Update 7/26/10
In this update:
-- Rural Vermont's Art Auction is Open for Bidding!
-- Rural Vermont Events
-- Volunteer Opportunities
-- Rural Vermont is Hiring
-- Fall 2010 Rural Vermont Internship Deadline July 30th
-- Other Upcoming Events
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ART FOR AGRARIANS - LET THE BIDDING BEGIN!
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** Rural Vermont's 2nd Annual "Art for Agrarians" Art Auction is here! Online bidding is open!
Check out the 21 agriculturally-themed pieces that make up Rural Vermont's art auction and pick your favorites here: www.ruralvermont.org. Envision the various photographs, sculptures, and paintings on display in your home, office, or even barn - and then get to bidding! The online portion of the auction is open now through Friday, August 6th. The highest online bids will become the starting bids at the closing reception on Sunday, August 8th at Lincoln Peak Winery in New Haven. Here are all the details:
Online Auction Kicks off TODAY and runs through Friday, August 6th
Visit www.ruralvermont.org now, place your bids on your favorites, and then revisit often throughout the next two weeks to monitor your bids, and ensure you're still on target to win! If you'd like to see the art in person before placing your online bid, take a drive over to Lincoln Peak Winery where it is all on display now through the closing reception. And while you're there, owner Chris Granstrom would love to introduce you to some of the best-tasting wine Vermont has to offer!
Closing Reception on Sunday, August 8, 2010
2 - 5 pm
Lincoln Peak Winery, NEW HAVEN (http://www.lincolnpeakvineyard.com/)
Join neighbors and friends for a leisurely reception with wine, cheese, and music that will close out the 2010 "Art for Agrarians" auction. Engage in some friendly competition for a good cause! Take a break from the bidding and enjoy the scenic view from the porch and local tunes by folk musician Chris Dorman. Lincoln Peak wines will be available by the taste, glass, or bottle. And what better complement to wine than cheese? Cheese plates featuring Addison County cheesemakers Dancing Cow, Twig Farm, Orb Weaver, and Crawford Family Farm will also be available. Artwork will be awarded to the highest bidders - don't miss this final opportunity to take home some "Art for Agrarians"!
All proceeds benefit Rural Vermont. For more info, visit www.ruralvermont.org or call Rural Vermont at (802) 223-7222.
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RURAL VERMONT EVENTS!
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** NEW CLASS ADDED! Beyond Milk! Raw Dairy Processing Classes
Learn how to make all kinds of delicious dairy goods in your own kitchen! With some simple instruction and good quality raw milk, it’s easy! Rural Vermont is partnering with some raw milk farmers to bring you both. Classes will cover dairy processing basics, and will include info about how and where to purchase local, raw milk. All classes $20 - 40 sliding scale and from 1-4 pm. All proceeds benefit Rural Vermont. Pre-registration is required, and class size is limited. Get in touch TODAY to reserve your spot! To sign up, call Rural Vermont at (802) 223-7222 or email shelby@ruralvermont.org.
Butter, Whipped Cream, Ice Cream, & Raspberry Scones with Lisa & Randy Robar
Saturday, August 21st
Hawk's Hill Farm, BARNARD
* Kids welcome at this special class (easy products with instant gratification make for a big hit among the younger folks!)
JUST SCHEDULED! Mozzarella, Farmer's Cheese, & Camembert with Lea Calderon-Guthe
Thursday, August 5th
Symphony Farm, WASHINGTON
Feta, Ricotta, & Chevre with Sara Armstrong Donegan of Trillium Hill Farm
Friday, August 27th
United Church of Hinesburg, HINESBURG
Mozzarella, Farmer's Cheese, & Camembert with Lea Calderon-Guthe
Friday, September 17th
Milk provided by Tamarack Hollow Farm in Burlington
East Village Cohousing, BURLINGTON
Swiss Style Cheese (washed rind, semi-hard "raclette") with Karen Bixler
Wednesday, September 22nd
Green Acres Milking Shorthorns, SOUTH RANDOLPH
* some previous soft cheesemaking experience recommended
Additional classes in the works - dates TBA soon! Check www.ruralvermont.org for updates.
- Green Mountain College in Poultney
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Rural Vermont will offer a series of workshops in late August through October on farms across the state. In part, the workshops are intended to introduce folks to Rural Vermont's newest campaign - Free Enterprise Farming - which seeks to create opportunities on the farm and in the marketplace. We believe that those growing, raising, and making farm products in small batches for direct sale to their communities should not have to meet the same regulatory requirements as their giant agri-business counterparts! The goals of the Free Enterprise Farming campaign are to:
• Educate consumers about barriers that farmers face when trying to sell direct, and educate farmers about legalities of selling direct to consumers.
• Remove unfair and costly regulatory barriers that keep wholesome, high quality, local food from being sold to those who want it.
• Advocate for legislation that creates tiered regulations for the direct sale of farm products, leveling the playing field for farms large and small.
Both current and aspiring farmers are invited to come out and hear more about the Free Enterprise Farming campaign, while spending an afternoon learning, sharing, and getting to know a farm that is successfully incorporating either poultry or raw milk into their farm operations. Expect to tour the farm, learn about the farmer's production, management, and marketing methods, and participate in a discussion about the regulations governing the sale of these products. Bring your questions, your experience, and your brown bag lunch! Each workshop costs $10 for Rural Vermont members, and $20 for all else. SPACE IS LIMITED - and preregistration is highly recommended. Reserve your spot today by calling Rural Vermont at (802) 223-7222 or emailing shelby@ruralvermont.org.
From Brooder to Plate: Pastured Poultry Opportunities
Thursday August 26, 11 am - 3 pm
Chandler Pond Farm, SOUTH WHEELOCK
Includes a slaughter demonstration - please wear work clothes.
From Cow to Customer: Producing Raw Milk for Direct Sale*
Sunday September 12, 11 am - 3 pm
Lathe Farm, CRAFTSBURY
Intended for folks interested in Tier 1 raw milk production (up to 50 quarts per day).
From Cow to Customer: Expanding Raw Milk Production to Meet a Growing Demand
Monday September 13, 11 am - 3 pm
Family Cow Farmstand, HINESBURG
Intended for folks interested in Tier 2 raw milk production (up to 40 gallons per day and/or home deliveries).
From Cow to Customer: Producing Raw Milk for Direct Sale*
Saturday October 2, 11 am - 3 pm
Bunker Farm, EAST DUMMERSTON
Intended for folks interested in Tier 1 raw milk production (up to 50 quarts per day).
*same workshop being offered on two different dates at two different host farms
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** 3rd Annual Tour de Farms - ADVANCE REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Shoreham Green, SHOREHAM
Staggered starts: 30 mile at 10:30 am; 25 mile at 11 am; 10 mile at 11:30 am
Advance registration fees: $20 adults/$10 kids 12 & under
FIRM DEADLINE FOR ADVANCE REGISTRATION: MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 13TH. NO EXCEPTIONS!
Day-of registration fees: $30 adults/$15 kids 12 & under
All kids in trailers & bike seats ride FREE
RAIN OR SHINE!
Rural Vermont, Vermont Bicycle & Pedestrian Coalition, and Addison County Relocalization Network partner again for what's becoming one of summer's hottest events! Choose among three bicylce routes that wind through the beautiful Champlain Valley, and stop and sample Addison County's freshest and finest foods at farm stops along the way. Fresh air, rural scenery, delicious food, good people = FUN!! New this year, expect special event tee shirts and a "to go" lunch available for purchase. Following the tour, the Platt Memorial Library will again be hosting the Shoreham Apple Fest on the green with lots of hot food options, farm & craft vendors, along with entertainment and merriment! Register online today or download your registration form & waiver at http://www.ruralvermont.org/tdf.html!
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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
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***Do you love art, agriculture and lovely views? Please volunteer at our "Art for Agrarians" silent fundraising art auction at Lincoln Peak Winery in New Haven on August 8. We need help setting up, during the event and cleaning up afterwards.
*Please also help us spread the word about the event by hanging up posters in your area and/or handing out flyers at your local Farmers' Market!
***We have a few upcoming dairy processing classes, and we need your help spreading the word. Do you have a half hour to spare? Can you hang up posters in your area for a dairy processing class near you?
***The third annual "Tour de Farms" is right around the corner on September 19, and we need TONS of help at the event. From registration, to helping at farm-stops along the way, to collecting cyclist surveys and lots of other opportunities, here is your chance to spend the day helping a great organization, meeting new people and enjoying a lovely area of Vermont.
For more information about these and other volunteer opportunities, please email liz@ruralvermont.org.
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RURAL VERMONT IS HIRING
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Rural Vermont is a small, nonprofit statewide advocacy group with a mission of economic justice for family farms. We are currently accepting applications for two positions:
ORGANIZER (24-30 hrs/wk)
Campaign support, activist mobilization, and volunteer coordination. Policy experience and flexible schedule a plus.
ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR (15 hours/wk to start)
Office, website, and database management. Administrative support. Some membership coordination.
Candidates for either position should have a passion to free family farmers from corporate and government control so that a local, direct-to-consumer food system can flourish. Fair Wages, Good Benefits. EOE.
Deadline for applications is August 11, 2010. Please send a letter, resume and references: Rural Vermont 15 Barre Street, Suite 2 Montpelier, VT 05602 ATTN: Hiring Committee. Full position descriptions and more information: www.ruralvermont.org. NO EMAIL INQUIRIES.
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Fall 2010 Rural Vermont Internship Deadline July 30th
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Rural Vermont is accepting applications for fall 2010 interns! Join Rural Vermont and work on projects that support the organization's grassroots advocacy work while building your resume and learning new skills! Internship opportunities include research, outreach, legislative, and fundraising projects. For a full list of internship descriptions and more info, visit http://www.ruralvermont.org./getinvolved.html#intern. To apply, please send a letter, resume, writing sample and references to: Rural Vermont,15 Barre Street Suite 2, Montpelier, VT 05602, ATTN: Internships 2010 OR email shelby@ruralvermont.org with the subject line INTERNSHIP. Applicaton deadline Friday, July 30th (this week!).
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OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS
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** RAFFL & NOFA host New Farmer Workshops Held on Local Farms this Summer
- Building Soils: Soil Testing, Composting and Amendments, July 28th at Dutchess Farm in POULTNEY
- Business Strategies and Cheese, August 11th at Blue Ledge Farm in LEICESTER, VT
- Farm Equipment Primer: Safety and Types of Equipment for Small Farms, August 25th at the Larson Farm in WELLS ***New Farmer Mixer and Nofavore Celebration afterwards***
- Crop Planning: Succession Planting and Diversification Choices, September 8th at Cerridwen Farm on GMC, POULTNEY
- Organic Pest and Disease Management, September 22, Cerridwen Farm on GMC, POULTNEY
New farmers in the Rutland Region are invited to a series of training workshops at area farms this summer. These workshops are geared towards beginning farmers that are still “learning the ropes” to succeeding in agriculture. The workshops cover a range of skills that often challenge new farmers. For more info, http://www.rutlandfarmandfood.org/upcoming_events.html
**Compost Operations Training Course
August 2 - 6, 2010 SUNY Cobleskill, COBLESKILL, NY
Learn best management practices to improve efficiency and cut costs of production! Registration Information: go to: http://www.compostingcouncil.org/PDF/NY_eflyer_Aug_2010.pdf. Questions: contact Cary Oshins at: 484-547-1521 or email: cary.oshins@compostingcouncil.org
** 2010 Northeast Raw Milk Symposium
Friday, August 13th / 9 am - noon
University of Massachusetts, AMHERST, MA
Student Union, Cape Cod Lounge
NOFA members $20, nonmembers $25
Part of the NOFA Summer Pre-conference, the symposium will feature speakers Sally Fallon Morell, president of the Weston A. Price Foundation, Pete Kennedy, president of the Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund, and a panel of local farmers and advocates, including a Vermont representative. Register online at www.nofasummerconference.org
** 4th Annual Northeast Animal Power Field Days
Friday-Sunday, October 15-17, 2010
Tunbridge Fairgrounds, TUNBRIDGE, VT
Dedicated to working draft animal enterprises supporting local communities and a land-based economy, this two-day trade fair and conference will feature workshops, equipment demonstrations, working demos, exhibitors, local food, swap meet, and more.
Friday, October 15th will feature field and forest working demos at Howevale Farm, adjacent to the Tunridge Fairgrounds. Friday evening will include a community potluck dinner on the Tunbridge Fairgrounds.
Saturday, October 16th will focus on workshops and equipment presentations, resource exhibitors, local food vendors, and networking sessions, throughout the Fairgrounds.
Sunday, October 17th will start off with a Community/Teamster Appreciation Breakfast, then will offer a variety of activities including the premier annual meeting of the newly formed Draft Animal Power Network.Visit our website: www.animalpowerfielddays.org or join our Discussion Forum: www.draftanimalpower.com. For more info: 802-234-5524,or info@animalpowerfielddays.org.