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 News
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The Little Things are Adding Up to Big Energy Savings for Fairhaven Schools
By: Charis Anderson, Standard Times staff writer / December 09, 2008 |
FAIRHAVEN - It's easy to think a small change — say, shutting down all the computers in a single classroom at the end of the day — will make a small difference in a school district's utility bills.
But what if every teacher in every school did that each day?
Combining small changes into something big is what the Fairhaven School District set out to do when it introduced a new energy management program earlier this year — and so far, it's working. Read More
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This Week in Sustainability
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H.O.P.E. Collaborative Meeting |
Thursday, December 11, 9am-10:30am. Keith Middle School Community Room, New Bedford.
H.O.P.E. Collaborative, Healthy Opportunities for Peaceful Engagement, will hold its next collaborative meeting on Thursday December 11th at 9am at Keith Middle School in New Bedford. Everyone is welcome!
For more information about the H.O.P.E. Collaborative visit their website: www.makepeacenb.org |
AHA! Night: The Creative Holiday |
Thursday, December 11, 5:00-9:00pm, downtown New Bedford, MA.
Welcome the holiday season on the December 11 AHA! night. The sparkle of lights on the cobblestone streets set a vibrant scene for an abundance of creative art, craft, music, performance and festive fare. Buy once, give twice do your holiday shopping in downtown New Bedford and give a unique gift while supporting local business and artists.
The City of New Bedford trolley bus will shuttle visitors between the venues from 5-9pm.
View a schedule of events here. All activities are free and held rain or shine and are from 5-9 p.m. unless otherwise stated.
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Regional Sustainability Exchange: A Conversation about Energy |
Monday, December 15, 9:00am-12:00pm, UMASS Dartmouth Woodland Commons, 285 Old Westport Road, Dartmouth, MA.
This event is the second in a series of regional
sustainability exchanges designed to build a regional collaborative working towards a sustainable future and to give
communities the resources they need to move toward economic and
environmental sustainability.
9:00-9:30 Coffee
9:30-11:00 Anita Hagspiel, Principal Analyst/Program Manager, National Grid;
Shubhada Kambli, Environmental Scientist, Energy Team, U.S. EPA
11:00-12:00 Discussion of Regional Energy Strategy
Who should attend?
Municipal officials, decision-makers, municipal and school building facility and maintenance managers, finance managers, and those who inform decisions about public spending, municipal buildings and facilities.
What will you learn?
Learn about EPA’s Energy Star Portfolio program to help municipalities measure and
reduce energy use. Learn about upcoming programs for municipalities from National Grid. Join in a conversation about a regional energy strategy.
For more information and to RSVP, please contact: Louise Hardiman, SRPEDD, by phone at 508-824-1367 or by email at lhardiman@srpedd.org. |
Know Your Vegetables: A Monthly Conversation Series Focusing on Small-Scale Vegetable Production. |
Monday, December 15, 6:30 pm at Brix Bounty Farm, 858 Tucker Road, Dartmouth, MA.
We invite you (home gardeners, foodies, farmers, anybody who enjoys vegetables… young and old) to join us in a free discussion series on a range of topics related to vegetable production.
This month's topic:
Biodynamic Agriculture - Monday December 15th 6:30 PM.
I'll be presenting an introduction to Biodynamic Agriculture. Biodynamics is a field of agriculture that has developed from an initial series of lectures Spiritual Foundations for the Renewal of Agriculture presented by Rudolf Steiner in the summer of 1924. Before moving to Dartmouth, I farmed at Hawthorne Valley Farm in Harlemville, NY. Hawthorne Valley has been a leader in the Biodynamic Agricultural movement since its inception in the early 1970's. Biodynamics hasn't caught on quite like organic agriculture, but it is continuing to merit attention. In the United States, it is most widely known within the wine industry, where there is a strong focus on quality of the crop and the subsequent product. Come learn about biodynamics, it's history and its role in farming and gardening today.
For more information or to RSVP please contact us:
Derek Christianson, Brix Bounty Farm, 858 Tucker Road, Dartmouth, MA 02747
Ph: 508.992.1868
http://brixbounty.blogspot.com/ |
Ocean Voice Speaker Series |
Tuesday, December 16, 7pm. Ocean Explorium, 174 Union Street, New Bedford.
Kristen Decas, Executive Director of the New Bedford Harbor Development Commission, presents a port overview; where we are today and the vision for the future. |
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Save The Date
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22nd NOFA/Mass Annual Winter Conference |
1/17/09 Worcester, MA. 9.00am-5.30pm Worcester Vocational Technical High School, Skyline Drive, Worcester, MA
"ORGANIC AGRICULTURE:The Roots of a Sustainable Community"
Keynote Speech by Eliot Coleman:
"Small Growers are the Soul of Organics"
Intensive all-day workshop on
four season growing by Eliot Coleman
The NOFA/Mass Community Farm Initiative is holding a track of workshops at the Winter Conference addressing three key components of forming a successful Community Farm. Learn more about the Community Farm Track here
For more information contact Conference Coordinator, Jassy Bratko jassy.bratko@nofamass.org or 978-928-5646, or view a flier for the conference here.
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Building Energy '09 Conference |
3/10-3/12 Boston, MA. Exhibitor's Early Bird Deadline is 11/3.- Over 200 speakers, experts from every field of the sustainable energy and building industries, are preparing dozens of sessions and accredited workshops for BE09, to take place March 10-12. Listings of all sessions and workshops will be posted at www.nesea.org in mid-November.
Last year, Governor Patrick appointed a Task Force on Net Zero Energy Buildings to offer recommendations on how to create buildings that create as much energy as they consume. At BE09, the Governor's Task Force will present results at the Opening Plenary, March 11. |
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Announcements
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Early Bird Deadline for NOFA Organic Land Care Course is December 19 |
8th Annual Course In Organic Land Care |
A 5-day professional course offered in Massachusetts:
January 14, 15, 16, 20 and 21, 2009
Leominster, MA
Doyle Conservation Center, 464 Abbott Avenue
Course Fee: $550.00
Exam/Accreditation (optional): $150.00
NOFA MEMBER DISCOUNT $15
EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT (by Dec. 19) $30 |
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Community Farm Workshops Offered: Organizing, Financing, and Educational Programming |
Community Farm Track
Involving the Community in Farmland Preservation
NOFA/Mass Winter Conference
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Worcester Vocational Technical High School, Skyline Drive, Worcester, MA
The Northeast Organic Farming Association, Massachusetts Chapter (NOFA/Mass) is holding a track of workshops addressing three key components of forming a successful Community Farm. The day-long event is a project of the NOFA/Mass Community Farm Initiative and will take place as a part of this year's NOFA/Mass Winter Conference, which includes a keynote by Elliot Coleman and a potluck lunch.
Community farms are growing increasingly popular and serving deeply felt needs in towns across Massachusetts. This track of workshops is an excellent opportunity for conservation professionals, community activists, educators, and private farmers. Registering for the NOFA/Mass Winter Conference provides entry to this track of workshops.
For detailed information about the workshops click here.
For information on this event, please contact organizer: Ben Grosscup, NOFA/Mass Community Farm Initiative, 22 High St #1, Amherst, MA 01002. Phone: 413-658-5374; e-mail: ben.grosscup@nofamass.org |
Winter Study for Farmers and Gardeners |
Wednesdays @ 7PM, January 7th - February 4th.
Join us for a 5-week winter study held at Brix Bounty Farm as we discuss
Mainline Farming for Century 21: Lessons in Reams-Method Agronomy
by Dan Skow, D.V.M. & Charles Walters
We'll follow a traditional discussion group format, with one participant taking on the role of facilitator each week.
To RSVP, please contact Derek Christianson at 508-992-1868.
The book is available online at Acres USA and Pike Agri-Lab Supplies. Cost of the book is $19.00 plus shipping (financial assistance available)
More information about Carey Reams is available at International Ag. Labs.
This topics in this book will serve as a nice introduction to some of the ideas that Arden Andersen may present at the
NOFA Mass 1st Annual Advanced Growers' Winter Seminar, held in Barre, MA from Feb 5th-Feb 7th.
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UMASS Dartmouth Sustainability Courses for Intersession and Spring Semester |
Check out the exciting listing of sustainability courses available at UMASS Dartmouth for the winter Intersession and the Spring Semester: http://www.umassd.edu/sustainability/curriculum.cfm#courses
Students working toward a Sustainability Minor can apply the credits from these courses toward their requirements.
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Ongoing
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Know Your Vegetables: A Monthly Conversation Series Focusing on Small-Scale Vegetable Production. |
We invite you (home gardeners, foodies, farmers, anybody who enjoys vegetables… young and old) to join us in a free discussion series on a range of topics related to vegetable production.
Monday December 15 – Biodynamic Agriculture
January 2009 – Preparing a Seed Order and Variety Selection
February 2009 – Tools for the Vegetable Garden, Small- Scale Farm
March 2009 – Seed Starting, Greenhouses and Cold Frames
April 2009 - Sustainable Production Techniques, Row Covers and Transplanting
May 2009 – Weeds, Cultivation, and Stale Bedding
Conversations will continue into summer 2009: topics to be determined.
Discussions are held at Brix Bounty Farm. Usually 3rd Monday of the Month, 6:30 PM
For more information or to RSVP please contact us:
Derek Christianson, Brix Bounty Farm, 858 Tucker Road, Dartmouth, MA 02747
Ph: 508.992.1868
http://brixbounty.blogspot.com/ |
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Weekly Green Tip
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Kill the Phantom Load
By: Brian Clark Howard/ TheDailyGreen.com |
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The surest way to kill a phantom load, otherwise known as standby power or lopomo, low power mode, is to simply pull the plug. That means when you're done with your coffee pot, microwave, hair dryer and other devices, disconnect them totally from their power sources.
Next to the TV, which can draw 12 watts of electricity even after you flick off American Idol, the biggest standby energy hog is the home computer and its suite of devices. A printer can draw 11.5 watts when idling, and a subwoofer, 10.8.
Plug them all into a power strip and, when you're through cruising for green tips, turn it off.
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