:: VOLUNTEERS WANTED ::
How exciting! The Farm-to-Plate Statewide Food Summit will be held in Rutland City! Yes – that means people from all over the state will be coming to our community to discuss and learn more about improving our state’s ability to produce - and make accessible - more local food!
The organizers (the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund with support by our very own RAFFL), are looking for volunteers to help make this event a huge success. Sustainable Rutland will be helping with composting and recycling for the event, and has offered to send this CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS out to all of our organizational members.
If you are willing to volunteer for this important event that is happening on April 10 at the Rutland Middle School, please email either Tara Kelly from RAFFL or Heather Pipino from VJSF. Get complete information about the event and the volunteer jobs needed.
after the jump.
FARM TO PLATE INITIATIVE
Statewide Food Summit
April 10, 2010
Rutland Middle School
The purpose of the summit is to bring together stakeholders from the whole state to review and vet the draft plan goals and provide specific feedback to guide final drafting of the Farm to Plate strategic plan. An inspirational keynote speaker will begin the day and many breakout sessions will be organized to seek feedback on draft recommendations. Registration required - $10 suggested donation to help cover costs – Lunch served.
Volunteer Needs:
Let’s show 500 people from around the state the excitement and energy of Rutland!
Thanks,
SR.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Volunteers Needed for Upcoming Farm-to-Plate Summit
Monday, March 8, 2010
Sustainable Rutland & Efficiency VT Announce CFL Fundraiser in Rutland
Do you want to help Rutland become more energy efficient AND raise money for your school, church, club, or non-profit organization?
We are excited to announce that Sustainable Rutland has joined forces with Efficiency Vermont to help residents reduce their energy costs through improved efficiency by promoting the sale of compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs). Efficiency Vermont provides technical assistance and financial incentives to Vermont households and businesses to help them reduce their energy costs with energy-efficient equipment and lighting and with energy-efficient approaches to construction and renovation. Get all the exciting details after the jump.
Toward this end, Sustainable Rutland has teamed up with Efficiency Vermont to work with schools, clubs, churches, and other non-profits in Rutland City and Rutland Town to implement CFL fundraisers. (At this time, we are targeting only Rutland City and Rutland Town). Working with our retail partner, Noble Ace Hardware in Rutland, Sustainable Rutland will provide a variety of CFLs at a discounted price, which your organization can then sell for up to $1 over the cost of the bulb. You keep the difference, and we move closer to our goal of bringing 10,000 CFLs into the Rutland area by the end of the year.
SR will help you coordinate the fundraiser, and work as the liaison between your organization and the local retailer – thus, helping to ensure that the program runs smoothly and efficiently. Through Efficiency Vermont, we will provide you with informational packets and order forms. For schools, we will also provide an opportunity to bring an informational and interactive energy efficiency presentation to your students.
Over the next few weeks, we will be contacting many of you directly to set up meetings to talk about implementing a CFL fundraiser for your organization, business, club or school. In the meantime, if you are interested or have any questions, please contact me here.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with Efficiency Vermont’s work, check out their website here.
Thanks,
Jim Sabataso
Co-chair, Sustainable Rutland
Thursday, March 4, 2010
News from Pierce's Store
Here's some cool news from our friends up at Pierce's Store in Shrewsbury:
Workshops at Shrewsbury Co-op at Pierce's Store
We are pleased to offer workshops every Sunday in March, thanks to Maya Zelkin, a local potter and traditional foods enthusiast. We have tried her maple marshmallows, crackers and pickles. They are incredibly delicious, so we are excited that Maya is willing to share her skills and recipes with us and anyone else who's interested. These workshops will be FREE, though donations are much appreciated. Please register in advance if possible; call 492-3326 or sign up the next time you're in the store. Walk-ins will also be kindly welcomed. Get the dates after the jump.
ALL WORKSHOPS ARE SUNDAYS, 1-3pm
March 7: Intro. to Vinegar-Free Pickles
Use salt to ferment and preserve vegetables. Workshop will feature a demonstration of preparing kim chi (Korean sauerkraut) and a brined vegetable, and a discussion of recipes, techniques, and principles of lacto-fermentation.
March 14: Traditional Corn Tortillas
Local yellow corn cooked with dolomitic limestone will be ground wet, pressed, and cooked. We will share recipes which use tortillas.
March 21: Whole Grain Crackers
Learn to prepare flour and grains to make wholesome, delicious crackers from scratch.
March 28: Spring Maple and Dairy
We will celebrate spring in this class, with dairy processing and maple treats. Learn to make butter, yogurt, and soft cheese from local jersey cow milk. Then make an assortment of maple-sweetened confections and candies to celebrate this year's sugaring season.
Location: Historic Pierce's Store, 2658 Northam Rd., Shrewsbury
Contact: (802) 492-3326, via email, or check out their blog.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Farmin' Fuel Plenary Comes to GMC
Ever wonder what a fossil-free farm looks like? Come to the East Room on February 16 from 1-3 p.m. for a plenary discussion focused on the prospects of biodiesel in Vermont and the greater Rutland area. Panelists include Heather Darby of the UVM Agricultural Extension, Scott Gordon of Green Technologies, Netaka White of the Vermont Sustainable Job Fund, and Kenneth Mulder, GMC Farm Manager and Research Associate.
The plenary and the discussions to follow are intended to jump-start the cultivation of oilseed crops and the use of renewable liquid fuels in this region of Vermont. Technical know-how, funding sources, and opportunities for collaboration are all topics to be discussed. The plenary is sponsored by Prudent Fuels, Inc. and the GMC Family Farm Forum.
Farmin' Fuel Plenary Comes to GMC
Ever wonder what a fossil-free farm looks like? Come to the East Room on February 16 from 1-3 p.m. for a plenary discussion focused on the prospects of biodiesel in Vermont and the greater Rutland area. Panelists include Heather Darby of the UVM Agricultural Extension, Scott Gordon of Green Technologies, Netaka White of the Vermont Sustainable Job Fund, and Kenneth Mulder, GMC Farm Manager and Research Associate.
The plenary and the discussions to follow are intended to jump-start the cultivation of oilseed crops and the use of renewable liquid fuels in this region of Vermont. Technical know-how, funding sources, and opportunities for collaboration are all topics to be discussed. The plenary is sponsored by Prudent Fuels, Inc. and the GMC Family Farm Forum.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Volunteer Opportunity :: Your Rutland Neighbors Need Your Help
We all have the opportunity to work on this great short-term project that will help our neighbors and friends, and produce real energy savings in our community. Please read below and volunteer for this important partnership with Efficiency Vermont. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have many, many volunteers working in Rutland City? Find out how after the jump.
As you know, many Vermonters are having a difficult time paying their energy bills. We have an opportunity to reach out and help our neighbors make their homes more energy efficient through the Vermont Community Energy Mobilization Project. Local volunteers will be trained to conduct free home visits designed to help residents learn about energy saving opportunities in their homes. Volunteers will install energy saving products (such as compact fluorescent light bulbs and low-flow shower heads), assist in identifying inefficient use of energy in the home, and provide information resources available to help residents make further energy-efficiency improvements.
All volunteers will get the necessary training on how to engage people in the community in these energy saving measures. Volunteers will work in pairs and can commit to going to as many or as few homes as they are able.
The training for volunteers will be held on Tuesday, January 19 from 3pm to 6pm, at the Asa Bloomer Building's 2nd floor conference room. Please contact us to RSVP or for more information.
At the training you will:
This project is easy for everyone to participate in. No prior experience or training is necessary. All that is needed is your willingness to help members of our community save energy and money.
Feel free to contact us if you have any questions or to RSVP for the training. Sponsored by Sustainable Rutland in partnership with Efficiency Vermont.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Green Gift Wrap Depot in the News
UPDATED 1/6/10
"'Green' gift-wrap theme in Rutland" (WCAX)
Have you been to the Green Gift Wrap Depot? There's still time. You can get your gifts wrapped in sustainable, recycled packaging until Tuesday & Wednesday 12-7pm, and Thursday 12-4pm. And while you're there pick up one of the, handmade bag bags designed by Rutland High School's Environmentally Active & Conscious Club. In the meantime, check out all the love we've been getting from the MSM.
"Rutland Promotes 'Green' Holiday Wrapping" (Vermont Public Radio)
"Dreaming of a green Christmas" (Rutland Herald)
And check out some great photos after the jump.
See more photos on our Facebook page.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Check Out Our Green Gift-Wrap Depot in the DTR
Wrap your gifts with 100% recycled/reused materials!
Sustainable Rutland has joined up with the Downtown Rutland Partnership and Rutland High School's Environmental Action Club to host a Green Gift-Wrap Depot in Downtown Rutland. Gifts will be wrapped using colorful comics (donated by the Rutland Herald), magazines and outdated road maps (donated by the DRP and the Chamber of Commerce). Ribbons will be made from colorful plastic bags, yarn, buttons and other creative recycled materials. (More info after the jump.)
Additionally, the RHS Environmental Action Club will host several Sew-Ins at the Gift Wrap Depot where they will be creating stylish gift bags out of donated fabric and neckties. The first holiday Sew-In will be held on Thursday, December 17.
The Green Wrapping Depot is in the old Book King, 94 Merchants Row, Downtown Rutland. It will be open Dec. 16-19 and Dec. 21-24 (12-7pm, all days, except 12-2 on the 12/24).
The service is being provided for a nominal fee ($1-$2, depending on the size of the package).
WANTED: If you have any neckties, red Rutland Herald plastic bags, buttons, beads, yarn, lace, wire you would like to donate to the Gift-Wrap Depot, please drop them off at the Downtown Rutland Partnership Office (Wales Street - between Baba-a-Louis & City Hall) during normal business hours. Or you can drop them off at the Gift-Wrap Depot on Wednesday, December 16 from 12-7pm.
Thank you. Please free to contact info[at]sustainablerutland.org if you have any questions.
FUN FACT: Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, Americans throw away 25% more trash than any other time of the year, amounting to more than 1 million tons of additional garbage each week. But, if every family reused just two feet of ribbon and the wrapping from just three gifts, it would save enough paper to cover 45,000 football fields and enough ribbon to tie a bow around the entire planet (38,000 miles).
Happy Holidays!
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
Thanksgiving Localvore Challenge, Part Deux!
It's that time of year again, folks. The holidays are here, and Sustainable Rutland is holding it's second-annual Thanksgiving Localvore Challenge. Once again, we're asking YOU to see how much of your Thanksgiving meal you can source locally. Last year, almost 50 families participated in the event, which encourages participants to celebrate in the spirit of the first Thanksgiving feast by creating their Thanksgiving Meal with food grown and produced within 100 miles of where they live. It’s a great way to support the local economy and neighboring farmers. Find our how you can take the challenge after the jump.
