The Vermont Food Venture Center is Shaping Up!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


The Vermont Food Venture Center is Shaping Up!

Hardwick, VT- October 19, 2010—The construction of the Vermont Food Venture Center is well underway and is preparing to open its doors in the spring.

The Vermont Food Venture Center (VFVC), a shared-use incubator kitchen, has been operating from its Fairfax, VT location since 1996 and will be opening its doors to food processors at the new Hardwick location in early spring. Not only will the new facility be fully equipped for processing and producing value-added products, but with the expansion will come business consulting services and skill-development programming for clients.

A strong foundation for the area’s emerging food economy has been established by local businesses and organizations, and with the construction of the new facility, the VFVC is following suit. With the exterior walls of the building up, and the insulation and plumbing nearly complete, the electricity and roof will soon follow. The construction team, which includes architect Harry Hunt, the contracting group, Professional Construction, Inc and VFVC Construction Project Manager Steve Pitkin, is committed to quality and best practices. As Mr. Pitkin said earlier this week, “to improve the energy efficiency of the building, [we] changed a few elements of the design which may have slowed the construction somewhat, but the improvements are well worth the slight delay.”

As the building goes up, more work continues to happen behind the scenes as Louise Calderwood, VFVC’s Interim Project Manager works with Heidi Krantz, the Small Agricultural Business Advisor for both the Center for an Agricultural Economy and the Vermont Small Business Development Council, to develop tours and workshops to share with clients. Says Ms Calderwood, “I am fully aware that both the VFVC’s current and future clients need to hit the ground running as soon as those doors open in the spring. Heidi and I, along with the VFVC Advisory Committee, are developing the necessary pieces so that VFVC clients can succeed.”

With a space designed to accommodate a wide array of interests and products, the Vermont Food Venture Center will be an energetic addition to the growing entrepreneurial spirit of the Hardwick area’s food and agricultural businesses. For more information about how to join the Vermont Food Venture Center or to discuss its future programs and opportunities, please contact Louise Calderwood at 802-586-2239 or email her at rcalderwod@aol.com

Contact:
Louise Calderwood, Interim Project Manager
Vermont Food Venture Center
Tel: 802-586-2239, e-mail: rcalderwod@aol.com

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Pies for People, Soup for Supper-PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Announcing the 3rd Annual Pies for People/Soup for Supper

Hardwick, VT-October 13, 2010-The Center for an Agricultural Economy (CAE) and Sterling College are excited to announce the third annual Pies for People/Soup for Supper event, an area wide collaboration of farms, schools and agricultural producers that creates and delivers local food to local people during the holiday season.

With the squash harvested from the fields at High Mowing Organic Seeds and purée created in Pete’s Greens’ kitchen, volunteers from the community will gather once again for two nights of baking and cooking in the Sterling College Kitchen on November 16th and 17th.

This project, a working partnership between CAE and Sterling College, along with many others, is a collaborative effort to meet the needs of a community using locally grown and donated produce, funds, facilities and services. Many individuals and organizations in the greater Hardwick community over the years have generously donated to the food pantry and other community service organizations, and it is our hope that the Pies for People, Soup for Supper program will be an inspiration to others in the months ahead. Individuals, farms and producers who would like to donate to or volunteer for this event are encouraged to contact Elena Gustavson at the CAE, by calling 802-472-5840, ext 2 or emailing at elena@hardwickagriculture.org.


Contact:

Elena Gustavson, Program Director
Center for an Agricultural Economy,
Tel: 802-472-5840,ext 2 email: elena@hardwickagriculture.org

Contact:

Tim Patterson, Director of Media Relations,
Sterling College,
Tel: 802-586-7711, ext 124, email: tpatterson@sterlingcollege.edu

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A Global Work Party in the Northeast Kingdom

350.org, is an international campaign, whose mission is to "inspire the world to rise to the challenge of the climate crisis-to create a new sense of urgency and of possibility for our planet".

On October 10, 2010, 350.org, with the help of millions of people around the world, organized a global work party, where communities worked on projects that would help them cut carbon and build toward a "clean energy future". The event was also about putting pressure on our leaders to pass policies meant to make real change towards clean energy and reducing emissions.


Sterling College-Craftsbury Common, VT
credit to Ethan Darling of Albany, VT

The number, 350, represents the upper limits of the parts per million (ppm) of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) that our planet can withstand so as to prevent both human and natural disaster. Currently, we are at 392 ppm, a number that scientists say is the highest concentration this planet has ever seen. Ever.

This means atmospheric changes that will, if it hasn't already, the affect our human and natural world. It means swaths of land lost to rising seas; rapid, possibly permanent changes in weather patterns; increase in disease; loss of habitats which result in loss of animal species; drought.

So, what did we do on 10.10.10? We had a party.
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All over the area-Hyde Park, Albany, Stowe, Elmore and Johnson, events were happening from trash collecting to wood chipping to "dormstorming". In Hardwick, there was a 3pm rally at Hazen Union where politicians like Shap Smith, Lucy Leriche and others participated as well as performances the Woodbury Bluegrass Highlanders and Yanks in the Attic. In Craftsbury, Sterling College and musician Chris Dorman organized a giant leaf raking of the Common area, trail building and grain threshing workshop to be followed by a celebratory concert and live webstream of Chris' album Sita.


Hardwick, VT


So, did we save the polar bear on Sunday? No. Will global warming likely continue? Yes. Did many of us share a sense of purpose, community and hope? Absolutely.

National School Lunch Week

The School Nutrition Association has deemed this week as National School Lunch Week to bring awareness around the importance of healthy school lunches for productive and happy students.

Here in Vermont, we are fortunate to have two incredible organizations that focus on awareness, education, implementation and integration of fresh, healthy foods in our school systems.

Vermont FEED, a collaboration between Shelburne Farms, Food Works at Two Rivers and NOFA-VT works with schools and communities to raise awareness about healthy foods and nutrition as well as the role Vermont farms and farmers play in making that happen.

Green Mountain Farm to School (GMFTS) works towards promoting beneficial relationships between farms, schools and communities both economically and educationally.

If you are interested in getting healthy, local, farm fresh food in our educational system, contact these organizations to see how you can get involved.

And, as a great resource, also check out the Center for Ecoliteracy's pdf guide to the framework needed for a healthy school lunch, Rethinking School Lunches.

Happy eating!!

An Array of Autumn "Ag-tivities"

OCTOBER:

Tuesday, Oct. 5th-Thursday, Oct. 14th: Queen of the Sun: What are the bees telling us?
Vermont's theatrical premiere of this film on alternative views on the global honeybee crisis. Oct. 5th @ 8pm at Montpelier's Savoy Theater Week of 10/8 in Burlington, more information at queenofthesun.com

Saturday, Oct. 9th: Harvest Potluck at Chandler Pond Farm @ 3pm.
Featuring hay rides, good food, live music and old fashioned games. Interested in getting your hands dirty? Join them before the potluck from 1-3pm for their annual garlic planting. Wear work clothes. 528 Burroughs Rd., South Wheelock, VT, 802.626.9460

Sunday, Oct. 10th: Free Live Concert for 350.org at Sterling, feat. Chris Dorman @ 7pm.
Chris will release his new album, Sita, in conjunction with the 350.org global work party on climate change. Dunbar Hall, Sterling College, Craftsbury Common, VT

Wednesday, Oct. 13th: Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) Training for Cheese Makers and Raw Milk Purveyors, 9am-4:30pm
Very timely course given increased requirements for certified HACCP plans. See NOFA-VT for more details.

Thursday, Oct. 14th: Real Facts of Marketing and Selling Raw Milk in VT Webinar @ 7pm.
Hear from a dairy farmer on the ins-and-outs of producing and marketing raw milk in VT. More info at NOFA-VT. Based wherever you are!

Friday, Oct. 15th-Sunday, Oct. 17th: 4th Annual NE Animal Power Field Days (all day)
This event is dedicated to working draft animal enterprises supporting local communities and a land-base economy. Includes workshops, equipment demos, working demos, exhibitors, local food, swap meet and more. Call 802.234.5524 or visit animalpowerfielddays.org for more information. Located in Tunbridge, VT.

Friday, Oct. 15th-Saturday Oct. 16th: Hardwick Fall Film Festival
Independent Vermont filmmakers explore the underlying values in agriculture. See our BLOG for more details.

Saturday, Oct. 16th: Apple Pie Festival from 9am-3pm
Games, pie baking contests, local entertainment, raffles, local artisan crafts, and award winning homemade pies for sale. Cabot School Gym, 25 Common Rd., Cabot, VT

Monday Oct. 18th-Monday Nov. 8th: Vermont Master Composter Course from 6-9pm
Registration ends Oct. 8th, afterwards is a $10 late fee! Cost is $40. Learn everything from the intricacies of vermicompost to how to reduce ghg emissions through your compost pile! Located in Montepelier and other locations in VT. Check out the master composter site for more info.

Thursday, Oct. 21st: Last CAE tour of the season! @ 10 am
Join us for a tour of the local farms and meet the people that make the greater Hardwick area host to such a vibrant agricultural economy (and most recently, feature of a book!). Cost is $50/person, accompanied children 10 years and younger are free. More details at our site.

Thursday, Oct. 21st-Friday, Oct. 22nd: Vermont School Nutrition Assoc. Fall Conference (all day)
Partake in a variety of workshops and take home new skills and ideas. Doubletree Conference Cente, So. Burlington. Vermont FEED

Saturday, Oct. 23rd: Biochar: A "New" Tool for Forest Management? @ 9am
Learn about how biochar from forests could be used in New England to improve degraded soils, reduce amount of carbon entering the atmosphere and serve as a fuel source. $10/person. North Woods Stewardship Center, 154 Leadership Dr., East Charleston, VT. 802.723.6551 or events@northwoodscenter.org to register.

Monday, Oct. 25th: What's a Coolbot? Low-Cost Storage for the Winter Market and a NOFAvore Social. 5pm
How to set up a Coolbot system and other low energy walk-in cooler ideas. Will also discuss winter market growth potential. Pre-registration required. Details from NOFA here. Blackwell Roots, Cabot, VT.

NOVEMBER:

Nov. 1-Nov. 3rd: 2010 Women in Sustainable Agriculture Conference
Ranchers, Farmers, Educators, Ag Service Providers and Activists unite to build production and business skills, share strategies, and forge new connections to support farm women in the NE. Farilee, VT. Check out the Women's Ag Network for more details. Fees range between $100-150.

Nov. 11th: Practical Poultry Production @ 7pm
Learn the facets of "all things chicken". Great for if you're thinking of including chickens in your farming operation, for either meat or eggs. More details here.