So many gardening and farming opportunities!
Transition Kitchener-Waterloo
Greetings Transitioners,
We've got a ton of gardening and farming opportunities to advertise within the community - see below for all the options.
Our TransitionKW Core Group meeting is this Wednesday night - that’s tomorrow!
When: Wednesday February 19, 7pm
Where: LSPIRG office, 3rd floor of 165 Albert Street, Waterloo
Angel posted to the blog about the Repair Cafe, so check it out here: http://www.transitionkw.com/2014/02/14/repair-cafe/. Angel also has a community gardening opportunity available, see details in Community Notes below. There are a couple of other urban gardening opportunities available through other groups, also advertised below.
Do you participate in Transition KW events or volunteer with the organization? If not, please fill out this survey! We are looking to improve our method of engaging people just like you! This is a very short (less than five minutes) ANONYMOUS survey. The survey can be found here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/14f59igD-aao_p-lCoRbZGHnqGgS5-aZlmR6lGXnq1OQ/viewform Thank you in advance for your participation!
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Sylvie Spraakman
Facilitator, TransitionKW
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Community Notes
1. Seedy Saturday: Enjoy free gardening workshops, community information booths, a community seed exchange and seeds for sale, including heritage varieties. Master Gardeners will be on hand to answer your gardening questions. This is an event worth attending – get inspired about the new season ahead!
When: Saturday March 22, 9am-2:30pm
Where: Country Hills Library/St Mary’s High School, 1500 Block Line Rd
2. Help build a community garden! Do you want to help to build a new Community Garden in Kitchener? We are looking for people able to organize the work crew to build the new site as well as to manage the Community Garden once is finished. No previous experience with Community Gardens is required as we will have the assistance of experienced mentors and gardeners. Contact Angel at angel...@gmail.com to get involved or if you have questions.
3. Organic Farming Internships in Ontario, Full-time seasonal in Southwestern Ontario
If you're ready for a full, hands-on experience that will immerse you in ecological farming then you've come to the right place. CRAFT Ontario is your gateway to a farming internship experience that will change your life. Whether your dream is to have your own organic farm one day or just want to learn some food growing and hands-on skills that can be applied in other careers and lifestyles, a farming internship is a powerful experience that will equip you with the tools and insights to make a real difference in the world.
Contact Nicola Inglefield at CRAFT SW Ontario for more information! nicola.i...@gmail.com
4. Backyard garden share! Hello! We have garden space available in our uptown Waterloo backyard. Here are the details:
Address: 45 Young Street East, Waterloo
Number of gardens available: 5 10x10 plots (can also be divided into
smaller sections)
Available as soon as the soil can be turned!
There is access to water all the time. We will ask for a contribution to
the monthly water bill.
Gardeners will be required to sign a liability waiver.
Optional contribution to the renting of a group rototiller (I've already
had an offer from someone to do the tilling)
Tools: we are looking into the purchase of a small garden-shed and
community tools, for which we will gladly accept contributions.
All produce grown will belong to the growers; we just want to share the
space!
contact: Alison Feuerwerker
5. Urban Agriculture Internship Available at the Working Centre. Interns will work alongside staff and volunteers to grow vegetables and flowers, using a “small-plot intensive” (SPIN) model on about 2 acres of land. Opportunities for learning include: establishing a successful local flower farm, learning about soil fertility, greenhouse work, crop rotation, pests and diseases, planting, nurturing and harvesting crops using organic methods. There will also be opportunities to learn about preparing, marketing, and selling the vegetables. The learning will be both “on the job” as well as self-directed and self-initiated.
We are looking for individuals who are eager to engage with the community and are interested in beginning a conversation into the unique ways they can contribute to the project. Included in this conversation will be the potential time commitment as well as the amount of financial support we can offer.
Please send your cover letter and resume to haci...@theworkingcentre.org before 9am on Tuesday, February 18th.
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Green News Roundup
There’s Tons of Money in the Ground: A strong GDP is generally considered a good thing, so what’s the problem? Absolutely nothing - as long as you ignore the future costs, both financial and environmental. You might want to note who paid for this study.
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/02/12/canadian-oilsands-economic-impact_n_4776472.html
So Why Aren’t More of Us Making Stuff? : Are you in the market for a gigantic bulldozer or an attractive oil rig? If not, and you want to buy “Made in Canada” or make stuff here, you may be out of luck:
http://www2.macleans.ca/2014/02/14/albertas-jobless-factory-boom-chart/#.UwELe85RGBM.gmail
Indonesia is Far Away, So it’s Not our Problem: According to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, that’s basically the attitude of big oil and coal companies. In a speech in Jakarta, Kerry told the audience, “it’s not an exaggeration to say that to say that your entire way of life here is at risk.” If he believes, as he said: “... climate change can now be considered the world’s largest weapon of mass destruction…”,
refusing to approve the XL Pipeline is a genuine no-brainer. Read more:
The Promise of Transition: Suppose you are faced with three impending crises. Probably won’t help much to just deal with one or even two. Doesn’t it make sense to start now to transition to a place where all three can be managed? Wouldn’t that be a healthier and happier place to be?: