Greetings all,
Below is an amazing collection of upcoming permaculture and sustainability events in the central Virginia bioregion, including information on a FORAGE walk in Charlottesville tonight. If you know anyone else that would like to sign up for this newsletter, they can sign up here. If you have an announcement, email us at blueridgepermaculture@gmail.com for the next monthly e-newsletter. Click here to view this email as a webpage. Happy Summer!
Below is an amazing collection of upcoming permaculture and sustainability events in the central Virginia bioregion, including information on a FORAGE walk in Charlottesville tonight. If you know anyone else that would like to sign up for this newsletter, they can sign up here. If you have an announcement, email us at blueridgepermaculture@gmail.com for the next monthly e-newsletter. Click here to view this email as a webpage. Happy Summer!
We are looking for a few volunteers for the Blue Ridge Permaculture Network table at the
Heritage Harvest Festival at Monticello on Saturday, September 7th. Please email us by August 20th if
you can join us for this wonderful community event.
1.
TONIGHT - Wednesday 8/7 MapLab: Riverview Park Forage
Walk
6-8pm at Riverview Park in the Woolen Mills neighborhood
in Charlottesville.
Stroll through the park and scout for urban edibles like
blackberries and pawpaws. Bring a foraging guidebook if you have one. We will
try out the “Find Fruit” forage mapping app to record what we find so that
other urban foragers can enjoy the bounty. This event is a collaboration with C’ville Foodscapes, BRPN, and Transition Cville.
2.
Join the Blue Ridge Permaculture Network for a workshop on
Sept. 6th or our table on Sept. 7th at the Heritage Harvest Festival at Monticello
September 6-7
Creating Abundance with Permaculture
with Christine Gyovai of Blue Ridge Permaculture
Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. • Classroom 6, Visitor
Center
Learn how to build sustainable gardens in your home and
community through the use of permaculture, a system of ecological design based
on natural patterns. $10
3.
Living Earth School – Fall Youth Programs
We are offering a homeschool nature studies program this
fall for ages 7+, located in Charlottesville (behind the Belevedere
neighborhood, on over 100 acres of land along the Rivanna River). Our programs
use a unique mentoring style that connects youth with nature, each other and
themselves. Participants will learn so much about nature through
exploring the forest directly and making deep nature connections in a fun and
nurturing way. 8 Wednesdays in the Fall from Sept. 25 - Nov 13, 9:30AM -
3:30PM; Weather pending, we will have an
overnight on the last session.
Plus - Red Arrow Boys and Woodland Girls seasonal programs
for ages 8-15 to explore nature awareness, survival skills, wild edible plants,
responsibility and respect, self-expression and deep nature connection.
Saturdays - 9/21, 10/6, 11/16 (overnight), 12/14 ($180)
More info: info@livingearthva.com,
540-456-7339
4.
Nature’s Friends Presents:
“Learning from the Most Sustainable Place in the
World!”
with Cuban Permaculturist/Environmental Educator
Roberto Perez
Friday, August 16, 2013
Policy Forum - Video Conference Noon -1:00
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
1779 Massachusetts Ave. Washington DC
Community Reception 6:00-8:00 pm
Plymouth Congregational UCC Church
5301 N. Capitol St. NE. Washington DC
Suggested Donation $10- $25
A benefit for scholarships at the Eleventh International
Permaculture Convergence
TO REGISTER FOR FORUM Contact:
Matthew 202-939-4000
mjtobin@wm.edu
FOR MORE INFO Contact: Rev.M. Dele
(804) 389-5150 wearenaturesfriends@gmail.com
Nature’s Friends hosts Roberto Perez, featured in the
award winning documentary, “The Power of Community, How Cuba Survived Peak
Oil.” Perez is on a national speaking tour promoting the 11th International
Permaculture Conference to be held in Cuba in November. The DC office of the
College of William&Mary is hosting a policy forum at noon and Plymouth
Church is hosting a community reception in the evening. RSVP is needed for the
forum. Co-sponsors include College of William and Mary, Groundwork Anacostia
River, DC., and Black Belt Justice Center.
For more information: contact Dele at (804) 389-5150, wearenaturesfriends@gmail.com. www.naturesfriends.ning.com
Background Info
The Power of Community, How Cuba Survived Peak Oil
Documentary http://vimeo.com/8653921
Short Video of Roberto Perez Explaining the Special Period
in Cuba
The Eleventh International Permaculture Conference &
Convergence
www.ipc11cuba.com (in English &
Spanish)
Antonio Núñez Jiménez Foundation for Nature and Humanity
is the oldest environmental organization in Cuba.www.fanj.org
Eco Cuba Network has been asked by the 11th International
Permaculture Convergence, International Support Group (IPC 11) to provide
support to US citizens to participate in the International Permaculture
Convergence in Havana, Cuba, November 24 December 6, 2013.
Eco Cuba Network
http://www.ecocubanetwork.net/
5.
Great events from our friends at Transition Cville
Thursday 8/8 Green Drinks
6pm at Champion Brewery, 324 6th St. SE, Charlottesville
Green Drinks is a monthly social event for the local
environmental community. Come by for some great conversation.
*******************
Thursday 8/8 2013 Farm Food Voices
3pm-9pm, Monticello High School, Charlottesville, $25
donation welcome
This VICFA event will bring farmers, consumers, and
vendors together to better understand the local food movement. Featuring
guest speakers Joel Salatin, Ivana Kadija, and Lisa Reeder as well as booths
and door prizes. Families and guests may bring a dish to share.
*******************
Saturday 8/10 Edible Food Fest
10am-6pm in Downtown Orange, adjacent to the Route 15
Bypass
Edible Fest celebrates food “from earth to table.” Chef
demonstrations, guest speakers, live music, kids’ activities, tons of local
food & drinks, and a Marketplace featuring some of the region’s most
acclaimed farms, restaurants, purveyors, gardeners, sustainable living experts
and more.
*******************
Monday 8/12 Skill Share: Intro to Home Canning
7-8:30pm, Special Location! In the kitchen at The Haven,
112 West Market St. Charlottesville.
Melissa Wender will walk us through the basics of home
canning, from selecting & preparing your produce, to setting up and
handling your equipment, to the finished product. Total beginners will leave
with newfound confidence, and those with some canning experience will pick up
new tips & tricks. This is a FREE workshop, and all materials will be
provided.
*******************
Tuesday 8/13 Women’s Bike Night Group Ride + MapLab
Activity
From Community Bikes: We will take an easy paced cruise
through several city neighborhoods, ending the ride at The Bridge Progressive
Arts Initiative for food and talking about the way we navigate our city with
all of our senses- and especially by bicycle. Ride will embrace all skill
levels. All ladies in our community welcome to join along. Come with a working bike
and a helmet. (let us know with some notice if you need any help acquiring) Any
questions? Call or email Shell at 434.882.1516 or shellbellding@gmail.com
*******************
Tuesday 8/13 Edible Landscaping Volunteer Work Day
9am-3pm, 361 Spirit Ridge Lane, Afton
Have fun working at the nursery and receive a credit of
$10/hour. Type of labor to be determined. You will need to bring pruners and
don't forget your gardening gloves and to dress for the weather. YOU MUST
PRE-REGISTER as space is limited. Call (434)361-9134 or email info@ediblelandscaping.com.
*******************
Wednesday 8/14 Summer Garden Workday at the Buford
Schoolyard Garden
9am-12pm, Buford School
Join the Buford Garden Crew to tackle weeding, watering,
and regular garden maintenance.To RSVP, or to learn more, please contact Emily
Axelbaum at emily@cityschoolyardgarden.org.
*******************
Thursday 8/15 Workshop: Integrated Pest
Management
4pm-7pm, Maple Hill Farm, Scottsville, $20
Potato beetles got you down? Aphids having a field day
with your heirloom tomatoes? Don’t let those bugs get the best of you! Instead,
join The Local Food Hub for their most popular workshop: Integrated Pest
Management (IPM). Research Entomologist and Lead Scientist for the USDA Don Weber
will lead this class focused on tackling pests and diseases in your vegetable
garden. More info. at: http://localfoodhub.org/our-programs/workshops/
*******************
August Workdays at Casa Alma, the Charlottesville
Catholic Worker
From Casa
Alma: We're working hard to finish the addition on our community house and
keep up with the gardens. If you have time to help us with these efforts,
we'd love to see you here on any of the following days:
Community house addition: Th. 8/15, Th.
8/22, Sat. 8/24, Th. 8/29 and Sat. 8/31. We'll begin work at 8:30am
and end at 3:30pm. You are welcome to come for any amount of time. Please
RSVP so we can plan accordingly for lunch. We'll be working on
drywall, sanding, painting, flooring, tiling, trim, and finish details.
Gardening/landscaping: Get your hands dirty
with us from 7:30am-9:30am on the following mornings: Wed. 8/14 and Fri. 8/16.
No RSVP needed - just come on by and wander into the backyard if you
don't see us in the front.
Thanks so much for your help! We hope you and your
loved ones are doing well and enjoying the summer. peace, Laura and Steve and
the Casa Alma community
*******************
Tuesday 8/20 350 Central Virginia Meeting
6:30-8:30pm at Charlottesville Friends Meetinghouse, 1104
Forest St.
350 CVA, the first officially recognized Virginia chapter
of international 350.org, meets on the third
Tuesday of each month. At least one hour of the monthly meeting is set aside
for activist program work. Everyone is welcome, from high school students
up to adult seniors. Light refreshments are provided. We seek to grow in
numbers and effectiveness, specifically effectiveness for changing our future
to one that is safe from the looming, catastrophic amount of climate change
that science predicts, unless we quickly and greatly reduce or replace our use
of coal, oil and gas for energy.
*******************
Tuesday 8/20 Cville TimeBank Orientation
5 or 6pm at Northside Library (choose from either one hour
session)
With enrollment at 125 members, Cville TimeBank members
have already been part of hundreds of transactions — everything from
dog-sitting to yoga lessons, portrait sitting to conversational Spanish — just
think how awesome it will be when the membership grows!
*******************
Wednesday 8/21 Seminar: The Big Picture of a
Small Farm
6:30-7:30pm at Rebecca’s Natural Foods, 1141 Emmet St.
As part of the Restoring Local Food Systems summer seminar
series, this installment will focus on Free Union Grass Farm, a
small-scale, sustainable, diversified livestock operation. Visit Rebecca’s on Facebook
or stop by the store for more information.
Upcoming seminars: https://www.facebook.com/events/593551784002107/
*******************
Thursday 8/22 Our Town Charlottesville Community
Meeting: North Downtown
6-8pm at City Space
"Our Town Charlottesville" brings town hall
style meetings to every City neighborhood throughout the year so that residents
may discuss emerging issues and voice concerns and preferences about their
respective communities. Each meeting is attended by citizens, City Council and
many other City officials, giving everyone a chance to talk personally in a
relaxed, informal environment about the things which matter to them most.
*******************
LEF seed saving workshops 8/24 & 9/21
Living Energy Farm will teaming up with Southern Exposure
Seed Exchange to host two workshops on seed saving. The first will take place
on August 24th and will concentrate on saving seed from tomatoes, peppers,
squash, and melons. The second will take place September 21st and focus more on
dry processed seed such as corn and okra. Both will be comprehensive overviews
of the political and practical reasons to save your own seed; growing
vegetables for seed; and processing, cleaning, and storing your seed.
All of our workshops take place on Saturday afternoons
from 1-5pm following a work day from 9am-noon. A potluck lunch will be served
at noon, please bring food to share. We ask for a $25 donation in exchange for
attending our workshops, although donations of labor, tools or other goods are
also gladly accepted. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
For more information contact livingenergyfarm@gmail.com or
(434) 409-6006.
*******************
Sunday 8/25 Get involved! Planning meeting for 2014
Earth Day at McGuffey
2pm at McGuffey Art Center Studio #21, 201 2nd St. NW
Artist Kate
Samworth is planning a show at McGuffey for April 2014 that combines art
and environmental concerns. She would like to hold various events at McGuffey
throughout the month of April. Anyone who’s interested in participating is
invited to meet for brainstorming and planning at Kate’s studio. Contact Kate
at samworthkate@gmail.com
*******************
Monday 8/26 Transition Town Potluck
7pm in the Madison Room at Central Library
An opportunity to informally share a meal and share how
your individual and group Transition projects are coming along.
*******************
Monday 9/2 New Economics Symposium
9am-5pm at Twin Oaks Community
Local currencies, barter networks, Time Banks,
co-operative businesses: the New Economy has been around for a long time.
With peak oil, climate change, and casino capitalism looming large, more
and more people are seeking and creating a system based on cooperation and
sustainability, people before profits, social justice and equality.
Join presenters Lyle
Estill,
Carol Peppe Hewitt, Solidarity
Piedmont, the Baltimore Free
Farm, Casa Alma and
others for the Monday program of the
Communities Conference at Twin Oaks
Community. It will be a dynamic and high powered day exploring the big
picture of new economics, stories from the front lines, and topics such as
financing and development, mapping and networking, and neighborhood
integration. Register
here, either for the whole weekend or just for the New Economics Monday
program ($40).
*******************
9/2 “Meet Yer Eats” Farm Tour
10am-4pm, $15 car pass
Make plans to visit some of the amazing small farms in
Central Virginia on Market Central’s 5th annual Meet Yer Eats Farm Tour!
19 farms are lined up this year — some returning hosts, and some new ones
in the mix – and all are looking forward to showing off their farms in 2013.
These producers call the City Market home on Saturday mornings, but on
Labor Day, you’re invited to their place. http://meetyereats.wordpress.com/
for more information.
*******************
Worker-owner position with C’ville Foodscapes
C’ville Foodscapes is currently looking for a new
candidate worker-owner to join their crew of edible landscape designers.
C’ville Foodscapes is a worker-owned edible landscaping cooperative that
transforms lawns into beautiful, abundant, low-maintenance, edible oases in and
around Charlottesville, VA. Essential qualifications include a commitment to
ecological design; understanding of perennial edible plants; and experience
designing, installing and maintaining landscapes.
More info: http://cvillefoodscapes.com/?page_id=799
6.
New Branch Farm
is looking for farm help 2 mornings a week from August to November. Days
needed are Monday and Wednesday mornings from 8am to 11am.
Work would be assisting with planting and weeding on
Monday and harvesting and packing CSA bags on Wednesday. Our fall CSA
starts September 11th and goes for 10 weeks. Pay is $8 an hour.
New Branch Farm is a small farm growing vegetables
naturally since 2005. For more information about the farm please visit
our website: www.newbranchfarm.com
If you are interested in learning more about the position,
please email me at newbranchfarm@gmail.com
7.
Market Central - Upcoming Cooking Classes
In a Pickle
Saturday, August 24 | Time: 1pm – 3pm | Location: The
Haven
$35 online | $40 at the door
Learn the basics of pickle making in this hands-on class
taught by Becky Calvert. In this class, you’ll learn how adding vinegar
and spices to fresh produce transforms it into an entirely different flavor
experience. We’ll also cover the basic techniques of hot water bath
canning and you’ll head home with jars for your pantry.
About the instructor: Becky Calvert has
been growing tomatoes as long as she can remember. At one point she set
a goal of never eating a tomato she didn’t grow, which led to her learning to
can. Since that day, she has also learned to make jams & jellies and
her family’s favorite, pickles. After teaching just about everyone she
knows how to can, she branched out to classes full of strangers.
When not gardening and pickling, she can be found writing about her adventures
in life on her blog atchickenwirepaperflowers.com.
The Art of Fermentation
Thursday, October 24 | Time: 7pm – 8:30pm | Location:
TBD
$30 online | $35 at the door
Discover the art of making fermented foods like sauerkraut
and kimchi. Dawn Story of Farmstead Ferments will show us how to make these
delicious super foods and will discuss why doing so is a powerful health choice
as well as being an excellent food preservation strategy.
About the instructor: Dawn Story is an
aspiring homesteader, earth steward, permaculture enthusiast, plant lover and
fermentation fanatic. She is the creator of Farmstead Ferments artisanal
fermented foods and New Moon Naturals herbal teas and elixirs. She is inspired
to share her passions of making and preserving food and medicine with
community, preserving the past as a bridge to the future.
8.
West Virginia Food & Farm Coalition seeks
Executive Director
|
The West Virginia Food and Farm Coalition seeks a
dynamic, entrepreneurial, committed leader to help build and support West
Virginia's rapidly growing local food system. Since 2010, the Coalition
(www.wvhub.org/wvffc)
has supported a statewide network of West Virginians working to
grow food and farm businesses while improving access to healthy local
food. The position of Executive Director requires a special individual
who is willing to work hard, think outside the box, be an advocate for
farmers and consumers, and build partnerships outside of traditional
"silos" in order to continue the Coalition's success in promoting
food and agriculture as a critical part of West Virginia's economy.
|
9.
Future Harvest CASA Partner Announcement
Home Scale Permaculture Design Course Offered by Heathcote Community
- Starting Sept. 14-15
Permaculture, a term originated by Australian
ecologists, Bill Mollison and David Holmgren, means permanent culture.
Using both ancient and modern knowledge, this methodology mimics universal
patterns found in nature to create healthy human habitats. Guided by
ethical behavior, Permaculture is a system of designing ecologically inspired
landscapes that integrate home food production, energy, shelter and
water. Participants will learn:
•
A step-by-step design process that taps your
creative genius
•
Observation and site analysis to identify
resource opportunities
•
Bioregional ecosystems, diversity and natural
patterns
•
How to protect local watersheds and restore
wildlife habitat
•
Water harvesting and management in the
landscape; detoxification with rain gardens
•
Nutrient recycling with grey water and
composting toilets
•
Identification of microclimates and zone
planning for efficiency
•
Renewable energy systems and small-scale
appropriate technology
•
Natural building and passive-solar home
retrofitting
•
Fruit growing with forest gardens and
plant guild design
•
Intensive no-till food gardening, soil
regeneration and composting
•
How to cultivate forests, grains and cash crops
•
Integration of domestic animals and aquaculture
•
Social/economic strategies for urban/community
scale food, energy and water security
Instructor: As a Permaculture designer, architect,
and life-long organic gardener, Patty Ceglia is passionate about finding the
ecological balance for productive potential of every site. She teaches at
Wilson College, where her students practice hands-on strategies at the 160 acre
Center for Sustainable Living.
Co-sponsored by: SCHOOL OF LIVING, HEATHCOTE
COMMUNITY and the GUNPOWDER VALLEY CONSERVANCY.
Course location: Cromwell Valley Park, 2002 Cromwell
Bridge Rd, Towson, MD (Baltimore County)
Six Weekends
Fall 2013 & Spring 2014
Sept. 14-15; Oct. 19-20; Nov. 16-17
Mar. 8-9; Apr. 5-6; May 3-4
Sliding scale fee:
Early bird $900 - $1,100, After August 15: $1,000 - $1,200
Group discount: $50 per person if working on the
same project
Register online at: http://www.regonline.com/Register/Checkin.aspx?EventID=1232083
For more information:
Call: 410-357-9523
Email: education@heathcote.org
