Action Alert 7/23/8
--Vermont Compost Company Update and ACTION needed
--Take the Rural Vermont Consumer Survey!
--Help Rural Vermont to Survey Farmers!
--Upcoming Rural Vermont Events
--Other Upcoming Events
--Vermont Compost Company Update and ACTION needed
--Take the Rural Vermont Consumer Survey!
--Help Rural Vermont to Survey Farmers!
--Upcoming Rural Vermont Events
--Other Upcoming Events
**VERMONT COMPOST COMPANY UPDATE***
By now you have probably heard that Vermont Compost Company (VCC) was ordered to shut down its Montpelier operation - they have been issued a "Cease and Desist" order and fined $18,000 from the Natural Resources Board on July 7th. VCC has appealed this order and the appeal is pending. The dispute stems from a question about how the state will regulate composting operations and whether they need Act 250 permits. This past legislative session a bill was passed that called for a "time out" on enforcement around composting and Act 250 until the relevant agencies and departments could work out a regulatory scheme that makes sense and is clear in terms of the rules. Vermont Compost Company - because of a technicality in legislative language - was not included in that "time out." We need your help to ask the Douglas administration to back off and allow VCC the same opportunity as other composters in the state to know what the rules are and to comply with them accordingly. Stay informed! Check out www.nofavt.org for updates. You will soon also be able to download a petition to collect signatures and send in to NOFA to help VCC.
Here's what YOU can do TODAY to help support Vermont Compost Company and the future of food grade composting in Vermont:
1) Write a LETTER TO THE EDITOR in support of Vermont Compost Company. Ask the Douglas administration to include VCC in the same two year moratorium extended to other compost producers in the state. Send it to your local papers and beyond. Contact information can be found at http://www.ruralvermont.org/getinvolved.html#writelte.
2) Make a DONATION to the Vermont Compost Company Legal Defense Fund. Fighting the state of Vermont is an expensive battle, and VCC needs your financial support to cover the mounting legal fees. Make an online contribution to the Vermont Compost Company Legal Defense Fund at http://vermontcompost.com/.
3) Go to the Brunch! The Vermont Compost Company, in partnership with LACE, Rural Vermont, and NOFA, will host a brunch to benefit the Vermont Compost Company Legal Fund. Brunch will feature Vermont Compost Co. eggs and other local farm fresh foods, along with guest speakers and a silent auction.Come out and show your support for the Vermont Compost Company!
Sunday, August 24th
10 am - 2 pm
LACE, Main Street, BARRE
$25 for adults; kids/family price TBD
For more info, to volunteer, or to donate to the silent auction, contact Jessica Bernier at (802) 279-1261 or jessicabernier@ymail.com.
***RURAL VERMONT'S CONSUMER SURVEY!***
It's not too late! If you are an eater in Vermont, please take our Consumer Survey and tell us about what is important to you, what Vermont products you are purchasing, where you're having trouble, and what you think is important regarding food systems in Vermont. We want to hear from YOU!
THANK YOU to the 100+ folks who have taken the survey! The survey should only take about 15 minutes. You can access it from our website: www.ruralvermont.org. It is completely anonymous - we won't know who gave us which answers (we're not tracking in any way!). You will have a chance to give us your contact information at the end, but that information will be completely separate from the survey. Spread the word! The results of this survey will be for Rural Vermont to think about our next steps in terms of building local food systems, and the results will also be shared with Vermont policy makers and the public.
***HELP RURAL VERMONT TO SURVEY FARMERS!***
We are looking for a few good volunteers to help us to survey farmers. If you've been eating local food and have been looking for a chance to really get to know some farmers - this is it! Our goal is to visit 200 farms this summer to ask a series of questions about the farms, agricultural policy, and issues that farmers believe need to be addressed in Vermont. We are also sharing information about Catamount Health with farmers. In order to do these surveys, you MUST be willing and able to come to a training (1 hour) and to type up the results of the surveys within 1 week of talking with the farmers and send them in to the Rural Vermont office. You'll need a car and a pair of muck boots and one or two free days in August to do the surveying. We are asking each volunteer to commit to surveying at least 5 farmers. We have two trainings scheduled for survey volunteers. Both are on Tuesday, July 29th, from 7 pm - 8 pm. One will be in Brattleboro, and one in Waterbury. ALSO, if you can get a group of 5 people together in your community who are willing to do surveying, we'll bring the training to you. If you are interested in volunteering or organizing a training, please contact Amy at amy@ruralvermont.org or 802-223-7222 for details.
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RURAL VERMONT EVENTS!!
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** Montpelier Seasonal COOKING CLASS SERIES**
Want to learn about cooking with grass-fed meats, and how to make your own sausage? How about substituting Vermont’s natural sweeteners for sugar? Or making herb-infused butters and salad dressings? Come join Rural Vermont for a series of cooking classes featuring Vermont’s bountiful summer offerings, and led by Montpelier chef Susan Reid! Cooking classes will be taught with a hands-on approach, and end with a sit-down, family-style meal. Limited space available and pre-registration required. Reserve now!
Sun Aug 17 (registration deadline Thurs Aug 14)
Sun Sept 28 (registration deadline Thurs Sept 25)
All classes from 5 – 8 pm in the private homes of Montpelier folks.
$20 per class (price includes ingredient fee) OR
$5 ingredient fee + 3 community credits per class for Onion River Exchange
members (http://onionriverexchange.wordpress.com/)
** 2008 ICE CREAM SOCIALS!!! **
DON'T MISS OUT! Come out and celebrate a successful legislative year for Vermont agriculture with Rural Vermont at this summer's ice cream socials! Rural Vermont is touring the state and scooping homemade, farm fresh ice cream at every stop! Come to the social nearest you to sample the freshest ice cream made with raw cream from local dairy farmers, meet and mingle with folks in your community, give us input about our work, and get updates on what's next for Rural Vermont. Join us!
August 6 – Rutland Masonic Temple, RUTLAND
August 11 – Putney Community Center, PUTNEY
August 18 – Dana Thompson Memorial Park, MANCHESTER
All socials are free, family-friendly, and open to the public.
All are scheduled from 6:30- 8 pm.
For more information, call Rural Vermont at (802) 223-7222 or visit www.ruralvermont.org.
** Northeast Kingdom Local Food Day --- Farm Tours! **
Rural Vermont and the St. Johnsbury Food Co-op are teaming up to host an afternoon of farm touring in the St. J area. Dairy goats, chickens, cows, and pigs are among the animals you might meet, along with brilliant and bountiful gardens. Get to know the farmers in your community, hear the history and stories behind the farms, and even sample some of their products. Bring your friends, your questions, and your wallets --- farm fresh foods for sale at every stop!
Saturday, September 13
12:30 - 4:30 pm
Suggested donation $12
Proceeds benefit Rural Vermont
For more info or to register, call Rural Vermont at 223-7222 or email shelby@ruralvermont.org
** TOUR de FARMS **
Sunday, September 21, 2008
10:30 am
Shoreham, VT
Pre-registration: $15/adult, $8/kid (15 and under)
Addison County is home to some of our state's most beautiful and diversified family farms, and on Sunday September 21st, many of them will be open to the Tour de Farms cyclers! Choose among 10, 25, and 30-mile routes. Then take your time and enjoy the beautifully bucolic landscapes of Shoreham, meet the farmers who are producing some of the finest foods in the state, and - perhaps most exciting of all - sample lots of
these amazingly wholesome farm fresh foods, including apples, pesto, cheese, wine, cider, milk, bread and cookies! The Vermont Bicycle & Pedestrian Coalition, the Addison County Localvores (ACoRN), and Rural Vermont are partnering to host this event. For more info or to register, contact shelby@ruralvermont.org, or call (802) 223-7222.
** RAW MILK OPEN FARM DAY --- Save the Date: October 5 **
Farms selling raw milk will be open to the public on Sunday October 5th! Save the date, and plan to spend the afternoon with the farmers and dairy livestock in your community and beyond. Hop from farm to farm -- tour the fields and the barns, learn about farm fresh milk's community benefits, find out how you can purchase it from your local farmers, and indulge in farm fresh milk samples all along the way! Maps outlining all the participating farms will be available for purchase from Rural Vermont, and all proceeds will benefit Rural Vermont. Stay tuned for more details ...
** FARMERS want to be on the route? Call Rural Vermont at (802) 223-7222 or email shelby@ruralvermont.org by Friday, September 12 to sign up and be included on the map.
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OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS
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High Mowing Organic Seeds Field Day
Wednesday, July 30th, 3 – 7:30 PM
HMS Trial & Showcase Gardens, Wolcott, VT
Visit High Mowing Seed’s Trial & Showcase Gardens to see side-by-side comparisons of over 700 vegetable, herb and flower varieties, including new, up-and-coming varieties, and to learn about seed production at Vermont’s only organic seed company!
NOFA-VT’s SUMMER WORKSHOP SERIES
NOFA-VT’s Summer Workshop Series provide the tools for farmers, gardeners, cooks, homesteaders, localvores, and eaters to continue to grow Vermont’s food future. All are invited to attend these workshops whether geared for the commercial dairy farmer or the backyard gardener. The 2008 Summer Workshop Series features workshops from The Family Cow, Making Home Dairy Products to Cooking with the 10 Best Herbs to Hands-On Stone Wall Building. For those wanting to cut their food bills and become more self-reliant, NOFA-VT offers the Grow Your Own Organic Garden series, offering the back-yard gardener an introduction to basics of growing vegetables. For descriptions, schedule, and directions, please visit the NOFA-VT website, www.nofavt.org. All workshops are held rain or shine. Workshops are $10 for NOFA members, $15 for non-members unless otherwise indicated. Pre-registration is required for workshops marked by an *. To pre-register call the NOFA-VT office at 802-434-4122 or email info@nofavt.org.
**2nd Annual Northeast Animal Power Field Days
September 26 – 28, 2008
Tunbridge Fair Grounds, Tunbridge, VT
The Northeast Animal Power Field Days is a celebration of sustainable farming and renewable resources promoting conservation, stewardship, small farms, healthy forests, and the roles that they play in vital communities. This 3-day conference will feature working animal and equipment demonstrations in field and forest settings, workshops, exhibits, networking sessions, and an auction and swap meet on Sunday. Workshop topics will include grazing management, working with draft animals, livestock health, getting started with animal power and more. For more information, go to: www.animalpowerfielddays.org or contact Carl Russell and Lisa McCrory, info@animalpowerfielddays.org, 802-234-5524. Join our discussion forum; www.draftanimalpower.com .