upcoming events

Greetings All,

Below you will find info on upcoming permaculture and sustainability events in the near future in the central Virginia bioregion.

For more information about permaculture events, see our website: www.blueridgepermaculture.net. If you know anyone else that would like to sign up for this newsletter, or if you have an announcement, email Christine at christinegyovai@gmail.com for the next update, which are sent monthly.

Best,
Christine and the Blue Ridge Permaculture Network team


1.
Radical Roots Community Farm in Keezletown, VA, is expanding its Charlottesville Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program!

The farm has 50 shares available, with weekly pickup on Wednesdays from 3-7 pm at the Meade Park Farmers Market. For $450 ($25 per week), you will receive Radical Roots' Certified Naturally Grown produce from June through September. To learn more about Radical Roots and their CSA, visit www.RadicalRootsFarm.com or call (540) 269-2228.

Don't miss out on this fantastic opportunity to support ecologically-minded agriculture and to eat well!

RadicalRootsFarm.com
3083 Flook Ln.
Keezletown, VA 22832
(540) 269-2228


2.
Common Good City Farm in Washington DC
RiverSmart Training Program, still has a three spots for volunteers at these schools:
John Tyler 1001 G Street, SE, Washington, D.C. 20003
Emery Elementary 1712 First Street, N.E, Washington, D.C. 20003
Anne Beers 3600 Alabama Avenue, Washington, D.C. 20020
More Info at http://commongoodcityfarm.org/riversmart

Common Good City Farm will open for the season in April. We will send an update with the exact schedule and post it on our web site. Stay tuned to our web site to register for Farm workdays on March 13, 20, and 27th.

http://commongoodcityfarm.org/riversmart


3.
C'villeFoodscapes (formerly Patchwork Farms) is excited to invite you to our Launch Party, Sunday March 7th 2-5pm at Random Row Books (on Main Street across from the Greyhound Station) in Charlottesville.
We are preparing for an awesome season of designing, installing and maintaining home veggie gardens for folks all over Charlottesville.
Bring your friends and family to find out more about this new venture and start anticipating the gardening season!
Join us for a seed swap (bring seeds to share), fun garden crafts for kids and adults, live music, puppet show, yummy food, raffle (win your own small garden design!) and more.

For more information:

www.cvillefoodscapes.com
cvillefoodscapes.blogspot.com

You can contact us:
info@cvillefoodscapes.com
(434) 806-6255.


4.
Charlottesville Community Design Center Events
http://www.cvilledesign.org/

Our Water Our Future Opening Reception
Friday, March 5 from 5:30-7:30 pm
Presentation at 6 pm
In the CCDC gallery in March Charlottesville Tomorrow shares its independent analysis and history of the community's long-term water supply plans in a multimedia interactive exhibit. The public will get factual and objective information about our water supply goals, details of the 50-year water plan, the costs, the environmental advantages and disadvantages, potential alternatives, and an outline of the next steps that will move our community forward. The exhibit will be on display through March 31. Please visit CCDC's website for a complete listing of events on water-related topics to be hosted in association with the exhibit.

James River Green Building Council Luncheon: Creating Your Sustainable Company
Tuesday, March 9 at 12 pm
Seth Stallings, LEED Project Manager at Martin Horn and Hakon Mattson, co-founder of Blue Ridge Eco Shop and Consultant with ABM Industries Inc., will each give presentations focused on making your company or business more sustainable. Hear two case studies, one discussing the successes and challenges of going for LEED certification on an existing building, and one discussing the business case for sustainable practices in your company. The presentations will be followed by Q&A from the audience. JRGBC lunches are free and open to the public, but advance registration is required. Register online.

Public Hearing on the Dredging Feasibility Study
Tuesday, March 9 at 6 pm in CitySpace
This is the first in a series of events hosted in conjunction with the Our Water Our Future exhibit. Consultants for the Rivanna Sewer & Water Authority will present findings from the first phase of the dredging feasibility study for the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir and provide opportunity for public comment. Click here for more information.

OTHER EVENTS
Virginia Design Forum IX: An Architecture of Necessity
March 19-20 in Richmond, VA
What is the task of architecture? To transform one city, one neighborhood or one shelter? To create last solutions? To appeal to the human spirit? Join a world class array of speakers for an engaging and provocative discussion about the relationship between design, social agency and the task of architecture. Panelists include David Adjaye, Julie Eizenburg, Teddy Cruz, Andrew Freear and Ned Cramer. $20 for students, $145 for AIA members, $195 for full rate registration. Register online.

COMPETITION ANNOUCEMENT
Stay-Space: 2010 James River Green Building Council Green Spaces Competition
This year’s James competition challenge is meant to provide real and inspiring solutions to the land-use questions that face the City of Richmond. Building off of last year’s Play Space challenge, this year’s entrants are asked to look at the remaining 34 +/- acres on the Greater Fulton Gas Works site and develop a plan or design for that land that provides space for living, working, recreation or something entirely different if it feels right. The site can be designed for residential, commercial, industrial or agricultural development or something different and unexpected. Students and professionals are invited to enter the competition. Individuals may enter although interdisciplinary teams are encouraged and may be composed of students and professionals. Entries are due by May 21. More information


5.
Gentle Gardener Green Design online
www.gentlegardener.com
www.gentlegardener.typepad.com
web.me.com/gentlegardener - photo portfolio


6.
Blue Ridge Backyard Harvest

As spring slowly but surely emerges, and we all start thinking about warm days and the return of seasonal produce, I hope you'll check out a new venture I'm launching. Blue Ridge Backyard Harvest. Whatever your time, budget, or space constraints, we can offer you expertise to make your garden more productive than ever.

Matt Bierce, Mike Parisi and I started BRBH to help people connect to the rewarding and delicious experience of growing their own fruits and vegetables. In addition to backyard gardening, we also offer expertise in home poultry, small scale orcharding, garden coaching, food preservation and agri-ecological education for kids.

You can find us online at www.blueridgebackyard.com, and reach us at info@blueridgebackyard.com or 806-6157. We're also on Facebook, and we'd love it if you'd become a fan and help spread the word.

Thanks everyone, and happy (almost!) spring!

Guinevere


7.
Hello folks,
after a bit of a break to accommodate our mad winter storms, the
sustainability classes are re-starting. The fourth class will be:
Sunday, March 7, 2 PM, Woodfolk House and
Tuesday, March 9, 6 PM (potluck 5:30), Woodfolk House

The content will be:

Course IV
A) Democracy and Slavery
We will look how agricultural societies became centralized states, and
how these centralized states then evolved into either slave states,
empires, or democracies. We will look at the real roots of democracy and
slavery, and understand how they fit into the ecological context of
human societies. Far from being the inventions of great wise men, we
will examine how modern civil liberty evolved in Ancient Greece, Ancient
Rome, early industrial Europe, and the U.S. We will look at where things
are headed in our future.

B) Shelter
How to build a warm and cozy shelter out of junk. We will discuss the
trade-offs of simple versus more complex "alternative" technologies, and
work with simple shelter construction techniques. We will work with
strawbales and talk about other organic infill construction methods.

If you have a chance to RSVP via email, that would be helpful.
Alexis
alexis@conev.org


8.
Permaculture email listserve (different from this newsletter listserve)

Vicky Peterson, a grad from the first Permaculture Design Course, has set up a yahoo group for discussion of all things relating to permaculture in the Central Virginia region. From Vicky: With your help, the group will be a place to ask questions, share information and help permaculture take root in our area.
Here is a link to follow if you would like to join:

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/BRPermaculture/

There should be a blue button that says "Join this Group!"

If you know of anyone else who might be interested in joining, please feel free to pass this info along.
Other questions? Email me.
Thanks!
Vicky Peterson
vickycp@ntelos.net