Message from the STILL Very New Director
Dear Friends:
Well, it’s the end of my second week at Rural Vermont, I just got through my first official meeting with our board of directors, and in spite of it being Friday the 13th and it’s sleeting outside, I’m still coherent enough (I hope) to send you a brief update.
First, I want to send a huge shout out to the Rural Vermont staff, interns, volunteers and the board of directors for all their patience and support in helping me get my legs under me in this new job. What a fantastic community of people!
Second, I want to encourage you to cruise all the way through this email because we have a number of great events coming up from Raw Milk Classes to informational meetings about our Food Sovereignty Campaign – Vermonters Feeding Vermonters – to a Benefit Bake in Burlington and the NOFA-VT Winter conference. I look forward to meeting you at these events.
Activity under the Golden Dome definitely accelerated this week with new bills being introduced and heavy traffic in the committees of people testifying. Here are some issues and bills we are tracking:
> There are several bills either introduced or being drafted that address the issue of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in our food system. We will have more details on these next week.
> A bill, S.239, was introduced and referred to the Senate Agriculture Committee. It is sponsored by Sen. Giard (D-Addison District) and is titled: AN ACT RELATING TO ENSURING THE HUMANE TREATMENT AND SLAUGHTER OF ANIMALS. Rural Vermont staff are reviewing this bill and we have been invited to testify on it next week.
> A major event this week was the introduction of H. 496 and S. 246 the Working Lands Enterprise Investment Bills. These bills are the culmination of a two-year process led by the Vermont Council on Rural Development and supported by the Vermont Working Landscape Partnership. Rural Vermont staff are reviewing these bills and the board of directors will be hearing a presentation about them soon. You can learn more about them on the VCRD website: http://vtworkinglands.org.
The other big event at the State House this week was the Governor’s Budget Address. As with his State of the State Address, Governor Shumlin focused largely on priorities related to the impacts of Irene. There was nothing specific in the address that relates to Rural Vermont’s priority issues. We will now turn our attention to the Appropriations Committees to see how they will respond to the Governor’s budget.
As always I look forward to hearing from you with your ideas, concerns and suggestions. You can reach me at andrea@ruralvermont.org or by calling our office at 802-223-7222.
I look forward to talking with you!
Andrea Stander
P. S. I hope you will also consider joining us and our allies at a Rally at the State House Fri. Jan. 20 at 3PM in support of Sen. Ginny Lyon’s Resolution supporting a constitutional amendment declaring that corporations are not people. More info below.
Rural Vermont Events
*** Vermonters Feeding Vermonters *** GROWING LOCAL FOOD SOVEREIGNTY January 19, 6pm-7:45pm February 4, 5:30pm
Capitol City Grange Hall, Montpelier Northfield Street – Route 12 just south of
Montpelier (physical address: 6612 Vt. Rt 12, Berlin) Free and open to the public, potluck to follow. Robb Kidd, Organizer for Rural Vermont, will discuss Food Sovereignty and the Vermonters Feeding Vermonters Campaign with members of the Capital City Grange. February 11, at the NOFA-VT Winter Conference The Davis Center, UVM Rural Vermont Organizer Robb Kidd and board member Carl Russell, co-owner of Earthwise Farm and Forest in Bethel, will host a special Food Sovereignty workshop. For more information or to register, visit this page. If you are interested in having Rural Vermont facilitate a Food Sovereignty discussion in your community, please contact robb@ruralvermont.org. *** BEYOND MILK: RAW DAIRY PROCESSING! If your new year’s resolution is to feed your family better, cook from scratch more, eat closer to home, or invest more in your community, then Rural Vermont’s dairy classes are just what you need! And lucky for you, a new year brings a new schedule of classes. Read on for the details … (and more classes coming soon!) Butter, Chevre, & Yogurt Friday, January 27th from 1 – 4 pm Windy Corners Farm, CHARLOTTE
Feta, Soft Cheese, Yogurt, & Kefir Sunday, January 29th from 1 – 4 pm Metta Earth Institute Inc., LINCOLN
JUST ADDED! Cheddar, Gouda, & Manchego Wednesday, February 1st from 1 – 4 pm Red Wing Farm, SHREWSBURY Farmer’s Cheese, Brie-style Cheese, & Chevre Wednesday, April 25th from 10 am – 1 pm Popplewood Farm, ANDOVER All classes require advance registration and space is limited. $20-$40 sliding scale. All proceeds benefit Rural Vermont. To sign up, contact Shelby at (802) 223-7222 or email shelby@ruralvermont.org. STILL SEEKING HOSTS & TEACHERS! If you’re a raw milk dairy and would like to host a class OR a raw milk enthusiast eager to share your kitchen skills with others, please contact shelby@ruralvermont.org or call (802) 223-7222. We’ve got a specific need for teachers in the counties of LAMOILLE and ADDISON/RUTLAND! *** BENEFIT BAKE at Burlington Hearth Monday, February 20th 115 St. Paul Street, BURLINGTON Rural Vermont’s friends at Burlington Hearth are hosting a Benefit Bake! Four dollars of each flatbread purchased on this special evening will benefit Rural Vermont’s efforts to build living soils, thriving farms, and healthy communities. Spread the word and join Rural Vermont for dinner! Thanks Burlington Hearth !! |
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Volunteer and Activist Needs
Phone Callers and Activist Leaders-The Vermont Legislature is back in session, which means we may need to rely on your help making phone calls to engage others into action. We will also be looking for activists to testify at hearings and other events. Please contact Robbto learn how you can play a role in ensuring the success of Rural Vermont’s campaigns and supporting family farmers.
Newspaper Clippings - We need your help gathering paper copies of newspaper and magazine articles from around the state featuring Rural Vermont’s issues. Contact Robb to help us with this important task. Winter Events- We need volunteers to help at the Farm Show on January 24-26 at the Champlain Valley Expo, and the NOFA-VT Winter Conference Feb 10-12 ! Please volunteer to help Rural Vermont with our informational tables at these busy events. If you will be available on any of these days, email Robbto volunteer for a time slot.Email Robb, or call (802) 223-7222 to get involved today!! **Want to help but not interested in the above activities? Contact us and we’ll see how we can plug you in!** |
Rally at the State House for the Anniversary of Citizens United v. FEC ruling!
Fri. Jan 20th at 3pm - Activists from around the state will be gathering in front of the State House in Montpelier to rally in support of Senator Ginny Lyon’s resolution calling for a constitutional amendment that says corporations are not people. Rural Vermont Organizer Robb Kidd will join other organizations in addressing the crowd about the impact multinational corporations have on farmers.