[Scpg] Announcements from the SARC, SLO Calpoly CA

Thu Aug 7 02:12:10 PDT 2003

Greetings from Cal Poly!

Campus is quiet, but a lot is happening at the Student Farm this summer!  Our
CSA 
program is in full swing and bringing many new faces to the Student
Experimental
Farm.  SARC-sponsored summer workshops on native plants and biointensive mini-
farming have also helped keep things buzzing.  We look forward to stewarding
the
native plants biointensive plots planted by Continuing Education students
this 
summer  and hope you will come check them out this fall!

In the meantime, here are a few events/opportunities happening in coming
weeks:

1.  WATER SMART Gardening at the SLO Botanical Garden this Saturday (8/9)
2.  STUCCO PARTY at the Student Experimental Farm next Wednesday (8/13)
3.  URBAN AGRICULTURE workshop in Santa Barbara (8/21-24)
4.  Special forum on SUSTAINABLE BUILDING at the SLO Library (Monday, 8/25)
5.  Community EQUINOX FESTIVAL at the Student Farm (Saturday, 9/20)
6.  BIODYNAMIC study group forming at the Student Farm
7.  EISENHOWER FELLOWSHIP will send a U.S. farmer to Europe FREE
8.  Check out the new RODALE WEBSITE  a great resource for organic farmers

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1.  The San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden Presents:  "WATER SMART GARDENING"
on August 9th with Atascadero Mutual Water Company Water Conservation
Manager, 
Jim Patterson.  Jim is a certified arborist and landscape irrigation auditor,
and 
former owner of Bay Laurel Garden Center in Atascadero.  Jim will be giving a 
presentation on how to better manage water applications in the landscape and 
garden, including the role of plants, soil and climate in the water-use
trilogy.
Time: 1-4 p.m. at the SLO Botanical Garden.  For details: see www.slobg.org.

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2.  STUCCO FEST at the Student Farm, all day Wednesday 8/13!  We are busily 
putting the finishing touches on the new packing shed that was donated to
us by

the AgEd Department and the College of Ag Farm Operations Dept.  Next week,
we 
will start applying the plaster finish and would greatly appreciate having 
helpers, ESPECIALLY those with stucco experience.  We will spend all day
Tuesday
finishing prep work.  If you would be able to help on either day, please call 
756-5086 for details.

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***

3.  Making the Connection Between LOCALLY GROWN FOOD AND COMMUNITY: A
conference
on urban agriculture with Michael Ableman, Rick Knoll, Will Bullock, Laura
Tourte 
and others will run from August 21-24, 2003 at the Center for Urban
Agriculture

at Fairview Gardens in Goleta, CA.  $325-$375 sliding scale, includes lunch.  
This intensive three-and-a-half-day workshop, presented by Bioneers, will
focus

on practical strategies for land acquisition, space-intensive production,
soil 
fertility, propagation of specialty crops, successful local marketing and 
developing local food systems.  Participants will come away with clear
direction
and a "tool kit" for how to begin or enhance existing operations.  For more
info, 
visit www.bioneers.org.

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***

4.  Library Forum on SUSTAINABLE BUILDING PRACTICES, Monday 8/25 at 7:00 -
9:00

p.m. at San Luis Obispo Public Library, 995 Palm St.  This community forum
will

focus on sustainable building practices, particularly incentives given by
utility 
and other organizations to encourage implementation of sustainable design in
new
buildings.  Special focus will be given to the proposed "Student Housing
North"

development proposed for the Cal Poly campus.  The event will include 
presentations by and information from local architects, sustainability
groups, 
Cal Poly, planners, developers, and building and utility organizations.  This 
should be a great opportunity to learn more about how the goal of sustainable 
building is approached from many perspectives.

*****************************************************************************

5.  EQUINOX  PARTY and POND CONSTRUCTION at the Student Farm 3-7 p.m. on 
Saturday, September 20th.  Co-sponsored by the Terra Foundation for Deep
Ecology, 
this community event, free to the public, will include tours, an informal
farm 
work party, final placement/construction of a small new pond next to our
festival 
circle, and end with a POTLUCK BBQ.  A great opportunity to meet new people
and

welcome the new season.  More details to follow later.

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6.  An informal study group is forming to discuss the methods of BIODYNAMIC 
AGRICULTURE, based on the writings of Rudolf Steiner and relying heavily on
crop
diversification, special compost preparations, seasonal rhythms and folkloric 
wisdom.  The group intends to meet 2 Sunday mornings per month at the Student 
Farm.  For further information, call 756-5086.

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7.  The EISENHOWER FELLOWSHIP will pay to send an experienced U.S. farmer to 
Europe for 4-8 weeks for discussions on organic production and food safety in 
2004.  The deadline to register is Sept. 15th, 2003.  The Fellowship will
explore 
the topics of "Marketing and Production of Organics" and "Food Safety in
Animal

Agriculture: Disease Control."  The selected farmer will meet with European
Union 
officials, small and commercial farmers, national government representatives,
and 
university researchers.  The successful candidate will be a farmer with 
demonstrated leadership experience, excellent networking avenues, and a long 
future ahead of him or her in agriculture.  The Fellowship covers all 
international and domestic travel, hotel accommodations and meals for Fellow
and
spouse.  Request application information from N. Chawla, at 215-546-1738 or 
nchawla at eisenhowerfellowships.org.

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***

8.  UPDATED RODALE WEBSITE, www.NewFarm.org features new, free resources to
help
organic farmers succeed.  This site provides farmers with free, A-Z news, 
research and market data on organic and sustainable agriculture.  New
features 
include the new Organic Price Index™ (OPX™), the first and only free service 
offering farmers critical and timely market pricing data, a "Farm Locator" 
helping wholesale and retail customers find producers in their region, a 
"Partnership Program" a resource for the dispersal of cutting edge
information 
(articles, research etc.) relevant to organic farming, and "New Farm 
International"  accounts from farmers around the world, including Cuba, 
Guatemala, India, Japan, Kenya, Laos, New Zealand, Thailand, and Switzerland.

............................................................................
...

Hunter Francis
Program Coordinator
Sustainable Agriculture Resource Consortium
c/o Horticulture and Crop Science Department
California Polytechnic State University
San Luis Obispo, California  93407
(805)756-5086
..............

Santa Barbara Permaculture Network
(805) 962-2571
sbpcnet at silcom.com
www.sbpermaculture.org

"We are like trees, we must create new leaves, in new directions, in order to
grow." - Anonymous