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
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!
VaBioFarming Conference
flyer (Feb 8-9)
VABF Farm School/Farm Tours (Feb 7)
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
Time: 4:00pm – 7:00pm
Location: TBD (Charlottesville)
Cost: $25
6.
Sacred Plant Traditions weekend
workshop with
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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.
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7.
Piedmont Landscape Association Seminar: February
20-21, 2013
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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.
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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.
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
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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 Souther
Program Coordinator, Mason Sustainability Institute
Office of Sustainability, George Mason University
Jsouthe2@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
*******************
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/
*******************
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.
*******************
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.
*******************
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.
*******************
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
