We list all events of interest to the Peace and Justice Community on our Events Page, not just those sponsored by the Peace Education and Action Center. If you would like to submit an event for posting, please email it to peacenter@gmail.com.
2010 Florida Small Farms Conference Saturday, July 31st and Sunday, August 1st Osceola Heritage
Park in Kissimmee
The
first ever Florida Small Farms and Alternative Enterprises Conference
was held on August 1-2, 2009. The success was incredible
with 800 attendees. Shortly after the 2009 conference the Stakeholder
Planning Committee let it be known they were ready to immediately begin
planning for the 2010 conference. The 2010 Florida Small Farms and
Alternative Enterprises Conference has been set for Saturday, July 31st
and Sunday, August 1st. The great excitement surrounding the first
conference promises the 2010 event will be even better. The Conference includes many activities that benefit small farmers:
- A general educational session to attract well known speakers
on topics of broad interest.
- Concurrent educational sessions (presentations, workshops,
hands-on demonstration, and discussion groups) will be provided to share
results of groundbreaking research and provide educational support for
producers to operate sustainable and profitable enterprises.
- A large exhibition area to introduce new products and technologies
to small producers will be available. Industry suppliers, allied
organizations, educational groups, funding agencies, foundations, and
other allied industry representatives with services for small farmers
will be encouraged to participate. The 2009 conference attracted 80
exhibitors and well over 100 are expected in 2010.
- Other activities will include other creative ways to facilitate
farmer networking at the Conference.
- All these activities in total will help facilitate networking,
dialogue, and visioning among members of the Florida small farms
community, and to increase awareness of the small farms industry to
decision makers, supporting institutions, and the general public.
For more information, visit the 2010 Small Farms Conferencepage on the University of Florida Agricultural Extension Service website.
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The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil

Tuesday, August 10th, 7-9pm
Location: Unitarian Universalist Church of Sarasota, 3975 Fruitville Road
When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1990, Cuba's economy went into a
tailspin. With imports of oil cut by more than half – and food by 80
percent – people were desperate. This film tells of the hardships and
struggles as well as the community and creativity of the Cuban people
during this difficult time. Cubans share how they transitioned from a
highly mechanized, industrial agricultural system to one using organic
methods of farming and local, urban gardens. It is an unusual look into
the Cuban culture during this economic crisis, which they call "The
Special Period." The film opens with a short history of Peak Oil, a
term for the time in our history when world oil production will reach
its all-time peak and begin to decline forever. Cuba, the only country
that has faced such a crisis – the massive reduction of fossil fuels –
is an example of options and hope.
Dave Beaton and Johannes Werner will introduce the film by telling of their experiences of Cuba before, during and after "The
Special Period."
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Wednesday, August 11, 7-9pm NVC Practice Community
This multi-level NVC community warmly welcomes you to join in every other Wednesday in Sarasota to practice
the NVC process with others, gain a deeper understanding of the work
by way of activities, role plays and experiential exercises, and
belong to a community that endeavors to intentionally live the NVC
consciousness. Your presence and co-creation of this growing
community is encouraged. If you are new to NVC, attending an intro workshop is strongly preferred.
Wednesdays
August 11 & 25
September 1, 15 & 29
Time: 6:30 to 8:30 pm
Location: PEACenter at Friends Meeting 3139 57th Street @ Lockwood Ridge Road,
just south of University Pkwy. North Sarasota
Cost: Free. Suggested contributions for space/materials of $5-15 appreciated
Host: Mercedes Frace & other NVC enthusiasts!
Information: 492-9279
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Thursday, August 12th, 7pm
Mote Responds to Oil in Gulf
What:
Manatee-Sarasota Group General Meeting
Where:
Sarasota Garden Club,
1131 Boulevard of the Arts, Sarasota
A representative of Mote Marine Laboratory will speak
about its three-part approach to the possibility of the
Gulf oil disaster impacting the Southwest Florida coast.
Erin “Tommy” Vaughan-Birch of the Mote Speakers Bureau
will discuss the laboratory’s preparations to date and
future plans, which depend on changing conditions in the
Gulf. Sara Kane, Sarasota Bay Estuary Program, will join
the discussion.
Bring a dessert to share during social time after the program.
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The Transition Movement: From Oil Dependence to Local Resilience
Monday August 16
5:30-7:30pm
Venice Public Library 300 S. Nokomis Ave.
(on the Island)...Venice 34285
In this interactive presentation by Transition Sarasota founder Don Hall, we will explore a new vision for our collective future.
The worldwide Transition Movement is an innovative grassroots response to the greatest challenges of ourtime.
Come learn how Transition Initiatives are revitalizing local agriculture, strengthening local economy, and rebuilding authentic
community in the face of peak oil, climate change, and economic crisis. Ask questions, develop your own vision, and find out
how you can become involved."******************************
Tuesday, August 24, 5:30-7:30pmOrganic Gardening with Peter BurkhardFruitville Library, 100 Coburn Road

Arriving
just in time to get your garden ready for Fall planting, this
introductory class will cover the why, when, where, and how to produce
your own food organically in Sarasota and Manatee counties, as well as
the most common mistakes novices make. It will focus primarily on
in-ground production, but those who prefer containers will also benefit.
Instructor Peter Burkard has been growing food his entire life. His experience in
...
Florida spans nearly four decades and includes the production of
vegetables, fruits, herbs, honey, and eggs for self and market. He is
the author of The Real Dirt: An Organic Grower's Journey and the Values
That Inspired It. You can find Peter every Saturday at the Downtown
Sarasota Farmers Market. He also writes a regular column for Edible
Sarasota Magazine.
This event is free and open to the public. More in-depth and hands-on workshops with Peter will follow.*************************************
Saturday/Sunday, September 11-12
PAX CHRISTI FLORIDA
2010 ASSEMBLY
“Prophetic Challenges to
Unjust Structures,” Pax Christi Florida ’s
2010 Statewide Assembly, will be September
11-12 at the DaySpring Conference
Center in Ellenton. The
conference will feature workshops on incarceration and prisoner re-integration,
the Middle East, immigration, Haiti ,
and keeping the reforms of Vatican II alive. FMI, including registration,
a schedule, and speaker biographies, click here
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Film Screening: No Impact ManTuesday, September 14th, 7-9pm
Location: Unitarian Universalist Church of Sarasota, 3975 Fruitville Road

Author Colin Beavan, in research for his next book, began the No Impact
Project in November 2006. A newly self-proclaimed environmentalist who
could no longer avoid pointing the finger at himself, Colin leaves
behind his liberal complacency and vows to make as little environmental
impact as possible for one year. No more automated transportation, no
more electricity, no more non-local food, no more material
consumption…no problem. That is, until his espresso-guzzling,
retail-worshipping wife, Michelle, and their two year-old daughter are
dragged into the fray. What began as one man’s environmental
experiment quickly becomes an experiment in how much one woman is
willing to sacrifice for her husband’s dreams. Laura Gabbert and
Justin Schein’s film provides both a front-row seat into the experiment
that became a national fascination and media sensation, and a
behind-the-scenes look at the marital challenges that result from Colin
and Michelle’s radical lifestyle change.
A representative of the Manatee-Sarasota
Sierra Club
will be invited to introduce the film and lead an interactive exercise
that encourages people to reduce their own environmental footprint.
This could take the form of a simple presentation, a pledge of action,
or something else entirely.
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Film Screening: FRESH, the MovieTuesday, October 12th, 7-9pm
Location: Unitarian Universalist Church of Sarasota, 3975 Fruitville Road

FRESH celebrates the farmers, thinkers and business people across
America who are re-inventing our food system. Each has witnessed the
rapid transformation of our agriculture into an industrial model, and
confronted the consequences: food contamination, environmental
pollution, depletion of natural resources, and morbid obesity. Forging
healthier, sustainable alternatives, they offer a practical vision for
a future of our food and our planet.
A
panel discussion about the local foodshed with Robert Kluson of the
Sarasota County Agricultural Extension Service, as well as local growers and representatives of
Slow Food Greater
Sarasota, and other local food-related organizations.
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