Local Growers Guild

Today! Green Drinks Bloomington: Ben Brabson on climate change

localgrowers — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:01:07 +0000

On Wednesday, February 22 at 6 pm, at the Upland Banquet Facility of Upland Brewery, Ben Brabson, emeritus professor of the Physics of Climate Change, will provide a short presentation titled “Climate Change and Bloomington.” The talk will focus on ways that those of us who live in or near Bloomington can take full advantage of our capacity to think, understand and benefit from specific actions to both mitigate and adapt to our changing climate.

Click here for an interview with Professor Brabson. Green Drinks Bloomington is a great way of catching up with people you know and also for making new contacts. Feel free to bring friends. There’s always a different crowd—Green Drinks Bloomington is an organic, self-organizing network.

Ben Brabson, IUB physics professor

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Green Drinks Bloomington is a lively, informal social networking event for people from all walks of life who are interested in making a greener world. Folks gather every month to share libations and ideas. They discuss, debate, explore, and connect with both new and old friends.

Local GDB meetings feature a short presentation by the representative of some organization or business. We also make time for ten 30-second announcements about upcoming events that have a focus on sustainability.

Green Drinks groups exist in many countries and communities. They represent a lively mixture of people from NGOs, co-ops, academia, government and business. Come along and you’ll be made welcome.

GreenDrinks Bloomington is held the 4th Wednesday of every month from 5:30 – 7:30 pm at the Banquet Facility of the Upland Brewing Company, located at 350 West 11th Street, Bloomington, Ind. There’s a $5 suggested donation, and some food, catered by Upland Brewery, will be provided.

To receive an email reminder, write greendrinksbloomington[at]gmail[dot]com. Click here to learn more about Green Drinks around the world.

We are actively looking for sponsors for the 2012 series of Green Drinks meetings. Sponsorship is affordable, and it gives your group or business visibility with potential customers or supporters.

For additional information, contact:

Marcia Veldman, Green Drinks Bloomington, 812-988-4956

“On the Future of Food”: Prince Charles’s Landmark Speech

localgrowers — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 13:20:19 +0000

Rodale Books Publishes His Royal Highness Prince Charles’s Landmark Speech “On the Future of Food”

Prince Charles "On the Future of Food"

with a forward by Wendell Berry, and afterword by Will Allen and Eric Schlosser

We recently received a press release from Rodale Books about a book we look forward to reading.

NEW YORK, NY—February 14, 2012 — Rodale Books is proud to announce the publication of THE PRINCE’S SPEECH: On the Future of Food by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, with a foreword by Wendell Berry and afterword by Will Allen and Eric Schlosser (ISBN: 978-1-60961-471-3; February 14, 2012; Paperback with flaps; $6.99; 64 pages, also available as an e-book ). On May 4th 2011, HRH the Prince of Wales delivered a landmark keynote speech to “The Future of Food” conference at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. upon which this special commemorative edition of the Princes’ speech is based.

Said CEO and Chairman of Rodale Inc., Maria Rodale, “For over 30 years, Prince Charles has challenged the assumption of industrial agriculture and questioned the behavior of large agribusiness. These are the same tenets upon which my own grandfather founded Rodale Inc., therefore we felt it important that Rodale make The Prince’s message accessible to as many people as possible via this publication. THE PRINCE’S SPEECH embodies his genuine passion for the topic of the future of food; it also provides readers with an incredibly smart, powerful, comprehensive, and practical look at the challenges we face and how we can put our concern into action in order to secure a sustainable future for generations to come. All of us at Rodale are honored that HRH Prince Charles chose to partner with us to get this essential message out to the world.”

In the book, HRH Prince Charles underscores the need for a more sustainable approach to agriculture while recognizing the wider and important social and economic parameters—how we can feed a global population approaching 9 billion people and still safeguard public health, keep jobs, and protect our environment. THE PRINCE’S SPEECH brings into focus the perilous state of our current food system and provides a convincing argument to support immediate action.

Advocate, author, award-winning producer, and THE PRINCE’S SPEECH guest editor Laurie David was in the room the day HRH Prince Charles delivered his powerful manifesto. She said “Really, my jaw dropped along with everyone else’s because the speech was such a clear and comprehensive explanation of what has gone so wrong with how we produce food in this country and what we need to do to get back on track. It was very clear to me that this speech needed to be read by everyone who eats! And while this book may seem small in size, it seeks to answer a very big question: How do we reclaim the integrity of our food and get back to producing good, clean, fair food for everyone and the planet?”

In THE PRINCE’S SPEECH, HRH Prince Charles lays out a persuasive case to support the fact that sustainable and organic agriculture can, indeed, feed the world and addresses the real reasons why an industrialized system-one deeply dependent on fossil fuels and chemical treatments-is promoted as viable while a much less damaging one is condemned. THE PRINCE’S SPEECH provides a concise and convincing roadmap for how individuals and nations can achieve a situation where food production is at once affordable, available to all, and not overly taxing of the Earth’s quickly diminishing natural resources.

THE PRINCE’S SPEECH will include a foreword by noted author and farmer Wendell Berry and an afterword by urban farmer Will Allen and bestselling author Eric Schlosser—available only in this special commemorative edition. Beautifully packaged as a small-format paperback with flaps, the book will retail for $6.99 and will also be available as an e-book. This stirring, thought-provoking, and ultimately hopeful call to action is a must-have for anyone who cares about the survival of our planet and its people.

A Request from the Campus Garden Initiative at Hilltop Gardens

localgrowers — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 17:56:44 +0000

Dear Local Growers,

Campus Garden Initiative

My name is Stephanie Hopkins and I am the coordinator for the Campus Garden Initiative at Indiana University Bloomington. I am writing to ask for your support as the Initiative transitions from a pilot to its first growing season as a robust program, through your donation of heirloom seeds.

In its pilot growing season, the Campus Garden Initiative included a 900 square foot garden at the Bryan House, where 92 volunteers contributed 286 hours tending to and harvesting 75 pounds of produce. The 28 vegetables and herbs grown at the Bryan House where donated by local growers like yourselves, providing IU students with an impressive representation of the variety of produce capable of being grown in Indiana.

This year, the Campus Garden Initiative will focus its efforts on an 8,500 square foot garden at Hilltop Garden and Nature Center. Here, Garden Initiative organizers hope to create a place where the campus community can engage in food production through curricular and co-curricular programming, providing food for a variety of campus vendors. Without a doubt, this ambitious endeavor will require the support of campus and community stakeholders.

As volunteers begin planting in the greenhouses this month, we find ourselves in need of heirloom seeds. In particular, we hope to find seeds that represent the bounty available in Indiana, especially those seeds that come with an interesting story! This is where we could really use your help. Your seeds will be planted in the garden this year and your stories will be featured on the garden blog.

If you wish to contribute seeds with (or without!) stories to the Campus Garden Initiative, you may either mail or deliver your contribution to the address below or arrange a pick up at the Bloomington Winter Farmers Market by contacting iugarden[at]indiana[dot]edu.

Thank you,

Stephanie Hopkins

Campus Garden Coordinator

iugarden[at]indiana[dot]edu | iugarden.wordpress.com

Hilltop Gardens

c/o Campus Garden

2367 E. 10th Street

Bloomington, IN 47408

Local Growers’ Guild classified ads

localgrowers — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 17:46:21 +0000

Classified ads at our website

Looking to buy, sell, or trade something having to do with local foods? Advertise it here with a FREE classified ad.

We have a process that allows you to place a classified ad here at the LGG website.

On the Classifieds page you can place, edit, browse, and search ads for employment, internships, farm rentals and land sales, and buy/sell/trade items.

“If you can’t beat ‘em, eat ‘em!”

localgrowers — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 19:22:59 +0000

With the warm spring-like weather here in Indiana right now, there’s a lot of wild onion greening up in the yard or garden. While looking for recipes about how to use this plant, we came across invasivore.org, a blog that includes recipes and links. We’ll let the writers speak for themselves:

photo of wild onion by Glenn Hardebeck, Department of Agronomy, Purdue University

Our mission here at Invasivore is to be your one-stop guide for devouring Invasive Species, those organisms which have been moved around the world, damaging their new surroundings. Think of it as reasonable revenge for the harm these species cause. The word “invasivore” comes from combining “Invasive Species” with the latin for “devour” as in “carnivore”. Thus invasivore = one who eats invasive species.

From prehistoric times, humans have had an amazing track-record of severely reducing the populations of species we eat. Indeed, it seems that much of the time we can’t stop ourselves. Can we tap that hunger to reduce the impacts of harmful invasive species? We think the answer is Yes!

Of course, the reality is more complicated than “if you can’t beat ‘em, eat ‘em!” and this blog will explore the many dimensions of this issue in ways we hope will surprise you—and your taste buds. Our organizing principle is the knowledge—courage even—to harvest, prepare and consume invasive species. It is this awareness we think will lead to decreasing the impacts of invasive species by preventing new introductions, reducing spread, and encouraging informed management policies.

At the center of the Invasivore approach are recipes proudly featuring invasive species. But that’s not all; you can also expect exposition and commentary on related topics such as species’ profiles, histories and cultural significance, harvesting tips, interviews with Invasivores-at-large, and summaries of relevant scientific research. We’ll also be doing round-ups of applicable news and other media to keep our readers informed.

This blog is an experiment for us, and we hope it inspires and supports you in experimenting as well—by keeping invasive species in your mind and on your plate.

Want to learn more about the editors of Invasivore.org? Check out our bios page.

You’ll find more about wild onion—and its cousin, wild garlic—here at the Purdue Plant and Pest Diagnostic Laboratory.

“The Greenhorns” Screenings in Bloomington, Ind.

localgrowers — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 14:10:14 +0000

The movie “The Greenhorns” is coming to Bloomington in early March, through the Ryder Magazine and Film Series, co-sponsored by Bloomingfoods. This is “a film about young farmers, their struggle and their valor.”

“The Greenhorns” explores “the lives of America’s young farming community—its spirit, practices, and needs. We use the terms ‘greenhorn’ and ‘young farmer’ interchangeably to refer to any farmer 57 years old or fresher,” says filmmaker Sevreine von Tscharner Fleming, the film’s director, about her film subjects. “Many thousands of growers from all kinds of backgrounds and demographics fall into this category.”

Here’s the schedule:

Friday Mar 02 2012

downstairs at IU Fine Arts 7:00 pm

Saturday Mar 03 2012

downstairs at IU Fine Arts 7:00 pm

Sunday Mar 04 2012

Bear’s Place 7:00 pm

Thursday Mar 08 2012

FARMBloomington 6:30 pm

Friday Mar 09 2012

downstairs at IU Fine Arts 7:00 pm

Saturday Mar 10 2012

downstairs at IU Fine Arts 7:00 pm

Information about IU Fine Arts:

The viewing experience at IU Fine Arts is similar to that of a traditional theater—reasonably comfortable theater seats on a sloped floor. There are two screening rooms—the downstairs theater seats 250, the smaller, more intimate upstairs theater seats 99. Ryder films on campus are shown on Friday and Saturday in the Fine Arts theaters, on 7th St on the north side of Showalter Fountain.

Ryder moviegoers can park for free, without an IU parking sticker, in the main library parking lot. Simply put a Ryder movie calendar on your dashboard and you will not be ticketed. (This only works during movie screenings.) Enter the parking lot off of Jordan just south of 10th Street. You’ll find empty parking spaces in the lanes farthest from the library (and closest to Fine Arts).

To reach the screening rooms enter the IU Fine Arts building through the second floor doors off of the circular drive. Look to your left and you’ll see the upstairs Fine Arts theater. To reach the downstairs theater go to the end of the hall and walk down the stairs. You’ll find the theater on your right.

Mark Kastel to speak at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater—7pm Thursday, March 8, 2012

localgrowers — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 11:02:27 +0000

Join us for a free public keynote address by Mark Kastel, founder of the Cornucopia Institute. Mark will speak on the topic of local and sustainable food systems on Thursday evening, March 8, at 7pm at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, in an event co-sponsored by Bloomingfoods.

The mission of the Cornucopia Institute is: Seeking economic justice for the family-scale farming community. Through research, advocacy, and economic development our goal is to empower farmers—partnered with consumers—in support of ecologically produced local, organic and authentic food.

Kastel is visiting Bloomington in connection with a conference designed to help people who are starting new food co-ops. For the third consecutive year, from March 8-10, 2012, LGG retailer member Bloomingfoods is hosting a food co-op start up conference called “Up and Coming, Up and Running.” The conference includes Kastel’s presentation: “Local, Healthy, Sustainable Food Systems: Hyperbole or Sensation?” Founder of the Cornucopia Institute, a watch dog organization that promotes and supports organic and sustainable farming, Kastel will talk about how the food choices we make impact our health, our environment, and the economic vitality of our region. This event is free and open to the public.

The primary sponsor for the conference is the Indiana Cooperative Development Center (ICDC), with support from partners such as Food Co-op Initiative, the National Cooperative Grocers Association, and the Consulting Co-op of Cooperative Development Services (CDS). “Up and Coming, Up and Running” brings together experts from the food co-op world, to help maximize the impact of networking and training.

“This year we’ve expanded our workshops and added more topics around operational issues and governance,” says Debbie Trocha, executive director of ICDC. “Participants will learn about board work, food service, membership and member loan drives, marketing, store design, and more. We’ve added an optional day on Thursday, March 8, with the opportunity to spend time at the Bloomingfoods Commissary Kitchen or to participate in a day-long workshop on membership and recruitment, given by the staff of Food Co-op Initiative.”

Brad Alstrom, development coordinator for Bloomingfoods, brings insight from his experience as former general manager of Lost River Market and Deli in Paoli, Indiana.

“’Up and Coming, Up and Running’ is not just for co-op start-ups,” Alstrom says. “With so much momentum behind the development of food co-ops nationwide, the conference is a great opportunity for anyone interested in this movement to connect with board members and managers from other food co-ops and to learn from food co-op development experts. We’re also very excited to be able to offer a dynamic presentation to the public with Mark Kastel from the Cornucopia Institute.”

Visit icdc.coop to register for “Up and Coming, Up and Running” and to learn more about co-op development in Indiana.

Updates about issue of selling raw milk in Indiana

localgrowers — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 15:23:23 +0000

Legislative committee to consider issue of selling raw milk

By Lesley Weidenbener The Statehouse File

February 14, 2012

INDIANAPOLIS — A summer committee will study whether Indiana should allow the sale of raw, unpasteurized milk for human consumption under legislation a Senate committee passed Monday.

In the meantime, House Bill 1129 would impose stricter requirements on raw milk sold as pet food. Farmers would be required to prominently label that milk as “not for human consumption.”

Experts told the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee that raw milk has been showing up in the past few years at farmers’ markets, despite a law prohibiting its sale for human consumption. It is often sold as pet food but purchased for other reasons.

“We’ve seen a dramatic increase in people interested in buying and selling the product over the last several years,” said Gary Haynes, director of legal affairs for the State Board of Animal Health. “There’s a greater interest in farmers selling it. There’s also a greater interest in consumers consuming it.”

HB 1129 now moves to the full Senate for consideration.Earlier this year, the Senate voted to legalize the sale of raw milk. But the author pulled the bill from consideration when the Indiana Farm Bureau and other critics raised health questions about unpasteurized milk and said the proposal had not been adequately studied.

Bob Kraft, the director of state government relations for the Indiana Farm Bureau, said Monday that his group now supports the legislation. He said members will later look at the results of the study to decide whether to change the group’s position against the sale of raw milk.

“Obviously, we’re concerned about the health of those who consume and the liability” of those who produce raw milk, Kraft said.

More than two-dozen other states allow the sale of raw milk for human consumption in some way, although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration prohibits its sale across state lines. The FDA also urges against human consumption of milk that has not been unpasteurized, which means it has undergone a process that kills bacteria by heating the milk to a specific temperature for a set period of time.

The agency says that milk that has not been pasteurized can contain dangerous microorganisms that can make individuals ill. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 800 people in the United States have become sick from drinking raw milk or eating cheese made from raw milk since 1998.

But Sen. Richard Young, D-Milltown, said people in rural areas have been purchasing and consuming raw milk for years with no problems.

“I’ve bought it myself,” Young said.

John Baugh, director of agricultural services and regulations at Purdue University, said raw milk has recently become more common and more available to people who may be less educated about its risks — and may not understand that currently it’s legal only as pet food. That’s why state officials were seeking to increase the requirements that raw milk for be adequately labeled so that customers understand it is not for human consumption.

“We’re trying to make it extremely clear,” Baugh said.

Currently, 10 states allow retail sales of raw milk, while 15 others allow on-farm sales and four allow raw milk for pet food, according to A Campaign for Real Milk, which is a project of the Weston A. Price Foundation. The group advocates for the sale of raw milk and a ban on the use of soy formula for infants.

Lesley Weidenbener is the managing editor of TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.

*****

Letter from State Senator Vi Simpson to her constituents

Thank you for contacting me to share your thoughts on Senate Bill 398, state chemist issues, particularly the amendment that would have allowed milk producers to sell raw milk to consumers. I truly appreciate your concerns regarding this matter.

As a strong advocate for freedom of choice and the agricultural community, I supported the amendment establishing the on-farm sale of raw milk. This amendment passed 30-20 in the Senate. Unfortunately, the author of the Senate Bill 398 did not call the bill for a final vote on the floor of the Indiana Senate before the legislative deadline. Therefore this bill is dead for this session.

Again, thank you for contacting me to express your opinion on Senate Bill 398. Please continue to keep me informed on matters of interest to you.

Sincerely,
Vi Simpson, State Senator, District 40

Community Adaptations to Peak Oil and Climate Change

localgrowers — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 12:27:02 +0000

“Community Adaptations to Peak Oil and Climate Change”: A lecture by Bloomington City Council Member Dave Rollo

Dave Rolllo

When: 7pm

Where: Jordan Hall A100, on the campus of Indiana University Bloomington

Councilman Rollo is the chair of Bloomington’s Peak Oil Task Force and largely responsible for the city’s involvement in the Transition Town initiative. In this lecture he will discuss the accomplishments and goals of the Peak Oil Task Force and Transition Towns, both in Bloomington and in general. Event is sponsored by Volunteers in Sustainability.

Did you know? You can subscribe to an email list from the IU Office of Sustainability.

Sagamore West Farmers’ Market in West Lafayette, Ind.

localgrowers — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 09:08:25 +0000

Local, fresh and original describes the Sagamore West Farmers’ Market‘s eighth season in Cumberland Park. The fresh-air market resumes on Wednesday, May 2 from 3:00 pm to 6:30 pm, continuing every Wednesday through October 31, with an additional market day on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving Day.

The market’s community focus includes grilling demonstrations, a bicycle-to-the-market day, Purdue Day, local musician performances, and a “Feed Your Body and Mind” partnership with the West Lafayette Public Library that offers special programs for families and children.

Dozens of returning and new vendors have signed on. Their products are primarily grown, made or produced in Indiana by the vendor, and range from fresh produce and meat to herbs and flowers, baked goods and food crafts, and original art, crafts and jewelry. The popular weekly wine tastings continue. Expanded take-out options and new seating areas allow market-goers to visit and eat with their neighbors in this friendly and fun environment.

For news, activities and information, visit Sagamore West Farmers’ Market on Facebook, or contact returning Market Master Denise Dorsey-Zinn at ddzwriting[at]earthlink[dot]net or contact Cheryl Kolb, West Lafayette Parks & Recreation Representative, at ckolb[at]westlafayette[dot]in[dot]gov

Here’s a link to a vendor information packet.