Home
Calendar
Location
Activities
  Music and Dance
  Community Potluck
  Foodshed Coalition
  Growing Farms
Building
History
Leadership
Join Us
Contact Us

The Champlain Valley Foodshed Coalition Winter Series is a monthly gathering of folks who want to eat well, live well, and have a positive impact on the environment. We are trying to foster connections that will strengthen our local food system, providing great food for people and livelihoods for farmers.

Wednesday, April 5, 2006 at 7 PM
Saunas, Cordwood Masonry, Living Roofs, and Earth-Sheltered Housing

Rob Roy of Earthwood Building School in West Chazy will provide a tantalizing introduction to building and using saunas, cordwood masonry, living roofs, and Earth-sheltered housing with many illustrative slides and entertaining talk.

March 8, 2006 at 7 PM
Seed Saving to Preserve Wonderful Flower, Fruit, and Vegetable Varieties

Pat Macomber will share her long experience saving seeds as well as insights from her attendance at the Seed Savers Exchange conference last summer in Iowa. Seed Savers Exchange maintains seeds of 24,000 varieties of vegetables, herbs and flowers. Seed Savers’ 8,000 members offer each other 11,000 heirloom varieties of vegetables, fruits and grains. Separately, the seed catalogue is distributed to 150,000 gardeners and farmers in the United States and offers more than 600 selected varieties. We are losing genetic diversity at an alarming rate. Efforts such as the Seed Savers Exchange try to stem the tide of loss.

Wednesday, February 8, 2006 at 7 PM
Dairying in Siberia and Heifer Project International

Roger Ellis, NYS Ag & Markets Field Veterinarian for our region, spent three weeks last summer as a volunteer with USAID helping Siberian dairy farmers and veterinarians deal with increasing TB in cows there.

Ellis has been a volunteer for Heifer International for the past 18+ years. This has included numerous working trips to Central America, Southeast Asia, Africa and Kentucky working with Heifer, Peace Corps, Volunteers in Mission program of the United Methodist Church, and Bread for the World. He has made numerous presentations to groups interested in the problem of world hunger, poverty and Heifer. He spent 3 weeks in 2001 and 2002 as a volunteer with the Mekong River Program of Heifer lecturing at Agricultural and Veterinary Colleges as well as visiting HPI projects in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, China and Myanmar. In January 2003 he lead a Heifer/VIVA Veterinary Study Tour to Cambodia and Thailand. He lead a Heifer Animal Well Being Study Tour to Honduras in January 2004 and in June 2004 traveled to Nepal and Tibet where he visited and evaluated Heifer programs and projects.

In addition to sharing about dairying in Siberia, Ellis will discuss Heifer International and its programs.

Wednesday, January 18, 2006 at 7 PM
Cold Hardy Wine and Table Grapes

Rob McDowell of Purple Gate Farm and Vineyard in Beekmantown will share information about wine and table grapes that are hardy in zones 3, 4, and 5.

The discussion of growing hardy grapes in Northern areas will include varieties, crop management, harvest, and local, regional, and internet resources. Did you know that juice from wine grapes makes a wonderful sorbet? Come find out about this and other gems.

Wednesday, November 16, 2005 at 7 PM
The Home Dairy Cow

Sam Hendren of Clover Mead Farm will provide suggestions and helpful how-to information for those interested in having a dairy cow. Included will be information on the selection and care of a cow as well as for using the milk.

Wednesday, October 19, 2005 at 7 PM
Winter Composting with Worms

Clark Forster will share his experiences using worms to compost household wastes and provide excellent plant fertilizer. He will also share his worms with those wishing to start.

Saturday, September 24, 2005
Identify, Gather, and Use Edible Fall Mushrooms
with John Boyle

One of the best ways to learn wild mushrooms is to accompany an expert in the field. In this workshop, mushroom expert John Boyle will teach participants to recognize, gather, cook, preserve, and use some of the safest and most delicious of our Fall Mushrooms. The day will begin with a walk through nearby Wickham Marsh and be followed by an indoor class and slide show. Join us for a most interesting outing.

The day-long workshop begins at 9 AM and is limited to 30 participants. $25 workshop fee. Bring a lunch. Pre-register by calling 834-5245.

Wednesday, April 13, 2005 at 7 PM
Wild Foods and Medicinal Plants

Jane Desotelle of Underwood Herbs in Chateaugay will share slides and information about useful weeds you can eat this spring, as well as medicinals that have grown here and been used here for centuries.

Wednesday, March 9, 2005 at 7 PM
Grow More than Trees in Your Woods

Have woodland? Want to do more with it and maybe make some money? Bob Beyfuss will discuss possible income opportunities for forest landowners. He will touch on ginseng, goldenseal, mushrooms, botanicals, hunting, and others. Bob is with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Greene County and is the State Ginseng Specialist, but branches out into related woodland uses.

Bob recommended the following books:

• Natural Resources Income Opportunties for Private Lands, NRAES 140 is available from the NRAES website or your local Cornell Cooperative Extension office.
• The New England Wild Flower Society Guide to Growing and Propagating Wildflowers of the United States and Canada is available from the New England Wild Flower Society or from Amazon.
• The Practical Guide to Growing Ginseng is available from Cornell Cooperative Extension of Greene County for $6.00. You can order a copy by calling 518-622-9820.

Click here for the handout for Bob's meeting.

Recent meeting topics include

• Winter-hardy fruits and nuts
• Getting fresh healthy produce - CSAs and farm markets
• Wind power panel discussion
• Solar energy options for homeowners

In addition the Foodshed Coalition organizes "Growing Farms" workshops and tours to support small farms.