Welcome,

Thank you for visiting our site!

Here at Local Green Sierra, we believe we are at a pivotal point regarding the health and long term survivability of our environment. A new vision is emerging that will take us beyond the current global crisis rooted in consumption, exploitation and personal gain. This new vision is one of community; it is based on communication, collaboration, and an informed citizenry. It is our intention to help facilitate and accelerate this movement toward a cleaner, healthier planet.

The purpose of this site is to help you make everyday choices to support your values, encourage and support our community, and hopefully save you money in the long run. We aim to be a green community bulletin board, where you can find what you are looking for in the Sierras having to do with creating a sustainable, efficient and clean community and lifestyle.

Our mission is to promote local businesses and people who are making small or large efforts at being green and sustainable. We are not a certifying agent like Keep The Sierra Green, but instead are a tool to help promote those businesses that are making an effort toward being a responsible part of the community. We want to encourage and provide a means for them to make a change for the better.

Businesses listed by category are located in the Directory on the upper menu bar. On that same menu bar you will also find other resources for becoming more sustainable: green events, green media, and volunteer opportunities. The lower menu bar contains news, current issues, and other helpful info. Do you have a project that you are working on and would like to let others know about? Is there something you are passionate about that you would like to let others know about? Have you recently made your business model more sustainable and would like to get the word out? Send us your stories and we’ll put them up.

If you would like to be added to the directory (basic listings are free!) or have something to add – an article, job listing or swap, e-mail or are interested in advertising – lori@localgreensierra.com

……………………………………………………………………………..

Briarpatch Co-Op Invites Citizens to ‘Feast From Farms’ in Its Annual Eat Local Extravaganza!

Published on Jul 20, 2011 – 9:01:32 AM- via Yubanet

By: BriarPatch Co-Op

Mark Ward, BriarPatch Co-op produce receiver, is handed a fresh case of cherries from Mountain Sweet farmer, Keith Walley.

Grass Valley, CA July 20, 2011 – Want to learn more about eating local? BriarPatch Co-op is launching a campaign this summer to help people do just that. From August 1 through August 31, consumers can explore the benefits (and fun) of eating the region’s best locally sourced foods through its Eat Local Extravaganza.

Free food, events, and a raffle will take place during the Extravaganza. Every weekday during the month of August, free samples from local and regional businesses will be offered. The Patch is sponsoring a tour of Riverhill Farm on Sunday, August 14 at 9:00 a.m. To connect with others seeking to carpool, meet on the front patio at BriarPatch between 8:15 and 8:30 a.m. Think Local First has helped organize a restaurant raffle card again this year. Pick up a card at BriarPatch. The list of participating restaurants is on the back. The card has four boxes that when stamped by the local eateries can be turned in for a raffle for gift certificates from participating restaurants. It’s possible to eat locally and win fun stuff too. For more information on Eat Local Extravaganza happenings, visit www.briarpatch.coop.

To participate, shoppers are invited to stop by the Patch to find great local food options and event information and join the Eat Local, America! online community at www.eatlocalamerica.coop. Participants are asked to set a goal for themselves. Whether it is eating one meal a week made with local foods or trying to source a specific percentage of meals locally, all participants can set a goal that fits their lifestyle.

BriarPatch defines local food as any food grown within a 20 mile radius of Grass Valley. During the Eat Local Extravaganza and throughout the year, the Patch helps shoppers identify local food by marking with shelf signs all locally grown food (20 miles) and regionally grown food (120 miles).

“This is an exciting time of year for co-ops; the bounty and diversity of local foods are at their peak in Nevada County,” said Chris Maher, general manager, BriarPatch Co-op. “The Eat Local Extravaganza gives us a chance to introduce ‘newbies’ to the local food movement in a fun, engaging way, and also to challenge local food lovers to get creative.”

“Though eating locally has become more popular recently, BriarPatch Co-op has a long tradition of developing close relationships with food producers,” added Maher. “Right now there is a groundswell of people looking for authentic local foods, and we’re thrilled to be at the center of this movement.”

BriarPatch joins more than 40 natural food co-ops hosting Eat Local events coast-to-coast. All are members of National Cooperative Grocers Association (NCGA), a business services cooperative representing 119 retail food co-ops nationwide.

Food lovers can learn more about eating locally and how to participate at www.briarpatch.coop and www.eatlocalamerica.coop. For more information on great food and cooperatives, visit www.stronger.coop.

10 Signs You Love Local Foods

Are you the first to show up at your local farmers market? Can you spend hours telling others about the unique flavors of a vine-ripened tomato? If you answered “yes” to either of these questions, you might be in love with local food.

“Don’t worry, as far as obsessions go, it’s pretty healthy,” says Chris Maher, BriarPatch Co-op general manager.

And, as growing season takes root across the nation, BriarPatch encourages people to choose local by participating in the Eat Local Extravaganza at the co-op and online (www.eatlocalamerica.coop).

Not sure where your love falls on the “local food” scale? Here are a few signs that you might just be obsessed:

1. You’ve invited BriarPatch’s produce manager, David, over for dinner, and then asked him to cook.

2. You don’t own any shares of blue chip stock, but you are a proud owner of BriarPatch and shareholder in one of the local CSAs.

3. You have more pictures of your chicken coop than your family on your Facebook page.

4. After a stressful week, you treat yourself to “retail therapy” by buying pickling cucumbers by the bushel.

5. You inadvertently started a “grass-stained jeans” fashion trend by obsessively weeding your vegetable garden.

6. You’ve never changed your oil, but you have milked a cow.

7. You’ve had your picture taken with your favorite local farmer (or, at the least, asked them to sign your eggplant.)

8. You define “fast food” as handfuls of berries or sweet peas picked and devoured straight from the plant.

9. You’ve tried so many local wines at the Patch, the co-op’s wine buyer, Charles, started a Wine Club in your honor.

10. You signed up for an In The Kitchen class on canning and preserving in a quest for that ‘just picked flavor’ year-round.

Whether you’re a seasoned locavore or just starting to explore the many benefits of local food, the Eat Local Extravaganza welcomes you!

About BriarPatch Co-op Natural Foods Community Market

Founded in 1976, BriarPatch Co-op is Nevada County’s leading natural food grocer and the county’s first LEED™-certified commercial green building. A cooperative business, BriarPatch has 4,500 owners and is open to the public. BriarPatch Co-op is located at 290 Sierra College Drive in Grass Valley, California, 530-272-5333.

.………………………………………………………………………..

The Permaculture Production Crew & The Auburn Hip Hop Congress Youth Chapter are organizing The First Annual Sustainability Awareness Festival. We hope to include organizations, businesses and community members local to Auburn, CA and the surrounding areas. This event will be built from the grass roots efforts of volunteers and will be entirely community-based.

Our goal is to raise awareness of social, economical and environmen…tal concerns to inspire action and empower our community.

We will do this by providing an all-age family event that celebrates sustainable living practices by pooling together Local Resources and providing fun activities that promote practical solutions to the challenges we face.

Through this festival we hope to bring the youth and community together to raise awareness about Sustainability.

::DETAILS OF THIS PROJECT::

DATE- July 30th, 2011
TIME- 10:00am-10:00pm
PLACE- Auburn CA– Gold Country Fairgrounds

This event will include:

• Interactive Workshops for Youth and Adults
• Key Note Speakers-~DAVID COBB~
• Poetry/Spoken Word
• Music Performances
• Resources & Information Booths
• Performing Arts/ Theater
• Vendors & Food
• Fun Filled Activities for Children
(such as Gardening, Compost, Recycled Art & more)

Performances by: SoulMedic, Aria, J*Ras of SouLifted, Auburn Youth Poet Society, Sac Storytellers, Trikome, Atlee & Many More!

With El Conductor as our DJ for the night!!

Amazing Guest Speakers: David Cobb & Tina Jones

————————–​————————–​——————-

For more information please contact:

Nelson Hawkins at permaculturecrew@gmail.com

-or-

Rocky Zapata @ phlip530@gmail.com / (530) 368-3526

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

The Third Annual 2011 Greenfest will take place on July 16 in Kings Beach. Members of the Lake Tahoe building industry and the general public are encouraged to come learn about sustainable building and business practices from SiGBA and network with other green businesses and organizations.

The green building movement has been a bright spot in the otherwise slowing building industry, as environmental building practices make their way into the mainstream. Building professionals and homeowners alike are increasingly seeking resources to make informed choices. SiGBA’s GreenFest is an ideal forum to learn about these options and connect with local individuals able to assist with achieving green oriented goals.

Featuring live music, local food vendors and cold Sierra Nevada beer, this will be a great opportunity to get acquainted with the leaders of the green movement in the Sierra communities while enjoying good music, food and drink in an idyllic location on the shores of Lake Tahoe.

Greenfest will feature live music from one of San Francisco’s hottest bands, Big Light. Recognized as one of the fiercest young rock bands on the Bay Area scene with a growing national buzz, Big Light is not to be missed. Inspired by contemporary bands like My Morning Jacket, The Slip, Dr. Dog and Wilco,  Big Light’s music is catchy enough to land on the radio but adventurous enough to engage those who refuse to listen to it.

The 2011 SiGBA Greenfest event will be held at the Kings Beach event plaza from 10am to 5pm on July 16, 2011. Food will be provided by local vendors Red Truck, Big Mouth Sandwiches, Bonzai Coffee, Cheri’s Hand Dipped Ice Cream and Sierra Nevada beer.

………………………………………………………………………………………

Tahoe Rim Trail – Youth Back Country Camp

Thanks in part to a generous grant, we at the Tahoe Rim Trail Association and Sierra Nevada Journeys are offering our “Youth Backcountry Camp” programs at a NEW LOW PRICE. It is our goal this summer to get teens out onto the Tahoe Rim Trail so that they can enjoy and learn from the natural wonders of the Lake Tahoe Basin.

Sign up your teen today and choose from our 3-day and 5-day programs (see below).

Wilderness survival
Local ecology and natural history
Trail construction
Team building and leadership
Additional scholarships are available on a first come first serve basis – inquire today!
________________________________________________________
3-Day Youth Backcountry Camp
WAS $250… NOW ONLY $150

Session 1 – July 6th – 8th (Ages 14-17)
Session 2 – July 24th – 26th (Now for ages 12-15)
Session 3 – July 28th – 30th (Ages 14-17)
Session 4 – August 14th – 16th (Ages 14-17)

For more information, visit our website or call Tom at (775) 298-0238
________________________________________________________
5-Day Youth Backcountry Camp2
WAS $399… NOW ONLY $299

Session 1 – August 2 – 6th (Ages 14-17)

For more information, visit our website or call Tom at (775) 298-0238

………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Wildlife Movement and Habitat Connectivity — Citizen Monitoring and Science

A presentation with Fraser Shilling, Researcher in the Department of Environmental Science and Policy, UC Davis

Thursday, March 31, 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM,Madelyn Helling Library Community Room, Nevada City

$7 General,$5 YWI Members

Wildlife moves opportunistically through landscapes to forage, disperse and to reproduce. A component of this movement occurs along “corridors” or “linkages,” while the vast majority occurs anywhere on the landscape that animals can move and meet their various needs. When landscapes permit movement, they have high connectivity. In this presentation, Fraser will introduce non-invasive methods that professional and volunteer scientists can use to monitor wildlife movement, such as wildife cameras, track plates, live and dead (roadkill) animal observation, and sign detection (e.g., scat and tracks). In combination, and sometimes alone, these methods can provide enough information to tell us where wildlife are moving, which wildlife are moving, when they are moving, and sometimes why. Fraser will offer examples of this movement being in conflict with land-uses, roads and highways, and other human activity, and suggest remediation actions to facilitate wildlife movement.

……………………………………………….

See Jane Do presents 2nd Annual Passion Into Action Women’s Conference, April 29 & 30, 2011

The Food Love Project

The Wild Gourmet: Seasonal Cooking with Native Plants

Our modern-day American diet relies upon a mere 30 or so plant species, while 200 years ago an indigenous Californian’s diet would have included about a thousand. But we can still connect with the nutrition of our landscape by cooking native, local foods that are tasty, beautifully prepared and carbon-free.

Enjoy seasonal Douglas-fir Tea and Toyon Cider. Learn how to process Oak Nut flour from acorns and prepare delicious, gluten-free desserts with Oak Nut flour.

Get prepared for seasonal cooking with recipes and preparation tips:

Spring: Douglas-fir Tip Tea, Redbud Vegan Cornbread

Summer: Manzanita Berry Vinaigrette, Manzanita Crackers

Fall: “Beyond Cranberry” Wild Berry Sauce, Oak Nut Bliss Bar

Winter: Toyon Berry Cider, Manzanita Blossom Salad

Book Release: Living Wild—Gardening, Cooking and Healing with Native Plants

Date: Wed, March 9^th, 7-8:30

Location: In the Kitchen Cooking School, Nevada City

Cost: $45; All class proceeds donated to SYRCL’s Yuba Salmon Now Campaign.  For more information on the campaign:   www.yubasalmonnow.org

Class size limited. Contact alicia@livingwild.org to register.

………………………………………………………………………………

Tibetan Sand Mandala to be Released into Wolf Creek Jan. 30

By: Wolf Creek Community Alliance

Photo by Richard Pell

Photo by Richard Pell

GRASS VALLEY, Calif. Jan. 27, 2011 – This Sunday, January 30th, at 9:30 a.m., the Tibetan Buddhist Monks, the Tsai Akim Maidu Native American Tribe, and the Wolf Creek Community Alliance will honor Wolf Creek. The general public is encouraged to meet at the Bank Street Plaza in front of The Holiday Inn Express in downtown Grass Valley. With prayers, songs, and blessings, the Tibetan sand mandala will be released into Wolf Creek from the Bank Street Bridge.

For the past two weeks, the Tibetan monks from the Gaden Monastery in Southern India have been constructing a sand mandala at Saint Joseph’s Cultural Center. One of the monks’ visions on their tour is to interact and engage with the communities they encounter. In their efforts to heal the environment, the monks have chosen Wolf Creek to receive this blessing of their spiritual art.

Website: www.WolfCreekAlliance.org

……………………………………………………………….

Benefit for Sierra Seed Cooperative – February 20

Sierra Seed Cooperative is a local seed bank (established in 2009), working cooperatively with community members to create a sustainable stock of locally adapted seeds that will grow well in our bioregion. This year, 2011, we are offering seed for over 100 different varieties of crops.

Since we operate as a cooperative business model, we are member owned and have to rely on fundraising to gather the capital needed to grow the wings this project will need to fly on its own.

We are hosting our annual Fundraiser Soup Night on Feb. 20th. Last year the raffle was a great success, and it will be repeated again this year. If you are a local farmer, business, craftsperson, artist, etc. we would appreciate a donation of an item or gift certificate. Sarah Keller is the member in charge of the raffle donations and can be reached at 292-1901.

Since the co-op is a non-profit, all donations are tax deductible.  Please ask for a receipt and we will email one.

Thanks so much for your support.

Folks at the Sierra Seed Cooperative
http://www.sierraseeds.org
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sierra-Seed-Cooperative/178812288817001

………………………………………………………….

This January, SYRCL’s (South Yuba River Citizens League) 9th Annual Wild & Scenic® Film Festival returns with another incredible selection of films to change your world.  Each year, the Wild & Scenic® Film Festival draws top filmmakers, celebrities, leading activists, social innovators and well-known world adventurers to the historic downtown of Nevada City, California.

Considered the largest film festival of its kind, this year’s films combine stellar filmmaking, beautiful cinematography and first-rate storytelling to inform, inspire and ignite solutions and possibilities to restore the earth and human communities while creating a positive future for the next generation.  Festival-goers can expect to see Award-winning films about nature, community activism, adventure, conservation, water, energy and climate change, wildlife, environmental justice, agriculture, Native American and indigenous cultures.

This year’s selections will not only take audiences to some of the most remote and beautiful places on the planet, but introduce them to the magnificent animals that inhabit these places and the courageous individuals who are working to protect and preserve both for future generations.  This year’s films instill a deep appreciation and a sense of wonder for the natural world that surrounds and supports us.

Some of the standout films confirmed thus far include 180° South directed by Chris Malloy (the eldest brother of the professional surfing and filmmaking Malloy Brothers), which follows adventurer Jeff Johnson as he retraces the epic 1968 journey of his heroes Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins to Patagonia.  Queen of the Sun is a beautiful film with remarkable nature cinematography about the global honeybee crisis.  The documentary Waste Land follows renowned artist Vik Muniz to the world’s largest landfill on the outskirts of Rio de Janerio.  Directed by Lucy Walker the film offers an incredible story about the transformative power of art and the power of the human spirit.  In Felt Soul’s Eastern Rises fishing is poetry; Bigfoot lurks in the fog; and fishermen risk life and limb in decommissioned Cold War helicopters to explore rivers in the Russian Far East that have never been fished before.

In addition to these empowering and for some, life-changing films, the Wild and Scenic® Film Festival hosts many of the top filmmakers in environmental and adventure filmmaking today. Such luminaries include Sir Patrick Stewart, Peter Coyote, Daryl Hannah, Winona LaDuke, Ron Kauk, Colin Beavan, Julia Butterfly Hill, and Jeremy Jones.  Last year, over fifty filmmakers and activists traveled from around the globe to speak to festival-goers following their respective films and in workshops held in the festival’s two activists centers.

This year’s special guests include Pulitzer Prize–winning poet Gary Snyder.  Frequently described as the “poet laureate of Deep Ecology”, Snyder is a founding intellect, essayist and leader of the new environmental awareness that supports legislation and preservation without losing sight of direct wild experience – local people, animals, plants, watersheds and food sources.  Practice of the Wild, a film about Snyder that features vintage footage and a current and in depth conversation between he and fellow poet and novelist Jim Harrison, will be one of this year’s festival features.  Following the film, Snyder along with Randy Hayes, founder of the Rainforest Action Network, will lead a conversation on environmental activism and take questions from the audience.

Also attending this year is filmmakers, professional kayakers, and National Geographic Young Explorer grantees Andy Maser and Trip Jennings who will be screening their film Spoil, and Maser will also share The Greatest Migration.  Returning to the film festival is award-winning journalist, author, filmmaker and National Geographic adventurer Jon Bowermaster and Global Exchange and the Green Festival’s co-founder Kevin Danaher.

Meet many of the filmmakers and activists in the Wild & Scenic® Media Lounge hosted by See Jane Do, a multi-media program on Award-winning community radio station KVMR 89.5FM.  The Media Lounge is THE place for up-to-date information, photos, videos and exclusive interviews with guest filmmakers, activists, and festival organizers.  Filmmakers, members of the press, and festival-goers are all invited to enjoy free wi-fi and a comfortable setting to meet, connect, and network, plus check email, write a quick blog, upload photos, Tweet and more.

Festival-goers can also enjoy children’s Saturday morning cartoons, art shows, wine strolls, VIP parties, live music and more at this year’s Wild & Scenic® Film Festival.

………………………………………………………………

Sustainable Local Food and Farm Conference – Saturday, January 22, 2011

Nevada County Grown is bringing full blown sustainable farming to the dead of winter.

On January 22, 2011, The Sustainable Local Food and Farm Conference will be held at The Gold Miner’s Inn Hotel and Conference Center in Grass Valley.

The event entails two sessions of lectures anchored by Keynote Speaker, Joel Salatin. The additional speakers include Dr. Will Winter, DVM, founder of the American Holistic Livestock Association; Mark McAfee, founder and President of Organic Pastures Dairy; and Aaron Lucich, creator of the documentary We Are What We Eat.

Find out all of the conference details and register online at www.nevadacountygrown.org/conference.

…………………………………………………

“Green Gold” – Turn your green waste into compost gold.

registration required – call Lynne at 265-7119

Nevada County Recycling sponsors a two-part class that will focus on the art and science of composting. Topics such as carbon/nitrogen ratio, recipe generation, pathogen reduction and best uses of compost will be covered in the classes.
Emphasis will be on composting farm animal manures.
Everyone is welcome!
The class will be held on Saturday December 4 and Saturday December 11, from 2-4pm each day.  Register for location details.

………………………………………………………….

SAN FRANCISCO, CA–(Marketwire – December 2, 2010) – Helping to push the Energy Upgrade initiative for energy efficiency throughout the state, the California Clean Energy Workforce Training Program (CEWTP) awarded $368,000 to Efficiency First to help train California workers in energy efficiency and sustainable building. As a national nonprofit trade association that unites the Home Performance workforce, this funding will help employers across the state provide valuable training to their employees in these fast-growing sectors.

“Studies have shown that a shortfall will continue to exist in the number of qualified, trained workers serving the emerging green economy,” said Jared Asch, National Director for Efficiency First. “In order to meet the market demand for green technology, Efficiency First is helping our members become active participants in training their workforce by leveraging nearly $400,000 in America Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds, as well as state, local and private funding, to prepare Californians for a clean energy future.”

The Efficiency First program will off-set employer training fees by providing a reimbursement for up to 75% of total training costs. Certifications included under the Efficiency First training program are offered by nationally-recognized organizations such as the Building Performance Institute (BPI) Building Analyst / Energy Auditor training, the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET), and the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).

“As the Energy Upgrade program kicks in to high gear, we’ve heard from a number of contractors looking to get training through this program,” says Lauren Carson, VP of Business Development for CleanEdison. ”As a leading training firm for this program, CleanEdison is committed as an approved training provider for the reimbursement program and is offering both BPI Certification and LEED Exam preparation courses for Efficiency First program participants throughout California. CleanEdison has educated hundreds of companies and thousands of individuals in green building practices, both through workforce development programs and the largest open enrollment program in the nation.”

Application for participation in this training program is open to all members of the California Chapter of Efficiency First, and is subject to screening for compliance with the Employment Training Panel’s guidelines for eligibility.

For more information about applying to participate in the program, please visit the program information page on the Efficiency First website: http://www.efficiencyfirst.org/catraining/ or call Ryan Williams at 1-888-513-3476.

About Efficiency First
Efficiency First is a national nonprofit trade association that unites the Home Performance workforce, building product manufacturers and related businesses and organizations in the escalating fight against global warming and rising energy costs. Efficiency First represents its members in public policy discussions at the state and national levels, to promote the benefits of efficiency retrofitting and to help our industry grow to meet unprecedented demand for quality residential energy improvements. Expansion of the Home Performance industry represents a crucial path to economic growth in the face of historically high unemployment and unprecedented weakness in the construction and manufacturing sectors. Consumer demand for efficiency retrofits will create hundreds of thousands of high-paying local jobs that cannot be outsourced overseas, while stimulating a surge of manufacturing of building materials primarily made by American workers.

About CleanEdison
CleanEdison, Inc. is the nation’s leading green job training provider offering award-winning green education services to individuals, companies, federal, state and local governments. Our mission is to promote sustainability and green building practices by offering best-in-class education and expert advice through our customized consulting services and the largest open enrollment green training program in the nation. Winner of the 2009 CTN Green Excellence Seal for Green Education, CleanEdison is part of the US Green Building Council’s Education Provider Program and an approved affiliate of the Building Performance Institute (BPI). Headquartered in New York, CleanEdison offers courses in BPI Certification, Energy Auditing, LEED, Solar, Wind and Renewable Energy. To learn more about CleanEdison and to sign up for courses, please visit www.cleanedison.com.

Click here to see all recent news from this company

Join us at the 9^th Annual San Francisco Green Festival November 6^th-7^th at the San Francisco Concourse Exhibition Center!

There is something for everyone at Green Festival. You can learn a new skill, listen to inspiring words from political, intellectual and cultural icons, shop at any of our green vendors ‘til you drop, find new styles, munch on delicious cuisine, enjoy a glass of organic wine, peruse recent publications in the bookstore, sample fair trade chocolate and coffee, engage with local nonprofit organizations and much more! New admission options will give you the immediate benefit of getting into Green Festival, while also giving you the lasting benefits of engaging with your local community to make your world a better place.

Must See Speakers:

• Eco-Pioneer Fashion designers Stewart and Brown will discuss designing with organic and earth friendly fabrics.
• Nationally syndicated radio host Thom Hartmann will talk about the new supreme court ruling that allows corporations to give unlimited amounts of cash to political campaigns and politicians.
• John Perkins will speak about creating healthy economy and encouraging corporate responsibility.
• Renowned activist and 350.org founder Bill Mckibben will speak about 350’s efforts to build a global scale, grassroots movement to fight climate change.
• United Farm Workers of America co-founder, Dolores Huerta, will discuss the important of grassroots movement in the effort to create a greener world.

* Sign language and Spanish interpreters will be available.

Stage and Pavilion Highlights:

• Eco-Fashion Shows will profile the best of the season’s designs, new textiles, beautiful hairstyles and makeup and amazing accessories.
• Green Business Seminars by Green Business Network at Green America designed for green business owners or businesses wanting to go green. Business owners and managers will be on hand to provide first-hand experience and advice on ways to create a more sustainable workplace.
• The Music Stage is back with the ever popular beer and wine garden and local, organic vegetarian food court.
• The Planet Café Kitchen Stage with live demos in which local chefs cook up your favorite recipes.
• “Youth rising up” – Sat. Nov 6th in the Community Action Pavilion from 1:30 – 2:15pm will feature the winner of the Earth Island Institute Brower Youth Award (for award nominees, check out the press release on our press portal).

We are excited to highlight local sustainable initiatives within the Bay area, such as, greening the school system and raising the city wide goal of waste-diversion from 77% to 100%. Representatives from the SF Department of Environment will be on hand to discuss current ongoing environmental initiatives in San Francisco and talk about local and regional policies that will accelerate the city’s transition to a greener economy, including Senator Mark Leno; EPA Representative Enrique Manzanilla; Director of the San Francisco Department of Environment, Melanie Nutter; City Employee for Community Relations, Daniel Homsey; San Francisco Unified School District Sustainability Director Nik Kaestner; and School Board members, John Rizzo and Hydra Mendoza.

Plus, Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute will join the Biomimicry Institute to speak about bio-inspired design for products and business. They will reveal the latest in the new open source Cradle to Cradle designs to be used worldwide, along with product manufacturers that use these techniques and others in their work methods.

………………………………………………………………….

The Nevada County Resource Conservation District has bird nesting boxes available for fall placement.

We have Bluebird, Bat, Barn Owl and Wood Duck boxes at this time.  Fall is the perfect time to place your bird nesting boxes.  According to Birdhouses 101(birdhouses101.com):

“Birdhouses are preferably erected well before the breeding season begins. This should be during late summer or early fall to give birds plenty of time to locate them. Time will allow the houses to be well-weathered by then. There are instances that birds will not begin nesting immediately as it takes time for birds to find a birdhouse. If it is impossible to set-up birdhouses by fall, they should be in place as early as possible in the winter. Bird watchers should not wait to see birds in their yards before mounting or hanging their nest boxes.”

Bluebird boxes are a $20 donation, bat $55, Barn Owl $40 and Wood Duck $40.  Proceeds from the donations go back to the Sierra Foothills Audubon Society, who make these nesting boxes for the RCD. Contact – Jan Blake, Nevada County Resource Conservation District
113 Presley Way, Suite 1, Grass Valley, CA  95945 – 530-272-3417 x 103

……………………………………………………

North Columbia Schoolhouse  Fall Shindig

Autumn Shindig – Harvest festival for the whole family. Music, games for kids and adults, harvest wares and crafts, homemade tamales, hot dogs, sack races, tug-o-war, pie contest, kids talent show and organic cotton candy! Ruckrich Family Band, Buffalo Gals, April & the Red Bud Ramblers, Purdon’s Crossing, Cousin Cricket, & Wonderfunk.

.

…………………………………………………………………

FALL CAMP 2010! REGISTER NOW

Nevada County Land Trust

Earth Encounters
October 19th, 20th, 21st

We will explore and celebrate the Earth by using new Environmental and Cultural Education Stations, Wildlife Watch, Meadow Adventures, Creative Nature Crafts, Storytelling under Grandmother Oak, Native Games, Autumn Ecology, Music and lots of fun!

Junior Stewards, WE WANT YOU at camp! Ages 13 to 18.

Grandparents are Gifts! We invite seniors to participate and volunteer at camp again, we LOVE having you with us!

Click to Fill Out Registration Form
(this registration form is an Active PDF that will allow you to input information directly into the pdf and email it back to the NCLT)

Send or walk in camp permission slip and waiver! For more information contact our Youth Program Coordinator, Stacy Prater-Vigil at 530-272-5994 ext 7 or email Stacy

Eco-Kids, Ecology Fair

The Nevada County Land Trust and the Sierra Nevada Deep Ecology Institute are so excited to announce the 8th annual, children’s Eco-Kids Ecology Fair!  This event is for kids and their families on Sunday, November 7th, 12pm to 4pm, at the Burton Homestead, Nevada City.

We have so many exciting, educational, hands-on, exploration based, activities and presentations that are fun for the whole family!  There will be booths, games, Children’s Haute Trash, storytelling, water sampling and monitoring, face painting, art projects, animal exhibits, nature walks and demonstrations, a raffle, food and entertainment for kids of all ages.  Past exhibitors have included bees from the Nevada County Beekeepers, miniature horses from Rock-n-Horse ranch, small animals from Grass Valley 4-H club, Smokey the Bear, Native American storytelling, worm Bins and More!  The cost is $5 for adults and $1 for kids.

This Saturday come and swap out your old stuff for something new! Gold Country Gymnastics , Grass Valley – 8:30- 10:30.

How do the swaps work? Bring all your clean, freshly laundered, gently used items that you want to get rid of-  as much or as little as you want (ages 0-14) & maternity (-it’s not just a clothing swap, we take toys, movies, strollers, highchairs, bouncy seats etc..click here for what not to bring ) ~  and take what you need, there is plenty to go around, however since we do have our swaps regularly, we ask that you just take what you are going to use & bring it back when you are done.  It’s NOT a “swap meet” or a “consignment sale” where stuff is for sale, or even a once in a blue moon kid’s clothing swap~ kids grow fast~ that’s why these happen on a regular basis, in communities around you!

It’s that simple – no tagging or pricing your stuff, no registration forms & it’s not expensive to attend.  Although hosting your own is great (and we’d love for you to share pictures of your home based swaps), p.l.s events are unique because so many moms attend & bring stuff… would you want to host a “swap party” at your house that gets 50

=moms (and their kids?) That’s one of the things that makes us different~ p.l.s events are held in family friendly venues, like gymnastics centers, where your kids can play while you swap & socialize.  It’s also easier than swapping online, where you have to take pictures of all your things and trade them for items of equal value or get points or credits for your stuff & mail things…  I have 4 kids and I have stuff I need, and stuff I want to get rid of almost every month. p.l.s is simple ~ created by moms for moms –  what’s not to love?

peace. love. swap. ~ everyone is welcome,  just come in and enjoy! for more info go to - http://www.peaceloveswap.com/ or contact Meg at peaceloveswap @gmail.com.

………………………………………………………………………………………….

2010 Harvest HoeDown

will be held on Saturday, October 30th at the Alpha Building at 210 Broad Street from 5-11pm.  Celebrate Halloween, celebrate another great season at the Nevada City Farmers Market.   Lots of fun with Soup, Wine & Beer, ContraDancing, DJ Dancing, and Costumes!

You can even win several fantastic items at the raffle and auction, including a Lake Tahoe Weekend Getaway, an original photo by David McKay, a Wine Tasting Party for 8 by Grant & Eddie Winery, and more!

………………………………………………………………

Meet Ben Emery Our Local Green Party Candidate

My name is Ben Emery and I live in Nevada City, CA with my wife and two kids. I’m a native Northern Californian who lives and works in Nevada City. I believe that our government has become wholly owned subsidiaries of Trans-national corporations and cannot govern in the public’s best interests. A third party revolution is needed to lead us out of this corruption. What we need is to unite against corruption and unethical practices and take back Democracy in America. As your representative I will not back down from big money interests and will fight for the rights of working class citizens.

Once in office my primary issues will be Public Financing of Campaigns, Total Financial Reform, and Single Payer Health Insurance Program (Medicare for all). Other issues will be a peaceful ending to our occupations of Afghanistan/ Iraq and Social/ Economic Justice.

Ben Emery – www.benemery.org – Green Party – www.cagreens.org

Because the Earth community is imperiled and the current political system has proved ineffective, Green politics has arisen worldwide through Green parties and kindred grassroots movements.

The Green Party of California was formed in 1990-91 when more than 103,000 pragmatic visionaries changed their voter registration to “Green” and thereby qualified the new party for the state-level ballot in California. The Green Party of California stands on two legs: one in electoral work (initiatives, referenda and candidates), and one in community projects and grassroots social-change movements that are compatible with the Green vision. That vision is based on Ten Key Values adopted by the U.S. Green movement.

Through political application of these values, we seek to repair and create bonds of community that have been weakened or destroyed by economic, political and social dynamics.

10 Key Values:

The first four values are the pillars of the Green Party philosophy. http://www.cagreens.org/platform/10k.shtml

Ecological Wisdom, Grassroots Democracy, Social Justice, Nonviolence, Decentralization, Community-Based Economics, Feminism, Respect for Diversity, Global Responsibility, Sustainability

………………………………………………………………

You are invited to Green Drinks Grass Valley on this Tuesday, September 28
at 6:00 p.m.  The location is SummerThymes in Booktown Books. 134 S Auburn
St., Grass Valley, CA, 95945.  Phone:  530.273.YUMM (9866).

Our guest speaker this month is Ragnar Hynell and he is interested in how we
can live more sustainably by learning from other cultures. He is an expert
in intercultural communications and has done consulting and workshops in
this field.

Green Drinks is a casual monthly “happy hour” that brings together a
collection of green-oriented people from the business sector, self-employed,
government, and nonprofit organizations to build our burgeoning green
economy.   There is no politics and no preaching.   Green Drinks is open to
anyone interested in creating a more sustainable world.  Green Drinks
International, www.greendrinks.org , now active in 465 cities worldwide, is
a self-organizing group where everyone invites someone else along, so
there’s always a different crowd.

If you have any questions, please give me a call.  You could also contact
our co-organizer Elizabeth Dunn at edunngardens@gmail.com.

………………………………………………………………………………………

Featured Green Business of the Month:

Greensmart produces bags made from 100% recycled plastic bottles. Backpacks, lunchsacks, Laptop covers, Wine totes and more. At GreenSmart, they try every day to make the world greensmarter. From the designs they create, to the materials they use, to how they manufacture and ship their products, they put everything we do through their GreenSmart filter. They believe that even the smallest of positive actions every day can result in big changes toward a better product and a better environment in the long run. It is a pursuit of best practices for them. They have been doing it since we started back in 1995.

Their intentions are simple, transparent and ongoing:

• To make great bags using green materials.
• To use smarter manufacturing practices whenever possible.
• To provide smarter ideas for our own lives, as well as our customers.
• To help educate and influence others through our products and practices.
• To be passionate about everything we do.

To help guide us in our mission and incorporate our GreenSmart philosophy into everything we do, we approach success with 3 criteria in mind: people, product and planet.

People: Social Responsibility

GreenSmart is a human-powered company. Our success is fueled by the hearts and minds of our customers, retailers, designers,and partners that encourage and inspire each of us to do better every day. Through our shared commitment to the GreenSmart philosophy, we strive to be continuously innovative, efficient and conscientious about every business decision we approach. We believe in the power of environmental education and the ability to enable all of us to make smarter choices about our lifestyles. Because of this, we will continually lead the charge to better educate everyone about the environment through communication in our marketing, our products and on the web. To be successful requires the continued healthy relationship we share with our suppliers around the world, as they tirelessly pursue newer and better materials, practices and work conditions.

Product: Supply Chain Integrity

GreenSmart approaches and continually strives to make the most sustainable products possible including overall design, materials, production processes and distribution. For us, design is more than how a product looks, it is also about how a product is used. If a product is all form with little focus on function, whether it’s green or not, it loses its ability to be sustainable. Because of this, we make sure every product we make is created with a minimum impact on the earth, and a positive impact in your life. That is why all the products that we make are just that, green and smart.

Planet: The place we call home

We can all agree that less landfill is good, and less energy used to make products makes sense, too, not to mention lots of other greensmarter ideas. Polluting the planet for profit is a short sighted business model that serves no one. We believe businesses can be positive change agents and still be profitable, innovative and transparent in their pursuit to creating a better product and a better planet. That is why GreenSmart will always be visionary in its effort to seek greener materials and work with our suppliers to utilize energy-efficient, eco-conscious and people sensitive ways to produce our products.

When we look forward,we see a GreenSmart planet that is sustainable and proactive when it comes to using its resources in countless GreenSmart ways. Our commitment to reaching this goal will take both big and small steps. Because even small steps like turning off lights, using less water or buying recycled products can make a big difference when everyone joins in and does their part. Together we can help create a GreenSmart planet.

Greensmart Headquarters are locates in Grass Valley Ca, You can find them on the web at www.greensmart.biz.

…………………………………………………………………………….

Discover the future of organic farming in three mellow days on the San Mateo Coast. The Slow Coast Bicycle Tour is an indulgent taste of coastal life crafted for anyone with a bicycle, a passion to learn, and a love for food from the source. Details: www.wheeledmigration.org/slowcoast

Fully supported by on-bike mechanics, guides and a luggage van, this all inclusive event features live music, picture perfect farmlands, feisty bac…k roads, epic ocean vistas, camping in the redwoods, fruit-picking, tastings, site tours, banquets with the farmers, and guest speakers presenting the new story of independent, organic farming.

WANT TO GO? Register *now* to reserve your seat! www.wheeledmigration.org/signup

…………………………………………………………………………..

Grand Opening celebration at the Eriksson Education Center

TAHOE CITY, Calif. — Activities begin from 1 to 4 p.m. with Children’s Environmental Science Day. Treat your child to a fun and educational afternoon of environmental science. More than 40 interactive science activities hosted by organizations around the region will be available for children ages 6 and up. There will be information provided by Lake Tahoe research scientists, a live animal presentation with Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care and a living green seminar. Free ice cream from Susie Scoops will be provided throughout the day.

Continue in the festivities from 4 to 6 p.m. with the North Lake Tahoe Chamber mixer and open house. Complimentary food will be provided by Sawtooth Ridge Café. There will be a cash bar hosted by Incline Spirits and also live music with Dan Copeland.

The historical hatchery was built in the 1920s. The building was recently restored and is opening to the public for the first time since fish hatchery operations closed in 1956.

The center will be open Saturdays through Labor Day. Volunteer docents will provide free tours of the historic fish hatchery and demonstration gardens. Children of all ages can participate in new scientific exhibits and interactive games. Guests will learn about the historic hatchery and current research. Learn the answers to all your Lake Tahoe environmental and scientific questions.

The Eriksson Education Center is located just a half-mile from downtown Tahoe City at Highway 28 (North Tahoe Boulevard) and Lake Forest Road. Due to limited parking, guests are encouraged to walk or ride bikes down the paved bike path and follow the “fish” to the event. Free public transportation provided by the TART bus will also be available.

For more information, visit the Tahoe Environmental Research Center online at www.terc.ucdavis.edu.

………………………………………………………………………

Featured Green Business

S.O.A.P.

If you haven’t noticed we have a Green Business Directory on the top left side of the page. We want to promote those businesses that are doing great things to make the planet a better place to live.

This month we are featuring S.O.A.P. or Save Our Ailing Planet. Lori Largent the owner wanted to make make a difference in the world so she opened a bulk soap shop. By Buying in bulk lots of plastic is saved from going into the landfill, as of today Lori has saved 300 containers from becoming more landfill material.

Bring your own containers to refill or she also stocks a few different kinds of glass bottles for purchase. She has a great selection of shampoos, soaps, laundry detergents and more featuring: Dr. Bronners, Ecos, Ecover, BioKleen, Soap Nuts, Nature’s Gate, Dishmate, Alba, Kiss My Face and Shikai.

SAVE OUR AILING PLANET is your one stop refill shop for natural and organic Soap and MORE! Open from 10-6 daily. 11-4 Saturdays. Think Local! Shop SOAP! Member Think Local First!

…………………………………………………………………..

The Farmers Markets are in full swing!

Here’s a short list of the area’s markets :

FOOTHILLS

• Auburn Old Town Courthouse Parking Lot - Yearround – The Auburn Farmers’ Market continues to roll, Saturday from 8AM-Noon, rain or shine.  The location is the courthouse parking lot in downtown Auburn, right off Auburn-Folsom road.
• Auburn:DeWitt Center -  Wednesday’s – Bell Rd and 1st St. June 9th-Nov. 24th, 10-1
• Foresthill – Wednesday’s – Main Street June 9-August 25, 4-7 PM
  
• Nevada City Farmers Market – Saturdays – 8-12, June 19th-October. Union Street in downtown Nevada City. Locally produced goods and produce.
• Nevada County Growers Market – Saturdays- Historic North Star House, Circa 1906, 12075 Old Auburn Road, just before Gate 4 of the Nevada County Fairgrounds turn left onto Auburn Road. Saturdays 8-12. May-October North Star House 8-noonLive music every Saturday,Children’s Art with Mim Meakin the first Saturday of every month. 
  • Tuesdays, Nevada City, June-October Sierra Presbyterian Church 3-6 PM, 175 Ridge Road at Nevada City Highway
  • Thursdays, Penn Valley, June-September Seventh Day Adventist Church 2-5:30 PM, 17645 Penn Valley Dr.

TRUCKEE/TAHOE

• Truckee: Truckee River Regional Park, 10500 Brockway Rd, off Highway 267, Tuesdays, 8 am – 1 pm, June 9 – Oct. 13
• Kings Beach: Kings Beach State Regional Park, Highway 28 at Bear Street, Tuesdays 9 am – 1 pm, June 9 – Sept. 1
• Tahoe City: Commons Beach, North Lake Blvd in downtown Tahoe City, Thursdays, 8 am – 1 pm, May 21 – Oct. 15
• Homewood: Homewood Mountain Ski Resort, 5145 Westlake Blvd on Highway 89, Saturdays, 9 am – 1 pm, June 20 – Aug. 29
• Sierra Valley Farm Farmers Market – The only on-farm farmers’ market in California, the market is located on a 70-year old family farm north of Truckee. The Farmers’ Market features a free chef’s cooking demonstration from noon to 1 pm, highlighting some of the most prestigious chefs in the Reno/Tahoe Area. When the chefs are not on the schedule, the Artisans Market is in full swing. The artisans are all local, talented unique artists with affordable wares. Fridays, 10 am – 2:30 pm, First Friday in June – Second Friday in September., 1329 County Rd A23, Beckwourth http://Sierravalleyfarms.com

…………………………………………………..

Do-it-Yourself Herbal Classes

Rachel Berry – www.backyardbotanics.com -

Learn how to make your own lotions, salves, topical body care, baby care, and more using local plants and other easy to find, organic ingredients.  Save money, reduce your carbon footprint, avoid chemicals in commercial products, and enjoy a deeper connection and appreciation for the plants growing in your bioregion.  Each course will include a how-to on basic herbal preparations, recipes to try at home, a list of easy to grow and useful herbs to put in your garden, and a set of products to take home at the end of the day.

Nourish Thyself, June 26
Spend a day in the garden making nourishing remedies for the body, and take home your own cream, salve, facial scrub and more.  You’ll also leave with a basic know-how to make your own, and a handful of recipes to experiment even more.  www.backyardbotanics.com/Nourish_Thyself.html
Herbal  Baby Care, June 27

A great class for parents and parents-to-be who want to make their own pure and clean baby care products that really work.  Learn basic preparation methods and leave with a diaper salve, baby massage oil, diaper powder & more. www.backyardbotanics.com/BabyCareEssentials.html

Herbal First Aid, September 25
Learn about basic herbal preparations by making your own herbal first aid kit.  You’ll get hands-on experience making a medicinal salve, tincture, powder, and more.  Leave with your own travel-size kit to take home. www.backyardbotanics.com/Herbal_First_Aid.html

Coming Soon: Herbal Personal Care
Learn how to make your own toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, mouthwash and more.

Classes held in at a home garden in Grass Valley.  $60-$70 per class, plus materials fee. Trades may be negotiated.  For more information, call 530-273-3083, email info(at)backyardbotanics.com, or visit www.backyardbotanics.com

………………………………………………………………………………………….

Lend Your Locks, Used Pantyhose to Help Oil Spill Cleanup Efforts

Gulf of Mexico oil spill getting you down? Time for a hair cut. While it may seem like a harebrained scheme at first blush, hair clippings make remarkably quick work of sopping up oil. Just ask Matter of Trust, a San Francisco-based nonprofit that collects landfill-bound locks from over 300,000 salons and barbershops throughout North and South America, China, and India. Piled together, the discarded tresses are then needle-punched into hair mats or stuffed, sausage-like, into nylon hose to create absorbent “booms.”

HAIR RAISING

Any hair, including processed hair, soaks up oil even better than fur or synthetics can. (A pound of hair can absorb a quart of oil in one minute.) Once wrung out, the mats can be reused 30 to 100 times, after which they’re broken down organically using mushroom spores, making them ecologically superior to petroleum-based spill products like polypropylene pads.

A pound of hair can absorb a quart of oil in one minute and reused up to 100 times.

Plus, 98 percent of the oil sopped up by the mats can be recovered, according to OttiMat, the company that invented the mats and loans out the design to Matter of Trust for remediating emergency spills, including the Nov. 7, 2007, spill that engulfed San Francisco Bay.

“Now at the Gulf Coast, people are stuffing booms,” says Matter of Trust. “Salons and beachlovers all over the Gulf Coast are organizing boom-making parties called ‘Boom B Ques.’” Other hair-harvesting drives include “Cut-a-thons” and “Shave-a-thons.” Who says you can’t let your hair down while doing good?

+ Gulf Oil-Spill Hair Booms

+ Matter of Trust

………………………………………………………………………………………

Scooter’s Pals now has a Pet Deposit Program! Moving and can’t afford the pet deposit? Don’t give up your animals call Scooter’s for help. Scooter’s Pals helps Nevada County pets stay with their families when a pet deposit causes a financial hardship. For more info call Jackie at (530) 477-2922 or email jsimonson@cebridge.net

Scooter’s Pals will be at Incredible Pets in Grass Valley, CA. To meet dogs for adoption please check our event schedule. Click Here! Now the second Saturday of every month, Incredible Pets, Grass Valley 11a.m. – 2 p.m.

Looking to adopt a pet or foster? Go to www.scooterspals.org to find out more.

…………………………………………………………………………………….

What our oil addiction is doing to the planet! Sorry to do this to you but it’s really unbelievable. Can we all take a day off driving one day a week in remembrance of these lovely creatures? Go here to learn – “How to Reduce your Oil Footprint “-

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jennifer-grayson/eco-etiquette-how-can-i-r_b_563772.html#s88288

……………………………………………………………….

YOGA. MUSIC. NATURE.

Wanderlust is a one-of-a-kind festival bringing together the world’s best yoga teachers and best performers in rock & roll, all in a setting of breathtaking natural beauty.  It is a place to relax, unwind, bend, dance, revel, and contemplate. It’s a community of like-minded people who share a common set of interests and values.  It’s a chance to escape the mundane and dwell in the extraordinary. It’s healthy hedonism and spiritual exploration. Most of all, it’s a long weekend of satisfying, stick-to-your-ribs fun.  Join us July 29th – August 1st  – The Village at Squaw. www.wanderlustfestival.com

……………………………………………………………………………………………………..

The Growers Market Has Moved

NEW LOCATION FOR GROWERS’ MARKET- NORTH STAR HOUSE.It’s official, the Growers’ Market has relocated to the Historic North Star House, Circa 1906, 12075 Old Auburn Road, just before Gate 4 of the Nevada County Fairgrounds turn left onto Auburn Road. We will utilize the beautiful property for our Growers market and have a stable and permanent location. Please join us for our exciting new location on May 1, 2010. . ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Alliance for People Powered Transportation – http://nevcoappt.org/

Get more information

The Alliance for People Powered Transportation is promoting Bike-to-Work Week from May 17-21, 2010 and Bike-to-Work Day on Friday, May 21, 2010. Clean air, exercise, a healthy planet, spending less money, living a joyful life….what’s your reason for cycling? On Friday, May 21st, we’ll celebrate all of these. There’ll be events all week, stay tuned for event details! Not sure about commuter cycling? Need some tips for how to get started, or how to make it more fun? Check out our Bicycle Routes Map to help plot the safest way to commute on your bicycle. Click here for helpful tips for commuters. Also, check out the local bus schedule here, and bus route maps here and consider a hybrid commute. All Gold Country Stage buses are equipped with bicycle racks on the front of the bus and can accommodate two bicycles per bus.

………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Keith Logan, writer of the “Green Cafe” column that appears in business pages of The Union, has been recognized by the Sierra Business Council. The founder of Logan and Associates sustainability consulting is being honored for the council’s Vision 2020 Awards along with the group he helped to start, the Northern Sierra Biomass Utilization Task Force. Logan and the task force members are among five people or groups honored as “leaders and visionaries in the areas of conservation, energy, smart planning and growth, sustainable development and affordable housing,” the council said. The task force is a broad-based group including Nevada County Supervisors looking at ways to use fire fuels in area forests for energy co-generation. It formed with the help of the Economic Resource Council of Nevada County “People show a pragmatic openness to exploring economic possibilities in sustainability and clean tech economies,” Logan wrote in an early column introducing the task force. Logan links co-generation with woody biomass to healthy forests and fire safety. “The North Sierra Biomass Task Force is analyzing the economics and finances on different uses for the woody biomass to see which processes provide the highest value for the biomass,” Logan wrote in another column. “If a company could get enough value from the biomass, it would help pay some of the costs of getting it out of the woods,” he wrote. “If we can get this build-up of fuels out of the woods, we may not be able to prevent the fire that will come, but we can try to get it on our terms, burning where and how we want it.” The activities of Vision 2020 award recipients “demonstrate the immense value the Sierra region brings to the state of California,” council President Steven Frisch said. “Some of the greatest things happen under conditions of adversity, and at Sierra Business Council, we’re committed to approaches that create opportunity from those exact circumstances,” spokeswoman Nikki Streegan added. Other Vision 2020 Award winners are Reed Tollefson from Audubon California’s Kern River Preserve; Meea Kang of Domus Development; and Jim Turner from Sierra Pacific Industries’ Loyalton co-generation power plant. A Lifetime Achievement award will be given to Mike Chrisman, the former secretary for natural resources for the California Resource Agency. They will be feted at a free event, open to the public, at the California Capitol from 5 to 8 p.m. April 14 at the Leland Stanford Mansion in Sacramento. The Sierra Business Council, a regional nonprofit dedicated to promoting sustainability, is accepting donations for the event. To RSVP, visit www.sbcouncil.org/vision2020.  Congratulations Keith!

.…………………………………………………………………………..

Green:Net 2010 examines how the tools created for the Internet, computing and IT revolutions will be crucial for fighting climate change.

Information and communications technologies could enable emissions reductions 15 percent below current amounts by 2020, the Climate Group has predicted. Whether you’re in a corporation wanting to learn about best green IT practices or an entrepreneur looking for your next venture, Green:Net in San Francisco is a must-attend event that will allow you to take away the best ideas and meet contacts and thinkers in this space. For more info go to: http://events.earth2tech.com

……………………………………………………………………………………………..

Warning – this video could really ruin your day! Another reason to ban plastic bags from the world forever!!! How sad…. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

The Story of Bottled Water

Dear friends,  I’m joining with some of North America’s leading environmental groups to release the latest Story of Stuff Project short film:  The Story of Bottled Water. Like The Story of Stuff, this new film uses simple words and images to explain a complex problem, in this case manufactured demand:  how you get people to think they need to spend money on something they don’t actually need or already have.

Over the last two decades, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Nestle and other big beverage companies have spent untold millions of dollars making us afraid of tap water. They’ve told us that if we want to be sure what we drink is pure and clean—not to mention hip and fashionable—we should buy bottled water. Unfortunately, it worked. In the United States alone, we consume approximately 500,000,000 bottles of water each week. Imagine that: while 1 billion people lack access to safe drinking water worldwide, other people spend billions of dollars on a bottled product that’s no cleaner, harms people and the environment and costs up to 2,000 times the price of tap water.

But there’s good news: Last year, for the first time in a long time, bottled water sales fell—not that much, but they went down. Consumers who want economy, portability and convenience are switching to refillable metal bottles. Restaurants are proudly serving tap water. And cities, states, companies and schools around the world are ditching the bottle to save money and do their part for the environment. Still, we’ve got a ways to go. So please, take a minute today to watch The Story of Bottled Water. Then pass it along to your friends, family, neighbors and co-workers—anyone you think might be interested. You are The Story of Stuff Project’s strongest allies:  You made the original Story of Stuff an Internet phenomenon, with nearly 9 million views total. Last December, you pushed The Story of Cap & Trade past half a million views in just under six weeks. And in the last ten days, you’ve helped our new book, The Story of Stuff, enter the New York Times extended bestseller list at #35. Thank you a million times over.

After you’ve forwarded The Story of Bottled Water to your networks, I encourage you to join a campaign for investment in clean tap water for everyone, like those sponsored by our partners at Corporate Accountability International, Food & Water Watch, Polaris Institute, Environmental Working Group, and Pacific Institute. Visit these fantastic groups’ websites to learn more, sign-up and get involved. Together, we can send Coke, Pepsi, Nestle and the rest of the industry a message as clear as a glass of tap water: We’re not buying into your manufactured demand anymore. We’ll choose our own demands, thank you very much, and we’re demanding clean safe water for all! Sincerely, Annie P.S. It takes a pretty penny to make and distribute these short films. After The Story of Bottled Water we have films coming on electronics (planned obsolescence anyone?), personal care products and more. Please consider a tax-deductible gift to The Story of Stuff Project today to help us keep these films coming and on-line for free.

………………………………………………………………………

Sierra College wins Energy Saving Demonstration Center & Training Grant Center for Applied Competitive Technologies focuses on manufacturers’ energy reduction Published on Mar 17, 2010 – 8:40:21 AM

from: YubaNet.com

By: Sierra College ROCKLIN Mar. 17, 2010 – The Center for Applied Competitive Technologies (CACT) (sierracollegetraining.com) at Sierra College was selected through a competitive process to receive a $205,000 grant from the California Community College Chancellor’s Office, Economic and Workforce Development Program.

The grant will focus on manufacturers and train energy technicians to identify and implement energy saving practices that provide competitive advantages to businesses, while supporting workers and the region economically. The project includes a demonstration site to assist manufacturers in utilizing energy audits, weatherization and other methods to reduce energy consumption without outlay of capital investment. In partnership with the California Conservation Corps in Auburn, CA, CACT will develop curriculum to train Corps members to fill the need for energy efficiency technicians.

This project will give local manufacturers cost-saving advantages generate new businesses, open ‘green collar’ career paths to well-paid jobs and develop workers’ skills to meet a growing demand. Carol Pepper-Kittredge, CACT Director for Sierra College, will manage this grant project. According to Sandra Scott, Director, Grant Development and Career Technical Education at Sierra College, CACT has been providing technical assistance to employers since 1992. “To mitigate the effects of the deep recession that began in 2008, manufacturers have retrenched and reduced costs by implementing ‘lean’ and process improvement practices to increase productivity,” said Scott. “One of the few remaining expenditures that businesses can control is energy use. By implementing energy efficient practices that align with lean manufacturing and continuous improvement principles, California manufacturers can improve their financial performance in the globally competitive marketplace.” The California Conservation Corps (CCC) Placer Energy Center will play a key role explained Rod Thornhill, Center Director, CCC. “In addition to hosting training courses, the site will be used for business and industry workshops on improving energy efficiency as well as demonstrating new and renewable energy technologies,” said Thornhill. “This program will serve as a state-wide model, ultimately training and placing hundreds of workers.” Those trained through the program may further develop their skills through the new Sierra College Energy Technology photovoltaic program (sierraenergytech.com). Local manufacturers, public agencies and economic development organizations support this effort. According to Clay Schmidt, Executive Manager, Sacramento, PG&E, this partnership will positively benefit the region. “PG&E fully expects excellent results that will help Californian businesses be competitive globally and expand the region’s workforce,” said Schmidt. To spread the impact through the CACT’s Northern California territory, Butte College and College of the Redwoods are grant partners. Annie Rafferty, Director of Contract Education for Butte College explained that the Sierra College CACT currently provides customized training to the North Valley Lean Group composed of 13 leading manufacturers. “The Lean Group and the Butte College Green Building Technology Advisory Group with CACT will provide businesses with critical skills to implement energy-smart procedures and find energy-saving opportunities,” said Rafferty. Sierra College CACT and Training & Development also offer on-site customized employee training in process improvement, lean manufacturing, high-tech soldering, supervision, communication and other business topics. Since 1992, Sierra College CACT has worked with businesses, manufacturers and technology companies in Northern California. For more information, go to www.sierracollegetraining.com or contact Sandra Scott, at sscott@sierracollege.edu or (916) 781-6245. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Mountain Bounty Farm: Summer Vegetable and Fruit Subscriptions Available

Via: www.yubanet.com Published on Mar 17, 2010 – 10:48:05 AM

By: Carlyle Miller, CSA Manager, Mountain Bounty Farm

NEVADA CITY, Calif. March 17, 2010 – Mountain Bounty Farm, a 10-acre family farm on the San Juan Ridge, is accepting sign-ups for its 2010 vegetable, fruit, and flower share programs. Since 1997, Mountain Bounty Farm has provided fresh, organically-grown produce from May through November to the members of its Community Supported Agriculture program. “Mountain Bounty Farm is fantastic. The food is fresh, I know where it’s from, it tastes great, and it has varieties you just can’t get in the supermarket,” wrote Tracy Jones, a farm member from Grass Valley. “It’s like opening a Christmas present every week!” Farm member Ron Gajar from Truckee adds “Our kids (ages 5 and 2) love the boxes too, they are calling the beets, squashes and other veggies ‘candy,’ they can be that sweet.” Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA, is a model of growing and eating that creates a direct connection between you and your farm. You invest in the farm at the beginning of the season, and we-your farmers-provide fresh, diverse, and amazingly delicious produce straight from our fields every week. Your share of the harvest.

“The financial investment from our members at the start of the season is what makes family farming on this small scale feasible,” said John Tecklin, owner of the farm. “And in exchange, you get the best produce available!” At Mountain Bounty Farm, each week’s delivery yields its own special harvest, picked fresh that day. We put tremendous care into growing over 250 varieties of vegetables, including many heirlooms-if you’ve never tried a Big Zebra tomato or our luscious sweet corn, you are in for a real treat! “Spring is such an exciting time of year here,” said Tecklin. “The cover crop is lush, the air is warming, and all three of our greenhouses are bursting with baby plants.” Over the course of the season, the amount and variety of produce increases, but on average, members receive enough produce to fill a large grocery bag full of their favorite staple veggies, plus a healthy portion of the exotic and unusual.

This year, Mountain Bounty Farm is once again partnering with Filaki Farm to provide a weekly fruit share, including apricots, apples, cherries, nectarines, peaches, pears, plums, table grapes and more. The fruit shares average 7+ pounds per week and vary with the season. This tree-ripened fruit has real flavor and character-it is fruit that you will rarely, if ever, find in the store! For a full list of all the vegetables that we grow, or to find out more about our CSA programs, please visit http://www.MountainBountyFarm.com or contact us at 292-3776. Who: Mountain Bounty Farm What: Summer Vegetable and Fruit Subscriptions Available Where: www.MountainBountyFarm.com or 292-3776 When: Sign-ups open today, deliveries are for 24 weeks from May 25th through Nov 6th ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Obama announces his Cash for Caulkers plan.

SAVANNAH, Ga. — Sounding a familiar clean-energy theme, President Barack Obama on Tuesday announced details of a proposed energy rebate program he hopes will spur demand for insulation and water heaters – and jobs for hurting Americans.

Obama said the administration’s “HOMESTAR” program would reward people who buy energy-saving equipment with an on-the-spot rebate of $1,000 or more. He cast the idea as one that would save people money on utility bills, boost the economy and reduce American dependence on oil. The plan would take the approval of Congress. “When it comes to domestic policy, I have no more important job as president than seeing to it that every American that wants to work and is able to work can find a job,” Obama said at Savannah Technical College, in a state where the unemployment rate tops the national average of 9.7 percent. Read more…. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

New CSA – Soil Sisters Farm and Art Collective

This year Willow Hein of Honey in the Heart Farm and Maisie Ganz of Living Lands Agrarian Network are partnering to bring about a new agricultural project for Nevada County.  We are a women’s collective devoted to creating sustainable lifestyles for ourselves, our communities and the earth. The idea arose out of a need that we saw for women to have a safe space and support system within the context of sustainable farming in order to cultivate a deeper trust in their own capabilities and skills. We are committed to cultivating good food, healthy soil, and happy people. We are still a part of the Living Lands network, continuing to grow a diversity of vegetables and flowers, and will be hosting a variety of women’s workshops and community programs.  We hope to be a source of inspiration and empowerment for the women in our community and beyond. We are offering a small CSA program, and will also be at the downtown farmer’s market on Saturdays starting in June.

• Enjoy weekly boxes of fresh locally grown vegetables.  Set up like a farmer’s market, you pick your produce!
• Begins June 1, 2010 and ends November 1, 2010 (23 weeks)
• Cost is $575 upfront, or 3 payments of $200 each.
• We also offer a glorious 10-week Flower Share for $100.
• CSA pickup will be Tuesdays beginning June 1, 2010 – Conveniently located pickup at In the Kitchen in Nevada City, across from SPD on Zion Street.
• How to get started.  visit website: www.livinglandsagrariannetwork. org. Download the CSA Registration Form (also attached), fill it in and email it to livinglandsagrarian @gmail.com.

The CSA is of course the greatest way to get connected and get our food, but we will also be at farmer’s market on Saturday, will be offering to do local flowers for events this summer (tell your friends who are getting married!), will be continuing to host our wildly popular “soup nights” to raise money for various agricultural non-profits and our “young-farmer” internship program, are always open to willing volunteers, and encourage you to join us at our Thursday night potlucks, open to everyone in the community. If you are interested in being on our email list, in order to receive a weekly update of events at the farm as well as a newsletter, it would be my pleasure to put you on. Our vision of a food community is inclusive and dynamic, we can find a way to get you involved, just ask! If you have any questions, feel free to email me at farmermaisie@ gmail.com. Support your local farmers!

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

New Exhibit Opening  at the APPLE Center!

Join us to celebrate the newest exhibit at the APPLE Center. Just Grow It! presents ideas on starting a vegetable garden at home. The exhibit features a demonstration garden complete with living plants, a gardener, soil, and more.  Each piece of the garden is explained on a placard and special activities such as identifying soil types, plants and a worm bin are part of the display. Fun facts and startling statistics are peppered through the information fit for hours of interesting browsing for all ages!

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Riverhill’s “Fresh Start” Women, Infants and Children Project

from http://riverhillfarm.com/riverhillfarmcsa.php Last season, Riverhill Farm initiated a pilot project to supply fruits and vegetables to serve low-income families participating in the local Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Supplemental Nutrition Program.  The primary mission of the WIC Program is to improve the nutrition and health status of pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding women, as well as their infants and young children under age 5.  According to the director of the local WIC office, there is indeed a deficit in the fruit/vegetable intake of the WIC families of Nevada County, particularly in the current economy.  Many Nevada County families have seen their incomes plummet in the past year or two.  The need for fresh fruits and vegetables is high in this vulnerable population.  Good health and nutrition status during pregnancy, breastfeeding, and early years of life can set the stage for a lifetime of improved cognitive and overall function. To facilitate last season’s pilot project, Riverhill reduced the weekly price of a CSA share for WIC clients.  Through an appeal for community support through our email list to private citizens and through other fundraising efforts, we were able to raise sufficient funds to provide reduced cost CSA shares for 20 WIC families. One of the additional benefits of the Riverhill/WIC pilot program was the interest and excitement of families in bringing their young children directly to the farm for the weekly pick up.  Children enjoyed the activities of the farm, including chances to harvest fruits and vegetables themselves, and watch the produce grow as the season progressed.  One family made a wonderful book chronicling their summer farm adventures at Riverhill, which you can view by clicking on this link: Diego’s Summer Picking at the Farm. This season, we are attempting to increase our program to provide for forty families.  If you’d like to contribute to our efforts to expand our Fresh Start project, you can send us a check in any amount, made payable to Riverhill Farm.  If you would like to contribute as part of your own CSA subscription, we’ve made room on our online sign-up form for you to indicate an amount you would like to contribute.  You can pay that amount along with your CSA deposit and we will add the additional funds to our WIC project fund.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Solar-Powered Yurt at Hope Valley provides Human-powered Fun

Posted on December 21, 2009 From Tahoe Arts and Mountain Culture - www.tahoeculture.com Filed Under Green Businesses, Ski Culture Long-time South Shore local, Joyce Coker (aka “the Pie Lady”), has set up a 21′ yurt at the Burnside Lake trail head, located at Pickett’s Junction in Hope Valley. Although it’s off the grid, the yurt is home of the Hope Valley Outdoor Center which offers high voltage fun. Joyce’s deep love of Hope Valley is personified in every detail of this symbolic mountain structure from its nostalgic Tahoe decor and local art to solar power. Yes, that’s right. The yurt is green!…using solar power to produce all of the electricity. The Hope Valley Outdoor Center offers over 60 miles of marked trails and dogs are welcome.  Joyce and the crew offer cross country skiing and snowshoe lessons and guided tours, and equipment rentals. The yurt is open daily, and there are no trail fees. Instead, appreciative mountaineers are asked to donate at least $10 to help Joyce offset her costs for maintaining the trails. To help us experience Tahoe ski culture, HVO offers the following events:

• Once in a Blue Moon New Year’s Eve tour on December 31, 2009, a 3 day event with x-c ski equipment and snowshoe lessons and tours in Hope Valley.
• Full Moon Ski tours:   January 30, and February 27, 2010Tours start at 6pm; $20 per person. Rentals are extra.
• 9th Annual Snowshoe Thompson Tour: Saturday,  March 6, 2010

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

peace. love. swap.

What is peace. love. swap.? The peace. love. swap. mission is to keep gently used baby, kid, and maternity items out of our landfills, and to donate to local charities by hosting fun, affordable, family friendly swaps where moms and dads can exchange their unwanted and/or outgrown items with other local parents. p.l.s. is a nonprofit organization that produces and supports local kid’s swaps in Northern California (and growing fast).  To find out when and where our swaps are, visit the Find an Event page. These events are becoming increasingly popular with local moms and dads.  They get together, meet other local moms and dads, and recycle & swap their gently used items.  When it’s over, they know that the leftover items are going to different local charities (contact me if you would like for us to donate to your organization).  If you think you would like to start one in your area, please look over the website,  email me and we can talk about what I can do to help you or your organization make it happen. How do the swaps work? Bring all your gently used items that you want to get rid of-  as much or as little as you want (ages 0-14) & maternity   (-it’s not just a kid’s clothing swap, we take toys, movies, strollers, highchairs, bouncy seats etc..click here for what not to bring ) ~  and take what you want~ as much or as little as you want.  It’s NOT a “swap meet” or a “consignment sale” where stuff is for sale, or even a once in a blue moon kid’s clothing swap~ kids grow fast~ that’s why these happen on a regular basis, in communities around you! It’s that simple – no tagging or pricing your stuff, no registration forms & it’s not expensive to attend.  It’s better than throwing your own because so many moms attend – It’s like going to a consignment store or sale & being able to take things for free!!  Families exchanging with other families & helping those in need & the environment along the way- – what’s not to love? peace. love. swap. ~ everyone is welcome,  just come in and enjoy!, Before attending *** Please read the FAQ’s Page Don’t forget to spread the word – find an event in your area & click on the PDF version of the flier,  print out and post around town!  ~ and make sure to become a fan on Facebook, join the Yahoo group & check the blog

Next Local Swap -

Nevada County Kid’s Swap

Location/Sponsor: Gold Country Gymnastics

110 Spring Hill Dr #14 Grass Valley, CA 95945

Date: Sat., Feb. 6 (Every other month, first Sat. -even months- Feb, Apr, Jun, Aug, Oct, Dec.

join email list or email Meg to get updates

Time: Drop off items between 8:30am – 9:30am ~ Swap starts at 10am until 11:30am

Cost: $5 admission* & stuff to swap**

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Living Lands Agrarian Network Invites you to a Soup Night at the Broad Street Bistro

Next Friday, February 12th from 5:30pm to 7:30pm Join us and enjoy fresh, locally grown soup, good conversation, and support the Living Lands 2010 Farming Internship Program We ask for a $7.00 donation for soup, bread, and butter. Please bring your own bowl and utensil. The Soup Night winter fundraiser generates critical support for our internship program, providing stipends to 4-6 aspiring farmers each season. We appreciate your support. We will also have winter produce available, including Winter Squash, Parsnips (oh so sweet with the cold weather), carrots, chard, kale, cabbage, collards, and lots of delicious pesto! Check out our website at www.livinglandsagrariannetwork.org for more information about what we do. We are now accepting sign-ups for our CSA and gardening workshop series. Visit our website!

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Grocery stores around the country are filling their dumpsters with food. Not rotten, spoiled food, but billions of pounds of good, edible food. Why? Because the expiration date is nearing? Because it costs less to simply throw away excess food rather than do something helpful with it? Whatever the answer, the contradiction is profound: good, edible food is being thrown away in the very same communities where people are going hungry. Follow filmmaker Jeremy Seifert and his circle of friends as they “dumpster dive” in the back alleys and gated garbage receptacles of L.A.’s supermarkets. In the process, they uncover thousands of dollars worth of good food and an ugly truth about waste in America: grocery stores know they are wasting and most refuse to do anything about it. In the meantime, Seifert and friends no longer spend money on groceries. With nothing more than a big appetite and a strong stomach, they “dive” for Pacific Salmon, American Ground Beef, New Zealand Lamb Chops, Free-Range Whole Chickens, Pork Loins, and loads of fresh fruit, vegetables, and bread. Totally edible, totally free, and totally illegal. Why aren’t grocery stores giving the food to people who need it? Seifert takes this question to corporate front offices in an attempt to find out. The result is equal parts entertainment, guerrilla journalism, and call to action. The power of the film lies in its ability to motivate: it will move you to question the manager at your supermarket; it will move you to learn about food waste and the role it plays in your community. In the end, you might even find yourself in a dumpster. Go to: www.divethefilm.com to watch the trailer.