Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Upcoming events

Greetings all,

Happy snow days all! Lots of good stuff happening in the region. If you know anyone else that would like to sign up for this newsletter, they can sign up 
here.  If you have an announcement, email us at blueridgepermaculture@gmail.com for the next monthly e-newsletter. Click here to view this email as a webpage.  Happy fall!

Best,
Christine, Terry and the BRPN team
www.blueridgepermaculture.net  


1.
Virginia Biological Farming Conference  
Friday 1/29 - Saturday 1/30 
Due to the weather, we are welcoming late registrants and walk-ins at regular conference rates! (We think we have plenty of food for both pre-conference and regular conference sessions.)

Times vary, at the Skelton 4H Center, Smith Mountain Lake
25 Concurrent sessions, plus 35+ tradeshow exhibits!  There are also pre-conference workshops on Thursday.  Come out and learn from great speakers like Ira Wallace, Barbara Pleasant, John Boyd, and many more.  http://vabf.org/


2.
Shenandoah Permaculture Institute is excited to announce our Spring 2016 Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) course in partnership with University of Richmond!
This 10 day, 72-hour PDC will be held over 4 weekends at the University of Richmond in Richmond, VA.
Dates: Feb. 19-21, Feb. 27-28, March 18-20, April 2-3
Course days will run from 8:30am to 5:30pm

Cost: $999 (includes lunch). Scholarships are available!

For more information and to register please visit:

Questions? Contact: Tom Parfitt at tparfitt@richmond.edu


3.
Living Earth School offerings in Central Virginia
2016 ADULT COURSES
·       Charlottesville Tracking Club Feb 20 – May 22
·       FREE Harrisonburg Family Nature Day!  March 5, 2016
·       Leather Shoe Making March 5 – 6
·       Women on Fire!  March 20
·       Women on the Water April 16
·       Wooden Bow Making April 23 – 24
·       Wild Edible Plants April 24
·       NEW! Moon Tribe for Women May 27 – 30
·       Coyote Mentoring June 3 – 5

YOUTH PROGRAMS

Summer Camp registration is now open
Come Experience deep nature connection at its finest!
See more info at: http://livingearthva.com/


4.
Mason Sustainability Institute (MSI) is an organization that provides sustainability oriented education and skills development for George Mason University and its surrounding communities.  
 On March 5th – 13th, 2015, MSI will be hosting a 72-Hour Permaculture Design Certification Course, taught by Wayne Weiseman of the Permaculture Project LLC.  This course is open to community members - no prior experience necessary. Topics and activities include: soil remediation, urban food production, native plants, companion planting, design planning, hydro/aquaponics, renewable energy, and many more. Participants will earn a certificate in Permaculture Design, as well as Continuing Education units if requested at the start of class.

    Wayne Weiseman is certified by The Permaculture Institute of Australia and the Worldwide Permaculture Network as an instructor of the Permaculture Design Certificate Course. He is also certified by the American Institute of Architecture (AIA) and the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) to teach continuing education in Permaculture to licensed architects and landscape architects.  This intensive course will take place from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm with breaks for lunch, and some additional evening activities with served dinner. Catered lunch and dinners will be provided, and a light breakfast fare with snacks will also be available. The total cost for this course is $1,100. There are scholarships for differing degrees of partial amounts. 

More information on the instructor, Wayne Weiseman, go to:  http://www.permacultureproject.com/

More information on the course, as well as registration, can be found here: http://ocpe.gmu.edu/programs/green/permaculture.php



5.
From our friends at Transition Cville

Wednesday 1/27 Transition Town Pizza Party  
6:30pm at the Central Library, McIntire Room
Transition Towns all over the world are building resilient, resourceful local communities to thrive in these changing times - and so are we! Join us at the Transition Cville pizza party to meet Transition-minded friends and celebrate a new year of possibilities. All are welcome! Please bring your own plate, cup and utensils if you can. Pizza and drinks are on us; additional snacks are welcome.  http://www.transitioncville.org/

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Thursday 1/28 Wild Virginia Book Club Event  
7pm at the Sellers & Dzamba house, Charlottesville
 Come out for Wild Virginia’s second book club event, a discussion of Janisse Ray's highly acclaimed book about growing up in rural Georgia, "Ecology of a Cracker Childhood".  The book interweaves the stories of  the long leaf pine ecosystem of the south and of Ray’s childhood growing up in a junkyard in rural Georgia.  It has received many accolades including the Southern Environmental Law Center’s Reed Environmental Writing Award. Sign up here if you want to come:   https://salsa4.salsalabs.com/o/51365/p/salsa/event/common/public/index.sjs?event_KEY=4900 .

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Saturday 1/30 Spring Vegetable Planting  
10am-noon at Tufton Farm
Join Monticello gardeners for a hands-on workshop full of tips and practical advice for spring gardening to help the home vegetable gardener maximize yields. Participants will start seed from the Monticello gardens to take home.  $28.  Register at https://www.monticello.org/site/visit/events/spring-vegetable-planting

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Monday 2/1 Craft Cville
6-8pm at The Bridge, 209 Monticello Road
Come out for craft night and get to know some of the members of your craft community. Bring your latest craft project and get together to share what everyone is working on.  Light snacks and beverages will be provided. Please feel free to bring your own snacks or drinks.  Free.  http://thebridgepai.org/calendar/craft-cville/2016-02-01/

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Saturday 2/6 Basic Tractor Repair 
9am-3pm at Middle Fork Farm
Correctly maintaining a tractor will add years to its useful life and save you time and money.  This class teaches you basic troubleshooting, maintenance and repair of your tractor.  $119.  Register through PVCC at http://www.pvcc.edu/academics/instructional-divisions/workforce-services.

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Sunday 2/7 Casa Alma Open House
2-4pm at 911 Nassau St.
Enjoy community and refreshments at this unique urban homestead.  http://casa-alma.org/

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Saturday 2/13 Organic Orchard Management and Pruning
9am-4pm  at 912 Woodfolk Dr.
This workshop will be conducted by Alexis Zeigler of Living Energy Farm. It will focus on planning, pruning, and maintaining an organic home orchard without the use of toxic chemicals.  The workshop location has an established orchard that produces a lot of fruit with no spraying and little maintenance.  You will be able to learn how to take care of the trees hands-on.  Light snowfall pushes the class to 2/20 .  $25.   Contact Alexis at  540-205-0433 to register.

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Annual Bake "N Bike Valentine's Day Scone Extravaganza
 Now in its 12th year, the “Bake ‘N Bike” scone sale is a local Valentine's Day tradition. During this one-of-a-kind event, costumed bicycling volunteers deliver freshly baked heart-shaped, chocolate chip scones with a valentine to  people all over Charlottesville.  For each order, there is a requested $20 donation. All proceeds go to Charlottesville Community Bikes, a non-profit program to promote environmentally-sound transportation, recycle bicycles, and make cycling accessible.  Get your order in by 2/13!  http://www.cvillecommunitybikes.com/

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Composting Available at McIntire Recycling Center
City and County residents will be able to take their food waste and compostables to McIntire Recycling Center from early January 2016 through March 31st, 2016!  Compostables must be brought in compostable bags (not regular trash bags).  Free three gallon compostable bags are available on site, or you can find them at Kroger, Whole Foods, and Harris Teeter.  NO YARD WASTE will be accepted, and NO COMMERCIAL FOOD WASTE or NON-COMPOSTABLES will be accepted.  Compostable items will be accepted during normal hours of McIntire Recycling Center.

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Energize!Charlottesville Tips and Tricks
Check out the Energize!Charlottesville webpage for all kinds of ideas on how to power down, save money, and help our town win the prize of $5 million for saving the most energy.  http://www.energizecharlottesville.org/

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Grubbin' On Bugs
If you missed this engaging Skill Share, much of what we learned can also be found in the article "Why Entomophagy Matters" at local blog http://hautepasture.com/.



6
Sacred Plant Traditions upcoming classes and workshops
Year I: Foundations of Herbalism – Nine-Month Weekend Program
March 12 – November 13, 2016
Year I: Foundations of Herbalism – Six Month Day Program
Sept 13, 2016 – March 14, 2017
Year II: Clinic I – Therapeutics
March 30 – Nov 9, 2016
Year III: Clinic II – Practice
March 31 – Nov 10, 2016
July 23, 2016: The Art of Fermentation
July 24, 2016: Kitchen Apothecary
Description: eaf4hedsMORE CLASSESDescription: eaf4heds2
Six Week Introduction to Herbal Healing:
Spring Session: April 12 – May 17, 2016; Day 10-noon, Evening 6:30 – 8:30
Summer Session: June 14 – July 19, 2016; Day 10-noon, Evening 6:30 – 8:30
April 29 – May 1, 2016:
Weekend with Phyllis D. Light
June 24 – 26, 2016:
Rosita Arvigo – Mayan Cosmology



7.
Professor Barkslip's Fruit School: Better than Organic, with well seasoned orchardist Bill Whipple
Glade Road Growing, Blacksburg, VA - Saturday and Sunday March 5-6, both days 9 am - 5 pm
Join Bill Whipple through this holistic orchard approach to fruit happiness without chemicals founded on thoughtful site analysis, choosing appropriate species, and open-eyed management.  Applicable for home orchards, small farms and the rest of the world!

Saturday, March 5th, 9 am- 5 pm: Orchard site analysis and species selection; planting, soil and understory management; pruning for new plantings; pruning and mature tree care
Sunday, March 6th, 9 am- 5 pm: Plant propagation with seed, layer, and rooting; grafting and cloning around (hands-on with a tree to take home); advanced top working

Bill Whipple has been growing pears in southeast West Virginia for 28 years on his Talking Hill Farm without chemicals and markets them regionally. He has added over 1000 trees of mixed species in the last 10 years and has begun a fruit and nut breeding program. His model is a testimony to the fact that we can grow a wide diversity of chemical-free fruit in our region. Learn more about Bill on his website www.barkslip.com < http://www.barkslip.com/>.

Classes will be held at Glade Road Growing, 2351 Glade Road, Blacksburg, Va.
 *Homemade farm lunch provided both days.*
Early bird registration (by Feb 1); $150 full weekend; $85 single day
Late bird registration (after Feb 1): $180 full weekend; $100 single day

Details and sign up available at gladeroadgrowing.com < http://gladeroadgrowing.com/> or call (540) 808-0672


8.
Plenty! Farm is hiring a Farm Manager and Two Interns for the 2016 season
Floyd, VA
Plenty! is a non-profit organization whose mission is to nourish community and preserve Floyd county traditions by encouraging neighbors to grow and share food.  The Plenty! Farm is home to the Plenty!Fresh Food Bank as well as the center for several food sharing programs and educational gatherings.  Plenty! values freshness in produce and programs, generosity in giving and receiving and welcomes all those in need of improved access to nutritious food.   The farm rotates 2 acres and a 2,100 sq. ft. high tunnel through mixed vegetable production using organic management. 
Please call 540-745-3898 or visit www.plentylocal.org for details and application information.


9.
Urban Environments: Conservation Practices in Developed Areas
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service - January 27, 2016, 2 pm Eastern
Presenter: Katrina M. Krause, Social Science Analyst, USDA Forest Service and USDA Northeast Climate Hub, with invited co-presenters
January 27, 2016, 2:00 PM Eastern / 11:00 AM Pacific, 60 Minutes


10.
RESEARCH FUNDING OPPORTUNITY - Organic Farming Research Foundation
Application Deadline February 8, 2016

The Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) grants program is currently accepting research proposals from applicants residing in Canada, Mexico and the United States. In particular, OFRF encourages farmers, ranchers, graduate students, early career researchers, veterans, and Extension personnel to consider applying. Focus on Soil Healht.
The deadline for proposals is February 8, 2016. OFRF will make funding decisions in March, 2016 and applicants will be notified of these decisions by mid-spring, 2016.

To submit a proposal, visit OFRF.org.


11.
Envision Gathers World-Renowned Roster of Instructors for 2016’s Yoga and Movement Workshop Lineup


Envision Festival - Costa Rica - Uvita, CR - In a lush jungle surrounded by miles of secluded beach near the bohemian surf town of Dominical, Envision Festival - Costa Rica is working to expand a new world of sacred movement, growth, focused practice, and the pursuit for personal discovery alongside an expertly curated music festival. As a gathering dedicated to awakening the mind, body and spirit, Envision Festival is proud to unveil the full yoga and workshop lineupfor the sixth annual edition of Envision, taking place on the shores of Uvita, Costa Rica, February 25 - 28, 2016.

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