Tupelo Music Hall in White River Junction
The second concert features Bovine Social Club and Patrick Fitzsimmons on Saturday, June 16th at the Tupelo Music Hall in White River Junction. This concert will raise much-needed funds for our Vermont Farm Share program, which provides subsidized Community Supported Agriculture shares to limited-income Vermont families. You can join the fun on Facebook or buy your tickets now!
Higher Ground in Burlington
Featuring the “Hug Your Farmer” house band and several guests, including Jon Fishman. The proceeds from this concert will benefit flood recovery efforts through our Farmer Emergency Fund. Get your tickets now!
Monday, May 21st, 2012, 7pm-9 pm
5 Olde Tavern, South Royalton, VT
Are you a new or aspiring farmer? Join Valley Food & Farm and BALE on Monday, May 21st in South Royalton for a social get together and some inspiration! Chris Piana will give an informal talk on how he accessed land to start Fable Farm in Barnard. Meet and mingle with fellow farmers in the area and enjoy good food and drink. Valley Food & Farm and BALE will be there to share land access resources and hear your needs and interests for the next New Farmer Meet-up.
This is the first in a series of Farmer meet-ups we will be holding this year, and we are excited to co-host with BALE. It’s a great chance to meet and tell Valley Food & Farm and BALE how they can help.
Cultivating Economic Prosperity Through Hemp
with Netaka White, 7pm
Addison County Regional Planning Commission Office, 14 Seminary St., Middlebury
Netaka White serves as the Bioenergy Program Director at the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund and is active in several agricultural and energy related organizations.
Learn about the uses of industrial hemp, current policy around the issue, and the
economic potential of industrial hemp as a part of Vermont’s agriculture!
For more details, check out the event poster!
Shelburne, VT
More details coming soon!
In the meantime, visit this page for other Sally Fallon Vermont events.
June 22-24th at Twin Pond Retreat in Brookfield
Transition Town and Occupy Vermont organizers will team up to host “The Village Gathering,” a skill-share workshop weekend with hands-on project and discussions.
Vermont’s own world music band, ONEoverZERO will perform on Saturday night along with local singer-songwriter Kris Gruen. Free camping, group bike ride from Montpelier to Brookfield on Friday organized by Freeride, carpools and bikes encouraged, Pizza Party on Saturday night, bring your own meals, no dogs please.
Over 40 Workshops will be offered this year and here is just a sampling:
Edible Forest Gardens, Clay Plaster, Medicinal Herb Walks, Yoga, Energy Descent Action Plan, Natural Plant Dye, Creating Coppice Landscapes, Cordage with Wild Fibers, Lactic Acid Fermentation of Vegetables, First Aid and Community Medic Kit, Capoeira, Rotational Grazing, Compost-Powered Hot Water Demonstration, Scything, Beekeeping, Root Cellars, Mushroom Walk, and much more…
Come to our next organizers meeting on May 7th at 6pm at Hunger Mtn Coop in Montpelier. We’d love to have a few more folks help us out!!
For more info about VbC go to www.vbc-vt.org or contact jennifer@twinpondretreat.com or call 802-276-3839.
By Daniel Looker
04/27/2012
Full Article
Thursday evening the Obama Administration announced that it is withdrawing a proposed rule that would have restricted child labor on farms that drew strong criticism from rural areas.
According to a Department of Labor (DOL) statement, “The Obama administration is firmly committed to promoting family farmers and respecting the rural way of life, especially the role that parents and other family members play in passing those traditions down through the generations. The Obama administration is also deeply committed to listening and responding to what Americans across the country have to say about proposed rules and regulations.”
“As a result, the Department of Labor is announcing today the withdrawal of the proposed rule dealing with children under the age of 16 who work in agricultural vocations,” the statement says.
The Department said the Administration won’t pursue the rule for the rest of Obama’s term in office.
Still, one of the leading critics of the rule, Senator John Thune, said he will keep fighting the rule until it is “completely put to rest.” Thune introduced a bill in March to keep the rule from being put into effect. His bill has 46 cosponsors, including five Democrats.
“I am pleased to hear the Obama Administration is finally backing away from its absurd 85 page proposal to block youth from participating in family farm activities and ultimately undermine the very fabric of rural America, but I will continue working to ensure this overreaching proposal is completely and permanently put to rest,” said Thune. “The Obama DOL’s youth farm labor rule is a perfect example of what happens when government gets too big.”
Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) said in a statement that he was disappointed that the rule has been completely withdrawn instead of revising it.
05/01/12
Patti Daniels
Full Article
Hundreds of demonstrators paraded through Vermont’s capital city on May Day, calling for health care for all, fair wages and an end to corporate greed.
The march and rally in Montpelier was organized by the Vermont Workers Center. Activists today chanted “We are the 99 percent” and urged lawmakers to “put people first.”
“We were always taught that if you just work really hard everything will work out and you’ll have a fair shot,” said Melissa Bourque of St. Johnsbury, a member of the Vermont Workers Center.
“The Workers Center and all of these other different groups that are here today are giving an outlet for people to come together and stand together and say, we’re not okay with this and we’re actually not just ‘not okay’ with it, we’re going to do something about it,” she said.
Participants in Tuesday’s events included members of the Occupy movements, the Vermont Federation of Nurses and Health Care Professionals, Rural Vermont and Mobile Home Park Residents for Equality and Justice.
May 29th, at 7 PM
free!
BEN HEWITT SPEAKING FOR THE FOUR RIVERS PROJECT
The Four Rivers Food Center Project, which last fall held a number of community meetings in Orange and Windsor Counties, will be hosting a free public presentation at the Vershire Town Center on Tuesday, May 29th, at 7 PM. The featured keynote speaker will be Ben Hewitt of Hardwick, author of “The Town that Food Saved” and “Making Supper Safe.” We’ll also present our final report on the prospects for regional food centers in this area, and open the floor to responses. Come with ideas, or just to listen. Snacks of local origin (but guaranteed yummy) will be provided. For more information, call 802-439-5324
Wednesday, May 16th, 2012
Free for members; $5-$10 sliding scale for all else
With keynote address by BEN HEWITT: “The Future is in the Dirt: Growing the Culture of Vermonters Feeding Vermonters”
You’re invited to join us for this festive occasion and annual gathering of Rural Vermont supporters! Celebrate Rural Vermont’s recent progress towards Vermonters Feeding Vermonters over potluck food and drink with live and local music. In addition to Ben’s keynote, also expect Rural Vermont’s annual meeting, farm fresh five raffle, awards ceremony, and board elections.
“The Future’s in the Dirt” will be a lively presentation and conversation that digs into the challenges and potential of Vermont’s rapidly growing local foods movement. How can we build healthy, regionalized economies that honor the producers, consumers, and environment? What will it take to ensure a vibrant culture of Vermonters feeding Vermonters? The answers are not always obvious, but the need to find them has never been more urgent.
Rural Vermont’s 2012 Annual Celebration is being sponsored by NOFA-VT, Upper Valley Food Co-op, Cedar Circle Farm, Chelsea Green Publishing, Building a Local Economy (BALE), Edible Green Mountains, Vermont Grass Farmers’ Association, Bob White Systems, High Mowing Seeds, Sterling College, South Royalton Market, Vermont Compost Company, Local Banquet, and Way Out Wax.
Live Music! Nancy & Mike Wood
“Michael and Nancy Wood … or … bluegrass, folk, and country met classical, blues, and jazz over thirty years ago on an elevator. Vocals, melodic mandolin, finger picking and great guitar chords are blended into a sound that only comes from time and seasoning.”
Cash bar with Vermont Beer
A welcome addition to this year’s event will be bar service, provided by the Hotel Coolidge. Available for purchase will be a variety of red and white wines, as well as the following Vermont brews: Long Trail Ale, Harpoon IPA, Otter Creek Stovepipe Porter, and Otter Creek Vermont Lager. (non-alcoholic beer available too)
Farm Fresh Five Raffle
Buy a $5 ticket, either in advance or at the event, and be entered to win one of five super sweet food & farm raffle prizes. Win gardening supplies and seeds; a basket o’ books featuring authors Joel Salatin, Michael Pollan, Daniel Imhoff and keynote Ben Hewitt; two different coolers of the freshest farm fare; or a private dairy processing lesson in your home! Note: Winners pulled at the Annual Celebration, but need not be present to win. For all the details, click the links below.
Learn more about the FARM FRESH FIVE RAFFLE
Print and buy your FARM FRESH FIVE RAFFLE TICKETS
Special Offer – Help us sell FARM FRESH FIVE raffle tickets and get yourself some freebies!
Farm Fresh Five raffle tickets are on sale, and we need the help of our Rural Vermont supporters to make this fundraiser a big success! Help us sell tickets, and for every five you sell, you’ll get a ticket of your own for free! To get started, email shelby@ruralvermont.org today.
Want to win a Hunger Mountain Co-op gift certificate?
Are you a Rural Vermont member? –> bring a non-member friend, and you’ll be entered! Invite everyone you know!
Not a member? –> Become a member (or renew your membership) at the event with a sliding scale donation of more than $10, and you’ll be entered!
Directions: From I-91 North or South, take Exit 12 toward Route 5/Wilder. Follow signs to Route 5 North (Hartford Ave.). Turn onto Route 5 North, and travel a little under a mile to the Wilder Center on the right. It is located at the corner of Route 5 and Gillette Street in the Wilder Village Historic District in the town of Hartford, Vermont.
Parking: Please carpool if you can! Park in the Dataman parking lot, located on the left-hand side (coming from the Interstate), just before the Wilder Center. This lot is a very short walk from the Wilder Center. For those who need onsite parking, there is a very limited number of spots available at the Wilder Center.
To Bring:
Download the ANNUAL CELEBRATION POSTER. Help us spread the word by printing and hanging it around your community!
Read the EVENT PROGRAM here!
Read the PRESS RELEASE with more details
Check out the Save the Date Postcard!