upcoming events

Greetings All,

Below you will find info on upcoming permaculture and sustainability events in the near future in the central Virginia bioregion, including a talk this evening at the University of Virginia (see below).

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.
"Food Rebels and Smart Cookin' Mamas: Fighting Back in the Age of Industrial Agriculture"

Even while local food systems are careening into mainstream American culture, today's economic climate is also prompting a brand new segment of the American population to utilize food stamps and other measures against increasing hunger. How do we confront the obstacles to realizing a sustainable food system with fairness and sensitivity? Food insecurity expert Mark Winne, author of Closing the Food Gap as well as former Executive Director of the Hartford Food System, will speak on these and other community food system topics including local and regional agriculture, community food assessment, and food policy. Reception to follow.

Where: UVA, School of Architecture, Campbell Hall, Room 158
When: Tuesday, April 6, 5:30-6:30pm


2.
Forrest Green Farm in Louisa, VA will open for spring on April 15th.
Hours are Thursday thru Sunday 9-5 or by appointment on other days.

The family run farm offers culinary and medicinal herb plants, vegetable
plants (including a wide variety of heirloom tomatoes), and flower plants.
We also specialize in pastured poultry eggs and registered Miniature
Hereford cows.

We have expanded our workshops this year. We have workshops for adults and a
children's summer program. New this year is a foundational course in whole
living from the ground up. Great for someone who wants to learn hands on
gardening with herbs, how to use herbs for daily healthy living, and
connecting with the plants, seasons, and nature. For more on our workshops
check our website or call the farm.
http://www.forrestgreenfarm.com/workshops.html
http://www.forrestgreenfarm.com/wholeliving.html
http://www.forrestgreenfarm.com/meetherbs.html
http://www.forrestgreenfarm.com/childprgm.html

You can contact us at:

Forrest Green Farm LLC
Rob and Krista Rahm
(540) 967-1165
(434) 882-2648 cell
www.forrestgreenfarm.com


3.
Earth Week Eco-Fair

Sunday, April 18, 11am - 7pm at the Charlottesville Pavilion

1:00pm - Trees on Fire Meets the Beatles (Acoustic)
1:50pm - Naughty Dynamic and the Design
2:50pm - Beleza Brasil
3:55pm - William Walter and Co.
4:45pm - Harvey Wasserman speaks
5:00pm - Larry Keel and Natural Bridge

Local food, local beverages (remember the Anheuser-Busch brewery in
Williamsburg!), local government agencies working to preserve and protect the
environment, green businesses, conservationist organizations, and all sorts of
interesting, eco-friendly, and informative stuff.

ACCT's Children's Bicycle Rodeo from 1-3 in the Lexis Nexis parking deck -
bring the bike!
Children's Corner activities include tee-shirt painting, face-painting, hands-on
educational activities, demonstrations, etc.

Raffles include a 2010 Toyota Prius - tickets are only $25 and fund student
environmental education trips.
Other raffles (tickets $3, 2/$5):
-Compost Bin - Blue Ridge Eco Shop
-(3) 1-month memberships in the Outdoor Adventure Social Club
-Garden design and consultation by C'ville Foodscapes
-Gift Basket from Sustain, Inc.
-Gift Certificate from Green Irene
-(3) gift certificates for a 1-hour massage
-Gift certificate - EcoDry Cleaners
Get tickets at Blue Ridge Eco Shop in Preston Plaza, and at EcoDry Cleaners
on Main St.

Check out EarthWeek.org for more info on events, and a link to our forum and
online calendar
Check out earthweekuva.wordpress.com for tons of events by and through
UVA.
Check out the Earth Week forum and calendar, add your own events, post
your own topics, start your own discussions, etc.

QUESTIONS??? info@earthweek.org


4.
Roanoke: Urban Farming Course

URBAN FARMS SPROUTING IN ROANOKE

Farmers are changing the way food is produced.
New farmers are looking to their own backyards to produce food close to their city markets. No longer are barns and tractors de rigueur for a family farm. Small plots of land, managed for intensive production is the key. It boils down to two things: start up costs are low and the food is good.

VT EarthWorks and instructor Kathy O Hara have partnered to offer a 4-week series on urban farming on Tuesday nights beginning on April 6. We d like to spread the word about urban farming, and the management tools one needs to create a space that is both productive and profitable, Kathy O Hara said. Start up costs are pretty minimal for this kind of business, and the idea is to create a network of small intensive plot farmers who can share their experiences, knowledge, and markets.

VT EarthWorks, an entrepreneur acceleration program for agriculture and natural resource businesses, is working with regional food producers to provide business development services, including learning networks and connections to potential retail outlets (e.g., restaurants, institutions, farmers markets, grocers), to help build viable businesses and a vibrant regional food system. VT EarthWorks has partnered with Downtown Roanoke to offer graduates of the urban farming series space at the city market on Tuesdays. We worry about having access to fresh, healthy food and how far our food has travelled. Urban farming is a great way to supply more fresh food for your family and to the community and businesses of Roanoke.

Go to Urban Farming Class for additional information or to register, please go to http://www.cpe.vt.edu/reg/vtew.


5.
Lynchburg Green Spring Expo
Date: 4/10/2010 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM Cost: Free Location: Lynchburg City Armory
1219 Main St (upper level)
Lynchburg, Virginia 24504
This event will serve to educate citizens of Lynchburg and the surrounding counties to the wealth of community resources available to those interested in pursuing lifestyles of health and sustainability. Participants will have exposure to the vendors, practitioners and volunteer service providers who comprise this resource and best represent its value.
Its purpose is to acknowledge and promote the people, businesses and organizations who are helping to make our community healthier and stronger by taking the lead in the local green movement.

Contact: Mr. Mike Cundiff 434-528-1100

You can also visit the Lynchburg Farmer's Market which is right next door to the armory.


6.
Permaculture speaker request

We are co chairman of the Nelson County Master Gardener Intern Training Program being held this fall. We were interested in having someone come to our intern training for master gardener class to talk about permaculture and composting. Would you be able to suggest anyone? Tentatively, the date is Tuesday, Nov. 9th from 9 to 12 (or shorter) at the Nelson County Community Center. Please let me know. Thank you for your help.
434-263-8045
Nora & Charlie Harris


7.
Gaia Gathering for Women
April 30 - May 2

Join us again or for the first time as we celebrate Beltane by honoring our Earth Mother and the call of the Divine Feminine. Together we will honor the power of women’s community and help our world shift into the new consciousness of peace, healing and community living.As Alice Walker’s book title states “We are the Ones We Have Been Waiting For”.

The weekend will be about collective ceremony, song and learning skills for gardening, medicine making, stewarding the earth and so much more. The fee includes camping at beautiful Camp Albemarle, four delicious wild and organic meals, and most class materials. There are also rustic cabins available. We will begin Friday evening and end with our traditional web ceremony after lunch on Sunday. Now more than ever is the time for us to know how deeply we are connected.
This event is becoming wonderfully popular and unfortunately we needed to close registration last year towards the end. We are committed to keeping the price the same and as you can imagine, organic food, space rentals and fabulous teachers all add up to a great value. Our intention with this Gathering is not to become large but to create a deep and strong web of women energy for our bioregion and to bless the environs of Charlottesville with peace and security.

Fee for the weekend is $175.00. PLease call or visit website to register or find more information.
.
www.sacredplanttraditions.com


8.
Plant Walks
and Introductions to Plant Skills
Monthly excursions into the world of plants
May 8, June 12, July 10, Aug. 14, Sept. 11, Oct. 9
At Wildcrofthollow Botanical Sanctuary, Amherst, VA

To be able to walk out of your door and find the things that you need to; eat, heal yourself and others, make fabrics, dye those fabrics, make baskets, rope, string, sounds like you live in paradise, doesn't it? You do. We always have. The ability to do these things is something that used to be common knowledge. These one-day introductory classes will give you personal introductions to many of the plant folks. They will also acquaint you with some of the possibilities those plants offer you. Each class is a plant walk for half of the day and an introduction to some of the skills you can learn to work with those plants for the second half of the day.

5/8 Plant walk/Introduction to Understandable Botany
How to become a plant sage
6/12 Plant walk/Introduction to Edibles and Foraging
What you can eat and how to find it
7/10 Plant walk/ Introduction to Medicinals
Local healing herbs
8/14 Plant walk/Introduction to Basketry
You always need someplace to put your stuff
9/11 Plant walk/Introduction to Dyeing
Color your world
10/9 Plant walk/Introduction to Cordage
Strings, ropes, fabrics

Tuition is $75/day or, if you pay ahead of time, $180 for three classes or $300 for all six. Lunch, with the wonderful Miz Lena's cooking, will be provided. $25 non-refundable deposit if you don't pay ahead. Please send to: David Welker, 1083 Sardis Rd., Amherst, VA 24521 Questions: call 434-946-7020


9.
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


10.
Charlottesville Community Design Center (CCDC) NEWS & EVENTS

JRGBC Luncheon: Saving Energy with the Local Energy Alliance Program
Tuesday, April 13 beginning at noon
Cynthia Adams, Executive Director of central Virginia's Local Energy Alliance Program (LEAP), will give a presentation on energy efficiency and the community-based nonprofit which will be launching in the Charlottesville area. LEAP is a public-private partnership whose mission is to facilitate unprecedented energy savings in buildings through retrofits and occupant behavior. Discussion topics will include national legislation pertaining to energy efficiency, some building science basics, and information about Home Performance with ENERGY STAR – LEAP’s flagship residential program. Free and open to all - pre-register here - www.jrgbc.org/

Architecture Week is April 23-29
Architecture Week brings together design professionals and the public to celebrate the excellence, innovation and leadership within the architectural community. Visit the Architecture Week website for a complete schedule of events: http://aiacv-archweek.org/

More Than Just Bricks: A Social & Design History of Charlottesville's Downtown Mall
Current CCDC exhibit
Created in partnership with Preservation Piedmont and the UVA School of Architecture, More Than Just Bricks explores the historical and contemporary significance of Lawrence Halprin's design for Charlottesville's pedestrian mall.

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. http://www.jrgbc.org/greenspaces/

www.cvilledesign.org


11.
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