1.
Looking for a permaculture designer? Check out these local
firms:
Dialogue + Design Associates is a
multi-disciplinary, public-interest design firm based in Charlottesville,
Virginia. We work with clients to develop permaculture plans for urban, rural,
or community sites, leading to increased self-reliance, resilience, beauty and
regeneration of the land and its inhabitants.
Learn more at:
C’ville Foodscapes is a worker-owned edible landscaping
cooperative that transforms lawns into beautiful, abundant, low-maintenance,
edible oases in and around Charlottesville, Virginia. More info at: http://cvillefoodscapes.com
Many other folks have
shared their designer services (and free to share your info) at the BRPN
Facebook page:
www.facebook.com/groups/blueridgepermaculturenetwork/
2.
Regenerative Earthworks Practicum with Darren Doherty
Wednesday-Saturday 11/11-11/15
Farfields Farm, Afton Virginia $425 through Oct. 18th, $475
through Nov 9th.
Join us for 5 days of Regenerative Earthworks with one of the
world's foremost broad-acre farm designers, Darren Doherty. The Practicum will
include siting and building a ridge pond, building farm roads for water
catchment, calculating and managing waterflow across a site, and managing for
soil building through a combination of earthworks and Holistic
Management. Find out more at www.facebook.com/events/700558053407491
Saturdays 10/17 & 10/31 Designing Your Permaculture Homestead
9am-Noon, IX Art Park and Farfields Farm, 10/17 & 10/31 in
Charlottesville
Respectively, Sliding Scale $8-25
Join Ben Kessler of CVille Foodscapes, and the
management team at Farfields Farm, as we learn how to design the Permaculture
Homestead of your dreams. In Session 1 at IX, we'll build the theoretical
framework for design. We'll familiarize ourselves with Mother Nature's own
pattern language, building the confidence to use that language in our own homes
and livelihoods. In session two, we'll go out to Farfields Farm and study
'Plants in the Permaculture Homestead.' We'll see the vegetable gardens,
medicine gardens and useful/medicinal plant nursery there, and we'll learn to
create the conditions for healthy plants to happen. RSVP at www.facebook.com/events/816530121798640/816549201796732/
3. From our friends at Transition Cville
Saturday 10/10 Organic Orchard Planning and Fruit
Tasting
9am-4pm at 912 Woodfolk Dr.
All-day intensive workshop featuring Michael McConkey
of Edible Landscaping and Alexis Zeigler from Living Energy Farm. Have
you ever tasted jujubes, muscadines, persimmons, homegrown pomegranates,
filberts, homegrown almonds? Here's your chance to taste these and other
fruits, and to learn how to grow your own organic orchard as well!
$50. Contact: Debbie Piesen, livingenergyfarm@gmail.com,
540-205-0433 to register. http://ediblelandscaping.com/workshops.php?id=7
********************
Saturday 10/10 Solar Design Build
9am-4pm at Heartmoor Farm Wood Shop
This workshop introduces you to basic design, theory
and methods to maximize the solar potential in your home, office or barn.
Morning meeting will include lectures and a slideshow to show how to use
passive design for home
heating, cooling and day lighting. The afternoon will
cover the basics of photovoltaics for home power. The course will expand your
understanding of how to use the sun’s energy to brighten your life, heat your
living spaces and
water and set yourself for off-grid power.
$130. Register at PVCC https://pvcc.augusoft.net/
********************
Monday 10/12 Water Bath Canning Intro Class
9am-3pm at the County Extension Office, 460
Stagecoach Rd.
Have you ever wanted to learn how to can your own food
at home? Do you love gardening but not know what to do with all of your excess
produce after a productive growing season? Then this class is perfect for
you! They will be covering the basics of water bath canning and the food
safety education that accompanies safe canning procedures. During the
class you will have the chance to create your own jars of jam and home-made
salsa to bring home with you. To register or learn more about this class, please
call your local Cooperative Extension Office at: 872-4580. $20.
********************
Monday 10/12 Transition Skill Share: Drum Circle
101
7-8:30pm at the EcoVillage, 480 E. Rio Rd.
When villagers hear the drum’s call they know it is
time for the community to gather. Music is an international language that
is created only through conversation and cooperation. Come gather with
Transition Charlottesville Albemarle for an evening of community drumming
around the bonfire led by local African drum teacher Kevin Munro. Learn
basic rhythms to keep the circle going strong. No experience is
needed. If you have a drum or shaker bring it along, additional
instruments will be on hand for those who don’t have their own. Please
RSVP Transition Charlottesville so we know how many instruments to have on
hand. info@transitioncville.org.
Join the event on Facebook: www.facebook.com/events/729598383840084
********************
Wednesday 10/14 Ecosystem Gardening
7:30-9:30pm at Ivy Creek Natural Area
Devin Floyd, founder and director of the Center for
Urban Habitats, will offer an ecological perspective of sustainable native
plant gardening and landscaping. Sponsored by the Jefferson Chapter of the
Virginia Native Plant Society. More info. at http://vnps.org/Jefferson/.
********************
Thursday 10/22 Local Food Hub Community Food Awards
5:30pm at the Local Food Hub Warehouse in Ivy
Save the date for the Local Food Hub's annual
Community Food Awards, an event to recognize farmers, businesses, and community
partners for their commitment to local food, healthy communities, and Virginia
agriculture. Following the ceremony, there will be a community meal, bonfire,
s’mores, and a fun photo booth. To RSVP, email info@localfoodhub.org. This event is
free of charge.
********************
Saturday 10/24 Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms
9am-noon at Sharondale Farm, Cismont
Learn how to grow several different types of mushrooms
using low-tech, low-cost methods in your garden or woodlot. Get hands-on
experience inoculating logs for mushroom cultivation. Discussions
will include biology and ecology of fungi, using mushrooms for personal and
ecological health, and methods for cultivating shiitake, oyster, lion’s mane,
reishi, and other mushrooms in wood, straw, and compost. $75. More
info. at http://www.sharondalefarm.com/workshops/.
********************
Volunteers Needed for the Bi-Annual Bike &
Pedestrian Count
While there is abundant data on the traffic patterns
of cars and trucks, transportation officials have limited information on
bicycle and pedestrian trips. Consequently, there is greater difficulty with
justifying funding for Bike/Ped projects and uncertainty on where to focus the
limited local, state and federal resources that are available. You can
help: 200 volunteer hours are needed to cover the 10 locations and 4
dates. More info. here: http://www.tjpdc.org/transportation/bikecount2015.asp
********************
Transition Streets US Crowd-Funding Campaign
Only 43% of Americans know most or all of their
neighbors by name! It's time to meet your neighbors and change the world,
and Transition Streets can help. Check out this one minute video and
consider supporting the national effort: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/transition-streets-local-action-global-change#/story.
********************
Book Club Starting: "A Sand County
Almanac"
"A Sand County Almanac: And Sketches Here and
There" is a 1949 non-fiction book by American ecologist, forester, and
environmentalist Aldo Leopold. Wild Virginia will be hosting this book
discussion on Thursday, October 22 at 7pm at David Sellers and Bette
Dzamba’s house in Charlottesville. For directions, email BetteDaveYstone@gmail.com.
More info. at https://salsa4.salsalabs.com/o/51365/p/salsa/event/common/public/index.sjs?event_KEY=4374
4.
Composting,
Companion Planting and Permaculture
Sunday, Oct.
11th, 1-3pm
Public Works
Administration Building
941 Fir Street,
Wayne Hills District, Waynesboro, VA
Join Black Bear
Composting, C'ville Foodscapes, and
Waynesboro Public Works for a workshop on composting, companion planting and
permaculture.
While on site, take a
tour of the composting, planting, and stormwater management efforts of
Waynesboro Public Works.
FREE! More
information at waynesboro.va.us.
5.
Edible Landscaping - Annual Persimmon Festival
Saturday, Oct. 31st - 9am-5pm Afton, VA
Asian & Native Persimmons are a great addition to
anyone's home garden, and Edible Landscaping has an extensive collection!
Stop by for lectures, tours, and fruit tastings, ask
questions, and maybe even buy some plants!
More info at ediblelandscaping.com.
6. From our friends at Cville Foodscapes
UACC Friendship Court Community Orchard & Native
Plant Sanctuary Update
Last week marked the last official UACC volunteer day
of the season. Since April, we've worked with Todd, Jennifer, and dozens of
UACC volunteers to dig trenches, haul gravel, sort stone, and build beautiful
dry-stack stone terraces. We are immensely grateful
to internationally-renowned master stone mason Elizabeth Nisos and her
partner, Tracy Carver, for all their guidance and encouragement.
The Center for Urban Habitats is already observing a
resurgence in native wildlife among the plants installed in the spring
(pictured above).
Over the next few months, we'll continue work on the
upper terrace walls and prepare the ground for Spring plantings
of blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, honeyberries, and bush
cherries. If you have an hour or two to spare and would like to lend a hand,
contact Farmer Todd at 434-989-0150 or information.uacc@gmail.com.
We'd also like to share that UACC is raising funds for
its 10th growing season! Thousands of pounds of healthy veggies, a new orchard,
living wage jobs, safe garden space for kids -- if you support all that, please
consider making a donation to keep this community effort going strong.
If you'd like to learn more about UACC, check out
their website or the recent series by WTJU.
7.
Cider Week:
Hill and Holler Food Truck
Takeover to benefit UACC
Sunday, Nov. 15th
Adventure Farm
Earlysville, VA
This year's annual Hill & Holler Cider Week event
features three acclaimed chefs taking over local food trucks with their own
culinary creations, accompanying cider and cidermakers from four Virginia
Cideries.
Proceeds benefit the Urban Agricultural Collective of
Charlottesville.
More info at hillandholler.org and ciderweekva.com.
8.
Lessons from the
Mountain
2015 Allegheny Mountain Institute
Capstone
Presentations
October 14th at
6:30 pm
Staunton Public
Library
Growing food isn’t
the only thing that has kept Allegheny Mountain Institute Farm Fellows busy
during their farm site residency in Highland County! Graduating AMI
Farm Fellows will present their Capstone Projects and reflect back on the
2015 learning and growing season at the AMI farm. Light refreshments will
be served.
Presentation topics
include:
Ecological Pest
Management on the AMI Farm
with Nick Wittkofski
Creating a
Wildcrafted Apothecary: Syncing with the Seasons with Anna Minsky, Anna Tracht, and Sarah
Merfeld
Community
Cohesiveness via the Dinner Table
with Katie Gilman
9.
From our friends at the VA Association for Biological Farming
Southern SARE Calls for Proposals for Producer
Grants and On-Farm Research Grants - there is still time to apply for this funding opportunity!
Application deadline Friday November 13 at 5:00 pm
The USDA Southern Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and
Education (SARE) Program has released calls for proposals for two of its
regular grant programs. Producer Grants are offered to farmers or farmer
groups to address production problems related to sustainable agriculture, and
to reduce the financial risk of trying new sustainable tools and techniques in
crop or livestock production. Producer grants can range up to $10,000 for
an individual farmer or $15,000 for a group, On-farm Research Grants are
offered to Extension, University, or NGO agricultural professionals working
with farmers to conduct on-farm research. On-farm Research Grants can
fund projects up to two years duration, with a maximum award of $15,000.
See attached Word documents for more on these two funding
opportunities. The documents include links to the full Call for Proposals and
application instructions.
10.
Whole Farm Business Management and Planning Workshop
Whole Farm Business Management and Planning Workshop
OCTOBER
22, 2015
10:00
am - 2:00 pm
8320
Ruthville Road • Providence Forge, VA
To
view our Flier download the PDF
REGISTRATION
DEADLINE: OCTOBER 16, 2015
Use
this Link to Register: http://goo.gl/forms/XmsAV6yQN
Presented
by the Beginning Farmer Program, Virginia State University Small Farm Outreach,
and the Farm Credit Knowledge Center, this workshop is free and open to the
public.
Class
size is limited. Pre-registration is required.
Lunch
is provided. Please register by October 16, 2015.
FOR
MORE INFORMATION Contact Jim Hankins (jhankins@vsu.edu)
or call (804) 892-4492.
11.
Grow Your Soil - Hands-on, Intensive Workshop
October 23-25 - Gladstone, VA
Do your plants need a boost? Want more quaity and
flavor - and more yield with less weeds and disease - naturally?
Simple Soil Solutions is offering a three-day workshop to help
you achieve these through building soil life and soil health. Fall is the
best time to start to build soil. Learn how to balance your land to make your
next growing season your best yet! Come learn how you can grow lush,
healthy and nutritious plants - biologically, with no chemicals, in the
Grow Your Soil - Hands-on, Intensive Workshop!
Reserve your spot now for $497. Five special discounts are
available for students, teams, educators, and non-profits. To register,
or to learn more, visit http://simplesoilsolutions.com/grow-your-soil-live-workshop?mc_cid=8bceab6e8d&mc_eid=b00a5d903f
.
12.
Sustainable Agriculture Conference of the Carolina Farm
Stewardship Association
November 6-8 - Sheraton Imperial Hotel, Durham, NC
30th Annual Sustainable Agriculture Workshop with 68 excellent
breakout workshops, 13 hands on intensives, 5 tours, great food, great people,
and more ...
For more in depth information and registration, visit http://www.carolinafarmstewards.org/sac.
13.
Small Farms: Surviving and Thriving in the 21st Century
November 12-13 - Williamsburg, VA
Virginia State University's Small Farm Outreach program will hold
its 13th Annual Small Farm Outreach Family Conference in Williamsburg, VA on
November 12 and 13, 2015. Save the Date. Registration will open a
little later this fall at http://goo.gl/forms/me1oJbzgEP. The event is
FREE and will include a pre-conference tour to Clif Slade's farm, which has
transitioned from conventional "big tractor" corn and soy to two
acres of organic vegetables and heirloom seed production.
14.
Growers' Academy
Christiansburg, VA - January 19-March 1, 2016,
Tuesdays, 6:00 to 9:00 pm
In partnership with Virginia Cooperative Extension and the
Virginia Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Coalition, the Virginia Tech Catawba
Sustainability Center is offering the 2016 Growers Academy in Christiansburg,
VA. The course is designed to help new and transitioning agricultural
businesses succeed. The series focuses on whole farm business planning and
low-input crop production.
Topics include:
Introduction to
Whole Farm Planning
Business and
Finance
Enterprise
Budgets and Financial Services
Soil and Pest
Management
Marketing Your
Business
Crops and Crop
Planning
The Farm Credit Knowledge Center is committed to sharing
knowledge and resources to individuals interested in agriculture. Their
generous scholarship lowers the fee to $200 for each person who wishes to
participate. Register Today! Visit http://www.cpe.vt.edu/grac/registration.html
Location: Montgomery County Government Center Classroom , 755
Roanoke Street / Suite 2, Christiansburg, VA 24073
For more information, please contact Josh Nease at jnease@vt.edu
/ 540-553-2311 or Erin Burcham at erinb1@vt.edu / 540-330-7722
