Kansas City Food Circle Blog

20110107 Funky First Friday Farmers Market at BADSEED - EAT LOCAL FRIDAYS IN THE CROSSROADS

Food Revolutionists and Farm-Fresh Junkies -

Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful and relaxing holiday season full of friends, family, and local FOOD. We've missed you! Farmer Dan and I didn't get much relaxing in. (Imagine that). Dan has been spending his days 45 feet off the ground dismantling the roof of the historic barn we are tearing down and reconstructing on our property. Most people think we are nuts for doing this, but it translates into $40,000 worth of material for $1,500. Nuff said! I, on the other hand, have been spending my days spreading endless beds of straw mulch for our 2011 "no-till" vegetable production. "No-till" is a type of cultivation practice that views the soil as a living organism, thus avoiding the disturbance of it's precious microbiology through machine powered plows, tillers, etc. This practice is commonly employed on smaller scale homestead gardens and not commercial production due to it's labor intensive nature. But, what can I say, Dan and I have impenetrable ethics and furthermore we are masochistic fools! So, here I am laying thick straw mulch over endless fields in January in (sometimes) below freezing temperatures. The particular straw I am working with right now is 3 years old, and has begun to break down quite a bit thus covering any exposed parts of my body with a black film of filth which I lovingly refer to as my "dirt mask". While wearing my "dirt mask" surrounded by my straw-covered heaven (or hell), I often fall victim to sinful fantasies of giant tractors ripping through my field at full speed pulverizing my precious soil into lifeless powder....me in the midst of it all laughing wickedly as I effortlessly sow bed after bed of corn and beans into the freshly tilled dirt. When I tell Dan about these fantasies he looks at me with sheer disgust. But alas, these are the shameful sins of a "beyond organic" farmer. Other people's sins consist of adultery, gluttony, or greed. Mine consist of fantasies of deep tillage! It's comical isn't it? Anyway, I promise to leave both my sins and my "dirt mask" behind this Friday at the BADSEED Farmers Market from 4-8 PM!!!! This Friday is "first friday" in the Crossroads which means we will have live music from our favorite "folky" friends of Checkered Past. What more could you ask for - live music and live, nude farmers.....just kidding! What I meant to say was live music and live, nude vegetables!!!!!

Okay, before I get to this week's organic offerings, I have a whole bunch of "farm up-dates" and announcements to share with you. I haven't been on the ball with that lately, and now I can hardly keep up! Here we go:

URBAVORE Urban Farm is Born -

(ur-ba-vore [ûr'bə-vôr] noun - one who consumes urban-grown foods)

What's in a name?? Apparently, a lot. The most common question I get as a farmer is not "what crops do you grow?" but "how'd you come up with the name BADSEED?". Well, don't worry, BADSEED isn't going anywhere. It will forever be the name of our Farmers Market and community-based business that advocates for local food and urban agriculture. However, the new farm (which is it's own living and breathing organism) deserves a name. Thus, URBAVORE is born. It is a made-up word with a made-up definition, but I think the significance in the name is pretty obvious. As the seasons pass and our urban farm becomes more and more fruitful, there's a pretty good chance many of you will indeed become "urbavores". Move over "100 mile diet"!! The local food of the future is but a metro bus ride away!

COMPOST IS THE FUTURE -

The alchemy of composting is truly one of nature's miracles. The fact that today's left-over meat loaf can become tomorrow's heirloom tomatoes is mind-boggling. On that note, BADSEED is proud to announce that we have received a very generous grant from the Mid America Regional Council's (MARC) Solid Waste Management District and the Missouri Dept. of Natural Resources to initiate the city's very first Residential Composting Program. Isn't that exciting!!!

I'm a girl who has lived in extremely progressive cities like San Francisco where composting is actually a law and glass bottles can actually go into the recycling bin for curb-side pick up. Imagine that.....recyclables in the recycling bin! When I moved back to KC I was sort of offended! I was an environmentalist and this city made it so hard to be "green". Although we don't have the "greenest" of city services or policies, we do have some pretty awesome "green-minded" entrepreneurs willing to take matters into their own hands.....with the help of awesome non-profits like MARC. Take for instance what the Boulevard Brewing guys have done with Ripple Glass. You can now find glass recycling bins all over the greater metro area. Then there is Missouri Organics who take food scraps from businesses, grocery stores, and institutions and transform them into valuable top soil and compost that is sold back to the community. BADSEED hopes to join the ranks of these fine businesses in sincerely contributing to the "greening" of KC.

In a nut shell, here is how the program will work: URBAVORE in east KC will be open for compost drop-off during regular hours throughout the week. We will have large dumpsters in the parking lot which will accept ALL food scraps (including meat and dairy as well as cooked foods). We will also accept yard waste within certain parameters. We will manage the compost in large windrows at the back of the property. Compost will be spread heavily onto the vegetable and fruit production at specific times during the season. The compost will feed our soil allowing us to produce loads of healthy, organic fruits and vegetables which will be sold on-site at our farmstand.

The opening of the BADSEED Residential Composting Program will simultaneously occur with the opening of our farmstand in June. I will keep you posted on the details!

URBAVORE 2011 Apprentice Call -

We will be accepting two full-time apprentices this season as well as two "volunteer" apprentices. Only serious applicants need apply. Details of the program are attached. (SCROLL DOWN TO THE BOTTOM FOR DETAILS)

Geez!! That was a freakin' mouthful. I apologize but I had to get it all out. The REALLY BIG NEWS is being postponed until next week. Hopefully by then I, myself, will have come to terms with it! Stay tuned....

This Week's Organic Offerings:

JJ Farms, John Kaiahua (Raytown,MO)

**John will not be present, but I will be dealing his goodies:

*Gorgeous NAPA CABBAGE (kimchi anyone???)

Bigg Blue Farm, Stan & Carmen Biggs (Mosby, MO)

*ACORN SQUASH
*BUTTERNUT SQUASH
*SPAGHETTI SQUASH

*SWEET POTATOES!!!!!

KC Community Farm (at the Kansas City Center For Urban Agriculture), Alicia Ellingsworth and Crew, (KCK)

www.kccua.org
*Carrots
*Swiss Chard

*Spinach
*Funky Fresh Greens Mix
*Kale
*Sunchokes

PJ's Mushroom Farm, Paul & Judy Miller (Warrensburg, MO)

*Shitake Mushrooms!!
*Farm-Fresh Brown Eggs
*Hand-made rugs, Stained Glass Items, & Antique Ceiling Tin Pieces (from 100% recycled materials)
**Growing Mushroom Blocks are available for purchase and pick-up! Ask for more details....

Western Hills Produce, Alice & Marvin Huenefeld (Wellington, MO)

*Farm-Fresh Brown EGGS

*Jams and Jellies from homegrown fruit

*Baked goods from homegrown, hand-milled wheat including:

-moist breads

-pumpkin pies!!

-chocolate zucchini and pumpkin loaves

-banana bread

-cookies & a whole lot more

**hand turned wood carved items by Marvin!!

Parker Farms, Tom and Paula Parker (Richmond, MO) www.parkerfarmsmeats.com

*A variety of 100% grass-fed beef and all natural pork including:
*Pork Brats
*Pre-cooked Chipotle Brats (with cheese and cranberries)
*Pre-cooked Franks (both hot and mild)
*Spare Ribs
*T-Bones
*Roasts
*Rib Steaks & Ribeyes
*Ground Beef and patties for the grill!!
***Delicious LAMB CUTS!!!!
**Tea Towels and homegrown Teas in orange, chocolate, lemon balm, spearmint, and peppermint!!!! Samples available.

Wells Family Farms, Kim & Steve Wells (King City, MO) www.wellsfamilyfarms.com
*Certified Organic Grass-fed Beef in steaks, roasts, ground, and special cuts
*Natural Bug Repellant
*Diatomaceous Earth
*Teas

Green Dirt Farm, Jacqueline Smith & Sarah Hoffman (Weston, MO) www.GreenDirtFarm.com
*ARTISAN SHEEP'S MILK CHEESE in Aged Varieties including Wooly Rind, Bossa, Dirt Lover, & Prairie Tomme as well as fresh spreadable varieties in Rosemary,Nettle, Lovage, Confetti, and Firecracker!!!!
*Grass-finished Lamb Cuts

Bread Of Life Bakery, The Crowther Family (Stewartsville, MO) www.breadoflifebakery.net

*sandwich breads

*savory breads

*sweet breads

*specialty treats (vegan as well)

**ALL MADE FROM 100% Locally Grown, Organic Wheat!!!!

***Gluten-Free Breads and treats from the "Sweet Sisters" new line of baked goods!!!

Puddin' Head Coffee, Harry Lee, (Raytown, MO) www.puddinheadcoffee.com

*Only the BEST fair-trade/organic/micro-roasted coffee in town!!

Get yourself some beans or grab yourself a mug.

COFFEE BY THE MUG IS ONLY $1.00!!!!

Other goodies include:

Certified Organic Flour from Heartland Mill

Freshly ground & locally grown whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, unbleached all purpose white flour, malted all purpose flour for bread baking, & blue corn meal !!! A bakers dream.....

RAW HONEY!!!....YES!! Les Miller (our wicked honey man) will be a buzzin' this Friday with that godly golden nectar and bees wax to boot!

and, of course, Kombucha Mushroom Tea (Brooke's home brew)

Sip while you shop!

Remember:

LIVE NUDE VEGETABLES!! and other organic delights...
EVERY FRIDAY AT BADSEED

Yours Truly,

Brooke
- farmer and mistress of the BADSEED

BADSEED
An Urban-Organic Farm & Market
Celebrating Local Food, Culture, and Community
Fridays, 4-8pm*
1909 McGee*KCMO*64108
www.badseedfarm.com
* WINTER HOURS

Join the BADSEED
on Facebook! -- CLICK HERE^^click it!^^

URBAVORE 2011 Apprenticeship Program - A Project of BADSEED

New life is emerging on Kansas City’s East Side; a living, breathing organism that both feeds from and provides food for its urban surroundings. BADSEED Farm moved up the food chain, and is taking root on new land and in the new form of URBAVORE.
URBAVORE is presently seeking one part-time apprentice and two volunteer apprentices for the 2011 growing season to aid in the creation of one of the largest and most diverse urban farms in the nation. This season, apprentices are tasked with much more than assisting to produce a crop of vegetables; they must also help to establish infrastructure, perennial fruit plantings, animal pastures and diverse natural habitats on 13 acres of raw land only 8 miles from downtown Kansas City. In exchange for 30 hours of labor weekly, URBAVORE will provide part-time apprentices with free accommodation at BADSEED’s downtown storefront (fully equipped with a commercial kitchen and comfortable amenities), a share of the farm’s bounty, and many opportunities for learning. Apprentices will develop skills in no-till, “beyond-organic” vegetable production, integrated livestock management, orchard planting & tree crop maintenance, windrow composting, direct marketing, food preservation, homesteading skills, and more.
Relevant skills and qualifications in farming and building are desired, but not required. We require part-time apprentices to complete the full season schedule from March 1 through October 31. We can offer volunteer apprentices more flexibility with scheduling and hours.

Part-time Apprentice
Required Hours: 30 field hours per week; 8 market hours per month
Season Commitment: March 1 – October 31
Pay: None.
Compensation: Free Room, Share of Produce, one-on-one (and sometimes two-on-one) training and workshops in diverse farm skills.
How to Apply: Mail resumes to brooke@badseedfarm.com or BADSEED at 1909 McGee St. Kansas City, MO 64108. We will subsequently conduct an interview and field tryout at the farm with qualified applicants in early February. (we can conduct phone interviews with out of town applicants)
Volunteer Apprentice
Required Hours: 15 field hours per week
Season Commitment: Flexible commitment from March – November.
Pay: None.
Compensation: Excellent agricultural skills training and partial share in the farm’s bounty
How to Apply: Mail resumes to brooke (a) badseedfarm.com or
BADSEED
1909 McGee St
Kansas City, MO 64108
We will subsequently conduct an interview and field tryout at the farm with qualified applicants.
*TO RECEIVE MORE DETAILED INFO e-mail or call us at 816-472-0027

SAN - 2011-01-04 - Sustainability Action Network - Announcements - Greater KC via Kaw River Valley (Lawrence, KS)

WEEKLY ANNOUNCEMENTS

4 January 2011

DONATIONS TO SUSTAINABILITY ACTION NETWORK ARE NOW TAX DEDUCTIBLE
please donate to the S.A.N. Annual Capital Campaign - (contact info at bottom of page)
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ECO RADIO KC ¤ WEEKLY ECOLOGICAL ISSUES RADIO SHOW
Tuesday, 4 January 2011, 12:00noon-1:00pm ¤ on Kansas City Community Radio
Listen at KKFI-FM 90.1, or on web-streaming at http://www.kkfi.org/

On Eco-Radio KC this week, the show by Steve Mann is "The Indigenous Iy Iuy People of Mexico Fight for Their Land". Joining Steve will be Teodoro Gonzales Castillo of San Luís Potosí, México, the traditional Governor of the Iy Iuy People. Blain Snipstal and Maria Whittaker will describe the experiences they shared with Governor Castillo at the Cancun Climate Conference in December, when Via Campesina members from Asia, North America, South America, and Africa, as well as many other groups, demanded that the delegates respect the Cochabamba Declaration on the Rights of Mother Earth. Read more at - The Road from Cancun: Steps Toward a Global Uprising.

Also of ecological interest on KKFI this week:

On Wednesday at 9:00am, Alternative Radio airs an encore presentation of Paul Cienfuegos talk on "Corporations vs. People". "The presumption of corporate over citizen rights came into sharp focus this past January with the Supreme Court's "Citizens United" decision which opens the floodgates of unrestricted corporate money into election campaigns, under the guise of free speech. Countering this trend are citizen revolts, many in small communities, which assert the right of the people who live in a community to decide what happens to that community and to its natural environment." More of his print and audio material is at Paul Cienfuegos: Articles, Lectures & Interviews.
On Friday at 9:30am, the Bioneers Radio Series presents "Jaguars, Goats and Acequeias: Cultivating the Landscape of Wild Earth". Do you think of the wilderness as something far away? Not in the age of climate change and human population growth. The real wilderness is always underfoot—the complex systems underlying life on Earth that we barely understand. It’s our inheritance, our guardianship to understand traditional and indigenous knowledge of Earth as a vast, cultivated landscape. Land managers such as Miguel Santistevan, Lani Malmberg and Peter Warshall celebrate the fact that we are all gardeners. They reveal brilliant innovations and ancient wisdom for how to get good at it.

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BEYOND IDEOLOGICAL WARFARE ¤ OUTCOME BASED ACTION

Setting political bias aside, and putting focus on benefits to the local community, one Kansan is making a big difference. Can the Sustainability Movement benefit from this same approach?

Salina, KS - Residents of this deeply conservative city do not put much stock in scientific predictions of climate change. “Don’t mention global warming,” warned Nancy Jackson, chairwoman of the Climate and Energy Project, a small nonprofit group that aims to get people to rein in the fossil fuel emissions that contribute to climate change. “And don’t mention Al Gore. People out here just hate him.” Saving energy, though, is another matter.

Last Halloween, schoolchildren here searched for “vampire” electric loads, or appliances that sap energy even when they seem to be off. Energy-efficient LED lights twinkled on the town’s Christmas tree. On Valentine’s Day, local restaurants left their dining room lights off and served meals by candlelight. The fever for reducing dependence on fossil fuels has spread beyond this city of red-brick Eisenhower-era buildings to other towns on the Kansas plains. A Lutheran church in nearby Lindsborg was inspired to install geothermal heating. Read more of the article at - In Kansas, Climate Skeptics Embrace Green Energy - NYTimes.com.

Town managers attribute the new resolve mostly to a yearlong competition sponsored by the Climate and Energy Project, the , which set out to extricate energy issues from the charged arena of climate politics. In 2010, Merriam KS and Quinter KS won with innovative energy reductions. In 2011, CEP has partnered with the Kansas Energy Office to fund round two for sixteen Kansas communities to participate and compete. More info at - Take Charge Challenge. And below, see Lawrence presentation on 4 February.
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CHRISTMAS TREECYCLING IN LAWRENCE
Monday, 10 January 2011, 6:00am

After the holidays, you may place your live-cut tree at the curb or alley for collection, and the trees will be reused for wildlife habitat. Remove all synthetic items from the tree like lights, tinsel, etc. If you live in an apartment, place the tree in the enclosure for the dumpster, but not in the dumpster. For more info call 832-3030 or visit www.LawrenceRecycles.org
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LAWRENCE FRUIT TREE PROJECT MEETING
Tuesday, 4 January 2011, 6:30pm
Lawrence Percolator, 900 block alley behind the Lawrence Arts Center

The LFTP Lawrence Fruit Tree Project is a co-operative group of pomiculturists who have organized themselves to establish community orchards, and teach folks how to grow and care for fruiting trees and shrubs. They also are setting up a fruit tree register to list existing neighborhood trees that are underutilized, so they can be cared for and harvested. Anyone is welcome who is interested in relocalized food security, environmental literacy, permaculture, fruit tree propagation, etc. Come to our meetings and help our grass roots organization grow!
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GREAT PLAINS GROWERS CONFERENCE ¤ 15TH ANNIVERSARY - $$
Thurs-Sat, 6-8 January 2011, starts 8:00am each day; close 4:30pm R, 9pm F, 3:30pm S
Fulkerson Center, Missouri Western State University, St. Joseph MO 64507

This popular and inspiring regional food growers' conference just got better by adding another sponsor to their collaboration, the Mid America Fruit Growers Association. The first day consists of day-long mini-courses in: high tunnels, CSAs, effective business management, and fruit trees. The second and third days will be a mix of talks and break-out seminars ranging from growing techniques to crop diseases to irrigation to marketing, etc. There will also be dozens of exhibitors and vendors. Sponsors include state co-op extension services from Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and South Dakota, as well as civic groups like the Kansas Rural Center, the Mid America Fruit Growers Association, the Missouri Vegetable Growers Association, and Growing for Market! magazine. For more info and to register go to Great Plains Growers Conference, or call Katie Cook at (816) 279-1691.
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SEARCHING FOR MR/MS GOOD FOOD ¤ LOCAL & ORGANIC FOOD LOCATOR

For supporters of local food and sustainability, here is a web-tool they can use to find farmers markets, organic food, CSAs, and family farms anywhere in the U.S. It uses map driven geo-query. Zoom in to an area or region, and "abracadabra!" it will display a listing of ONLY those stores/market locations that are represented on the map - check it out here: Local Harvest: Farmers Markets / Family Farms / CSA / Organic Food.
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SIERRA CLUB, WAKARUSA CHAPTER ¤ LEVEE TRAIL HIKE
Saturday, 8 January 2011, 10:00am
Oak & 8th St. parking lot at levee, North Lawrence, KS 66044

Bundle up and enjoy a hike with no ticks or poison ivy; just crisp, clean Kansas air and maybe a bald eagle or two. It is a family and kid-friendly event, members and non-members alike are welcome. For more info, e-mail to mmrogers816@gmail.com.
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LAWRENCE SUSTAINABILITY ADVISORY BOARD
Wednesday, 12 January 2011, 5:30pm
Recycling and Resource Recovery Annex, 320 N.E. Industrial Lane, Lawrence KS

The January agenda is unavailable to date. The S.A.B. meets monthly to discuss any and all aspects of furthering sustainability policies and practices by the City of Lawrence government and private persons. The public is welcome. Minutes are finalized in about a month after each meeting http://www.lawrenceks.org/wrr/envadvisoryboard
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KANSAS CITY ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMISSION
Wednesday, 12 January 2011, 4:00-6:00pm
Mid America Regional Council, Rivergate Center 2nd floor, 600 Broadway, KC MO

The Environmental Management Commission promotes environmental awareness and resource efficiency to the City's leader and staff, to assist the progress of Kansas City toward sustainability. The general public is encouraged to attend and observe meetings and to join and participate in its efforts. More information and the EMC April 2009 minutes are available at http://www.kcmo.org/manager.nsf/web/emc
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VINEYARD PRUNING WORKSHOP
Friday, 14 January 2011, 10:00am-2:00pm - $$
Riverwood Winery, 22200 Hwy 45 North, Rushville MO 64484 (NW of KCI and Weston MO)

The workshop will cover the importance of winter pruning and how it impacts yield, disease incidence, fruit composition and wine quality in Midwest vineyards. In the morning session, Andy Allen will discuss the basic aspects of grapevine pruning, Jackie Harris will discuss pruning safety issues, and Dr. Keith Striegler will discuss assessing grapevine bud mortality (all are Missouri Extension Viticulturists). Lunch will be catered by Charlemagne's Restaurant. The afternoon session will be hands-on pruning practice on the vines at the winery. Registration deadline is 7 January. More info at Vineyard Pruning Workshop_info & registration.pdf, or call (816)270-2141.
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INTRODUCTION TO PERMACULTURE DESIGN
Saturday, 15 January 2011, 9:00am-4:00pm - $
Flint Hills Technical College, 3301 W. 18th Ave, Emporia, KS 66801

This is a one day intensive on permaculture principles taught by Ben Stallings of the Kaw Permaculture Collaborative, and holder of a Permaculture Design Certificate. Students will be introduced to ecological principles and learn how to apply them to their garden, home or workplace, will create a design of their own, and will receive constructive feedback from the other students and the instructor. Fore more info go to Introduction to Permaculture Design - 15 Jan 2011.
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DOUGLAS COUNTY FOOD POLICY COUNCIL
Monday, 17 January 2011, 7:00pm
location TBA, Lawrence, KS 66046

The Food Policy Council seeks to identify the benefits, challenges and opportunities for a successful, sustainable local food system. By advising the Douglas County Commission on public policies that will support local producers, preserve local agricultural resources and land, and create more local jobs, the F.P.C. hopes to improve the community’s access to a local food supply and distribution networks. For more info go to Dg County Food Policy Council.
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SUSTAINABILITY ACTION NETWORK ¤ ANNUAL MEETING
Friday, 21 January 2011, 7:00pm
All American Room, Eldridge Hotel, 701 Massachusetts St., Lawrence, KS 66044

We are honored at this our third Annual Meeting, to have as our speaker, Dan Nagangast, Director of the Kansas Rural Center. Dan will speak about energy depletion and rising energy costs, reducing fossil energy agriculture inputs, and transitioning to a local food system economy.

Come help us celebrate our 2010 success in gaining tax-exempt status, and our progress in permaculture, bicycle lanes, land consortium, and more. Since forming in late 2007, the Sustainability Action Network has been bringing to our community local solutions for the global crisis caused by climate change, energy vulnerability and economic instability. Inspired by the Transition movement and the Permaculture movement, we are working for a more socially just and ecologically sustainable world. Everyone is welcome, non-members and members alike, so we hope to see you there!
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URBAN FARMERS ANNUAL MEETING ¤ KC CENTER FOR URBAN AGRICULTURE
Saturday, 29 January 2011, from 9:00am-12:00pm
location TBA

Come meet other growers and supporters and learn about our projects over the past year. We'll have pie, coffee, conversation, and learning together (and, if you'd like to bring a pie or two, it would be much appreciated!). Founded in 2004, the KC Center for Urban Agriculture operates the Kansas City Community Farm, and trains folks as urban growers. Their vision is for urban areas of small community farms, providing a livelihood for growers, and local healthy food for the community.
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RENEWABLE ENERGY USE PROJECTED TO INCREASE 50% BY 2035

Kansas City, MO - According to a forecast from Black & Veatch, Renewable-energy use, including wind, is set to increase by more than 50% by 2035. The engineering firm reports that the portion of U.S. energy supply from renewables will be nearly as much as from coal. The amount of coal used to produce electricity will fall more than 50 percent, falling out of fashion over the next quarter-century.

The International Energy Agency predicts that nearly all the additional energy the world uses in the next 25 years will go to meet demand in China and other emerging countries. Their rising energy use already is one factor pushing up world oil prices, a trend that’s expected to continue. The U.S. will increasingly find itself in a secondary role with at most modest increases in energy demand. But stable demand won’t mean the domestic supply picture stays the same — coal will decline, and natural gas and renewables will rise. Read the article - Black & Veatch sees Cleaner Energy Outlook by 2035.

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TAKE CHARGE CHALLENGE ¤ IN LAWRENCE & MANHATTAN
Friday, 4 February 2011, 7:00pm
ECM, 1204 Oread Ave., Lawrence KS 66044 (just north of K.U.)

Margaret Tran of the Climate and Energy Project and/or Eileen Horn, Douglas County Sustainability Director, will talk about the Take Charge Challenge, a unique contest that pits Lawrence/KU against Manhattan/K-State to see who can save the most energy during 2011 in their community. Come learn about how you can participate. For more info, contact the Sierra Club Wakarusa Chapter at <mmrogers816@gmail.com>.
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PERMACULTURE GARDENS AND SMALL FARMS DESIGN COURSE
Saturday-Saturday, 5-12 February 2011 - $$$$
Midwest Permaculture, Stelle IL

This training will cover a full-design course curriculum to provide students with their permaculture design certification (PDC). The emphasis will be on suburban gardens and small farms, and include two pre-course webinars. For more info go to Midwest Permaculture: 5-12 Feb 2011 PDC Course.
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PERMACULTURE, FOOD SECURITY, AND ENERGY DEPLETION ¤ FIRST LECTURE
Friday, 18 February 2011, 6:00pm-9:00pm - $$$
East Lawrence Community Center, 15th & Brook St., Lawrence KS 66044

Steve Moring of Vajra Farm Permaculture Center will teach this Design Certification Course that includes nine 3-hour class sessions, six field sessions and a student presentation up through June. In the summer, there will be four additional 6-hour practicum sessions, all totaling 72 hours of training, and culminating in certification through the Kansas Permaculture Institute.

The first lecture is "Food Security and Energy Depletion" followed by a video "The Power of Community". The material describes our agricultural dependence on fossil fuels and how we can meet the challenge of energy depletion to make a successful transition to sustainable future. Preregistration is required, and a percentage of the fees will support the Kaw Permaculture Collaborative and it's parent organization, the Sustainability Action Network. For more info go to Kaw Permaculture Collaborative, or contact Steve Moring at (785)691-7305 or <smoring@grasshoppernet.com>.
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TWO DAY "ESSENTIAL" PERMACULTURE TRAINING
Saturday-Sunday, 19-20 February 2011, 9:00am-5:00pm - $$$
Knowles Spirituality Center, 2304 Campanile Rd, Waterloo, NE (Omaha)
31 December 2010 early registration discount of $50

Taught by Bill and Becky Wilson of Midwest Permaculture, this weekend session will cover permaculture essentials with an emphasis on transition to a low energy future. For more info go to Essential Permaculture Training - 19-20 Feb 2011.

The SUSTAINABILITY ACTION NETWORK, Inc. is a 501(C)(3) tax-exempt organization. DONATIONS ARE APPRECIATED, and checks can be mailed to P.O.Box 1064, Lawrence KS 66044. Our mission is to advocate and organize societal scale action to address sustainability issues. The triple crises of Energy-Ecology-Economy are building so rapidly that large scale action is needed immediately and methodically to overcome institutional barriers and advance public policy that preserves ecological sustainability. Our focus is to build a relocalized economy-ecology in concert with the Transition Town movement occurring in many other communities. To join the Sustainability Action Network please contact us at <paradigm@ixks.com>

Our current projects include:
1) Transition Kaw Valley - initiating transition to a relocalized post-carbon economy, and municipal level Peak Oil response planning.
2) Kaw Permaculture Collaborative, and Kansas Permaculture Institute - developing skills and resources for poly-cropping sustainable food production.
3) Energy Conservation & Renewables - advancing a green economy through decentralized technologies and regulations, for conservation and renewable energy.
4) Land Consortium - organizing interested stakeholders to acquire prime farmland in the urban fringe for land-based economic development and regional food security.
5) Water Rights and Watersheds - protecting the water commons, the source of all life, from privatization and contamination, and restoring our watersheds.
6) Electric & Human Powered Vehicles - promoting neighborhood electric vehicles and utility tricycles, including infrastructure and pro-active regulations.
7) Weekly Sustainability Announcements - informing and encouraging others to become active in the Sustainability Action Network, or other action driven groups.
8) Collaboration with sister organizations - such as: The Light Center eco-village; Kaw Valley Food System farm-based economic development; Citizens for Responsible Planning; Films for Action; Kansas River Valley Growers fighting for local water rights; national efforts by the Sustainable Energy Network; KC Metro groups like the Kansas City Food Circle and the All Species Project, etc.

We welcome suggestions for items to be included. Please send items to paradigm@ixks.com

To subscribe to this list, please send an e-mail to paradigm@ixks.com with the subject line reading “subscribe to Sustainability Announcements”.

KC LOCAL FOOD BUYING CO-OPERATIVE

The Squash Blossom Food Cooperative is seeking bakers, value-added producers, produce growers, meats, dairy, poultry, eggs and locally produced
household products for sales to our members and Kansas City local eaters, restaurants and institutions.

Free up your valuable time at the farmers market next year to do what you do best. Your Co-op will connect you to your customers and help you grow as we build our local member-owned food system.

Our online marketing and ordering system :http://squashblossomcoop.org

Contact Katie Nixon 913 809-5074 katie@squashblossomkc.org

or Steve Mann 816 352-9213 steve@squashblossomkc.org