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______________________________or mail checks to: Sustainability Action Network, P.O.Box 1064, Lawrence KS 66044.
WELCOME TO THE DEAD OF WINTER ¤ SKEPTICAL ANYONE?
Here in Lawrence Kansas it was 67°F yesterday. December had 12 days 50°F and above, 2 of which were 60°F and above. January had 16 days 50°F and above, 5 of which were 60°F and above. There has been no snow.
View a warming planet here - Watch 131 Years of Global Warming in 26 Seconds.
______________________________
ARTIFICIAL PHOTOSYNTHESIS ACHIEVED ¤ CAPTURES CO2
The Central Research & Development Lab (CRLD) for Toyota announced that they had succeeded for the first time in the world to produce an artificial photosynthesis process that generates an organic compound using only water, carbon dioxide (CO2), and sunlight. "The new method combines an oxidation reaction that extracts electrons from water with a reduction reaction of CO2 with those electrons. With energy from sunlight inducing the process, it produces formic acid, an organic compound." The process' "current conversion efficiency is 0.04%, only one-fifth that of plants. Toyota CRDL is aiming for a higher efficiency than plants. It also intends to develop a synthesis technology that generates more valuable organic compounds such as methanol." Read more at - Toyota CRDL Succeeds in World's First Artificial Photosynthesis. Details at - Toyota Artificial Photosynthesis press release.pdf.
______________________________
TRANSITION KAW VALLEY MEETING ¤ note DATE CHANGE
Thursday, 2 February 2012,
7:00pm
Lawrence Public Library, 7th &
Vermont St., Lawrence KS 66044
Transition Kaw Valley is scheduling small-group community presentations, to familiarize organizations with the Transition Movement. If your church, fraternal organization, or neighborhood association would like to host such a presentation, please contact us at
The T.K.V. workshop series continues, and folks are welcome to help out:
- Garden Planning & Seed Ordering - 18 February
- Raised Bed Gardening - 14 April
- Local Economics - 19 May
- Cold Frame construction - date TBA
- Solar Food Dehydrator - date TBA
- Permablitz - date TBA
- Water Purification & Storage - date TBA
MISSOURI ORGANIC ASSOCIATION ANNUAL
CONFERENCE
Thursday - Saturday, 2 February - 4 February 2012 - $$$
Marriott Hotel at Union Station, 1820 Market St, St. Louis, MO 63103
An extensive slate of speakers include Dr. John Ikerd, University of Missouri Prof. Emeritus, Jeff Moyer of the Rodale Institute, Jim Long author of "Edible Landscapes", and Jeffrey Smith presenting "Seeds of Deception" about the dangers of GE organisms (and right at the front door of GE giant Monsanto). There also will be 67 workshops, a trade show, an organic cooking competition, and an auction. More info and registration form available at - MOA Annual 2012 Conference.
______________________________
THE DETECTABLE DANGER OF EATING GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOODS
Monsanto and other genetic engineering corporations hold the pretense that genetically modified food displays "substantial equivalence" to naturally grown food, and the FDA concurs. But when people consume such GE food unawares because of lack of labeling laws, they are being subjected to a vast experiment in human metabolism. GE firms brush off such allegations saying there is no evidence of danger.
But recently, "Chinese researchers have found small pieces of rice ribonucleic acid (RNA) in the blood and organs of humans who eat rice. The type of RNA in question is called microRNA (abbreviated to miRNA) due to its small size. MiRNAs have been studied extensively since their discovery ten years ago, and the Chinese research provides the first in vivo example of ingested plant miRNA surviving digestion and influencing human cell function in this way. If miRNA can in fact survive the gut then it's entirely possible that miRNA intended to influence insect gene regulation could also affect humans.
In 1999, a group of scientists wrote a letter titled "Beyond Substantial Equivalence" to the prestigious journal Nature. In the letter, Erik Millstone et. al. called substantial equivalence "a pseudo-scientific concept" that is "inherently anti-scientific because it was created primarily to provide an excuse for not requiring biochemical or toxicological tests." Read more at - The Very Real Danger of Genetically Modified Foods.
Until the U.S. requires labeling of GE foods, protect yourself with the Non-GMO Shopping Guide.
______________________________
KKFI COMMUNITY RADIO ¤ ECOLOGICAL SHOWS THIS WEEK
______________________________
"FOOD SECURITY, ENERGY DEPLETION" ¤ KANSAS PERMACULTURE INSTITUTE
Friday, 8 February 2012, 6:00pm-9:00pm - $$
Dreher 4-H Building, 2110 Harper St., Lawrence KS 66044
This weekly lecture is part of a Permaculture Design Course taught by Steve Moring with assistance by Michael Almon. The public is welcome to attend any lecture individually. Students completing the full 72 hours of training will be certified through the Kansas Permaculture Institute. The course includes nine 3-hour class sessions, five field trips, four practicum sessions, and a student project presentation.
This first lecture, "Food Security and Energy Depletion", is followed by a video "The Power of Community". The material describes our agricultural dependence on fossil fuels and how we can meet the challenge of energy depletion to make a successful transition to sustainable future. A percentage of the fees will support the Kaw Permaculture Collaborative and it's parent organization, the Sustainability Action Network. For more info go to Kaw Permaculture Collaborative, or contact Steve Moring at (785)691-7305 or
______________________________
LAWRENCE SUSTAINABILITY ADVISORY BOARD
BEE COLONY COLLAPSE DISORDER ¤ CAUSE KNOWN BUT IGNORED
Instead of being sprayed, the neonicotinoid family of systemic pesticides are used to treat seeds, so that they're absorbed by the plant's vascular system and expressed through pollen, nectar and gutation droplets from which bees then forage and drink. Neonicotinoids attack the central nervous systems of bees that collect the pollen. Virtually all of today's genetically engineered Bt corn is treated with neonicotinoids.
Pettis and Van Engelsdorp exposed two groups of bees to disease which commonly affects bees known as nosema. One group, however, was also given sub-lethal, undetectable doses of Bayer's imidacloprid pesticide. What the researchers found was that the bees given the pesticide reacted far more negatively to the common bee disease, nosema - USDA Research Links Neonicotinoid Pesticides to Bee Deaths.
A leaked Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) memo from November 2010 reveals that the EPA used flawed science to approve the neonicotinoid insecticide, clothianidin, which is still being used in the U.S. Yet it has long been banned by France (1999), Germany (2008), and Italy (2009), and European bee populations are rebounding. British lawmakers are calling for a ban on neonicotinoids also - Bee Population Restored With Neonicotinoids Ban. Further reading at - Honeybee problem nearing a 'critical point'.
For decades, Dr. Vandana Shiva has been challenging the "big five" genetic engineering seed companies, Bayer, Monsanto, Syngenta, Dow and DuPont, globally and from her home in India. She asserts that "We are in a food emergency. The biggest threat we face is the control of seeds and food moving out of the hands of farmers and communities and into a few corporate hands.
"The US-India agriculture agreement, signed by President Bush and Prime Minister Singh in 2005, has on its board representatives from Monsanto, ADM and Walmart. That is why we have to make food democracy the core of the defense of our freedom and survival. We will succeed in building robust food democracies, resting on resilient ecosystems and resilient communities." Read more at - Resisting the Corporate Theft of Seeds.
______________________________
KAW VALLEY SEEDS PROJECT ¤ THIRD ANNUAL FAIR
Saturday, 11 February 2012, 10:00am-3:00pm - FREE
Douglas County Fairgrounds, Building 21, 2110 Harper St., Lawrence, KS, 66046
The Seed Fair will include a seed exchange, exhibits, a children's activity center and more than 50 exhibitors offering educational information, gardening products and local farm products. Raffles for various gardening-related prizes will be held throughout the day. The Kaw Valley Seeds Project is a non-profit whose mission is to create a Local Living Seed Reserve by fostering a network of people who grow, share, barter, buy and sell primary seed varieties of the Kansas River valley. Visitors are encouraged to bring open-pollinated (non-hybrid) seeds along with information on their origin to the Kaw Valley Seed Project table.
The event is co-sponsored by the Kansas Area Watershed Council and the Douglas County Extension Master Gardeners. For more information about the Seeds Project and the fair, visit www.facebook.com/
______________________________
"INTRO TO PERMACULTURE" ¤ KANSAS PERMACULTURE INSTITUTE
Wednesday, 15 February 2012, 6:00-9:00pm - $$
Dreher 4-H Building, Douglas County Co-op Extension, 2110 Harper St., Lawrence KS
This weekly lecture is part of a Permaculture Design Course taught by Steve Moring with assistance by Michael Almon. The public is welcome to attend any lecture individually. Students completing the full 72 hours of training will be certified through the Kansas Permaculture Institute. The course includes nine 3-hour class sessions, five field trips, four practicum sessions, and a student project presentation.
This second lecture, "Intro to Permaculture", includes a group discussion of permaculture applications, resources, local organizations and community projects, and will close with a viewing of the 37 minute film"Farming With Nature" about Sepp Holzer. A percentage of the fees will support the Kaw Permaculture Collaborative and it's parent organization, the Sustainability Action Network. For more info go to Kaw Permaculture Collaborative, or contact Steve Moring at (785)691-7305 or
______________________________
SUSTAINABILITY ACTION NETWORK MEETING ¤ note NEW DAY & TIME
______________________________
GARDEN PLANNING, SEED ORDERING WORKSHOP ¤ TRANSITION KAW VALLEY
Saturday, 18 February 2012, 1:00-5:00pm - FREE
location TBA, Lawrence KS 66044
How does your garden grow? As well as you plan for it (plus a little work!). The sequence and arrangement of various garden vegetables occur over a period of time from February up until last frost date in May (and then again in August for a Fall garden if you choose). Early crops should be seeded indoors in flats, and set out when the soil begins warming up. Later crops get seeded next, some in flats, some directly in the beds. It's a matter of space and timing. And the seeds need to be ordered before any of this begins! Experienced gardeners will teach you how, and direct you to good sources of seeds. For more info contact Amber at
______________________________
DOUGLAS COUNTY FOOD POLICY COUNCIL
Monday, 20 February 2012, 7:00pm
The Food Policy Council seeks to identify the benefits, challenges and opportunities for a successful, sustainable local food system. By advising the Douglas County Commission on public policies that will support local producers,preserve local agricultural resources and land, and create more local jobs, the F.P.C.. hopes to improve the community's access to a local food supply and distribution networks. For more info go to Dg County Food Policy Council.
______________________________
"ECOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES IN PERMACULTURE" ¤ KANSAS PERMACULTURE INSTITUTE
Wednesday, 22 February 2012, 6:00-9:00pm - $$
Dreher 4-H Building, Douglas County Co-op Extension, 2110 Harper St., Lawrence KS
This weekly lecture is part of a Permaculture Design Course taught by Steve Moring with assistance by Michael Almon. The public is welcome to attend any lecture individually. Students completing the full 72 hours of training will be certified through the Kansas Permaculture Institute. The course includes nine 3-hour class sessions, five field trips, four practicum sessions, and a student project presentation.
This third lecture, "Ecological Principles in Permaculture", examines communities of plants, insects, and soil micro-organisms that replicate naturally occurring ecosystems, and greatly enhance productivity. This session will cover the inter-relationships of these elements, and how humans can create sustainable and balanced ecosystems that provide an abundance of food while maintaining species diversity and environmental stability. The lecture is followed by a video "Last Stand of the Tallgrass Prairie". A percentage of the fees will support the Kaw Permaculture Collaborative and it's parent organization, the Sustainability Action Network. For more info go to Kaw Permaculture Collaborative, or contact Steve Moring at (785)691-7305 or
______________________________
"INTRO TO PERMACULTURE DESIGN" ¤ KANSAS PERMACULTURE INSTITUTE
Wednesday, 29 February 2012, 6:00-9:00pm - $$
Dreher 4-H Building, Douglas County Co-op Extension, 2110 Harper St., Lawrence KS
This weekly lecture is part of a Permaculture Design Course taught by Steve Moring with assistance by Michael Almon. The public is welcome to attend any lecture individually. Students completing the full 72 hours of training will be certified through the Kansas Permaculture Institute. The course includes nine 3-hour class sessions, five field trips, four practicum sessions, and a student project presentation.
This fourth lecture, "Intro to Permaculture Design", will explore the design principles as defined by David Holmgren and Bill Mollison, and will outline the basic steps in planning a permaculture site, assessing land resources, and designing and implementing projects, including earthworks and swales. The lecture is followed by the Geoff Lawton video "Introduction to Permaculture Design". A percentage of the fees will support the Kaw Permaculture Collaborative and it's parent organization, the Sustainability Action Network. For more info go to Kaw Permaculture Collaborative, or contact Steve Moring at (785)691-7305 or
______________________________
FOOD NOT LAWNS ¤ COMMUNIVERSITY CLASS #2306 A
Wednesdays, 7,14,21,28 March 2012, 4 sessions, 7:00-9:00pm - $$
UMKC School of Medicine, Theatre C, 24th & Charlotte Streets, KC MO
Grow food not lawns! Increase local food security, improve your diet, beautify your surroundings, build community, reduce pollution and energy use (It takes 87 calories of fuel to transport one calorie of perishable fresh fruit from west coast to east coast). As supporters of the Food Not Lawns national movement, we will hold four sessions dealing with topics that include whole system design, garden preparation, permaculture, water-wise gardening, seed saving, planting, and free resources. Presenters include master and highly-qualified gardeners. Class fee is $18, plus $5 for materials. Register at UMKC Communiversity. More info at Food Not Lawns KC, or
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FRUIT TREE PRUNING WORKSHOP ¤ MISSOURI CO-OP EXTENSION
Taught by Marlin Bates, Co-op Extension Horticulture Specialist, this workshop will cover a quick overview of pruning practices for various fruit trees, and then a hands-on pruning session in the orchard. Come prepared dressed for the weather. Register by 7 March at - Fruit Tree Pruning registration.pdf. Get more info at
We welcome suggestions for Newsletter items. Please send items to
Join the Sustainability Action Network by clicking this link - Become a Member of S.A.N. - and follow the instructions. The S.A.N. mission isto bring awareness of the global crisis caused by climate change, energy vulnerability and economic instability to communities in the Kansas River bioregion, and the tools needed to re-skill and re-localize our economy and create a more socially just and ecologically sustainable world.
"THE TRANSITION COMPANION" ¤ AVAILABLE FOR $27
As a guidebook for local transition communities, Rob Hopkins has published this sequel to the original Transition Handbook. For your copy, e-mail Michael at
Current S.A.N. projects include:
2) Kaw Permaculture Collaborative and Kansas Permaculture Institute - developing skills and resources for polyculture sustainable food production - Kaw Permaculture Collaborative
3) Eco Village Land Trust - Designing and focalizing a sustainable intentional community near Lawrence.
4) Growers' Land Trust - organizing interested stakeholders to acquire prime farmland in the urban fringe for land-based economic development and regional food security.
5) Weekly Newsletter - informing and encouraging others to become active in the Sustainability Action Network, or other action driven groups.
6) Water Rights and Watersheds - protecting the water commons, the source of all life, from privatization and contamination, and restoring our watersheds.
7) Electric & Human Powered Vehicles - promoting neighborhood electric vehicles and utility tricycles, including infrastructure and pro-active regulations.
8) Energy Conservation & Renewables - advancing a green economy through decentralized renewable energy and conservation.
To subscribe to this newsletter, please click this link »Subscribe to the Sustainability Newsletter. Enter your name and e-mail address, and follow the instructions. The system will send you a confirmation message with a "Confirmation Link" which you MUST click in order to complete your subscription confirmation. If you don't get the confirmation message, check in your junk mail folder for blocked as spam.
Thursday - Saturday, 2 February - 4 February 2012 - $$$
Marriott Hotel at Union Station, 1820 Market St, St. Louis, MO 63103
An extensive slate of speakers include Dr. John Ikerd, University of Missouri Prof. Emeritus, Jeff Moyer of the Rodale Institute, Jim Long author of "Edible Landscapes", and Jeffrey Smith presenting "Seeds of Deception" about the dangers of GE organisms (and right at the front door of GE giant Monsanto). There also will be 67 workshops, a trade show, an organic cooking competition, and an auction. More info and registration form available at - MOA Annual 2012 Conference.
______________________________
THE DETECTABLE DANGER OF EATING GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOODS
Monsanto and other genetic engineering corporations hold the pretense that genetically modified food displays "substantial equivalence" to naturally grown food, and the FDA concurs. But when people consume such GE food unawares because of lack of labeling laws, they are being subjected to a vast experiment in human metabolism. GE firms brush off such allegations saying there is no evidence of danger.
But recently, "Chinese researchers have found small pieces of rice ribonucleic acid (RNA) in the blood and organs of humans who eat rice. The type of RNA in question is called microRNA (abbreviated to miRNA) due to its small size. MiRNAs have been studied extensively since their discovery ten years ago, and the Chinese research provides the first in vivo example of ingested plant miRNA surviving digestion and influencing human cell function in this way. If miRNA can in fact survive the gut then it's entirely possible that miRNA intended to influence insect gene regulation could also affect humans.
In 1999, a group of scientists wrote a letter titled "Beyond Substantial Equivalence" to the prestigious journal Nature. In the letter, Erik Millstone et. al. called substantial equivalence "a pseudo-scientific concept" that is "inherently anti-scientific because it was created primarily to provide an excuse for not requiring biochemical or toxicological tests." Read more at - The Very Real Danger of Genetically Modified Foods.
Until the U.S. requires labeling of GE foods, protect yourself with the Non-GMO Shopping Guide.
______________________________
KKFI COMMUNITY RADIO ¤ ECOLOGICAL SHOWS THIS WEEK
Listen
at KKFI-FM 90.1, or web-streaming at http://www.kkfi.org/
Friday, 3 February 2012, 9:30am ¤ Bioneers Radio Series
Friday, 3 February 2012, 9:30am ¤ Bioneers Radio Series
Bioneers presents another of their award winning ecological shows.
Monday, 6 February 2012, 6:00pm ¤ locally produced Eco-Radio KC
Host Steve Mann will be interviewing Derrick Jensen,
author, speaker, and activist in support of immediate preservation and
protection of the biosphere from industrial onslaught. They will
explore many of the aspects of the disease called "industrial society",
and the countervailing efforts to reach a cure through Deep Green Resistance. Monday, 6 February 2012, 6:00pm ¤ locally produced Eco-Radio KC
______________________________
FUKUSHIMA DAI-ICHI NUCLEAR
DISASTER ¤ DAY 325
We also suggest readers avail themselves of reports from
the following sources. Japan
Focus - Japan
Focus, Fairewinds
Associates - Fukushima
Updates, and China
Syndrome - China
Syndrome news series.
______________________________"FOOD SECURITY, ENERGY DEPLETION" ¤ KANSAS PERMACULTURE INSTITUTE
Friday, 8 February 2012, 6:00pm-9:00pm - $$
Dreher 4-H Building, 2110 Harper St., Lawrence KS 66044
This weekly lecture is part of a Permaculture Design Course taught by Steve Moring with assistance by Michael Almon. The public is welcome to attend any lecture individually. Students completing the full 72 hours of training will be certified through the Kansas Permaculture Institute. The course includes nine 3-hour class sessions, five field trips, four practicum sessions, and a student project presentation.
This first lecture, "Food Security and Energy Depletion", is followed by a video "The Power of Community". The material describes our agricultural dependence on fossil fuels and how we can meet the challenge of energy depletion to make a successful transition to sustainable future. A percentage of the fees will support the Kaw Permaculture Collaborative and it's parent organization, the Sustainability Action Network. For more info go to Kaw Permaculture Collaborative, or contact Steve Moring at (785)691-7305 or
______________________________
LAWRENCE SUSTAINABILITY ADVISORY BOARD
Wednesday, 8
February 2012, 5:30pm
The Febuary agenda is not yet available. The S.A.B. meets monthly to discuss any and all aspects of furthering sustainability policies and practices by the City of Lawrence government and private persons. The public is welcome. Minutes are finalized in about a month after each meeting http://www.lawrenceks.org/wrr/
______________________________
KANSAS CITY ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMISSION
Wednesday, 8 February 2012, 4:00-6:00pm
Mid America Regional Council, Rivergate Center 2nd floor, 600 Broadway, KC MO
City Hall Planning Conference Room (first floor),
6 E 6th Street, Lawrence, KS 66044
The Febuary agenda is not yet available. The S.A.B. meets monthly to discuss any and all aspects of furthering sustainability policies and practices by the City of Lawrence government and private persons. The public is welcome. Minutes are finalized in about a month after each meeting http://www.lawrenceks.org/wrr/
______________________________
KANSAS CITY ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMISSION
Wednesday, 8 February 2012, 4:00-6:00pm
Mid America Regional Council, Rivergate Center 2nd floor, 600 Broadway, KC MO
The Environmental Management Commission promotes
environmental awareness and resource efficiency to the
City's leaders and staff, to assist the progress of Kansas
City toward sustainability. The General public is
encouraged to attend and observe meetings and to join and
participate in its efforts. More information is at KC
Environmental Mgt Commission
______________________________BEE COLONY COLLAPSE DISORDER ¤ CAUSE KNOWN BUT IGNORED
Since the late 1990's, there have been a number of suspected
causes of bee colony collapse syndrome (CCD) - electromagnetic
radiation, malnutrition, mites, climate change, cell phones, and
more. But two years ago, researchers Jeffrey
Pettis of the USDA and Dennis Van
Engelsdorp of Penn State University determined that
interactions of these various factors killed the bees when
triggered by exposure to neonicotinoid pesticides,
particularly Clothianidin and imidicloprid made
by Bayer. But the USDA and EPA ignored the evidence
and continued to certify neonicotinoids - USDA
& EPA Ignored Pesticide Ravaging Bees.
Instead of being sprayed, the neonicotinoid family of systemic pesticides are used to treat seeds, so that they're absorbed by the plant's vascular system and expressed through pollen, nectar and gutation droplets from which bees then forage and drink. Neonicotinoids attack the central nervous systems of bees that collect the pollen. Virtually all of today's genetically engineered Bt corn is treated with neonicotinoids.
Pettis and Van Engelsdorp exposed two groups of bees to disease which commonly affects bees known as nosema. One group, however, was also given sub-lethal, undetectable doses of Bayer's imidacloprid pesticide. What the researchers found was that the bees given the pesticide reacted far more negatively to the common bee disease, nosema - USDA Research Links Neonicotinoid Pesticides to Bee Deaths.
A leaked Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) memo from November 2010 reveals that the EPA used flawed science to approve the neonicotinoid insecticide, clothianidin, which is still being used in the U.S. Yet it has long been banned by France (1999), Germany (2008), and Italy (2009), and European bee populations are rebounding. British lawmakers are calling for a ban on neonicotinoids also - Bee Population Restored With Neonicotinoids Ban. Further reading at - Honeybee problem nearing a 'critical point'.
______________________________
KEEPING THE "AG" IN YOUR AG LAND ¤
INFORMATIONAL MEETING
Thursday, 9 February 2012, 7:00pm
Douglas County Fair Grounds, Bldg. 21, 2110 Harper Ave. Lawrence KS 66046
RESISTING THE
CORPORATE THEFT OF OUR SEEDSThursday, 9 February 2012, 7:00pm
Douglas County Fair Grounds, Bldg. 21, 2110 Harper Ave. Lawrence KS 66046
Come learn about federal, state
and local programs available to help you plan for your
farm's future. From land
trusts, to conservation programs, to estate planning
- you'll learn about all the tools you need to keep the
"ag" in your agricultural land. Presentations will be
made by the Kansas Land Trust, the Heritage Conservation
Council, USDA Farm Service Agency, USDA Natural
Resources Conservation Service, and Estate Planners. Please RSVP by 1 February
to (and get info from) Eileen Horn,
______________________________
For decades, Dr. Vandana Shiva has been challenging the "big five" genetic engineering seed companies, Bayer, Monsanto, Syngenta, Dow and DuPont, globally and from her home in India. She asserts that "We are in a food emergency. The biggest threat we face is the control of seeds and food moving out of the hands of farmers and communities and into a few corporate hands.
"The US-India agriculture agreement, signed by President Bush and Prime Minister Singh in 2005, has on its board representatives from Monsanto, ADM and Walmart. That is why we have to make food democracy the core of the defense of our freedom and survival. We will succeed in building robust food democracies, resting on resilient ecosystems and resilient communities." Read more at - Resisting the Corporate Theft of Seeds.
______________________________
KAW VALLEY SEEDS PROJECT ¤ THIRD ANNUAL FAIR
Saturday, 11 February 2012, 10:00am-3:00pm - FREE
Douglas County Fairgrounds, Building 21, 2110 Harper St., Lawrence, KS, 66046
The Seed Fair will include a seed exchange, exhibits, a children's activity center and more than 50 exhibitors offering educational information, gardening products and local farm products. Raffles for various gardening-related prizes will be held throughout the day. The Kaw Valley Seeds Project is a non-profit whose mission is to create a Local Living Seed Reserve by fostering a network of people who grow, share, barter, buy and sell primary seed varieties of the Kansas River valley. Visitors are encouraged to bring open-pollinated (non-hybrid) seeds along with information on their origin to the Kaw Valley Seed Project table.
The event is co-sponsored by the Kansas Area Watershed Council and the Douglas County Extension Master Gardeners. For more information about the Seeds Project and the fair, visit www.facebook.com/
______________________________
"INTRO TO PERMACULTURE" ¤ KANSAS PERMACULTURE INSTITUTE
Wednesday, 15 February 2012, 6:00-9:00pm - $$
Dreher 4-H Building, Douglas County Co-op Extension, 2110 Harper St., Lawrence KS
This weekly lecture is part of a Permaculture Design Course taught by Steve Moring with assistance by Michael Almon. The public is welcome to attend any lecture individually. Students completing the full 72 hours of training will be certified through the Kansas Permaculture Institute. The course includes nine 3-hour class sessions, five field trips, four practicum sessions, and a student project presentation.
This second lecture, "Intro to Permaculture", includes a group discussion of permaculture applications, resources, local organizations and community projects, and will close with a viewing of the 37 minute film"Farming With Nature" about Sepp Holzer. A percentage of the fees will support the Kaw Permaculture Collaborative and it's parent organization, the Sustainability Action Network. For more info go to Kaw Permaculture Collaborative, or contact Steve Moring at (785)691-7305 or
______________________________
SUSTAINABILITY ACTION NETWORK MEETING ¤ note NEW DAY & TIME
Thursday, 16 February 2012, 7:30pm
Signs of Life Coffee Shop, 722 Massachusetts St., Lawrence KS 66044
Local Solutions for Transition to a Sustainable Economy
The meeting agenda will include:
Signs of Life Coffee Shop, 722 Massachusetts St., Lawrence KS 66044
Local Solutions for Transition to a Sustainable Economy
The meeting agenda will include:
- S.A.N. "Common Ground" garden report
- community garden grant opportunity
- Eastside canning kitchen & food co-op
- K.P.C. sweet potato order
- involvement in KAW Council event
- organize Spring permaculture PDC course
- Transition Kaw Valley report
- Human Powered Vehicle committee report
- field trip to Open Source Ecology in Maysville, MO
- S.A.N. web site update - Sustainability Action Network
______________________________
GARDEN PLANNING, SEED ORDERING WORKSHOP ¤ TRANSITION KAW VALLEY
Saturday, 18 February 2012, 1:00-5:00pm - FREE
location TBA, Lawrence KS 66044
How does your garden grow? As well as you plan for it (plus a little work!). The sequence and arrangement of various garden vegetables occur over a period of time from February up until last frost date in May (and then again in August for a Fall garden if you choose). Early crops should be seeded indoors in flats, and set out when the soil begins warming up. Later crops get seeded next, some in flats, some directly in the beds. It's a matter of space and timing. And the seeds need to be ordered before any of this begins! Experienced gardeners will teach you how, and direct you to good sources of seeds. For more info contact Amber at
______________________________
DOUGLAS COUNTY FOOD POLICY COUNCIL
Monday, 20 February 2012, 7:00pm
Primary Center Community Room, 500 Lawrence St., Baldwin
City, KS 66006
The Food Policy Council seeks to identify the benefits, challenges and opportunities for a successful, sustainable local food system. By advising the Douglas County Commission on public policies that will support local producers,preserve local agricultural resources and land, and create more local jobs, the F.P.C.. hopes to improve the community's access to a local food supply and distribution networks. For more info go to Dg County Food Policy Council.
______________________________
"ECOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES IN PERMACULTURE" ¤ KANSAS PERMACULTURE INSTITUTE
Wednesday, 22 February 2012, 6:00-9:00pm - $$
Dreher 4-H Building, Douglas County Co-op Extension, 2110 Harper St., Lawrence KS
This weekly lecture is part of a Permaculture Design Course taught by Steve Moring with assistance by Michael Almon. The public is welcome to attend any lecture individually. Students completing the full 72 hours of training will be certified through the Kansas Permaculture Institute. The course includes nine 3-hour class sessions, five field trips, four practicum sessions, and a student project presentation.
This third lecture, "Ecological Principles in Permaculture", examines communities of plants, insects, and soil micro-organisms that replicate naturally occurring ecosystems, and greatly enhance productivity. This session will cover the inter-relationships of these elements, and how humans can create sustainable and balanced ecosystems that provide an abundance of food while maintaining species diversity and environmental stability. The lecture is followed by a video "Last Stand of the Tallgrass Prairie". A percentage of the fees will support the Kaw Permaculture Collaborative and it's parent organization, the Sustainability Action Network. For more info go to Kaw Permaculture Collaborative, or contact Steve Moring at (785)691-7305 or
______________________________
"INTRO TO PERMACULTURE DESIGN" ¤ KANSAS PERMACULTURE INSTITUTE
Wednesday, 29 February 2012, 6:00-9:00pm - $$
Dreher 4-H Building, Douglas County Co-op Extension, 2110 Harper St., Lawrence KS
This weekly lecture is part of a Permaculture Design Course taught by Steve Moring with assistance by Michael Almon. The public is welcome to attend any lecture individually. Students completing the full 72 hours of training will be certified through the Kansas Permaculture Institute. The course includes nine 3-hour class sessions, five field trips, four practicum sessions, and a student project presentation.
This fourth lecture, "Intro to Permaculture Design", will explore the design principles as defined by David Holmgren and Bill Mollison, and will outline the basic steps in planning a permaculture site, assessing land resources, and designing and implementing projects, including earthworks and swales. The lecture is followed by the Geoff Lawton video "Introduction to Permaculture Design". A percentage of the fees will support the Kaw Permaculture Collaborative and it's parent organization, the Sustainability Action Network. For more info go to Kaw Permaculture Collaborative, or contact Steve Moring at (785)691-7305 or
______________________________
FOOD NOT LAWNS ¤ COMMUNIVERSITY CLASS #2306 A
Wednesdays, 7,14,21,28 March 2012, 4 sessions, 7:00-9:00pm - $$
UMKC School of Medicine, Theatre C, 24th & Charlotte Streets, KC MO
Grow food not lawns! Increase local food security, improve your diet, beautify your surroundings, build community, reduce pollution and energy use (It takes 87 calories of fuel to transport one calorie of perishable fresh fruit from west coast to east coast). As supporters of the Food Not Lawns national movement, we will hold four sessions dealing with topics that include whole system design, garden preparation, permaculture, water-wise gardening, seed saving, planting, and free resources. Presenters include master and highly-qualified gardeners. Class fee is $18, plus $5 for materials. Register at UMKC Communiversity. More info at Food Not Lawns KC, or
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FRUIT TREE PRUNING WORKSHOP ¤ MISSOURI CO-OP EXTENSION
Saturday, 10 March 2012,
9:00-11:00am - $$
Alldredge Orchards, 10455 Highway N, Platte City MO 64079
Taught by Marlin Bates, Co-op Extension Horticulture Specialist, this workshop will cover a quick overview of pruning practices for various fruit trees, and then a hands-on pruning session in the orchard. Come prepared dressed for the weather. Register by 7 March at - Fruit Tree Pruning registration.pdf. Get more info at
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Join the Sustainability Action Network by clicking this link - Become a Member of S.A.N. - and follow the instructions. The S.A.N. mission isto bring awareness of the global crisis caused by climate change, energy vulnerability and economic instability to communities in the Kansas River bioregion, and the tools needed to re-skill and re-localize our economy and create a more socially just and ecologically sustainable world.
"THE TRANSITION COMPANION" ¤ AVAILABLE FOR $27
As a guidebook for local transition communities, Rob Hopkins has published this sequel to the original Transition Handbook. For your copy, e-mail Michael at
Current S.A.N. projects include:
1) Transition Kaw Valley
- initiating transition to a relocalized post-carbon
economy, and municipal-level Peak Oil response planning - Transition Kaw Valley
2) Kaw Permaculture Collaborative and Kansas Permaculture Institute - developing skills and resources for polyculture sustainable food production - Kaw Permaculture Collaborative
3) Eco Village Land Trust - Designing and focalizing a sustainable intentional community near Lawrence.
4) Growers' Land Trust - organizing interested stakeholders to acquire prime farmland in the urban fringe for land-based economic development and regional food security.
5) Weekly Newsletter - informing and encouraging others to become active in the Sustainability Action Network, or other action driven groups.
6) Water Rights and Watersheds - protecting the water commons, the source of all life, from privatization and contamination, and restoring our watersheds.
7) Electric & Human Powered Vehicles - promoting neighborhood electric vehicles and utility tricycles, including infrastructure and pro-active regulations.
8) Energy Conservation & Renewables - advancing a green economy through decentralized renewable energy and conservation.
9) Collaboration with sister
organizations - such as: Films
for Action; The
Light Center eco-village; Kaw
River Valley Food System farm-based economic
development; Transition
Kansas City; Citizens for
Responsible Planning; Kansas River Valley Growers fighting
for local water rights; national efforts by the Sustainable
Energy Network; the Kansas
City Food Circle, the All
Species Project, and more.
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