Please share widely: Groundswell’s Sustainable Farming Certificate Program
Please share widely.
NEWS RELEASE
For immediate release: 1/27/12
Contact: Rachel Firak, New Farmer Training Coordinator, rfirak
Groundswell’s Sustainable Farming Certificate Program now accepting applications
New Farmers: Apply online for the 100-hour, April-November program
Ithaca, NY – This spring, the Groundswell Center for Local Food & Farming will again offer its full-season training program for aspiring and beginning farmers and market gardeners. Running April 18 to November 14, the Sustainable Farming Certificate Program provides 124 hours of classroom training, hands-on workshops, farm visits, and supervised work experience on sustainable farms.
Trainees can choose to concentrate their studies on the management of vegetables and fruits, livestock and poultry, or pursue a diversified curriculum. Each trainee will have an individualized Learning Contract, and will be evaluated on the basis of that contract before being awarded Groundswell’s Sustainable Farming Certificate. Instruction will be provided by experienced farmer mentors, as well as subject matter experts from our partner institutions such as Cornell University, USDA, and Cornell Cooperative Extension. Trainees who complete 100 hours of training or more are eligible to receive Groundswell’s Sustainable Farming Certificate.
Groundswell is committed to the vision of a regionally self-reliant food system that provides good food and economic opportunities for everyone. The Sustainable Farming Certificate Program, like each of Groundswell’s New Farmer Training Programs, seeks to engage trainees from diverse cultural, racial, and economic backgrounds to participate in a supportive, trainee-driven learning environment. People of color, new immigrant and limited resource trainees are especially encouraged to apply. Tuition for the Sustainable Farming Certificate Program is on a sliding scale and ranges from $125 to $800, with substantial support offered to people of color, new immigrant and limited-resource trainees.
Applications for the Sustainable Farming Certificate Program are now online. Visit www.groundswellcenter.org to learn more and apply today.
The Groundswell Center for Local Food & Farming is an initiative of the EcoVillage Center for Sustainability Education/Center for Transformative Action. Support for Groundswell comes from individuals and businesses who believe in the importance of strong local food systems, and from the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program of the National Institute for Food and Agriculture-USDA, Grant #2010-49400-21799. For more information, visit www.groundswellcenter.org.
###
Groundswell is an initiative of the not-for-profit Center for Transformative Action, Tax ID: 16‐0990318
New 2012 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map
2012 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map:
http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/
“For the first time, the map is available as an interactive GIS-based map, for which a broadband Internet connection is recommended, and as static images for those with slower Internet access. Users may also simply type in a ZIP Code and find the hardiness zone for that area.
“No posters of the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map have been printed. But state, regional, and national images of the map can be downloaded and printed in a variety of sizes and resolutions.”
And an article on the new map in the Washington Post:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/plant-hardiness-map-revealed/2012/01/25/gIQANAxtQQ_story.html?hpid=z4:
“The new map is generally one 5-degree Fahrenheit half zone warmer than the previous map throughout much of the United States,” said Kim Kaplan, of the Agricultural Research Service.
“She said that in spite of the zone creep, the new map is not meant to validate climate change, and that the changes are driven in part by more sophisticated and fuller data collection. Using new technology, the map makers have been able to assess the effects of elevation, prevailing winds, bodies of water and urban heat islands in a way the old map could not, she said. Viewers can now type in their ZIP codes to get zone information.”
###
Earn your Permaculture Design Certificate
with the Finger Lakes Permaculture Institute
http://www.fingerlakespermaculture.org
###
Bread Baker’s statement on Fracking in Albany
Yesterday, along with Thor Oechsner, Neal Johnston, Sandra Steingraber, and a host of others, I spoke at the Anti-Hydrofracking Day of Action in Albany. We distributed almost 200 loaves of bread to the assembled crowd, and then we marched, led by a chanting, bread-carrying farmers, to Cuomo’s office. Here is what I said:
My name is Stefan Senders, and I am a baker. Beside me are Thor Oechsner, an organic farmer, and Neal Johnston, a miller. We work together.
Today we bring bread to Albany to intervene in the self-destruction of the great State of New York. We come, Farmers, Bakers, and Millers, to remind our state and our Governor, Andrew Cuomo, that despite the promises of industry lobbyists, the exploitation of Shale Gas in New York is bad and broken economy of the worst kind.
This bread is the product of our community and our farms. The wheat, grown, tended, and harvested by our local organic farmers, is fresh from the soil of New York. The flour, ground in our local flour mill, is as fine as concerned and caring hands can make it.
To resurrect a term long since emptied by advertisers, the wheat, the flour, and the bread are ‘wholesome’: they bring our communities together, give us work, nourish us, please our senses, and make our bodies and our land more healthy.
This is good economy. It is wise economy. It is a steady economy that nourishes the State of New York.
We know that for many New Yorkers,Fracking sounds like a good idea. We have all heard the fantastic tales: Fracking, it is said, will save our state from financial ruin, release us from our dependence on foreign oil, and revive our rural economy by bringing cash, if not fertility, to our once vibrant farmland.
For politicians, these stories of money and growth are hard to resist: the numbers are large, deficits are unnerving, and elections are expensive.
For many farmers and land-owners, the promises of cash are dizzying, and to risk the lands fertility to extract gas is only one step removed from risking the lands fertility to extract a few more bushels of corn or soybeans.
But farmers might know better.
Farming has not always been, and need not be, an extractive industry. There was a time when farmers worked with a longer view, keeping in mind their role as stewards and caretakers of the land. That long view is the farmers wisdom, and it is as good and wise today as it ever was.
The promises of the gas industry are demonstrably false, and they miss what farmers know well: There is no independence that does not demand care and responsibility. There is no quantity of cash that can restore fertility to a poisoned field. There is no adequate monetary compensation for poisoned water. There is no payment, no dollar, no loan, that can restore life and community to a broken world.
Our work and the work we provide otherson the farm, at the mill, and at the bakerydepends on fertile soil, pure water, and a viable community. All of these are put at risk by Fracking.
What happens to our land in an economy bloated by gas exploitation? Prices rise, rents rise, and good, arable land becomes scarce as acres once leased to farmers are set to quick development schemesflimsy housing, storage barns, parking lots, and man-camps.
And what happens to our water when gas exploitation takes over? Storage pools, as safe as Titanic was unsinkable, overflow, contaminating the soil; inevitable leaks in well-casings allow gasses and Frack-fluids to pass into our aquifers, into our bodies, and into the bodies of our children.
And what happens to communities held in thrall to gas exploitation? As we have seen in other parts of the country, the boom-bust cycle of the petroleum economy fractures communities, undermining our capacity to act wisely and civilly.
With every boom, a few get rich, a few do better, but all are impoverished. For every hastily built motel there are dozens of apartments with rising rents; for every newly minted millionaire there are many dozens who see nothing but the pain of rising costs and receding resources. For every short-term dollar there are hundreds in long-term losses that can never be recouped.
To go for gas is to go for broke.
With this bread we are here to remind you that there is another economy, one that works.
This bread symbolizes a commitment to the health of New York State. It embodies the knowledge that good work, not a gamblers dream, is the basis of a sound and sustainable economy.
This bread symbolizes the farmers simple truth that without fertile soil, without pure water, and without strong community, we go hungry.
This bread reminds us all that the promises of gas exploitation are empty: What are we to grow in fields broken by the drill and tilled with poison? What are we to feed our children when our water and wheat are unfit? Shall we grind money to make our bread?
We do have a choice. We need not poison our land to live. We need not taint our water to drink. We need not sell our future to finance our present. These are choices, not inevitabilities.
With this bread we say: take the long view; pay attention to the health of the soil and nourish it; treasure pure water; remember the value of your community and keep it whole.
If something must be broken, let it not be shale. Let it be this bread.
Fixers Collective… an idea for Ithaca…?
From: “Marian Brown”
I noted this on the Center for a New American Dream e-newsletter today…. I LOVE this idea of a “fixers collective”… where people bring their “tired, their poor, their huddled masses yearning to” be repaired….
http://www.newdream.org/blog/fixers-collective
Is this something we could do here….? We do have some specialized repair groups locally, like RIBS for bikes and the Computer
All-Stars/Finger Lakes ReUse for computers… but it would be great to have a place where folks who know how to rewire old lamps, or fix that finicky toaster, or what-have-you could assemble and fix one another’s stuff and keep it in service….
Whaddaya think….? Perhaps this is something the Ludgate’s working group could consider….?
Marian Brown
###
http://FLXpermaculture.Net
###
Earn your Permaculture Design Certificate
with the Finger Lakes Permaculture Institute
http://www.fingerlakespermaculture.org
###
Locally-Grown Foods Festival, Corning NY, Feb., 10th, 2012
Locally-Grown Foods Festival
Friday, February 10th
4:00-8:00 PM
Union Hall, 100 Civic Center Plaza, Corning
- Meet farmers – Taste samples – Learn about local farms – Purchase local products – Recipies & Demonstrations -
The public is cordially invited to a unique tasting experience. Sample locally produced meats, vegetables, fruits, cheeses, wines, and other farm products!
Meet dozens of Finger Lakes farmers! Learn how and where to buy fresh, healthy, local foods.
Visit and learn about more about Community Supported Agriculture (CSA).
The event will feature several different CSAs that offer a variety of shares for sale.
$5.00 per person $10.00 per family
Register at the door or in advance at:
https://secure.qgiv.com/for/cornellce/event/4188/
Cornell University
Cooperative Extension
Steuben County
Recipes and Demonstrations
Contact 607-664-2300
for more information
Cornell Cooperative Extension provides equal program and employment opportunities. CCE does not endorse or recommend any specific product or service. Please contact the Cornell Cooperative Extension office in your county if you have any special needs.
###
http://FLXpermaculture.Net
###
Earn your Permaculture Design Certificate
with the Finger Lakes Permaculture Institute
http://www.fingerlakespermaculture.org
###
New Professional Development Offering: Take Root! A Training for Garden Educators
Greetings Educators,
Cornell Garden-Based Learning (CGBL) is pleased to announce a new professional development approach called Take Root! A Training for Garden Educators. We are looking for partners in New York State to host and facilitate these trainings with us. Partners may include Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) County offices and non-profits or community organizations that are interested in garden-based learning program development or expansion.
In 2012 CGBL would like to hold at least eight trainings in groups of counties across the state. By partnering with a local organization that has a strong knowledge base of local programs and community needs, we can broaden the reach of marketing this opportunity and we can offer a workshop most suited to the needs of the attendees.
Take Root! trainings are open to educators and youth workers from the region interested in, or already implementing, garden-based learning. Attendees from organizations and CCE offices are encouraged to bring along at least two other staff and/or volunteers. The objectives of these workshops are to:
- Promote our garden-based learning resources with a positive youth development focus.
- Bring together CCE and community educators to develop an ability to incorporate gardens into their scope of work, to make gardens projects successful and sustainable, and to facilitate more lead educators on these topics in each region.
- Gather information about local projects to determine and demonstrate effectiveness, as well as better understand areas of improvement.
- Foster community partnerships, coalition building, and linkages to other programs.
- Grow significant youth and adult leadership in local food systems, “green,” and garden-based learning movements.
The partner organization is asked to:
- Provide a workshop host site. (Most often this includes a large room to comfortably accommodate participants, however, when possible, access to an outdoor space for hands-on activities is encouraged).
- Contact other educators in the region to determine the most pressing program development needs as they relate to garden-based learning, using Session 1-3 (below) as a guide.
- Communicate needs to CGBL.
- Carry out advertising and registration for event.
- Food and beverage snack for participants.
- Access to audio-visual equipment.
- Summary of training feedback.
- Assessment of future training needs.
- Cover transportation costs for CGBL staff person (and lodging, if applicable).
What CGBL is offering: Half- to full-day sessions including theory and skill building centered on garden-based learning principles and practices, and gardening techniques, from basics (Session 1) to more advanced (Session 3). In some cases we can offer an extended workshop to cover multiple sessions and can be held over two-consecutive days.
CGBL will:
- Organize and conduct a one-time workshop on most pressing topics as communicated from partner organization, with a follow up via webinar or in-person if possible. (Partner organization(s) are encouraged to assist with workshop instruction).
- Provide tangible tools and techniques to ensure feasible implementation.
- Provide a comprehensive picture, connecting gardens to all facets of programs, spend time exploring the linkages to current programs, and demonstrate how the garden can enhance any educational approach.
- Provide case studies for inspiration.
- Familiarize participants with CGBL on-line resources.
Proposed Training Topics (described generally to allow for expansion and specification to educators needs):
Session 1 – Plant a Seed, Inspire Interest. This is an introduction to garden-based learning; what is it, why is it important (researched based findings), and connecting gardens to all sectors of work. We will begin to develop a garden program that promotes positive youth development, opportunities for leadership and community & volunteer participation, and review tips on effective teaching methods. An in-depth overview of CGBL and other resources will be reviewed. Groups new to garden-based learning or groups struggling with community involvement and program structure will particularly benefit from this session.
Session 2 – Tend the Garden. This session focuses on developing a more intentional, longer-term approach to garden-based programs, expanding existing programs deeper into a school or community, fostering a commitment to yearlong food systems. Using a logic model as a tool, we will introduce methods to create project sustainability both in the garden and with the program itself, fundraising, building capacity and forming collaborations. Groups with an existing garden program hoping to expand and increase project sustainability are a good fit for this session.
Session 3 – Building Capacity/Train-the-Trainer. This session digs deeper than session 2, with a focus on, for example: evaluation, more extensive information on program and garden sustainability, ecological design, increasing yields and season extension, and building leadership of involved participants, including youth apprentice programs, teaching effectively, and mentoring. Groups are a fit for this session if they have an existing project underway, have already taken some steps towards enhanced sustainability but want to go further both programmatic ally and ecologically.
Other topics CGBL offers, for which an additional program fee will be required:
How to construct living sculpture such as sod furniture
The garden as a gateway to environmental awareness
Aquaponics
Intensive introductions to our curricula, such as Dig Art!, Discovering our Food System, and Seed to Salad
Visit efalk.
And, stay up to date as Take Root! trainings are scheduled by joining CGBL on Facebook and our subscribing to the CGBL Blog.
Look forward to working with you,
Liz Falk
NYC 2/24-2/25: JUST FOOD CONFERENCE 2012
From: “Amy Blankstein”
*JUST FOOD CONFERENCE 2012: EAT WORK GROW THE MOVEMENT*
On February 24th and 25th, Just Food will convene over 1,000 local food lovers and advocates, CSA members, community gardeners, urban and rural farmers, food professionals and entrepreneurs to participate in two days of hands-on workshops, discussions, skills-building sessions, and good food.
*Just Food Conference 2012: Eat Work Grow the Movement* will be held at the Food and Finance High School (525 West 50th Street) and will provide attendees with opportunities to learn about cooking and food preservation techniques, CSA trends, and local and national farm and food issues, along with ways to mobilize communities in order to increase access to farm-fresh, locally grown food.
On Friday evening, Just Food and Good Food Jobs will co-host a Good Food Jobs Fair. On Saturday, well conclude the conference with an EXPO and celebration featuring exemplary local food artisans, sustainable businesses, and organizations.
The conference will include over 100 workshops, covering a range of topics including:
*Food Education*: Seasonal eating tips and tricks, featuring demonstrations on enjoying and preserving your local bounty through simple home cooking, canning, and food preservation techniques.
*Food Policy*: Trends, issues and legislation impacting New York City consumers and local farmers, getting local food to the NYC market, labor issues in the food movement, the 2012 (Food and) Farm Bill, and New York State land management and access policies.
*Community Organizing*: Increasing access to healthy food in New York City, including CSA and farmers market management, urban agriculture and community advocacy and outreach.
*Career and Entrepreneurialism*: Launching your own business, becoming a farmer, breaking into the food field, and career paths panel.
*Industry:* Local purchasing and sourcing, regional and local distribution systems, and sustainable food production.
*Farmer Q&A*: Meet some of the local farmers who grow food for New York City. The panel will include farmers involved in Just Foods CSA, farmers market, and farm-to-food pantry programs.
*What:* *JUST FOOD CONFERENCE 2012: EAT WORK GROW THE MOVEMENT*
*Organized by:* Just Food
*Sponsored by:* Kashi; other sponsors to be announced
*When:* Friday, February 24 (8:30am7pm), and Saturday, February 25 (8am6pm)
*Where:* Food & Finance High School
525 West 50th Street, New York, NY 10019 (between 10th and 11th Avenues)
*Cost:* Tickets are $30 per day or $50 for both days. Discounted rates of $15 (for one day) and $30 (for both days) are available for students, farmers and low-income community members.
Tickets to the Job Fair only will cost $15.
*Registration and Ticket Info:* http://jfconference2012.eventbrite.com/
*General conference info:* Jessica Gaffney at 212-645-9880 x232 or
Jessica.Gaffney@justfood.org; http://justfood.org/events/overview
*Press inquiries:* Amy Blankstein at 212-645-9880 x243 or amy@justfood.org
*About Just Food*
Just Food is a non-profit organization that connects communities and local farms with the resources and support they need to make fresh, locally grown food accessible to all New Yorkers. Just Food provides regional farmers and food producers, CSA organizers and everyday eaters with the resources and support they need to establish and experience healthy food systemsin every neighborhood.
Since 1995, Just Food has pioneered and championed the proliferation of sustainable food programs, including CSAs, community-run farmers markets, and farm-to-food pantry programs. Just Food serves thousands of New Yorkers by forging partnerships between local farms, neighborhood groups, and consumers, and by providing urban communities with a framework for growing, and knowing, healthy food.
For more information about Just Food, visit www.justfood.org.
*About Good Food Jobs*
Good Food Jobs is a gastro-job search tool, designed to link people looking for meaningful food work with the businesses that need their energy, enthusiasm, and intellect. Good Food Jobs posts opportunities with farmers and food artisans, policy makers and purveyors, retailers and restaurateurs, economists, ecologists, and more. On their blog, the gastrognomes , they profile the most interesting and unlikely food professionals that they find, and publish their stories to inspire you.
Good Food Jobs was created by friends, partners and ice cream lovers, Taylor Cocalis and Dorothy Neagle.
For more information about Good Food Jobs, visit goodfoodjobs.com.
[northeasternpermaculture 8th Northeastern Permaculture Convergence to be held in Eastern Massachusetts this year!]
ANNOUNCING: 8th Northeastern Permaculture Convergence to be held in Eastern Massachusetts this year!
SAVE THE DATE: July 13-15, 2012
We are excited to announce the dates of the 2012 Northeastern Permaculture Convergence! Please join us the weekend of July 13-15, 2012 in Eastern Massachusetts for an opportunity to interact with the larger Northeastern U.S. community of Permaculturists.
http://northeastconvergence.wordpress.com/
https://twitter.com/#!/NEConvergence
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Northeastern-Permaculture-Convergence/190816097619717
Please share widely in your circles! Thanks!
We are still in planning stages, so please check the website for more information and updates!
http://northeastconvergence.wordpress.com/
When: July 13-15th, 2012
Where: Eastern Massachusetts (final location TBA)
To:
Interact with each other and observe each others’ strategies and successes;
Catch and store the excitement and energy that comes with collaboration and sharing with the community;
Walk away with a yield (new ideas, strengthened relationships, & next steps);
Share your own strategies and receive feedback on how to improve their efficiency;
Learn about renewable resources in your bio-region;
Collaborate and imagine with others how to produce as little waste as possible in your own homestead;
Take a weekend to step back and think about the design of your own life;
Integrate with others in your bio-region;
Develop new slow and small solutions, learn about local resources and produce more sustainable outcomes;
Use and value the diversity of the Northeast’s resources and people;
Learn about the differences among bio-regions across the Northeast and use these edges and margins to your advantage;
Meet new people, learn about how they work, and create new ideas from theirs.
A Class on Sprouting!
DANCING TURTLE MICRO-FARM presents…
~A CLASS on SPROUTING~ Thursday January 26, 6-730pm
at the Women’s Community Building (kithcen) at the corner of Seneca and Cayuga Streets, Ithaca, NY.
CALL or EMAIL Ellen to sign-up: 740.525.0062 dancingturtleithacacom
**Learn how to grow sprouts at home, year-round! Add more salads to your winter diet!
Class Fee, $12 includes all you need to begin: supplies, seeds and lots of handouts.
Learn about sprouting techniques, seed sources, tips and toubleshooting, nutrition details,
simple recipe ideas… and the joys and benifits of growing and eating sprouts!
We’ll conclude with sampling different types of sprouts and answering any questions.
~Children and adults welcome!~
TONIGHT: Save Ludgate’s Stakeholder Meeting
Save Ludgate’s Stakeholder Meeting
Thursday, January 19, 7-8:30pmOwl Cafe above Autumn Leaves Used Books on The Commons, Ithaca
Let’s keep the conversation going…
Join us for a meeting to bring together key stakeholders including potential buyers/investors, leaders of businesses and community groups like Garden Gate Delivery, Share Tompkins, Swidjit, etc, local farmers, as well as anyone who feels like they want to “step up” in some significant way to give Ludgate Farms new life.
We will discuss the results of our recent community survey and explore ideas for moving forward!
RSVP on Facebook/Swidjit:
http://www.facebook.com/events/221143334636906
http://swidjit.com/ithaca/events/save-ludgates-stakeholder-meeting/
Hope to see you tonight!
- Shira 
Shira Golding Evergreen
shiraevergreen
http://www.shirari.com
Now available: Thinking Local in Tompkins County, Volume 2
TCLocal is pleased to announce the publication of “Thinking Local in Tompkins County, Volume 2,” our second collection of articles from the tclocal.org web site. Contents of Volume 2 include:
Outlook for Liquid Fuels, 2010-2020
Can New York State Feed Itself?
Envisioning Tompkins County Food Production (originally a six-part series) Chickens in the Energy Descent
Health Care in an Energy-Constrained Environment, Part Two Health and Food Security
Burning Transitions
Heating with Biomass in Tompkins County
Funding and Finagling the Transition to Biomass Heat and Power Relocalizing Investment in Our Local Food System
Dedicated to a focus on relocalization and self-reliance in Tompkins County, the collection is, of course, available locally; copies may be purchased for $7 each at Buffalo Street Books in Ithaca. A limited number of copies of Volume 1, originally released in 2009, are also available there (and nowhere else) for $3.
If you don’t get into Ithaca often, Volume 2 can be ordered from your local bookseller or any of the usual online sources, for example:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/thinking-local-in-tompkins-county-tclocal/1107995679 http://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Local-Tompkins-County-TCLocal-org/dp/0615579256/
SPECIAL NOTE FOR OFFICIALS AND STAFF OF TOMPKINS COUNTY MUNICIPALITIES:
If you are an appointed or elected municipal official, a member of a municipal planning staff, or a municipal department head at any level of government in Tompkins County (city, town, or village), you will be receiving a copy of Volume 2 from a distribution we will be carrying out over the next couple of months as our form of public input. So you don’t need to buy one (though they do make excellent gifts…).
Jon Bosak
Editor, TCLocal
New Time Bank Forming! Ithaca/Tompkins Co.
Hi Folks,
There is a Time Bank coming to the Ithaca/Tompkins County Area. We are presently assembling a cohesive base of individuals dedicated to creating a successful launch in the very near future. If you are passionate about creating an alternative economy, live in this area and are willing to actively participate in Time Banking transactions, then please get in touch with me to get started.
Here is a really good article about these concepts and how they work: http://shareable.net/blog/just-in-time
We are presently using the hOur World program www.hourworld.org
Look forward to hearing from you,
Steve Austin 646-719-3644
Article on Climate Change, Fracking and the threat to NY maple syrup
check out the Sapsquatch blog and this new article. Comments and feedback would be greatly appreciated!
8th Northeastern Permaculture Convergence: Eastern MA, July 13-15, 2012
ANNOUNCING: 8th Northeastern Permaculture Convergence to be held in Eastern Massachusetts this year!
SAVE THE DATE: July 13-15, 2012
http://northeastconvergence.wordpress.com/
https://twitter.com/#!/NEConvergence
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Northeastern-Permaculture-Convergence/190816097619717
Since you are part of the Eastern Massachusetts community, if you are interested in helping coordinate, please e-mail neconvergence.
Please share widely in your circles! Thanks!
Latest TCLocal article: The Town of Ithaca Ag and Farmland Protection Plan
TCLocal kicks off its seventh year of existence and its fifth year of publication with a report on an important development for the health of the food sources closest to Ithaca — the recent adoption of the Town of Ithaca Agricultural and Farmland Protection Plan. As we note in the article, this TOI AFPP is not just significant in itself but also provides a preview of coming plans for the Towns of Lansing and Ulysses that will comprehend a much larger portion of Tompkins County’s agricultural resources. You can find our report at
http://tclocal.org/2012/01/as_local_as_it_gets_ag_plan.html
People who wish to comment on TCLocal articles or engage their authors in discussion should note that the TCLocal web site is specifically designed for community input. Please use the form at the bottom of each article so that we can keep all relevant comments in one place.
ABOUT TCLOCAL
Every month or two, TCLocal brings you another in our series of articles addressing various aspects of relocalization in Tompkins County. Contributors to TCLocal are members of the community committed to helping prepare for a more local and self-reliant future. Articles that have been published so far at tclocal.org can be found in the TCLocal archives at
http://tclocal.org/archives.html
Articles appearing at tclocal.org are published under the Creative Commons license and are owned and managed by the contributors as a group. People interested in becoming TCLocal contributors should first read “How to Contribute” at
http://www.ibiblio.org/tcrp/about.htm#how
and then contact the TCLocal editor at the address below to sign up.
Jon Bosak
Editor, TCLocal
bosak@pinax.com
1/20: Freeskool Winter Social and New Calendar Release!
ITHACA FREESKOOL WINTER SOCIALMeet other freeskoolers and get the new
jam-packed Winter/Spring 2012 calendar!
Friday, January 20, 2012, 7-9pm
Fire On The Water Studios
317 Taughannock Blvd, Ithaca, NY 14850
Come celebrate the end of last fall’s awesome session of free classes and get ready for the winter/spring session with Ithaca Freeskool! Classes start February 1st and, as always, are all ages and all free.
We’ll have:
New calendars!
Snacks!
Games!
Music!
Bring:
Your family!
Your friends!
Your thirst for free knowledge!
RSVP on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/events/338617592830216
Ithaca Freeskool is an all-volunteer project that creates a forum for people of all ages to teach and learn without cost.
Learn more: http://ithacafreeskool.wordpress.com
Spring 2012 Online Courses for Beginning Farmers
From: “Violet Stone”
TOPIC: Spring 2012 Online Courses for Beginning Farmers Open for Registration! DATE: For immediate release, January 12th, 2012
CONTACT: Michelle Podolec at 607-255-9911 or
mls266@cornell.edu
ONLINE NEWSROOM:www.nebeginningfarmers.org
Spring 2012 Online Courses for Beginning Farmers Open for Registration!
Winter is a great time for planning for your small farm future or taking courses to make your existing farm business even more successful. This Spring we’ll be offering 4 online courses – including a new Machinery and Equipment course – to help you continue your farming education.
As always, our courses are taught by experienced Cooperative Extension educators, farmers, and other specialists. Courses run 5-8 weeks, cost $175, and include both real-time meetings (online webinars) and on-your-own time reading and activities. We do not offer any academic credit, but those who successfully complete a course will receive a certificate and are also eligible for Farm Service Agency (FSA) borrower training credit, which can improve your eligibility to receive a low-interest FSA loan.
We have four greatspring 2012 online courses that will help you build your farm business:
·BF 102: Markets and Profits – Exploring the Feasibility of Your Farming Ideas Have an idea for a farm enterprise but not sure if its feasible? This course will get you started exploring the potential markets and profitability of your ideas. Starts January 19, 2012.
·BF 103: Taking Care of Business – Understanding the Business, Regulatory, and Tax Implications of Your
Farm (designed to follow BF 101) This is an intro-level course for aspiring or beginning farmers living and/or farming in NYS and seeking to learn about the commercial, legal and tax implications of farming. Starts March 2, 2012.
·BF 105: Machinery and Equipment – Evaluating What’s Right for Your
Operation Many a farm operation has been sunk by “shiny equipment syndrome”; in other words, purchasing too much brand new equipment. On the other end of the scale, many new farmers have burned out their bodies by not adequately powering their farms with machinery. This course will help you strike a happy balance, evaluating what equipment you really need for your scale of operation, whether to buy or make other arrangements, and how to keep your equipment running smoothly if you do purchase it. Starts March 5, 2012.
·BF 122: Berry Production – Getting Started with Growing and
Marketing If you’re exploring the idea of adding berries and bramble fruits to your farm, this course will help you consider all the aspects of this decision, from varieties and site selection all the way through profit potential and marketing. Starts February 28, 2012
To learn more about each course, please visit
http://nebeginningfarmers.org/online-courses. From this site you can visit our Annual Course Calendar, learn more about our Instructors, see answers to Frequently Asked Questions, read details for each course, and even visit a sample online course.
###
http://FLXpermaculture.Net
###
Earn your Permaculture Design Certificate
with the Finger Lakes Permaculture Institute
http://www.fingerlakespermaculture.org
###
“Raising Livestock” series starts 2/7/12 Tioga County NY
2012 Raising Livestock Series Starts 2/7
Looking for something to do with your land? New York’s Southern Tier is well suited for pasture-based livestock production. If you want to have animals and/or sell pasture-raised meats, this series of classes is for you. Learn from the experiences of successful farmers, and from Cornell Cooperative Extension educators.
This first series of classes will be held at CCE-Tioga County, 56 Main Street in Owego on Tuesday evenings, 6:00-8:00 pm, February 7, 21, March 6, 20, and April 3. These sessions will cover how to assess your land and choose livestock, review infrastructure requirements, and get tips on pasture/hay management.
The second part of the series will be hosted by Tioga County livestock farmers. Learn how they raise hogs (April 18), beef (May 15), sheep and goats (June 19), poultry (July 17), and horses (August 21). At the final class, September 17, you will learn how to navigate NYS regulations and sell your local meat products.
Cost per class is $10 per farm ($75 for the whole series) and includes light snacks and hand-outs. To register and for class details, call (607) 687-4020, or email meh39
Permaculture For Renters seeks contributors
Hi All,
Here’s an opportunity to contribute to the P4R site. Leonard’s been doing some good work, originally from the northeast now working in the northwest:
Hi all,
In an effort to breathe new life into the fallow Permaculture for Renters blog (www.permacultureforrenters.com), I’m putting out this Call for Contributors who are interested in creating new content for the website. Please see below and please distribute widely if there are other listservs where you think this would be relevant.
The Site
I launched the site in early 2009 and continued to blog regularly until February 2010, when other ventures pulled my attention away. Amazingly, even after I stopped adding new content, website traffic has held steady at between 1000-1500 unique visitors per month, sometimes more. In the last month alone, there have been visitors from 66 countries, from the US to Croatia, Sri Lanka to Trinidad. And this is after almost two years without a new post!
The Opportunity
Contributing to the website is a great opportunity for established and newer teachers/practitioners alike to reach a worldwide audience, hone their writing and communication skills, and learn or develop new skills in internet marketing, social media, etc. If you have an existing blog or website, regular guest contributing is a great way of directing new traffic to your site and build your readership.
Beginning in February, I would like to have a team of 2-4 guest contributors publishing roughly one short article each per week (500-1500 words). Contributors will have significant creative license to develop and explore whatever subject matter they choose.
How to Apply
First, please familiarize yourself with the site (www.permacultureforrenters.com) to see if it looks like a fit for you.
If you’re still interested in becoming a contributing writer, please email the following to leonard [at] barrettecological.com:
- A brief bio, including your background in permaculture and your experience (if any) with blogging or writing.
- Types of activities and projects you’ve been involved in that qualify you to write about applying permaculture to rental situations.
- One or two writing samples, preferably about applicable subject matter (permaculture, gardening, DIY projects, etc., unrelated writing is OK too.) Can be sent as links or attachments.
Thanks and best!
–
Leonard Barrett
President,
Barrett Ecological Services
// site design and consulting for
regenerative human habitats //
office: 503.233.4337
cell: 503.425.9706
fax: 503.914.5588
Edible Plants for Sale
From:Food Forest Farm <jonathan@permaculturenursery.com> Is this not displaying correctly? View it in your browser <http://us4.campaign-archive2.com/?u=d509d0b27bd6c6a3ded9d5569&id=c921c0d37e&e=c2644b972b>. Food Forest Farm <http://permaculturenursery.us4.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=d509d0b27bd6c6a3ded9d5569&id=97a1f20c41&e=c2644b972b>
Hello Friends and Supporters, Winter is here. What a great time to cuddle up next to your favorite plant catalogs and fantasize about Spring! Our plants are now in a deep sleep, but we’re not. Meg and I are already planning for the 2012 season. We had a great 2011 and met many great people, as well as some very important business goals. We appreciate your continued support.
How often do you read the words edible perennial nitrogen fixing plant in the same sentence? After two years of trials, we are ready to offer a new plant this year. Phaseolus polystachios, or Perennial Wild Bean. A small relative of the common bean, native to the northeast US. It can be cooked and eaten like other beans. The plant will produce a fair amount of lentil sized beans if many plants are established and the pods harvested in year three. It can grow in some shade, or along a woodland edge.
Whether experimenting with new food plants like Wild Bean or planting the more popular edibles, we hope you will be satisfied. *If you haven’t yet tried:* skirret carrots, Good King Henry spinach, alpine strawberries, or chinese yam, now’s your chance.
We’ve had a great outpouring of interest from landscape designers, home gardeners, permaculturists, plant geeks, students and interested travelers, so much so that some plants sold out by Spring last year!
If you’ve been thinking about visiting, or purchasing plants from us, we’d love to share our garden with you. If you are a passionate supporter, thanks again!
*To pre-order via credit card, or printed order form, visit:* www.PermacultureNursery.com/plantlist.html <http://permaculturenursery.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d509d0b27bd6c6a3ded9d5569&id=9312aac4ef&e=c2644b972b>
You can pay with a credit card for pickups too. Email Jonathan@PermacultureNursery.com that you want ‘pick up’ and the shipping will be removed before you are charged. *Shipments and garden visits start May 1st.* Hope to be hearing from you soon. Enjoy the Holidays!
Jonathan
Food Forest Farm, Holyoke, MA 413-437-0101
P.S. We offer 10% off a purchase of 20 plants or more.
P.P.S. FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO YOUR NETWORKS… SMALL LOCAL BUSINESSES DO BEST VIA WORD OF MOUTH… SUPPORT LOCAL ECONOMIES PLEASE : )
