Dear Shenandoah Valley Food and Farm Network:
Hope you are doing well. We would like to reschedule the next meeting of the Shenandoah Valley Food and Farm Network for Friday, March 16, at 9:30 a.m. We do not want to conflict with the Forum for Rural Innovations and want to encourage people to attend the event. The Forum is scheduled for Friday, March 9, from 8:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the Best Western Lee-Jackson Motor Inn and Conference Center in Winchester.
At the March 16 meeting, we would like to discuss the Virginia Food System Council’s launch of the Grow Virginia’s Economy! Take the $10 a week challenge to Eat Local, Buy Local marketing campaign and ways the effort can be coordinated and promoted throughout the Shenandoah Valley. The Virginia Food System Council with its participating organizations has set this campaign and challenge as a priority based on the recommendations of the Virginia Farm to Table Plan. More details about the challenge will be available on the Council’s website at www.virginiafoodsystemcouncil.org
We would also like to discuss and plan for a 2012 Bike Fresh Shenandoah Valley for possibly mid-summer.
The itinerary for Scott Sheely and George Hurst’s visit to the Valley is coming together. They will be speaking on the topic, “Cultivating Comparative Advantages for Agriculture and Farm-based Entrepreneurship in the 21st Century.” A flier with more details will be available soon.
Additionally, we would like to discuss the idea of a conference around the concept espoused by books such as Small Giants, Slow Money, and Local Dollars, Local Sense among others. As part of the conference, we envision trying to bring in speakers from Zingerman’s Delicatessen (http://www.zingermansdeli.com/), Burgerville (http://www.burgerville.com/)
and others to talk about sustainability, community values, local investment and economies, and their business practices.
There would still be room available if anyone is interested in participating in the learning tour to SW Virginia Farmers Market, Pilot Mountain Pride and the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project.
Again, we apologize for rescheduling, but want to encourage people to participate in the Forum for Rural Innovation.
Best regards,
Eric
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Eric S. Bendfeldt
Extension Specialist, Community Viability
Virginia Cooperative Extension
2322 Blue Stone Hills Drive, Suite 140
Harrisonburg, Virginia 22801
Phone: (540) 432-6029 Ext. 106 Cell: (540) 209-4705
Fax: (540) 432-6251
Email: eben...@vt.edu
Serving the Commonwealth of Virginia
"All the great things are simple, and many can be expressed
in a single word: freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope."
~ Winston Churchill
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