Greetings on this dreary March day,

UPPER VALLEY SUSTAINABLE LIVING NETWORK DINNER AND PROGRAM TUESDAY,  MARCH 18, 6-8pm, Sands Room, King Arthur Flour, Rte. 5, Norwich.  Please join us for this special program. The dinner will be a vegetarian curry using Eighth Wonder heirloom rice  from the Philippines. The rice comes from Mary Hensley, a long-time Upper Valley  resident who has created a market for subsistence farmers in a remote region of  the Philippines where she was a Peace Corps volunteer in the 1970s.  Mary's work has given the farmers the opportunity to earn a fair price for their labor, using organic methods to continue their 2,000 year tradition of raising  upland rice that is unique to their micro-regions.

The dinner will be $6 for the rice curry, tea, cider, bread, and dessert. We could use a couple volunteers to make cookies or a simple dessert. Mary will show slides of the farmers and their region. Please pre-register by emailing VEI at vei@valley.net. For more information about this rice growing project see http://www.coopfoodstore.com/news/Archives/arch_11_and_12_07/food_for_hope.html.

COURSE SCHEDULES
Global Warming-Hartland Public Library, March 11, 7pm. 1st of four discussion sessions. For more information contact Deb Hawthorn at deb.hawthorn@valley.net or seewww.vtearthinstitute.org/programs/html. Obtain a coursebook ($18) from the
library
Choices for Sustainable Living-Montshire Museum, Wednesday, March 12th, 7 pm. Introductory presentation for this seven-session course that begins March 19th

Discovering a Sense of Place-Enfield Shaker Museum, 1st of six sessions, Sunday, March 30th, 4-5:30 pm. Register and obtain the coursebook from the museum (603) 632-4346 orinfo@shakermuseum.org

Choices for Sustainable Living-Colby-Sawyer College's Adventures in Learning program. Register by March 7th by calling Janet St. Laurent at 603-526-3690The Fells, Begins Monday April 21, 1:30-3:30.

Voluntary Simplicity Etna Library, pending

Global Warming-Fairlee Public Library, April

For more Vermont Earth Institute news see www.vt.earthinstitute.org/news.htmlfor VEI's quarterly newsletter, due out later this week.


UPPER VALLEY SUSTAINABILITY EVENTS CALENDAR

Today, Wednesday, March 5th at 7:00 pmHaldeman 041 (On North Main Street, just north of the Baker-Berry LibraryComplex, on the campus of Dartmouth College)  FREE PUBLIC LECTURE "CLIMATE CHANGE: ALASKA, NH and VT: THE POLICY IMPLICATIONS"
Deborah Williams will speak on the alarming consequences of climate changeevident in Alaska and the commonalities between Alaska, New Hampshire andVermont, including severe storms, loss of wildlife and habitats, and impacts onoutdoor recreation and the tourism industry.  Deborah will discuss the practicalcarbon-reducing strategies and policy changes needed to address this issue.Sponsors: Dartmouth Council on Climate Change, Sustainable Dartmouth, ECO, theSIERRA CLUB

JONES SEMINAR - "GLOBAL ENERGY PERSPECTIVES" Thursday, March 6, 2:00 PM Spanos Auditorium (Room 100) Cummings Hall, Dartmouth College. Nathan S. Lewis of California Institute of Technology will describe and evaluatethe challenges, both technical, political, and economic, involved withwidespread adoption of renewable energy technologies. More info at:  http://engineering.dartmouth.edu/jones

GETTING INVOLVED

Join the Way to Go! Commuter Challenge May 5-9.  You are invited to bike, walk, carpool or take the bus to work and get youremployees and co-workers to do the same May 5-9. Sign-up your workplace at http://www.waytogovt.org


This Upper Valley Sustainable Living Network update was written by:
Barbara Duncan, Executive Director
Vermont Earth Institute
P.O. Box 466
Norwich, VT 05055
802-333-3664
vei@valley.net
www.vtearthinstitute.org
"living lighter, living better"

 Vermont Earth Institute's UPPER VALLEY SUSTAINABLE LIVING NETWORK

Vermont Earth Institute's UPPER VALLEY SUSTAINABLE LIVING NETWORK April 2008  Update:                  

Spring Greetings,

VEI's Philippine rice dinner attracted the greater turnout for our Sustainable Living Network's potlucks & programs. Mary Hensley's talk about her work with Philippine farmers to earn a fair price for their rice was INSPIRATIONAL! I think the 64 other diners would join me in saying that they were moved by Mary's work. Not only that, but we shared a delicious meal -rice and dahl and many desserts, including a yummy rice dessert. Many thanks to Mary and tosuper-organizer Elizabeth Ferry, and the cooks for the rice, dahl and desserts.

VEI will sponsor another Sustainable Living Network potluck and program in mid-May.

NEW VEI COURSE: MENU FOR THE FUTURE.  Spring and summer aren't traditional course starting times for VEI, but we want to alert you the our newest course on food and food systems called "Menu for the Future." It's six sessions long. We'd love to have sponsors gather groups of8-12 friends or colleagues. If you can imagine yourself with a groups of friends and neighbors having this discussion over local strawberries and cream contact me at vei@valley.net and we will help set up a discussion! Information will be on our website this weekend at http://www.vtearthinstitute.org/programs/html or see http://www.nwei.org, our parent organization.

COURSE SCHEDULES

Global Warming
Vermont Technical College1st of four discussion sessions starts April 21st at noon  Contact Frank Reed at phurter(at)sover.net for more information

Choices for Sustainable Living 
Colby-Sawyer College's Adventures in Learning program. To Register call Janet St. Laurent at 603-526-3690The Fells, 1st  discussion session: Monday April 21, 1:30-3:30.

Global Warming
Fairlee Public Library1st  of four discussion sessions starts April 22nd at 7pmTo register and purchase a coursebook ($18) contact the library at 333-4716.

For more Vermont Earth Institute news seehttp://www.vt.earthinstitute.org/news.html for VEI's quarterly newsletter

For a complete list of energy related activities see the Vermont Peak Oil website's monthly news at http://vtpeakoil.net/4.08whatsnew.html

UPPER VALLEY SUSTAINABILITY EVENTS CALENDAR

Thanks to Localvore Pat McGovern and Bob Walker of SERG for their event postings

Saturday, April 12, 9- 3pm  CHELSEA PUBLIC SCHOOL GYM FIRST BRANCH SUSTAINABLE LIVING FAIR Displays &Vendors, Workshops, Films Food, Lots of Door Prizes & Give-Aways FREE Admission, give-aways, door prizes, and art projects,  food and entertainment!.. Information: Phillip at 802-685-7784 or.phillip@sover.net

Tuesday, April, 15, 2:00-7:00 pm at Hartford High School FLAVORS OF THE VALLEY. Look over the interesting array of workshops you can attend:http://www.vitalcommunities.org/Agriculture/pdfs/workshop sch edule 2008.pdf  Admission is $7, children 6 and under are FREE, family max of $25

Wed. April 16, 7pm Peabody Library, Post Mills, VTGARDENING WORKSHOP Janet Taylor, co-owner of Crossroads Farm will discuss vegetable gardening witha focus on season extension and growing your own transplants.

April 19th is NATIONAL HANGING OUT DAY A creative non-profit, Project Laundry List,  http://laundrylist.org, has worked for years to encourage people to hang their laundry. There are communities and condo associations that don't allow clothes lines and they're fighting this. Vt. state rep. Dick McCormack has worked to pass legislation in Vermont and hasn't succeeded yet. Here are a couple reasons to hang your laundry: Electric dryers use five to ten percent of residential electricity in the United States From Peak Oil news editor Annie Dunn Watson: "Opportunity to pause and deepen my connection to where I live... hanging out laundry slows me down and wakes me up at the same time.  I touch and smell the fabrics, find myself visited by whatever seasonal sounds and fragrances are riding on the wind. We 'hang' in winter, too, by the woodstove... that humidity is a welcome addition to the house.)

April 22 Earth Day! 7:00 p.m. Upper Valley Food Co-op, No. Main St. White River Jct.Will Allen, Co-Manager of Cedar Circle Farm will be talking about his new book "WAR ON BUGS" published by Chelsea Green. Will Allen is an organic farming visionary. A true activist, entrepreneur, and expert gardner, Allen details how consumers and activists have struggled against toxic food. The War on Bugs shouts that the time to stop poisoning our food, water, air, and ourselves is now!

Saturday, April 26, 10-noon Rice's Mills Community Center, Rt. 132 Thetford Center GROWING AND PROPAGATING FRUIT Elmer Brown will talk about grafting and budding of fruit trees. Elmer is the founder and owner of E. C. Browns' Nursery. Chris Wilson, who has been in the nursery business since 1980 working at the E. C. Browns' Nursery for the past 20 years, will discuss unusual fruit to grow in the Upper Valley. Sponsored by Thetford Energy Committee and Rice's Mills Community Association  Free. Donations appreciated! Info: Bob Walker 802-785-4126

Sunday, April 27, Event starts at 5 pm; keynote address at 7:30, Hanover HighSchool, Hanover Consumer Cooperative Society Annual Meeting MICHAEL SHUMAN, AUTHOR OF THE SMALL-MART REVOLUTION: HOW LOCAL BUSINESSES AREBEATING THE GLOBAL COMPETITIONE. everyone welcome.

Saturday, May 3, 10-noon Rice's Mills Community Center, Rt. 132 Thetford Center- FEEDING THE SOIL: AN ORGANIC SOIL MANAGEMENT  Scott Stokoe, manager of the Dartmouth Organic Farm will discuss the basics of soil management strategies for the home garden, using organic soil matter, amendments and strategies for maintaining and improving soil fertility. He will briefly explore potting soils and soil block technology. Sponsored by Thetford Energy Committee and Rice's Mills Community Association.  Free. Donations appreciated! Info: Bob Walker 802-785-4126

Monday May 5, 2008  (Rain date: Monday, May 12) WILD EDIBLES FORAGING AND DINNER WITH JIM MERKEL 4:30-6:00 foraging, 6:00-7:30 meal prep and feasting. Jim Merkel, author of "Radical Simplicity" and knowledgeable wild edibles forager, will lead a wild edibles foraging tour on Kye Cochran's farm in West Hartford VT, in a variety of habitats, including meadow, orchard, and wetlands. Our plan is to create a meal from our foraged foods. Come for the tour, and if you have time, stay for the meal! $5/person Directions will be provided upon registration. Please register by emailing mailto:pmcgovern@valley.net

May 5-9WAY TO GO! COMMUTER CHALLENGE You are invited to bike, walk, carpool or take the bus to work and get your employees and co-workers to do the same May 5-9.Sign-up your workplace at http://www.waytogovt.org

Saturday, May 17 - 10-noon Rice's Mills Community Center, Rt. 132 Thetford Center HOMESTEAD CHICKENS FOR EGGS AND MEAT Scot Zens and Niko Horster, Thetford residents experienced in raising farm animals, will discuss many issues related to raising chickens, including breeds, feed, housing, pasturing, fencing, equipment, building a "chicken tractor" (portable coop & cage) and slaughter.  Sponsored by Thetford Energy Committee and Rice's Mills Community Association.  Free. Donations appreciated! Info: Bob Walker 802-785-4126

This Upper Valley Sustainable Living Network update was written by:

Barbara Duncan, Executive Director
Vermont Earth Institute
P.O. Box 466
Norwich, VT 05055

802-333-3664

vei@valley.net
www.vtearthinstitute.org

"living lighter, living better"