Upcoming events

Greetings All,

Below you will find info on a “Relocalize Charlottesville” meeting
(Monday), a talk at UVA on closing the food gap (also Monday), upcoming
Permaculture classes, John Jeavons coming to Virginia, the awesome Bioneers
conference and the upcoming DC Green Festival.

For more information about the upcoming permaculture courses, see our website:
www.blueridgepermaculture.net
Best,

Christine and the Blue Ridge Permaculture Network team

1.
Blue Ridge Permaculture Network Courses

Introduction to Permaculture: Sustainability Strategies for the Blue Ridge
This 3 day Introduction to Permaculture workshop will focus on basic principles
and strategies to live more sustainably in your home, neighborhood or
community. The course will be held on October 31 - November 2 near
Charlottesville Virginia. Workshop topics will include permaculture ethics and
principles, observation and patterns in nature, and permaculture strategies to
improve soil, grow food, harvest water, utilize renewable energy and
regenerative building techniques, and build sustainable communities.

The course is offered through the Blue Ridge Permaculture Institute, and will
be a hands-on, intensive weekend training workshop. The cost for the course is
a sliding scale, $195-$250, and limited work-trade positions are available. For
more information, contact Terry Lilley at tygerlilley@gmail.com or visit the
website www.blueridgepermaculture.net.


2.
Spring Permaculture Design Course over 5 weekends in spring 2009
- Feb. 13-15, Feb. 28-Mar. 1, Mar. 14-15, Mar. 27-29, and April 4-5

This 72 hour certificate course is a rare opportunity to learn from some of the
best teachers in the permaculture movement. Topics include permaculture ethics
and principles, observation and patterns in nature, and permaculture strategies
to improve soil, grow food, harvest water, utilize renewable energy and
regenerative building techniques, and build sustainable communities. For more
information, contact Terry Lilley at tygerlilley@gmail.com or visit the website
www.blueridgepermaculture.net.

3.
Closing the Food Gap: Resetting the Table in the Land of Plenty
NO Pre-Registration Required!
What: Free public lecture open to the community, followed by reception and
book-signing.
Who: Author MARK WINNE, national expert on developing local food systems and
food policy
When: Monday, September 29th, 5:00 pm
Where: Campbell Hall (Room 153), School of Architecture, University of
Virginia, Charlottesville
Parking: Culbreth Road Garage
Books Available at Venue


4.
The next meeting of the Charlottesville Relocalization Community is Monday,
September 29 at 6PM. We are meeting at the Central Library on Market Street in
the McIntire Room.

This will be our third meeting and we welcome any and all community members
interested in working together to create more resilient and self-reliant
communities in and around Charlottesville, Virginia.

For more information, please go to: www.relocalizecville.org
While we are still defining ourselves, here is a bit about our vision:
Our mission is to create a positive response to the imminent challenges and
opportunities being presented to our society in the face of climate change and
peak oil in order to ensure our community’s long term viability and
prosperity.
Our goal is to inspire and support individuals, organizations and communities
working toward sustainable local systems of food, goods, energy, communication,
and culture.
Our belief is that by tapping into the collective genius of our own citizens,
we can mitigate the effects of climate change and the energy crisis, and that
we can create a society that is more abundant, more socially equitable, more
environmentally friendly, and more spiritually connected.


5.
Baltimore Bioneers
This year, Baltimore again joins seventeen other cities across the country
hosting a broadcast of the Bioneers Conference. The Baltimore event,
“Baltimore Bioneers'08: Cultivating Change. Inspiring Solutions.” will take
place from Friday, November 7 through Sunday, November 9, 2008 at Maryland
Institute College of Art (MICA) and will feature screenings from the national
conference along with live panel discussions, local speakers, workshops, and
entertainment.

The annual Bioneers Conference presents leading scientists and social
innovators who are creating practical solutions to help restore the Earth’s
imperiled ecosystems and heal our human communities. Presenters at the 2008
Bioneers Conference will discuss some of the most important topics of the day
including:

• How to dramatically reduce global warming pollutants from energy
production;
• New, nontoxic technologies that emulate nature’s design genius;
• The best green business practices;
• How to build conservation-based, cooperative communities; an
• New strategies for safeguarding human rights and the environment.
The conference features a recording of the satellite downlink of the Bioneers
Conference in San Rafael, CA to each of the participating regional Beaming
Bioneer events. Please visit the Bioneers website at bioneers.org for more
information about the Bioneers Conference and our partnership.
www.cultivatingchange.org


6.
John Jeavons is internationally known as the leading researcher, developer,
teacher and consultant for small-scale food production techniques utilizing
GROW BIOINTENSIVE culture. He is the author of the best-selling text “How to
Grow More Vegetable: Fruits, Nuts, Berries, Grains, and Other Crops Than You
Ever Thought Possible On Less Land Than You Can Imagine"

On Oct. 22 John Jeavons will be presenting a two hour public lecture at Lehman
Auditorium at Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. He will
be hosting a three day workshop in Dayton, Virginia (just south of
Harrisonburg), on Oct. 23-25. This is an excellent opportunity to hear someone
who has made a difference as a catalyst for sustainable agriculture projects
around the world.

"John Jeavons' Three-Day Workshop in GROW BIOINTENSIVE® Sustainable
Mini-Farming provides an in-depth study of a successful food growing system
that is appropriate to a more self-reliant lifestyle, and for use in developing
countries.

The Program

The program will consist of lecture, discussion and demonstration sessions, and
will include a full range of information on Sustainability and Efficient
Resource Use, Arid Region Farming Principles, Crops and Diet, Fertilization,
Compost and Compost Crops, Soil Preparation and Preservation, Seed Propagation,
and Income, as well as the perspective to tie all these together."
Links to the websites are below. The lecture on Oct 22 is free, the workshop
cost $350 plus $30 if you register early and the cost of reading materials if
you don't already have them
http://www.johnjeavons.info/workshop-intro.html
http://www.johnjeavons.info/pdf/5-october_wednesday_evening_event.pdf


7.
Washington DC Green Festival
At the Washington DC Green Festival™, a joint project of Global Exchange and
Co-op America, we’re celebrating what’s working in our communities—across
the District, Maryland and Virginia—for people, for business and for the
environment.

You’ll enjoy more than 125 renowned speakers and 350 green businesses (start
your holiday shopping now!), great how-to workshops, green films, a Fair Trade
pavilion, yoga classes, organic beer, delicious organic cuisine and live music.
Find out about DC environmental initiatives; and learn how neighbors, community
nonprofits and city departments are working together to make their cities
healthier places to live.

http://www.greenfestivals.org/washington-dc-2008/


8.
New Evening class at PVCC, with a Saturday field trip:

Introduction to Permaculture Design: Practicing Ecological Sustainability
Permaculture is an inspiring study of sustainable practices, traditional
wisdom and appropriate technology. Learn how to select and grow edible
trees, vegetables, herbs and other plants from around the world. Discover
how to make your own compost and blend your own organic fertilizers plus
review pest control. Other topics include building community, bartering,
water collection, wind patterns and more. Take a field trip to a local site
that illustrates permaculture gardening.
4 Thursdays 10/9-30 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Field trip Saturday 10/11 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
$125
Instructor: Deborah Judson-Ebbets
To register, contact PVCC Workforce Services at 434-961-5354 or workforce
@pvcc.edu http://www.pvcc.edu/instructional_divisions/workforce_services/

John Jeavons comes to Virginia in October!

"John Jeavons is internationally known as the leading researcher, developer, teacher and consultant for small-scale food production techniques utilizing GROW BIOINTENSIVE culture. He is the author of the best-selling text How to Grow More Vegetables, Fruits, Nuts, Berries, Grains, and Other Crops Than You Ever Thought Possible On Less Land Than You Can Imagine"

On Oct. 22 John Jeavons will be presenting a two hour public lecture at Lehman Auditorium at Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. He will be hosting a three day workshop in Dayton, Virginia (just south of Harrisonburg), on Oct. 23-25.

This is an excellent opportunity to hear someone who has made a difference as a catalyst for sustainable agriculture projects around the world. "John Jeavons' Three-Day Workshop in GROW BIOINTENSIVE® Sustainable Mini-Farming provides an in-depth study of a successful food growing system that is appropriate to a more self-reliant lifestyle, and for use in developing countries.

The Program

The program will consist of lecture, discussion and demonstration sessions, and will include a full range of information on Sustainability and Efficient Resource Use, Arid Region Farming Principles, Crops and Diet, Fertilization, Compost and Compost Crops, Soil Preparation and Preservation, Seed Propagation, and Income, as well as the perspective to tie all these together."

Links to the websites are below. The lecture on Oct 22 is free, the workshop cost $350 plus $30 if you register early and the cost of reading materials if you don't already have them http://www.johnjeavons.info/workshop-intro.html http://www.johnjeavons.info/pdf/5-october_wednesday_evening_event.pdf

PLEASE NOTE CHANGE IN MEETING VENUE FOR THE FABULOUS FOODS COMMUNITY MEETING

Due to an overwhelming community response, the meeting venue has been changed to Tabor Presbyterian Church at the corner of Crozet Avenue and Tabor Street in Crozet. The time and date remain the same: September 4, 2008 at 6pm. Please car pool if possible. Please come with your ideas as this will be a brainstorming session.

Thanks,
Denise Murray
540-447-0912
murrden@gmail.com

Opportunity for Community Owned Business

Fabulous Foods market in Crozet is going out of business and will close in mid September. All those interested in participating in a discussion about the feasibility of a community owned and operated business are invited to attend the first of a series of meetings to be held at 6pm on September 4, 2008 at the Blue Ridge Co Housing Common House in Crozet (the former Schulman home on Parkview Rd behind the Veterinary clinic on Route 240). For directions please visit: www.blueridgecohousing.org. For more information you may contact Denise Murray 540-447-0912/murrden@gmail.com


Thanks,
Denise Murray

Introduction to Permaculture weekend workshop in Oct - Nov

Weekend workshop in Fall 2008

Introduction to Permaculture: Sustainability Strategies for the Blue Ridge

This 3 day Introduction to Permaculture workshop will focus on basic principles and strategies to live more sustainably in your home, neighborhood or community. The course will be held on October 31 - November 2 near Charlottesville, Virginia. The workshop will focus on permaculture ethics and principles, observation and patterns in nature, and implement permaculture strategies to use them to improve soil, grow food, harvest water, utilize renewable energy and regenerative building techniques, and build sustainable communities.

The course is offered through the Blue Ridge Permaculture Institute, and will be a hands-on, intensive weekend training workshop. The cost for the course is a sliding scale, $195-$250, and limited work-trade positions are available. For more information, contact Terry Lilley at tygerlilley@gmail.com or visit the website http://www.blueridgepermaculture.net/.

Water collection system

Hi Group,

We've completed our roof rainwater collection and gravity fed watering system which can now supplies our raised beds during dry periods. We invite anyone in the Charlottesville area to come by and take a look. We used a 40mil pond liner and have water coming from 3/4 corners of the roof. There is a spill over. We are currently using Mosquito Dunks (active ingredient Bacillus thuringiensis) with limited success. We will eventually need a cover. We did install an electric fence and this has allow the corn, cucumbers and beans to thrive. The groundhog would have done them in otherwise. The tomatoes and peppers are not doing too good but this is probably due to low light conditions.

If you would like to see the system and swap ideas feel free to send an email at kaj_511@earthlink.net

Kim

Online Food Storage Class

Hello All,
If you are interested in following along with an online food storage class, here's the link:
http://sharonastyk.com/

The first post for the food storage class was posted on July 8 and was titled Food Preservation - Class 2 - Welcome!. There should be a couple of posts on each Tuesday and Thursday throughout July. You can just scroll down to find the right entries.

You'll see in the outline the topics to be covered. There's some more unusual techniques like salting, lactofermentation and dehydrating in addition to canning (water bath and pressure). So even if you know a bit, there might be something new for you. Oh yeah, it's also free and you can read at your leisure (in your underwear at midnight if you so desire).

Some of you may already know Sharon Astyk's writings. If you don't, be forewarned she is an outspoken peaknik but also a fantastic farmer and food storage expert.

I participated in the first food storage class in the spring (posts can be found in the archive) and am a member of her yahoogroup (sharonfoodstorage@yahoogroups.com). It tends to be a very lively (and varied) discussion. In August there will be an Adapting in Place class as well.


So enjoy or delete!
Vicky

The Fatherland of Apples

The birthplace of apples, with an assortment of related links, over at Metafilter

THE FUTURE OF FOOD Film Screening

There will be a free public screening of the film THE FUTURE OF FOOD
When: Sunday June 8th at 6:30 pm
Where: Tabor Presbyterian Church
Tabor Street
Crozet, Va.

THE FUTURE OF FOOD offers an in-depth investigation into the disturbing truth behind the unlabeled, patented, genetically engineered foods that have quietly filled grocery store shelves for the past decade. THE FUTURE OF FOOD examines the complex web of market and political forces that are changing what we eat as huge multinational corporations seek to control the world's food system. The film also explores alternatives to large-scale industrial agriculture, placing organic and sustainable agriculture as real solutions to the farm crisis today.

Hi Group,

My husband and I are relatively new to Charlottesville. We are very interested in connecting with folks interested in sustainable urban agriculture. We recently complete our first raised beds. The existing garden flooded with a really good rain. I have done some gardening in the past but this my first house and now I can experiment. Unfortunately between the groundhog and the squirrels we have already suffered some plant damage. Has anyone had success with electric fence and small critters? Are they a worthwhile investment for urban agriculture? Please see the photo of the raised bed.

I would like to share this info with anyone who lives by an impaired waterway. Albemarle County still has funds availble to help homeowners with the purchase of plants to help with the stream buffer restoration initiative. http://www.albemarle.org/department.asp?department=planning&relpage=9382. I didn't know about it until fairly recently.

Thanks,

Kim Swanson