Sustainability means Slowing Down: Slow Living Summit June 1-3, Brattleboro

A gathering of diverse movements toward local and regional sustainability from New England and beyond, the Slow Living Summit will be an intensive two-and-a-half day exploration of ways to build healthy, thriving local economies while encouraging, mentoring and supporting a new generation of activists, entrepreneurs and engaged citizens.

Strolling of the Heifers, best known for its annual agriculturally-themed parade and festival, is organizing the Summit in partnership with the Marlboro College Graduate School and World Learning as part of the tenth annual Strolling of the Heifers celebration.

We invite attendees representing the many organizations, businesses, educational institutions, funders and public entities who are working to make a resilient future an emergent reality in New England.

• CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!
• SUMMIT WEB PAGE
• SUMMIT SCHEDULE
• LODGING, DINING, DIRECTIONS
• SPONSORS

Scheduled speakers include:

• Bill McKibben, author and environmentalist, co-founder of 350.org 
• Bernie Sanders, U.S. Senator, Vermont
• Gary, Hirshberg, entrepreneurship guru; president/CEO, Stonyfield Farm
• Josh Viertel, Slow Food USA president
• Majora Carter, President, Majora Carter Group; founder of Sustainable South Bronx
• Chuck Ross, Vermont Secretary of Agriculture
• Will Raap, founder, Gardener's Supply founder
• Terry Mollner of Trusteeship Institute and Calvert Funds and Foundation
• John Cavanagh, Institute for Policy Studies
• Trish Karter, Dancing Deer Cookies
• Jesse Laflamme, CEO, Pete & Gerry's Organic Eggs

In addition to the plenary session speakers, the Summit will offer many breakout sessions organized into five topical tracks:

• Food and agriculture
• Energy and resources
• Economic issues (business, finances and entrepreneurship)
• Education for sustainability
• Quality of life.

In the breakout sessions, conferees can learn about diverse topics such as using technology for sustainability, reinventing agriculture, community-scaled renewable energy systems, and how to tap sources of funding for sustainable enterprises.

In an intensive schedule of workshops, discussions, and presentations, thought leaders, social investors and veterans of social enterprise and entrepreneurship will share their knowledge and experiences, make new connections, identify new opportunities and build new collaborations, partnerships and networks.

All this happens in Brattleboro ,Vermont - centrally located in the heart of New England and long a center of progressive thinking and enlightened enterprise. The summit is part of the Tenth Annual Strolling of the Heifers, Brattleboro's unique and world-famous celebration of Slow Life.

The Summit will take place in various locations in downtown Brattleboro, including the Latchis Theatre, the River Garden, Brattleboro Museum & Art Center and Marlboro College Graduate Center.

Organizers hope to attract conferees from throughout the Northeast, including representatives of non-profits, businesses, educational institutions, funders and public entities working toward a resilient future for the region.

During receptions and other informal networking sessions, the Summit will offer opportunities for attendees to share their knowledge and experiences, make new connections, identify new opportunities and build new collaborations, partnerships and networks.

Why "slow living"? This simple phrase expresses the fundamental paradigm shift that is underway in this age. "Slow" encodes the transformative change from faster and cheaper to slower and better-where quality, community and the future matter. It's about slowing down and becoming more mindful of our basic connection with land, place and people, taking the long view that builds a healthy, fulfilling way of life for the generations to come. It is about common good taking precedence over private gain.

This gathering will form a "big tent" (or in Strolling terms, a "big barn") where people and organizations from very diverse sectors can convene, share and mobilize in a supportive, convivial environment. Slow Living builds economies and puts people to work by focusing on the socially-responsible and sustainable enterprises and community relationships that will matter in the future, rather than on the environmentally and socially destructive practices of the past. It grows from the strengths, people, resources and history of the region. It is about basing life on the wellbeing of nature and community, where wealth and money can recirculate locally, combining with innovation and entrepreneurship, to create jobs. It's time to make sustainability and resilience a mainstream movement.

The summit will explore the methods, tools and resources needed to build sustainability from the ground up. Opportunities for cross-sector collaboration will be cultivated, so new opportunities can develop. Online networking in the months prior to and after the summit will foster momentum for new connections and ideas and start to lay the framework for a comprehensive roadmap for creating a resilient future that can be used throughout the region and beyond.

Please help us spread the word! Forward this message to your friends, associates and mailing lists, and post it on your web site!

Registration Fees: Through May 14: General registration: $150; student registration $105. After May 14 or on-site: general registration $180; student registration $115.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES: We invite inquires about sponsoring the Summit. Sponsors will receive recognition commensurate with their contributions. For sponsorship information, please contact Strolling of the Heifers Executive Director Orly Munzing at 802-258-9177 or orlymunzing@gmail.com.

Start your own vegetable garden: A pitch session by North Berkshire Transition on April 2

If you live in Williamstown and would like to start a Vegetable Garden plan to attend this introduction on Sat April 2nd.

Time: April 2, 2011 at 10am to May 28, 2011 at 7pm
Location: First Congregational Church
Organized By: COOL Williamstown, First Congrational Church, Williams College Zilkha Center for Environmental Initiatives, Center for Ecological Technology, Williams College for Environmental Studies, Northern Berkshire Transition Towns and Wild Oats Community Market.:

Event Description:

The “In My Backyard” collaboration offers the following garden-related events, each specifically intended to involve community members in fun and productive work toward diminishing our carbon outputs:
April 2 â€" Introduction to Backyard Gardening and Guided Vegetable Garden Tour (10:00 am â€" 1:00 pm) Free and open to all.  First Congregational Church, 906 Main St, Williamstown.  Refreshments will be served.
April 9 â€" COOL Williamstown Launch/Composting Workshop
 (10-11:30 am ) Free and open to all. First Congregational Church, Williamstown

START YOUR OWN VEGETABLE GARDEN $60/ Registration required and space is limited. (Five Saturdays, April 16th â€" May 28th, 3:00 â€" 4:30pm)
See http://coolwilliamstown.org/ to register.  Classes held at First Congregational Church, Williamstown as well as individual gardening sites. Instructor: Linda Wagner.
A limited number of novice gardeners may register to attend five gardening workshops that will provide instruction and mentoring to gardeners.  Workshops include how to site, dig and plant a 4' x  8' sustainable bio-intensive vegetable garden. Compost, seeds, seedlings and a gardening primer will be available for workshop participants. Hands-on work sessions will help each household establish and plant their own and each others’ gardens. Follow up site visits from the instructor and "garden mentors" for support and advice is included.  A model garden will be located at the First Congregational Church of Williamstown.
 
"First Church, at the head of Spring Street, is a visible venue for a demonstration garden," notes Lauren Stevens, a church member. "The garden will be a teaching tool for the workshops and an inspiration to the community." The harvest from the garden will be donated to local food pantries through the Williams College Zilkha Center.
 
COOL Committee organizer, Wendy Penner adds, “this first year is really a pilot project that intends to build the collaborative ties of these organizations.  We are excited to be offering programs about gardening, composting and steps toward energy reduction that help develop healthy living habits.  We are all going to be learning along the way so we will post reports in community outlets and keep people apprised of our progress.”
 
Additional events in the “In My Backyard” campaign will include a public forum about Williamstown’s Energy Future.  “We want to broaden the discussion about what we can do ‘in our backyard’ to include considering what we can do locally to take charge of the energy we are using in our homes and what type of energy we want to generate locally” adds Penner.
 
Other community organizations collaborating on the “In My Backyard” campaign include Williams College Zilkha Center for Environmental Initiatives, Center for Ecological Technology, Williams College for Environmental Studies, Northern Berkshire Transition Towns and Wild Oats Community Market.

See more details and RSVP on Northern Berkshire Transition:
http://northernberkshiretransition.ning.com/events/event/show?id=6027471%3AEvent%3A3702&xgi=3V1C01U39khe9e&xg_source=msg_invite_event

WRLF to sponsor snow shoe outing or hike on Sunday March 27 at 1 PM

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 14 Mar 2011 11:00:32 -0400
From: Leslie Reed-Evans <lre@wrlf.org>
Subject: WRLF to sponsor snow shoe outing or hike on Sunday March 27 at 1 PM

Ecology snowshoe outing or hike on Sheep Hill and Bee Hill sponsored by the WRLF

The Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation is sponsoring a snow shoe or hike on Sheep Hill and the WRLF's Fitch Trail Sunday afternoon March 27. Snow shoers/hikers should meet at the Sheep Hill, Route 7 south in Williamstown, at 1 PM. The hike will be led by Jake Blessing, a 2009 Williams Biology graduate and former Williams Outing Club naturalist. Jake has recently returned from working on a study of Western bluebirds in Carmel Valley, California, and is planning a research project before entering graduate school.

Sheep Hill is a conservation property and the headquarters of the WRLF, with panoramic views over the open meadow hillside to Mt. Greylock and the surrounding North Berkshire landscape. The Fitch Trail is across Bee Hill Road from Sheep Hill. The wooded property may provide an opportunity to find clues to the animal life through tracks and signs. WRLF has a limited number of snowshoes to lend. The hike is free and open to the public.

The WRLF is a member-supported non-profit land conservation trust celebrating its 25th year in 2011. The WRLF holds programs and events year round at its Sheep Hill headquarters and on its other WRLF conservation properties. Sheep Hill is located one mile south of the Williamstown rotary on Route 7.

For more information call 458-2494 or www.wrlf.org.

Leslie Reed-Evans
Executive Director
Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation
Sheep Hill
671 Cold Spring Road
Williamstown, MA 01267

lre@wrlf.org www.wrlf.org
413-458-2494

Farm film fest at Images Cinema on Sunday, March 13, organized by Williams, sponsored by Storey

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. -- In celebration of Spring and the upcoming growing season, the Williams College Sustainable Food & Agriculture Program, Storey Publishing and Images Cinema will present Farm Film Fest: A Day of Film and Food on Sunday afternoon, March 13. Hosted by Images Cinema at 50 Spring Street in Williamstown, two screenings and five films about food and farming will be presented beginning at 1 p.m. with a local cheese tasting sponsored, in part, by Mezze Catering.

"The Berkshire region is truly a leader in the 'honest food' movement – most of the issues play out here, and in the Berkshires we've found solutions that have often had national significance," said Deborah Burns, acquiring editor at Storey Publishing. "The Farm Film Fest is an opportunity for our local community to connect with global issues surrounding the food movement."

This is the second year for Farm Film Fest, which originated from the surging interest in food and farm issues and the many films that are addressing various aspects of this urgent subject.

"The Farm Film Fest ties in directly with our program's mission and is an excellent opportunity to learn about sustainable food from many perspectives," said Katharine Millonzi, manager of the Williams College Sustainable Food & Agriculture Program.

At 1 p.m. Images Cinema will present The Economics of Happiness. At 2:30 p.m., Images will present the Know Your Food: Shorts Program with four films including The Mast Brothers, Some Like It Raw, Obsessives: Urban Farming and Obsessives: Soda Pop.

Mezze Catering will present a cheese tasting between screenings featuring local cheeses from Massachusetts, Vermont and New York State.

The Economics of Happiness features a chorus of voices from six continents, including Vandana Shiva and Bill McKibben, calling for systemic economic change. The documentary describes a world moving simultaneously in two opposing directions. Directed by Steven Gorelick, Helena Norberg-Hodge and John Page; Not Rated; 1 hour 5 minutes.

The Mast Brothers documentary offers a tour of the Mast Brothers' bean-to-bar chocolate factory – one of just a handful in the U.S. The Brooklyn-based chocolatiers, Rick and Michael Mast, walk the viewer through their uniquely intensive process, DIY machines and a little of their food philosophy. Produced by Cool Hunting; Directed by Michael Tyburski; 4 minutes.

Some Like it Raw is an animated documentary about raw milk, made using wire-armature dolls, watercolors and fabric cutouts. Directed by Andrea Love; 10 minutes.

Obsessives: Urban Farming features Novella Carpenter, urban farmer and author of Farm City, who started small with some plants in an empty lot next to her home in Oakland, Calif. A couple of years later, she was tending to a full-blown farm with goats, turkeys, ducks, pigs and a robust garden. This video tackles questions of neighborliness (which is more offensive: police sirens or roosters crowing?), environmental poisons (raised beds are key), and the all-important slaughter question. Produced by Chow.com; 13 minutes.

Obsessives: Soda Pop is a documentary featuring John Nese, the proprietor of Galcos Soda Pop Stop in Los Angeles. His father ran it as a grocery store, and when the time came for John to take charge, he decided to convert it into the ultimate soda-lovers' destination. About 500 pops line the shelves, sourced lovingly by John from around the world. John has made it his mission to keep small soda-makers afloat and help them find their consumers. Produced by Chow.com; 13 minutes.

The cost is $5 per screening ($5 for the 1 p.m. and $5 for the 2:30 p.m) with a complimentary cheese tasting for patrons who attend the film(s). For more information, including a detailed list of films and events, visit www.farmfilmfest.com or contact Images Cinema at 413.458.5612.

* * * * * * *

The Farm Film Fest is sponsored by the Williams College Sustainable Food & Agriculture Program, which aims to foster in future generations a passion for responsible environmental stewardship and the rediscovery of vital food. Their mission is to coordinate, inspire and provide leadership to further develop academic resources, extra-curricular opportunities and practical approaches to sustainable food from a broad range of perspectives – social justice, environmental, cultural and economic. Visit http://sustainability.williams.edu/category/food/about-sfap for more info.

The mission of Storey Publishing, in North Adams, MA, is to serve its customers by publishing practical information that encourages personal independence in harmony with the environment. For more information on Storey Publishing, visit www.storey.com

The only one of its kind in Berkshire County, Images Cinema is a year-round non-profit, member-supported community film house that presents a wide range of films that impact filmmaking and our culture. Images continuously seeks to entertain, educate and engage the community with quality programming, while maintaining its dedication to independent film and media. Images Cinema serves organic popcorn, real butter, locally made baked goods and naturally-sweetened sodas, as well as traditional concessions fare. Images Cinema is supported in part by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency. Located at 50 Spring Street in Williamstown, Images Cinema can be reached at 413.458.5612 (movie line), 413.458.1039 (office) or by visiting their website at www.imagescinema.org.

###

Source:
ANGELA CARDINALI | Marketing Communications + Strategic Planning
e: angela@angelacardinali.com | p: 413.458.9053
For additional information contact:
Katharine Millonzi, 413.597.4422 or <Katharine.B.Millonzi@williams.edu>

North Adams Green Drinks on Northern Berkshire Transition set for Tuesday

Posted from an email from Northern Berkshire Transition:

Time: March 8, 2011 at 5:30pm to June 14, 2011 at 7pm
Location: Freight Yard Pub
Organized By: Berkshire Environmental Action Team & Northern Berkshire Transition:

Event Description:
North Adams Green DrinksA gathering of people interested in conservation and environmental issues - all welcomeJoin us for North Adams Green Drinks, the 2nd Tuesday of the month starting at 5:30 pm at the Freight Yard Pub, Western Gateway Heritage State Park, North Adams.What is Green Drinks? Green Drinks is an forum where people who have interest in or work on environmental issues meet for a beer and snacks at informal gatherings. There will be a lively mix of people from Non-profit organizations, academia, government, business and concerned citizens.Sponsored by Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT) &Northern Berkshire TransitionNorth Adams Green Drinks is a very informal gathering, open to everyone with any environmental interest. The drinks aren't green, but our conversations are.Green Drinks is a great way of catching up with people you know and for making new contacts. These networking events are very simple and unstructured. Come along and you'll be made welcom
e.

For more information about Pittsfield Green Drinks, contact Bruce Winn at BEAT (bruce@thebeatnews.org 413-230-7321 or Jay Walsh at nbtransition@gmail.com

See more details and RSVP on Northern Berkshire Transition:
http://northernberkshiretransition.ning.com/events/event/show?id=6027471%3AEvent%3A949&xgi=40rOGCK8DToTFu&xg_source=msg_invite_event

WRLF to sponsor snowshoe hike on Pine Cobble Sunday March 13 at 1 PM

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 3 Mar 2011 18:05:53 -0500
From: Leslie Reed-Evans <lre@wrlf.org>
To: Leslie Reed-Evans <lre@wrlf.org>
Subject: calendar/outdoor listing - WRLF to sponsor snowshoe hike on Pine Cobble
Sunday March 13 at 1 PM

Press release
For immediate release

Contact:
Leslie Reed-Evans
Executive Director
Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation
Sheep Hill
671 Cold Spring Road
Williamstown, MA 01267

lre@wrlf.org www.wrlf.org
413-458-2494

Snowshoe outing on Pine Cobble

The Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation is sponsoring a snowshoe hike on the Chestnut Trail Sunday afternoon March 13. Hikers should meet at the trailhead on Chestnut Street off North Hoosac Road in Williamstown at 1 PM. The hike will be led by Jake Blessing, a 2009 Williams Biology graduate and former Williams Outing Club naturalist. Jake has recently returned from working on a study of Western bluebirds in Carmel Valley, California, and is planning a research project before entering graduate school.

The Chestnut Trail is on WRLF conservation property on the western slope of Pine Cobble, and is mildly strenuous.The trail travels through mature oak woods. Hikers will visit an area of cliffs and boulders which in springtime is filled with the blooms of the mountain laurel shrub. WRLF has a limited number of snowshoes to lend.

A second snowshoe hike or walking hike, depending on conditions, will take place at Sheep Hill and the adjoining Fitch Trail on March 27th, also at 1 PM. Participants will meet at Sheep Hill. The hikes are free and open to the public.

The WRLF is a member-supported non-profit land conservation trust celebrating its 25th year in 2011. The WRLF holds programs and events year round at its Sheep Hill headquarters and on its other WRLF conservation properties. Sheep Hill is located one mile south of the Williamstown rotary on Route 7.

For more information call 458-2494 or www.wrlf.org.