background of our instructors on our web site. In practice, Robert will lead most discussion groups and review early design work and Dan will review more complete design drafts and provide deep backup throughout, as needed. Cynthia focuses mainly on the Design for Health module and serves as further deep back up for Dan.

The online course consists of three consecutive sections, plus work on a permaculture design which students undertake throughout the cycle in which they are registered. Samples of student design work are included in the course CD. We offer several registration options to accommodate people in varied circumstances including a non-certificate track, certificate training in one six-month cycle, and a two year ‘deliberate track’ that enables a student to participate in two consecutive course cycles and take ample time to prepare the design report for certification.

Registration is limited because of the time required to review and critique individual designs. (See below for registration limits.) Because students may enroll in a fast track or deliberate track, each with different design report deadlines, we can accommodate more students.

To review information about the course methodology, content, certification requirements, tuition & fees, registration process, scholarship policies, reading list & cost, and assignment schedule, download the free course preregistration package from our web site, www.barkingfrogspermaculture.org

To download only the package without visiting our site, go to http://www.barkingfrogspermaculture.org/preregistration.pdf

ANNUAL LETTER – Barking Frogs Permaculture Center

All of the projects described in our 2010-2011 letter http://www.barkingfrogspermaculture.org/2011letter.htm continue at Barking Frogs Permaculture Center. Therefore we will tack changes to the course announcement, and avoid sending this to you separately.

14. Form your Team for the 2nd Annual Wayside Cup
Wayside Center for Popular Education (1100 Mill Pond Rd, Faber, VA 22938)
How it works: Teams of 4 to 6 dedicated movement builders raise money and show up at the Center in Faber, VA to compete in an all day extravaganza of friendly competition in an activist field day and have an awesome time! There will be fun prizes and incentives along the way and the winning team will take home the Wayside Cup and return to defend it next year. For more information visit http://waysidecenter.org/2011waysidecup.php.
Contact Joanie at freeman.joanie@gmail.com to sign up!

upcoming events

2011-08-27T12:48:00.001-07:00

Greetings All,

Below is a great collection of info on upcoming permaculture and sustainability events in the near future in the central Virginia bioregion, including Jon Young and the Meet Yer Eats Farm Tour next weekend. We already have a good start to our crew - but we need a few more folks for the BRPN table at the upcoming Heritage Harvest Fest (see below for more info).

If you know anyone else that would like to sign up for this newsletter, or if you have an announcement, email Christine at christinegyovai@gmail.com for the next update, which are sent monthly.

Best,
Christine and the Blue Ridge Permaculture Network team
www.blueridgepermaculture.net

1.
BRPN at Heritage Harvest Festival on Sept. 17
Calling all Blue Ridge Permaculture Network folks!!!

We are going to have a booth at the September 17th Heritage Harvest Festival at Monticello. We are looking for permaculture folks to sign up to help at the BRPN booth and talk permaculture, regeneration and local resources. Contact Christine at christinegyovai@gmail.com to sign up. Thank you!!!

http://heritageharvestfestival.com/

2.
Heritage Harvest Festival

Permaculture Workshops will be offered with BRPN's Christine Gyovai and Terry Lilley at the Heritage Harvest Festival, held at Monticello on Sept. 16-17th, 2011.

Stop by and see the Blue Ridge Permaculture Network table, with permaculture demonstrations, at this year's Heritage Harvest Festival. For more info, see: http://heritageharvestfestival.com

Introduction to Permaculture – Regeneration and Perennial Polycultureswith Christine Gyovai
Friday, 9:00 – 11:15 a.m., Woodland Pavilion, Thomas Jefferson Visitor Center
Learn how to create more sustainable homes, neighborhoods, and communities using the principles of permaculture—an ecological design method that uses observation and patterns in nature. This method also employs strategies to improve soil, grow food, create edible forest gardens and perennial polycultures, harvest water, utilize renewable energy and regenerative building techniques. Participants will leave the workshop energized with permaculture tools that can be implemented in their home and community. $15

Lecture: Introduction to Permaculture – Regeneration and Renewal with Christine Gyovai
Saturday, 3:15 – 4:15 p.m., Woodland Pavilion, Thomas Jefferson Visitor Center
Permaculture is a design system for creating sustainable human settlements. By learning from natural ecosystem dynamics we can apply the same patterns to create gardens that function like a forest and home water systems that function like a wetland. From this introduction participants can take home some permaculture principles and put them into action. $10

For more info, see: http://heritageharvestfestival.com

3.

September 3 – 4, 2011
Reclaiming Our Natural Connections
and Building Community Resiliency with Jon Young

Sat. 9am - Sun. 3pm/ Free Evening Talk Friday Sept. 2 @6pm

Have you heard of The Last Child in the Woods and Nature Deficit Disorder? Are you curious about ways to increase the health and vitality of children and families, especially ways to unplug from media and get outside? Do you wonder about how to build and sustain community? If so, come to an evening talk and weekend workshop that promotes connecting with nature and community building, through timeless indigenous approaches such as storytelling, relationship and sustainability. Hear about an international movement that looks at ways to connect with nature and people, to live in balance with modern culture and the outdoors. Living Earth School is thrilled to bring our long time mentor Jon Young to Charlottesville, to share his inspiring words and vision. It is truly a not to miss weekend. Jon’s work and the work of The Living Earth School, is the kind of work that builds hope and creates a better place for our children and their children. This vision not only gives us the resilience to survive but to thrive in the years to come.

Our weekend is held at beautiful Camp Albemarle nestled among river, field and mountains. The program is held for adults and families are welcome, as there will be a children’s program for ages 5-8 and 9+ (space for children is limited).

Cost is a sliding scale of $200-$250 per adult, $75-$125 per child (food, camping and instruction included).

Jon Young is a national treasure and leader in the field of deep nature connection. His "Cultural Mentoring" approach to developing deep nature connection, holistic human awareness and advance peacemaking skills has spawned over 100 local deep nature connection organizations and initiatives in the U.S. and Europe. Inspired by his childhood mentoring with famous tracker and author Tom Brown, Jr., Jon is co-author of a new book on nature connection mentoring, "Coyote’s Guide to Connecting with Nature," and currently works at the Regenerative Design Institute on the RDNA program. Visit his website at http://www.regenerativedesign.org

For more information, see: http://www.livingearthva.com/adult.html#john_young

4.
Meet Yer Eats Farm Tour in Central Virginia
With Market Central
September 5, 2011

10 AM y 4 PM
19 Farms to visit
$15 per car in advance
$25 per car after September 1
marketcentralonline.org

http://www.marketcentralonline.org/market_central_site/Farm_Tour_2011.html

5.
Sacred Plant Traditions
Six Week Series - Introduction to Herbal Medicine

Fall Session Thursdays: Sept 22 - October 27, in Charlottesville, VA
This six week series is great for beginners as well as those who want to deepen their knowledge and use of herbal medicine. This course will include history, herbal actions, apothecary practices, recipes, sacred use of plants and more. The weeks fly by as we spend time in the classroom, the kitchen, the lab and best of all, the garden. We will learn how to identify basic back yard medicines as well as those cultivated in the garden. We will learn harvest techniques, how to dry and preserve our medicines.
Fee $225 (Deposit: $50).
Fee includes all materials & text.

Fall Session: Thursday Morning Classes, 10am - 12:30pm
www.sacredplanttraditions.com
________________________________________
Sacred Plant Traditions Special Guest Teacher Sheila Guarnajia.
Weight Management, Blood Sugar and Traditional Wisdom.

Sept 28 or 29, 2011 in Charlottesville, VA

Join us for a very special class with Acupuncturist Sheila Guarnajia. Sheila's gift for simplifying complicated issues is perfect for this class where there are so many myths and misguided diets confusing our communities and culture as a whole. In this class Sheila will give basic tenets of Chinese traditional wisdom for working with nourishment and foods for our body types. She will address metabolic syndrome, low and high blood sugar and how to navigate some basic disease proccesses related to these topics.

This class is part of SPT's clinical training so some background in health will be helpful. This class is not on our website so please call Heather to inquire about registration.434-295-3820

Class runs from 9am - 4pm and the fee is only $85.
Same class is offered Weds, September 28 and Thursday, the 29th

www.sacredplanttraditions.com

6.
Edible Ecosystems Emerging: Food Forestry for the 21st Century-
A 9-Day Forest Garden Design Intensive

With Dave Jacke, Matthew English, and Friends.

At Spiral Ridge Permaculture Gardens
and The Farm Community Center
Summertown, Tennessee
September 23-October 2, 2011

Forest ecosystems exhibit many beneficial properties we humans would be wise to emulate in our culture, agriculture and horticulture: they maintain, renew, fertilize and propagate themselves without human inputs; they build, store, and conserve clean air, clean water, nutrients, soil quality, and biodiversity; and they exhibit stability, resilience, and adaptability. These qualities emerge from the dynamics of the forest as a whole system, not from any one or more of the elements that comprise the forest alone. To design productive edible ecosystems that express these same qualities, we must understand forest structures, functions, patterns, and processes and use this knowledge wisely.

In this nine-day intensive course, you will dive deeply into the vision, theory, and practice of designing wholesome, dynamic, and resilient edible ecosystems using temperate deciduous forests as models. Dave Jacke and his teaching team will offer lectures, site walks, and experiential exercises to help you understand how the architecture, social structure, underground economics, and successional processes of natural forests apply in the design of edible ecosystems of all kinds. You'll learn a variety of ecological design processes while designing a range of food-producing ecologies at our host farm. We'll also engage with issues of garden management, economics, and the deep paradigmatic shifts required to succeed at cocreating “humanatural” landscapes and cultures. You will leave inspired and empowered to design food forests at home for yourself, and your friends, neighbors and clients.

Sliding scale (covers tuition and food): $1,100-$1,400. Amounts paid over $1,100 will go into the scholarship fund. Partial scholarships will likely be available. Contact the below for lodging information (some options on site, some off).

Sponsored by: Spiral Ridge Permaculture Gardens
Location: Spiral Ridge Permaculture Gardens and
The Farm Community Center, Summertown, TN.
To register or for info: 931-964-2375
www.spiralridgepermaculture.com
spiralridgepermaculture@gmail.com
-------------
Dave Jacke
Dynamics Ecological Design
308 Main St. #2C • Greenfield, MA • 01301
603-831-1298 • davej@edibleforestgardens.com

7.
FORREST GREEN FARM

Hours Thursday thru Sunday 9-5

We are a small, family farm located in Louisa, Virginia. Our family is committed to supplying you with the best naturally and ecologically grown medicinal and culinary herb plants, dried herbal mixes and teas, vegetables, grass-fed beef, pastured chicken eggs, pastured poultry (whole birds), and horse hay. Another specialty of Forrest Green Farm is our registered Polled Miniature Herefords. We offer classes on gardening and healthy living. Our classes focus on growing for the future by teaching about natural and sustainable methods of growing herbs and vegetables for healthier, self-reliant living.

NOW REGISTERING: www.forrestgreenfarm.com/wholeliving.html

2011 Winter Whole Living From the Ground Up: Topics Covered: Tool and garden

equipment maintenance (from hand tools to tractors), Winter clothing – how to dress to be comfortable and prepared for outdoor weather, Woodstoves, (selection, use, maintenance), Firewood (wood selection, harvesting, and storage), Cutting tools use and care (Chainsaws, saws, and knives), Mushroom logs (hands-on to inoculate and take one home), Wild edibles (fall, winter, and spring), Animal care in winter (chicken, cows, horses, birds), Greenhouse growing in winter, Extending the growing season (techniques and tips), Herb & Vegetable Gardening from seed: ordering seed, starting from seed, greenhouse growing, storing left over seed, planting seed in trays for pot production as well as direct seeding in the garden, Sprouts, Nature connection – building connections and spirituality with nature, Winter Solstice Celebration, Tracking, Shelters and fire starting, Campfire cooking & cast iron cookware (care & how to use), Compass and orienteering, Seasonal foods, Jelly making in the winter, Food storage (realistic
healthy approach to eliminate waste), Herbal care for your family in the winter, Hunting (safety, equipment, and ethical techniques), Wild game processing, Smoking and dehydrating jerky

2012 Whole Living From the Ground Up: Topics Covered: Herb & Vegetable Gardening

from seed, planting seed in trays for pot production as well as direct seeding in the garden, transplanting techniques, garden beds: soil preparation using the no-till sheet layered technique, how & when to till if necessary, herb & vegetable growing: planting, tending, harvesting, and preserving, herbal medicine harvesting: learning the proper part of the herb to harvest, when to harvest, and the best ways to prepare medicine with the herb, general garden care: through the season (watering, weeding, fertilizing),fertilization – organic methods and crop rotation, organic pest control and insect identification, companion planting, vermicomposting, seed saving, making garden structures: support in the garden, cover crops & natural mulches, plant journey: basic botany for gardeners, plant identification, in depth look at 20+ herbs, nature journaling, ethical wildcrafting, herbal medicine making: as we go through the seasons we will harvest herbs at the
proper times to make teas, tinctures, salves, oils, vinegars, herbal honey, aromatherapy, herbs for the medicine chest, herbs as food: delightful culinary dishes, medicinal herbs in everyday food for medicine, seasoning mixes, herbal body care, cordials, syrups, elixirs, fermented foods, whole nourishing foods and eating seasonally.

www.forrestgreenfarm.com

8.
Transition C'ville/Albemarle

When: Mon, September 19, 6pm – 9pm
Where: Unitarian Church - 717 Rugby Road (map)
Description: TRANSITION CHARLOTTESVILLE/ALBEMARLE Transition Charlottesville/Albemarle is a group of individuals attempting to discover ways to help our communities adapt and thrive in response to climate change, peak oil, and a challenging economy. For more information goto http://transitioncville.org/ and http://transitionus.org/transition-101 We meet the third Monday of each month at the Unitarian Church 717 Rugby Road 6:30 P.M. – Pot Luck meet and greet newcomers – powerpoint introduction 7-8:30 P.M. Meeting
http://transitioncville.org

9.
Virginia Food Security Summit – Connecting Our Farms, Food, Health and the Environment
Save-the-Date – Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2011
9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Alumni Hall, 211, Emmet St. South
University of Virginia Charlottesville, VA

Hosted by UVa, Virginia Food Systems Council, VA Cooperative Extension, VA Tech, and Washington and Lee University
www.virginia.edu/ien/foodsummit2011
email:VAFoodSummit2011@gmail.com

10.
Save the Date
Ninth Annual Small Farm Family Conference
November 1-2, 2011 - Institute for Advanced Learning and Research, 150 Slayton Avenue, Danville, Virginia 24540

Virginia State University has begun planning for its Ninth Annual Small Farm Family Conference. This year's event will take place at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research in Danville - the same place that the last two Virginia Biological Farming Conferences were held.
Watch for additional details in future e-mail and/or the fall issue of Virginia Biological Farmer.

11.
Calls for Posters and Vendors
Southern SAWG Conference - Practical Tools and Solutions for Sustaining Family Farms
January 18-21 - Little Rock, AR

The Southern SAWG Conference planning committee is developing an excellent program for this year's Conference. Keep an eye on our newly refurbished web site, www.ssawg.org, for conference details and registration as they become available this fall.
At this time, we are issuing a Call for Posters. A poster is an excellent way to communicate research findings with practical application to sustainable or organic farming systems, and technical assistance or other services available for family farms.
See attached pdf file 2012 Call for Posters - final for more information, including a directions and an application form.
If you would like to display a poster at the Southern SAWG Conference (where it will be seen by some 1,200 farmers, educators, advocates, and other agricultural professionals that share a commitment to sustainable agriculture and food systems), submit a half-page abstract for consideration no later than December 1, to poster@ssawg.org. Your abstract will be reviewed by the Southern SAWG scientific committee, and you will be notified by mid-December whether your poster has been accepted.
NOTE - you do not need to attend the Conference yourself in order to display a poster - though it would be much more fun and rewarding if you do!

The Conference organizers are also inviting Vendors to display their goods and services through the Trade Show. See attached pdf file tradeshowvinvite12-finalAug11 for more information and registration form.

http://www.ssawg.org/

12. (FROM VABF)
The Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act of 2011
Ask your Senators and Representatives to co-sponsor this Bill

When Congress returns from recess at the end of this month, Senator Tom Harkin and Representative Tim Walz are planning to introduce a Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act of 2011, to mandate substantial program support and assistance to new and beginning farmers and ranchers. One thing this Act would do is to continue and expand the successful Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) in the next Farm Bill. Among the many projects funded by BFRDP is the Virginia Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coalition Project, of which VABF is a partner organization. In addiiton to BFRDP, Harkin and Walz' new Act would provide additional support to beginning farmers in many other ways, such as set-asides in existing conservation and marketing programs for beginning farmers and ranchers and socially disadvantaged producers, improved access to USDA savings and credit programs, and making beginning producers an explicit priority for the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI). An outline of the bill can be found here:http://sustainableagriculture.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/BRF-Bill-2-pager-Aug-2011-revised.pdf

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition and its member organizations are seeking to get as many Senators and Representatives as we can to co-sponsor the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act of 2011. I have contacted Virginia's two Senators and my own Representative to ask them for their co-sponsorship. The more of us on this list who can also do so, the better. I have heard that as few as seven or eight calls on a specific bill or issue will get a Senator or Representative's attention, and can impel them to take action that they might not otherwise have taken. So - your call or letter can make a big difference - especially for those of you who are beginning farmers or ranchers (less than 10 years in the profession) and would directly benefit from any of the current or proposed new programs in this Act.

To contact Senator Mark Warner, call 202-224-2023 and ask to speak with his agricultural aide Nicholas Devereux. After an initial call, you can follow up with an e-mail to him at Nicholas_Devereux@warner.senate.gov.
To contact Senator Jim Webb, call 202-224-4024 and ask to speak with his agricultural aide Trevor Dean. After an initial call, you can follow up with an e-mail to him at Trevor_Dean@webb.senate.gov.

I have already given them the following information, but in case my e-mail gets lost in the huge volume they must be receiving on 1000 different topics, you could mention that Senators should contact Senator Tom Harkin's staff person Mark Halverson at 202-224-3254 to co-sponsor the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act.

To contact your Representative, if you do not have his/her telephone number in DC, call the Capitol switchboard 202-225-3121, and when you get your Representative's office, ask for the staff person who works with agricultural issues. Representatives should contact Tim Walz's staff person Leah Rosales at 202-225-2472 to co-sponsor the bill.

upcoming events

2011-07-14T13:25:00.000-07:00

Greetings All,

Below is a great collection of info on upcoming permaculture and sustainability events in the near future in the central Virginia bioregion, including great events this weekend.

If you know anyone else that would like to sign up for this newsletter, or if you have an announcement, email Christine at christinegyovai@gmail.com for the next update, which are sent monthly.

Best,
Christine and the Blue Ridge Permaculture Network team
www.blueridgepermaculture.net

1.
BRPN at Heritage Harvest Festival on Sept. 17
Calling all Blue Ridge Permaculture Network folks!!!
We are going to have a booth at the September 17th Heritage Harvest Festival at Monticello. We are looking for about 10 awesome permaculture folks to sign up to help at the BRPN booth and talk permaculture, regeneration and local resources. Contact Christine at christinegyovai@gmail.com to sign up. Thank you!!!
http://heritageharvestfestival.com/

2.
Edible Ecosystems Emerging: Food Forestry for the 21st Century-
A 9-Day Forest Garden Design Intensive
With Dave Jacke, Matthew English, and Friends.
At Spiral Ridge Permaculture Gardens
and The Farm Community Center
Summertown, Tennessee
September 23-October 2, 2011
Forest ecosystems exhibit many beneficial properties we humans would be wise to emulate in our culture, agriculture and horticulture: they maintain, renew, fertilize and propagate themselves without human inputs; they build, store, and conserve clean air, clean water, nutrients, soil quality, and biodiversity; and they exhibit stability, resilience, and adaptability. These qualities emerge from the dynamics of the forest as a whole system, not from any one or more of the elements that comprise the forest alone. To design productive edible ecosystems that express these same qualities, we must understand forest structures, functions, patterns, and processes and use this knowledge wisely.

In this nine-day intensive course, you will dive deeply into the vision, theory, and practice of designing wholesome, dynamic, and resilient edible ecosystems using temperate deciduous forests as models. Dave Jacke and his teaching team will offer lectures, site walks, and experiential exercises to help you understand how the architecture, social structure, underground economics, and successional processes of natural forests apply in the design of edible ecosystems of all kinds. You'll learn a variety of ecological design processes while designing a range of food-producing ecologies at our host farm. We'll also engage with issues of garden management, economics, and the deep paradigmatic shifts required to succeed at cocreating “humanatural” landscapes and cultures. You will leave inspired and empowered to design food forests at home for yourself, and your friends, neighbors and clients.

Sliding scale (covers tuition and food): $1,100-$1,400. Amounts paid over $1,100 will go into the scholarship fund. Partial scholarships will likely be available. Contact the below for lodging information (some options on site, some off).

Sponsored by: Spiral Ridge Permaculture Gardens
Location: Spiral Ridge Permaculture Gardens and
The Farm Community Center, Summertown, TN.
To register or for info: 931-964-2375
www.spiralridgepermaculture.com
spiralridgepermaculture@gmail.com
-------------
Dave Jacke
Dynamics Ecological Design
308 Main St. #2C • Greenfield, MA • 01301
603-831-1298 • davej@edibleforestgardens.com

3.
Transition Charlottesville/Albemarle
Presents the 2nd in the ongoing series of Reskilling Workshops
Refilling cartridges & making business cards
When: Saturday July 23st , 2011
Where: Virginia Organizing 703 Concord Ave. C'ville
Time: 10:00 AM – 12:00 Noon
Class limited to 12 people
Call (434) 987-1026 to make a reservation.
Bring your empties - each participant will have a chance to refill their cartridge

Future Workshops
3rd – solar oven & recipe cards August
4th – backyard chickens September
www.transitioncville.org

4.
July 16th, 5:30 p.m. Local Organic Potluck and Video, Social Hall, Unitarian Church
You are invited to a local, organic potluck, to be followed by a showing of "Cover Crops and Compost Crops in Your Garden," a 60-minute DVD featuring Virginia permaculturist Cindy Conner. Please bring a dish of local and/or organic food to share. Sponsored by the Green Sanctuary and cosponsored by Transition Charlottesville Ablemarle.
Located at Thomas Jefferson MemorialUnitarian Church at 717 Rugby Road. Charlottesville.
For more information please call Deborah at 296-9637. Free and open to the public.

5.
Sacred Plant Traditions classes
The Art of Fermentation
One-Day Class: July 23
10am – 2:30pm

Learn to make delicious lacto-fermented foods in this hands-on workshop. Fermentation is a traditional way of food preparation that not only preserves the harvest but also yields greater nourishment, a healthier digestive system, and thus increased vitality. We will make kimchi, brined garlic, lacto-fermented beets and ginger carrots, all of which can be easily incorporated into meals. We will also make some fermented and cultured beverages including kombucha, honey wine and sodas that are actually good for you. There will be a wide array of samples and you will leave with the skills necessary to begin lacto-fermenting foods at home.
This class will be taught by community herbalist, Suzanna Stone
Herbal teas will be provided at all the one day workshops. Please pack a bag lunch.
Fee for the class is $75. Deposit $30.

www.sacredplanttraditions.com

Six Week Introduction to Herbal Healing
Fall Session, Thursdays
September 22 - October 27
10 am - 12:30pm

This six week series is great for beginners as well as those who want to deepen their knowledge and use of herbal medicine. This course will include history, herbal actions, apothecary practices, recipes, sacred use of plants and more. The weeks fly by as we spend time in the classroom, the kitchen, the lab and best of all, the garden. We will learn how to identify basic back yard medicines as well as those cultivated in the garden. We will learn harvest techniques, how to dry and preserve our medicines.
Fee $225 (Deposit: $50).
Fee includes all materials & text.

www.sacredplanttraditions.com

6.
FOOD PRESERVATION RESOURCES

Thanks to a grant from the Farmers Market Coalition and the Ball Canning Jar company, Market Central is offering several events this summer in our "Discover You Can!" program. We have classes, market demos and such scheduled throughout the summer, and would invite you to check out the full schedule on our website: www.marketcentralonline.org. The jam class on 7/24 is full (wow!) but there are spots available in the 7/23 pickle class. Still to come is online registration for a water bath canning basics class on 8/20 with Leni Sorenson (think: peaches and tomatoes) - but there are many programs to spur your interest, including a collaborative class with the Local Food Hub on August 13.

Plus: save the date for a 'Canner's Celebratory SWAP', to be held Sunday, September 25th at the Haven. Details forthcoming.

At this moment, I have a room full of promotional materials, and want to share them far & wide -- well, at least further and wider than my dining room! -- and I'm sure I have many times more than needed for our purposes at the market. I'd love to get them into the hands of individuals/groups who will most benefit, which is why I'm posting to this list. I have thousands of copies of a nicely done, concise brochure on the basics of water bath canning, (courtesy of Ball) and this brochure includes several delicious looking recipes and tips. Additionally, I have thousands of 1.50 off coupons for Ball jars and 2.00 off their 'Canning Discovery Kit'. Yes, you heard me right: thousands. If you have a church group or civic organization that could put these coupons and brochures to good use, please let me know. I'll have them at the City Market at the Market Central booth - please stop by and pick up a handful, or a gross! Or email me, and I'll rendezvous to get them in your hands.

Thank you, thank you! and cheers to all you home canners out there!

Kathy Kildea
Market Central
P.O. Box 6459
Charlottesville, VA 22906
434.531.3957
marketcentral@bnsi.net
www.marketcentralonline.org

7.
Virginia Food Security Summit – Connecting Our Farms, Food, Health and the Environment
Save-the-Date – Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2011
9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Alumni Hall, 211, Emmet St. South
University of Virginia Charlottesville, VA

Hosted by UVa, Virginia Food Systems Council, VA Cooperative Extension, VA Tech, and Washington and Lee University
www.virginia.edu/ien/foodsummit2011
email:VAFoodSummit2011@gmail.com

8.
September 3 – 4, 2011
Reclaiming Our Natural Connections
and Building Community Resiliency with Jon Young

Sat. 9am - Sun. 3pm/ Free Evening Talk Friday Sept. 2 @6pm
Have you heard of The Last Child in the Woods and Nature Deficit Disorder? Are you curious about ways to increase the health and vitality of children and families, especially ways to unplug from media and get outside? Do you wonder about how to build and sustain community? If so, come to an evening talk and weekend workshop that promotes connecting with nature and community building, through timeless indigenous approaches such as storytelling, relationship and sustainability. Hear about an international movement that looks at ways to connect with nature and people, to live in balance with modern culture and the outdoors. Living Earth School is thrilled to bring our long time mentor Jon Young to Charlottesville, to share his inspiring words and vision. It is truly a not to miss weekend. Jon’s work and the work of The Living Earth School, is the kind of work that builds hope and creates a better place for our children and their children. This vision not only gives us the resilience to survive but to thrive in the years to come.
Our weekend is held at beautiful Camp Albemarle nestled among river, field and mountains. The program is held for adults and families are welcome, as there will be a children’s program for ages 5-8 and 9+ (space for children is limited).
Cost is a sliding scale of $200-$250 per adult, $75-$125 per child (food, camping and instruction included).

Jon Young is a national treasure and leader in the field of deep nature connection. His "Cultural Mentoring" approach to developing deep nature connection, holistic human awareness and advance peacemaking skills has spawned over 100 local deep nature connection organizations and initiatives in the U.S. and Europe. Inspired by his childhood mentoring with famous tracker and author Tom Brown, Jr., Jon is co-author of a new book on nature connection mentoring, "Coyote’s Guide to Connecting with Nature," and currently works at the Regenerative Design Institute on the RDNA program. Visit his website at http://www.regenerativedesign.org
For more information, see: http://www.livingearthva.com/adult.html#john_young

9.
Stone Barns to Santa Cruz: The Role of Institutions in Local Food
5th Annual Local Food Project at Airlie Conference
Monday August 8 (all day) - Airle Conference Center, Warrenton, VA.
Harvest Dinner and Dialogue - Sunday August 7 at 7:00 pm

This year's conference will concentrate on the important contributions institutions can make in advancing a healthier food system. The conference will highlight successful models of institutional farm projects, food purchasing, farmer training and community outreach.
Featured presenters at the Stone Barns to Santa Cruz conference include Jill Isenbarger and Jack Algiere of the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture (Pocantico Hills, New York) and Patricia Allen and Christof Bernau of the Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems (CASFS) at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Breakout sessions throughout the day will focus on a range of local food topics with applications to almost any institutional setting.
See: http://www.airlie.com/dine/images/LFP_CONF_BROCHURE.pdf to VIEW CONFERENCE BROCHURE WITH PRESENTATIONS, WORKSHOPS & SCHEDULE!
For more information contact: Pablo Elliott, Director at 540-347-1300, ext 3163 or pelliott@airlie.org

10.
Appalachian Gothic Farm to Fork Gala - to benefit Appalachian Sustainable Development
Bristol Motor Speedway, July 27, 5:00 - 9:00 pm

Join us for a farmer's market under the stars featuring the creativity of raising, cooking and sampling fantasic, locally grown foods and regional artistic creations. Connect with local farmers and regional artists, purchase locally grown foods and hand-spun artwork, taste magnificent tapas prepared by Chef George, and enjoy great wines and local brews...all for a great cause!
Tickets are $20 if you prepay. Tickets are $25 at the door.
Tickets can be purchased at http://www.asdevelop.org or you can call us at 276-623-1121. Dress is casual.

11.
Mad City Chickens - a one time movie screening
Sunday July 17, 2:00pm - Byrd Theater, 2908 West Cary Street, Richmond, VA 23221

Advanced tickets on sale NOW! Seating is limited for this one-time Richmond showing. Tickets will only be available at the door on a first come, first served basis.
Mad City Chickens is a sometimes serious, sometimes whimsical look at the people who keep urban chickens in their backyards. From chicken experts and authors to a rescued landfill hen or an inexperienced family that decides to take the poultry plunge—and even a mad professor and giant hen taking to the streets—it’s a humorous and heartfelt trip through the world of backyard chickendom.
Please join us after the show for a Post-Movie Party and Book Signing by Pat Foreman, Author of City Chicks, Chicken Tractor and numerous other books. 4:30 - 6:00pm Ellwood’s Café 4 N. Thompson Street
The ordinances in Richmond and surrounding localities are outdated and unfair to folks who wish to raise a few hens (no roosters) in urban localities for food and fun. Join us and help us to spread the word about our wonderful egg-laying friends!

12.
Cob Over Building Workshop Saturday in Roanoke
Join Us This Saturday, July 16th Learn how and help us build a community oven, made from cob.
We’ll be leaving at 9:00am from the Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op parking lot (behind the store) and carpooling to Charlie and Sonia’s permaculture homestead. Learn how to do a silt test, the many uses and types of cob, make your own brick and help build an oven. All are welcome, you can share with your friends.
Optional: stay for pizza after the workshop! Returning: 1:00pm, back to the parking lot. (returning later if opting for pizza)

More details: http://katuahschool.com/2011/07/04/cob-building-workshop/

13.
Common Good City Farm in DC - Upcoming Events
Farm-to-Street Party
July/16/2011
Celebrate local food at Washington DC’s first ever Farm-to-Street Party! Enjoy scrumptious dishes made with ingredients from local farms, local craft beer and wine. Engage with local entrepreneurs, chefs and non-profit organizations.
Growing Gardens Workshop Drip...drip - Drip Irrigation for the Patio & Small Garden
July/16/2011
Saturday, July 16: Drip...drip - Drip Irrigation for the Patio & Small Garden. 8:00am-10:00am. A hands on workshop for your own drip irrigation system.

SEE THE WEBSITE BELOW FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

http://www.commongoodcityfarm.org/events

14.
Do you want to be involved in making Charlottesville-Albemarle a more livable community?
Join the Many Plans, One Community Livability Partnership!
We are currently forming a Livability Partnership, made up of representatives from a wide array of community groups, to provide input into the planning process.
Please find a letter with detailed information about the Partnership as well as a sign-up form attached, or on our website: http://1-community.org/PDF/Partnership%20Invite%20Lttr%206.22.pdf

If you have any questions about Many Plans, One Community please let us know by contacting Summer Frederick, Project Manager, at sfrederick@tjpdc.org or Mandy Burbage, Planner II, at aburbage@tjpdc.org.

15.
We own 14 acres in Rappahannock County, Va., with a spacious 4BR house built in
1907 and a log cabin built in 1790. Located at the foot of Old Rag Mountain, a mile from Shenandoah National Park and right on the banks of the Hughes River, which originates in the Park.

We’re looking to rent the land, house, and/or cabin land to like-minded people who are into sustainable gardening, homesteading, healthy living and mutual benefit. We are oriented to flexible, affordable terms and are up for any deal as long as it’s win-win.

Property is very rural and magical, and conveniently situated midway between Washington DC and Charlottesville VA -- just about 1.25 hours from each. It
includes:
• 2+ acres of farming/ gardening bottomland (some needs clearing)
• Hillside land suitable for fruit trees and shade crops
• 4BR/1.5BA house, 2500 sf, with 2 porches and a large basement
• 2-over-2 log cabin with recently renovated kitchen and bathroom
• Excellent well water
• Large bamboo grove

Besides being ideal for sustainable growing, this is a wonderful place for writers and musicians, with a world-class resident muse who has already inspired myriad songwriters and writers. Nearby towns of Sperryville and Little Washington are hotspots for music, writing, live theater, great food.

If interested contact Kay at kk@infowomen.org.

upcoming events

2011-06-09T08:58:00.001-07:00

Greetings All,

Below is a great collection of info on upcoming permaculture and sustainability events in the near future in the central Virginia bioregion, including a local food listening session tonight. If you know anyone else that would like to sign up for this newsletter, or if you have an announcement, email Christine at christinegyovai@gmail.com for the next update, which are sent monthly.

Best,
Christine and the Blue Ridge Permaculture Network team
www.blueridgepermaculture.net

1
Virginia Farm-to-Table
Listening Session- An Opportunity for Public Input

As part of a grant-funded study by the Virginia Food System Council, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech, Virginia State University and UVA’s Institute for Environmental Negotiation
THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2011 at 6:00-7:30PM
Registration and Refreshments at 5:45pm

JABA, 674 HILLSDALE DRIVE, CHARLOTTESVILLE, 22901
(Behind Fashion Square Mall)

What do YOU think?
• What does a healthy, safe food system look like to you?
• What are the challenges, opportunities and priorities for strengthening Virginia’s local food system?
• What is needed to increase production, distribution and consumption of local food?

Who should attend?
• Consumers
• Farmers, food entrepreneurs, chefs & restaurants
• Anyone interested in sustainable community health and nutrition
• Local government, community planners, and economic development officers
• Environmental conservation groups, farmland protection agencies
• Farm and food cooperatives

This is a listening session to gather your input about Virginia’s food system; we will not attempt to reach consensus at this meeting, but rather record your opinions and input. Information gathered will be used to develop a state farm-to-table plan by the Virginia Food System Council.

For more information, contact
Judy Berger, jberger@jabacares.org, or Lynda Fanning, lef5h@virginia.edu

2.
Workshop - Home Cooling Strategies to Save You Money
LEAP Event
When: Thu, Jun 9, 2011 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
Where: ecoREMOD: The Energy House (608 Ridge St.)
Download the event flyer.

It's Getting Hot Out There!
With the heat and humidity of summer already here, join us for this LEAP workshop, "Home Cooling Strategies to Save You Money."

Speakers will include:
-- Tom Kavounas of Albemarle Heating and Air
-- Leslie Burns of Leslie Burns Design
-- Guy Caroselli, one of LEAP's building science experts

Light refreshments and tours of ecoREMOD will be provided.

RSVP: annie@leap-va.org

3.
The Garden Grants application process is open. A partnership between Cville Foodscapes and the Quality Community Council , the Garden Grants program awards free gardens to low-income households. Please help us get applications to people who could use this support. Also, we welcome tax-deductible donations, which can be made to the Quality Community Council. Visit their website to donate through PayPal, or send a check to the address below.

The application is attached. Applications are due May 20th. The only eligibility criteria is the household must already qualify for some kind of income-based assistance. The garden awarded includes a prepared and planted bed, a compost bin, a rain barrel, as well as a garden care guide and 2 follow-up visits.

The application can also be found on the Cville Foodscapes website <.http://cvillefoodscapes.com/garden-grants/>. You can mail or drop of the applications to:

Quality Community Council
327 W. Main Street, Suite 101
Charlottesville, VA 22903

4.
Permaculture Design Certification Course August 18-30, 2011 Sundays off

Students will design a food forest, terracing pools and botanical sanctuaries for this woodlands site in Victoria, VA. Instructors Cliff Davis and Matthew English, formerly with The Farm in Tennessee, have 20 years of experience living and practicing permaculture. Comprehensive curriculum focuses on design principles and problem solving for temperate climate zones. Demonstration gardens will be constructed and field trips are included in the registration. You may register for a 3 day orientation and those who complete all 72 hours and individual project assignments will receive an internationally recognized Permaculture Design Certificate. Look forward to 11 days of shared inspiration that will reduce your carbon footprint and prosper your permaculture practice!
REGISTER: www.naturesfriends.ning.com OR wearenaturesfriends@gmail.com for more information
--
"bringing heaven to earth"... www.naturesfriends.ning.com

Rev. Marjani Dele
POB 497 Victoria, VA 23974
(434) 696-2439

5.
Homestead Intern sought to help with various farm projects including organic garden, chickens, pig, tree planting, water catchment, light carpentry, stone masonry, forestry, mushrooms, food preservation including canning, fermenting, and solar drying.
Work 16 hours per week for your room and board in our passive-solar home 6 miles north of Staunton.

Learn while you work - you are not expected to know how to do everything. This opportunity is about learning how to live more sustainably, not how to make a living. A good work ethic is more important than experience.

Contact Holly Parker at
hparker@augustamed.com

6.
What: Transition town meeting -Transition Charlottesville/Albemarle Transitioncville.org

When: 7 PM on the third Monday of each month, 20 June

Where: Unitarian Church, 717 Rugby Rd Charlottesville, VA

Questions: Hfcusa.org@gmail.com - Phone (434)987-1026

7.
Sally Nash is seeking permaculture design assistance in the Falls Church area for an outdoor sloped area. Please contact her at sallynash53@gmail.com if you are interested in doing a permaculture design.

8.
New Blog:
You can find it at www.HomeplaceEarth.wordpress.com or go to my website at www.HomeplaceEarth.com and click on the blog link. I'll be writing at least every couple weeks and sometimes every week. Next week's post is about starting your own sweet potato slips. Homeplace Earth is also on Facebook now. Imagine that!

Hope you enjoy it.
Cindy
Cindy Conner
Homeplace Earth

9.
Great One Day Classes for beginners and then some

Permaculture and the Herb Garden
Saturday, June 11
9:30am – 2:30pm
Join Kathleen for a day of instruction on how to set up medicinal gardens and botanical sanctuaries. We will begin with sheet mulching, look at garden layout and simple design and talk about the needs and growing conditions of common herbal medicines. We will wander back to the woodland sanctuary that has been created and talk about conservation and ecological harvest issues as they relate to United Plant Savers. We will also look at drying roots, flowers and leaves of our favorite plant allies.

Herbal teas will be provided at all the one day workshops. Please pack a bag lunch.
Fee for the class is $75. Deposit $30.
www.sacredplanttraditions.com
________________________________________
Kitchen Apothecary
Kitchen Apothecary - First Harvest
Sunday, June 12
9:30am – 2:30pm
This class can stand alone or be a wonderful conclusion to the garden class taught the day before. In this class, participants will actually harvest and make herbal preparations that are safe and time-honored recipes to be used for the family. We will learn the art of making salves, tinctures, oils and teas as well as how to stock our family medicine chest. This is an excellent class for those that are interested in learning sustainable ways of keeping selves and families healthy.
Herbal teas will be provided at all the one day workshops. Please pack a bag lunch.
Fee for the class is $75. Deposit $30.
www.sacredplanttraditions.com
______________________
Energy Medicine with Phyllis Light
July 1, 2, & 3, 2011
We welcome Phyllis back this year with a very special offering. As those that have been coming for the past five years to our weekends with Phyllis know, two days only leaves us wanting more. To remedy this, we have planned on a three day intensive.
There are two ways to participate in this class. You may come to just the weekend, $295 or participate in all three days for $395.

www.sacredplanttraditions.com

10.
Welcome to Sacred in Permaculture

A Global Certificate Course
Goals for the Global Certificate Course

1. Study, observe and articulate one’s individual relationship to the sacred in permaculture;
2. Investigate and map how this individual awareness of the sacred can facilitate a more holistic permaculture practice at the family and community levels.
Please join us and share your ideas of the sacred. Some of the pages are viewable only after you Register and become a Member. Please visit Course Requirements & About Us for details on the course plus facilitator bios & contact info. The site and educational experience is yours to help craft and share with the community, especially in the Groups & one-on-oneconferences via Skype.
– Melissa Miles & Willi Paul

http://sacredpermaculture.net/

11.
Tim and Frances (Miller) Crowhill Sauder are looking for a temporary care-taking farm position while they begin to search to purchase their own farm somewhere in proximity to Harrisonburg/Staunton (location is flexible). They will be moving from Pennsylvania in early September. They are interested in diversified sustainable agriculture. Tim has 7 years of experience with dairy farming, plus 5 years experience on a diversified farm in Germany including 2 years of farm school (in Germany). He also has carpentry skills and mechanical skills. Frances has 6 years of experience working on organic produce farms and has studied permaculture design. Their ideal scenarios would be: 1. to apprentice at a farm with draft horses 2. a rent to own situation. 3. Or any temporary situation that will give them time to find land. They are also open to buying a place as early as this fall if the perfect situation comes up. Frances is also a musician and a grad student at Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg.
Contact: francesemiller@hotmail.com

12.
Live Sustainably on an ACRE
2977 Hardware Rd. Scottsville, VA 24590
Live sustainably and comfortably on a beautiful 1.12 acre lot only 600 yards from the confluence of the James and Hardware River and less than 400 yards from the James River Wildlife management area and boat launch.

Outside amenities include 4000 square feet of gardens, with irrigation, partly surrounded by a deer fence. There is a barn that also works as a two car garage or workspace, a chicken coop with fencing and a tool shed. Want some livestock? There is a quarter of an acre fenced in that is suitable for a few goats, a miniature cow or a lama or perhaps just a great space for some dogs. Entertain with a cedar arbor and pergola, in ground fire pit, and horseshoe pit. Inquire about a list of herbs, flowers, fruits and vegetables on the property, many of which are ready for you to eat.
Inside, the house has been newly redone and the basement was finished this winter. The house comes with two wood burners, one a soapstone that is 92% efficient and heated the house throughout the last winter, helped by the new insulation in the attic. The house also has an oil fired furnace and an electric water heater and well. The floors are a mixture of bamboo, tile (some recycled) and carpet. There are 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and the total livable space is 1800 square feet. All appliances are included.

This is a well taken care of house that is ripe with possibilities for your sustainable home or retreat. Into fishing, hiking, gardening? You can do it all!
Vegetable garden #1 Basement/family room Pasture and outbuildings
For more information contact:
Peter Lee of Roy Wheeler Realty Co.
434-951-5142 or 434-960-6486
peterlee@roywheeler.com

13,
I have a 49.75-acre place about one mile from Lost River State Park in Mathias, WV. This is about an hour west of Strasburg, Va., 45 minutes NE of Harrisonburg, and 1.5 hours SW of Winchester. The place is mostly hilled/forested, with some flat areas that would be suitable for pasture and/or a greenhouse and gardens. It has a livable hundred-year-old farmhouse (2-3 bedrooms, living room, large dining room/kitchen, full bath, attached solarium), detached cold house/root cellar, large outbuilding w/loft, and small outbuilding. Heat source is a wood stove, but there is a propane stove that can also be reconnected for heat. A large stream (Jenkins Run) bisects the property at the base of the hills and two smaller streams run down to meet it. It's quiet, picturesque -- with many distinct microclimates and a mix of evergreens and hardwoods -- hikable, and has great energy. Wildlife includes deer, bears, a variety of birds, reptiles and amphibians (no copperheads ever seen, just the resident black snake, along with spotted salamanders), and plenty of spiders, butterflies, and praying mantises.

And the price has just been lowered to $159,900.

If you or someone you know is interested, please contact me at 410/757.4070.

Many thanks!
Leigh

upcoming events

2011-04-13T12:10:00.001-07:00

Greetings All,

Below is a great collection of info on upcoming permaculture and sustainability events in the near future in the central Virginia bioregion, including a film tonight and fruit school this weekend.

If you know anyone else that would like to sign up for this newsletter, or if you have an announcement, email Christine at christinegyovai@gmail.com for the next update, which are sent monthly.

Best,
Christine and the Blue Ridge Permaculture Network team
www.blueridgepermaculture.net

1.
Professor Barkslip's Fruit School
Date: April 16 & 17, 9am - 5pm
Location: Educational Farm at Maple Hill
Cost: $70/day, $140/weekend
Register: info@localfoodhub.org or (434) 286-2176

It is recommended that you sign up for the full weekend as the material builds upon itself, but if you can't, here's the breakdown:

April 16, 2011
Fruit tree care and pruning workshop (for the home, farm, and public space):
This class will be half talk and half walk and will cover site analysis and selection, proper tree selection, orchard floor prep and care, and caring for the established orchard. Like all the classes at fruit school, emphasis will be on using organic methods. Bring your favorite pruners and saws if you have them for the hands on portion of the class!

Plant rooting and propagation (for the low budget fruit enthusiast):
This class emphasizes low tech, organic methods of plant production though seeds, layering, rooting, stooling, and division. This is by far the easiest and cheapest way to bring the nutritional abundance of plants into your life. Great activity ideas for kids as well!

April 17, 2011
Bench grafting and cloning around:
Learn to graft your own fruit trees! This is nothing short of magical when you learn to stick a branch of one tree onto another and it grows. Discussed and illustrated will be the whip and tongue, and the cleft grafts, rootstock varieties, seedlings versus clones, aftercare, and setting up your own nursery for income diversification. Included in the class is one rootstock, choice of several varieties of budwood, and aftercare materials. There will be plenty of rootstock for sale to do multiple grafts if desired. You are encouraged to bring your own varieties of apple tree cuttings to graft or to swap and share with other participants.

Top working and advanced grafting (Have your flower and eat it too!):
This class will hurl you headlong into the world of top working countless varieties onto existing trees. Within three years you can have a barren ornamental tree in production with 40 varieties! We’ll learn about compatibility, timing, and the world of countless grafting techniques including chip and T- budding, side grafting, rind graft. We’ll touch on festooning and arborsmithing as well. Also emphasized is the essential aftercare of the top worked tree.

http://locallectual.com/tenants/local-food-hub
www.blueridgepermaculture.net

2.
Nature's Friend Day, April 30th 8:30-Noon, Victoria, VA. a morning of eco fun for youth (and the young at heart) and refreshments for all. Participation patch for those who register and complete all stations. Eco stations include building a worm farm, woodlands habitat, water awareness, painting flower pots and plants to take home, soil building races. For a registration form, email (marjani.dele@gmail.com) to register by April 25th for head count--space is limited. IF I know ahead of time, folks can camp under the stars the night before to be ready in the morning.
www.naturesfriends.ning.com

3.
Permaculture Design Certification Course
August 18-28, Victoria, VA
$1000 includes tuition, snacks, and a camping spot on the lawn/in my woods. Food is on your own; those on site can rotate sharing a potluck dinner. Registration forms available soon. Check web site for information on instructors. www.naturesfriends.ning.com Email for more information marjani.dele@gmail.com

4.
Permaculture and soil building workshop with Pierra Constans

Saturday April 16th 10 a.m. to 12
Rodes Farm Stables in Nellysford, VA
We will cover: COMPOSTING, MICROORGANISMS, SHEETCOMPOSTING AND COMPOST TEA.

Phone: Lindsay for registration 434 325 8060;
Pierre for questions 434 277 5202

5.
Fifth Annual Gaia Gathering for Women
Families of Origin, Families of Choice
April 29 – May 1, 2011
Welcome back to the fifth year of our gathering in the name of Gaia and our celebration in the gifts our Earth Mother gifts us. Gaia is the Greek name for the Primordial Goddess of the earth. Today this word conjures the notion that our Planet is our Mother who is alive and pulsing and beating and swaying with the rhythms of the universe.
A tradition at Gaia is to change the theme and focus of our weekend every three years. We are continually cycling from self, to family to community then back again. This year our theme is Family and we are celebrating our Families of Origins, Families of Choice. While we are deepening respect and honoring those that brought us into this world, we are also finding our own tribes and choosing those ‘families’ that support our goals, visions and the healing that we hold for ourselves. Our classes will also focus on medicine for the family and the issues that surround this aspect of our lives.
Again, this weekend fills as we are limited to only 100 Women. Fee for the weekend is $225. This includes Friday night to Sunday afternoon classes and activities, rustic lodging or camping and five gourmet, organic meals. For a complete list of classes, schedules and teacher bios, please visit the website.

New this year we are offering incredibly low advertising rates for women owned businesses to be included in our welcome packet. Great rates...please contact Heather at info@sacredplanttraditions.com if interested. This is your market!
www.sacredplanttraditions.com

New Free Clinic at Sacred Plant Traditions free clinic is now up and running. This is where second year students receive clinical training and it is an excellent opportunity for the community to gain access to wonderful information and support for their health needs. We are excited to be located in the Mary Williams Senior Center where we will have an opportunity to serve the needs of our elderly as well. Clinic staff are Mary Michaud, Bob Clickner and Kathleen Maier. To schedule and appointment please contact Clinic Co-ordinator, Summer Anderson at 434.760-5162
www.sacredplanttraditions.com

Six Week Intro to Herbalism
This six week series is great for beginners as well as those who want to deepen their knowledge and use of herbal medicine. This course will include history, herbal actions, apothecary practices, recipes, sacred use of plants and more. The weeks fly by as we spend time in the classroom, the kitchen, the lab and best of all, the garden. We will learn how to identify basic back yard medicines as well as those cultivated in the garden. We will learn harvest techniques, how to dry and preserve our medicines.
Fee $225 (Deposit: $50).
Fee includes all materials & text.
Spring Session: Tuesday Morning Classes, 10am - 12:30pm

www.sacredplanttraditions.com

6.
The City Schoolyard Garden Program at Buford Middle School in Charlottesville seeks a new Garden Educator. The application is due April 15, 2011, and the start date for the position is June 1, 2011.

For more information on the Garden, please visit: http://bufordschoolyardgarden.wordpress.com/
For more information on the Garden Educator position, please email Program Director Linda Winecoff at: Schoolyardgarden.cville@gmail.com or call (434) 882-1470.

7.
The next meeting of Transition Charlottesville/Albemarle Friday will be Monday April 18th at 7 PM in the Unitarian Church, 717 Rugby Road in Charlottesville, VA. Pass the word for others to join us.

Some useful Transition websites:
http://transitionus.org/transition-101
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/

8.

The Wild and Scenic Film Festival! The festival brings together a selection of films that tell a story about our planet, our beautiful and precious wildlands, and the people of the communities who love and defend them. They open our eyes and hearts to fantastic experiences in remarkable places. They beckon us towards action, highlight issues, and provide solutions.

The festival spans two evenings and two cities:

Wednesday, April 13 at the Paramount Theater in Charlottesville.
Thursday, April 14 at the Visulite Cinema in Staunton.

Screenings will be at 7pm and tickets are $10 per night, with each night featuring an entirely different slate of films. There will be a reception after each screening for those who would like to stay and learn more.

Please join us at one (or both) of these venues to enjoy these spectacular films. Advance sale tickets for both shows are available at Blue Ridge Mountain Sports in Charlottesville (cash or checks only please) or at the door. Tickets for the Charlottesville show may be ordered online at tickets.theparamount.net or purchased at the Paramount Theater Box Office.

We hope to see you there!

Sincerely,

David Hannah
Conservation Director
(434) 971-1553
www.wildvirginia.org

9.
On April 15-18, 10,000 organizers will gather at Power Shift 2011 to launch campaigns for a clean, just economy. We're working with Energy Action Coalition, the organizers of Power Shift, to ensure that every one of them is equipped with the core skills of organizing. But we need your help to do it.
Will you become a Facilitator for Power Shift? Click here to sign up:
http://www.powershift2011.org/conference/training/moveon
As a Facilitator, you will first be invited to a regional training. You'll go through the Movement Building Workshops, then participate in special sessions where you'll learn to teach the material to others. Then you'll join us April 15-18 at Power Shift, where you and your team will lead the training for a group of organizers.
10.
Living Earth Spring Programs in central VA
We have many new and exciting programs offered for this spring! Summer camps are filling, so if you haven't registered please do, as a few camps are already full. We hope to see you out to one of our fun programs.
Our Wild Edible Plant Class and Father/Son Weekend are happening this weekend, so if interested please call right away. Some campers have expressed interest in learning wild plants, how to make arrowheads, and bows in deeper detail. So please check in with them to see if one of these weekend classes for adults is right for them to learn more. Save the date, We are hosting Jon Young for a Weekend on Reclaiming Our Natural Connections and Community Resielence on September 2, 3, 4. This is an amazing opportunity to meet with a national treasure whos mission is to spread deep nature connection. It is a not to miss weekend for both adults and for families. For more details on any of our spring programs visit:
http://www.livingearthva.com/adult.html

11.
Introduction to Permaculture Design Class
Permaculture is a process for designing intensive edible landscapes based on ecological principles. This process is applicable for small scale (apartments or cities) and suburban or farm settings. We will learn the principles and ethics of permaculture design and how these can inform our landscaping decisions. Class content will include: the use of sheet mulch; simple ways to compost; the use of vertical spaces; building an herb spiral, a pond, fruit tree guild; and much more. Each session will include discussions and a hands-on component.
Spring Series May 5- June 2 Five Thursdays from 4:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m.
Fall Series September 1- October 6 Five Thursdays from 4:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m.
The cost of the series is $100 (registration info below).

Introduction to Permaculture Design Workshop
Permaculture is a process for designing intensive edible landscapes based on ecological principles. This process is applicable for small scale (apartments or cities) and suburban or farm settings. We will learn the principles and ethics of permaculture design and how these can inform our own landscaping decisions. Also covered in the workshop will be sheet mulching, vertical spaces, herb spirals, simple ponds and fruit, herb and f lower selection.
The workshop fee is $50. Some barter and work exchange is available upon request.
Location: Blacksburg VA, directions sent out upon registration
Dates for 2011:
Saturday May 21st 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Saturday June 18th 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Saturday October 15th 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Please send a 50% deposit to hold your space to: Sarah Gibbs 1502 North Main Apt A Blacksburg, Va 24060
and email questions sarahgibbs68@verizon.net or call 540-818-1394

Sarah Gibbs
Permaculture Designer
Horticultural Therapist
NatureScapes
540-818-1394

12.
Living Energy Farm
Open House and Oxen Demonstration

The Living Energy Farm is a project to build a zero fossil fuel farm in Louisa County.
We would like to invite you to meet our oxen and see our progress! For the last few months we've been working on the land, planting and planning for spring. On May 13 we will have two pair of oxen out on the land working with us and will demonstrate some of the old technologies we will be employing in our commitment to live fossil fuel free. There will be tours offered, games and refreshments and lots of people to answer your questions about our project. We hope you'll join us!

When: Friday, May 13th, 10 AM to 7 PM
Where: Living Energy Farm, Louisa, VA (see directions below)
Contact: Sara Tansey, sara.m.tansey@gmail.com, 843.694.8896

Directions to Living Energy Farm:

From West/ Charlottesville area:
Take I-64 East, toward Richmond. The next exit past Zion Crossroads is Rte. 208. Turn Left/ North on 208. Follow 208 for about 10 miles to the town of Louisa. When you come to a stoplight, turn Left. In one block, turn Right on Fredericksburg Ave. This road becomes Bibb Store Road. The (unmarked) address of the LEF property is 1050 Bibb Store Road. It will be on your Right. There is a white sign that says LEF on it.

From East/ Richmond area:
Take I-64 West, toward Charlottesville. The next exit past Shannon Hill is Rte. 208. Turn Right/ North on 208. Follow 208 for about 10 miles to the town of Louisa. When you come to a stoplight, turn Left. In one block, turn Right on Fredericksburg Ave. This road becomes Bibb Store Road. The (unmarked) address of the LEF property is 1050 Bibb Store Road. It will be on your Right. There is a white sign that says LEF on it.

Workshop: An Introduction to Training and Driving Oxen

When: Saturday, May 14th , 10 AM to 5 PM
Where: Living Energy Farm, Louisa VA (see below for directions)
Registration Contact: Sara Tansey, sara.m.tansey@gmail.com , 843-694-8896
Cost: $50, includes lunch. Checks made payable to Living Energy Farm.

13.
Companion Plants for Fruit Trees
Time Saturday, April 16 • 1:00pm - 2:00pm
________________________________________
Location Southern States Garden Center
810 Harris Street
Charlottesville, VA
________________________________________
Created By Benjamin Thornes
________________________________________
More Info As discussion leader, I will focus on fruit trees and their supporting cast of plants and insects, explaining how together they can improve the health of the soil for greater yields while reducing maintenance needs. Please stop by if you wish to learn more about a sustainable crop system from a permaculture perspective or even if you have something to share. Free knowledge!

14.
$525,000 210 DOUGLAS AV, North Belmont, Charlottesville, VA 22902 OPEN HOUSE SATURDAY 4/9/11 1-4pm

Extremely private. Downtown Farmette on two lots at .341 acres. A third .198 acre buildable lot available see (MLS #487089). 1910 Farm house with modern addition in 2001. Huge front porch and upper and lower side porches. Heart pine and oak hardwood floors. Two very large fenced-in gardens. Custom built walnut shed and very large additional shed. Bone-dry partial basement and huge gabled attic. Just a 10 minute walk to the historic downtown pedestrian mall. 5 minute walk to downtown Belmont. Contact below

Cliff Kavanaugh
434-466-5128 (O) 434-220-2223 (F) 434-220-1924

upcoming events

2011-03-10T07:02:00.001-08:00

Greetings All,

Below you will find an amazing collection of info on upcoming permaculture and sustainability events in the near future in the central Virginia bioregion including several opportunities to learn about growing fruit.

For more information about permaculture events, see our website: www.blueridgepermaculture.net. If you know anyone else that would like to sign up for this newsletter, or if you have an announcement, email Christine at christinegyovai@gmail.com for the next update, which are sent monthly.

Best,
Christine and the Blue Ridge Permaculture Network team
www.blueridgepermaculture.net

1.
Put your Project on the Blue Ridge Permaculture Network website!

Several people have requested an expanded BRPN website to facilitate sharing knowledge and information. We are going to be significantly expanding “Members work” section of the Blue Ridge Permaculture Network website to help facilitate learning about each others’ project, and updating other elements of the website.

http://www.blueridgepermaculture.net/members.html

Please email Christine at christinegyovai@gmail.com up to three photos, a description of about 100 - 200 words, and a website link (if you have one) to your permaculture or sustainability project to be included on the website.

2.
Sponsored by Local Food Hub and Blue Ridge Permaculture Network.

Professor Barkslip's Fruit School
Date: April 16 & 17, 9am - 5pm
Location: Educational Farm at Maple Hill
Cost: BEFORE MARCH 19: $60/day, $120/weekend. AFTER MARCH 19: $70/day, $140/weekend
Register: info@localfoodhub.org or (434) 286-2176

It is recommended that you sign up for the full weekend as the material builds upon itself, but if you can't, here's the breakdown:

April 16, 2011
Fruit tree care and pruning workshop (for the home, farm, and public space):
This class will be half talk and half walk and will cover site analysis and selection, proper tree selection, orchard floor prep and care, and caring for the established orchard. Like all the classes at fruit school, emphasis will be on using organic methods. Bring your favorite pruners and saws if you have them for the hands on portion of the class!

Plant rooting and propagation (for the low budget fruit enthusiast):
This class emphasizes low tech, organic methods of plant production though seeds, layering, rooting, stooling, and division. This is by far the easiest and cheapest way to bring the nutritional abundance of plants into your life. Great activity ideas for kids as well!

April 17, 2011
Bench grafting and cloning around:
Learn to graft your own fruit trees! This is nothing short of magical when you learn to stick a branch of one tree onto another and it grows. Discussed and illustrated will be the whip and tongue, and the cleft grafts, rootstock varieties, seedlings versus clones, aftercare, and setting up your own nursery for income diversification. Included in the class is one rootstock, choice of several varieties of budwood, and aftercare materials. There will be plenty of rootstock for sale to do multiple grafts if desired. You are encouraged to bring your own varieties of apple tree cuttings to graft or to swap and share with other participants.

Top working and advanced grafting (Have your flower and eat it too!):
This class will hurl you headlong into the world of top working countless varieties onto existing trees. Within three years you can have a barren ornamental tree in production with 40 varieties! We’ll learn about compatibility, timing, and the world of countless grafting techniques including chip and T- budding, side grafting, rind graft. We’ll touch on festooning and arborsmithing as well. Also emphasized is the essential aftercare of the top worked tree.

http://locallectual.com/tenants/local-food-hub
www.blueridgepermaculture.net

3.
Radical Roots Farm has 35 remaining CSA shares available for pick up at the Meade Park Market in Charlottesville every Wednesday starting June 1 from 3:30 to 6:30
Certified Naturally Grown produce
direct from our farm to your table,
every week from June to September.
Sign up now to reserve your share! RadicalRootsFarm.com

CSA members also recieve a 10% discount at the Radical Roots booth at the Charlottesville Farmers Market starting April 2nd!

New this year, Mountain View Farm CHEESE and BUTTER shares available and Radical Roots EGGS.
Please forward this message to your healthy eating friends. More information on our website.

Thanks, Dave & Lee O’Neill
www.radicalrootsfarm.com

4.
Creating a Food Forest in Your Yard
a workshop with Toby Hemenway author of Gaia's Garden

April 3, 2011 (Sunday)
9:00 am- 5:00 pm

Lynchburg College, Room (TBA)
FREE!!!
Reply to yos@lynchburg.edu
to register …space is limited!

This day-long workshop will focus on the basics of designing, planting, and maintaining a many-layered woodland garden of fruit and nut trees, perennial and annual vegetables, and flowers. Toby will cover the theory behind food forests as well as give a wealth of practical information, including which plants to use, where to start, and what to expect as your food forest grows. Food forests, or edible forest gardens, are life-filled places that not only provide food for people, but habitat for wildlife, carbon sequestering, biodiversity, natural soil building, beauty and tranquility, and a host of other benefits.

5.
Mushroom Growing Workshops
Sharondale Farm, Cismont, VA
Spring 2011
for more info contact Mark Jones: info@sharondalefarm.com; p: 434-296-3301

Growing Mushrooms at Home: an Introduction to Permaculture of the Fungi.
Learn about mushroom biology, ecology and cultivation of mushrooms in the garden and woods. Demonstrations include simple outdoor methods for growing gourmet and medicinal mushrooms. We will inoculate logs and install a gourmet mushroom bed in the garden. Each person will take home a bag of spawn to start their own mushroom garden.
March 19th or April 2nd. 9am-12pm
Sharondale Farm, Cismont, VA (http://shop.sharondalefarm.com/)

Urban Mushroom Growing: Learn about mushroom biology, ecology & urban permaculture. Activities include several hands-on small space gardening methods for cultivating mushrooms on logs, coffee grounds, cardboard, and other urban wastes! Every participant takes home a small bag of oyster mushroom spawn - this is an excellent species for growing mushrooms on many available urban resources.
March 26th- Tricycle Gardens, Richmond, VA (http://tricyclegardens.org/programs/)

Backyard Sustainability Crash Course (April 1-3, Friday Night–Sunday) Ezekiel's Guild, Lynchburg, VA: We’ll start with permaculture design on Friday night, and on Saturday we’ll cover various traditions of sustainable gardening, with an emphasis on soil health and opportunities for hands-on learning. We will explore herb gardening and survey the primary herbal medicine preparations, helping you to start your own home apothecary. If all goes well, as the sun goes down we may even establish a top-bar beehive, and we’ll talk about sustainable and healthy beekeeping at home. Sunday we’ll dive into grafting fruit trees and talk about backyard chicken keeping. But perhaps most importantly, in the afternoon we’ll get into home mushroom cultivation (featuring fungus farmer Mark Jones of Sharondale Farm), with an emphasis on shittake, oyster, garden giant, and almond portobello. Upon completion students will take home a spiral notebook of sustainable gardening notes, medicinal herb preparations, at least one fruit tree that you’ve grafted yourself, and a 3lb bag of mushroom spawn to get you started cultivating at home. $200-250, sliding scale. For more info or to register: www.ezekielsguild.com
For more info about mushrooms at Sharondale Farm, check out this website:www.sharondalefarm.com

6.land Orchard Farm

Permaculture potluck near Harrisonburg, VA on Saturday evening, March 12, at 6:30 pm -- anyone with BRPN is welcome to join us. It is being hosted by a student in the current New Community Project Permaculture Design Course:

55 Transom Ct.
Mt. Crawford, VA 22841

Call Adam Campbell with any questions at: 540.209.7378.

7.
The Electricity Fairy, a new documentary by Appalshop filmmaker Tom Hansell, is set to screen at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville on March 15th in Minor Hall, Room 125. The screening will begin at 7:30 PM and is open to the public.

The film focuses on coal extraction and a power plant being built in Wise County, Virginia. Hansell follows the story of the plant, connecting the local controversy to the debate over a national energy policy.

Following the screening, Tom Hansell, the filmmaker, along with Kathy Selvage, a Wise County resident and activist, and Cale Jaffe, senior attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center, both featured in the documentary, and Tom Cormons, Virginia Director of Appalachian Voices, will participate in a discussion and interaction with the audience.

The event is sponsored by the UVA Student Council Environmental Sustainability Committee, the Green Grounds Group, UVA Beyond Coal, and Appalachian Voices.

For more information about the film and additional screenings you can visit www.electricityfairy.org

See www.virginia.edu for a map to room Minor 125

8.
Firsthand Farmers Cooperative CSA

We are a group of central Virginia area farms working together to provide a diverse offering of local products through Community Supported Agriculture or CSA. CSA is a method of purchasing farm goods directly from local farms that benefits both the farmer and the consumer. CSA members pay for their shares at the beginning of the season and then receive a weekly delivery of farm products during the season. Shares include vegetables, herbs, eggs, dairy, and mushroom options. Contact CSA manager – Kathryn Bertoni available at astarfarm@netzero.net or 434-277-9304 with questions or for more information.

9.

March 22: Piedmont Horticulture Conference "Strengthening the Local Food Economy"

Tuesday, March 22, 2011
8:30am-3pm
Graves Mountain Lodge, Syria, VA

Join the Virginia Cooperative Extension, Madison County Farmers Market, and FamilyFarmed.orgto learn about the local food economy at the 2011 Piedmont Horticulture Conference, at Graves Mountain Lodge in Syria. This year's theme is "Strengthening the Local Food Economy" and will include lectures from local speakers on a variety of topics to include marketing to the consumer, wholesale success, food safety programs, a regional food hubs panel discussion and more. To register for the Conference, please email Brad Jarvis: bjarvis@vt.edu, or call the Madison Extension Office at (540) 948-6881.
http://www.buylocalvirginia.org/index.cfm/1,31,825,-1,html

10.
Transition Blue Ridge updated website and upcoming meeting
http://transitionblueridge.org/Blog/
Also, the Transition Blue Ridge group is starting up again.
The next meeting on April 1 at Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church-UU
at 7 p.m. Everyone interested in moving the group forward and continuing the work is welcome to attend.

11.
Highland Orchard Farm
Seeking Experienced Farm Manager: Summer 2011 landOrchard Farm
Salary $30-$40k
Accommodation includes 3BR farm House
Highland Orchard Farm seeks an experienced, enthusiastic individual to manage our growing farm enterprise. Set on 900 acres in Albemarle County in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, we raise a growing herd of Black Angus and Red Devon cattle, which serves as the cornerstone of our business. We are also home to a small herd of dairy goats, and an emerging goat milk soap business, Sweet Magnolia Creamery. Along with our legacy peach orchard, and newly installed 8-acre vineyard, we aim to build a diversified, sustainable family farm.

Ideal candidate is a self-starter, with an eye toward new business ideas and development, and brings 5-10 years experience managing a grass-fed cattle herd. Spanish speaking skills are a plus. We promote an entrepreneurial environment with opportunities for profit sharing. Our goal is to continue to build a sustainable family farm in a warm, friendly environment. Our Manager’s home is a small three-bedroom 1.5 bath cottage built in the 1930’s with sweeping views over our pastures, and the network of streams that form the headwaters of the Hardware River. We are underway with a master plan to renovate our barn complex, and vegetable gardens. The first phase of our renovation was featured in Albemarle Magazine’s tribute to Virginia Farm Restoration projects entitled, Barn Again, in August 2010.

Contact: Jonathan Gilliland Office: 434.220.0195 Mobile: 434.996.8022

12.

VIRGINIA LOVES MOUNTAINS

Friday, March 25th is our second annual Virginia Loves Mountains Day! On March 25th, people across the commonwealth will join forces to let Senators Webb and Warner know, without a doubt, that Virginians want them to fully support the EPA and to stop mountaintop removal once and for all.

Wise Energy for Virginia

http://wiseenergyforvirginia.org/save-the-date/

13.
Shenandoah Sustainability Summit
Saturday, April 23, 2011 from 10:00 AM - 3:30 PM (ET)
Cally's Banquet Room
41 Court Square
Harrisonburg, VA 22801
http://shenandoah2011-eivtefrnd.eventbrite.com/

14.
Edible Forest Gardens with Dave Jacke
Edible Ecosystems Emerging: Food Forestry for the 21st Century
April 15th-24th
Join us for a nine-day forest garden design intensive with Dave Jacke and friends!

Forest ecosystems exhibit many beneficial properties we humans would be wise to emulate in our culture, agriculture and horticulture: they maintain, renew, fertilize and propagate themselves without human inputs; they build, store, and conserve clean air, clean water, nutrients, soil quality, and biodiversity; and they exhibit stability, resilience, and adaptability. These qualities emerge from the dynamics of the forest as a whole system, not from any one or more of the elements that comprise the forest alone. To design productive edible ecosystems that express these same qualities, we must understand forest structures, functions, patterns, and processes and use this knowledge wisely.

In this nine-day intensive course, you will dive deeply into the vision, theory, and practice of designing wholesome, dynamic, and resilient edible ecosystems using temperate deciduous forests as models. Dave Jacke and his Pennsylvania-based teaching team will offer lectures, site walks, and experiential exercises to help you understand how the architecture, social structure, underground economics, and successional processes of natural forests apply in the design of edible ecosystems of all kinds. You'll learn a variety of ecological design processes while designing a range of food-producing ecologies at our host farm. We'll also engage with issues of garden management, economics, and the deep paradigmatic shifts required to succeed at cocreating "humanatural" landscapes and cultures. You will leave inspired and empowered to design food forests at home for yourself, and your friends, neighbors and clients.

For more information and questions, contact Kim Walsh Email ~ info@wildmeadowsfarm.com
Farm # ~ 814-839-4962 or Cell # ~ 612-804-6230
http://wildmeadowsfarm.com/2011/01/11/forest-garden-design-intensive-with-dave-jacke-and-friends-april-15th-24th/

15.
Horticultural Therapy and Social Work

Greetings!
Are you a horticulture therapist in the region willing to share your experience?
A farmer, gardener, social worker, teacher, or foodie with a passion for people, plants, or both?
Someone with an interest in increasing education and outreach around permaculture and sustainable agriculture?

I welcome your experiences, insights, and resources on the multiple benefits of plants!

I am a graduate Social Work student in Richmond, VA completing Independent Study coursework on the topic of Horticultural Therapy (HT) and its use as a Social Work intervention. For the purposes of my research the definition of HT includes the use of both plants and the natural environment in the therapeutic process. While it is intuitive to many that plants are psychologically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually beneficial to individuals I am seeking further resources to support this philosophy. HT is used to enhance and improve the lives of many populations including: people with disabilities, youth with ADHD and other behavioral disorders, seniors, veterans with PTSD and traumatic brain injury, and refugee and immigration populations.

Please contact me and share what you know about HT. How is it beneficial? How could it improve your clients, students, or children’s functioning? Who is doing it? Would you like to be involved? I am developing an HT program model to be implemented in mental health settings in the Richmond area. Any ideas on program development, funding sources, and needs of the region would be greatly appreciated!

While many of you folks may not be engaging in explicitly obvious HT activities, your interest in permaculture, sustainability, and food production is certainly related and I would be grateful for your input! I imagine that many of you are "doing" HT without realization!

Please feel free to check out my blog on Horticultural Therapy and Social Work at www.htsw.blogspot.com or email me at waughec@gmail.com

Thanks in advance for any assistance you may be able offer!

Eileen Waugh
757-817-7334

16.
The next Arts and Culture series at All Saints' Church is "Food, Faith, and Agriculture", with guest speakers Jesse Straight, Ginger Hillery, and Daniel Malcolm. Jesse Straight practices sustainable pasture-based poultry and livestock farming in Warrenton, Virginia. Ginger Hillery runs Full Circle Farm, a family farm and bakery in Catawba, Virginia. Daniel Malcolm is the CSA Farmer for Coverdale Farm, a part of the Delaware Nature Society in Greenville, DE. Join us as they give brief descriptions about their work and reflect on the topics of eating locally, supporting local farmers, and how their Christian lives are important factors in their vocation and home making.

All Saints' Anglican Church
March 20th, 5:30 P.M.
Free Child Care provided.
Wine and Refreshments after lecture.
Call 434.987.3562 for inquiries.

17.
Charlottesville Screening of Lunch Line

Time
Friday, March 25 · 6:30pm - 9:30pm
Location
The Martin Luther King Performing Arts Center at Charlottesville High School
1400 Melbourne Road
Charlottesville, VA
Created By
Lunch Line
More Info
This event is free and open to the public!

Please join us for the Charlottesville premiere of Lunch Line, a film that chronicles the history of school lunch in America. Find out how school lunch became what it is today — and stay for a panel discussion about what we can do to fix it!

Participants include:
Ed Bruske, DC-based chef, journalist, blogger
Alicia Cost, Charlottesville City Schools Nutrition Services Dept. Registered Dietician
Andrea Early, Director of School Nutrition Harrisonburg City Schools
Charles Green, Dir. Marketing & Development, VA Dept of Agriculture & Consumer Services (oversees VA's Farm to School program)
Matt Trowbridge, Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine UVA School of Medicine

Tanya Denckla-Cobb (moderator), UVA Instructor of Urban & Environmental Planning, author of "The Gardener's A-to-Z Guide to Growing Organic Food"

18.
Rose Brown and the Zero Garbage Challenge
March 18, 7:30 p.m.
Join us to hear about how one resident of Charlottesville set out to earn how to live comfortably while producing very little garbage.
She reduced the garbage she generated into 2 small bags for the whole year! Come and learn from her.

An Earth Friendly Friday event sponsored by the Green Sanctuary Task force of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Unitarian Church.
717 Rugby Road in the Social Hall.
Free and open to the public

19.
On March 11 and March 18 from 2-4pm, Randolph College will host two free apple tree grafting workshops taught by Tom Burford, orchard and nursery consultant, specializing in the restoration, re-creation, and design of historic sites and private estates, as well as commercial and backyard orchards.
Participants will have the option of taking back home the apple tree they graft, or donating it to the Randolph College's nursery. The apple cultivars will be diverse and for the most part considered as "Heritage" and disease resistant.

The events will take place at the Randolph College Organic Garden and participants will be allowed to park at the Maier Museum parking lot for free (1 Quinlan Street, Lynchburg, VA 24503).

Any interested person can contact Ludovic at llemaitre@randolphcollege.edu to reserve a seat.

20.
Join Common Good's Volunteer Staff for the 2011 Season – Washington DC
As an almost-entirely volunteer-run organization, we can always use more hands as part of our committed volunteer staff. Contact info@commongoodcityfarm.org for more info. Specific roles we're seeking:

Farm Coordinator: Approximately 3-5 hours per week, hours to be determined, but we're usually open in the late afternoon so a flexible schedule is a major plus! Farm Coordinators co-manage the farm during open hours. Job details include: 1) Assisting volunteers and Green Tomorrows participants with farm work; 2) following weekly list of “to do’s” which usually include weeding, planting, or other farm work; 3) welcoming passers-by, answering questions about the farm and explaining farm programs; 4) maintaning the farm site and upholding its rules. Ideal candidates will have some background in gardening and be comfortable working with diverse groups and children, but we are happy and willing to train.
Volunteer coordinator: Helps respond to standard "I'd like to volunteer! How?" emails, coordinates group visits in communication with the Farm Manager, and leads monthly Volunteer Orientations.
Website & Social Media: Have some Drupal or other CMS experience? We'd like to recruit someone to make our website more user-friendly, as well as keep it updated with occasional news and events. If you'd also like to contribute to our social media presence, help us with Twitter, Facebook, and even a blog.
Greenhouse construction: In storage we have a glass greenhouse, but we need assistance piecing it back together. If you have experience with erecting such a structure, please contact us!

Community Garden plots: Applications accepted until lottery March 19

The new park around the Farm will feature 40 community garden plots, available only to LeDroit Park, Bloomingdale, and Shaw residents. (If you live elsewhere, we unfortunately can't accept an application from you; check out our friends at Neighborhood Farm Initiative'sCommunity Garden Census for a spot near you!) A section of raised beds will be reserved for elderly, beginner, or disabled gardeners, and tools and soil will be provided. The lottery will be held on the Farm at 10a, March 19. Click here to learn more and apply!

Brown Bag Lunch with Sustainable Farmer Eric Herm
March 19, 2011, 12 noon on the Farm

Fourth-generation Texas farmer Eric Herm deals with the harsh economic realities and complicated legislation facing farmers, as well as the undeniable health impact of GMO crops and excessive chemicals on all living creatures in his new book, Son of a Farmer, Child of the Earth: A Path to Agriculture's Higher Consciousness. Mr Herm will speak about the critical need for more American farmers, wider use of sustainable agriculture techniques, and more resilient local communities.

Copies of the book will be available on the farm and at a book signing at Sisterspace and Books, 3717 Georgia Avenue NW, at 6p.

"A Community of Gardeners" Documentary Premiering at Environmental Film Festival

The new documentary "A Community of Gardeners," produced by local filmmaker Cintia Cabib, will premiere at the Environmental Film Festival in the Nation's Capital on Thursday, March 24, at 7 p.m., at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. It will be shown again on Friday, March 25, at 4 p.m., at the Town Hall Education Arts Recreation Campus (THEARC).

"A Community of Gardeners" explores the vital role of seven community gardens in Washington, D.C. and shows how these green spaces are changing people's lives, their communities and their environment. Among the gardens featured is the 7th Street Garden and its rebirth as Common Good City Farm. Executive Director Pertula George will be participating in the post-film discussion at the March 24th screening.

For ticket information and to make reservations, please visit http://www.dcenvironmentalfilmfest.org/films/show/678. To view the trailer and photo gallery, please visit http://www.communityofgardeners.com.

21.
a reference to permaculture while perusing a sight about peak oil:
http://www.energybulletin.net/primer.php

upcoming events

2011-02-18T17:30:00.000-08:00

Greetings All,

Below you will find info on upcoming permaculture and sustainability events in the near future in the central Virginia bioregion, including a Food Storage 101 and Community Seed Swap this weekend.

For more information about permaculture events, see our website: www.blueridgepermaculture.net. If you know anyone else that would like to sign up for this newsletter, or if you have an announcement, email Christine at christinegyovai@gmail.com for the next update, which are sent monthly.

Best,
Christine and the Blue Ridge Permaculture Network team
www.blueridgepermaculture.net

1.
Put your Project on the Blue Ridge Permaculture Network website!

Several people have requested an expanded BRPN website to facilitate sharing knowledge and information. We are going to be significantly expanding “Members work” section of the Blue Ridge Permaculture Network website to help facilitate learning about each others’ project, and updating other elements of the website.

http://www.blueridgepermaculture.net/members.html

Please email Christine at christinegyovai@gmail.com up to three photos, a description of about 100 - 200 words, and a website link (if you have one) to your permaculture or sustainability project to be included on the website.

2.
BRPN and the Local Food Hub presents:

Barkslip’s Fruit school
Aren't you just nuts about fruits?

Barkslip’s fruit school is wreaking havoc on convention. Bill Whipple, a.k.a. Professor Barkslip, has been stumbling around fruit orchards for 25 years growing things that he wasnt supposed to grow and fruit school is a chance to come find out what he has learned. Packed tighter than fruit cake, there will be hands on classes in fruit tree care and pruning, rooting, and grafting. This series is a response to there being very little information available for alternative fruit care, and as a follow up intensive to a permaculture design class focusing on getting a low input orchard in production at minimal cost. This class is appropriate for continuous learners, as well as eager beginners. The plant material you walk away with nearly pays for the class.

You will leave with:
· basic skills needed to care for low input home, farm and community orchards
· pruning strategies that support a low input system
· hands-on experience rooting and grafting so you can produce your own plant material at little to no cost
· grafted fruit trees, cuttings and seed starts
· skills to convert ornamental trees into fruit producing mega giants in 3 years

Charlottesville, Va-
April 16th & 17th 9am- 5pm
Contact: info@localfoodhub.org
434-286-2176

3.
Local Food Hub Hosts SPIN Farming Workshop
Maple Hill, Scottsville, VA - March 12, 8:00 am - 4:00 pm

The Local Food Hub in Charlottesville is hosting a day-long workshop on Small Plot Intensive (SPIN) Farming, which is an easy-to-learn method for getting the most production out of a small area (less than one acre, down to a hundred square feet or so) using sustainable and land-restoring practices. This method is excellent for urban farming and gardening, and demonstrates the economic viability and community-sustainability of small scale food production. Experienced SPIN farmer Linda Borghi will conduct the workshop and hands-on demonstration.

Registration is $100, which includes a workbook. To register, email info@localfoodhub.org or call (434) 286-2176.

4.
Would anyone like (for free, of course) a sliding glass door , to be used for a cold frame. Please call me. I am in Belmont in Charlottesville. Heather 434-923-8888.

5.
4th Annual Virginia Berry Production and Marketing Conference
L Douglas Wilder Building, Virginia State University, Petersburg, VA - March 17, 8 am - 4 pm

For a registration fee of just $15 (includes lunch), learn about high tunnel raspberry and blackberry production, new blackberry varieties, table grap production (special feature of this conference), berry crop pset management, and blueberry production and marketing. The day ends with an optional tour of high tunnel berry production.
http://www.virginiafruit.ento.vt.edu/VSUBerryConf2010

6.
Cultivating an Ecological Conscience: An Evening with Farmer Philosopher Fred Kirschenmann
Thursday, March 24, 2011 – 7pm, Fralin Auditorium, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg

Fred Kirshenmann is a world-renowned leader in sustainable agriculture who combines his experience as an organic farmer with an education in philosophy to offer a unique view of agriculture. Kirschenmann is the Distinguished Fellow for the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University and President of Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture in Pocantico Hills, New York. He travels extensively nationally and abroad discussing the importance of maintaining soil health, developing small- and medium-sized farms, and incorporating biodynamic techniques into farms.

Kirschenmann oversees the management of his family's 3,500-acre certified organic farm in south central North Dakota and is a professor in the ISU Department of Religion and Philosophy. He holds a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Chicago and has written extensively about ethics and agriculture.
http://groups.google.com/group/sustainableaged_org/browse_thread/thread/8aaca17a2e7fd50d?pli=1

7.
Moon & Stars Farm Invites You to

Save Money and Increase Your Peace of Mind
Food Storage 101

Learn
- how having extra food on hand saves you time
- how you can save loads of money
- sneaky ways to find space
- low energy ways to keep things
- how to make your community safer

Saturday, February 19th
12-2pm
229 Blackberry Lane, Staunton

Call Holly Parker at 540-292-0991
to save a space and get directions

8.
Nationally recognized author and speaker on food heritage, Gary Nabhan will speak on
"CLIMATE CHANGE AND PLACE-BASED FOOD" in Charlottesville

DATE: Thursday, March 3

TIME: 5:00 PM, followed by a reception and book signing, launching Nabhan's new book, Chasing Chiles (Chelsea Green, 2011).

FREE & OPEN TO ALL: easily accessible by C'ville Trolley and Bus, and parking at nearby Newcomb Hall/bookstore parking and Culbreth Theater parking (after 5pm) (see attached map)

WHERE: Lecture Hall 160, Campbell Hall, School of Architecture, UVa (near Culbreth Theater, off Rugby Road)

Nabhan is an award-winning natural-history writer and ethnobotanist, recognized by Mother
Earth News and Time as a pioneer in the local foods movement. His collaborative conservation work has been honored with lifetime achievement awards from the Quivira Coalition and the Society for Conservation Biology, and with the Vavilov Medal. A pioneer in heirloom seed saving, he raises rare chile peppers and Mission-era orchard crops in Patagonia, Arizona.

www.virginia.edu/foodcollaborative

9.
Fruit Grafting and Propagation All Day Intensive

When: Saturday, April 23rd, 9 AM to 5 PM
Where: 912 Woodfolk Drive, Charlottesville VA, 22902
Registration Contact: Sara Tansey, sara.m.tansey@gmail.com, 843-694-8896
Cost: $50, checks made payable to Living Energy Farm

This all day workshop will be an overview of growing fruit and nuts in Virginia without pesticides and fungicides. Participants will learn which fruit trees can be grown from seed, which can be rooted, and which must be grafted. Participants will learn how to prepare fruit tree seeds for planting, how to root fruiting plants, and how to graft. Numerous grafting techniques will be demonstrated, including:

Whip and tongue grafting and saddle grafting for young trees. Bark grafting and cleft grafting for more mature rootstock. Specialized grafting for nuts and hardwoods. Chip bud and tee bud grafting for stone fruits and citrus. Rooting cuttings, ground and air layering. Growing from seed. Specialized techniques for rooting blueberries and hard to root plants.

The focus will be on techniques that can be used at home with a minimum of tools and expense. Each participant will take home two fruit trees that they graft themselves. Rootstock and scions (grafting wood) will be provided. There will also be extensive discussion of managing orchards in the Southeast without toxic sprays, and other issues relating to horticulture in this area.

10.
Community Seed Swap!
11am, Sunday, February 20th Co-hosted by Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. Bring some seeds (or just come and grab some) and gardening stories and questions. Location: Alexander House Inn & Hostel 1205 Monticello Road, Charlottesville, VA 22902

http://cvillefoodscapes.com/

11.
Saturday, February 19th - the Maryland Organic Food and Farming Association presents their 20th annual Winter Meeting. Our own Ira Wallace is their keynote speaker! From oyster farming to beekeeping, kitchen gardens to local distribution of organic food, there is something for everyone. Whether consumer or farmer, gardener or distributor, this gathering celebrates the rich agricultural atmosphere of Maryland. The day-long event will also feature a live auction, seed swap, and the first local showing of The Greenhorns.
http://www.marylandorganic.org/events.htm

Saturday, February 19th - DC's Field to Fork Network offers Rooting DC, with workshops on basic gardening, school gardens, youth gardening, and more. Stop by for Paul's workshop on seed saving at noon!
http://fieldtoforknetwork.org/rootingdc/

Saturday, March 5th - the Appalachian Farmers Market Association holds their 3rd annual Winter Conference in Bristol, TN. Be sure to attend our presentation to learn about saving seeds for fun and profit!
http://www.appfma.org/events/afma-winter-conference

12.
Virginia State Parks Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) Applications -- Deadline: April 13, 2011 -- The Virginia State Parks Youth Conservation Corps is accepting applications for summer 2011. YCC participants assist with an assortment of projects in Virginia State Parks, including wildlife and fisheries habitat improvement, trail and campground construction and restoration, timber and shoreline improvement, and landscape beautification. Teams of 10 participants will be chosen from current high school students aged 14-17 (participants must be 14 by June 1, 2011) who demonstrate an interest in protecting Virginia’s environment. While no prior experience is necessary, participants will work outside, and the service is physically demanding. The 2011 YCC sessions will be held at 10-12 State Parks across the Commonwealth. The two three-week sessions are scheduled as follows; session one: June 26 - July 16, session two: July 24 – Aug 13. Students may only attend one of the sessions. YCC crew members are provided room, board, tee-shirts and work-related equipment, and receive a $500 stipend at the end of the three weeks. For more information, contact Gaston at 703.583.5497, Fax 703.583.2514, e-mail vspycc@dcr.virginia.gov, or visit www.dcr.virginia.gov. You must have the email address of both your references when you apply on line at: http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state_parks/ycc.shtml.

13.
1. I have many back issues of the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy newsletter, mostly from this past decade, that I would like to give to someone who's either researching heritage breeds (like what they may want to have in their landscape) or who already uses heritage breeds and could benefit from the information. To my knowledge, ALBC covers every domestic animal, including rabbits. I'm in Annapolis, but will be making weekly trips to Charlottesville beginning mid-March.

2. I'm interested in setting up a reading/discussion group locally for Transitions Town exploration. I'd be interested in meeting anyone in Anne Arundel County in this vein. We would use the Transitions reading/discussion material and program created by Transitions NE Seattle, which is available at www.transitionus.org.

Contact Leigh at 410/757.4070 or mimictheforest@yahoo.com for more information.

14.
USDA Organic Farming Systems Conference
Georgetown University, Washington, DC - March 16-18

The USDA will be holding an Organic Farming Systems Conference at Georgetown University with the following objectives:
1 - To examine findings from U.S. research on organic farming systems, including two key types of research-long-term farming experiments and nationwide economic producer surveys.
2 - To explore the implications of these findings for U.S. agricultural productivity, economic viability, environmental stewardship, and quality of life goals.
3 - To facilitate dialogue among the various disciplines, farm groups and other stakeholders involved in organic farming systems research, and to generate recommendations for improving the way this research is conducted.
4 - To create new ideas for future research in organic farming systems.

For more information, and registration, visit: http://www.ers.usda.gov/ConferenceCenter/OrganicFarmingSystems/

15.
Charlottesville Tomorrow's Cville3D project is growing our city within Google Earth. Now YOU can learn how to build these 3D computer models and put Charlottesville-Albemarle on the map (in Charlottesville). We have just set the dates for our next FOUR FREE Google Sketchup trainings with local architect Bob Pineo. Each class will be limited to about 20 students, so sign up early to save a seat. Please feel free to share this invitation with your contacts who may also be interested.

BEGINNER CLASSES -NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY

Google Sketchup 101 (Beginner Class)
Wednesday, February 23, 2011, 6:30 to 8:30 PM
Location: PVCC Stultz Center

Google Sketchup 101 (Beginner Class)
Monday, March 14, 2011, 6:30 to 8:30 PM
Location: PVCC Stultz Center

INTERMEDIATE CLASSES - PAST EXPERIENCE WITH SKETCHUP REQUIRED

Google Sketchup 102 (Intermediate Class)
Wednesday, March 2, 2011, 6:30 to 8:30 PM
Location: PVCC Stultz Center

Google Sketchup 102 (Intermediate Class)
Monday, March 28, 2011, 6:30 to 8:30 PM
Location: PVCC Stultz Center
http://cvilletomorrow.typepad.com/charlottesville_tomorrow_/cville3d.html

16.
Design Thinking Mashup
A Symposium at the UVa School of Architecture – Charlottesville, VA
February 22-23, 2011

Collaboration, Creative Research, and Community
The symposium will explore collaboration, creative research, and community, using Architecture and the Arts as exemplars of creative problem solving techniques.

All events free and open to the public.

For additional information, please contact George Sampson gws6n@virginia.edu
or (434) 924-7307

Sponsored by:
The University of Virginia School of Architecture
https://secure.arch.virginia.edu/groups/designthinkingmashup/

17.
We need you to call your member of Congress RIGHT NOW and urge them to oppose budget bill Amendment 109, key in our fight to end mountaintop removal.
This dangerous amendment would remove the vital funding needed for the EPA to do its job in reviewing mountaintop removal permits and would reverse all action taken by the administration over the past two years to safeguard Appalachian streams and communities.

Call (202) 224-3121 and ask for your representative.

iLoveMountains.org

upcoming events

2011-01-14T13:40:00.001-08:00

Greetings All,

Below you will find info on upcoming permaculture and sustainability events in the near future in the central Virginia bioregion—info below on a BRPN potluck, Dave Jacke’s Feb. workshop and upcoming Permaculture Design Courses.

For more information about permaculture events, see our website: www.blueridgepermaculture.net. If you know anyone else that would like to sign up for this newsletter, or if you have an announcement, email Christine at christinegyovai@gmail.com for the next update, which are sent monthly.

Best,
Christine and the Blue Ridge Permaculture Network team
www.blueridgepermaculture.net

1. BRPN Potluck and upcoming workshops

Blue Ridge Permaculture Network potluck and seed swap on Friday, Feb. 4th in Charlottesville at 4:30 pm before Dave Jacke's community talk, which starts at 7 pm (workshop and talk announcement below - feel free to forward it to your networks - thanks!). We hope to have a time to get together to hang out, hear what people are working on, and plan strategies for how we, and how BRPN, can support each other's efforts. Bring utensils, a dish to share and seeds to swap (yours or extra seeds you have to trade).

The potluck will be in the middle school of the Mountaintop Montessori school in Charlottesville. Note that the middle school is at the far end of campus, and there is limited parking available right next to the middle school as well as at the campus. Directions may be found at the website:

http://mountaintopmontessori.org/index.php?option=com_contact&Itemid=3

Upcoming Blue Ridge Permaculture Network classes

The Blue Ridge Permaculture Network will offer a spring Introduction to Permaculture workshop and a fall Permaculture Design Course over three 4-day weekends: Sept. 9-12 Oct 7-10, Nov 4-7, 2011 (with childcare).

Gardening Like the Forest Workshop with Dave Jacke, author of Edible Forest Gardens
near Charlottesville, VA in February 2011

Friday Evening Public Talk:
February 4, 2011, 7-9 PM; Suggested donation $10 at the door.
Gardening Like the Forest: Home-Scale Ecological Food Production
At Mountaintop Montessori Community Hall
Healthy forests maintain, fertilize, and renew themselves, naturally. Wouldn’t you like to grow an abundant food-producing ecosystem like this in your back yard? You can! Edible forest gardens mimic the structure and function of natural forests through all their stages of development and grow food, fuel, fiber, fodder, fertilizers, farmaceuticals, and fun. We can meet our own needs and regenerate healthy ecosystems at the same time! This talk introduces the vision of forest gardening with some scientific background, a few living examples, and a sampling of some useful perennial edibles you can use in your own garden. The ecology of forest gardening can also teach us some interesting things about how we might organize human societies. Contact Terry Lilley at tygerlilley@gmail.com or see the website www.blueridgepermaculture for more information.

Weekend Workshop with Dave Jacke:
February 5-6, 2011, 9 AM – 5 PM, with a Saturday evening lecture.
Gardening Like the Forest: Designing Perennial Polycultures
Effective perennial polycultures combine useful perennial plants into vegetation patches that minimize competition, create additive yields, and minimize the gardener’s work and outside inputs. Guild and polyculture design are the most interesting and challenging part of the forest garden design process. This in-depth, intermediate-to-advanced workshop explores the specific ecological theories behind polyculture design through experiential exercises and games. Participants will design perennial polycultures together using a variety of design processes. We’ll also explore the implications of what we learn for the design of ecological human cultures. No prior experience necessary!

The cost for the weekend is a sliding scale of $250-$295. A few work trade positions are available for partial tuition; inquire soon about work trade guidelines and availability.
Contact Terry Lilley at tygerlilley@gmail.com or see the website www.blueridgepermaculture for more information.

2.
New Community Project is pleased to announce we will be teaching a Permaculture Design Course in Spring 2011 in Harrisonburg. This 72-hour certification course will be headquartered at our new Sustainable Living Center, at 715 N. Main St. in Harrisonburg.

Based on patterns and processes of ecological systems, permaculture is the art and science of creating healthy and resilient human environments abundant in food, water, shelter, energy, and community. This course will focus specifically on exploring sustainability strategies for the Shenandoah Valley, and participants will emerge as a thriving practitioner network, each with the ability to design and build gardens, homes, and communities modeled on living ecosystems.

This ecological design course covers such themes as: permaculture ethics and philosophy, ecological system understanding, organic food production, design concepts and techniques, natural soil improvement, edible forest gardening, aquaculture, healthy buildings and human settlements, renewable energy systems, local economies, mushroom cultivation, and much more. Hands-on work and play, group discussion, site tours, lecture, design projects, and work parties will all be used to facilitate a dynamic learning environment.

The dates for the four weekend, 12 day course are: Feb 18-21, Mar 11-13, Apr 8-10, and May 14-15. Cost is a sliding scale from $500-800.

Please contact Adam at ncppdc@gmail.com for details, or to register or read more, see the website:

http://ncpharrisonburg.wordpress.com/perma/

3.
Erik and Lindsay Curren, founders of the online magazine Transition Voice, and of the group, Transition Staunton Augusta, will give a talk Fri, Jan 28, at 7pm at Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church - Unitarian Universalist (717 Rugby Road).

The Currens will describe their organization's efforts to educate their community about peak oil and climate change and strengthen the local economy and food system. Transition Staunton Augusta, which is one of 75 Transition Initiatives in the U.S. and over 650 worldwide, aims to help its community prepare for a lower energy future by ramping up support for the local food system, local businesses, energy conservation, and clean energy. For more information, see transitionvoice.com or http://transitionstaunton.org/. Sponsored by TJMC-UU's Green Sanctuary Task Force. Free.

If you've never heard of the Transition movement, here's a 5-minute video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGHrWPtCvg0&feature=related

If you've got 18 minutes, this one goes into greater depth:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8meWY0W40OA&feature=related

For more information, contact Nancy at nhurrelbrinck@gmail.com.

4.
Carbon, Our Energy Future, and You: A Community Workshop
The City of Charlottesville, the County of Albemarle, and the University of
Virginia are hosting a Community Workshop inviting the public to learn more
about ongoing initiatives related to energy opportunities and impacts, including
recent efforts to identify effective energy management strategies.
Cost: Free
Date: Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Time: 6:00-8:00 pm
Note: Display Stations will be available for viewing
in the Lobby all day on January 26th
Place: Albemarle County Office Building
Auditorium and Lobby
401 McIntyre Road
Charlottesville, VA
Further information: www.charlottesville.org/agreencity

5.
Farm Work – Charlottesville area farm

Looking for a Farm Assistant for 2011 season. Would be responsible for all aspects of field work (seeding to harvesting of vegetables, flowers, and herbs) and selling at weekly farmers markets. Season would be March-November. Minimum of 1 year farming experience is required. This position would be a good fit for a person with some experience who wants to have more responsibility and learn more about all aspects of running a farm while receiving guidance and mentoring. Receives a weekly stipend with possibility for bonus based on season/sales (bonus reviewed 3 times a season). For more information: contact Steph at newbranch@ntelos.net

6.
A screening of Queen of the Sun about bees, on Sunday, Jan. 23 will be at the Haven at First and Market in Charlottesville from 4-6:30 pm. To learn more about the film, visit www.queenofthesun.com.

7.
Gardeners for the Bay is a free “pledge program” for people who love to garden and want to keep our rivers and streams clean. We have Gardener for the Bay members all across the state and try to offer various workshops – from professionals like you – to help further educate and engage them in Bay and Eco-friendly gardening and growing. For example, we helped host a workshop on composting last fall and winter gardening last winter season with local earth-friendly gardening groups and non-profits.

If you have ideas on how we could partner on any events or workshops please let me know!

Thanks for your time,
Jess

Jessica Barton
VA Grassroots Coordinator
1108 East Main Street, Suite 1600
Richmond, VA 23219
804-780-1392

8.
Anyone interested in having their own piece of land to garden? International Community in Greene County has garden space for individuals that don't have their own garden space or would prefer to garden with others. A great way to share your knowledge, techniques, and watering time etc. with other local Gardeners. Plowing, tilling, water, and a small greenhouse are available. Grow for yourself, share with your friends, or sell your extras at the local farmers market. Call or e-mail David for more details. 434-985-7895 or mrbillybobjimbo@yahoo.com

9.
Folks, there will be an onslaught of attacks on the EPA because of the ruling to deny the permit for the Spruce No.1 Surface Mine, outlined here on EPA's water quality page (linked below). The EPA needs to hear from people like us who believe that atomic-bomb-style mining in West Virginia and Kentucky needs to cease. Mountain top removal mining destroys more plentiful, legitimate mining jobs that go with environmental integrity. Communities in West Virginia are having their land, air and water quality poisoned by extensive, dangerous mining practices unchecked by most state and federal regulatory and environmental agencies.

Please share this email with your friends and look for the "Contact us" link on this page:
http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/guidance/cwa/dredgdis/404c_index.cfm

10.
GROWING COMMUNITIES WORKSHOP

From: The American Community Garden Association(ACGA)
www.communitygarden.org
Who: Gardeners, leaders, educators, volunteers, supporters of
community gardens, food justice advocates, master gardeners, and
others seeking to use community gardening to meet their program
objectives and create healthy communities.

What: Two-day interactive workshop giving participants the tools to
enhance community building and leadership development through
gardening.
Meet other people in the C-ville community, have fun, and leave with
new ideas!

When: Friday Feb 4 - 8:30 am-5:00 pm Saturday Feb 5 - 9:00 am-
4:00 pm

Registration includes BOTH Friday and Saturday !

Where: CitySpace 100 5th ST NE Charlottesville,VA 22902

Cost: $75 per individual, sliding scale based on ability to pay.

Fee includes: ACGA membership (invaluable for most, $30 for everyone
else),
Growing Communities Curriculum ($35 value)
2 days of workshop w/ breakfasts and lunches!

RSVP: Register online: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/141988

Contact: Healthy Food Coalition (434) 987-1026
www.HFCusa.org@gmail.com

Specific Workshop Topics include: Community Organizing, Leadership
Development, Grassroots Fundraising Basics, Asset-Based Community
Development, Communications Planning, Coalition Building, Diversity,
Meeting
Facilitation and Group Decisions.

Participants receive the “Growing Communities Curriculum,” a 352 page
resource workbook, which includes curriculum materials that walk the
reader through the process of conducting training workshops.

upcoming events

2010-12-13T08:10:00.000-08:00

Greetings All,

Below you will find info on upcoming permaculture and sustainability events in the near future in the central Virginia bioregion—info below on Dave Jacke’s Feb. workshop and upcoming Permaculture Design Courses.

For more information about permaculture events, see our website: www.blueridgepermaculture.net. If you know anyone else that would like to sign up for this newsletter, or if you have an announcement, email Christine at christinegyovai@gmail.com for the next update, which are sent monthly.

Best,
Christine and the Blue Ridge Permaculture Network team
www.blueridgepermaculture.net

1.
Upcoming Blue Ridge Permaculture Network classes
Stay tuned here and on the website for information about 2011 permaculture classes

The Blue Ridge Permaculture Network will offer a spring Introduction to Permaculture workshop and a fall Permaculture Design Course over three 4-day weekends: Sept. 16-19, Oct 7-10, Nov 4-7, 2011 (with childcare).

Gardening Like the Forest Workshop with Dave Jacke, author of Edible Forest Gardens
near Charlottesville, VA in February 2011

Friday Evening Public Talk:
February 4, 2011, 7-9 PM; Suggested donation $10 at the door.
Gardening Like the Forest: Home-Scale Ecological Food Production
Healthy forests maintain, fertilize, and renew themselves, naturally. Wouldn’t you like to grow an abundant food-producing ecosystem like this in your back yard? You can! Edible forest gardens mimic the structure and function of natural forests through all their stages of development and grow food, fuel, fiber, fodder, fertilizers, farmaceuticals, and fun. We can meet our own needs and regenerate healthy ecosystems at the same time! This talk introduces the vision of forest gardening with some scientific background, a few living examples, and a sampling of some useful perennial edibles you can use in your own garden. The ecology of forest gardening can also teach us some interesting things about how we might organize human societies. Contact Terry Lilley at tygerlilley@gmail.com or see the website www.blueridgepermaculture for more information.

Weekend Workshop with Dave Jacke:
February 5-6, 2011, 9 AM – 5 PM, with a Saturday evening lecture.
Gardening Like the Forest: Designing Perennial Polycultures
Effective perennial polycultures combine useful perennial plants into vegetation patches that minimize competition, create additive yields, and minimize the gardener’s work and outside inputs. Guild and polyculture design are the most interesting and challenging part of the forest garden design process. This in-depth, intermediate-to-advanced workshop explores the specific ecological theories behind polyculture design through experiential exercises and games. Participants will design perennial polycultures together using a variety of design processes. We’ll also explore the implications of what we learn for the design of ecological human cultures. No prior experience necessary!

The cost for the weekend is a sliding scale of $250-$295. A few work trade positions are available for partial tuition; inquire soon about work trade guidelines and availability.
Contact Terry Lilley at tygerlilley@gmail.com or see the website www.blueridgepermaculture for more information.

2.
New Community Project is pleased to announce we will be teaching a Permaculture Design Course in Spring 2011 in Harrisonburg. This 72-hour certification course will be headquartered at our new Sustainable Living Center, at 715 N. Main St. in Harrisonburg.

Based on patterns and processes of ecological systems, permaculture is the art and science of creating healthy and resilient human environments abundant in food, water, shelter, energy, and community. This course will focus specifically on exploring sustainability strategies for the Shenandoah Valley, and participants will emerge as a thriving practitioner network, each with the ability to design and build gardens, homes, and communities modeled on living ecosystems.

This ecological design course covers such themes as: permaculture ethics and philosophy, ecological system understanding, organic food production, design concepts and techniques, natural soil improvement, edible forest gardening, aquaculture, healthy buildings and human settlements, renewable energy systems, local economies, mushroom cultivation, and much more. Hands-on work and play, group discussion, site tours, lecture, design projects, and work parties will all be used to facilitate a dynamic learning environment.

The dates for the four weekend, 12 day course are: Feb 18-21, Mar 11-13, Apr 8-10, and May 14-15. Cost is a sliding scale from $500-800.

Please contact Adam at ncppdc@gmail.com for details, or to register or read more, see the website:

http://ncpharrisonburg.wordpress.com/perma/

3.
Project Coordinator - Shenandoah Valley Farm-to-Table, Posting number 0100982
Quick link listings.jobs.vt.edu/applicants/Central?quickFind=192651

The Northern District Cooperative Extension office in Harrisonburg Virginia is seeking highly motivated candidates for the position of Project Coordinator - Shenandoah Valley Farm-to-Table. This is a grant-funded, full-time position with duties related to grant project management, community-based food system and water quality extension activities, and Buy Fresh Buy Local. This position will coordinate work and be a liaison for local farmers, producers, institutions (schools, universities, restaurants, grocery stores), and food-related businesses to promote more procurement and purchase of local food and farm products in the Shenandoah Valley. Will work closely with community viability extension specialist and appropriate agents to identify issues, opportunities and educational strategies, identify outlets and markets for Shenandoah Valley food and farm products, evaluate demand and supply for different products and evaluate deficiencies and inefficiencies in the local food system (e.g., processing, packaging, marketing, distribution). Will keep interested stakeholders informed about the Chesapeake Bay Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction grant and Buy Fresh Buy Local through the development of educational materials, on-line resources and periodic newsletters. Other responsibilities include contributing to writing and preparing project reports for funding group(s), local food directories, presentations, manuscripts, posters, and grant proposals for seeking related funding opportunities, providing logistical support of the Chesapeake Bay Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction grant, farm-to-table and water quality grant activities, Shenandoah Valley Buy Fresh Buy Local, and community-based food systems including setting up meetings, calls, workshops, conferences, tours and other educational outreach programs.

4.
Charlottesville Community Design Center
http://www.cvilledesign.org/

Housing the Future: Reinventing Where We Age | December 3 - January 31
By 2025 1 in 4 Charlottesville residents will be over 60. What housing options exist for Charlottesville's growing population of older adults? See innovative approaches to inclusive housing design from home remodeling to accessory apartments. Featuring work by the University of Virginia's ecoMOD project and the Center for Universal Design at NC State. Visit livableforalifetime.org for a complete listing of aging in place events associated with the Housing the Future series.

JRGBC Luncheon: Looking Back on LEED 2010
Tuesday, December 14 12-1 pm
JRGBC hosts a panel discussion with local green building professionals to review their experiences with LEED projects over the past year. The panelists will speak to their successes as well as challenges. They can introduce their favorite or most innovative LEED point or the ones they struggled to qualify for. Presenters include Jeff Sties of Sunbiosis who will bring a residential designer’s perspective; Lindsay Snoddy, the Environmental Compliance Manager for the Albemarle County school system will speak to school projects; and a representative from UVA will reflect on institutional scale projects. Free and open to the public. Register in advance on the JRGBC website.

Green Matters: Alternative Energy Solutions
Tuesday, December 14 from 5-7 pm
A home is a complicated machine that requires large amounts of energy to function. A panel will discuss environmental strategies and mechanical systems that will help you save money, preserve resources, and reduce your carbon footprint. Free and open to all.

Neighborhood Leadership Institute
The City of Charlottesville is accepting applications for the 5th Annual Pilot Your City Neighborhood Leadership Institute. Classes are on Wednesday evenings from 6-9 pm beginning January 12. Applications accepted until January 1, 2011, or until class is full. Download an application here.

Request for Proposals: Lewis and Clark Exploratory Center
The Lewis & Clark Exploratory Center is seeking a design build team to construct a LEED certified museum building that embodies the green principles they will be teaching in their programs. Download the full RFP: http://lewisandclarkeast.org/ or email lewisandclark@lewisandclarkeast.org for more information. Deadline is January 11, 2011.

If you have an event or announcement that you would like to appear in a future edition of our e-newsletter, please email us at info@cvilledesign.org.

5.
Start Your Vegetable Production Business Today
Attend the Growers Academy for Small-Scale Vegetable and Flower Growers

Those with a dream of providing flowers and organic herbs and vegetables to the region will want to attend the Growers Academy.

The Growers Academy is an 8-week learning series offered on Tuesday nights starting January 11, 2011, from 6 – 9 pm, at the VT Roanoke Center in the Roanoke Higher Education Building in downtown Roanoke. The Growers Academy is offered through VT EarthWorks in partnership with Virginia Cooperative Extension ( http://offices.ext.vt.edu/roanoke/).

Registration for the Academy is $215 per person for the 8-week series.
You can register online at http://www.cpe.vt.edu/grac/
Registration is requested by January 5, 2011.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As many know, it is one thing to yearn to sell your backyard’s vegetable bounty to local stores and restaurants. It’s another to master the tools of business plans, loans, and market connections.

The Growers Academy is a learning series designed to build a peer cohort to help new and transitioning vegetable production businesses succeed.

Academy topics include production planning, low-input vegetable production, soils and cover crops, pest and weed management, business plan development, rotational plantings, equipment, marketing, and more. Each weekly session is presented by subject matter experts, including successful producers. Previous participants value hearing from the “local speakers who actually work in the markets, restaurants, and farms.” Participants complete the course with a preliminary business plan for their new enterprise and are provided an opportunity to sell directly at a nearby farmers market.

If you don’t have land and still want to pursue your vegetable production dream. No worries, graduates of the Growers Academy receive a preliminary membership to VT EarthWorks and are eligible to lease land through VT EarthWorks at the Catawba Sustainability Center in Catawba, VA.

For more information, contact Christy Gabbard, Director of VT Earthworks (tel. 540-767-6114; email: cgunnels@vt.edu), or Sheri Dorn, Virginia Cooperative Extension – Roanoke (tel. 540-772-7524; email: sherid@vt.edu) for more information or to receive a Growers Academy registration form.

Christy Gabbard
Director, Catawba Sustainability Center
- accelerating land-based businesses

Outreach & International Affairs
Virginia Tech Roanoke Center
108 N. Jefferson Street, Suite 701
Roanoke VA 24016

(540) 767-6114 - office
(540) 558-8010 - mobile
(540) 767-6110 - fax

6.
USDA_AMS_NEWS: Learn more about Specialty Crop Grants during the Dec. 16 USDA webinar. Register now! http://go.usa.gov/C67

7.
http://www.vabf.org/opportunities

Tenant Opportunity - White Hall/Free Union Farm
Tenant opportunity, September 1, 2010.
BEATUIFUL FARM IN WHITE HALL/FREE UNION SEEKS RELIABLE PERSON/COUPLE TO LIVE IN TENANT HOUSE. QUAINT (BUT BRAND NEW) 3 BEDROOM 2 BATHROOM AND VERY PRIVATE. MUST LOVE ANIMALS AND HAVE SOME PRIOR EXPERIENCE WITH CATTLE and operating farm equipment. ORGANIC FARMING KNOWLEDGE A PLUS AND MUST BE COMFORTABLE WITH EMAIL. OFFERING EITHER PART-TIME HOURS OR FULL TIME HOURS DEPENDING ON YOUR SITUATION. THE BEST VIEWS IN THE COUNTY! RENT and utilities WOULD BE FREE IN RETURN FOR 10 to 15 hours a week of your time, including DOG-SITTING WHEN NECESSARY, FEEDING OF CATTLE and other farm animals ON WEEKENDS, and other chores. Excellent references required.
Please email susanbell92@gmail.com with a letter telling us about you and/or a resume.
Marisa Vrooman
Director, Farm Services & Development
Local Food Hub
PO Box 4647
Charlottesville, VA 22905
marisa@localfoodhub.org
(434) 286-2176 office
(434) 960-0155 cell
www.localfoodhub.org

Nelson County Farm
Richard Bean of Double H Farm is selling his Nelson County farm. They will keep their house and 5 acres.
For sale is a 25 acre, turn key farm with 8 acres under organic vegetable cultivation, 100 fine Berkshire hogs, 350 chickens, all the farm equipment, greenhouse, awesome signature delivery vehicle, and barns. There is a large trailer/house on the farm property. Richard, himself, would be available for transition consulting.
Price is $300,000
$30,000 down
$1,000 a month payments starting in year 2
$2,000 a month payments from years 3-10
Payment in full due at 10 years
Double H Farm - Home of Healthy Food is a very well respected local brand.
This is a wonderful opportunity for anyone looking to purchase an existing, successful and recognized farm business. Please contact Richard Bean if interested. His contact information is: 434-263-8704 farmily@ceva.net

upcoming events

2010-11-09T03:44:00.000-08:00

upcoming events

2010-10-03T09:37:00.000-07:00

Greetings All,

Below you will find info on upcoming permaculture and sustainability events in the near future in the central Virginia bioregion, including some TODAY!

For more information about permaculture events, see our website: www.blueridgepermaculture.net. If you know anyone else that would like to sign up for this newsletter, or if you have an announcement, email Christine at christinegyovai@gmail.com for the next update, which are sent monthly.

Best,
Christine and the Blue Ridge Permaculture Network team
www.blueridgepermaculture.net

1.
UVa Food Collaborative – Charlottesville, VA

The UVa Food Collaborative (http://www.virginia.edu/foodcollaborative/) presents "What's On Your Plate? A Public Forum on Local Food and the Media." The event takes place Thursday, October 7th at 4 pm at the Jefferson Scholars Foundation building* with a panel featuring three of today's pre-eminent food writers and thinkers: Marian Burros, food columnist, New York Times; Tom Philpott, food editor, Grist.org; and James McWilliams, author, Just Food: Where Locavores Get it Wrong and How We Can Truly Eat Responsibly. Be a part of this discussion on modern agriculture and the media forces that are shaping our perceptions of the sustainable food movement. The event is free and open to the public; the panel discussion will include audience Q and A. Reception (with locally sourced food) to follow.

*The Jefferson Scholars Building is just off-campus at 112 Clarke Ct., off Maury Ave. and Fontaine Ave. in Charlottesville. Parking is very limited on-site, so please consider walking, biking, or public transportation. The Trolley stops in front of the building

http://www.virginia.edu/foodcollaborative/calendar/forum.php

2.
A class on "Building Community Resilience in Response to Peak Oil, Climate Change, and a No-Growth Economy" will be offered at Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church - Unitarian Universalist (at 717 Rugby Road, Charlottesville, VA), starting Oct. 3 and meeting weekly for 6 sessions, skipping Halloween. It's fine for folks to attend the first meeting, which includes a showing of Chris Martenson's Crash Course chapters on peak oil and the economy, before deciding whether to sign up. People are also welcome to attend individual sessions -- 10/17 on gardening for maximum food production, presented by Stephen Bach; 10/24 on weatherizing the home, presented by John Semmelhack; and 11/7 on harvesting rainwater, presented by Garnett Mellon.

Please email Nancy Hurrelbrinck at: nhurrelbrinck@gmail.com for more information or to register. Child care provided at every class.

3.
All are invited to Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church's second annual “Vigil for the People and Mountains of Appalachia” on Sunday, Oct. 17 at 7:00 p.m. The church presents this program in witness to the human and ecological devastation that results from mountaintop removal (MTR) mining, whose coal powers Charlottesville. The Rev. Rose Edington of Charleston, WV, will speak on "Justice, Equity, and Compassion in the Mountains,” and the evening will include music from The Murphys and Friends and the Charlottesville Women's Choir, a performance by Adelind Horan from "Cry of the Mountain," a candle-lighting ceremony, and a lost mountain roll call. MTR has so far destroyed 500 Appalachian mountains and continues to pollute headwaters for our entire region. For more information, contact Nancy Hurrelbrinck at nhurrelbrinck@gmail.com.

4.
The movie Food, Inc. (2009, 91 minutes) will be shown Friday, Nov. 12 at 7pm at Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church -- Unitarian Universalist (717 Rugby Rd, Charlottesville, VA). The film
lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing how our food supply is controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers, and the environment. The film reveals surprising and often shocking truths about what we eat, how it's produced, and who we have become as a nation.

5.
Common Good City Farm in Washington DC
• Cultivating Community with Urban Gardens, Oct. 15-17. Spend a weekend learning the basics of urban food gardening, annual and perennial garden design and gardening with your community. Learn how to winterize an existing garden and prepare an area now for a new garden in the spring. Discussion on basic theories of how to design with nature will be mixed with hands-on activities. Instructors: Liz Falk, founder and former Director, and Steve Gabriel, teacher and Lead Designer, Work With Nature. Course fee: $200. Scholarship applications available by emailing Info@commongoodcityfarm.org.
More information and course outline at Common Good's events page.
• LeDroit Park Community Day / Common Good fall harvest party, Saturday Oct. 23, 10a-2p. Save the date for a day of fun, food, and friendliness in our neighborhood and on the farm! If you live nearby, consider contacting Info@commongoodcityfarm.org, attn: Ayo Handy-Kendi, for ways to get involved!
• Accokeek Foundation’s Edible Forest Gardens workshop, Oct. 1-3, Accokeek Ecosystem Farm. Edible forest gardens mimic the structures and functions of natural woodland ecosystems, while producing food and other products, with an emphasis on low-maintenance perennial crops. Design and plant selection help provide fertility, control of weeds and pests, and more. Come for a hands-on introduction to this fascinating and delicious approach to food production. Instructor: Eric Toensmeier (author, Perennial Vegetables and Edible Forest Gardens). More information at http://www.accokeek.org/events/#20101001.

www.commongoodcityfarm.org

6.
Saddle up your bikes and join us for the first annual Community Garden Bike Tour of Charlottesville! On Sunday, October 3, we'll tour five of our town's amazing community gardens. We'll meet at 1pm at the Bridge PAI, and finish there with good food courtesy of Slow Food Albemarle-Piedmont, cold beverages, door prizes and socializing.

Participating gardens:
UVa Community Garden
Hereford Residential College Mini-Farm
Buford Schoolyard Garden Project
The Haven's PATCH Garden
QCC Farms! Garden of Goodness

The tour is free for kids 16 and younger, $5 for UVa students, and $10 for the general public. All proceeds benefit the Buford Schoolyard Garden Project, the Haven's PATCH garden, and QCC Farms!

For more information, please visit cvillebiketour.blogspot.com

Want to join the tour? Space is limited; to reserve your spot, email us at cvilleopengardens [at] gmail [dot] com.

7.
Matthew Wood and Constitutional Herbalism
Oct 8 - 10

How exciting to have Matthew return to SPT once again and bring his wisdom to our area. Enjoy another great weekend with Matthew at the beautiful lodge at Camp Albemarle. We have been gathering here for a number of years with Matt by the fire, listening with deep intent to his stories and his wisdom. Whether this is your first time or you are an alumni, this is not to be missed.

Learn to evaluate people constitutionally, starting with the most basic and useful typology, tridosha (vata, pitta, kapha) and its Western analogs (ectomorph, mesomorph, endomorph). More complex constitutions will be covered as well, including some of the Animal Medicine types. Evaluation of pathology according to the six tissue states, which can be seen as an expansion on tridosha. Most useful herbs for each category will be covered as well as evaluation from the tone and color of the skin. Introduction to tongue and pulse will be presented if time allows.

Fee for the weekend is $295 and this includes camping and rustic cabins, three meals on Saturday and two on Sunday. We are committed to keeping herbal medicine accessible and with each passing year it becomes more difficult to keep fees low as those around us rise. Our food is organic, wild where possible and always fantastic.

www.sacredplanttraditions.com

8.
Want to learn about what's involved in keeping miniature dairy goats (which were recently legalized in Charlottesville)?

The Charlottesville Goat Justice League has organized an urban goat keeping workshop at Dragon Hill Farm in Scottsville next Saturday, Oct. 9, 2-4:30pm, rain or shine. Wear farm-friendly clothes and bring a folding chair.

$20/person with pre-registration, $25/person at the farm. To pre-register, make check out to Dragon Hill Farm for $20/person and mail to Meghan Keith-Hynes, P.O. Box 835, Cville, 22902 For more information, please contact Meghan at 434-293-2145 ormeghankh@gmail.com.

Everyone who pre-registers will receive 2 free bags of shavings from Tractor Supply. There will be other door prizes donated by Whole Foods, Rebecca's, and Fifth Season.

You can mapquest or googlemap directions to farm: 2531 Ruritan Lake Road, Scottsville 24590

9.
Fiber Arts: Felting 101
How to Make a Felted Purse or or wall hanging

Instructor Libby Parrish will guide you through the process of turning an old wool garment into a beautiful felted treasure. Libby has a degree in Textiles from NC State University, holds a number of patents in the field, and loves the creative side of what fibers can do. In this entry-level fibers course, you do not need to be an expert knitter (or even know how to knit!) because the purse, wall hanging, or other fiber art project is made from a favorite old sweater that is out of style or no longer fits!
In this weekend course you will learn:
*a basic understanding of fibers
*what to look for that can be re-purposed in felting
*different types of felting techniques
*how to use a sewing machine to assemble the components
November 6, 2010 Saturday 9-5
Course Fee: $60 Material Fee: $10 [or bring your own materials for free!]
Location: “The Barn” @ Green Meadows Farm 10876 Zilles Road, Blackstone, VA
There is only space for 10 participants, so reserve yours now!
info@transitionstudio.org or 434.294.0372

www.transitionstudio.org

10.
Autumn 2010 Workshops

Workshop descriptions are included below. To register for unlimited classes please purchase a SEASON PASS (pay one fee of $120; it also includes a $25 CRC Individual Membership) and then sign up as a Season Pass Holder for each class you would like to attend. To register for individual classes please pay the General Public fee per class. Some classes have limited availability - register early! Class times and places are subject to change.

Please contact Beth Hopkins at 804-955-7986 or at: programs@centerforruralculture.org with any questions.

Canning & Preserving Workshops - Sponsored by:

Canning I: Chutneys and Relishes Fee: $30
Thursday, October 7 5:30 - 8:30 pm
St. Mary's Episcopal Church, 12291 River Road, Richmond, VA 23238
Instructor: Keith Flannagan
A hands-on workshop that will provide you with a full understanding of the basics of home canning. We'll go over safety tips and focus on canning chutney and relishes to preserve the harvest of the season.

Canning II: Fruit Jellies Fee: $30
Thursday, October 14 5:30 - 8:30 pm
St. Mary's Episcopal Church, 12291 River Road, Richmond, VA 23238
Instructor: Keith Flannagan
A hands-on workshop that will provide you with a full understanding of the basics of home canning. We'll go over safety tips and focus on canning fruit jellies to preserve the harvest of the season.

Fermenting Basics/Yogurt Fee: $30
Thursday, October 21 5:30 - 8:30 pm
Center for Rural Culture, 3009 River Road West, Goochland, VA 23063
Instructor: Sally Norton, MPH
We focus on making yogurt, but other fermented foods will be discussed along with the health benefits of fermented foods and the safety issues involved.

Poultry Processing Workshops - Sponsored by:

"Girlz Got Gutz": For Women Only Fee: $30
Saturday, October 23 10 am - 12:30 pm
17215 Beaverdam Rd, Beaverdam, VA 23015
Instructors: Molly Sharp and Linda Anderson
Learn the proper procedures and techniques for processing your poultry. This is a by women for women class.

Poultry Processing for All Fee: $30
Saturday, October 16 1:00 - 4:00 pm
Avery's Branch Farms, 16923 Genito Road, Amelia Court House, VA 23002
Instructors: Joy, Elliott and Oliver Alexander
Learn the proper procedures and techniques for processing your poultry. This class is open to all. *We will meet at the Center for Rural Culture and convoy to the farm together.

Looking Ahead Workshops

Developing A Sustainable Vegetable Garden Plan Fee: $15
Tuesday, Oct. 5 6:00 - 9:00 pm
Center for Rural Culture, 3009 River Road West, Goochland, VA 23063
Instructor: Lisa Dearden, A.A.S. Hort.
Utilizing sustainable farming guru Cindy Connor's DVD, this course includes the movie and hands on instruction with worksheets.

Season Extension Structures Fee: $15
Sunday, October 17 2:00 - 4:00 pm
Center for Rural Culture, 3009 River Road West, Goochland, VA 23063
Instructor: Backyard Farmers
Extend your garden's harvest throughout the fall, winter and spring seasons. You'll learn how to construct several structures, including coldframes, hoops, and solar cones.

Growing Fruit - Trees, Bushes, Ground Fee: $30
Saturday, November 6 1:00 - 4:00 pm
Center for Rural Culture, 3009 River Road West, Goochland, VA 23063
Instructor: Michael Lachance, Extension Agent, ANR, Crop & Soil Science/Unit
Coordinator, VCE
This half-day workshop will provide you with a basic knowledge of growing your own fruit trees, bushes or ground fruit. You will learn first hand how to plant fruit trees.

Marketing for Small Farmers Workshops - Sponsored by:
Personal Marketing Plan for Farmers Fee: $15
Thursday, October 28 6:30 - 8:30 pm
Center for Rural Culture, 3009 River Road West, Goochland, VA 23063
Instructor: Theresa Nartea, Marketing & Agribusiness Specialist, VSU, VCE
This class walks through the five basic steps of marketing, from realistic goal setting to finding actual people to buy your products. This is a must have class for any beginning farmer. Don't start planning next year without a marketing plan that will grow your business.

Social Media for Farmers Where to be on the Web: From Google Maps to Facebook Fee: $15
Thursday, November 18 6:30 - 8:30 pm
J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College Western Campus
1851 Dickinson Road, Goochland, VA 23063
Instructors: Theresa Nartea, Marketing & Agribusiness Specialist, VSU, VCE
Sandra F. Tanner, Tourism Development Specialist, Virginia
Tourism Corporation
Mark Klingman, Computer Literacy Expert, VSU Small Farm
Outreach
Virginia Tourism is collaborating with Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) to train small entrepreneurs and existing local businesses on how to effectively use social media, like Facebook and Twitter, and self-list on Google Maps and Virginia Tourism web directories to boost business profitability.

Hosted By Center for Rural Culture
The Center for Rural Culture is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization whose mission is to educate, promote and inspire members of our community to sustain a culture that supports agriculture and the local economy, protects natural and historic resources, and maintains our rural character and traditions. Since 2004, we have been working hard to provide the members of our community with quality programs that serve to sustain our rural culture. As founders of the popular Goochland Farmers Market and now a licensee for an online Farm to Family Co-op Program through Lulus Local Food, we have helped to keep valuable agricultural land in use by providing a means for farmers to sell fresh, local, seasonal food and other land based products. We serve as a conduit for handing down the history, stories, music and lifestyles related to a rich, rural culture and have helped to cultivate our local roots.
We also offer classes, workshops, movies, panel discussions, seminars and forums relating to land and water conservation, smart growth, sustainable agriculture and issues relating to our local food system. Please contact us if you are interested in sponsoring or attending a CRC event.
The Center for Rural Culture serves as the umbrella organization for the Richmond Area Buy Fresh, Buy Local Chapter. We are also actively involved in supporting our community’s tourism and economic development through our popular Discover Goochland website.
Our choices make a difference every day. Please choose to sustain your community’s rural culture and make a difference through an annual membership with the Center for Rural Culture.

www.centerforruralculture.org

11.
October 5th: Speak for the Forest

Public meeting on the George Washington Forest Plan
Tuesday, October 5th
6:30 – 8:30pm
Augusta County Governmental Center,
18 Government Lane, Verona, VA (north of Staunton, VA)
http://vasierraclub.org/2010/09/gwnf/

Virginia’s George Washington National Forest is the largest National Forest in the eastern United States, stretching along both sides of the Shenandoah Valley, just a short drive away from cities and towns across Virginia. It provides high quality drinking water to Virginia ommunities as well as a home to a vast array of wildlife such as neo-tropical songbirds, black bears, and native trout. A healthy George Washington National Forest is vital to the health of our state, our people and our environment.

Forest planning has resumed and we need your comments now more than
ever! With the looming threat of climate change, potential natural gas drilling and logging, how will we best manage the George Washington National Forest to preserve the natural wonders and ecological integrity of one of the most accessible forests in Virginia? Come out on Tuesday to put in your two cents and help us to protect our forest.

Can you attend the hearing on Tuesday and have your voice heard for the
trees? RSVP and get more information here:
http://vasierraclub.org/2010/09/gwnf/

Contact: Antigone Ambrose (804) 225-9113 ext 103 or
antigone.ambrose@sierraclub.org

12.
October 3, Sunday
FALL FIBER FESTIVAL AND SHEEP DOG TRIALS
Montpelier.
This celebration of rural life includes sheep shearing and spinning demonstrations, Scottish dancing and border collies herding sheep. Montpelier. Directions: 11407 Constitution Highway, Montpelier Station. Saturday 10am-5pm; Sunday 10am-4pm. $5 adults, children under 16 free. All ages welcome. http://www.fallfiberfestival.org/

upcoming events

2010-09-03T13:52:00.000-07:00

upcoming events

2010-08-11T18:52:00.000-07:00

Greetings All,

Below you will find info on upcoming permaculture and sustainability events in the near future in the central Virginia bioregion.

For more information about permaculture events, see our website: www.blueridgepermaculture.net. If you know anyone else that would like to sign up for this newsletter, or if you have an announcement, email Christine at christinegyovai@gmail.com for the next update, which are sent monthly.

Best,
Christine and the Blue Ridge Permaculture Network team

1.
Stop by and see the Blue Ridge Permaculture Network table, with permaculture demonstrations, at this year's Heritage Harvest Festival, which will take place Saturday, September 11, 2010, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. on the West Lawn of Monticello and the new Thomas Jefferson Visitor Center in Charlottesville, VA. Thanks to Vicky, Terry, Denise and the BRPN crew for being at the table!

For more info, see: http://heritageharvestfestival.com

2.
Appalachia Rising. A mass mobilization to end mountaintop removal.
Announcing the nation's largest summit and day of action to end mountaintop removal:
Appalachia Rising
September 25 to 27, Washington DC.
Mountaintop removal has already destroyed over 500 of the world's oldest mountains, more than 2,000 miles of streams, and has contaminated our nation's waters. Stand for the abolition of mountaintop removal with the named and unnamed heroes of coalfield organizing and celebrities Woody Harrelson, Ashley Judd, Gloria Reuben, Ed Begley Jr., Kathy Mattea, Kyra Sedgwick, Kevin Bacon, Darryl Hannah, author Silas House, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and climate scientist James Hansen on the Monday, September 27 Day of Action!

Register Now! Click here or go to www.appalachiarising.org/registration/reg1.php
Join people from across Appalachia and America in building the movement to abolish mountaintop removal and create sustainable economies from the ground up: mobilize your friends, family, and community for Appalachia Rising by filling out this 5 question form by clicking here.

________________________________________

Solutions Journal has dedicated an issue to MTR
For a Sustainable and Desirable Future
See the article on Coal River Wind in the Appalachia Issue of Solutions.
On newsstands, by subscription and freely available Online - a Special Appalachian issue of Solutions….

Appalachia is a special place—one of the most biologically diverse and culturally rich regions on the planet. Central Appalachia has the potential to become a national model of the positive transition to America's clean energy future. Please visit www.thesolutionsjournal.com.

Please help support Coal River Wind
www.CoalRiverWind.org

3.
Join us August 12th for music and a movie at the Jefferson Theater in Charlottesville!

Appalachian Voices Board and Staff along with NRDC invite you to a gathering to celebrate how far we have come and to keep us fired up to win the battle against those who would tear down our mountains and pollute our water through mountaintop removal coal mining.

Come be inspired by the award-winning documentary, Coal Country followed
by music from the Judy Chops, a great local family band whose music is
featured in the film.

Help us build momentum by coming out to our "music, movie and movement-
building" event. If you have already seen the film, introduce a friend to the issue with some great music and company!

Get tickets (only $5) before it sells out!

7 PM - Doors open, cash bar opens
7:30 - Abbreviated showing of Coal Country
8:15 - Music from "The Judy Chops"
Get tickets at jeffersontheater.com or by calling 800-594-TIXX

More on the movie and musical entertainment:
Coal Country reveals the high cost of America's electricity, focusing on
mountaintop removal coal mining, in which the tops of ancient mountains are blown off to expose coal seams, and the rock and dirt dumped in valleys, obliterating headwater streams. In the film, we hear from activists who are fighting to stop this controversial practice, which is devastating water quality, forests and communities in the region, and from coal miners and officials who are fighting for their jobs and way of life.

The Judy Chops are a family band who were raised immersed in music, living through sound. Their music spans generations and genres. Music that moves your souls and makes you move.

See you there!

Kayti Wingfield
Wise Energy
Coalition Coordinator
540.470.0643
www.WiseEnergyForVa.org
www.iLoveMountains.org

4.
Between now and August 15th, Transition Studio [an educational sustainability organization started by one of the previous graduates of the Blue Ridge Permaculture class] is in the running for a 5,000 grant and needs YOUR help!

Please vote for Transition Studio, a non-profit start-up in Blackstone, VA who has been selected among many organizations across the country to be in the top 10 of Brighter Planet's 5,000 grant for this month!! Each Person can vote 3 times! [you can even click on the green bar at the top to sign in through facebook REALLY easily! (otherwise it takes less than a minute to create an account)]

please vote for us!!! we have been selected among many organizations across the country to be in the top 10 and have a real chance of winning with YOUR help!

http://projectfund.brighterplanet.com/projects/TransitionStudio

thanks for your help! [tell all your buddies] + feel free to follow us on facebook at "Transition Studio"

5.
Edible Landscaping Chicken Tractor workshop

Chicken tractor workshop will be at Edible Landscaping in Afton on Saturday August 28 at 10:00 A.M. Pierre Constans will be talking about chicken and their behaviors. We will be drilling and hammering. There will be chicken: Araucanas, black Australops, Cukoo Marans. For further information call Janet or Michael at 434-361-9134 to register.
www.ediblelandscaping.com
361 Spirit Ridge Lane Afton, Virginia 22920.

6.
Betty's 2nd Annual Potluck Picnic!
Riverview Park, Sun, Sept 12, 2010 3-5pm

Join us SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, from 3-5pm at RIVERVIEW PARK for a free family-friendly celebration of earth-water and all things green! Bring your own reusable bottle, place setting, and a side-dish to share. We will be giving away FREE water saving kits and a RAIN BARREL, Brita filter, Relay Foods gift basket and a dual flush toilet converter to lucky raffle ticket winners (5$ each or 5 for $20). We will have music and fun for kids including trash bowling! Riverview is near the new Onesty pool in the Woolen Mills area at the end of Chesapeake past Questions? email betty@betterworldbetty.org.

www.betterworldbetty.org

7.
Join CSBA, the Regional Manufacturing Institute (RMI), U.S. Green Building Council Maryland, B Lab and Senator Jamie Raskin on September 13, 2010 to celebrate the end of summer and Maryland’s passage of the nation’s first Benefit Corporation legislation.
Learn more about this innovative, first-in-the-nation legislation that will permit Maryland businesses to assume a new corporate form called the “Benefit Corporation” allowing investors and entrepreneurs to make money while making a difference. Hear brief remarks from and have a chance to ask questions of local business and political leaders about this landmark legislation and how it meets the needs of sustainable business leaders:
What’s a Benefit Corp and why would I want my business to become one?
How could it help my business and why is it important for our movement?
How does it actually work and what are the legal pros and cons for my business?
Come network with other sustainable business leaders and learn how you can benefit from this new legislation! Pre-register online by September 10, 2010.
WHENMonday, September 13, 2010
6:00 PM – 7:00 PM networking, heavy hors d'oeuvres, wine and beer
7:00 PM – 8:30 PM program and Q & A
8:30 PM – 9:00 PM networking and informal discussion
WHEREPSA Financial
11311 McCormick Drive, 5th Floor
Hunt Valley, MD 21031-8622
Free parking in front of the building
COSTCSBA/BLB/RMI Members $20 on or before Sept 10th / $30 thereafter
Guest/Non-Member $30 on or before Sept 10th / $40 thereafter
Student Member $20 on or before Sept 10th / $30 thereafter

http://www.csballiance.org/pages/monthlymeeting.html

8.
Market Central invites you and your family to experience the sounds, smells, and tastes of small farms in the Charlottesville area. The City Market is home to these growers on Saturday mornings, but the rest of the week, they are hard at work on their farms, and on Labor Day, they invite you to visit their farms, and to “Meet Yer Eats!”

This year, we have 18 farms to choose from! From apples to zucchini, these growers provide a bountiful supply of vegetables, fruits, cheeses, meats and plants to the Charlottesville City Market community. They are proud of the work they do, and rightly so! These growers work hard at raising their crops while being responsible land stewards.

We encourage you to browse the website for more information on the farms, many of which have special programs and tours scheduled on tour day. Whether you’re looking for tips to improve your home garden, or just want to get the kids outdoors, this tour is for you! Whichever farms you choose to visit, you’re sure to enjoy getting this unique, inside look at some of your favorite City Market farms!

So c’mon -- Meet Yer Eats!
Kathy Kildea
Market Central
Farm Tour Coordinator

www.marketcentralonline.org

10 AM to 4 PM
18 Farms
$10 per car in advance
$15 per car day of event
marketcentralonline.org

We're also in need of volunteers to staff greeting tents on tour day.
Volunteers get a free car pass for the tour! Sign up for either a morning or afternoon shift, and get the rest of the day to visit other nearby farms! Email us for more information and do it quickly while you can have your first choice of farms!

Radical Roots in Keezletown is also participating in the tour, and they have a guided farm tour scheduled at 2:00 on 9/6/10 http://www.marketcentralonline.org/market_central_site/Radical_Roots_Farm.html

The Innisfree Village Farm Environmental Services (near Crozet) projects are an exploration into the potentials of developing a farm business model that will focus primarily on providing environmental services through land husbandry.

The Environmental Services Tour at Innisfree Village will include a walking and talking presentation of a soil carbon sequestration project. We will look at baseline tests that have been performed by a third party verifier and talk about the challenges and opportunities presenting themselves at are current stage of the project.

As part of our walking tour we will watch a demonstration of a Keyline subsoiler and discuss the unique elements of Keyline large Acre Permaculture Design. In addition to the keyline subsoiling, we will visit areas of the farm that we are experimenting with compost teas, sea minerals, and applications of raw milk. Finally, we will watch a demonstration of Holistic Planned Grazing, a system of grazing management that builds soil fertility and contributes in substantial ways to the carbon sequestration project.

This special tour will last approximately 2 hours and will happen rain or shine (there are some fascinating things to see when it rains!) All “Meet Yer Eats!” car pass holders are welcome to attend.

Please RSVP to Peter at farm@innisfreevillage.org for this special tour so that we can plan for handout materials.

9.
Common Good City Farm in D.C.

ANNOUNCEMENTS
Common Good is happy to celebrate the summer’s bounty in partnership with the Mid-Atlantic Red Fruit Festival, highlighting regional farmers and connecting them with local chefs. This year’s fruit is an easy hit: the tomato! The Festival is holding a recipe contest open to food bloggers, home cooks, gardeners and tomato-enthusiasts – prizes will be awarded for best use of local tomatoes!

UPCOMING WORKSHOPS
Find more information and registration links at our Growing Gardens page.

August 14: Uncommon Uses for Common Herbs (third in a series of four herb workshops). 11am-1pm. Parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme -- you grow them in your garden and use them to flavor your cooking, but how else can they benefit you? Learn medicinal uses for the herbs in your spice rack, including fennel, mint, oregano, chamomile, and catnip by making teas and brews in this hands-on workshop. Teacher: Tricia McCauley of http://www.nutriciaconsulting.com/.

August 23: Preserving Summer Bounties. Monday, 5pm - 7pm. Naturally fermented pickles, sauerkraut and kimchi - Learn how to make healthy, naturally fermented foods in just a few days with simple tools and supplies. You won't believe how easy it is to make delicious crocks of sauerkraut and jars of pickles! No cooking is required - a great way to preserve food during the head of summer.

September 11: Preserving Summer Bounties. 11am-1pm. Canning: How to preserve tomatoes, pickles, jams and jellies - There's nothing better than opening up a jar of preserved tomatoes on a long, cold, dark winter night, and remembering the summer! This class will cover basic canning for the beginner. You'll learn how to safely preserve tomatoes, pickles, and jams with inexpensive equipment.

http://commongoodcityfarm.org/

10.
Win a $10,000 Home Energy Makeover and Help VDM

It’s not often that you have a simple, fast way to 1) have a chance to win $10,000 in home improvements 2) contribute to a sustainable community and 3) help VDM win $1,000.
From now until August 20, you can go green and help us win green!
The Local Energy Alliance Program (LEAP) is running the Charlottesville Home Energy Makeover Contest where two local homeowners will win up to $10,000 each in home energy and water efficiency improvements. To help spread the word about this exciting contest, LEAP teamed up with the Center for Non-Profit Excellence to give local charities like the Virginia Discovery Museum the opportunity to win $1,000 – three charities with the most contest entries (based on small, medium and large budget categories) each win the cash prize.
Please take 5 minutes today to go to www.cvillesaves.org and register for the Home Energy Makeover Contest*. Be sure to enter “Virginia Discovery Museum” in the “Non-Profit Challenge Organization” box on the form. Forward this email to friends and family and help VDM win $1,000 to support our important work. Act fast as the contest closes August 20.
*Contest open to residential property owners in Charlottesville and Albemarle. See the contest website for rules

11.
The Art of Fermentation
One-Day Class: September 25, 2010 in Charlottesville, VA
10am – 2:30pm
Learn to make delicious lacto-fermented foods in this hands-on workshop. Fermentation is a traditional way of food preparation that not only preserves the harvest but also yields greater nourishment, a healthier digestive system, and thus increased vitality. We will make kimchi, brined garlic, lacto-fermented beets and ginger carrots, all of which can be easily incorporated into meals. We will also make some fermented and cultured beverages including kombucha, honey wine and sodas that are actually good for you. There will be a wide array of samples and you will leave with the skills necessary to begin lacto-fermenting foods at home.
This class will be taught by community herbalist, Suzanna Stone
Herbal teas will be provided at all the one day workshops. Please pack a bag lunch.
Fee for the class is $75. Deposit $30

http://www.sacredplanttraditions.com/onedays.html

13.
GREAT OPPORTUNITY for COMMUNITY:

Permaculture community – 3 houses with acreage for sale near each other near other permaculture folks; contact Christine Gyovai at christinegyovai@gmail.com if wanting more info on neighborhood.

http://www.trulia.com/property/1092972430-2622-Pea-Ridge-Rd-Charlottesville-VA-22901

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/2620-Pea-Ridge-Road_Charlottesville_VA_22901_1120388173

http://www.trulia.com/homes/Virginia/Charlottesville/sold/469382-2599-Pea-Ridge-Rd-Charlottesville-VA-22901

14.
Teaching Permaculture Creatively:
An Intensive Professional Permaculture Teacher Training Course
with Dave Jacke, Kay Cafasso, Chris Jackson, Kim Almeida and Trent Rhode
With an integrated 3-day course in Financial Permaculture!!!
September 16–27, 2010
The Farm, Summertown, Tennessee
Sponsored by The Financial Permaculture Institute and Gaia University Southeast.

Permaculture Teacher Training:
Given that events make the best teachers, it follows that our role as educators is to design learning events. In this teacher training, we will explore how to create events that teach permaculture, applying ecological principles and processes to the design of permaculture workshops, courses, and other experiences.

Learn how to create effective learning environments based on quick assessments of students and their learning modalities, eight intelligences, and other niche characteristics. Each student in this course will design and run short classes and exercises, speak in public, plan and budget for an event, and coteach a series of workshops during the integrated Financial Permaculture Course. What do whole learning systems look, feel and sound like? Come find out! The best way to learn is to do, and to have fun doing it! Join us!

To see what past course graduates are saying about this course, see the attached Student Outcomes document.

Limited to 30 certified permaculture design course graduates; significant pre-course preparation required. NOTE: This course has a prerequisite. Applicants must have received a Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC).

Financial Permaculture Course:
The Financial Permaculture Course provides an organized and supportive container for permaculture designers, financial planners, business people, and regular folks looking to build a financially viable life to work together, share skills and information, and develop new models for creating viable livelihoods that regenerate planet, people, and communities. This year the course will offer a focus on creating viable permaculture teaching businesses, as well as permaculture workshops run by this year’s Teaching Permaculture Creatively trainees. You don’t need to be an expert in permaculture, finance or business to benefit from integrating permaculture principles with financial and business planning!

Course objectives:
• Participants experience and develop the complete suite of skills needed to begin successfully teaching short permaculture workshops and other events on their own.
• Participants leave able to contribute significantly to teaching certified permaculture courses under the mentorship of an experienced permaculture teacher.
• Participants experience taking the seat of the teacher multiple times during the course in a variety of settings, both within the course and in a public venue. We all grasp the essence and significant details of what it means to create effective learning environments and effective learning events.
• Participants come prepared to collaboratively co-create the teacher training course and teach a one day public permaculture workshop (specific requests for how to prepare will be laid out after acceptance into the program).
• Participants collaborate to create a community of learning teachers and teaching learners:
o we cocreate a safe, supportive, fun, healthy, and whole learning environment;
o we support each other to take risks, share ourselves, grow deeply, move through edges and perceived restrictions, explore new ideas, and try new teaching styles and approaches;
o we share and constructively evaluate each others’ work;
o we cooperatively develop shared resources for the larger permaculture teaching community.
• Participants clarify, articulate, and evolve their beliefs about what a teacher is and what is their teaching philosophy. We all experience putting that philosophy into practice consciously. We all have the opportunity to deprogram beliefs that inhibit our effectiveness as teachers and learners.
• We experience all of the above through learning events and experiences that express, embody, and demonstrate the principles of permaculture design in action.
• We engage in co-creating the Financial Permaculture Course (FPC), sharing our knowledge and experience, learning from and with others, and observing and evaluating the FPC as a whole and each part of it individually.
• We have a total blast doing all of the above.

Course Fee:
Course fees include tuition, room and board for both the Teacher Training and the Financial Permaculture Course: sliding Scale $1,800 - $2,100; $1,700 if registered before June 30. Some partial scholarships may be available; please inquire.

We are raising funds for scholarships to support folks who cannot afford this course to attend. If you would like to donate to this fund, please contact Dave Jacke, 308 Main St. #2C, Greenfield, MA 01301, 603-831-1298, davej@edibleforestgardens.com. We have also developed a Community Supported Educators program to assist you to raise your own funds for the course. Please contact Jennifer or Sheila at info@financialpermaculture.com or Dave at davej@edibleforestgardens.com for an information packet on this program.

For More Information or to apply:
Visit: http://www.financialpermaculture.com
Or contact: Jennifer or Sheila at The Financial Permaculture Institute at info@financialpermaculture.com 88-878-2434 ext. 2 or 913-796-1808

15.
Dear BuildingGreen Colleague,

In the seven years that BuildingGreen has partnered with the Boston Architectural College (BAC) on its online Sustainable Design Certificate Program, this is the most exciting list of courses we've yet offered! I'm thrilled to be part of BAC's effort and to pass along this invitation to participate.

BAC's continuing education curriculum in sustainable design is the largest and most comprehensive in the country. We are offering 29 different courses during the two fall sessions. These courses can be used to help fulfill four different BAC certificate programs in sustainable design, or they can simply help expand your background in various aspects of green building.

Take a look at the list of courses below for Session 1 (August 30th through October 23rd) or Session 2 (October 25th through December 17th). Some of these courses may fill up quickly, so if you're interested, I'd suggest you sign up as soon as possible.

To learn more (and register) go to www.the-bac.edu/green, call 617-585-0101 or send an email to the BAC's Director of Sustainable Design, Lance Fletcher, AIA, LEED AP.

upcoming events

2010-06-30T21:22:00.001-07:00

Greetings All,

Below you will find info on upcoming permaculture and sustainability events in
the near future in the central Virginia bioregion.

For more information about permaculture events, see our website:
www.blueridgepermaculture.net. If you know anyone else that would like to
sign
up for this newsletter, or if you have an announcement, email Christine at
christinegyovai@gmail.com for the next update, which are sent monthly.

Best,
Christine and the Blue Ridge Permaculture Network team

1.
Blue Ridge Permaculture Network is planning to have a display table at the
Heritage Harvest Fesival this year. The date is September 11. Festival info
here:

http://heritageharvestfestival.com/

If you'd like to volunteer an hour or two hanging out at the table and talking
about permaculture, let me know. It is very low pressure! We will have photos,
books, and other information on display. We'd also like to put together some
type of demonstration. I was wondering if a tiny sheet mulch example might
work
but would love to have some other ideas.

We also need someone with a tent (about 10'X10')or shade cover and a volunteer
to set up our space on Friday.

I know it is a long way off to commit for sure but, if you are interested, ,l
et me know. We have to reserve our space soon.

Thanks!
Vicky in Amherst
email me at vickycp@ntelos.net

2.
Teaching Permaculture Creatively:
An Intensive Professional Permaculture Teacher Training Course
with Dave Jacke, Kay Cafasso, Chris Jackson, Kim Almeida and Trent Rhode
With an integrated 3-day course in Financial Permaculture!!!
September 16–27, 2010
The Farm, Summertown, Tennessee
Sponsored by The Financial Permaculture Institute and Gaia University
Southeast.

Permaculture Teacher Training:
Given that events make the best teachers, it follows that our role as
educators
is to design learning events. In this teacher training, we will explore how
to
create events that teach permaculture, applying ecological principles and
processes to the design of permaculture workshops, courses, and other
experiences.

Learn how to create effective learning environments based on quick assessments
of students and their learning modalities, eight intelligences, and other
niche
characteristics. Each student in this course will design and run short
classes
and exercises, speak in public, plan and budget for an event, and coteach a
series of workshops during the integrated Financial Permaculture Course. What
do whole learning systems look, feel and sound like? Come find out! The best
way to learn is to do, and to have fun doing it! Join us!

To see what past course graduates are saying about this course, see the
attached Student Outcomes document.

Limited to 30 certified permaculture design course graduates; significant
pre-course preparation required. NOTE: This course has a prerequisite.
Applicants must have received a Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC).

Financial Permaculture Course:
The Financial Permaculture Course provides an organized and supportive
container for permaculture designers, financial planners, business people, and
regular folks looking to build a financially viable life to work together,
share skills and information, and develop new models for creating viable
livelihoods that regenerate planet, people, and communities. This year the
course will offer a focus on creating viable permaculture teaching businesses,
as well as permaculture workshops run by this year’s Teaching Permaculture
Creatively trainees. You don’t need to be an expert in permaculture, finance
or business to benefit from integrating permaculture principles with financial
and business planning!

Course objectives:
• Participants experience and develop the complete suite of skills
needed
to begin successfully teaching short permaculture workshops and other events
on
their own.
• Participants leave able to contribute significantly to teaching
certified permaculture courses under the mentorship of an experienced
permaculture teacher.
• Participants experience taking the seat of the teacher multiple times
during the course in a variety of settings, both within the course and in a
public venue. We all grasp the essence and significant details of what it
means to create effective learning environments and effective learning
events.

• Participants come prepared to collaboratively co-create the teacher
training course and teach a one day public permaculture workshop (specific
requests for how to prepare will be laid out after acceptance into the
program).
• Participants collaborate to create a community of learning teachers
and
teaching learners:
o we cocreate a safe, supportive, fun, healthy, and whole learning
environment;
o we support each other to take risks, share ourselves, grow deeply,
move
through edges and perceived restrictions, explore new ideas, and try new
teaching styles and approaches;
o we share and constructively evaluate each others’ work;
o we cooperatively develop shared resources for the larger permaculture
teaching community.
• Participants clarify, articulate, and evolve their beliefs about what a
teacher is and what is their teaching philosophy. We all experience putting
that philosophy into practice consciously. We all have the opportunity to
deprogram beliefs that inhibit our effectiveness as teachers and learners.
• We experience all of the above through learning events and experiences
that express, embody, and demonstrate the principles of permaculture design in
action.
• We engage in co-creating the Financial Permaculture Course (FPC), sharing
our knowledge and experience, learning from and with others, and observing and
evaluating the FPC as a whole and each part of it individually.
• We have a total blast doing all of the above.

Course Fee:
Course fees include tuition, room and board for both the Teacher Training and
the Financial Permaculture Course: sliding Scale $1,800 - $2,100; $1,700 if
registered before June 30. Some partial scholarships may be available; please
inquire.

We are raising funds for scholarships to support folks who cannot afford this
course to attend. If you would like to donate to this fund, please contact
Dave Jacke, 308 Main St. #2C, Greenfield, MA 01301, 603-831-1298,
davej@edibleforestgardens.com. We have also developed a Community Supported
Educators program to assist you to raise your own funds for the course.
Please
contact Jennifer or Sheila at info@financialpermaculture.com or Dave at
davej@edibleforestgardens.com for an information packet on this program.

For More Information or to apply:
Visit: http://www.financialpermaculture.com
Or contact: Jennifer or Sheila at The Financial Permaculture Institute at
info@financialpermaculture.com 88-878-2434 ext. 2 or 913-796-1808

3.
Cry of the Mountain show about mountaintop removal mining

My name is Addie Horan and I have constructed a one-woman-show about
mountaintop removal called Cry of the Mountain. I “play” many wonderful
people who might sound familiar including Judy Bonds, Jeff Biggers, Stephanie
Pistello, Ed Wiley, Vernon Haltom, Lynda Ewen, Matt Landon, Tammy Horn, Larry
Gibson, and four others.
Now my show is being produced this July in and around Charlottesville,
Virginia!

Here is a website that has more info: http://wholetheatre.org/mountain/ ;

After each performance we will be hosting a talk-back about the play and
mountaintop removal. Whole Theatre will be donating 30% of the box office to
those groups/causes that help participate in the talk-backs.

The shows are every Thursday in July at 8pm.

4.
Farm Aid’s has issued a new report, Rebuilding America’s Economy with
Family Farm-Centered Food Systems. www.farmaid.org/es
Inspired by Farm Aid President Willie Nelson, who has always said family
farmers are the backbone of the nation and the bottom rung of our economic
ladder, we are proud to offer the report as a resource to individuals,
businesses, organizations, and local and state governments seeking to create
thriving family farm-centered food systems in their communities, revitalizing
the economy of America as a whole.

Rebuilding America’s Economy underscores what we at Farm Aid know as a simple
truth: Supporting family farmers and family farm-centered food systems is a
powerful strategy for jumpstarting our fragile economy and revitalizing
communities across America.

The report recounts the true costs of an industrial food system to our rural
economies and communities, and the ripple effects of a troubled farm economy
beyond the farm gate. The heart of the report highlights the untapped
potential
of America’s family farmers to rebuild our nation’s economy through local
and regional markets, and further enumerates what we have to gain by investing
in both direct markets and emerging “mid-scale food value chains.” In
addition to capturing some of the best research out there modeling the impacts
of family farm-centered food systems, the report showcases the stories of
innovative farm entrepreneurs finding success in local and regional markets
and
building better food economies in their communities.

We are proud of this report, but even more proud of the farmers and
entrepreneurs it showcases, who are transforming our food system, rebuilding
economies, and strengthening our country from the ground up.

If you have any questions, or would like bound copies, please contact us. For
a
downloadable pdf, please go to www.farmaid.org/es. In addition, we have
compiled a list of federal funding resources available for developing family
farm-centered local and regional food systems, which can be accessed by
visiting www.farmaid.org/opportunities.

All the best,
Glenda Yoder

5.
Charlottesville Community Design Center.
http://www.cvilledesign.org/ ;

Charlottesville Civic Action | June 4 - July 30
Charlottesville Civic Action was created as a joint partnership between CCDC &
the Center for Nonprofit Excellence challenging local non-profits to address
the question: What is the most promising opportunity to strengthen our
community over the next decade and what action will your organization take to
make a difference? The 12 non-profits with the most compelling responses
teamed with local graphic designers to create a poster illustrating their
answer to the question. The posters will be on display in the CCDC gallery
through July 30. The public is invited to attend a community forum with the
selected non-profits and elected officials on July 27th. To see thumbnails,
click here.

CCDC EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
AIA Lunch: Arab Islamic Cairo: Building Preservation & Heritage Conservation
Originally scheduled for Tomorrow, June 25 at noon-NOW RESCHEDULED for July 16
Brian Broadus will cover an introduction to historic periods of Cairo and the
city's sudden modern growth and sprawl; an overview of basic Islamic-era
religious and charitable building types/furnishings, including the Arabic
terms, and the traditional ownership and management of the properties. Also
discussed will be the current impediments and challenges to historic
preservation in Arab-Islamic Cairo, including failed past Arab Republic
preservation efforts, future Arab Republic threats to Arab-Islamic Cairo, and
recent successful historic preservation and heritage conservation projects in
Arab-Islamic Cairo. Free & open to all. 1 learning unit available.

2010 Design Marathon Information Session
Friday, July 2 Noon-1pm
CCDC will host a brown bag information session to provide general information
about the Design Marathon and how to get involved as a non-profit or designer.
This is a great opportunity to meet the Design Marathon organizers, see the
space where it happens, and have your questions answered before the August 16
application deadline. Bring your lunch. For directions to CCDC, visit
cvilledesign.org.

OTHER EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Local Energy Alliance Program (LEAP) Press Event
Wednesday, July 7 1:30pm--CitySpace at the CCDC
LEAP will be holding a press conference and launch event to promote exciting
new local initiatives, "The Home Energy Makeover Contest" and "Home
Performance
with Energy Star" programs. Also to announce $1 million worth of energy
efficiency incentives available to local residents. For more information,
please contact LEAP at 434.825.0232 or their website.

Open House-Plans for Neighborhood Revitalization
Tuesday July 13 6-7:30pm--Carver Recreation Center (324 4th St. NW)
The Charlottesville Redevelopment & Housing Authority is wrapping up the
beginning rounds of brainstorming for transforming its Public Housing
Neighborhoods. They invite individuals to join them for an Open House to give
a final round of feedback to include in the Master Plan-a tool that will guide
discussions during the implementation phases. For more information please
visit their website and view the attached flyer.

2010 Bike Ballot
Cast votes by July 15th!
Bike Charlottesville and ACCT cordially invites individuals to participate in
the 2010 Bike Ballot. The ballot consists of a short series of simple
questions that invite you to choose the most important projects to make the
Charlottesville area more bicycling-friendly. The community feedback will be
used to develop an action plan to drive progress towards making bicycling
safer, easier, and more convenient. For more information!

7.
Permaculture email listserve (different from this newsletter listserve)

Vicky Peterson, a grad from the first Permaculture Design Course, has set up a
yahoo group for discussion of all things relating to permaculture in the
Central Virginia region. From Vicky: With your help, the group will be a
place to ask questions, share information and help permaculture take root in
our area.
Here is a link to follow if you would like to join:

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/BRPermaculture/

There should be a blue button that says "Join this Group!"

If you know of anyone else who might be interested in joining, please feel
free
to pass this info along.
Other questions? Email me.
Thanks!
Vicky Peterson
vickycp@ntelos.net

8.
News about small capital grants from the USDA’s Community Facilities Program
for farmers markets. These grants, which can be between $40,000 and $60,000,
are only available to communities with a population under 20,000. (See
further details below)

http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/HAD-CF_Grants.html

If you are interested, you should send a short project description and
application to your Rural Development Director. A list by state of the
Directors is accessible at :

http://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app?state=us&agency=rd

You must apply in the next two months, as funds are tied to the Recovery Act
(Stimulus Funds).

Grants may be used for the following:

Farmers Markets

Grants can finance farmer’s markets that primarily sell fruits and
vegetables. Grants cannot finance flea markets. Farmers markets that sell
25%
or more in items that are not food products cannot be financed with CF
funding,
but may be eligible for funding under Rural Development’s Rural Business &
Cooperative Programs.

• New construction
• Purchase building
• Renovations

Community Gardens

• Purchase real estate
• Water source access – the necessary infrastructure to connect to
the water source and/or provide irrigation.
• Ineligible – small tools

Community Kitchens
Community kitchens can provide classes for families to learn how to prepare
healthy meals. They can also be used to prepare meals for various community
programs.

• Renovations - applicant must own, or be purchasing, facility
• Equipment - must be removable if the applicant does not own the
facility and equipment must be primarily used for the community initiative
• New Construction

Here is more information about the grant program:

http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/HAD-CF_Grants.html

Community Facility Grants

Objectives: Community Programs provides grants to assist in the development of
essential community facilities in rural areas and towns of up to 20,000 in
population. Grants are authorized on a graduated scale. Applicants located in
small communities with low populations and low incomes will receive a higher
percentage of grants. Grants are available to public entities such as
municipalities, counties, and special-purpose districts, as well as non-profit
corporations and tribal governments. In addition, applicants must have the
legal authority necessary for construction, operation, and maintenance of the
proposed facility and also be unable to obtain needed funds from commercial
sources at reasonable rates and terms.

Fund Uses: Grant funds may be used to assist in the development of essential
community facilities. Grant funds can be used to construct, enlarge, or
improve
community facilities for health care, public safety, and community and public
services. This can include the purchase of equipment required for a facility's
operation. A grant may be made in combination with other CF
financialassistance
such as a direct or guaranteed loan, applicant contributions, or loans and
grants from other sources.

The Community Facilities Grant Program is typically used to fund projects
under
special initiatives, such as Native American community development efforts;
child care centers linked with the Federal government's Welfare-to-Work
initiative; Federally-designated Enterprise and Champion Communities, and the
Northwest Economic Adjustment Initiative area.

Maximum Grant: The amount of grant assistance for project costs depends upon
the median household income and the population in the community where the
project is located and the availability of grant funds. In most instances,
projects which receive grant assistance have a high priority and are highly
leveraged with other loan and grant awards. Grant assistance may be available
for up to 75% of project costs. Grant funding limitations are based on
population and income, economic feasibility, and availability of funds.

Projects will be selected based on a priority point system. Projects that will
receive priority are those that:

Serve small communities - with the highest priority going to projects located
in a community with a population of 5,000 or less.

Serve low-income communities with the highest priority going to projects
serving communities with median household incomes below the higher of the
poverty line or 60% of the State non-metropolitan median household income.

Provide healthcare, public safety, or public and community services

Limitations: Grant funds cannot be used to:

Pay any annual recurring costs, including purchases or rentals that are
generally considered to be operating and maintenance expenses

Construct or repair electric generating plants, electric transmission lines,
or
gas distribution lines to provide services for commercial sale

Pay costs to construct facilities to be used for commercial rental where the
applicant has no control over tenants and services offered

Construct facilities primarily for the purpose of housing State, Federal or
quasi-Federal agencies

Finance recreational facilities or community antenna television services or
facilities
Basic Instruction: 7 CFR 3570, subpart B

For more information about this program, or to file an application, contact
the
local Rural Development
office in
your
area.

http://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app?state=us&agency=rd ;

upcoming events

2010-05-19T08:50:00.001-07:00

upcoming events

2010-04-06T13:42:00.001-07:00

Greetings All,

Below you will find info on upcoming permaculture and sustainability events in the near future in the central Virginia bioregion, including a talk this evening at the University of Virginia (see below).

For more information about permaculture events, see our website: www.blueridgepermaculture.net. If you know anyone else that would like to sign up for this newsletter, or if you have an announcement, email Christine at christinegyovai@gmail.com for the next update, which are sent monthly.

Best,
Christine and the Blue Ridge Permaculture Network team

1.
"Food Rebels and Smart Cookin' Mamas: Fighting Back in the Age of Industrial Agriculture"

Even while local food systems are careening into mainstream American culture, today's economic climate is also prompting a brand new segment of the American population to utilize food stamps and other measures against increasing hunger. How do we confront the obstacles to realizing a sustainable food system with fairness and sensitivity? Food insecurity expert Mark Winne, author of Closing the Food Gap as well as former Executive Director of the Hartford Food System, will speak on these and other community food system topics including local and regional agriculture, community food assessment, and food policy. Reception to follow.

Where: UVA, School of Architecture, Campbell Hall, Room 158
When: Tuesday, April 6, 5:30-6:30pm

2.
Forrest Green Farm in Louisa, VA will open for spring on April 15th.
Hours are Thursday thru Sunday 9-5 or by appointment on other days.

The family run farm offers culinary and medicinal herb plants, vegetable
plants (including a wide variety of heirloom tomatoes), and flower plants.
We also specialize in pastured poultry eggs and registered Miniature
Hereford cows.

We have expanded our workshops this year. We have workshops for adults and a
children's summer program. New this year is a foundational course in whole
living from the ground up. Great for someone who wants to learn hands on
gardening with herbs, how to use herbs for daily healthy living, and
connecting with the plants, seasons, and nature. For more on our workshops
check our website or call the farm.
http://www.forrestgreenfarm.com/workshops.html
http://www.forrestgreenfarm.com/wholeliving.html
http://www.forrestgreenfarm.com/meetherbs.html
http://www.forrestgreenfarm.com/childprgm.html

You can contact us at:

Forrest Green Farm LLC
Rob and Krista Rahm
(540) 967-1165
(434) 882-2648 cell
www.forrestgreenfarm.com

3.
Earth Week Eco-Fair

Sunday, April 18, 11am - 7pm at the Charlottesville Pavilion

1:00pm - Trees on Fire Meets the Beatles (Acoustic)
1:50pm - Naughty Dynamic and the Design
2:50pm - Beleza Brasil
3:55pm - William Walter and Co.
4:45pm - Harvey Wasserman speaks
5:00pm - Larry Keel and Natural Bridge

Local food, local beverages (remember the Anheuser-Busch brewery in
Williamsburg!), local government agencies working to preserve and protect the
environment, green businesses, conservationist organizations, and all sorts of
interesting, eco-friendly, and informative stuff.

ACCT's Children's Bicycle Rodeo from 1-3 in the Lexis Nexis parking deck -
bring the bike!
Children's Corner activities include tee-shirt painting, face-painting, hands-on
educational activities, demonstrations, etc.

Raffles include a 2010 Toyota Prius - tickets are only $25 and fund student
environmental education trips.
Other raffles (tickets $3, 2/$5):
-Compost Bin - Blue Ridge Eco Shop
-(3) 1-month memberships in the Outdoor Adventure Social Club
-Garden design and consultation by C'ville Foodscapes
-Gift Basket from Sustain, Inc.
-Gift Certificate from Green Irene
-(3) gift certificates for a 1-hour massage
-Gift certificate - EcoDry Cleaners
Get tickets at Blue Ridge Eco Shop in Preston Plaza, and at EcoDry Cleaners
on Main St.

Check out EarthWeek.org for more info on events, and a link to our forum and
online calendar
Check out earthweekuva.wordpress.com for tons of events by and through
UVA.
Check out the Earth Week forum and calendar, add your own events, post
your own topics, start your own discussions, etc.

QUESTIONS??? info@earthweek.org

4.
Roanoke: Urban Farming Course

URBAN FARMS SPROUTING IN ROANOKE

Farmers are changing the way food is produced.
New farmers are looking to their own backyards to produce food close to their city markets. No longer are barns and tractors de rigueur for a family farm. Small plots of land, managed for intensive production is the key. It boils down to two things: start up costs are low and the food is good.

VT EarthWorks and instructor Kathy O Hara have partnered to offer a 4-week series on urban farming on Tuesday nights beginning on April 6. We d like to spread the word about urban farming, and the management tools one needs to create a space that is both productive and profitable, Kathy O Hara said. Start up costs are pretty minimal for this kind of business, and the idea is to create a network of small intensive plot farmers who can share their experiences, knowledge, and markets.

VT EarthWorks, an entrepreneur acceleration program for agriculture and natural resource businesses, is working with regional food producers to provide business development services, including learning networks and connections to potential retail outlets (e.g., restaurants, institutions, farmers markets, grocers), to help build viable businesses and a vibrant regional food system. VT EarthWorks has partnered with Downtown Roanoke to offer graduates of the urban farming series space at the city market on Tuesdays. We worry about having access to fresh, healthy food and how far our food has travelled. Urban farming is a great way to supply more fresh food for your family and to the community and businesses of Roanoke.

Go to Urban Farming Class for additional information or to register, please go to http://www.cpe.vt.edu/reg/vtew.

5.
Lynchburg Green Spring Expo
Date: 4/10/2010 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM Cost: Free Location: Lynchburg City Armory
1219 Main St (upper level)
Lynchburg, Virginia 24504
This event will serve to educate citizens of Lynchburg and the surrounding counties to the wealth of community resources available to those interested in pursuing lifestyles of health and sustainability. Participants will have exposure to the vendors, practitioners and volunteer service providers who comprise this resource and best represent its value.
Its purpose is to acknowledge and promote the people, businesses and organizations who are helping to make our community healthier and stronger by taking the lead in the local green movement.

Contact: Mr. Mike Cundiff 434-528-1100

You can also visit the Lynchburg Farmer's Market which is right next door to the armory.

6.
Permaculture speaker request

We are co chairman of the Nelson County Master Gardener Intern Training Program being held this fall. We were interested in having someone come to our intern training for master gardener class to talk about permaculture and composting. Would you be able to suggest anyone? Tentatively, the date is Tuesday, Nov. 9th from 9 to 12 (or shorter) at the Nelson County Community Center. Please let me know. Thank you for your help.
434-263-8045
Nora & Charlie Harris

7.
Gaia Gathering for Women
April 30 - May 2

Join us again or for the first time as we celebrate Beltane by honoring our Earth Mother and the call of the Divine Feminine. Together we will honor the power of women’s community and help our world shift into the new consciousness of peace, healing and community living.As Alice Walker’s book title states “We are the Ones We Have Been Waiting For”.

The weekend will be about collective ceremony, song and learning skills for gardening, medicine making, stewarding the earth and so much more. The fee includes camping at beautiful Camp Albemarle, four delicious wild and organic meals, and most class materials. There are also rustic cabins available. We will begin Friday evening and end with our traditional web ceremony after lunch on Sunday. Now more than ever is the time for us to know how deeply we are connected.
This event is becoming wonderfully popular and unfortunately we needed to close registration last year towards the end. We are committed to keeping the price the same and as you can imagine, organic food, space rentals and fabulous teachers all add up to a great value. Our intention with this Gathering is not to become large but to create a deep and strong web of women energy for our bioregion and to bless the environs of Charlottesville with peace and security.

Fee for the weekend is $175.00. PLease call or visit website to register or find more information.
.
www.sacredplanttraditions.com

8.
Plant Walks
and Introductions to Plant Skills
Monthly excursions into the world of plants
May 8, June 12, July 10, Aug. 14, Sept. 11, Oct. 9
At Wildcrofthollow Botanical Sanctuary, Amherst, VA

To be able to walk out of your door and find the things that you need to; eat, heal yourself and others, make fabrics, dye those fabrics, make baskets, rope, string, sounds like you live in paradise, doesn't it? You do. We always have. The ability to do these things is something that used to be common knowledge. These one-day introductory classes will give you personal introductions to many of the plant folks. They will also acquaint you with some of the possibilities those plants offer you. Each class is a plant walk for half of the day and an introduction to some of the skills you can learn to work with those plants for the second half of the day.

5/8 Plant walk/Introduction to Understandable Botany
How to become a plant sage
6/12 Plant walk/Introduction to Edibles and Foraging
What you can eat and how to find it
7/10 Plant walk/ Introduction to Medicinals
Local healing herbs
8/14 Plant walk/Introduction to Basketry
You always need someplace to put your stuff
9/11 Plant walk/Introduction to Dyeing
Color your world
10/9 Plant walk/Introduction to Cordage
Strings, ropes, fabrics

Tuition is $75/day or, if you pay ahead of time, $180 for three classes or $300 for all six. Lunch, with the wonderful Miz Lena's cooking, will be provided. $25 non-refundable deposit if you don't pay ahead. Please send to: David Welker, 1083 Sardis Rd., Amherst, VA 24521 Questions: call 434-946-7020

9.
Radical Roots Community Farm in Keezletown, VA, is expanding its Charlottesville Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program!

The farm has 50 shares available, with weekly pickup on Wednesdays from 3-7 pm at the Meade Park Farmers Market. For $450 ($25 per week), you will receive Radical Roots' Certified Naturally Grown produce from June through September. To learn more about Radical Roots and their CSA, visit www.RadicalRootsFarm.com or call (540) 269-2228.

Don't miss out on this fantastic opportunity to support ecologically-minded agriculture and to eat well!

RadicalRootsFarm.com
3083 Flook Ln.
Keezletown, VA 22832
(540) 269-2228

10.
Charlottesville Community Design Center (CCDC) NEWS & EVENTS

JRGBC Luncheon: Saving Energy with the Local Energy Alliance Program
Tuesday, April 13 beginning at noon
Cynthia Adams, Executive Director of central Virginia's Local Energy Alliance Program (LEAP), will give a presentation on energy efficiency and the community-based nonprofit which will be launching in the Charlottesville area. LEAP is a public-private partnership whose mission is to facilitate unprecedented energy savings in buildings through retrofits and occupant behavior. Discussion topics will include national legislation pertaining to energy efficiency, some building science basics, and information about Home Performance with ENERGY STAR – LEAP’s flagship residential program. Free and open to all - pre-register here - www.jrgbc.org/

Architecture Week is April 23-29
Architecture Week brings together design professionals and the public to celebrate the excellence, innovation and leadership within the architectural community. Visit the Architecture Week website for a complete schedule of events: http://aiacv-archweek.org/

More Than Just Bricks: A Social & Design History of Charlottesville's Downtown Mall
Current CCDC exhibit
Created in partnership with Preservation Piedmont and the UVA School of Architecture, More Than Just Bricks explores the historical and contemporary significance of Lawrence Halprin's design for Charlottesville's pedestrian mall.

COMPETITION ANNOUCEMENT
Stay-Space: 2010 James River Green Building Council Green Spaces Competition
This year’s James competition challenge is meant to provide real and inspiring solutions to the land-use questions that face the City of Richmond. Building off of last year’s Play Space challenge, this year’s entrants are asked to look at the remaining 34 +/- acres on the Greater Fulton Gas Works site and develop a plan or design for that land that provides space for living, working, recreation or something entirely different if it feels right. The site can be designed for residential, commercial, industrial or agricultural development or something different and unexpected. Students and professionals are invited to enter the competition. Individuals may enter although interdisciplinary teams are encouraged and may be composed of students and professionals. Entries are due by May 21. http://www.jrgbc.org/greenspaces/

www.cvilledesign.org

11.
Permaculture email listserve (different from this newsletter listserve)

Vicky Peterson, a grad from the first Permaculture Design Course, has set up a yahoo group for discussion of all things relating to permaculture in the Central Virginia region. From Vicky: With your help, the group will be a place to ask questions, share information and help permaculture take root in our area.
Here is a link to follow if you would like to join:

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/BRPermaculture/

There should be a blue button that says "Join this Group!"

If you know of anyone else who might be interested in joining, please feel free to pass this info along.
Other questions? Email me.
Thanks!
Vicky Peterson
vickycp@ntelos.net

upcoming events

2010-03-04T17:28:00.000-08:00

upcoming events

2010-02-08T11:29:00.000-08:00

Greetings All,

Below you will find info on upcoming permaculture and sustainability events in the near future in the central Virginia bioregion – lots of exciting happenings coming up including a permaculture potluck and community talk with Dave Jacke, author of Edible Forest Gardens, this Sat. Feb. 13, and Toby Hemenway, author of Gaia’s Garden, on Thurs. Feb. 11 in Harrisonburg! We hope to see you there!

For more information about permaculture events, see our website: www.blueridgepermaculture.net. If you know anyone else that would like to sign up for this newsletter, or if you have an announcement, email Christine at christinegyovai@gmail.com for the next update, which are sent monthly.

Best,
Christine and the Blue Ridge Permaculture Network team

1.
PERMACULTURE COMMUNITY PRESENTATION and POTLUCK in Harrisonburg, VA

Come One, Come All!

With special guest Dave Jacke, for a talk on “Ecosystem Agriculture and Forest Gardens”

Sat. Feb. 13th, 2010
Potluck 6:30 -7:30 (bring a dish and utensils)
Talk from 7:30 – 9:00 pm

Location: Martin Chapel, located in the Seminary building at Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, VA
Click on the Map link from the website:
http://www.emu.edu/map/sem.html

For additional information, see the website:
www.blueridgepermaculture.net

RSVP and Pre-registration is encouraged, but not required, by emailing Terry Lilley at:
tygerlilley@gmail.com

2.
Biomimicry: Our Plant Mentors,
Learning from the World’s Flora

with Toby Hemenway
Thursday, Feb. 11 at 7:00
James Madison University Arboretum in Harrisonburg, VA

Biomimicry is a new discipline that imitates nature’s best designs and processes to solve human problems in sustainable ways. Plants, in particular, are marvelous and ingenious teachers, showing us non-toxic ways to add color to industrial products, create waterproof, breathable fabrics, design biodegradable yet sturdy packaging, and inspiring our designs and goods in countless other ways. Using stunning images and clear lively explanations, Toby Hemenway will take us to the frontiers of ecological designs.

Mr. Hemenway is the author of the first major North American book on permaculture, Gaia’s Garden: A Guide to Home Scale Permaculture, an adjunct professor at Portland State University and a Scholar in Residence at Pacific University. His current project is developing urban sustainability resources in Portland, Oregon teaching and lecturing on ecological design.

This lecture is open free to the public. Visit the arboretum website at www.jmu.edu/arboretum to learn more information about the annual Frances Litten Lecture, or to learn about any of the many public events and programs offered seasonally, or call (540) 568-3194 weekdays from 8:00 am until 4:00 pm.

3.
Forrest Green Farm
Rob and Krista Rahm
www.forrestgreenfarm.com

2010 Full Time Apprentice

This position is for someone who is dedicated to working full-time on the farm May- September. This is an excellent opportunity for someone who is serious about learning to become self-reliant and learn herb and vegetable farming. The apprentice will have the opportunity to work on all areas of the farm. Learning all aspects of herbal growing from seed to harvest, preserving, medicine making, culinary herbal cooking, vegetable growing, producing for and selling at farmer’s markets, helping with and attending group workshops (if desired), canning and preserving of vegetable & fruit crops.

The successful applicant should be independent, resourceful, hard working, passionately interested in herbs (culinary and medicinal) and vegetable growing. They should also be comfortable living in a family farm setting (children & animals…dogs, cats, horses, cows, and chickens) and dealing with the public. Serious folks only that are willing to make a season commitment. No drug users!
Tent camping or house space available, basic foods, access to on farm vegetable garden, and at least one cooked meal a day provided. Also included are the herbs for your medicine making to create your own herbal medicines.

2010 Part-Time Apprentice
This position is for someone wanting to work 1-2 days a week on the farm. We ask for a commitment of at least 6 weeks any time from March-October. This position is flexible and for the person who desires to gain some working knowledge in any aspect gardening at Forrest Green Farm. Focus can be concentrated on herbal knowledge or vegetable growing or any combination of the two.

A meal is included for the days you work on the farm, vegetables from our garden, and herbs for medicine making are included for this position. If desired, tent camping is available for the part-time position.

Please contact us to find out more about the apprenticeship positions and/or schedule an interview. 540-967-1165 or 434-882-2648

4.
February 15 Monday

7:30 P.M. "Regenerative Commerce: Healing the Planet and Her Peoples with Trade and Investment" by Greg Landua
Martin Science Building 315
Greg Landau is an eco-social entrepreneur whose interests lie in permaculture design, ecovillage design, teaching, and regenerative commerce. Learn about his project, Booyacacao, a "beyond fair-trade" chocolate business, and find out how sustainably farmed chocolate can help heal the world.

http://web.randolphcollege.edu/newsevents/calendar.asp
-scroll down to Feb 15th

5.
Sharondale Farm Mushroom Workshops:
www.sharondalefarm.com

March 20th or April 3rd - Growing Mushrooms at Home: an introduction to cultivating gourmet and medicinal mushrooms- Sharondale Farm, Cismont (http://shop.sharondalefarm.com/) $55.

March 27th- Got Mushroom? Growing gourmet and medicinal mushrooms in urban and small spaces- Tricycle Gardens, Richmond (http://tricyclegardens.org/programs/). $50

April 10th –Got Mushroom? Growing gourmet and medicinal mushrooms in urban and small spaces- Alexander House Cooperative, Charlottesville. $50.

April 17th - Got Mushroom? Growing gourmet and medicinal mushrooms in urban and small spaces- New Community Project/ Muddy Bike Garden, Harrisonburg. $50.

Events and Classes:

February 20th- Specialty Mushroom Production- Virginia Association for Biological Farming Conference, Danville (http://vabf.org/)

Spring 2010- Introduction to Mushroom Culture – J. Sergeant Reynolds Community College- Goochland (http://www.jsr.cc.va.us/_schedules/2010_Spring/HRT.htm
www.sharondalefarm.com

6.
Common Good City Farm events (in Washington DC)

EVENT: Saturday February 20, all day long
ROOTING DC: A FREE forum for urban gardening and all people who eat food
You are invited to attend this forum designed to bring DC gardeners together to reconnect. Join us to share resources and foster partnerships between those who are working towards common goals of a greener, healthier DC! The day is filled with talks, workshops and lectures on almost every food and garden related topic. Lots of snack and free seeds provided.
More information at www.rootingdc.org

7.
Charlottesville Community Design Center

James River Green Building Council Luncheon: Transforming the Making of Things
Tuesday, February 9 at 12 pm
Tish Tablan and Emily McDermott of McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry will share their firm's perspective on a broad range of critical environmental health issues as they relate to material specification and environmentally preferable purchasing. The presentation will also feature a behind-the-scenes perspective on MBDC's innovative Cradle to Cradle Design paradigm. JRGBC lunches are free and open to the public, but advance registration is required. Register http://www.jrgbc.org/

6th edition Olio
Friday, February 26 at 8 pm
Olio is an open forum for the presentation of creative pursuits that seeks to spark new collaborations, conceptions, and relationships in the Charlottesville art and design community. Each speaker has 20 slides and 20 seconds per slide to present their work. There are still three spots open for presenters, email Lowell at: contact@olionight.org if you are interested.

http://olionight.org/

UPCOMING EXHIBITION

Our Water Our Future | March 1 - 31
In March Charlottesville Tomorrow will share its independent analysis and history of Charlottesville-Albemarle's long-term water supply plans in an engaging and interactive exhibit. The public will get factual and objective information about our water supply goals, details of the 50-year water plan, the costs, the environmental advantages and disadvantages, potential alternatives, and an outline of the next steps that will move our community forward. Please join us for the First Friday opening reception on March 5.
http://www.cvilledesign.org/

COMPETITION ANNOUCEMENT
Stay-Space: 2010 James River Green Building Council Green Spaces Competition
This year’s James competition challenge is meant to provide real and inspiring solutions to the land-use questions that face the City of Richmond. Building off of last year’s Play Space challenge, this year’s entrants are asked to look at the remaining 34 +/- acres on the Greater Fulton Gas Works site and develop a plan or design for that land that provides space for living, working, recreation or something entirely different if it feels right. The site can be designed for residential, commercial, industrial or agricultural development or something different and unexpected. Students and professionals are invited to enter the competition. Individuals may enter although interdisciplinary teams are encouraged and may be composed of students and professionals. Entries are due by May 21.
http://www.jrgbc.org/green-spaces-competition-gallery-display/

8.
FIGHT TO KEEP OUR MOUNTAINS AND STREAMS

For the first time ever, the Virginia General Assembly has the opportunity to vote on a bill that would protect these treasures from mountaintop removal coal mining! The Stream Saver Bill - SB 564 - would end the burial of our headwater streams with strip mining spoil and curtail the destruction of our mountains in southwest Virginia.

Follow your heart and join us Thursday February 11th at 3:00 PM at the bell tower on the General Assembly grounds in Richmond for a RALLY FOR THE MOUNTAINS and a special Senate Committee hearing on the issue at 4:00 PM.

This is a rare opportunity to proclaim your love for the mountains and the clear mountain streams that flow from them. It is your opportunity to speak up for one of the Commonwealth's greatest treasures.

https://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5020/p/salsa/event/common/public/?event_KEY=18300

9.
Permaculture email listserve (different from this newsletter listserve)

Vicky Peterson, a grad from the first Permaculture Design Course, has set up a yahoo group for discussion of all things relating to permaculture in the Central Virginia region. From Vicky: With your help, the group will be a place to ask questions, share information and help permaculture take root in our area.
Here is a link to follow if you would like to join:

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/BRPermaculture/

There should be a blue button that says "Join this Group!"

If you know of anyone else who might be interested in joining, please feel free to pass this info along.
Other questions? Email me.
Thanks!
Vicky Peterson
vickycp@ntelos.net

10.
FREE SOLAR WEBINAR

The Solar Living Institute Presents:

Opportunities in Solar: Business, Investment, Jobs
With Charles Liu, President of Everbright Solar
Join us for a Free Webinar on February 18

This Webinar is FREE!
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/533398536

The Solar Living Institute is proud to announce the launch of our new webinar series! Join us each month as we bring you high-value current information and insightful perspectives to advance your solar knowledge. Check our course calendar and newsletter as we add future topics.

http://www.solarliving.org/workshops/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_campaign=5b997c3c47-Solar_Business_Training_Series_Sept_20098_12_2009&utm_medium=email

11.
Shelter for Haiti Tent Drive through Blue Ridge Mountain Sports stores with assistance from Convoy of Hope.

Beginning January 27th, all Blue Ridge Mountain Sports locations began serving as drop-off points for the Shelter for Haiti tent drive. In an effort to provide critically needed shelter for victims of the January 12th earthquake that struck Haiti, Blue Ridge staff will be collecting tents in good working condition with all parts accounted for and any new tarps people are willing to donate.

All tents & tarps will be inspected and shipped to Convoy of Hope in Missouri, a 501(c)3 non-profit aid relief agency with staff working directly out of the Convoy of Hope warehouse outside of Haiti's capital city, Port-au-Prince. Since the earthquake, Convoy of Hope has shipped 12 shipping containers of badly needed food & supplies in addition to their staff providing medical aid to injured Haitians.

Following President Rene Preval's request for 200,000 tents, Blue Ridge
Mountain Sports contacted Convoy of Hope among other aid agencies
searching for an outlet to ship donated tents.

"Competition for the canvas homes has boiled into arguments and machete
fights, a sign of the desperation felt by the hundreds of thousands of people without homes struggling for shelter in this wrecked city. Haiti's president has asked the world for 200,000 tents and says he will sleep in one himself."

Next to food and medical supplies, shelter is the next primary concern as Haiti begins to see increased temperatures & rain moving into the spring months.

"Outside of the food area, the two prime worries are: one, medical services or medical equipment, and, two, shelter," said Lewis Lucke, U.S. special coordinator for relief and reconstruction."

As an additional incentive, Blue Ridge Mountain Sports is offering 20% off all tents & tarps with the donation of an old tent or new tarp for Haitian aid relief. Thanks go to Mountain Hardwear & MSR for their additional assistance.
To find the nearest Blue Ridge Mountain Sports location, visit
www.brms.com/insideBRMS.

upcoming events

2010-01-13T12:06:00.001-08:00

Greetings All,

Below you will find info on upcoming permaculture and sustainability events in the near future in the central Virginia bioregion – lots of exciting happenings coming up including a potluck and community talk with Dave Jacke on Feb. 13 in Harrisonburg!

For more information about permaculture events, see our website: www.blueridgepermaculture.net. If you know anyone else that would like to sign up for this newsletter, or if you have an announcement, email Christine at christinegyovai@gmail.com for the next update, which are sent monthly.

Best,
Christine and the Blue Ridge Permaculture Network team

1.
Spring 2010 Permaculture Design Course

Starts this weekend! There may be a few spaces left. Email to inquire.

The spring 2010 Permaculture Design Course: Sustainability Strategies for the Blue Ridge, over four weekends in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia.

This 72-hour ecological design certificate course, presented by the Blue Ridge Permaculture Network, will be offered over four weekends with leading permaculture teachers including Dave Jacke, Christine Gyovai and Dave O’Neill. The course will be held in Harrisonburg, Virginia, on the following dates:

Jan. 15-18, Feb. 12-15, March 13-14, and April 10-11.

The cost for this course will be a sliding scale, $995-$1200. To register please contact Terry Lilley at tygerlilley@gmail.com.

2.
PERMACULTURE COMMUNITY PRESENTATION and POTLUCK in Harrisonburg, VA

Come One, Come All!

With special guest Dave Jacke, for a talk on “Ecosystem Agriculture and Forest Gardens”

Sat. Feb. 13th, 2010
Potluck 6:30 -7:30 (bring a dish and utensils)
Talk from 7:30 – 9:00 pm

Location: Martin Chapel, located in the Seminary building at Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, VA
Click on the Map link from the website:
http://www.emu.edu/map/sem.html

For additional information, see the website:
www.blueridgepermaculture.net

RSVP and Pre-registration is encouraged, but not required, by emailing Terry Lilley at:
tygerlilley@gmail.com

3.
SAVE THE DATE!

Will Allen workshops return to Lynchburg Grows

March 5-6, 2010 (Fri. & Sat.)

Lynchburg Grows is welcoming back urban-farm guru Will Allen for two days of
workshops, March 5-6, 2010 (Fri. & Sat.). Allen, a 2008 MacArthur
fellowship recipient and co-founder of Milwaukee-based Growing Power, Inc. (www.GrowingPower.org), taught hands-on
workshops at Lynchburg Grows in the Spring of 2009 that focused on worm
farming, aquaponics (using fish to grow plants), growing and selling
chemical-free produce and building local food systems.

Lynchburg Grows is a Regional Outreach Training Center for Growing Power.
Contact Michael G. Van Ness, Executive Director, Lynchburg Grows at
michaelv@lynchburggrows.org for more workshop information.

Office: 1339 Englewood St., Lynchburg, VA 24501
Directions: Englewood is off Fort Ave., one street south of Lynchburg City
Stadium.
Drive to the end of the road; the office is located in the concrete building
to the right.

Phone: (434) 846-5665 Web Site:
www.LynchburgGrows.org
"Changing lives one garden at a time."

4.
Central Virginia Community College (in Lynchburg) continuing education class
“Choices for Sustainable Living” which runs two Tuesday evenings: Feb 2 & 9 from 7 to 9pm.

The purpose of the class is for each participant to come away with a deeper understanding of our environmental situation and realize the impact of everyday choices. Reducing energy and resource consumption will play center stage as we tackle issues in our homes, shopping carts, cars, gardens and communities. Active participation is essential! By course end, everyone will have a plan and tools to live lighter and be an active force in the shift toward sustainable living. This course will go way beyond just changing your light bulbs.

What’s the catch? CVCC charges a small fee for course ($79). But you should be able to make that up with all the money and energy saving you’ll be doing after the course. We are aiming for 90% reductions in most areas.

For more information, the link for the course flyer is:
http://www.cv.cc.va.us/Continuing%20Education/Flyers/sustainable%20living.pdf
and the CVCC Continuing Education page:
http://www.cv.cc.va.us/Continuing%20Education/default.asp
or contact the instructor, Vicky Peterson, at

5.
Please spread the word about the debut of “Exploring the Small Farm Dream” course in Charlottesville in February 2010. More information available at:
http://www.pecva.org/anx/index.cfm/1,266,2727,0,html/Feb-1-8-15-22-amp-Mar-6-Exploring-the-Small-Farm-Dream.

Who should attend?
Career changers and farm newbies breaking into agricultural pursuits
Farm apprentices interested in launching their own careers
Current farmers expanding into a new enterprise
Anyone considering starting a farm business on their property

Learn from guest speakers:
Richard Bean of Double H Farm
Ramona and Collins Huff of Gryffon’s Aerie
Gail Hobbs-Page of Caromont Farm
Lee O’Neill of Radical Roots Community Farm
Chuck and Charlotte Shelton of Albemarle Ciderworks
Tom and Anita Weber of Heaven and Earth Acres

Exploring the Small Farm Dream
Feb. 1, 8, 15 & 22 (optional field trip March 6th to Local Food Hub Educational Farm )
At Piedmont Virginia Community College (Charlottesville)

Register by visiting www.pvcc.edu (Search Spring 2010, Noncredit, Agriculture & Natural Resources – Exploring the Small Farm Dream)
or call 434-961-5354 – Workforce Services at Piedmont Virginia Community College.

Cost: $149 for 4 sessions, field trip and workbook

Stacey Carlberg
Fellowship Coordinator
Piedmont Environmental Council
540-341-0175 ext.1

6.
The Art of Wild Fermentation
One-Day Class: Saturday, January 16
10am – 2:30pm
Learn to make delicious lacto-fermented foods in this hands-on workshop. Fermentation is a traditional way of food preparation that not only preserves the harvest but also yields greater nourishment, a healthier digestive system, and thus increased vitality. We will make kimchi, brined garlic, lacto-fermented beets and ginger carrots, all of which can be easily incorporated into meals. We will also make some fermented and cultured beverages including kombucha, honey wine and sodas that are actually good for you. There will be a wide array of samples and you will leave with the skills necessary to begin lacto-fermenting foods at home.
This class will be taught by community herbalist, Suzanna Stone
Herbal teas will be provided at all the one day workshops. Please pack a bag lunch.
Fee for the class is $75.

www.sacredplanttraditions.com

Sacred Plant Traditions
Weekend Foundations Class in 2010 (almost full) in herbal medicine.

These programs are for those wishing to help their friends and families maintain health, deepen their plant knowledge or begin the training as a community herbalist. The curriculum is dynamic, contemplative and provides a sense of community as we move through the seasons learning each step of the process.

We begin with learning how to listen to the landscape before we even make a change in the garden. We learn Stephen Buhner’s Deep Diagnostic work as well as other techniques for working directly with the land. We then move to permaculture & biodynamic practices to see that medicine is borne of the soil and the environment. Herbalists are synonymous with eco activists as we tend and steward all places to protect the medicines. We will learn the nature of nature – ours as well as our gardens, fields and meadows. In June we will take a field trip to Southern Virginia Herbals, home and herb farm of Robbie Wooding. We will see woods grown goldenseal, ginseng and other woodland medicinals and experience the challenges, possibilities and enchantment of living the tradition of the land.

We will study the organ systems and their anatomy, physiology and basic functioning. We will focus on Western definitions of body systems with a major focus being constitutional language of Eclectics and contemporary teachers such as Michael Moore, Matthew Wood and others. We will follow the seasons learning the language of Traditional Chinese Medicine as it relates to the changes that are affected by moving through the wheel of the year.

Please see website for more info. Interviews are required.
www.sacredplanttraditions.com

7.
Online Seminars:
Urban Beekeeping: Dos and Don'ts - Ins and Outs
If you live in an urban area and are keeping bees or have thought about keeping bees than you won't want to miss this. We will have a conversation with 3 urban beekeepers with very different backgrounds and approaches. Cindy Bee, a beekeeper in the Atlanta, GA area, Toni Burnham in Washington, DC, and Cameo Wood in San Francisco. Registration is free but space is limited.
Title: Urban Beekeeping: Dos and Don'ts - Ins and Outs
Date: Sunday, January 24. 2010
Time: 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM EDT
Space is limited. Reserve your Webinar seat now at: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/153470658

8.
LIVING EARTH School Spring INTERNSHIP: We offer a spring internship beginning
in mid March- May, 2010. It is an instructor training program based in nature mentoring, primitive living skills, natural history, plus permaculture and gardening opportunities. Our unique Earth Based Mentoring model, allows participants to draw upon ancient wisdom to restore connections and awaken the natural cycle of learning within. Gain the skills necessary for the field, be mentored in the ways of connecting with the earth, and join an amazing team, here in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. There will be an opportunity for a community involved setting, where all participants can learn and live together cooperatively on the land. Plus create and tend their own garden plot and be involved with the creation of a permaculture camp center.

Please contact us to find out more or to get an application.
Kate and Hub Knott
The Living Earth School
101 Rocky Bottom lane
Afton, VA 22920
(540) 456-7339
www.LivingEarthVa.com
connect@livingearthva.com

9.
UPCOMING EVENTS
JRGBC Green Lunch: LEEDv3L: What's New for You?
Tuesday, January 19 at noon
Join the James River Green Building Council for the kick off to their 2010 Green Lunch series at CCDC. The series kicks off with a presentation by Sandra Leibowitz Earley, principal of Sustainable Design Consulting in Richmond, Virginia. The U.S. Green Building Council released its new version of LEED ® in April of 2009, titled “v3.” This comprehensive program consists of three components: LEED 2009 rating systems, the LEED certification model, and LEED-Online v3. The session will demystify the changes that have occurred, providing insight into credit alignment, regional credits, and credit weightings. Lunch will be provided free of charge; however, advance registration is required: http://www.jrgbc.org/

JOB OPPORTUNITY
Executive Director, Local Energy Alliance Program (LEAP)
LEAP is a new community-based (Charlottesville and Albemarle County, VA) nonprofit whose mission is to help facilitate unprecedented utility (energy and water) savings by retrofitting buildings and installing renewable technologies in residential and commercial buildings. Based on an alliance and membership model, LEAP will work directly with property owners as well as stakeholders in government, business, and other nonprofits to help create a sustainable energy future for our community. Visit the SEEA website: to download a copy of the complete job description. Closing date for resumes is January 20.

10.
Free online course in Sustainability that is being offered by BTH (Blekinge Technical Institute) in Sweden. This course is an introduction to the Sustainability Principles and the Framework for Sustainable Development used by The Natural Step and developed by Karl-Henrik Robert and others. There is no charge except for the textbook.
For more information www.bth.se/sustainability
Begin the online application at:
www.bth.se/specialized/apply

11.
GREAT PERMACULTURE VIDEO:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6973622026508602196&hl=en#

A Permaculture Perspective: Living in Authenticity During Energ...
Sep 13, 2008 - 26:26
Bill Wilson, Midwest Permaculture Institute, Stelle, Illinois. Presented at "A Renaissance of Local", Lyons, Colorado, September 2007. The 2007 Renaissance of Local was a county-wide community festival, conference and expo celebrating local food, local energy, local economy, local culture, and local community. It was an energizing focus for Boulder County Going Local! in their campaign to build community self-sufficiency and to strengthen the local economy through partnership, collaboration, and engagement.

And another great video:

http://www.thegreenhorns.net/home.html

12.
tricycle gardens (in Richmond) presents:

A WORLD CHANGING

LECTURE & DISCUSSION SERIES ON THE COMING ECOLOGICAL AGE

Please join us for 10 evenings of stimulating and challenging discussions on topics related to the ecological age. Each session will be led by a guest lecturer with expertise in the topic of discussion for the evening. Participants will be provided readings and links to websites and videos to study a week in advance of each meeting. The goal of this seminar is to increase our knowledge and capacity to act as ecologically informed individuals and members of a network of concerned citizens.

Cost: $200, includes course materials and closing dinner. Scholarships available (please inquire).

Dates: Alternate Wednesdays,
January 27th thru June 2nd, 7-9pm
Location: Tricycle Gardens Headquarters
Limited to 25 participants.
Call to attend a single session. $25 (Space Available)

TRICYCLE GARDENS, 211 West 7th Street, Richmond VA, 23224, ph 804.231-7767, learn@tricyclegardens.org
Space is limited.

Via email or snail mail, please describe your reasons for taking this seminar. How is this seminar related to your work and/or participation in sustainable projects? How do you plan to put into practice what you learn from this seminar? Describe the knowledge, expertise, and experience you bring to the seminar.

WINTER/SPRING 2010 COURSE INFORMATION

New Tools for Understanding the World:
Urban Ecology and Eco-Literacy

January 27th : Tara DePorte, Program Director, Lower East Side Ecology Center, NYC : Constructing a sustainable way of life depends on the development of new knowledge and skills. What knowledge and systems of knowledge production and distribution are necessary to enable citizens to construct a sustainable way of local and global life? What does it mean to think and act ecologically?

Feeding Ourselves: Food and Food Access

February 10th : Michael Van Ness, Executive Director, Lynchburg Grows :The human population stands at nearly 6.8 billion persons, and is expected to reach 9 billion by 2040. As of 2008, for the first time in history, more than 50% of human beings lived in cities or towns, and this percentage is expected to increase steadily in the coming decades. How do we design and build food systems that are capable of providing food to an increasingly urbanized population?

The Ecology of Health & Nutrition

February 24th : Sally Norton, Scientific / Program Administrator

Department of Social and Behavioral Health; School of Medicine; Virginia Commonwealth University : Cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, and stroke are among the leading causes of disability and death in the United States and increasingly around the world. They are also closely linked to diet and lifestyle. How might local agriculture help provide food that promotes individual and societal health and wellness? How can local agriculture promote health and wellness in Richmond communities?

Creating an Ecological Culture

March 10th : Rev. Jeanne Pupke, The First Unitarian Universalist Church of Richmond : Many contemporary cultural/social philosophers and critics contend that our environmental and economic crises are interrelated and deeply shaped by our world view, including our definitions of “progress,” “freedom,” “development,” and the “good life.” How might we define these concepts in a way that contributes to building a sustainable relationship to nature and how might religion, philosophy, art, and science contribute to the formation of an ecological world view?

Local Agriculture, Traditional Skills & the Green Economy

March 24th : Leni A. Sorensen, Ph.D., African-American Research Historian, Monticello : Local agriculture is the fastest growing sector of the food economy and is creatively reshaping our relationship to the earth, to our communities, and to ourselves. How is the development of local agriculture related to constructing an economy that makes it possible for individuals and communities to prosper and for society to establish a solid foundation for sustainable growth?

Building Permaculture

April 7th : Lisa Taranto, Executive Director, Tricycle Gardens

Permaculture involves the development of agricultural systems that mimic the diversity, stability, and resilience of ecosystems. How can we promote the development of permaculture in Richmond and other urban centers and how can we utilize the principles of permaculture to design other systems on which we depend, including education, transportation, recreation, politics, and economics?

Re-Imagining Cities: Systems Thinking & Small Economies

April 21st : Timothy Beatley, PhD, Teresa Heinz Professor of
Sustainable Communities, School of Architecture, University of Virginia :

How can these systems thinking and small economies help inform urban planning in Richmond? How can mixed zoning and policies to promote sustainable public transportation, energy, and food systems, and the integration of work, home, and recreation help us build a sustainable city?

Climate and Cultural Change

May 5th : Richard Taranto, Ret. CDR, USN, Oceanography & Meteorology :

The international scientific community indicates that global warming, oceanic and other climatic changes are significantly altering rainfall patterns, growing seasons, and agricultural zones. How can we adjust productively to these changes and also grow and distribute food in a way that contributes to long-term environmental stability.

Ecological Policies for an Ecological Age

May 19th : Guest: TBA

Government policies play an important role in fostering technological innovation and economic growth. How can local, state, and federal policies help encourage sustainable development? How can trade agreements, farm legislation, and transportation policies support green business practices? How do we create a business model that rests firmly on ecological principles, including concern for long-term growth and sustainability?

Ushering in the Ecological Age

June 2nd : No Guest, pure discussion

International scientific organizations indicate the earth’s ecosystems are in serious and potentially irrecoverable change. How do we preserve these systems to ensure our health as a species and the health of the larger biotic community? How can we develop in a way that replenishes these systems and deepens our capacity to act as wise stewards of the earth’s interrelated ecosystems? (Includes dinner.)

upcoming events

2009-12-07T10:05:00.000-08:00

Greetings All,

Below you will find info on upcoming permaculture and sustainability events in the near future in the central Virginia bioregion (including a permaculture movie tomorrow night in Harrisonburg – we hope to see all of you there!) and our upcoming spring 2010 Permaculture Design Course.

For more information about permaculture events, see our website: www.blueridgepermaculture.net. If you know anyone else that would like to sign up for this newsletter, or if you have an announcement, email Christine at christinegyovai@gmail.com for the next update, which are sent monthly.

Best,
Christine and the Blue Ridge Permaculture Network team

1.
Spring 2010 Permaculture Design Course

Spring 2010 Permaculture Design Course: Sustainability Strategies for the Blue Ridge, over four weekends in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia.

This 72-hour ecological design certificate course, presented by the Blue Ridge Permaculture Network, will be offered over four weekends with leading permaculture teachers including Dave Jacke, Christine Gyovai and Dave O’Neill. The course will be held in Harrisonburg, Virginia, on the following dates:

Jan. 15-18, Feb. 12-15, March 13-14, and April 10-11.

The cost for this course will be a sliding scale, including a discount for early registration. If you register by November 15 the sliding scale is $895-$1200. After November 15 the sliding scale is $995-$1200. A few work trade positions are available for partial tuition; inquire soon about work trade guidelines and availability. The work-trade application deadline ends on December 1st, 2010, and limited scholarships may be available, inquire for details. To register please contact Terry Lilley at tygerlilley@gmail.com or 434-296-3963.

2.
Blue Ridge Permaculture Network Presents
Introduction to Permaculture
Movie and Discussion (Free!)

Tuesday December 8th at 7pm
Clementine Cafe, Harrisonburg
www.clementinecafe.com

Based on the 72-hour Permaculture Design Certificate Course as devised by Bill Mollison, join Geoff Lawton as he takes you into the world of Permaculture Design and introduces you to a new way of looking at the world. Learn how to apply your design skills by observing, analyzing and harmonizing with the patterns of Nature. Discover the theory and then see the examples in action in this unique DVD. Essential information for anyone interested in learning more about Permaculture and how they can apply it in their daily lives to create sustainable abundance.

3.
The students in "Technology, Nature, and Sustainable Agriculture: Bringing Engineers into the Foodshed,” a course at UVA taught in Spring 2009 and Fall 2009 semesters, has produced a new website: http://www.sts.virginia.edu/foodshed/. The site is intended as a start to a repository and dynamic forum for sustainable foodshed design in the region. It hosts a series of video podcasts on local food issues, a bibliography, links to on-line sources, and references to activity at UVA on the topic. Students in the class this semester will be adding to, updating, and continuing to refine the formatting of the current website. The current class members and instructor encourage any feedback from community members about things to include and suggestions to rebuild the site for the sake of local relevance. Please contact Benjamin Cohen (bcohen@virginia.edu) with any thoughts.

4
. Please note a new book published on the cultural origins of scientific agriculture in America, /Notes from the Ground: Science, Soil and Society in the American Countryside/, from Yale University Press. Readers can find notice of it here:
http://www.amazon.com/Notes-Ground-American-Countryside-Agrarian/dp/0300139233/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1256580268&sr=8-1

The book’s story begins with Jefferson and ends in the mid-nineteenth century. Though temporally distant from current permaculture activity, much of the book takes Virginia (and central Virginia and the Albemarle County area) as its focus. Readers might find it interesting to learn about the means by which local farmers developed their own systematic soil management practices to pave the way for what later became scientific and industrial agriculture. The book also discusses moral and cultural elements of land use that are relevant for today's thinking on alternative agricultural opportunities such as permaculture.

5.
COAL COUNTRY SHOWING LISTING
The Wise Energy for Virginia Coalition is proud to present the Charlottesville premiere of the new award-winning documentary:
Coal Country
A dramatic look at the controversial practice of mountaintop removal in Appalachia.
December 9th and 10th, 7pm, at the Vinegar Hill Theatre (map)
http://wiseenergyforvirginia.org/coalcountry/
A special benefit reception will be held at Siips Wine Bar on Dec 10th at 5 pm
In addition to the film, please join us for a special benefit reception for the Wise Energy for Virginia Coalition on Dec. 10 at 5 pm, at Siips Wine Bar downtown.
Reception tickets include admittance to the movie, wine & hors d’oeuvres, live music, and special guest Coal Country executive producer Mari-Lynn Evans.
Two coalfield residents featured in the film -Kathy Selvage of Wise County, Va, and Larry Gibson of West Virginia - will speak before each showing and at the reception. Click here to view a map that shows the locations of Siips and the Vinegar Hill Theatre relative to suggested parking.
All benefit proceeds will go to the Wise Energy for Virginia Coalition whose members are the Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards, Appalachian Voices, the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, the Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club and the Southern Environmental Law Center. The Coalition and its many partners are working to stop mountaintop removal coal mining and to secure a clean energy future for Virginia.

6.
Dear Permaculture Friends,

I have two friends, Skip and Joe, who are very interested in taking the Blue Ridge Permaculture Design Course starting in January. They both came to me after I had facilitated a Permaculture 101 class at Our Community Place, a community center in Harrisonburg that helps a lot of people in many different ways. There eyes had that glow that I think we all get after we have learned something new and relevant and mind shifting! Skip and Joe spend a lot of time at Our Community Place. They are both in tough spots right now and have very little money. I had the opportunity to get to know both of them very well over the summer, working together as a part of Muddy Bike Urban Garden Project, a garden program that uses money made at the farmers market to pay workers who are in need of money, gardening and community. 75% of what they make goes into a housing fund, that helps them save to find a place to live. Skip and Joe are both amazing gardeners who are also interested in permaculture. They are also important community members and have helped OCP with a lot of donated time. I am writing to all of you to ask if we could come together as the BRPN community to raise funds to support them through the course. I think that they will learn so much, and that permaculture design could be a way for them to continue to earn money and make a decent living.

Thank you all so much for your support,
Beth Schermerhorn
Garden Coordinator, New Community Project
BRPI Graduate 2007

7.
December 15, 2009
Building Design and Construction: The LEED Implementation Process. This workshop is intended for professionals who are familiar with the LEED for New Construction or LEED for Core & Shell Rating System, but new to implementing it on projects or looking to brush up on implementation best practices. For more information: www.usgbcncr.org.

8.
JRGBC Luncheon: Wind! A Critical Component of Virginia's Clean Energy Future
Tuesday, December 8, 12 pm at the Charlottesville Community Design Center
Curious about wind energy in Virginia? Overwhelmed by conflicting reports about the Commonwealth’s wind resources? Remy Luerssen, Mapping and Education Specialist for the Virginia Coastal Energy Research Consortium and JMU’s Virginia Wind Energy Collaborative, will provide an introduction to wind energy, highlighting recent developments from backyard turbines to offshore wind. Get the facts and learn what resources are available to individuals, corporations, and municipalities who are involved in wind-related projects. Lunch will be provided. Register in advance or pay at the door. This event is $3 for JRGBC members and $5 for non-members.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
City Announces 2010 Neighborhood Leadership Institute
On Febuary 10, the City of Charlottesville kicks off its 3rd annual Pilot Your City Neighborhood Leadership Institute, an opportunity for citizens to equip themselves to actively shape the future of the community. NLI topics include City boards and commissions, the local economy, affordable housing and public safety. The program takes places on Wednesday evenings from 6-9 pm and is free and open to all. To participate, apply (follow link "I want to apply for") by February 1, 2010. For more more information contact Tierra Howard or call (434)970-3383.

Virginia Center for Architecture Spring Semester Internship: Feb. 2- Apr. 30, 2010
The Virginia Center for Architecture is currently seeking applicants for a special 12-week internship during the spring semester. Responsibilities will include curatorial work, educational programming, and special events. VCA internships provide a unique opportunity to learn about architecture and design, as well as to actively contribute to the creation of exhibitions and educational and public programs. Applicants must have excellent oral and written communication skills, general research and office skills, be detail-oriented, and possess a desire to learn about architecture and/or museums. Academic credit may be available. The unpaid internships are six hours per week. To apply, please send a letter of interest, resume, and letter of recommendation by Friday, January 15, 2010 to Margaret Y. Hancock, Director of Programs, Virginia Center for Architecture, 2501 Monument Avenue, Richmond, VA 23220 at mhancock@virginiaarchitecture.org.

9.
There are several upcoming workshops at Tricycle Gardens in Richmond in 2010 including a Seed Swap & Potluck and Seed Starting & Soil Preparation workshop.
Check them out at the website:
http://tricyclegardens.org/programs/

10.
Join us today -- from wherever you are -- to save Coal River Mountain!
Rally in Charleston or take action from your home!
The AP reports on today's event -- learn about and join the growing movement!
Charleston Gazette features Jeff Biggers Op-Ed.
Coal River residents speak to the camera about why this matters.

Rally in Charleston, WV at the Department of Environmental Protection
We need you to stand with us to save Coal River Mountain.
When: Today, Monday Dec. 7 at 2:00 p.m.
Where: West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection headquarters
601 57th Street SE, Charleston, WV. *Directions below.
What: Speakers (including Bobby Kennedy, Jr.), a historic rally, music
Why: We need your help to save Coal River Mountain and protect the people of Coal River Valley, a critical step in ending mountaintop removal coal mining and putting the country on a path to a clean energy future.

The WV DEP has signed off on the blasting of Coal River Mountain, and the blasting has started, 200 feet from Massey Energy's Brushy Fork dam and impoundment. This massive lake of toxic coal slurry sits above abandoned underground mines. Blasting could destabilize natural fractures in the rock between the bottom of the impoundment, the roof of the old mines, and weak pillars that support the roof. Each blast increases the potential for a disaster like the one in 2000 at a Massey-operated impoundment in Martin County, KY. The same engineers who worked on the failed Kentucky impoundment worked on the Brushy Fork impoundment.

Each blast also destroys a little more of the wind potential of Coal River Mountain -- but there is still plenty of the mountain left to save. If we fight hard now, we can create a model for meeting energy needs sustainably and creating good local jobs and long-term tax revenue.

In a historic protest to defend a mountain and all it represents, Coal River Valley residents and friends from across America will converge on the DEP to demand that the agency suspend and revoke Massey's permits to blast and destroy Coal River Mountain. We are also calling on the EPA to recognize the DEP as a failed agency and assume responsibility for its water monitoring program.

Please do what you can to make it to Charleston on Dec. 7 -- take a day off work, cash in one of your sick days. Bobby Kennedy, Jr. is scheduled to be one of our speakers on the 7th. We hope to see you there!
*Directions: From I-77 North or South / I-64 East or West: Exit MacCorkle Ave. West, (Exit 95); Left on 57th. St (Approximately 1/3rd mile from exit); Building is on right on 57th St., across from the Elder Beerman store at the Kanawha City Mall.

Anywhere, Today: Solidarity Action
If you can't make it to the action today, please call the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection to help support those rallying in Charleston. The DEP is responsible for inspecting the coal sludge dam nearest to the mine site, and has the power to stop the blasting. Call Randy Huffman, Secretary at DEP, and ask him to intervene at Coal River Mountain. Call him at 304-926-0440.

Sample Script

"Hi, I'm calling to ask the West Virginia DEP to intervene at Coal River Mountain. Coalfield residents are reporting that blasting and mountaintop removal operations have begun there. We need the DEP to act now due to the imminent danger to the local community and to our clean energy future."

Talking Points

- Massey Energy has started mountaintop removal operations there. The blasting is happening near the Brushy Fork sludge impoundment which now holds 8.2 billion gallons of toxic coal waste near the town of Pettus, WV. If it were to fail, it would threaten the lives of 1000 people and be an environmental disaster. The dam is permitted to hold more than 9 billion gallons of sludge.

- Studies have shown that Coal River Mountain's ridges have the highest and most productive wind potential. A wind farm on Coal River Mountain could generate 1.2 % of West Virginia's total energy needs, create hundreds of jobs in the local area and generate a long term tax revenue stream for the state. Everyday that blasting happens, the possibility for the wind farm diminishes.

-----

This action alert is going out to you early Monday morning. Later today, please check the "Take Action" pages at Save Coal River Mountain for more information and to let us know you called.

Fruits of Your Actions

Last month, you along with 65,000 others sent emails to the Obama Administration asking that they intervene to stop the blasting on Coal River Mountain, which is endangering the lives of the people in Coal River Valley and destroying critical clean energy resources. Thanks to you, the EPA has responded. In late November, the EPA sent a letter to Marfork Coal Company, the Massey Energy subsidiary that is blasting on Coal River Mountain. The EPA is taking a tough look at the mining site, using its legal and regulatory authority to intervene in the operation.

But the fight continues. We need your help again, and we need it today. It is critical that the DEP play its part in saving Coal River Mountain. Please call the DEP today to help stop Massey Energy from destroying Coal River Mountain.

It is not too late to save Coal River Mountain. Please help!

upcoming events

2009-10-14T18:45:00.000-07:00

Greetings All,

Below you will find info on upcoming permaculture and sustainability events in the near future in the central Virginia bioregion (including a permaculture presentation and potluck tomorrow night – we hope to see all of you there!) and our upcoming spring 2010 Permaculture Design Course.

For more information about permaculture events, see our website: www.blueridgepermaculture.net. If you know anyone else that would like to sign up for this newsletter, or if you have an announcement, email Christine at christinegyovai@gmail.com for the next update, which are sent monthly.

Best,
Christine and the Blue Ridge Permaculture Network team

1.
P3: Permaculture Presentation and Potluck
Planning the Sustainable Vegetable Garden, including Cover Cropping,
with Cindy Conner
Thursday, October 15; 6:00 pm talk; 7:00 pm potluck
Bring utensils and a dish to share
Suggested donation $5
Ivy Creek Natural Area Education Building
1776 Earlysville Rd, Charlottesville, VA 22901
A map may be found at this website: http://ivycreekfoundation.org/contact.html

2.
Spring 2010 Permaculture Design Course

We are pleased to announce our spring 2010 Permaculture Design Course: Sustainability Strategies for the Blue Ridge, over four weekends in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia.

This 72-hour ecological design certificate course, presented by the Blue Ridge Permaculture Network, will be offered over four weekends with leading permaculture teachers including Dave Jacke, Christine Gyovai and Dave O’Neill. The course will be held in Harrisonburg, Virginia, on the following dates:

Jan. 15-18, Feb. 12-15, March 13-14, and April 10-11.

The cost for this course will be a sliding scale, including a discount for early registration. If you register by November 15 the sliding scale is $895-$1200. After November 15 the sliding scale is $995-$1200. A few work trade positions are available for partial tuition; inquire soon about work trade guidelines and availability. The work-trade application deadline ends on December 1st, 2010, and limited scholarships may be available, inquire for details. To register please contact Terry Lilley at tygerlilley@gmail.com or 434-296-3963.

3.
Apprentice Teachers for Spring Permaculture Design Course
The Blue Ridge Permaculture Network is seeking applicants for two Apprentice Teacher Positions for the Spring 2010 Permaculture Design Course. Compensation for this position includes a tuition waiver, lunches during the course and a $200 stipend. If you have a passion for creating a better world through permaculture education then please email Dave O'Neill at leesturgis@yahoo.com for an application.

4.
Saturday, October 24, 2pm onBeat Juice Party at Juice hosted by Leslie Shay & Augusta Ober 1437 Ortman Rd., AftonI-64, Crozet exit, 250 West, less than 2 miles turn left onto Ortman, 3.1 miles on leftPark on street (parking limited; carpool if possible)All ages welcomePlease join us for a community gathering at our little farm in Afton. We'll supply the beats (music), you bring fruit & veggies for juicing, a potluck contribution, outside seating (chairs, blankets, etc.), hoola hoop (if you have one), and friends. Call Leslie at 434-249-2449 or Augusta at 206-240-5194 for more details.

5.
7th Annual Small Farm Family Conference
Sheraton Richmond West Hotel
November 9-10, 2009
VSU Schedules Small Farm Family Conference

Virginia State University's Small Farm Outreach, Training and Technical Assistance Program has scheduled its seventh annual Small Farm Family Conference on Monday, Nov. 9 through Tuesday, Nov. 10 at the Sheraton Richmond West Hotel located at 6624 West Broad Street, Richmond.

Jane Eckert, proprietor of Eckert AgriMarketing , Inc., and a published author with six books on agri-tourism and agri-marketing to her credit, is one of the conference's keynote speakers. She will talk about agriculture tourism opportunities that can enable farm families to generate more income than could ever be earned growing and selling crops and livestock. She will also discuss agri-tourism marketing strategies with a focus on consumer demand, website design and effective publicity for marketing farms and maximizing profits.

Will Allen, chief executive officer of Growing Power, an organization dedicated to developing Community Food Systems, will deliver a keynote message about "Linking Urban and Rural Communities." Other conference sessions include:a) Business and market planning essentials for the small farmer.b) Urban forestry.c) Preserving the farm for future generations.d) Educating kids about agriculture.e) Small farm liability and legal issues associated with marketing directly to the public.f) Selling to restaurants.g) Workplace farmers markets and community supported agriculture; andh) Urban farming for profit. Special program features include a USDA panel session on fundingopportunities and incentives for small, limited resource andsocially-disadvantaged farmers; livestock, aquaculture and horticulturetours; and a children's program.(more)

A registration fee of $25 per person (adult or child) covers conference materials, dinner on Monday, and lunch on Tuesday.

To register, call Carol Streetman, VSU administrative specialist, at (804)524-5960 or e-mail cstreetman@vsu.edu.

For more information on the conference, call Fidelis Okpebholo, coordinator of VSU's Small Farm Outreach, Training and Technical Assistance Program, at (804) 524-5662 or e-mail fokpebholo@vsu.edu. Anyone needing special services or accommodations in order to participate should call by Nov. 2 to discuss arrangements.

6.
~October Workshops and Events at Common Good City Farm ~

October 17th. Growing Gardens Workshop: Uncommon Uses for Common Herbs
Parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme -- you grow them in your garden and use them to flavor your cooking, but how else can they benefit you? Learn medicinal uses for the herbs in your spice rack, including fennel, mint, oregano, chamomile, and catnip by making teas and brews in this hands-on workshop. Bring a mug! Click for more info and to Register

October 23-25. Introduction to Urban and Community Food Gardens

Autumn is the perfect time to prepare your soil and site for a Spring garden...Spend a weekend learning the basics of urban gardening, garden design and starting a community garden. Learn how to winterize an existing garden and prepare an area now for a new garden in the Spring. Discussion on basic theories of how to design with nature will be mixed with hands-on activities. (Course is similar to an Introduction to Permaculture class). Click for more information and to register.

October 31st. Halloween Haunt at the Farm, a Community Event
Bring the whole family and join your LeDroit Park, Shaw, Eckington, Bloomingdale and Howard neighbors for some Halloween fun! Enjoy pumpkin picking in the Common Good City Farm pumpkin patch, pumpkin painting, cider tasting, apple treats and of course, a costume contest. This event is free. 11am-1pm at Common Good City Farm. (Please consider donating to help make this event a success.)

You can un-subscribe by clicking here. To never receive email from the Common Good City Farm click here 2025 3rd Street NW Washington, DC , DC 20001 United States

http://commongoodcityfarm.org/

7."A New Energy Future: Conservation, Efficiency,and Renewables" Physics Building at the University of Virginia Saturday, Oct. 17 from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Keynote Address and workshops on energy efficiency, wind energy,biomass. sustainable food production, alternatives to coal and nuclearenergy production and more. $10(includes lunch). Preregistration is encouraged. "REAL DISCUSSION, REAL CHOICES, REAL ANSWERS" Sponsored by:Sierra Club-Piedmont Group People's Alliance for Clean EnergyCharlottesville Center for Peace and JusticeAppalachian Voices For more information call 434-296-2494 or email elena.day@gmail.com

8.
From the Charlottesville Community Design Center

Designing & Building Healthy Places: From Evidence to PracticeFriday, October 16 from 12-1 pm at CCDCJoin us for the first of CCDC + Central Virginia AIA's monthly brown bag lunch & learn series to take place on the third Friday of every month at CCDC beginning in October. This month, CCDC Board member Matthew Trowbridge MD, MPH will present about the public health implications of the design of the built environment. As a practicing physician, Matt brings a unique perspective to field of design. Don't miss this opportunity to engage in an open discussion of ways to develop capacity among architects and urban planners for evidence-based healthy design and construction. Bring your own lunch.

Local Energy Alliance Program (LEAP) Focus GroupsThe Local Energy Alliance Program, an outgrowth of CCDC's SPARK! program, is planning a series of citizen focus groups to seek opinions and feedback on proposed energy efficiency programs being designed for city & county residents. Your involvement in a focus group will help make sure that the programs LEAP is planning will provide maximum benefit to the Charlottesville-Albemarle community while working toward ambitious energy efficiency and climate protection goals. Groups of 10-12 will meet with LEAP for about one hour either mid-day or in the evenings. Participants will receive a raffle entry for a free Energy Audit Review performed by a certified BPI Building Analyst and a coupon from the Blue Ridge Eco Shop. To receive additional information about participating in a focus group, please fill out a LEAP questionnaire.

Enterprise Announces Green Communities GrantsEnterprise is delighted to announce the Fall 2009 Green Communities Grant application round. Grant awards of up to $75,000 per project will be available to support the planning and construction of green affordable housing. Enterprise invites affordable housing developers to submit a Letter Of Inquiry (LOI) to greencommunities@enterprisecommunity.org by Friday, October 23. Approximately 30 applicants will be selected from the LOI and invited to complete a full online application for funding. Final grant awards will be announced in December 2009. Further details about the grant round as well as instructions on how to submit a Letter of Inquiry are available here.
www.cvilledesign.org

9.
Permaculture email listserve (different from this newsletter listserve)

Vicky Peterson, a grad from the first Permaculture Design Course, has set up a yahoo group for discussion of all things relating to permaculture in the Central Virginia region. From Vicky: With your help, the group will be a place to ask questions, share information and help permaculture take root in our area.
Here is a link to follow if you would like to join:

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/BRPermaculture/

There should be a blue button that says "Join this Group!"

If you know of anyone else who might be interested in joining, please feel free to pass this info along.
Other questions? Email me.
Thanks!
Vicky Peterson
vickycp@ntelos.net

10.
Gaia University Orientation & Degree Programs
Integrative EcoSocial Design / Organizing Learning for EcoSocial Regeneration / Open Topic
Hosted by the Sustainable Farm Institute, U.S. Virgin Islands
Dec 1 - 13, 2009

For more information visit www.gaiauniversity.org

What is Gaia University?

Gaia University is a growing institution for higher learning with a unique approach. Our students ('associates') are able to earn accredited Bachelors & Masters degrees and Graduate Diplomas while actively engaged in self and planetary transformation and ecosocial regeneration.

How it Works
Gaia U is based on a methodology called Action Learning and is guided by the principles of Earth Care, People Care, & Fair Share. Within that framework, associates work on self-selected, self-directed projects anywhere in the world they choose, documenting their outcomes and learning process along the way. Throughout their program, they are supported by an international network of learning providers, advisors and mentors and a collaborative online e-learning environment.

Cultivating World Changers
By fusing passion and vision with self-directed practical experience, associates initiate and nurture local and global sustainability, regeneration, justice and peace. At the same time, they refine their skills and deepen their experience to become more effective world changers.

Degree Programs

Integrative EcoSocial Design (IESD) BSc, MSc, GD*
For those wanting to integrate ecological and social aspects of design into projects that focus on ecosystems, societies, communities, technologies, and personal lifestyles.

Organizing Learning for EcoSocial Regeneration (OLE) MSc, GD
For those interested in applied organizational learning and design. Some people focus on the development of a GU regional center as their primary project.

Open Topic (OT) BSc, MSc, GD
For those who are working at a strategic level as world changers and want to design their own program topic.

*GD Post Masters Graduate Diploma

More Information

To apply for and register in these programs, please visit: www.gaiauniversity.org
e-mail: info@gaiauniversity.org

Find Gaia University on Facebook
Follow Gaia University on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Gaia_University
Visit Gaia University on the Transition Towns Network - http://transitionus.ning.com/group/gaiauniversity