Whether you are thinking of getting into permaculture design, or already trained in it, I highly recommend this video by Geoff Lawton. The DVD can be purchased from the Permaculture Research Institute of Australia. (Their shipping is pretty quick, I had my copy in 7 days or so.)

The 24th Annual Permaculture Design Course at CRMPI (Central Rocky Mountain Permaculture Institute) in Basalt, Colorado

Sunday, September 12th – Sunday, September 25th,  2010

With Peter Bane, Adam Brock, Sarah Montgomery, Kelly Simmons and Jerome Osentowski.

Space is still available. Visit www.crmpi.org to learn more or to sign up!

Advanced Permaculture Design Course by High Altitude Permaculture with Sandy Cruz, Marco Lam, and Alison Peck in Boulder, Colorado.

September 16th – November 18th, 2010.  Ten Thursday evenings 6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. plus two Saturdays 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

For more info, visit www.hialtpc.org

I’d like to thank Sandy Cruz of High Altitude Permaculture, and Jerome Osentowski of Central Rocky Mountain Permaculture Institute for their support!

Check out the Sustainable Food Film Series at the Denver Botanic Gardens!

Series Schedule:

Tuesday, August 17, 6:30 p.m.: FRESH

Tuesday, September 21, 7 p.m.: FOOD FIGHT

Sat., October 2, 11 a.m.: WHAT’S ON YOUR PLATE?

Tuesday, October 19, 7 p.m.: THE GARDEN

FREE ADMISSION. Register online for ticket.  For more information or to register online, visit www.botanicgardens.org

The 2010 Colorado Permaculture Convergence – Creating Perennial Culture!

Sunday, August 22 at the 63rd Street Farm – From 8:30 – 5:30, or later!

• Potluck
• Permaculture Music and Arts
• Speakers and Workshops
• Kids’ Activities
• Farm Tour
• And more!

For complete details, map to the 63rd Street Farm, and contact info, download this PDF flyer.

Sponsored by High Altitude Permaculture and Friends.

By Natasha Gilbert
Natural News, August 6, 2010
Straight to the Source

A genetically modified (GM) crop has been found thriving in the wild for the first time in the United States. Transgenic canola is growing freely in parts of North Dakota, researchers told the Ecological Society of America conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, today.

The scientists behind the discovery say this highlights a lack of proper monitoring and control of GM crops in the United States.

US farmers have dramatically increased their use of GM crops since the plants were introduced in the early 1990s. Last year, nearly half the world’s transgenic crops were grown in US soil – Brazil, the world’s second heaviest user, grew just 16%. GM crops have broken free from cultivated land in several countries, including Canada, the United Kingdom and Japan, but they have not previously been found in uncultivated land in the United States.

“The extent of the escape is unprecedented,” says Cynthia Sagers, an ecologist at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, who led the research team that found the canola (Brassica napus, also known as rapeseed).

>>> Read the Full Article

This workshop will introduce the concept of edible landscaping and its unique application in the unpredictable Rocky Mountain climate. Edible landscapes mimic the natural environment with a diverse, multi-story polyculture systems that can produce fruit, flowers, vegetables, and medicinal herbs in a very limited amount of space. In time, we create a system producing high food yields and requiring very little maintenance.

Two dates available: this Saturday, August 14th, or Saturday, September 4th: 9:00 to 4:30 with a one-hour lunch break.

Cost: $75 – Includes course materials & lunch

Please email jerome@crmpi.org to reserve a space. No deposit required. Additional information can be found on the Central Rocky Mountain Permaculture Institute web site.

Camping is available for overnight stays.

Original article by Dinesh Ramde on Huffington Post

MILWAUKEE — At Wisconsin farmers markets, vendors no longer need licenses to sell pickles, jams and other canned foods, while small farmers in Maine can sell slaughtered chickens without worrying about inspections.

Federal and state laws require that most food sold to the public be made in licensed facilities open to government inspectors. But as more people become interested in buying local food, a few states have created exemptions for amateur chefs who sell homemade goods at farmers markets and on small farms.

The exemptions have touched off a debate about how to balance the need for food safety with a dose of regulatory common sense. Supporters say they recognize food safety regulations designed for big commercial food handlers can be a burden for small-time cooks who just want to make a few extra bucks selling canned goods or other specialty products. Opponents say that without regulation, the public is at risk for food-borne illnesses.

Wisconsin lawmakers enacted the so-called Pickle Bill in February. Among other things, it allows small vendors to sell high-acid canned foods, such as pickled fruits, salsas and sauerkraut, without a license. It does not apply to low-acid canned goods, such as pickled eggs, which typically carry a higher risk of contamination.

To get a license, food processors must have approved refrigeration and ventilation systems, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars, as well as meet strict cleanliness standards and consent to regular inspections. If they don’t own appropriate facilities, they can sometimes rent commercial kitchens.

But even that can cost too much for people who just want to make a few extra dollars, said Joan Arnold, a retiree in Rudolph, Wis. She made a few hundred dollars last year selling jams from berries she grows in her garden before she learned of the regulations.

“I don’t make that much. I’m just doing this as a hobby, to make a little bit of money,” Arnold said. “I don’t want to just throw the berries in the compost heap.”

She’s now exempt from the rules under the Pickle Bill, which applies to people who earn less than $5,000 a year from food sales. Their products, however, must be labeled as made in a facility not subject to state inspection.

Read the Full Article

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

It seems that eating local continues to be a growing trend, and corporate “local-washing” has been popping more and more.  An article on Grist recently talked about McDonald’s ad campaigns in western Washington where they are touting the local mantra. They are advertising that their locations in western Washington are using a large percent (up to 95% in some cases) of potatoes, apples and milk from Washington, and fish from the Pacific Northwest.

I’d have to assume they have been doing this for some time since it is surely more efficient to buy Washington produce and send it to their Washington locations.  What I wonder is if they really think “locavores” are going to say “Oh, McDonald’s supports local farms, I’ll eat there!” And for those not into the local food thing, it seems the message may go unnoticed.  And really, McDonald’s is buying from industrial mono-crop farms, and not small, diverse, sustainable farms, so there is still that issue.

I was also reading how Hellmann’s mayonnaise, owned by Unilever a food processing giant, is testing a new “Eat Real, Eat Local” ad campaign in Canada.  Trying to associate Hellmenn’s with local food, while backing that up by saying most of its ingredients come from North America.

Then there are the ads from Frito-Lay using farmers to pitch their potato chips as local food, and Foster Farms, one of the nations largest producers of poultry products, is also labeling its chicken and turkey as “locally grown”.

With the term “local” being so nebulous, it is easy for corporations to co-opt the term and use it as they like to try to capitalize on the current “local” trend.  Sure, perhaps some food at McDonald’s, or Frito Lay Potato chips may actually be local in some parts of the country.  And I’m sure many consumers may go to their “local” Walmart or other corporate chain, and they are right in calling it local, in relation to where they live.

While the corporations try to get on the local bandwagon, I am sure most people will recognize that they are not being authentic and are just trying to capitalize on a trend.  Local is small-scale, locally and independently owned, locally grown and distributed, and also keeping more money in the local economy.  Most people will probably understand that point and not be swayed by “local-washing.”