Thursday, December 13, 2012



Greetings all,

Below is an amazing collection of upcoming permaculture and sustainability events in the central Virginia bioregion, including a talk with Peter Bane on Sunday and several upcoming conferences.  If you know anyone else that would like to sign up for this newsletter, or if you have an announcement, email us at blueridgepermaculture@gmail.com for the next update, which are sent monthly.  


Best,
Christine and the BRPN team
www.blueridgepermaculture.net  


1.
Public Talk
Designing Resilient Communities:  How our Towns and Suburbs can Incubate the new Eco-Agriculture and Launch a Food Security Revolution

An Illustrated Lecture by Peter Bane, author of The Permaculture Handbook

December 16th, 7:00 pm at Clementine in Downtown Harrisonburg

For readers with a quarter-acre lot or a small farm, in the city, suburbs, or beyond, The Permaculture Handbook offers a clear and comprehensive picture of what low-impact, high-satisfaction living can look like in the post-petroleum age. Starting now, readers can locate themselves easily within the narrative of growing land care, regenerative community, and a robust and capable household economy. Learn how to reduce dependence on money, on fossil fuels, and on distant supplies of critical resources.
Peter Bane is the author of The Permaculture Handbook: Garden Farming for Town and Country (2012), an authoritative guide to the world's leading popular design science for North American readers and long the publisher and editor of Permaculture Activist.

Sponsored by:  Radical Roots Farm, Shenandoah Permaculture, and the Blue Ridge Permaculture Network


2.
Apprenticeship Position
Radical Roots Farm is a diverse family farm that grows certified organic vegetables, fruit, herbs and plants.  We are seeking 3 full time apprentices for the 2013 season from mid-March to Mid-October.  Apprentices learn from the cycles of the season, from hard work and from an experienced team that offers classes and field trips.   Apprentices will be engaged in all aspects of organic production from nursery to market.  Check RadicalRootsFarm.com for more information and email info(at)radicalrootsfarm.com for an application.


3.
Virginia Biological Farming Conference
February 8-9th, 2013
Healthy Soil, Healthy Crops, Healthy Livestock.
The 2013 Conference will take place in Richmond at the Holiday Inn-Koger Center. This year’s schedule is packed with knowledgeable speakers, informative sessions, and outstanding networking opportunities. View the Conference flyer here
Early bird registration is just $120. Available for members only, this rate ends December 31st. (Deadline extended due to delay in printing the full brochure. Remember: You can become a member at any time!)

One-Day Farm School courses (one for Beginning/Aspiring farmers, and one on Advanced Vegetable Production for farmers currently growing for commercial markets) will be held February 7th, 2013 in Richmond. Registration begins in October. Stay tuned here for early-bird rates!



4.
City Schoolyard Garden seeks an Executive Director in Charlottesville, Virginia
The ideal candidate will be have a bachelor’s degree, proven experience with fundraising and management, excellent communication and organization skills, and a passion for education and/or gardens.  Flexible work schedules and/or 30-hour work week will be considered for the right person.  To apply, please send a resume and cover letter to Board Chair Lisa Drake at cityschoolyardgardenjobs@gmail.com.


5.
Workshop: Making Money on Your Farm – Charlottesville Local Food Hub wksp.
Date: Thursday, December 13, 2012
Time: 4:00pm – 7:00pm
Location: TBD (Charlottesville)
Cost: $25


6.
Sacred Plant Traditions weekend workshop with
Phyllis Light and Southern Appalachian Wisdom
February 1 - 3 2013 in Charlottesville, Virginia

Signs of the Times: Astrology for Health. -- Friday, Feb 1 ~ 9am –5 pm
Food Is Medicine -- Saturday & Sunday, Feb 2 & 3
 Saturday Night Medicine Stories will include teachings of Inca Prophecy and other tales of guiding wisdom.

Fee for all three days is $325 and $225 for the weekend which includes Phyllis’s famous Saturday night medicine stories. Friday is $125. To reserve a space, please send a non-refundable deposit of $50 (for 1or 2 day) or $75 for 3 day to SPT. Upon receipt of deposit, registration information will be sent.



7.
Piedmont Landscape Association Seminar: February 20-21, 2013

The Paramount Theater, Charlottesville, VA

Every February the Piedmont Landscape Association hosts an annual seminar. This event strives to bring gardening enthusiasts and landscape professionals together in an educational setting.

Dinner Reception/Fundraiser:
To kick-off the seminar this year, the PLA will host a fundraiser on Wednesday, February 20th. Proceeds go to support the McIntire Botanical Garden. This event will be from 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. at the Clifton Inn just outside Charlottesville, Virginia.

Speakers:
Tracy DiSabato-Aust – Garden Designer, Author and Lecturer. Ms.DiSabato-Aust will speak on high-impact perennials and their care.

Cole Burrell – Garden Designer, Author and Lecturer. Mr. Burrell will speak on the uses of native plants, their popularity and their sustainable landscape possibilities.
Lecture: Native Plants and Ecological Design: Myths and Realities

Eric Toensmeier – Author, Lecturer. Mr. Toensmeier will speak on the possibilities edible landscapes have in the Piedmont region.
Lecture: Ecological Edible Landscaping


8.
Native Plant Landscape Symposium sponsored by Albemarle County, VA, promoting our recently created regional native plant database, www.albemarle.org/nativeplants.

February 27, 2013; 1:00 – 3:00 PM, Albemarle County Office Building, 5th Street Extended; 1600 5th Street, Charlottesville, Virginia, 22902.

A symposium to present marketing strategies and local incentives, in the spirit of a “buy local” campaign, for the area’s unique native plants.


9.
2013 Growers' Academy (Roanoke)
When: Tue, January 22, 2013, 6pm – 9pm
Where: 108 North Jefferson Street, Roanoke, VA (map)
Description: 2013 Growers' Academy Roanoke, VA - Tuesdays January 22 – March 12 at 6-9 pm (no class on February 19) Registration for the 2013 Growers Academy is underway. Please forward this email to anyone who may be interested. For more information, see attached poster, or visit the Growers Academy web site: http://www.cpe.vt.edu/grac/

The Virginia Tech Catawba Sustainability Center is offering the fourth annual Growers Academy, a series of courses specifically designed to help new and transitioning agricultural businesses succeed. An eight week learning series focused on low input, small scale production and starting your own agribusiness. Instructors include resource professionals and farm business owners. Topics include: • Planning for Success: Setting Goals and Establishing Targets • Soils and Composting • Marketing • Business Plan Development • Equipment for Small Farms • Preventative Pest and Weed Management • Crop Production and Planning • Business Plan Review • Farm Tour on Sat., March 9

Classes will meet at the Virginia Tech Roanoke Center ( http://www.vtrc.vt.edu/index.asp) in the Roanoke Higher Education Building at 108 North Jefferson Street, Roanoke, VA. Contact: Josh Nease, Manager, Catawba Sustainability Center, nease@vt.edu, 540) 553-2311


10.
Southern SAWG Conference
When: Jan 23 – 26, 2013
Where: Little Rock, Arkansas (map)
Description: For over 20 years Southern SAWG has provided the practical tools and solutions you’ve needed and we’ve built the necessary bridges between farmers, marketers, ag professionals and local food system advocates. http://www.ssawg.org/january-2013-conference/


11.
 Allegheny Mountain School Fellowships for 2013
Allegheny Mountain School (AMS), located in Highland County, VA, is a not-for-profit  experiential fellowship program designed to serve our region’s communities in developing a more secure food system.  In the spring of 2013, Allegheny Mountain School will assemble its third cohort and we are currently accepting applications for these roles.  AMS is a two phased program.  In Phase I (April 28 – November 1, 2013), AMS Fellows will study sustainable food production, land stewardship and community development in an intensive, hands-on, cooperative learning residency.  Work and study both take place on the farm and at community projects in surrounding areas.  Workshops and seminars will occur both on and off campus.  In the year following (January 1 -- December 31, 2014), AMS Fellows enter Phase II and will work in the service of Partner Organizations in our region and  focus on activities such as building community gardens, advocating sustainable land use and teaching nutrition and cooking for a healthy lifestyle. 
AMS Fellows learn sustainable food cultivation and restorative, nourishing traditions.  For more information, visit www.alleghenymountainschool.org/apply-2013  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.
Save the Date: January 30–31, 2013 for the VCU Energy and Sustainability Conference
The Virginia Commonwealth University, a leader in sustainability, is excited to host the 2013 Energy and Sustainability Conference: Advancing Business with Leadership in Sustainability, on January 30–31, 2013 at the Greater Richmond Convention Center in Richmond, Virginia.
This conference provides commercial and institutional organizations with the opportunity to:
      Learn about the economic benefits of sustainable business policies and practices;
      Share information on the positive bottom line of owning and operating high performance buildings;
      Network with cutting edge Green Technology and product companies; and
      Find out how to utilize sustainable policies for competitive advantage, economic development and job creation.
The conference will bring together attendees from virtually every market segment, including manufacturing; healthcare; K-12 and higher education; commercial real estate; and local, state, and federal government.
Plan to participate in this new business and sustainability conference in Virginia as a sponsor, exhibitor, or attendee. Find out more at www.vsbn.org/vcu-esc2013


13.  Link of interest from newsletter subscriber Jim: http://www.globalonenessproject.org/library/films/thousand-suns


14.
Mason Sustainability Institute (MSI) at George Mason University – Permaculture Design Course
On March 9th – 16th, 2013 MSI will be hosting a 72-Hour Permaculture Design Certificate Course, taught by Wayne Weiseman of the Permaculture Project LLC.  The course will cover such topics as Plant Propagation, Grafting, and Seed Saving; Healthy Use of Animals in Permaculture Systems; Aquaculture and Aquaponics; Renewable Energy; the Waste Stream; and many more. 

This intensive course will take place from 8:30 am to 6:00 pm with breaks for lunch and dinner, with some additional evening activities. Catered lunch and dinners from Everlasting Life Café will be provided. The total cost for this course is $1,000, and there are some partial and full scholarships available from the Office of Sustainability.
This course is ideal for anyone who would like to learn more about how they can be more sustainable, particularly individuals who have access to a garden. In addition to earning the certificate in Permaculture Design, participants will earn 7.2 Continuing Education Credits through the Office of Continuing Professional Education (http://ocpe.gmu.edu/). This course is also available for 3 undergraduate art credits as an independent study for an additional fee (totaling $1777.50 to cover tuition). 

Wayne Weiseman is certified by The Permaculture Institute of Australia and the Worldwide Permaculture Network as an instructor of the Permaculture Design Certificate Course. He is also certified by the American Institute of Architecture (AIA) and the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) to teach continuing education in Permaculture to licensed architects and landscape architects. 

More information on Wayne Weiseman can be found here:  http://www.permacultureproject.com/ 

You can register for the workshop here: http://www.tinyurl.com/PDCC-GMU/ 

I hope to see you there, and please feel free to share this with anyone who you think may be interested! Please email me if you have any questions, or for scholarship information.

Sincerely,
Jennifer SoutherProgram Coordinator, Mason Sustainability InstituteOffice of Sustainability, George Mason UniversityJsouthe2@gmu.edu      703.993.5301  
http://msi.gmu.edu/

15.
Transition Cville Holiday Celebration - Sun. 12/16 (Charlottesville, Virginia)
Instead of our regular 4th Monday Transition Town meeting this month, we’re having a party! Join your Transition friends at Stevo’s house for a potluck dinner and a chance to celebrate everything we’ve done in 2012. See you there!
When: Sunday, Dec. 16, 6-9pm
Where: 1706 East Market St., Charlottesville
Questions? Contact Stevo at genuinesmile29@gmail.com.

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Public Meeting on the Future of McIntire Recycling Center - Tues. 12/18
It appears the City and County are once again weighing the future of the McIntire Road Recycling Center - as well as the Ivy Material Utilization Center. We are working with Teri Kent (Better World Betty) to get more info and rally recycling supporters. Hopefully we’ll have an update for you next week! If you can, please plan to attend the RSWA Board’s Special Meeting Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2pm at the Moores Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant, 695 Moores Creek Lane.

*******************
20 Transition Resources - on the Transition Cville Blog
We collected an awesome list of Transition resources from folks who came out to our November Transition Town meeting. Check it out: http://www.transitioncville.org/20-great-ideas/

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350.org local chapter forming in Central VA
The fight against climate change is becoming more urgent by the day. A new local group plans to launch in January 2013. They aim to “limit climate change by reducing the most important local contributors to greenhouse gasses and by participating in the campaigns of national/international 350.org.” Read more in a guest blog post from Marcia Geyer.

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Field Trip to East Coast Food Storage - Sat. 1/5/13
Save the date! We’re organizing a carpool and group tour of East Coast Food Storage in Fluvanna - one of the nation’s largest warehouses for bulk foods and emergency supplies.

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Help wanted.... share your skills!
Skill Share Working Group plans monthly reskilling workshops in collaboration with the Charlottesville Trade School. Contact Melissa Wender, melissa@ic.org or 327-8805.

Edible Yards is a new initiative to replace local lawns with edible abundance! Contact Stevo Johnson, genuinesmile29@gmail.com.

Transition Cville Initiating Group provides strategic direction for the local movement. We’re looking to form new working groups for Awareness Raising/Monthly Meetings, Communications, and Crisis Response (building local action campaigns). Contact Joanie Freeman, freeman.joanie@gmail.com or 987-1026.

Transition Cville Home Movies are small events hosted by YOU! Pick a film, set a date, and we’ll send out an invite.

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For more upcoming events, visit the Transition Charlottesville Albemarle community calendar at http://www.transitioncville.org/get-involved/community-events/. See you soon!


16.
ALBEMARLE COUNTY AGRI-BUSINESS MARKETING CONFERENCE, in Charlottesville
A conference that will bring together resources to assist Albemarle County-based farmers and foodies with marketing resources

DATE:              January 28, 2013
TIME:               8:00 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.
LOCATION:     Albemarle County Office Building,
                        401 McIntire Road 
                        Charlottesville, VA 22902

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
Albemarle Farmers: Vineyards, Crop farms & Livestock farms
Albemarle Foodies: Value-added food producers, food marketers/aggregators &restaurateurs
& caterers serving local

PARTNERS:
Local Food Hub, Piedmont Environmental Council, Farm Bureau &
Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce

REGISTRATION:
Registration Fee: $10. Register online HERE! 
NOTE: Registration is limited to 65 attendees, so register early!
**The first 15 to register are also invited to attend a hands-on seminar session on “Developing your  Focused Marketing Plan” immediately following lunch!
**Ten additional participants will be randomly selected to receive a 1-hour one-on-one marketing counseling session!

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Please contact Susan Stimart at sstimart@albemarle.org or 434-296-5841 Ext: 3263