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 local food listening session tonight. 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
Virginia Farm-to-Table
Listening Session- An Opportunity for Public Input

As part of a grant-funded study by the Virginia Food System Council, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech, Virginia State University and UVA’s Institute for Environmental Negotiation
THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2011 at 6:00-7:30PM
Registration and Refreshments at 5:45pm

JABA, 674 HILLSDALE DRIVE, CHARLOTTESVILLE, 22901
(Behind Fashion Square Mall)

What do YOU think?
• What does a healthy, safe food system look like to you?
• What are the challenges, opportunities and priorities for strengthening Virginia’s local food system?
• What is needed to increase production, distribution and consumption of local food?

Who should attend?
• Consumers
• Farmers, food entrepreneurs, chefs & restaurants
• Anyone interested in sustainable community health and nutrition
• Local government, community planners, and economic development officers
• Environmental conservation groups, farmland protection agencies
• Farm and food cooperatives

This is a listening session to gather your input about Virginia’s food system; we will not attempt to reach consensus at this meeting, but rather record your opinions and input. Information gathered will be used to develop a state farm-to-table plan by the Virginia Food System Council.

For more information, contact
Judy Berger, jberger@jabacares.org, or Lynda Fanning, lef5h@virginia.edu


2.
Workshop - Home Cooling Strategies to Save You Money
LEAP Event
When: Thu, Jun 9, 2011 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
Where: ecoREMOD: The Energy House (608 Ridge St.)
Download the event flyer.

It's Getting Hot Out There!
With the heat and humidity of summer already here, join us for this LEAP workshop, "Home Cooling Strategies to Save You Money."

Speakers will include:
-- Tom Kavounas of Albemarle Heating and Air
-- Leslie Burns of Leslie Burns Design
-- Guy Caroselli, one of LEAP's building science experts

Light refreshments and tours of ecoREMOD will be provided.

RSVP: annie@leap-va.org


3.
The Garden Grants application process is open. A partnership between Cville Foodscapes and the Quality Community Council , the Garden Grants program awards free gardens to low-income households. Please help us get applications to people who could use this support. Also, we welcome tax-deductible donations, which can be made to the Quality Community Council. Visit their website to donate through PayPal, or send a check to the address below.

The application is attached. Applications are due May 20th. The only eligibility criteria is the household must already qualify for some kind of income-based assistance. The garden awarded includes a prepared and planted bed, a compost bin, a rain barrel, as well as a garden care guide and 2 follow-up visits.

The application can also be found on the Cville Foodscapes website <.http://cvillefoodscapes.com/garden-grants/>. You can mail or drop of the applications to:

Quality Community Council
327 W. Main Street, Suite 101
Charlottesville, VA 22903


4.
Permaculture Design Certification Course August 18-30, 2011 Sundays off

Students will design a food forest, terracing pools and botanical sanctuaries for this woodlands site in Victoria, VA. Instructors Cliff Davis and Matthew English, formerly with The Farm in Tennessee, have 20 years of experience living and practicing permaculture. Comprehensive curriculum focuses on design principles and problem solving for temperate climate zones. Demonstration gardens will be constructed and field trips are included in the registration. You may register for a 3 day orientation and those who complete all 72 hours and individual project assignments will receive an internationally recognized Permaculture Design Certificate. Look forward to 11 days of shared inspiration that will reduce your carbon footprint and prosper your permaculture practice!
REGISTER: www.naturesfriends.ning.com OR wearenaturesfriends@gmail.com for more information
--
"bringing heaven to earth"... www.naturesfriends.ning.com

Rev. Marjani Dele
POB 497 Victoria, VA 23974
(434) 696-2439


5.
Homestead Intern sought to help with various farm projects including organic garden, chickens, pig, tree planting, water catchment, light carpentry, stone masonry, forestry, mushrooms, food preservation including canning, fermenting, and solar drying.
Work 16 hours per week for your room and board in our passive-solar home 6 miles north of Staunton.

Learn while you work - you are not expected to know how to do everything. This opportunity is about learning how to live more sustainably, not how to make a living. A good work ethic is more important than experience.

Contact Holly Parker at
hparker@augustamed.com


6.
What: Transition town meeting -Transition Charlottesville/Albemarle Transitioncville.org

When: 7 PM on the third Monday of each month, 20 June

Where: Unitarian Church, 717 Rugby Rd Charlottesville, VA

Questions: Hfcusa.org@gmail.com - Phone (434)987-1026


7.
Sally Nash is seeking permaculture design assistance in the Falls Church area for an outdoor sloped area. Please contact her at sallynash53@gmail.com if you are interested in doing a permaculture design.


8.
New Blog:
You can find it at www.HomeplaceEarth.wordpress.com or go to my website at www.HomeplaceEarth.com and click on the blog link. I'll be writing at least every couple weeks and sometimes every week. Next week's post is about starting your own sweet potato slips. Homeplace Earth is also on Facebook now. Imagine that!

Hope you enjoy it.
Cindy
Cindy Conner
Homeplace Earth


9.
Great One Day Classes for beginners and then some

Permaculture and the Herb Garden
Saturday, June 11
9:30am – 2:30pm
Join Kathleen for a day of instruction on how to set up medicinal gardens and botanical sanctuaries. We will begin with sheet mulching, look at garden layout and simple design and talk about the needs and growing conditions of common herbal medicines. We will wander back to the woodland sanctuary that has been created and talk about conservation and ecological harvest issues as they relate to United Plant Savers. We will also look at drying roots, flowers and leaves of our favorite plant allies.

Herbal teas will be provided at all the one day workshops. Please pack a bag lunch.
Fee for the class is $75. Deposit $30.
www.sacredplanttraditions.com
________________________________________
Kitchen Apothecary
Kitchen Apothecary - First Harvest
Sunday, June 12
9:30am – 2:30pm
This class can stand alone or be a wonderful conclusion to the garden class taught the day before. In this class, participants will actually harvest and make herbal preparations that are safe and time-honored recipes to be used for the family. We will learn the art of making salves, tinctures, oils and teas as well as how to stock our family medicine chest. This is an excellent class for those that are interested in learning sustainable ways of keeping selves and families healthy.
Herbal teas will be provided at all the one day workshops. Please pack a bag lunch.
Fee for the class is $75. Deposit $30.
www.sacredplanttraditions.com
______________________
Energy Medicine with Phyllis Light
July 1, 2, & 3, 2011
We welcome Phyllis back this year with a very special offering. As those that have been coming for the past five years to our weekends with Phyllis know, two days only leaves us wanting more. To remedy this, we have planned on a three day intensive.
There are two ways to participate in this class. You may come to just the weekend, $295 or participate in all three days for $395.

www.sacredplanttraditions.com

10.
Welcome to Sacred in Permaculture

A Global Certificate Course
Goals for the Global Certificate Course

1. Study, observe and articulate one’s individual relationship to the sacred in permaculture;
2. Investigate and map how this individual awareness of the sacred can facilitate a more holistic permaculture practice at the family and community levels.
Please join us and share your ideas of the sacred. Some of the pages are viewable only after you Register and become a Member. Please visit Course Requirements & About Us for details on the course plus facilitator bios & contact info. The site and educational experience is yours to help craft and share with the community, especially in the Groups & one-on-oneconferences via Skype.
– Melissa Miles & Willi Paul

http://sacredpermaculture.net/


11.
Tim and Frances (Miller) Crowhill Sauder are looking for a temporary care-taking farm position while they begin to search to purchase their own farm somewhere in proximity to Harrisonburg/Staunton (location is flexible). They will be moving from Pennsylvania in early September. They are interested in diversified sustainable agriculture. Tim has 7 years of experience with dairy farming, plus 5 years experience on a diversified farm in Germany including 2 years of farm school (in Germany). He also has carpentry skills and mechanical skills. Frances has 6 years of experience working on organic produce farms and has studied permaculture design. Their ideal scenarios would be: 1. to apprentice at a farm with draft horses 2. a rent to own situation. 3. Or any temporary situation that will give them time to find land. They are also open to buying a place as early as this fall if the perfect situation comes up. Frances is also a musician and a grad student at Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg.
Contact: francesemiller@hotmail.com


12.
Live Sustainably on an ACRE
2977 Hardware Rd. Scottsville, VA 24590
Live sustainably and comfortably on a beautiful 1.12 acre lot only 600 yards from the confluence of the James and Hardware River and less than 400 yards from the James River Wildlife management area and boat launch.

Outside amenities include 4000 square feet of gardens, with irrigation, partly surrounded by a deer fence. There is a barn that also works as a two car garage or workspace, a chicken coop with fencing and a tool shed. Want some livestock? There is a quarter of an acre fenced in that is suitable for a few goats, a miniature cow or a lama or perhaps just a great space for some dogs. Entertain with a cedar arbor and pergola, in ground fire pit, and horseshoe pit. Inquire about a list of herbs, flowers, fruits and vegetables on the property, many of which are ready for you to eat.
Inside, the house has been newly redone and the basement was finished this winter. The house comes with two wood burners, one a soapstone that is 92% efficient and heated the house throughout the last winter, helped by the new insulation in the attic. The house also has an oil fired furnace and an electric water heater and well. The floors are a mixture of bamboo, tile (some recycled) and carpet. There are 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and the total livable space is 1800 square feet. All appliances are included.

This is a well taken care of house that is ripe with possibilities for your sustainable home or retreat. Into fishing, hiking, gardening? You can do it all!
Vegetable garden #1 Basement/family room Pasture and outbuildings
For more information contact:
Peter Lee of Roy Wheeler Realty Co.
434-951-5142 or 434-960-6486
peterlee@roywheeler.com


13,
I have a 49.75-acre place about one mile from Lost River State Park in Mathias, WV. This is about an hour west of Strasburg, Va., 45 minutes NE of Harrisonburg, and 1.5 hours SW of Winchester. The place is mostly hilled/forested, with some flat areas that would be suitable for pasture and/or a greenhouse and gardens. It has a livable hundred-year-old farmhouse (2-3 bedrooms, living room, large dining room/kitchen, full bath, attached solarium), detached cold house/root cellar, large outbuilding w/loft, and small outbuilding. Heat source is a wood stove, but there is a propane stove that can also be reconnected for heat. A large stream (Jenkins Run) bisects the property at the base of the hills and two smaller streams run down to meet it. It's quiet, picturesque -- with many distinct microclimates and a mix of evergreens and hardwoods -- hikable, and has great energy. Wildlife includes deer, bears, a variety of birds, reptiles and amphibians (no copperheads ever seen, just the resident black snake, along with spotted salamanders), and plenty of spiders, butterflies, and praying mantises.

And the price has just been lowered to $159,900.

If you or someone you know is interested, please contact me at 410/757.4070.

Many thanks!
Leigh

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
________________________________________
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

upcoming events

Greetings All,

Below you will find an amazing collection of info on upcoming permaculture and sustainability events in the near future in the central Virginia bioregion including several opportunities to learn about growing fruit.

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
www.blueridgepermaculture.net


1.
Put your Project on the Blue Ridge Permaculture Network website!

Several people have requested an expanded BRPN website to facilitate sharing knowledge and information. We are going to be significantly expanding “Members work” section of the Blue Ridge Permaculture Network website to help facilitate learning about each others’ project, and updating other elements of the website.

http://www.blueridgepermaculture.net/members.html

Please email Christine at christinegyovai@gmail.com up to three photos, a description of about 100 - 200 words, and a website link (if you have one) to your permaculture or sustainability project to be included on the website.


2.
Sponsored by Local Food Hub and Blue Ridge Permaculture Network.

Professor Barkslip's Fruit School
Date: April 16 & 17, 9am - 5pm
Location: Educational Farm at Maple Hill
Cost: BEFORE MARCH 19: $60/day, $120/weekend. AFTER MARCH 19: $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


3.
Radical Roots Farm has 35 remaining CSA shares available for pick up at the Meade Park Market in Charlottesville every Wednesday starting June 1 from 3:30 to 6:30
Certified Naturally Grown produce
direct from our farm to your table,
every week from June to September.
Sign up now to reserve your share! RadicalRootsFarm.com

CSA members also recieve a 10% discount at the Radical Roots booth at the Charlottesville Farmers Market starting April 2nd!

New this year, Mountain View Farm CHEESE and BUTTER shares available and Radical Roots EGGS.
Please forward this message to your healthy eating friends. More information on our website.

Thanks, Dave & Lee O’Neill
www.radicalrootsfarm.com


4.
Creating a Food Forest in Your Yard
a workshop with Toby Hemenway author of Gaia's Garden

April 3, 2011 (Sunday)
9:00 am- 5:00 pm

Lynchburg College, Room (TBA)
FREE!!!
Reply to yos@lynchburg.edu
to register …space is limited!

This day-long workshop will focus on the basics of designing, planting, and maintaining a many-layered woodland garden of fruit and nut trees, perennial and annual vegetables, and flowers. Toby will cover the theory behind food forests as well as give a wealth of practical information, including which plants to use, where to start, and what to expect as your food forest grows. Food forests, or edible forest gardens, are life-filled places that not only provide food for people, but habitat for wildlife, carbon sequestering, biodiversity, natural soil building, beauty and tranquility, and a host of other benefits.


5.
Mushroom Growing Workshops
Sharondale Farm, Cismont, VA
Spring 2011
for more info contact Mark Jones: info@sharondalefarm.com; p: 434-296-3301

Growing Mushrooms at Home: an Introduction to Permaculture of the Fungi.
Learn about mushroom biology, ecology and cultivation of mushrooms in the garden and woods. Demonstrations include simple outdoor methods for growing gourmet and medicinal mushrooms. We will inoculate logs and install a gourmet mushroom bed in the garden. Each person will take home a bag of spawn to start their own mushroom garden.
March 19th or April 2nd. 9am-12pm
Sharondale Farm, Cismont, VA (http://shop.sharondalefarm.com/)

Urban Mushroom Growing: Learn about mushroom biology, ecology & urban permaculture. Activities include several hands-on small space gardening methods for cultivating mushrooms on logs, coffee grounds, cardboard, and other urban wastes! Every participant takes home a small bag of oyster mushroom spawn - this is an excellent species for growing mushrooms on many available urban resources.
March 26th- Tricycle Gardens, Richmond, VA (http://tricyclegardens.org/programs/)

Backyard Sustainability Crash Course (April 1-3, Friday Night–Sunday) Ezekiel's Guild, Lynchburg, VA: We’ll start with permaculture design on Friday night, and on Saturday we’ll cover various traditions of sustainable gardening, with an emphasis on soil health and opportunities for hands-on learning. We will explore herb gardening and survey the primary herbal medicine preparations, helping you to start your own home apothecary. If all goes well, as the sun goes down we may even establish a top-bar beehive, and we’ll talk about sustainable and healthy beekeeping at home. Sunday we’ll dive into grafting fruit trees and talk about backyard chicken keeping. But perhaps most importantly, in the afternoon we’ll get into home mushroom cultivation (featuring fungus farmer Mark Jones of Sharondale Farm), with an emphasis on shittake, oyster, garden giant, and almond portobello. Upon completion students will take home a spiral notebook of sustainable gardening notes, medicinal herb preparations, at least one fruit tree that you’ve grafted yourself, and a 3lb bag of mushroom spawn to get you started cultivating at home. $200-250, sliding scale. For more info or to register: www.ezekielsguild.com
For more info about mushrooms at Sharondale Farm, check out this website:www.sharondalefarm.com


6.land Orchard Farm

Permaculture potluck near Harrisonburg, VA on Saturday evening, March 12, at 6:30 pm -- anyone with BRPN is welcome to join us. It is being hosted by a student in the current New Community Project Permaculture Design Course:

55 Transom Ct.
Mt. Crawford, VA 22841

Call Adam Campbell with any questions at: 540.209.7378.


7.
The Electricity Fairy, a new documentary by Appalshop filmmaker Tom Hansell, is set to screen at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville on March 15th in Minor Hall, Room 125. The screening will begin at 7:30 PM and is open to the public.

The film focuses on coal extraction and a power plant being built in Wise County, Virginia. Hansell follows the story of the plant, connecting the local controversy to the debate over a national energy policy.

Following the screening, Tom Hansell, the filmmaker, along with Kathy Selvage, a Wise County resident and activist, and Cale Jaffe, senior attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center, both featured in the documentary, and Tom Cormons, Virginia Director of Appalachian Voices, will participate in a discussion and interaction with the audience.

The event is sponsored by the UVA Student Council Environmental Sustainability Committee, the Green Grounds Group, UVA Beyond Coal, and Appalachian Voices.

For more information about the film and additional screenings you can visit www.electricityfairy.org

See www.virginia.edu for a map to room Minor 125


8.
Firsthand Farmers Cooperative CSA

We are a group of central Virginia area farms working together to provide a diverse offering of local products through Community Supported Agriculture or CSA. CSA is a method of purchasing farm goods directly from local farms that benefits both the farmer and the consumer. CSA members pay for their shares at the beginning of the season and then receive a weekly delivery of farm products during the season. Shares include vegetables, herbs, eggs, dairy, and mushroom options. Contact CSA manager – Kathryn Bertoni available at astarfarm@netzero.net or 434-277-9304 with questions or for more information.

9.

March 22: Piedmont Horticulture Conference "Strengthening the Local Food Economy"

Tuesday, March 22, 2011
8:30am-3pm
Graves Mountain Lodge, Syria, VA

Join the Virginia Cooperative Extension, Madison County Farmers Market, and FamilyFarmed.orgto learn about the local food economy at the 2011 Piedmont Horticulture Conference, at Graves Mountain Lodge in Syria. This year's theme is "Strengthening the Local Food Economy" and will include lectures from local speakers on a variety of topics to include marketing to the consumer, wholesale success, food safety programs, a regional food hubs panel discussion and more. To register for the Conference, please email Brad Jarvis: bjarvis@vt.edu, or call the Madison Extension Office at (540) 948-6881.
http://www.buylocalvirginia.org/index.cfm/1,31,825,-1,html


10.
Transition Blue Ridge updated website and upcoming meeting
http://transitionblueridge.org/Blog/
Also, the Transition Blue Ridge group is starting up again.
The next meeting on April 1 at Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church-UU
at 7 p.m. Everyone interested in moving the group forward and continuing the work is welcome to attend.

11.
Highland Orchard Farm
Seeking Experienced Farm Manager: Summer 2011 landOrchard Farm
Salary $30-$40k
Accommodation includes 3BR farm House
Highland Orchard Farm seeks an experienced, enthusiastic individual to manage our growing farm enterprise. Set on 900 acres in Albemarle County in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, we raise a growing herd of Black Angus and Red Devon cattle, which serves as the cornerstone of our business. We are also home to a small herd of dairy goats, and an emerging goat milk soap business, Sweet Magnolia Creamery. Along with our legacy peach orchard, and newly installed 8-acre vineyard, we aim to build a diversified, sustainable family farm.

Ideal candidate is a self-starter, with an eye toward new business ideas and development, and brings 5-10 years experience managing a grass-fed cattle herd. Spanish speaking skills are a plus. We promote an entrepreneurial environment with opportunities for profit sharing. Our goal is to continue to build a sustainable family farm in a warm, friendly environment. Our Manager’s home is a small three-bedroom 1.5 bath cottage built in the 1930’s with sweeping views over our pastures, and the network of streams that form the headwaters of the Hardware River. We are underway with a master plan to renovate our barn complex, and vegetable gardens. The first phase of our renovation was featured in Albemarle Magazine’s tribute to Virginia Farm Restoration projects entitled, Barn Again, in August 2010.

Contact: Jonathan Gilliland Office: 434.220.0195 Mobile: 434.996.8022


12.

VIRGINIA LOVES MOUNTAINS

Friday, March 25th is our second annual Virginia Loves Mountains Day! On March 25th, people across the commonwealth will join forces to let Senators Webb and Warner know, without a doubt, that Virginians want them to fully support the EPA and to stop mountaintop removal once and for all.

Wise Energy for Virginia

http://wiseenergyforvirginia.org/save-the-date/


13.
Shenandoah Sustainability Summit
Saturday, April 23, 2011 from 10:00 AM - 3:30 PM (ET)
Cally's Banquet Room
41 Court Square
Harrisonburg, VA 22801
http://shenandoah2011-eivtefrnd.eventbrite.com/



14.
Edible Forest Gardens with Dave Jacke
Edible Ecosystems Emerging: Food Forestry for the 21st Century
April 15th-24th
Join us for a nine-day forest garden design intensive with Dave Jacke and friends!

Forest ecosystems exhibit many beneficial properties we humans would be wise to emulate in our culture, agriculture and horticulture: they maintain, renew, fertilize and propagate themselves without human inputs; they build, store, and conserve clean air, clean water, nutrients, soil quality, and biodiversity; and they exhibit stability, resilience, and adaptability. These qualities emerge from the dynamics of the forest as a whole system, not from any one or more of the elements that comprise the forest alone. To design productive edible ecosystems that express these same qualities, we must understand forest structures, functions, patterns, and processes and use this knowledge wisely.

In this nine-day intensive course, you will dive deeply into the vision, theory, and practice of designing wholesome, dynamic, and resilient edible ecosystems using temperate deciduous forests as models. Dave Jacke and his Pennsylvania-based teaching team will offer lectures, site walks, and experiential exercises to help you understand how the architecture, social structure, underground economics, and successional processes of natural forests apply in the design of edible ecosystems of all kinds. You'll learn a variety of ecological design processes while designing a range of food-producing ecologies at our host farm. We'll also engage with issues of garden management, economics, and the deep paradigmatic shifts required to succeed at cocreating "humanatural" landscapes and cultures. You will leave inspired and empowered to design food forests at home for yourself, and your friends, neighbors and clients.

For more information and questions, contact Kim Walsh Email ~ info@wildmeadowsfarm.com
Farm # ~ 814-839-4962 or Cell # ~ 612-804-6230
http://wildmeadowsfarm.com/2011/01/11/forest-garden-design-intensive-with-dave-jacke-and-friends-april-15th-24th/



15.
Horticultural Therapy and Social Work

Greetings!
Are you a horticulture therapist in the region willing to share your experience?
A farmer, gardener, social worker, teacher, or foodie with a passion for people, plants, or both?
Someone with an interest in increasing education and outreach around permaculture and sustainable agriculture?

I welcome your experiences, insights, and resources on the multiple benefits of plants!

I am a graduate Social Work student in Richmond, VA completing Independent Study coursework on the topic of Horticultural Therapy (HT) and its use as a Social Work intervention. For the purposes of my research the definition of HT includes the use of both plants and the natural environment in the therapeutic process. While it is intuitive to many that plants are psychologically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually beneficial to individuals I am seeking further resources to support this philosophy. HT is used to enhance and improve the lives of many populations including: people with disabilities, youth with ADHD and other behavioral disorders, seniors, veterans with PTSD and traumatic brain injury, and refugee and immigration populations.

Please contact me and share what you know about HT. How is it beneficial? How could it improve your clients, students, or children’s functioning? Who is doing it? Would you like to be involved? I am developing an HT program model to be implemented in mental health settings in the Richmond area. Any ideas on program development, funding sources, and needs of the region would be greatly appreciated!

While many of you folks may not be engaging in explicitly obvious HT activities, your interest in permaculture, sustainability, and food production is certainly related and I would be grateful for your input! I imagine that many of you are "doing" HT without realization!

Please feel free to check out my blog on Horticultural Therapy and Social Work at www.htsw.blogspot.com or email me at waughec@gmail.com

Thanks in advance for any assistance you may be able offer!

Eileen Waugh
757-817-7334


16.
The next Arts and Culture series at All Saints' Church is "Food, Faith, and Agriculture", with guest speakers Jesse Straight, Ginger Hillery, and Daniel Malcolm. Jesse Straight practices sustainable pasture-based poultry and livestock farming in Warrenton, Virginia. Ginger Hillery runs Full Circle Farm, a family farm and bakery in Catawba, Virginia. Daniel Malcolm is the CSA Farmer for Coverdale Farm, a part of the Delaware Nature Society in Greenville, DE. Join us as they give brief descriptions about their work and reflect on the topics of eating locally, supporting local farmers, and how their Christian lives are important factors in their vocation and home making.

All Saints' Anglican Church
March 20th, 5:30 P.M.
Free Child Care provided.
Wine and Refreshments after lecture.
Call 434.987.3562 for inquiries.


17.
Charlottesville Screening of Lunch Line

Time
Friday, March 25 · 6:30pm - 9:30pm
Location
The Martin Luther King Performing Arts Center at Charlottesville High School
1400 Melbourne Road
Charlottesville, VA
Created By
Lunch Line
More Info
This event is free and open to the public!

Please join us for the Charlottesville premiere of Lunch Line, a film that chronicles the history of school lunch in America. Find out how school lunch became what it is today — and stay for a panel discussion about what we can do to fix it!

Participants include:
Ed Bruske, DC-based chef, journalist, blogger
Alicia Cost, Charlottesville City Schools Nutrition Services Dept. Registered Dietician
Andrea Early, Director of School Nutrition Harrisonburg City Schools
Charles Green, Dir. Marketing & Development, VA Dept of Agriculture & Consumer Services (oversees VA's Farm to School program)
Matt Trowbridge, Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine UVA School of Medicine

Tanya Denckla-Cobb (moderator), UVA Instructor of Urban & Environmental Planning, author of "The Gardener's A-to-Z Guide to Growing Organic Food"


18.
Rose Brown and the Zero Garbage Challenge
March 18, 7:30 p.m.
Join us to hear about how one resident of Charlottesville set out to earn how to live comfortably while producing very little garbage.
She reduced the garbage she generated into 2 small bags for the whole year! Come and learn from her.

An Earth Friendly Friday event sponsored by the Green Sanctuary Task force of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Unitarian Church.
717 Rugby Road in the Social Hall.
Free and open to the public


19.
On March 11 and March 18 from 2-4pm, Randolph College will host two free apple tree grafting workshops taught by Tom Burford, orchard and nursery consultant, specializing in the restoration, re-creation, and design of historic sites and private estates, as well as commercial and backyard orchards.
Participants will have the option of taking back home the apple tree they graft, or donating it to the Randolph College's nursery. The apple cultivars will be diverse and for the most part considered as "Heritage" and disease resistant.

The events will take place at the Randolph College Organic Garden and participants will be allowed to park at the Maier Museum parking lot for free (1 Quinlan Street, Lynchburg, VA 24503).

Any interested person can contact Ludovic at llemaitre@randolphcollege.edu to reserve a seat.


20.
Join Common Good's Volunteer Staff for the 2011 Season – Washington DC
As an almost-entirely volunteer-run organization, we can always use more hands as part of our committed volunteer staff. Contact info@commongoodcityfarm.org for more info. Specific roles we're seeking:

Farm Coordinator: Approximately 3-5 hours per week, hours to be determined, but we're usually open in the late afternoon so a flexible schedule is a major plus! Farm Coordinators co-manage the farm during open hours. Job details include: 1) Assisting volunteers and Green Tomorrows participants with farm work; 2) following weekly list of “to do’s” which usually include weeding, planting, or other farm work; 3) welcoming passers-by, answering questions about the farm and explaining farm programs; 4) maintaning the farm site and upholding its rules. Ideal candidates will have some background in gardening and be comfortable working with diverse groups and children, but we are happy and willing to train.
Volunteer coordinator: Helps respond to standard "I'd like to volunteer! How?" emails, coordinates group visits in communication with the Farm Manager, and leads monthly Volunteer Orientations.
Website & Social Media: Have some Drupal or other CMS experience? We'd like to recruit someone to make our website more user-friendly, as well as keep it updated with occasional news and events. If you'd also like to contribute to our social media presence, help us with Twitter, Facebook, and even a blog.
Greenhouse construction: In storage we have a glass greenhouse, but we need assistance piecing it back together. If you have experience with erecting such a structure, please contact us!


Community Garden plots: Applications accepted until lottery March 19

The new park around the Farm will feature 40 community garden plots, available only to LeDroit Park, Bloomingdale, and Shaw residents. (If you live elsewhere, we unfortunately can't accept an application from you; check out our friends at Neighborhood Farm Initiative'sCommunity Garden Census for a spot near you!) A section of raised beds will be reserved for elderly, beginner, or disabled gardeners, and tools and soil will be provided. The lottery will be held on the Farm at 10a, March 19. Click here to learn more and apply!

Brown Bag Lunch with Sustainable Farmer Eric Herm
March 19, 2011, 12 noon on the Farm

Fourth-generation Texas farmer Eric Herm deals with the harsh economic realities and complicated legislation facing farmers, as well as the undeniable health impact of GMO crops and excessive chemicals on all living creatures in his new book, Son of a Farmer, Child of the Earth: A Path to Agriculture's Higher Consciousness. Mr Herm will speak about the critical need for more American farmers, wider use of sustainable agriculture techniques, and more resilient local communities.

Copies of the book will be available on the farm and at a book signing at Sisterspace and Books, 3717 Georgia Avenue NW, at 6p.

"A Community of Gardeners" Documentary Premiering at Environmental Film Festival

The new documentary "A Community of Gardeners," produced by local filmmaker Cintia Cabib, will premiere at the Environmental Film Festival in the Nation's Capital on Thursday, March 24, at 7 p.m., at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. It will be shown again on Friday, March 25, at 4 p.m., at the Town Hall Education Arts Recreation Campus (THEARC).

"A Community of Gardeners" explores the vital role of seven community gardens in Washington, D.C. and shows how these green spaces are changing people's lives, their communities and their environment. Among the gardens featured is the 7th Street Garden and its rebirth as Common Good City Farm. Executive Director Pertula George will be participating in the post-film discussion at the March 24th screening.

For ticket information and to make reservations, please visit http://www.dcenvironmentalfilmfest.org/films/show/678. To view the trailer and photo gallery, please visit http://www.communityofgardeners.com.


21.
a reference to permaculture while perusing a sight about peak oil:
http://www.energybulletin.net/primer.php

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 Food Storage 101 and Community Seed Swap this weekend.

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
www.blueridgepermaculture.net


1.
Put your Project on the Blue Ridge Permaculture Network website!

Several people have requested an expanded BRPN website to facilitate sharing knowledge and information. We are going to be significantly expanding “Members work” section of the Blue Ridge Permaculture Network website to help facilitate learning about each others’ project, and updating other elements of the website.

http://www.blueridgepermaculture.net/members.html

Please email Christine at christinegyovai@gmail.com up to three photos, a description of about 100 - 200 words, and a website link (if you have one) to your permaculture or sustainability project to be included on the website.


2.
BRPN and the Local Food Hub presents:

Barkslip’s Fruit school
Aren't you just nuts about fruits?

Barkslip’s fruit school is wreaking havoc on convention. Bill Whipple, a.k.a. Professor Barkslip, has been stumbling around fruit orchards for 25 years growing things that he wasnt supposed to grow and fruit school is a chance to come find out what he has learned. Packed tighter than fruit cake, there will be hands on classes in fruit tree care and pruning, rooting, and grafting. This series is a response to there being very little information available for alternative fruit care, and as a follow up intensive to a permaculture design class focusing on getting a low input orchard in production at minimal cost. This class is appropriate for continuous learners, as well as eager beginners. The plant material you walk away with nearly pays for the class.

You will leave with:
· basic skills needed to care for low input home, farm and community orchards
· pruning strategies that support a low input system
· hands-on experience rooting and grafting so you can produce your own plant material at little to no cost
· grafted fruit trees, cuttings and seed starts
· skills to convert ornamental trees into fruit producing mega giants in 3 years

Charlottesville, Va-
April 16th & 17th 9am- 5pm
Contact: info@localfoodhub.org
434-286-2176


3.
Local Food Hub Hosts SPIN Farming Workshop
Maple Hill, Scottsville, VA - March 12, 8:00 am - 4:00 pm

The Local Food Hub in Charlottesville is hosting a day-long workshop on Small Plot Intensive (SPIN) Farming, which is an easy-to-learn method for getting the most production out of a small area (less than one acre, down to a hundred square feet or so) using sustainable and land-restoring practices. This method is excellent for urban farming and gardening, and demonstrates the economic viability and community-sustainability of small scale food production. Experienced SPIN farmer Linda Borghi will conduct the workshop and hands-on demonstration.

Registration is $100, which includes a workbook. To register, email info@localfoodhub.org or call (434) 286-2176.


4.
Would anyone like (for free, of course) a sliding glass door , to be used for a cold frame. Please call me. I am in Belmont in Charlottesville. Heather 434-923-8888.


5.
4th Annual Virginia Berry Production and Marketing Conference
L Douglas Wilder Building, Virginia State University, Petersburg, VA - March 17, 8 am - 4 pm

For a registration fee of just $15 (includes lunch), learn about high tunnel raspberry and blackberry production, new blackberry varieties, table grap production (special feature of this conference), berry crop pset management, and blueberry production and marketing. The day ends with an optional tour of high tunnel berry production.
http://www.virginiafruit.ento.vt.edu/VSUBerryConf2010


6.
Cultivating an Ecological Conscience: An Evening with Farmer Philosopher Fred Kirschenmann
Thursday, March 24, 2011 – 7pm, Fralin Auditorium, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg

Fred Kirshenmann is a world-renowned leader in sustainable agriculture who combines his experience as an organic farmer with an education in philosophy to offer a unique view of agriculture. Kirschenmann is the Distinguished Fellow for the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University and President of Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture in Pocantico Hills, New York. He travels extensively nationally and abroad discussing the importance of maintaining soil health, developing small- and medium-sized farms, and incorporating biodynamic techniques into farms.

Kirschenmann oversees the management of his family's 3,500-acre certified organic farm in south central North Dakota and is a professor in the ISU Department of Religion and Philosophy. He holds a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Chicago and has written extensively about ethics and agriculture.
http://groups.google.com/group/sustainableaged_org/browse_thread/thread/8aaca17a2e7fd50d?pli=1

7.
Moon & Stars Farm Invites You to

Save Money and Increase Your Peace of Mind
Food Storage 101

Learn
- how having extra food on hand saves you time
- how you can save loads of money
- sneaky ways to find space
- low energy ways to keep things
- how to make your community safer


Saturday, February 19th
12-2pm
229 Blackberry Lane, Staunton

Call Holly Parker at 540-292-0991
to save a space and get directions


8.
Nationally recognized author and speaker on food heritage, Gary Nabhan will speak on
"CLIMATE CHANGE AND PLACE-BASED FOOD" in Charlottesville

DATE: Thursday, March 3

TIME: 5:00 PM, followed by a reception and book signing, launching Nabhan's new book, Chasing Chiles (Chelsea Green, 2011).

FREE & OPEN TO ALL: easily accessible by C'ville Trolley and Bus, and parking at nearby Newcomb Hall/bookstore parking and Culbreth Theater parking (after 5pm) (see attached map)

WHERE: Lecture Hall 160, Campbell Hall, School of Architecture, UVa (near Culbreth Theater, off Rugby Road)

Nabhan is an award-winning natural-history writer and ethnobotanist, recognized by Mother
Earth News and Time as a pioneer in the local foods movement. His collaborative conservation work has been honored with lifetime achievement awards from the Quivira Coalition and the Society for Conservation Biology, and with the Vavilov Medal. A pioneer in heirloom seed saving, he raises rare chile peppers and Mission-era orchard crops in Patagonia, Arizona.

www.virginia.edu/foodcollaborative


9.
Fruit Grafting and Propagation All Day Intensive

When: Saturday, April 23rd, 9 AM to 5 PM
Where: 912 Woodfolk Drive, Charlottesville VA, 22902
Registration Contact: Sara Tansey, sara.m.tansey@gmail.com, 843-694-8896
Cost: $50, checks made payable to Living Energy Farm

This all day workshop will be an overview of growing fruit and nuts in Virginia without pesticides and fungicides. Participants will learn which fruit trees can be grown from seed, which can be rooted, and which must be grafted. Participants will learn how to prepare fruit tree seeds for planting, how to root fruiting plants, and how to graft. Numerous grafting techniques will be demonstrated, including:

Whip and tongue grafting and saddle grafting for young trees. Bark grafting and cleft grafting for more mature rootstock. Specialized grafting for nuts and hardwoods. Chip bud and tee bud grafting for stone fruits and citrus. Rooting cuttings, ground and air layering. Growing from seed. Specialized techniques for rooting blueberries and hard to root plants.

The focus will be on techniques that can be used at home with a minimum of tools and expense. Each participant will take home two fruit trees that they graft themselves. Rootstock and scions (grafting wood) will be provided. There will also be extensive discussion of managing orchards in the Southeast without toxic sprays, and other issues relating to horticulture in this area.


10.
Community Seed Swap!
11am, Sunday, February 20th Co-hosted by Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. Bring some seeds (or just come and grab some) and gardening stories and questions. Location: Alexander House Inn & Hostel 1205 Monticello Road, Charlottesville, VA 22902

http://cvillefoodscapes.com/


11.
Saturday, February 19th - the Maryland Organic Food and Farming Association presents their 20th annual Winter Meeting. Our own Ira Wallace is their keynote speaker! From oyster farming to beekeeping, kitchen gardens to local distribution of organic food, there is something for everyone. Whether consumer or farmer, gardener or distributor, this gathering celebrates the rich agricultural atmosphere of Maryland. The day-long event will also feature a live auction, seed swap, and the first local showing of The Greenhorns.
http://www.marylandorganic.org/events.htm

Saturday, February 19th - DC's Field to Fork Network offers Rooting DC, with workshops on basic gardening, school gardens, youth gardening, and more. Stop by for Paul's workshop on seed saving at noon!
http://fieldtoforknetwork.org/rootingdc/

Saturday, March 5th - the Appalachian Farmers Market Association holds their 3rd annual Winter Conference in Bristol, TN. Be sure to attend our presentation to learn about saving seeds for fun and profit!
http://www.appfma.org/events/afma-winter-conference


12.
Virginia State Parks Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) Applications -- Deadline: April 13, 2011 -- The Virginia State Parks Youth Conservation Corps is accepting applications for summer 2011. YCC participants assist with an assortment of projects in Virginia State Parks, including wildlife and fisheries habitat improvement, trail and campground construction and restoration, timber and shoreline improvement, and landscape beautification. Teams of 10 participants will be chosen from current high school students aged 14-17 (participants must be 14 by June 1, 2011) who demonstrate an interest in protecting Virginia’s environment. While no prior experience is necessary, participants will work outside, and the service is physically demanding. The 2011 YCC sessions will be held at 10-12 State Parks across the Commonwealth. The two three-week sessions are scheduled as follows; session one: June 26 - July 16, session two: July 24 – Aug 13. Students may only attend one of the sessions. YCC crew members are provided room, board, tee-shirts and work-related equipment, and receive a $500 stipend at the end of the three weeks. For more information, contact Gaston at 703.583.5497, Fax 703.583.2514, e-mail vspycc@dcr.virginia.gov, or visit www.dcr.virginia.gov. You must have the email address of both your references when you apply on line at: http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state_parks/ycc.shtml.


13.
1. I have many back issues of the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy newsletter, mostly from this past decade, that I would like to give to someone who's either researching heritage breeds (like what they may want to have in their landscape) or who already uses heritage breeds and could benefit from the information. To my knowledge, ALBC covers every domestic animal, including rabbits. I'm in Annapolis, but will be making weekly trips to Charlottesville beginning mid-March.

2. I'm interested in setting up a reading/discussion group locally for Transitions Town exploration. I'd be interested in meeting anyone in Anne Arundel County in this vein. We would use the Transitions reading/discussion material and program created by Transitions NE Seattle, which is available at www.transitionus.org.

Contact Leigh at 410/757.4070 or mimictheforest@yahoo.com for more information.


14.
USDA Organic Farming Systems Conference
Georgetown University, Washington, DC - March 16-18

The USDA will be holding an Organic Farming Systems Conference at Georgetown University with the following objectives:
1 - To examine findings from U.S. research on organic farming systems, including two key types of research-long-term farming experiments and nationwide economic producer surveys.
2 - To explore the implications of these findings for U.S. agricultural productivity, economic viability, environmental stewardship, and quality of life goals.
3 - To facilitate dialogue among the various disciplines, farm groups and other stakeholders involved in organic farming systems research, and to generate recommendations for improving the way this research is conducted.
4 - To create new ideas for future research in organic farming systems.

For more information, and registration, visit: http://www.ers.usda.gov/ConferenceCenter/OrganicFarmingSystems/


15.
Charlottesville Tomorrow's Cville3D project is growing our city within Google Earth. Now YOU can learn how to build these 3D computer models and put Charlottesville-Albemarle on the map (in Charlottesville). We have just set the dates for our next FOUR FREE Google Sketchup trainings with local architect Bob Pineo. Each class will be limited to about 20 students, so sign up early to save a seat. Please feel free to share this invitation with your contacts who may also be interested.

BEGINNER CLASSES -NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY

Google Sketchup 101 (Beginner Class)
Wednesday, February 23, 2011, 6:30 to 8:30 PM
Location: PVCC Stultz Center

Google Sketchup 101 (Beginner Class)
Monday, March 14, 2011, 6:30 to 8:30 PM
Location: PVCC Stultz Center

INTERMEDIATE CLASSES - PAST EXPERIENCE WITH SKETCHUP REQUIRED

Google Sketchup 102 (Intermediate Class)
Wednesday, March 2, 2011, 6:30 to 8:30 PM
Location: PVCC Stultz Center

Google Sketchup 102 (Intermediate Class)
Monday, March 28, 2011, 6:30 to 8:30 PM
Location: PVCC Stultz Center
http://cvilletomorrow.typepad.com/charlottesville_tomorrow_/cville3d.html


16.
Design Thinking Mashup
A Symposium at the UVa School of Architecture – Charlottesville, VA
February 22-23, 2011

Collaboration, Creative Research, and Community
The symposium will explore collaboration, creative research, and community, using Architecture and the Arts as exemplars of creative problem solving techniques.

All events free and open to the public.

For additional information, please contact George Sampson gws6n@virginia.edu
or (434) 924-7307

Sponsored by:
The University of Virginia School of Architecture
https://secure.arch.virginia.edu/groups/designthinkingmashup/


17.
We need you to call your member of Congress RIGHT NOW and urge them to oppose budget bill Amendment 109, key in our fight to end mountaintop removal.
This dangerous amendment would remove the vital funding needed for the EPA to do its job in reviewing mountaintop removal permits and would reverse all action taken by the administration over the past two years to safeguard Appalachian streams and communities.

Call (202) 224-3121 and ask for your representative.

iLoveMountains.org

upcoming events

Greetings All,

Below you will find info on upcoming permaculture and sustainability events in the near future in the central Virginia bioregion—info below on a BRPN potluck, Dave Jacke’s Feb. workshop and upcoming Permaculture Design Courses.

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
www.blueridgepermaculture.net


1. BRPN Potluck and upcoming workshops

Blue Ridge Permaculture Network potluck and seed swap on Friday, Feb. 4th in Charlottesville at 4:30 pm before Dave Jacke's community talk, which starts at 7 pm (workshop and talk announcement below - feel free to forward it to your networks - thanks!). We hope to have a time to get together to hang out, hear what people are working on, and plan strategies for how we, and how BRPN, can support each other's efforts. Bring utensils, a dish to share and seeds to swap (yours or extra seeds you have to trade).

The potluck will be in the middle school of the Mountaintop Montessori school in Charlottesville. Note that the middle school is at the far end of campus, and there is limited parking available right next to the middle school as well as at the campus. Directions may be found at the website:

http://mountaintopmontessori.org/index.php?option=com_contact&Itemid=3


Upcoming Blue Ridge Permaculture Network classes

The Blue Ridge Permaculture Network will offer a spring Introduction to Permaculture workshop and a fall Permaculture Design Course over three 4-day weekends: Sept. 9-12 Oct 7-10, Nov 4-7, 2011 (with childcare).

Gardening Like the Forest Workshop with Dave Jacke, author of Edible Forest Gardens
near Charlottesville, VA in February 2011

Friday Evening Public Talk:
February 4, 2011, 7-9 PM; Suggested donation $10 at the door.
Gardening Like the Forest: Home-Scale Ecological Food Production
At Mountaintop Montessori Community Hall
Healthy forests maintain, fertilize, and renew themselves, naturally. Wouldn’t you like to grow an abundant food-producing ecosystem like this in your back yard? You can! Edible forest gardens mimic the structure and function of natural forests through all their stages of development and grow food, fuel, fiber, fodder, fertilizers, farmaceuticals, and fun. We can meet our own needs and regenerate healthy ecosystems at the same time! This talk introduces the vision of forest gardening with some scientific background, a few living examples, and a sampling of some useful perennial edibles you can use in your own garden. The ecology of forest gardening can also teach us some interesting things about how we might organize human societies. Contact Terry Lilley at tygerlilley@gmail.com or see the website www.blueridgepermaculture for more information.

Weekend Workshop with Dave Jacke:
February 5-6, 2011, 9 AM – 5 PM, with a Saturday evening lecture.
Gardening Like the Forest: Designing Perennial Polycultures
Effective perennial polycultures combine useful perennial plants into vegetation patches that minimize competition, create additive yields, and minimize the gardener’s work and outside inputs. Guild and polyculture design are the most interesting and challenging part of the forest garden design process. This in-depth, intermediate-to-advanced workshop explores the specific ecological theories behind polyculture design through experiential exercises and games. Participants will design perennial polycultures together using a variety of design processes. We’ll also explore the implications of what we learn for the design of ecological human cultures. No prior experience necessary!

The cost for the weekend is a sliding scale of $250-$295. A few work trade positions are available for partial tuition; inquire soon about work trade guidelines and availability.
Contact Terry Lilley at tygerlilley@gmail.com or see the website www.blueridgepermaculture for more information.


2.
New Community Project is pleased to announce we will be teaching a Permaculture Design Course in Spring 2011 in Harrisonburg. This 72-hour certification course will be headquartered at our new Sustainable Living Center, at 715 N. Main St. in Harrisonburg.

Based on patterns and processes of ecological systems, permaculture is the art and science of creating healthy and resilient human environments abundant in food, water, shelter, energy, and community. This course will focus specifically on exploring sustainability strategies for the Shenandoah Valley, and participants will emerge as a thriving practitioner network, each with the ability to design and build gardens, homes, and communities modeled on living ecosystems.

This ecological design course covers such themes as: permaculture ethics and philosophy, ecological system understanding, organic food production, design concepts and techniques, natural soil improvement, edible forest gardening, aquaculture, healthy buildings and human settlements, renewable energy systems, local economies, mushroom cultivation, and much more. Hands-on work and play, group discussion, site tours, lecture, design projects, and work parties will all be used to facilitate a dynamic learning environment.

The dates for the four weekend, 12 day course are: Feb 18-21, Mar 11-13, Apr 8-10, and May 14-15. Cost is a sliding scale from $500-800.

Please contact Adam at ncppdc@gmail.com for details, or to register or read more, see the website:

http://ncpharrisonburg.wordpress.com/perma/


3.
Erik and Lindsay Curren, founders of the online magazine Transition Voice, and of the group, Transition Staunton Augusta, will give a talk Fri, Jan 28, at 7pm at Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church - Unitarian Universalist (717 Rugby Road).

The Currens will describe their organization's efforts to educate their community about peak oil and climate change and strengthen the local economy and food system. Transition Staunton Augusta, which is one of 75 Transition Initiatives in the U.S. and over 650 worldwide, aims to help its community prepare for a lower energy future by ramping up support for the local food system, local businesses, energy conservation, and clean energy. For more information, see transitionvoice.com or http://transitionstaunton.org/. Sponsored by TJMC-UU's Green Sanctuary Task Force. Free.

If you've never heard of the Transition movement, here's a 5-minute video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGHrWPtCvg0&feature=related

If you've got 18 minutes, this one goes into greater depth:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8meWY0W40OA&feature=related

For more information, contact Nancy at nhurrelbrinck@gmail.com.


4.
Carbon, Our Energy Future, and You: A Community Workshop
The City of Charlottesville, the County of Albemarle, and the University of
Virginia are hosting a Community Workshop inviting the public to learn more
about ongoing initiatives related to energy opportunities and impacts, including
recent efforts to identify effective energy management strategies.
Cost: Free
Date: Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Time: 6:00-8:00 pm
Note: Display Stations will be available for viewing
in the Lobby all day on January 26th
Place: Albemarle County Office Building
Auditorium and Lobby
401 McIntyre Road
Charlottesville, VA
Further information: www.charlottesville.org/agreencity

5.
Farm Work – Charlottesville area farm

Looking for a Farm Assistant for 2011 season. Would be responsible for all aspects of field work (seeding to harvesting of vegetables, flowers, and herbs) and selling at weekly farmers markets. Season would be March-November. Minimum of 1 year farming experience is required. This position would be a good fit for a person with some experience who wants to have more responsibility and learn more about all aspects of running a farm while receiving guidance and mentoring. Receives a weekly stipend with possibility for bonus based on season/sales (bonus reviewed 3 times a season). For more information: contact Steph at newbranch@ntelos.net


6.
A screening of Queen of the Sun about bees, on Sunday, Jan. 23 will be at the Haven at First and Market in Charlottesville from 4-6:30 pm. To learn more about the film, visit www.queenofthesun.com.


7.
Gardeners for the Bay is a free “pledge program” for people who love to garden and want to keep our rivers and streams clean. We have Gardener for the Bay members all across the state and try to offer various workshops – from professionals like you – to help further educate and engage them in Bay and Eco-friendly gardening and growing. For example, we helped host a workshop on composting last fall and winter gardening last winter season with local earth-friendly gardening groups and non-profits.

If you have ideas on how we could partner on any events or workshops please let me know!

Thanks for your time,
Jess

Jessica Barton
VA Grassroots Coordinator
1108 East Main Street, Suite 1600
Richmond, VA 23219
804-780-1392


8.
Anyone interested in having their own piece of land to garden? International Community in Greene County has garden space for individuals that don't have their own garden space or would prefer to garden with others. A great way to share your knowledge, techniques, and watering time etc. with other local Gardeners. Plowing, tilling, water, and a small greenhouse are available. Grow for yourself, share with your friends, or sell your extras at the local farmers market. Call or e-mail David for more details. 434-985-7895 or mrbillybobjimbo@yahoo.com


9.
Folks, there will be an onslaught of attacks on the EPA because of the ruling to deny the permit for the Spruce No.1 Surface Mine, outlined here on EPA's water quality page (linked below). The EPA needs to hear from people like us who believe that atomic-bomb-style mining in West Virginia and Kentucky needs to cease. Mountain top removal mining destroys more plentiful, legitimate mining jobs that go with environmental integrity. Communities in West Virginia are having their land, air and water quality poisoned by extensive, dangerous mining practices unchecked by most state and federal regulatory and environmental agencies.

Please share this email with your friends and look for the "Contact us" link on this page:
http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/guidance/cwa/dredgdis/404c_index.cfm


10.
GROWING COMMUNITIES WORKSHOP

From: The American Community Garden Association(ACGA)
www.communitygarden.org
Who: Gardeners, leaders, educators, volunteers, supporters of
community gardens, food justice advocates, master gardeners, and
others seeking to use community gardening to meet their program
objectives and create healthy communities.

What: Two-day interactive workshop giving participants the tools to
enhance community building and leadership development through
gardening.
Meet other people in the C-ville community, have fun, and leave with
new ideas!

When: Friday Feb 4 - 8:30 am-5:00 pm Saturday Feb 5 - 9:00 am-
4:00 pm

Registration includes BOTH Friday and Saturday !

Where: CitySpace 100 5th ST NE Charlottesville,VA 22902

Cost: $75 per individual, sliding scale based on ability to pay.

Fee includes: ACGA membership (invaluable for most, $30 for everyone
else),
Growing Communities Curriculum ($35 value)
2 days of workshop w/ breakfasts and lunches!

RSVP: Register online: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/141988

Contact: Healthy Food Coalition (434) 987-1026
www.HFCusa.org@gmail.com

Specific Workshop Topics include: Community Organizing, Leadership
Development, Grassroots Fundraising Basics, Asset-Based Community
Development, Communications Planning, Coalition Building, Diversity,
Meeting
Facilitation and Group Decisions.

Participants receive the “Growing Communities Curriculum,” a 352 page
resource workbook, which includes curriculum materials that walk the
reader through the process of conducting training workshops.

upcoming events

Greetings All,

Below you will find info on upcoming permaculture and sustainability events in the near future in the central Virginia bioregion—info below on Dave Jacke’s Feb. workshop and upcoming Permaculture Design Courses.

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
www.blueridgepermaculture.net


1.
Upcoming Blue Ridge Permaculture Network classes
Stay tuned here and on the website for information about 2011 permaculture classes

The Blue Ridge Permaculture Network will offer a spring Introduction to Permaculture workshop and a fall Permaculture Design Course over three 4-day weekends: Sept. 16-19, Oct 7-10, Nov 4-7, 2011 (with childcare).

Gardening Like the Forest Workshop with Dave Jacke, author of Edible Forest Gardens
near Charlottesville, VA in February 2011

Friday Evening Public Talk:
February 4, 2011, 7-9 PM; Suggested donation $10 at the door.
Gardening Like the Forest: Home-Scale Ecological Food Production
Healthy forests maintain, fertilize, and renew themselves, naturally. Wouldn’t you like to grow an abundant food-producing ecosystem like this in your back yard? You can! Edible forest gardens mimic the structure and function of natural forests through all their stages of development and grow food, fuel, fiber, fodder, fertilizers, farmaceuticals, and fun. We can meet our own needs and regenerate healthy ecosystems at the same time! This talk introduces the vision of forest gardening with some scientific background, a few living examples, and a sampling of some useful perennial edibles you can use in your own garden. The ecology of forest gardening can also teach us some interesting things about how we might organize human societies. Contact Terry Lilley at tygerlilley@gmail.com or see the website www.blueridgepermaculture for more information.

Weekend Workshop with Dave Jacke:
February 5-6, 2011, 9 AM – 5 PM, with a Saturday evening lecture.
Gardening Like the Forest: Designing Perennial Polycultures
Effective perennial polycultures combine useful perennial plants into vegetation patches that minimize competition, create additive yields, and minimize the gardener’s work and outside inputs. Guild and polyculture design are the most interesting and challenging part of the forest garden design process. This in-depth, intermediate-to-advanced workshop explores the specific ecological theories behind polyculture design through experiential exercises and games. Participants will design perennial polycultures together using a variety of design processes. We’ll also explore the implications of what we learn for the design of ecological human cultures. No prior experience necessary!

The cost for the weekend is a sliding scale of $250-$295. A few work trade positions are available for partial tuition; inquire soon about work trade guidelines and availability.
Contact Terry Lilley at tygerlilley@gmail.com or see the website www.blueridgepermaculture for more information.


2.
New Community Project is pleased to announce we will be teaching a Permaculture Design Course in Spring 2011 in Harrisonburg. This 72-hour certification course will be headquartered at our new Sustainable Living Center, at 715 N. Main St. in Harrisonburg.

Based on patterns and processes of ecological systems, permaculture is the art and science of creating healthy and resilient human environments abundant in food, water, shelter, energy, and community. This course will focus specifically on exploring sustainability strategies for the Shenandoah Valley, and participants will emerge as a thriving practitioner network, each with the ability to design and build gardens, homes, and communities modeled on living ecosystems.

This ecological design course covers such themes as: permaculture ethics and philosophy, ecological system understanding, organic food production, design concepts and techniques, natural soil improvement, edible forest gardening, aquaculture, healthy buildings and human settlements, renewable energy systems, local economies, mushroom cultivation, and much more. Hands-on work and play, group discussion, site tours, lecture, design projects, and work parties will all be used to facilitate a dynamic learning environment.

The dates for the four weekend, 12 day course are: Feb 18-21, Mar 11-13, Apr 8-10, and May 14-15. Cost is a sliding scale from $500-800.

Please contact Adam at ncppdc@gmail.com for details, or to register or read more, see the website:

http://ncpharrisonburg.wordpress.com/perma/


3.
Project Coordinator - Shenandoah Valley Farm-to-Table, Posting number 0100982
Quick link listings.jobs.vt.edu/applicants/Central?quickFind=192651

The Northern District Cooperative Extension office in Harrisonburg Virginia is seeking highly motivated candidates for the position of Project Coordinator - Shenandoah Valley Farm-to-Table. This is a grant-funded, full-time position with duties related to grant project management, community-based food system and water quality extension activities, and Buy Fresh Buy Local. This position will coordinate work and be a liaison for local farmers, producers, institutions (schools, universities, restaurants, grocery stores), and food-related businesses to promote more procurement and purchase of local food and farm products in the Shenandoah Valley. Will work closely with community viability extension specialist and appropriate agents to identify issues, opportunities and educational strategies, identify outlets and markets for Shenandoah Valley food and farm products, evaluate demand and supply for different products and evaluate deficiencies and inefficiencies in the local food system (e.g., processing, packaging, marketing, distribution). Will keep interested stakeholders informed about the Chesapeake Bay Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction grant and Buy Fresh Buy Local through the development of educational materials, on-line resources and periodic newsletters. Other responsibilities include contributing to writing and preparing project reports for funding group(s), local food directories, presentations, manuscripts, posters, and grant proposals for seeking related funding opportunities, providing logistical support of the Chesapeake Bay Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction grant, farm-to-table and water quality grant activities, Shenandoah Valley Buy Fresh Buy Local, and community-based food systems including setting up meetings, calls, workshops, conferences, tours and other educational outreach programs.


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

Housing the Future: Reinventing Where We Age | December 3 - January 31
By 2025 1 in 4 Charlottesville residents will be over 60. What housing options exist for Charlottesville's growing population of older adults? See innovative approaches to inclusive housing design from home remodeling to accessory apartments. Featuring work by the University of Virginia's ecoMOD project and the Center for Universal Design at NC State. Visit livableforalifetime.org for a complete listing of aging in place events associated with the Housing the Future series.

JRGBC Luncheon: Looking Back on LEED 2010
Tuesday, December 14 12-1 pm
JRGBC hosts a panel discussion with local green building professionals to review their experiences with LEED projects over the past year. The panelists will speak to their successes as well as challenges. They can introduce their favorite or most innovative LEED point or the ones they struggled to qualify for. Presenters include Jeff Sties of Sunbiosis who will bring a residential designer’s perspective; Lindsay Snoddy, the Environmental Compliance Manager for the Albemarle County school system will speak to school projects; and a representative from UVA will reflect on institutional scale projects. Free and open to the public. Register in advance on the JRGBC website.

Green Matters: Alternative Energy Solutions
Tuesday, December 14 from 5-7 pm
A home is a complicated machine that requires large amounts of energy to function. A panel will discuss environmental strategies and mechanical systems that will help you save money, preserve resources, and reduce your carbon footprint. Free and open to all.

Neighborhood Leadership Institute
The City of Charlottesville is accepting applications for the 5th Annual Pilot Your City Neighborhood Leadership Institute. Classes are on Wednesday evenings from 6-9 pm beginning January 12. Applications accepted until January 1, 2011, or until class is full. Download an application here.

Request for Proposals: Lewis and Clark Exploratory Center
The Lewis & Clark Exploratory Center is seeking a design build team to construct a LEED certified museum building that embodies the green principles they will be teaching in their programs. Download the full RFP: http://lewisandclarkeast.org/ or email lewisandclark@lewisandclarkeast.org for more information. Deadline is January 11, 2011.

If you have an event or announcement that you would like to appear in a future edition of our e-newsletter, please email us at info@cvilledesign.org.


5.
Start Your Vegetable Production Business Today
Attend the Growers Academy for Small-Scale Vegetable and Flower Growers

Those with a dream of providing flowers and organic herbs and vegetables to the region will want to attend the Growers Academy.

The Growers Academy is an 8-week learning series offered on Tuesday nights starting January 11, 2011, from 6 – 9 pm, at the VT Roanoke Center in the Roanoke Higher Education Building in downtown Roanoke. The Growers Academy is offered through VT EarthWorks in partnership with Virginia Cooperative Extension ( http://offices.ext.vt.edu/roanoke/).

Registration for the Academy is $215 per person for the 8-week series.
You can register online at http://www.cpe.vt.edu/grac/
Registration is requested by January 5, 2011.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As many know, it is one thing to yearn to sell your backyard’s vegetable bounty to local stores and restaurants. It’s another to master the tools of business plans, loans, and market connections.

The Growers Academy is a learning series designed to build a peer cohort to help new and transitioning vegetable production businesses succeed.

Academy topics include production planning, low-input vegetable production, soils and cover crops, pest and weed management, business plan development, rotational plantings, equipment, marketing, and more. Each weekly session is presented by subject matter experts, including successful producers. Previous participants value hearing from the “local speakers who actually work in the markets, restaurants, and farms.” Participants complete the course with a preliminary business plan for their new enterprise and are provided an opportunity to sell directly at a nearby farmers market.

If you don’t have land and still want to pursue your vegetable production dream. No worries, graduates of the Growers Academy receive a preliminary membership to VT EarthWorks and are eligible to lease land through VT EarthWorks at the Catawba Sustainability Center in Catawba, VA.

For more information, contact Christy Gabbard, Director of VT Earthworks (tel. 540-767-6114; email: cgunnels@vt.edu), or Sheri Dorn, Virginia Cooperative Extension – Roanoke (tel. 540-772-7524; email: sherid@vt.edu) for more information or to receive a Growers Academy registration form.

Christy Gabbard
Director, Catawba Sustainability Center
- accelerating land-based businesses

Outreach & International Affairs
Virginia Tech Roanoke Center
108 N. Jefferson Street, Suite 701
Roanoke VA 24016

(540) 767-6114 - office
(540) 558-8010 - mobile
(540) 767-6110 - fax


6.
USDA_AMS_NEWS: Learn more about Specialty Crop Grants during the Dec. 16 USDA webinar. Register now! http://go.usa.gov/C67


7.
http://www.vabf.org/opportunities

Tenant Opportunity - White Hall/Free Union Farm
Tenant opportunity, September 1, 2010.
BEATUIFUL FARM IN WHITE HALL/FREE UNION SEEKS RELIABLE PERSON/COUPLE TO LIVE IN TENANT HOUSE. QUAINT (BUT BRAND NEW) 3 BEDROOM 2 BATHROOM AND VERY PRIVATE. MUST LOVE ANIMALS AND HAVE SOME PRIOR EXPERIENCE WITH CATTLE and operating farm equipment. ORGANIC FARMING KNOWLEDGE A PLUS AND MUST BE COMFORTABLE WITH EMAIL. OFFERING EITHER PART-TIME HOURS OR FULL TIME HOURS DEPENDING ON YOUR SITUATION. THE BEST VIEWS IN THE COUNTY! RENT and utilities WOULD BE FREE IN RETURN FOR 10 to 15 hours a week of your time, including DOG-SITTING WHEN NECESSARY, FEEDING OF CATTLE and other farm animals ON WEEKENDS, and other chores. Excellent references required.
Please email susanbell92@gmail.com with a letter telling us about you and/or a resume.
Marisa Vrooman
Director, Farm Services & Development
Local Food Hub
PO Box 4647
Charlottesville, VA 22905
marisa@localfoodhub.org
(434) 286-2176 office
(434) 960-0155 cell
www.localfoodhub.org

Nelson County Farm
Richard Bean of Double H Farm is selling his Nelson County farm. They will keep their house and 5 acres.
For sale is a 25 acre, turn key farm with 8 acres under organic vegetable cultivation, 100 fine Berkshire hogs, 350 chickens, all the farm equipment, greenhouse, awesome signature delivery vehicle, and barns. There is a large trailer/house on the farm property. Richard, himself, would be available for transition consulting.
Price is $300,000
$30,000 down
$1,000 a month payments starting in year 2
$2,000 a month payments from years 3-10
Payment in full due at 10 years
Double H Farm - Home of Healthy Food is a very well respected local brand.
This is a wonderful opportunity for anyone looking to purchase an existing, successful and recognized farm business. Please contact Richard Bean if interested. His contact information is: 434-263-8704 farmily@ceva.net