NOFA Winter Gathering

Cynthia to speak at Annual Gathering of CT-NOFA, Dec. 5, 2012

The Connecticut Chapter of the Northeast Organic Farming Association is holding its Annual Gathering of Organic Land Care Professionals on December 5, 2012.  There is an outstanding lineup of speakers at this event and Cynthia is honored to be included on the program to deliver a presentation on Permaculture and its relevance in Organic Land Care.

Cynthia will teach about the fundamentals of permaculture, and some of the specific practices that have application to Organic Land Care.

Please visit the CT-NOFA website for more information and to register for this exciting event that features key speakers from all over the Northeast.

Here is a link to that web page:  http://www.organiclandcare.net/education/annual-gathering

What we are facing now

"No generation has ever faced a more daunting agenda than those who will become adults in this decade and the next.  They will have to do what we, the present generation, have been unable or unwilling to do: stabilize world population, reduce the emission of greenhouse gases that threaten to change the climate-perhaps disastrously, protect biological diversity now declining at an estimated 100-200 species per day, reverse the destruction of rainforests (both tropical and temperate), and conserve soils being eroded at a fast rate.  They must learn how to use energy and materials efficiently.  They must learn how to use solar energy.  They must rebuild the economy in order to eliminate waste and pollution.  They must learn how to conserve resources for the long-term.  They must begin the great work of repairing, as much as possible the damage done to the earth in the past 200 years of industrialization.  And they must do all of this while reducing poverty and egregious social inequities.  No generation has ever faced a more daunting challenge."
                                                                  Dr. David Orr and Dr. John Todd
                                           Vision Statement from their paper on Ecological Design Arts


"A new era in human development is not going to arise because government decreed it, or because a few companies change their strategies.  It will happen because a diffuse and diverse critical mass of people and organizations decide to live and act differently as parents, as professionals, and as leaders, as suppliers and as customers, as citizens and as entrepreneurs, as friends and as colleagues, as teachers and as students.
                                                                   Peter Senge, The Fifth Discipline

Stove Workshop Rescheduled

Because of storm "Sandy", we have re-scheduled the following workshop:

"Building Outdoor Cookstoves & Grills with an Intro to Earth Ovens" will not be held on Sunday, December 2, 2012, from 10:00am to 3:00pm.  The fee for this class is $65.00.  Bring a packed lunch.

During this workshop, we will demonstrate how to build an outdoor rocket stove from easily found, inexpensive materials.  Also, we will be building an outdoor wood/charcoal grill.  You will also see our Cobb constructed earth oven and learn how to build one yourself. 

THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN THESE SIMPLE TECHNIQUES THAT ALLOW YOU TO BE MORE INDEPENDENT AND RESILIENT.  IF YOU LOST POWER LAST WEEK, THEN YOU KNOW HOW HANDY IT WOULD BE TO BE ABLE TO COOK YOUR MEALS.  ALSO, YOU COULD COOK THE FOOD IN YOUR FREEZER IF IT STARTS TO DEFROST, EXTENDING THE LIFE OF THE FOOD AND ELIMINATING WASTE!

Please visit www.connsoil.com and click on Register Now to download a registration form.  Mail the form to PO Box 365, Bethlehem, CT 06751.

Hope to see you.