EVENTS

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.

---

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."

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

Wednesday, August 11, 7-9pm


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.

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

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

Tuesday, August 24, 5:30-7:30pm
Organic Gardening with Peter Burkhard
Fruitville 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   

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

Film Screening:  No Impact Man
Tuesday, 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.

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

Film Screening: FRESH, the Movie
Tuesday, 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.

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