Sustinable Living Arts School--Edible Landscaping--Vancouver

http://www.ediblelandscapes.ca/SLA_School.html

You will learn skills you can put to immediate use:

• winter gardening
• herbal medicines
• long term storage of foods
• seed saving
• water management
• plant propagation
• bee keeping
• fowl rearing
• woodlot management
• garden planning
• mushroom cultivation
  and more!

Fifth National Small Farm Conference--Exploring Alternative Enterprises and Marketing Opportunities

http://www.conferences.uiuc.edu/conferences/conferenceviewer2/view.cfm?conf=20033&page=20189&theme=&palette=










1. agritourism
2. alternative enterprises
3. aquaculture
4. internet marketing
5. cooperatives
6. farm to school
7. local food systems
8. marketing (national and international)
9. organic production
10. fiber and biofuel crops
11. nontraditional and emerging crops
12. urban farming
13. value added
14. variables in determining marketing options
15. medicinal plants
16. season extenders/high tunnels
17. contracting with larger producers

Iowa State Local Food Mapping Program

Iowa State just released a program that allows the user to search for just about any specialty/niche product in the state. This is an excellent tool for both farmers and food buyers to find the markets they need. Programs like these are what's needed to advance local food consumption in Iowa.
Just found a sweet local food mapping program from Iowa State

http://ia.marketmaker.uiuc.edu/index.php

Cleveland, OH to OK Farm Animals in City

http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/1233653414210720.xml&coll=2

Free Permaculture Pamphlets

http://www.churchofdeepecology.org/permaculture.htm

1. Intro to Permaculture

2. Permaculture in Humid Landscapes

3. Permaculture in Arid Landscapes

4. Permaculture in Low Islands & Permaculture in High Islands & Permaculture in Granite Landscapes

5. Permaculture for Fire Control & Permaculture for Millionaires

6. Designing for Permaculture

7. Permaculture Techniques

8. Forests in Permaculture

9. Water in Permaculture

10. Permaculture in Urban Areas & Urban - Rural Links

11. The Permaculture Community

12. The Permaculture Alternative

Revolving Loan Program for Renewable Energy

http://www.dsireusa.org/library/includes/incentive2.cfm?Incentive_Code=IA06F&state=IA&CurrentPageID=1&RE=1&EE=1

Summary:

The Alternate Energy Revolving Loan Program (AERLP) is administered by the Iowa Energy Center and funded by the state's investor-owned utilities. The AERLP provides loan funds to individuals and organizations that seek to build renewable energy production facilities in Iowa. Eligible renewable energy technologies include solar, biomass, wind and small hydro. Successful applicants will receive a single, low-interest loan that consists of a combination of AERLP funds and matching lender-provided funds. The AERLP provides 50% of the total loan at 0% interest, with a maximum of $1 million. The remainder of the loan is provided by a lender at market rate. The maximum loan term allowed for the AERLP funds is 20 years. As the loans are paid back to the Iowa Energy Center, those funds are channeled back into the program and are made available to new applicants.

Depaving Our Streets For Gardens

Follow this link to view a short little clip on how a one organization based out of Portland, OR is organizing volunteers to rip up pavement in exchange for community gardens and green space.

http://www.streetfilms.org/archives/depaving-day/

Get inspired, the day will come when you may be doing this in your neighborhood!