upcoming events

Greetings All,

Below is a great collection of info on upcoming permaculture and sustainability events in the near future in the central Virginia bioregion, including a film tonight and fruit school this weekend.

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
www.blueridgepermaculture.net


1.
Professor Barkslip's Fruit School
Date: April 16 & 17, 9am - 5pm
Location: Educational Farm at Maple Hill
Cost: $70/day, $140/weekend
Register: info@localfoodhub.org or (434) 286-2176

It is recommended that you sign up for the full weekend as the material builds upon itself, but if you can't, here's the breakdown:

April 16, 2011
Fruit tree care and pruning workshop (for the home, farm, and public space):
This class will be half talk and half walk and will cover site analysis and selection, proper tree selection, orchard floor prep and care, and caring for the established orchard. Like all the classes at fruit school, emphasis will be on using organic methods. Bring your favorite pruners and saws if you have them for the hands on portion of the class!

Plant rooting and propagation (for the low budget fruit enthusiast):
This class emphasizes low tech, organic methods of plant production though seeds, layering, rooting, stooling, and division. This is by far the easiest and cheapest way to bring the nutritional abundance of plants into your life. Great activity ideas for kids as well!

April 17, 2011
Bench grafting and cloning around:
Learn to graft your own fruit trees! This is nothing short of magical when you learn to stick a branch of one tree onto another and it grows. Discussed and illustrated will be the whip and tongue, and the cleft grafts, rootstock varieties, seedlings versus clones, aftercare, and setting up your own nursery for income diversification. Included in the class is one rootstock, choice of several varieties of budwood, and aftercare materials. There will be plenty of rootstock for sale to do multiple grafts if desired. You are encouraged to bring your own varieties of apple tree cuttings to graft or to swap and share with other participants.

Top working and advanced grafting (Have your flower and eat it too!):
This class will hurl you headlong into the world of top working countless varieties onto existing trees. Within three years you can have a barren ornamental tree in production with 40 varieties! We’ll learn about compatibility, timing, and the world of countless grafting techniques including chip and T- budding, side grafting, rind graft. We’ll touch on festooning and arborsmithing as well. Also emphasized is the essential aftercare of the top worked tree.

http://locallectual.com/tenants/local-food-hub
www.blueridgepermaculture.net


2.
Nature's Friend Day, April 30th 8:30-Noon, Victoria, VA. a morning of eco fun for youth (and the young at heart) and refreshments for all. Participation patch for those who register and complete all stations. Eco stations include building a worm farm, woodlands habitat, water awareness, painting flower pots and plants to take home, soil building races. For a registration form, email (marjani.dele@gmail.com) to register by April 25th for head count--space is limited. IF I know ahead of time, folks can camp under the stars the night before to be ready in the morning.
www.naturesfriends.ning.com


3.
Permaculture Design Certification Course
August 18-28, Victoria, VA
$1000 includes tuition, snacks, and a camping spot on the lawn/in my woods. Food is on your own; those on site can rotate sharing a potluck dinner. Registration forms available soon. Check web site for information on instructors. www.naturesfriends.ning.com Email for more information marjani.dele@gmail.com


4.
Permaculture and soil building workshop with Pierra Constans

Saturday April 16th 10 a.m. to 12
Rodes Farm Stables in Nellysford, VA
We will cover: COMPOSTING, MICROORGANISMS, SHEETCOMPOSTING AND COMPOST TEA.

Phone: Lindsay for registration 434 325 8060;
Pierre for questions 434 277 5202


5.
Fifth Annual Gaia Gathering for Women
Families of Origin, Families of Choice
April 29 – May 1, 2011
Welcome back to the fifth year of our gathering in the name of Gaia and our celebration in the gifts our Earth Mother gifts us. Gaia is the Greek name for the Primordial Goddess of the earth. Today this word conjures the notion that our Planet is our Mother who is alive and pulsing and beating and swaying with the rhythms of the universe.
A tradition at Gaia is to change the theme and focus of our weekend every three years. We are continually cycling from self, to family to community then back again. This year our theme is Family and we are celebrating our Families of Origins, Families of Choice. While we are deepening respect and honoring those that brought us into this world, we are also finding our own tribes and choosing those ‘families’ that support our goals, visions and the healing that we hold for ourselves. Our classes will also focus on medicine for the family and the issues that surround this aspect of our lives.
Again, this weekend fills as we are limited to only 100 Women. Fee for the weekend is $225. This includes Friday night to Sunday afternoon classes and activities, rustic lodging or camping and five gourmet, organic meals. For a complete list of classes, schedules and teacher bios, please visit the website.

New this year we are offering incredibly low advertising rates for women owned businesses to be included in our welcome packet. Great rates...please contact Heather at info@sacredplanttraditions.com if interested. This is your market!
www.sacredplanttraditions.com

New Free Clinic at Sacred Plant Traditions free clinic is now up and running. This is where second year students receive clinical training and it is an excellent opportunity for the community to gain access to wonderful information and support for their health needs. We are excited to be located in the Mary Williams Senior Center where we will have an opportunity to serve the needs of our elderly as well. Clinic staff are Mary Michaud, Bob Clickner and Kathleen Maier. To schedule and appointment please contact Clinic Co-ordinator, Summer Anderson at 434.760-5162
www.sacredplanttraditions.com


Six Week Intro to Herbalism
This six week series is great for beginners as well as those who want to deepen their knowledge and use of herbal medicine. This course will include history, herbal actions, apothecary practices, recipes, sacred use of plants and more. The weeks fly by as we spend time in the classroom, the kitchen, the lab and best of all, the garden. We will learn how to identify basic back yard medicines as well as those cultivated in the garden. We will learn harvest techniques, how to dry and preserve our medicines.
Fee $225 (Deposit: $50).
Fee includes all materials & text.
Spring Session: Tuesday Morning Classes, 10am - 12:30pm

www.sacredplanttraditions.com


6.
The City Schoolyard Garden Program at Buford Middle School in Charlottesville seeks a new Garden Educator. The application is due April 15, 2011, and the start date for the position is June 1, 2011.

For more information on the Garden, please visit: http://bufordschoolyardgarden.wordpress.com/
For more information on the Garden Educator position, please email Program Director Linda Winecoff at: Schoolyardgarden.cville@gmail.com or call (434) 882-1470.


7.
The next meeting of Transition Charlottesville/Albemarle Friday will be Monday April 18th at 7 PM in the Unitarian Church, 717 Rugby Road in Charlottesville, VA. Pass the word for others to join us.

Some useful Transition websites:
http://transitionus.org/transition-101
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/


8.

The Wild and Scenic Film Festival! The festival brings together a selection of films that tell a story about our planet, our beautiful and precious wildlands, and the people of the communities who love and defend them. They open our eyes and hearts to fantastic experiences in remarkable places. They beckon us towards action, highlight issues, and provide solutions.

The festival spans two evenings and two cities:

Wednesday, April 13 at the Paramount Theater in Charlottesville.
Thursday, April 14 at the Visulite Cinema in Staunton.

Screenings will be at 7pm and tickets are $10 per night, with each night featuring an entirely different slate of films. There will be a reception after each screening for those who would like to stay and learn more.

Please join us at one (or both) of these venues to enjoy these spectacular films. Advance sale tickets for both shows are available at Blue Ridge Mountain Sports in Charlottesville (cash or checks only please) or at the door. Tickets for the Charlottesville show may be ordered online at tickets.theparamount.net or purchased at the Paramount Theater Box Office.

We hope to see you there!

Sincerely,

David Hannah
Conservation Director
(434) 971-1553
www.wildvirginia.org



9.
On April 15-18, 10,000 organizers will gather at Power Shift 2011 to launch campaigns for a clean, just economy. We're working with Energy Action Coalition, the organizers of Power Shift, to ensure that every one of them is equipped with the core skills of organizing. But we need your help to do it.
Will you become a Facilitator for Power Shift? Click here to sign up:
http://www.powershift2011.org/conference/training/moveon
As a Facilitator, you will first be invited to a regional training. You'll go through the Movement Building Workshops, then participate in special sessions where you'll learn to teach the material to others. Then you'll join us April 15-18 at Power Shift, where you and your team will lead the training for a group of organizers.
10.
Living Earth Spring Programs in central VA
We have many new and exciting programs offered for this spring! Summer camps are filling, so if you haven't registered please do, as a few camps are already full. We hope to see you out to one of our fun programs.
Our Wild Edible Plant Class and Father/Son Weekend are happening this weekend, so if interested please call right away. Some campers have expressed interest in learning wild plants, how to make arrowheads, and bows in deeper detail. So please check in with them to see if one of these weekend classes for adults is right for them to learn more. Save the date, We are hosting Jon Young for a Weekend on Reclaiming Our Natural Connections and Community Resielence on September 2, 3, 4. This is an amazing opportunity to meet with a national treasure whos mission is to spread deep nature connection. It is a not to miss weekend for both adults and for families. For more details on any of our spring programs visit:
http://www.livingearthva.com/adult.html


11.
Introduction to Permaculture Design Class
Permaculture is a process for designing intensive edible landscapes based on ecological principles. This process is applicable for small scale (apartments or cities) and suburban or farm settings. We will learn the principles and ethics of permaculture design and how these can inform our landscaping decisions. Class content will include: the use of sheet mulch; simple ways to compost; the use of vertical spaces; building an herb spiral, a pond, fruit tree guild; and much more. Each session will include discussions and a hands-on component.
Spring Series May 5- June 2 Five Thursdays from 4:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m.
Fall Series September 1- October 6 Five Thursdays from 4:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m.
The cost of the series is $100 (registration info below).

Introduction to Permaculture Design Workshop
Permaculture is a process for designing intensive edible landscapes based on ecological principles. This process is applicable for small scale (apartments or cities) and suburban or farm settings. We will learn the principles and ethics of permaculture design and how these can inform our own landscaping decisions. Also covered in the workshop will be sheet mulching, vertical spaces, herb spirals, simple ponds and fruit, herb and f lower selection.
The workshop fee is $50. Some barter and work exchange is available upon request.
Location: Blacksburg VA, directions sent out upon registration
Dates for 2011:
Saturday May 21st 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Saturday June 18th 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Saturday October 15th 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Please send a 50% deposit to hold your space to: Sarah Gibbs 1502 North Main Apt A Blacksburg, Va 24060
and email questions sarahgibbs68@verizon.net or call 540-818-1394

Sarah Gibbs
Permaculture Designer
Horticultural Therapist
NatureScapes
540-818-1394


12.
Living Energy Farm
Open House and Oxen Demonstration

The Living Energy Farm is a project to build a zero fossil fuel farm in Louisa County.
We would like to invite you to meet our oxen and see our progress! For the last few months we've been working on the land, planting and planning for spring. On May 13 we will have two pair of oxen out on the land working with us and will demonstrate some of the old technologies we will be employing in our commitment to live fossil fuel free. There will be tours offered, games and refreshments and lots of people to answer your questions about our project. We hope you'll join us!

When: Friday, May 13th, 10 AM to 7 PM
Where: Living Energy Farm, Louisa, VA (see directions below)
Contact: Sara Tansey, sara.m.tansey@gmail.com, 843.694.8896

Directions to Living Energy Farm:

From West/ Charlottesville area:
Take I-64 East, toward Richmond. The next exit past Zion Crossroads is Rte. 208. Turn Left/ North on 208. Follow 208 for about 10 miles to the town of Louisa. When you come to a stoplight, turn Left. In one block, turn Right on Fredericksburg Ave. This road becomes Bibb Store Road. The (unmarked) address of the LEF property is 1050 Bibb Store Road. It will be on your Right. There is a white sign that says LEF on it.

From East/ Richmond area:
Take I-64 West, toward Charlottesville. The next exit past Shannon Hill is Rte. 208. Turn Right/ North on 208. Follow 208 for about 10 miles to the town of Louisa. When you come to a stoplight, turn Left. In one block, turn Right on Fredericksburg Ave. This road becomes Bibb Store Road. The (unmarked) address of the LEF property is 1050 Bibb Store Road. It will be on your Right. There is a white sign that says LEF on it.

Workshop: An Introduction to Training and Driving Oxen

When: Saturday, May 14th , 10 AM to 5 PM
Where: Living Energy Farm, Louisa VA (see below for directions)
Registration Contact: Sara Tansey, sara.m.tansey@gmail.com , 843-694-8896
Cost: $50, includes lunch. Checks made payable to Living Energy Farm.


13.
Companion Plants for Fruit Trees
Time Saturday, April 16 • 1:00pm - 2:00pm
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Location Southern States Garden Center
810 Harris Street
Charlottesville, VA
________________________________________
Created By Benjamin Thornes
________________________________________
More Info As discussion leader, I will focus on fruit trees and their supporting cast of plants and insects, explaining how together they can improve the health of the soil for greater yields while reducing maintenance needs. Please stop by if you wish to learn more about a sustainable crop system from a permaculture perspective or even if you have something to share. Free knowledge!


14.
$525,000 210 DOUGLAS AV, North Belmont, Charlottesville, VA 22902 OPEN HOUSE SATURDAY 4/9/11 1-4pm

Extremely private. Downtown Farmette on two lots at .341 acres. A third .198 acre buildable lot available see (MLS #487089). 1910 Farm house with modern addition in 2001. Huge front porch and upper and lower side porches. Heart pine and oak hardwood floors. Two very large fenced-in gardens. Custom built walnut shed and very large additional shed. Bone-dry partial basement and huge gabled attic. Just a 10 minute walk to the historic downtown pedestrian mall. 5 minute walk to downtown Belmont. Contact below

Cliff Kavanaugh
434-466-5128 (O) 434-220-2223 (F) 434-220-1924