Film Screening Events for the Month of December
Sponsored by Sustainable Shenandoah
December 2nd
Screening of: “Food, Inc.”
Where does your food really come from?
In Food, Inc., Award winning film maker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on the U.S. food industry – an industry that has often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihoods of American farmers, the safety of workers and our own environment
Reviews of: Food, Inc.
“Average people are getting concerned. Amazingly, Wal-Mart signed up with the eco-conscious Stonyfield Farms, due to consumer demand….3½ stars” Roger Ebert
"Don't take another bite till you see Food, Inc., an essential, indelible documentary." - Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
"Essential Viewing” - Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times
"See it. Bring your kids if you have them. Bring someone else's kids if you don't." - David Edelstein, New York Magazine
December 16th
Screening of: “Architecture to Zucchini”
“The people, companies and organizations pioneering sustainability"“an exploration of socially responsible businesses and the passionate leaders who drive them. These are the pioneers who have put the principles of sustainability to work”
Meet for Dinner at 6:00 PM, screening starts @ 7:00 pm
Location: Rainbow Hill at Parkhurst
2547 US 211 W Luray
More information contact 540-244-7164
20091130
20091120
Sustainable Shenandoah Garden 2009
It’s been a busy year for Sustainable Shenandoah. group members participated in establishing a sustainable garden on land a local landowner generously allowed the group to farm. The first year was a great success and learning experience. Producing lots of goodies for group members and to sell at the local farmers market. The watermelons were amazingly delicious, as was everything else! Here’s a summary of how it was done:
Our Garden in Stanley – Spring/Summer garden 2009
The Members of Sustainable Shenandoah decided to show by example (and learn by doing!) the results of striving for sustainability through growing a garden together.
Our garden: Was ‘green manured’ through the turning in of cover crop
Organic horse manure worked in Fertile flood plain soil placed around seeds and seedlings for the best start in the clay we had to work with
Non chemically treated straw used for mulch
Burlap sacks for pathways
Labor donated in exchange for food every week
Veggies and value added organic products sold weekly at the Page County Farmer’s Market
Heirloom non-hybrid seeds used in order to preserve genetic purity and save for the following year
Biodynamic preps used throughout the year following Rudolph Steiner’s Biodynamic Agriculture principles
NO chemicals, pesticides, herbicides. NO chemical fertilizers or soil enhancements. BEYOND ORGANIC!!
The Garden in Stanley – FALL GARDEN 2009
In addition, the group planted a fabulous fall garden, with brussel sprouts, 3 varieties of cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli starting on 8/19 and 9/4/2009, Totaling 597 plants. Then on September 19th collard greens and 2 varieties of kale were planted, bringing the total up to 885 Plants!
Cover crops were planted beginning of October to enrich the soil for next year. Forage radishes with deep roots were planted to alleviate soil compaction as well as and a large broadcasting of cereal rye seed. The book “Managing Cover crops Profitably” describes Cereal Rye as “Inexpensive and easy to establish and it out-performs all other cover crops on infertile and acidic soil.” The purpose of any cover crop is to reduce erosion, provide organic matter, act as a weed suppressor and take up nutrients that may otherwise be leached from the soil. Those nutrients then become available for next years crops.
TOTALLY sustainable! Check out the photos of the fall garden!
Our Garden in Stanley – Spring/Summer garden 2009
The Members of Sustainable Shenandoah decided to show by example (and learn by doing!) the results of striving for sustainability through growing a garden together.
Our garden: Was ‘green manured’ through the turning in of cover crop
Organic horse manure worked in Fertile flood plain soil placed around seeds and seedlings for the best start in the clay we had to work with
Non chemically treated straw used for mulch
Burlap sacks for pathways
Labor donated in exchange for food every week
Veggies and value added organic products sold weekly at the Page County Farmer’s Market
Heirloom non-hybrid seeds used in order to preserve genetic purity and save for the following year
Biodynamic preps used throughout the year following Rudolph Steiner’s Biodynamic Agriculture principles
NO chemicals, pesticides, herbicides. NO chemical fertilizers or soil enhancements. BEYOND ORGANIC!!
The Garden in Stanley – FALL GARDEN 2009
In addition, the group planted a fabulous fall garden, with brussel sprouts, 3 varieties of cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli starting on 8/19 and 9/4/2009, Totaling 597 plants. Then on September 19th collard greens and 2 varieties of kale were planted, bringing the total up to 885 Plants!
Cover crops were planted beginning of October to enrich the soil for next year. Forage radishes with deep roots were planted to alleviate soil compaction as well as and a large broadcasting of cereal rye seed. The book “Managing Cover crops Profitably” describes Cereal Rye as “Inexpensive and easy to establish and it out-performs all other cover crops on infertile and acidic soil.” The purpose of any cover crop is to reduce erosion, provide organic matter, act as a weed suppressor and take up nutrients that may otherwise be leached from the soil. Those nutrients then become available for next years crops.
TOTALLY sustainable! Check out the photos of the fall garden!
20090714
What is Sustainable Agriculture?
Sustainability seems to be the new buzzword of late, much like 'organic' and 'green' have been for the past few years. Now that the term ‘sustainable agriculture’ can be heard all over the airwaves courtesy of a Monsanto ad that began running a few months ago, I thought it would be illuminating to review some definitions of sustainability, and what sustainable agriculture means to those who have been practicing it for millennia.
Sustainability is a term that was only coined 40-45 years ago in response to the challenges our civilization faced such as a burgeoning population, massive industrialization, and migration to the cities. But its roots go back thousands of years and can be found in the teachings of nearly every spiritual tradition.
The frog does not drink up the pond in which it lives.
--Native American proverb
In every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decision on the next seven generations.
~Great Law of the Haude no saunee (Iroquois Nation)
According to Judeo Christian teachings, God brought Adam to the Garden of Eden and said: “Behold my works! See how beautiful they are, how excellent! All that I have created for your sake did I create it. See to it that you do not corrupt and destroy my world; for if you do, there will be no one to repair it after you.
~ Ecclesiastes Rabba7.13
There is no one best definition of sustainability. Each one has its own essence.
To achieve sustainability, a system must be ecologically sound, economically viable, socially just and humane (embodying our highest values--how we treat animals, people and the Earth)
~ Alliance for Sustainability , Manna, 1984
Sustainable development meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
~ U.N. World Commission on Environment & Development, Our Common Future, 1987
Here are some ‘official’ definitions of sustainable agriculture, with their sources.
From the National Safety Council:
sustainable agriculture: Environmentally friendly methods of farming that allow the production of crops or livestock without damage to the farm as an ecosystem, including effects on soil, water supplies, biodiversity, or other surrounding natural resources. The concept of sustainable agriculture is an “intergenerational” one in which we pass on a conserved or improved natural resource base instead of one which has been depleted or polluted. Terms often associated with farms or ranches that are self-sustaining include “low-input,” organic, “ecological,” “biodynamic,” and “permaculture.”
www.nsc.org/ehc/glossar2.html
Legal Definition of Sustainable Agriculture
The term ''sustainable agriculture'' (U.S. Code Title 7, Section 3103) means an integrated system of plant and animal production practices having a site-specific application that will over the long-term:
* Satisfy human food and fiber needs.
* Enhance environmental quality and the natural resource base upon which the agriculture economy depends.
* Make the most efficient use of nonrenewable resources and on-farm resources and integrate, where appropriate, natural biological cycles and controls.
* Sustain the economic viability of farm operations.
* Enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole.
Taking all of the above into consideration, it seems that sustainable agriculture would be geographically limited in order to reduce reliance on products that are shipped in / not locally available. Inputs and outputs would be renewable, as is found in seed saving through the use of heirloom nonhybrid seeds. They would not use chemical pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, or soil amendments, manufactured far away and trucked in and ecologically unsound. This would preclude the use of genetically modified seeds which are also trucked in, require the use of a multiplicity of chemicals, and cannot be saved from the current harvest but must be bought again from a distant corporation as all inputs must for subsequent harvests. The use of chemicals affects the land and water base, as well as the crop, which affects both the current generation NOT using these chemicals because of our shared resource base, as well as those as far away as the Chesapeake…as well as future generations.
True sustainable agriculture therefore would employ the use of heirloom non hybrid seed purchased one time and saved each season for the next.
Only organic compost would be used to improve the soil – green cover crops turned in and composted manure from organically raised species, crop rotation, and companion planting.
Humans coexisted in natural ecosystems since they first arrived on the planet. It was only after World Wars in which munitions waste was turned into fertilizers and chemicals that the oxymoronic ‘green’ revolution was spawned…along with industrial monocropping and its extreme reliance on petroleum and natural gas derived chemical additives. So like the term ‘green revolution’ could not be any further from the truth, so it is with the term ‘conventional’ farming.
To find TRUE ‘conventional’ farming one need only go back to remembering how our grandparents – nearly all of them – lived. Not at all coincidentally this was also before widespread obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.
And so Sustainable Shenandoah is building a completely sustainable, organic and biodynamic garden in Page County, Virginia, as a group of concerned citizens who want to eat well, and want to stop traveling to Charlottesville or Northern Virginia for sustainable, organic food. (NOT very sustainable, that drive, lol!)
We CLEARLY understand that this is a learning process - or rather, a relearning process. It is our thinking that the best way to show ‘it can be done’ is by example...and that one success can build on another.
Sustainability is a term that was only coined 40-45 years ago in response to the challenges our civilization faced such as a burgeoning population, massive industrialization, and migration to the cities. But its roots go back thousands of years and can be found in the teachings of nearly every spiritual tradition.
The frog does not drink up the pond in which it lives.
--Native American proverb
In every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decision on the next seven generations.
~Great Law of the Haude no saunee (Iroquois Nation)
According to Judeo Christian teachings, God brought Adam to the Garden of Eden and said: “Behold my works! See how beautiful they are, how excellent! All that I have created for your sake did I create it. See to it that you do not corrupt and destroy my world; for if you do, there will be no one to repair it after you.
~ Ecclesiastes Rabba7.13
There is no one best definition of sustainability. Each one has its own essence.
To achieve sustainability, a system must be ecologically sound, economically viable, socially just and humane (embodying our highest values--how we treat animals, people and the Earth)
~ Alliance for Sustainability , Manna, 1984
Sustainable development meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
~ U.N. World Commission on Environment & Development, Our Common Future, 1987
Here are some ‘official’ definitions of sustainable agriculture, with their sources.
From the National Safety Council:
sustainable agriculture: Environmentally friendly methods of farming that allow the production of crops or livestock without damage to the farm as an ecosystem, including effects on soil, water supplies, biodiversity, or other surrounding natural resources. The concept of sustainable agriculture is an “intergenerational” one in which we pass on a conserved or improved natural resource base instead of one which has been depleted or polluted. Terms often associated with farms or ranches that are self-sustaining include “low-input,” organic, “ecological,” “biodynamic,” and “permaculture.”
www.nsc.org/ehc/glossar2.html
Legal Definition of Sustainable Agriculture
The term ''sustainable agriculture'' (U.S. Code Title 7, Section 3103) means an integrated system of plant and animal production practices having a site-specific application that will over the long-term:
* Satisfy human food and fiber needs.
* Enhance environmental quality and the natural resource base upon which the agriculture economy depends.
* Make the most efficient use of nonrenewable resources and on-farm resources and integrate, where appropriate, natural biological cycles and controls.
* Sustain the economic viability of farm operations.
* Enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole.
Taking all of the above into consideration, it seems that sustainable agriculture would be geographically limited in order to reduce reliance on products that are shipped in / not locally available. Inputs and outputs would be renewable, as is found in seed saving through the use of heirloom nonhybrid seeds. They would not use chemical pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, or soil amendments, manufactured far away and trucked in and ecologically unsound. This would preclude the use of genetically modified seeds which are also trucked in, require the use of a multiplicity of chemicals, and cannot be saved from the current harvest but must be bought again from a distant corporation as all inputs must for subsequent harvests. The use of chemicals affects the land and water base, as well as the crop, which affects both the current generation NOT using these chemicals because of our shared resource base, as well as those as far away as the Chesapeake…as well as future generations.
True sustainable agriculture therefore would employ the use of heirloom non hybrid seed purchased one time and saved each season for the next.
Only organic compost would be used to improve the soil – green cover crops turned in and composted manure from organically raised species, crop rotation, and companion planting.
Humans coexisted in natural ecosystems since they first arrived on the planet. It was only after World Wars in which munitions waste was turned into fertilizers and chemicals that the oxymoronic ‘green’ revolution was spawned…along with industrial monocropping and its extreme reliance on petroleum and natural gas derived chemical additives. So like the term ‘green revolution’ could not be any further from the truth, so it is with the term ‘conventional’ farming.
To find TRUE ‘conventional’ farming one need only go back to remembering how our grandparents – nearly all of them – lived. Not at all coincidentally this was also before widespread obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.
And so Sustainable Shenandoah is building a completely sustainable, organic and biodynamic garden in Page County, Virginia, as a group of concerned citizens who want to eat well, and want to stop traveling to Charlottesville or Northern Virginia for sustainable, organic food. (NOT very sustainable, that drive, lol!)
We CLEARLY understand that this is a learning process - or rather, a relearning process. It is our thinking that the best way to show ‘it can be done’ is by example...and that one success can build on another.
20090531
Rainbow Hill Music Gala and Sustainable Shenandoah's Great Unleashing!!
Solar Powered Rainbow Hill Music Gala
Saturday, June 6th, 2009
1PM to 9:30PM
2547 US Highway 211 West
Luray, Virginia 22835
Powered by Sunrnr ('Sunrunner') and cosponsored by Sustainable Shenandoah,
FirkinGood.com, SUNRNR, and Rainbow Hill. Free to the public, donations
for the bands welcome.
Come hear seven local bands perform eclectic rock and roll powered by the sun, learn what our sponsors have to offer the local community, and enjoy great food and the best beer and wine selection in Page County! Bands being presented are Book of Kills,
SLeePFeeDeR, Dead Kings Rising, Buck Gooter, PeZJacket, The Furs, and Time---all local and regional bands.
SUNRNR manufactures portable solar generators in Page County, Virginia and is harnessing the Power of the Sun to energize this music
extravaganza!
Sustainable Shenandoah advocates the sustainable relocalization of the Shenandoah Valley…’the way it used to be, only better’…through building community, supporting one another in small business endeavors, and teaching by example and educational offerings how to conserve our natural resources in anticipation of a low energy, financially volatile future.
Saturday, June 6th, 2009
1PM to 9:30PM
2547 US Highway 211 West
Luray, Virginia 22835
Powered by Sunrnr ('Sunrunner') and cosponsored by Sustainable Shenandoah,
FirkinGood.com, SUNRNR, and Rainbow Hill. Free to the public, donations
for the bands welcome.
Come hear seven local bands perform eclectic rock and roll powered by the sun, learn what our sponsors have to offer the local community, and enjoy great food and the best beer and wine selection in Page County! Bands being presented are Book of Kills,
SLeePFeeDeR, Dead Kings Rising, Buck Gooter, PeZJacket, The Furs, and Time---all local and regional bands.
SUNRNR manufactures portable solar generators in Page County, Virginia and is harnessing the Power of the Sun to energize this music
extravaganza!
Sustainable Shenandoah advocates the sustainable relocalization of the Shenandoah Valley…’the way it used to be, only better’…through building community, supporting one another in small business endeavors, and teaching by example and educational offerings how to conserve our natural resources in anticipation of a low energy, financially volatile future.
20090412
Earth Day April 25th on the Greenway!
Luray, Virginia will be celebrating Earth Day with a festival on the Hawksbill Greenway in downtown Luray on April 25th from 10-4. Highlights of the festival include speakers on a range of topics from worm farms to green building to permaculture to converting your car to veggie oil. Also, several demonstrations and information tables will offer teach-ins on how to make a composter and rain barrels, how to raise honeybees, how to make a solar oven and much more. Lots of children’s activities, food and music will be available all day and the festival is free to the public.
20090328
Meetings April 2009 Every Wed. Rainbow Hill
Come at 6PM and have dinner at Rainbow Hill's wonderful cafe. All meetings begin at 7PM.
Sustainable Shenandoah April 2009 Meetings
April 1 no meeting
April 8 film screening ‘How to Save the World’ – If a picture is worth a thousand words - then this video is worth millions. Humanity will take a great stride in guaranteeing its survival if we apply the biodynamic principles expressed in the film, 'How to Save the World'. In an artistic and engaging fashion - we learn about the application of biodynamic farming in India, and how successful and economical it is when compared to expensive and destructive chemical-dependent farming. If you are into farming on a minor or major scale, or know someone who has a small garden in their backyard - the gift of this eye-opening film will be something they will forever thank you for.
April 15 – film screening ‘The Real Dirt on Farmer John’ - You get the idea you've stumbled into a different story when John Peterson, the focal point and protagonist of this little movie, is performing his work on farm machinery looking like Elton John if he had become a farmer. Flamboyantly dressed, we see a man with a colorful personality and an even more colorful past.
Since The Depression John's Scandinavian family obtained a farm in North Central Illinois where corn and hogs kept their existence simple, yet plentiful. After his father died when he was fairly young, John had to take over the farm with his mother's support and his uncle's inspiration. Determined, John like many other of his neighbors, fell upon hard times. Remembering Willie Nelson's initiatives with "Farm Aid" during the eighties, the film reminded me so much of those news reports that showed the farmer's existence being put to the way side. Like many effective documentaries, this film has home movies showing actual auctions as many American farmers lost their livelihood to real estate developers. The shift in America's agriculture is entirely accessible in this fun and informative little DVD.
Education was John's ace in the hole. He went to Beloit Community College during the hippie era and was able to recruit several friends who wanted the communal lifestyle. Artsy met earthy, and John offered a virtual paradise. Yet, differences often create suspicion, and John's neighbors started rumors that devastated him personally and financially. People started to scapegoat John for misfortunes that occurred and labeled him a Satanic cult member. At the head of the opposition was Sheriff Don, who is often interviewed and makes the story less remote and more real.
While John is resourceful, what actually transpires and how he copes is enough to see it all for yourselves. 'The Real Dirt on Farmer John' is an enjoyable experience that yields a large crop of interest.
April 22 – Local Currencies and Local Community Banking Models Around the World
April 29 - TBD
Sustainable Shenandoah April 2009 Meetings
April 1 no meeting
April 8 film screening ‘How to Save the World’ – If a picture is worth a thousand words - then this video is worth millions. Humanity will take a great stride in guaranteeing its survival if we apply the biodynamic principles expressed in the film, 'How to Save the World'. In an artistic and engaging fashion - we learn about the application of biodynamic farming in India, and how successful and economical it is when compared to expensive and destructive chemical-dependent farming. If you are into farming on a minor or major scale, or know someone who has a small garden in their backyard - the gift of this eye-opening film will be something they will forever thank you for.
April 15 – film screening ‘The Real Dirt on Farmer John’ - You get the idea you've stumbled into a different story when John Peterson, the focal point and protagonist of this little movie, is performing his work on farm machinery looking like Elton John if he had become a farmer. Flamboyantly dressed, we see a man with a colorful personality and an even more colorful past.
Since The Depression John's Scandinavian family obtained a farm in North Central Illinois where corn and hogs kept their existence simple, yet plentiful. After his father died when he was fairly young, John had to take over the farm with his mother's support and his uncle's inspiration. Determined, John like many other of his neighbors, fell upon hard times. Remembering Willie Nelson's initiatives with "Farm Aid" during the eighties, the film reminded me so much of those news reports that showed the farmer's existence being put to the way side. Like many effective documentaries, this film has home movies showing actual auctions as many American farmers lost their livelihood to real estate developers. The shift in America's agriculture is entirely accessible in this fun and informative little DVD.
Education was John's ace in the hole. He went to Beloit Community College during the hippie era and was able to recruit several friends who wanted the communal lifestyle. Artsy met earthy, and John offered a virtual paradise. Yet, differences often create suspicion, and John's neighbors started rumors that devastated him personally and financially. People started to scapegoat John for misfortunes that occurred and labeled him a Satanic cult member. At the head of the opposition was Sheriff Don, who is often interviewed and makes the story less remote and more real.
While John is resourceful, what actually transpires and how he copes is enough to see it all for yourselves. 'The Real Dirt on Farmer John' is an enjoyable experience that yields a large crop of interest.
April 22 – Local Currencies and Local Community Banking Models Around the World
April 29 - TBD
20090226
Sustainable Shenandoah Grows For Page County, VA
Sustainable Shenandoah will be offering a barter arrangement, CSA shares, and sales of produce at the Farmer’s Market and daily distribution center. Sustainable Shenandoah follows stringent growing practices including the use of no chemicals, no antibiotics, no Genetically Modified Organisms, organic soil amendments, and organic or biodynamic seeds and sustainable growing practices. Our barter and CSA shares will be available next week.
We hold weekly community education meetings at Rainbow Hill every Wednesday. These meetings are open to the public. The past topics have been ‘The Risks of Genetically Modified Organisms’ and ‘Large Scale Organic Composting’ and ‘Green Composting for Your Garden.’ All materials and DVDs are available for the asking and we have a large lending library. A schedule of upcoming meetings is available at
sustainableshenandoah.blogspot.com
One of our main goals is to educate the community regarding a resource constrained future and is primarily focused on the oil and chemical dependency of our current food system, which, it is our belief, will be under severe stress given the current and future economic climate.
We hold weekly community education meetings at Rainbow Hill every Wednesday. These meetings are open to the public. The past topics have been ‘The Risks of Genetically Modified Organisms’ and ‘Large Scale Organic Composting’ and ‘Green Composting for Your Garden.’ All materials and DVDs are available for the asking and we have a large lending library. A schedule of upcoming meetings is available at
sustainableshenandoah.blogspot.com
One of our main goals is to educate the community regarding a resource constrained future and is primarily focused on the oil and chemical dependency of our current food system, which, it is our belief, will be under severe stress given the current and future economic climate.
20090220
Upcoming Meetings Rainbow Hill Every Wed. 6PM for dinner, 7PM meetings start
Feb. 25 – Chris Freeland, Sustainable Composting
Mar. 4 – Sustainable Shenandoah Group Updates
Mar. 11 – Town Hall Meeting, VFW, Luray (no meeting at Rainbow Hill – Sustainable Shenandoah members PLEASE attend)
Mar. 18 – Film ‘The Future of Food’
Mar. 25 – Permaculture (also showing 32 minute video of ‘Financial Permaculture’ from Hoenwald TN)
Mar. 4 – Sustainable Shenandoah Group Updates
Mar. 11 – Town Hall Meeting, VFW, Luray (no meeting at Rainbow Hill – Sustainable Shenandoah members PLEASE attend)
Mar. 18 – Film ‘The Future of Food’
Mar. 25 – Permaculture (also showing 32 minute video of ‘Financial Permaculture’ from Hoenwald TN)
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