Action Alert 1/13/08

--HEMP! Help us to legalize Agricultural Hemp in Vermont!
--January Film Series - Focus on FOOD!
--Become a Rural Vermont Volunteer!
--Upcoming Events

HEMP FOR VERMONT!
This year, we need your help to get H.267 - the Hemp for Vermont Bill enacted into law. We'll be working hard to garner support for this bill in the statehouse, and YOU CAN HELP! This week, we need your help to get us started on the right foot.

HERE'S WHAT YOU CAN DO THIS WEEK TO HELP GET THE HEMP FOR VERMONT BILL PASSED!

1) READ THE BILL! It's not long, and you can find it here:
http://www.leg.state.vt.us/docs/legdoc.cfm?URL=/docs/2008/bills/intro/H-267.HTM

2) CALL YOUR HOUSE REPRESENTATIVE! Please call your House Representative this week (Tuesday-Friday) at the Vermont Statehouse and ask them to support H.267, the Hemp for Vermont Bill. If your Representative is on the Agriculture Committee (see list below), ask them to pass the bill out of committee as soon as possible. If your Representative is not on the Agriculture Committee, ask them to talk to an Agriculture Committee member and urge them to get the bill out of committee.

You can call your Representative at 802-828-2228. You will need to leave a message. Be sure to leave your name and phone number and ask for a call back. Wait until your Rep. calls you back to talk to them about the bill - just leave your name and number for the message. DO NOT EMAIL your Rep, as this is not effective. If you don't know who your Rep. is, ask the person who answers the phone - you'll just have to tell them where you live.

Here are the Reps on the Agriculture Committee: Zuckerman, Perry, Lawrence, Ainsworth, Bray, Godin, Malcolm, McNeil, Partridge, Spengler, and Stevens. REMEMBER, if your Rep., is NOT on the Ag Committee, please ASK THEM TO ASK A COMMITTEE MEMBER TO PASS THE BILL OUT OF COMMITTEE.

3) COME TO AN EVENT! Rural Vermont is sponsoring a series of events to help you get up to speed on the issue and find out how you can get involved...please join us for some film screenings and discussions. See the details below:

HEMP FOR VERMONT WEEK!
Why is Agricultural Hemp important to Vermont's farmers and the agricultural economy? What are the status of hemp laws in the US and Vermont? How can you get involved in Rural Vermont's Hemp for Vermont Campaign? Join us for a week-long series of hemp events and get answers!

$5 - $10 suggested donation for all events - no one turned away for lack of funds (except special Montpelier event, which is $10). Limited quantity of Rural Vermont goods available for sale. Make a $100 tax-deductible donation and get a Vermont-made HEMP bag with Rural VT’s logo! ALL PROCEEDS TO BENEFIT RURAL VERMONT’S HEMP FOR VT CAMPAIGN!

Two of the featured speakers played key roles in the passage of the law that legalized agricultural hemp in North Dakota. Representative David Monson is a farmer, house representative, and one of the first applicants for a hemp-growing license in North Dakota. Roger Johnson has been North Dakota's Agriculture Commissioner since 1996; he is a farmer with a degree in agricultural economics and a background in agricultural mediation. Ian Kiehle is a local hemp advocate and manager of the Brattleboro-based Save the Corporations from Themselves, a hemp and organic cotton clothing store.

*Sunday, January 20, 2008 ~ 6:30 - 8:30 pm
Ilsley Library, 75 Main St., MIDDLEBURY
Film: Hemp and the Rule of Law, followed by discussion with Rep Monson and Roger Johnson

* SPECIAL FUNDRAISER EVENT*
Monday, January 21, 2008 ~ 10 am - 12 pm
Savoy Theater, 26 Main St., MONTPELIER
Film: Hemp and the Rule of Law, followed by discussion with Rep Monson and Roger Johnson
* Admission = $10 *

*Monday, January 21, 2008 ~ 6:30 - 8:30 pm
Buffalo Mountain School, 39 N. Main St., HARDWICK
Film: Hemp and the Rule of Law, followed by discussion with Rep Monson and Roger Johnson

*Tuesday, January 22, 2008 ~ 6:30 - 8:30 pm
Springfield Unitarian Universalist Church, 21 Fairground Rd., SPRINGFIELD
Film: Hemp and the Rule of Law, followed by discussion with Roger Johnson

*Wednesday, January 23, 2008 ~ 6:30 - 8:30 pm
St. Michael's Episcopal Church, 16 Bradley Ave., BRATTLEBORO
Film: Standing Silent Nation, followed by discussion with Ian Kiehle

*Thursday, January 24, 2008 ~ 6:30 - 8:30 pm
Immanuel Episcopal Church, 20 Church St., BELLOWS FALLS
Film: Hemp and the Rule of Law, followed by discussion with Ian Kiehle

For more info and film descriptions, call (802) 223-7222 or visit ruralvermont.org.
If you want to schedule a hemp event in your area, contact Shelby at shelby@ruralvermont.org or 802-223-7222!

**JANUARY FILM SERIES - FOCUS ON FOOD**
The common thread of the January Film Series being sponsored by the Lamoille County Natural Resources Conservation District & Nature Center, the Lanpher Memorial Library and Rural Vermont is food: how it travels, how it is grown, who profits and who loses. This film series is a FREE event; all films begin at 6:30 pm at the Lanpher Memorial Library in Hyde Park. Win an autographed copy of Joel Salatin's Everything I Want to do is Illegal or Jessica Prentice's Full Moon Feast. Call the Lamoille County Natural Resources Conservation District for more information 888-9218x13.
*January 8th, The Global Banquet: Politics of Food
*January 15th, Fast Food Nation (rated R)
*January 22nd, The True Cost of Food and The Meatrix
*January 29th, Super Size Me

**VOLUNTEER WITH RURAL VERMONT**
If you can, please consider being a RURAL VERMONT VOLUNTEER - you can help
others to stay updated by helping with mailings, phone calls, and passing out
flyers at events during the legislative session. These activities help us to
keep folks who don't have email up to date. If you are interested in being a
volunteer, please contact Colin at colin@ruralvermont.org or 802-223-7222, or
fill out our volunteer survey at
http://www.ruralvermont.org/getinvolved.html#volunteer and send it in. You can
work at the office, at home, or in your community, and really make a
difference!

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OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS
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THIS WEEKEND! DON'T MISS IT!
**2008 VT Grazing Conferences Features Greg Judy
The 12th Annual Vermont Grazing Conference, titled From Forgotten Fields to
Farm Fresh Food will feature Missouri grazier Greg Judy as keynote speaker.
The conference will take place at Vermont Technical College in Randolph, VT
on Saturday, January 19, 2008. The schedule includes themed tracks for
dairy, meat, poultry, diversified, animal management, soil and forages,
consumer interests, and grazing partnerships. Plans are in motion for a
kids' mini conference, and an intensive afternoon session focused on meat
processing. The conference is co-organized by the UVM Center for Sustainable
Agriculture and the Vermont Grass Farmers Association. To learn more about the
conference, contact Jenn Colby, VT Pasture Network, at (802) 656-0858,
jcolby@uvm.edu , or visit www.uvm.edu/~pasture .

*Livable Wage Workshop.
Learn how much income Vermonters should be earning in order to meet their most basic needs. Learn about valuable progrrams to assist lower income people, about how about you can help raise the minimum wage and can rethink your assumptions about Poverty and wages.
Date: Jan. 19, 2008
Time and Place: 2 to 3:30pm Aldrich Library in Barre
Workshop led by: The Burlington Peace and Justice Center
Sponsored by: Barre Universalist Church, Faith in Action Committee
For more info. contact: Colin at Peace and Justice Center: 802-863-2345, Andi from Barre UU FIA Committee: 802-229-1977
event is free but donations accepted. No one turned away for lack of funds.
**INTRO TO HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT:
Sat(s) Feb 2 & 9; 9am - 5pm; All Together Now, 170A Cherry Tree Hill Rd., E. Montpelier. Taught by Abe Collins of the VT Grass Farmer's Association and Carbon Farmers of America. The Holistic Management framework is a conscious decision-making framework that helps us to live out our core values as we advance biological succession, strengthen our families and communities and transform solar energy, air, minerals and water into lasting wealth. Born from the successful work of Allan Savory to reverse desertification in dry environments, Holistic Management represents breakthrough thinking that will change the way you see and engage with nature. You will leave this workshop with new perspective into ecosystem functioning and the human ability to heal land in any environment. You will have the understanding you need to form a ho- listic goal and start managing holistically. Holistic Management will give you confidence that your every decision is simultaneously meeting your short and long-term needs while being simul- taneously socially, ecologically and economically sound. $150-250 sliding scale Potluck Lunch Info: 223-1242, or briant@pshift.com.

**STATEWIDE PEAK OIL ACTIVISTS RETREAT:
February 3; VT Technical College, Randolph. Peak oil activists from around the state will gather at to reflect, train, network, and discuss. The main event is a workshop by Phil Rice from the Sustainability Institute in Hartland and colleagues on "Four Capacities for Effective Leadership on Peak Oil." Info: Annie at newsletter@vtpeakoil.net.

**VTCECH will hold the 12th annual Hunger Awareness Day at the Vermont Statehouse on Thursday, February 7th, 2008. Hunger Awareness Day is an opportunity to remind our elected officials about the continuing problem of hunger in our communities. Likewise, citizens have the opportunity to thank their state legislators for their continuing support of anti-hunger initiatives. VTCECH will be showing our new film Every Child. Every Day. The Vermont Foodbank and the Vermont School Nutrition Association will also be present. Encourage your legislators to visit the display and view the film. For more information, please call our office at 802-865-0255.

**Save the Dates! NOFA-VT 2-Day Winter Conference Announced
NOFA-VT is pleased and proud to announce we will be offering, for the first
time ever, a 2-day Winter Conference, February 16th and 17th, at the Vermont
Technical College in Randolph, Vermont. Mark your calendars and stay tuned for
more information! If you’d like to be added to our mailing list to receive a
copy of the Winter Conference brochure, please contact the office, 434-4122, or
info@nofavt.org.

**Exploring the Small Farm Dream with Beth Claypoole
Are you interested in starting a small farm business? What type of
information do you need to start? What type of farming enterprise you
would like to develop? Do you know someone who has these same questions?
If these questions sound familiar, Cornell Cooperative Extension Wayne
County, in cooperation with Wayne County Agriculture Development Board
will be presenting a 4 session workshop on February 27th, March 5th, 19th,
and April 2nd to help answer these questions. This in-depth program will
run each evening from 6-9pm at the CCE Wayne County office in Newark, NY.
Applications for participation are now available by calling 315-331-8415
or by accessing the CCE website at:
http://counties.cce.cornell.edu/wayne, search for "Small Farm Dream".
Applications are due by Monday, February 11.