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Webinar - In Situ PCB Remediation?...In Situ Sediment Remediation Using Benthic Waterjet Amendment Placement - November 16, 2011 1:00PM-3:00PM EST (18:00-20:00 GMT).
Dr. Burken will present his work using traditionally high pressure waterjet in a new and innovative manner to inject remediation amendments such as powdered activated carbon at varying depths in contaminated sediments. This method also decreases contaminant bioavailability and minimizes resuspension and the impact on benthic communities. Waterjet placement can be applied for a suite of amendments targeting nearly all common sediment contaminants, specifically polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), and redox sensitive metals. In addition, the waterjet can be used for sediments with overlaying caps. For more information and to register, see http://www.clu-in.org/live/default.cfm#NARPM_Presents...In_Situ_Sediment_Remediation_Using_Benthic_Waterjet_Amendment_Placement_20111116.
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Darrow School’s “Growing.Greener” Initiative Goes Public
NEW LEBANON, NY—Darrow School has announced the public phase of “growing.greener,” a $2.5 million initiative aimed at funding a wide array of projects, all of which will contribute to the School’s long-range sustainability goals. Launched by the Board of Trustees in May 2010, growing.greener will help Darrow ensure a strong fiscal future, with a structurally sound, energy-efficient, historic campus, and an improved quality of life and education for students and faculty. On October 14, 2011, Darrow closed the quiet phase of the campaign, with more than 58 percent (approximately $1.4 million) already raised.
“At Darrow, we are always focused on preserving the historic character of our beautiful campus,” said Head of School Nancy Wolf. “We take that stewardship charge quite seriously. But the very things that lend it that character—the mountainside setting, the landmark structures, and the Shaker heritage—also make it challenging to operate a modern school.”
A National Historic Landmark, Darrow is the only school in the nation located on the site of a historic Shaker Village. Its students, teachers, and staff work, live, and study in many original Shaker buildings constructed in the 19th century, structures that were never designed for electricity, heating, indoor plumbing, or other modern necessities. “These old buildings were not built with energy in mind, and that results in huge inefficiencies, ” said John Gratiot, chair of the growing.greener Committee, a member of the Darrow School Board of Trustees, and a 1968 graduate of the School. “We’re talking about compromised foundations and basements, deteriorating exterior walls and roofs, warped woodwork and window frames, and numerous other threats to the operation of the School’s physical plant.”
“The Shakers didn’t have to grapple with things like high fuel costs, thermal bridging, complex computer networks, or the many other challenges we face daily in making Darrow a healthy and comfortable educational environment,” said Gratiot, an engineer by profession. “Historic preservation is also sustainable development. It means more than just renovating a space or retrofitting some mechanical equipment. It means ensuring that these facilities will be able to grow as Darrow grows, so that future generations will be able to enjoy its celebrated beauty while living and working in a contemporary school environment that can fully meet their needs. And it means securing financial viability so that we can showcase Darrow as a model of thinking, learning, and living sustainably.”
The growing.greener initiative isn’t Darrow’s first long-range plan to implement a sustainable solution to a physical problem. Responding to the needs of an aging septic system in the ‘90s, Darrow constructed the nation’s only secondary-school-operated wastewater treatment plant, called the Living Machine, which began operation in 1998. Located in the Samson Environmental Center, the Living Machine treats all the campus’s wastewater and returns it to the water table in pristine condition, making a positive contribution to a healthier Hudson River watershed. The Living Machine’s inclusion in the school’s program of study has brought Darrow national recognition for its environmental education curriculum, and attracts hundreds of visitors each year.
That solution, Wolf notes, was more than just a short-term repair job to fix an urgent problem; it was a long-range solution that not only resolved an immediate dilemma but moved the school’s mission forward and greatly enriched the community as a whole. With growing.greener, she said, Darrow has another opportunity to implement a far-sighted solution to the pressing needs it faces today.
“The growing.greener initiative is an innovative investment strategy,” said Gratiot. “It is focused on substantially improving three key areas—human, economic, and environmental sustainability. We are investing in those elements of Darrow’s physical and academic environment that will preserve the school’s mission and values, while nurturing its evolution as a 21st-century school. It’s a triple bottom line, with a win-win-win objective.”
Projects funded by the initiative, Gratiot said, will provide a substantial return on the initial investments being made through growing.greener. Some of these projects, such as improved heating systems, insulation, and storm windows, have already had a positive impact on the school’s energy expenses, and will especially improve outcomes in the coming winter. Others, such as “greening” the transportation fleet through the purchase of energy-efficient school buses and vans, upgrading technology for students and teachers, and building endowment, will pay dividends for many years and decades to come.
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Why is Johnson's Baby Shampoo safer in some countries than others?
Why are babies in the U.S., Canada, Australia, China, and Indonesia being exposed to carcinogens in Johnson's Baby Shampoo when safer alternatives are available in other countries? We'd like to know!
Johnson's Baby Shampoo is safer in some countries than others. Why? Ask J&J
More than two years ago, our partners at the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics released the groundbreaking report No More Toxic Tub, which revealed that popular kids' bath products – including Johnson's Baby Shampoo – contained chemicals linked to cancer. They promptly asked Johnson & Johnson to reformulate its iconic baby shampoo and specifically to remove the formaldehyde-releasing chemical quaternium-15, and they have kept up the pressure on Johnson & Johnson through letters and meetings.
Fast-forward to now. Not only is the company still exposing babies in the U.S. and other countries to formaldehyde (a known carcinogen), the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics recently discovered that J&J is selling versions of the shampoo in Denmark, Finland, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, South Africa, Sweden and the U.K. that DON'T contain formaldehyde- releasing chemicals.
This double standard is unacceptable and we know J&J can do better. Every baby – regardless of where she or he lives – should be protected from unnecessary exposure to carcinogens.
Please write to Johnson & Johnson today to demand safe products for all babies, in every market, at every price point. For the full story on the Johnson & Johnson double standard scandal, read the Campaign for Safe Cosmetic's new report, Baby’s Tub is Still Toxic.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Saunders,
for the Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow team
262 Washington Street, Suite 301
Boston, MA 02108
617-338-8131
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New EPA Publication on Using Biological Assessment to Support Water Quality Management
Water Headlines for the week of October 31, 2011
EPA has published A Primer on Using Biological Assessment to Support Water Quality Management. This technical document serves as a primer on the role of biological assessments in a variety of water quality management program applications including reporting on the condition of aquatic biota, developing biological criteria, and assessing environmental results of management actions. The primer provides information on new technical tools and approaches for developing strong biological assessment programs and examples of application of biological assessment information by states and tribes.
For more information: http://water.epa.gov/scitech/swguidance/standards/criteria/aqlife/biocriteria/index.cfm
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EPA Develops New Planning Approach to Improve Water Quality in U.S. Cities
Water Headlines for the week of October 31, 2011
EPA announced a commitment to using an integrated planning process to help local governments dealing with difficult financial conditions identify opportunities to achieve clean water by controlling and managing releases of wastewater and stormwater runoff more efficiently and cost effectively. The integrated planning process, outlined in a guidance memo to EPA’s regional offices from EPA’s Office of Water and Office of Enforcement and Compliance, will help municipalities prioritize infrastructure investments to address the most serious water quality issues and provide flexibility to use innovative, cost-effective stormwater and wastewater management solutions.
EPA will work with local governments to review the Clean Water Act requirements that each municipality must comply with and look for opportunities to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of solutions developed to meet those obligations. This integrated approach will identify efficiencies where more than one water quality issue can be addressed by the same solution and where competing requirements may exist, including how to best make capital investments and meet operation and maintenance requirements.
Integrated planning approaches can also have other benefits, like leading to the identification of innovative, sustainable solutions that improve water quality and enhance community vitality. Green infrastructure, such as green roofs, rain gardens, planter boxes, and permeable pavement, is an example of an integrated solution that can reduce, capture, and treat stormwater runoff at its source before it can reach the sewer system. Green infrastructure provides a cost effective way to reduce overflows and add green space in communities.
Read the EPA memorandum: http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/integratedplans.cfm
For more information on green infrastructure: http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/home.cfm?program_id=298
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Food Companies Petitioned to Ban New Monsanto GMO Corn
(Reuters) - Opponents of Monsanto's new genetically modified sweet corn are petitioning national food retailers and processors to ban the biotech corn, which is not labeled as being genetically altered from conventional corn.
A coalition of health, food safety and environmental organizations said they have collected more than 264,000 petition signatures from consumers who do not want to buy the corn.
The coalition includes the Center for Environmental Health, the Center for Food Safety, and Food & Water Watch. It said it is pressing 10 of the top national retail grocery stores to ban the corn, including Wal-Mart, Kroger and Safeway. It is also asking top canned and frozen corn processors including Bird's Eye and Del Monte to ban the modified corn.
The coalition said General Mills and Trader Joe's have already indicated that they will not be using the Monsanto biotech sweet corn in their products.
The coalition said the biotech corn would be used in canned and frozen foods as well as sold fresh, but will be indistinguishable to consumers from conventional corn because the U.S. government does not require genetically altered food products to be labeled. <;MORE>
Ways you can help make your voice heard: Millions Against Monsanto & Just Label It
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Formaldehyde, Styrene Added To U.S. Health Department's Carcinogens List
Huffington Post
Formaldehyde, a preservative used in labs and mortuaries, and styrene, the chemical used to m ake styrofoam cups and food containers, were among six chemicals that were added today to the U.S. health department's list of chemicals that are known to cause cancer or could raise the risk of cancer.
Formaldehyde, which is also used in the manufacturing of household products, and aristolochic acids, which are present in some plant species, were classified by government scientists as known carcinogens, according to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) report. Certain herbal medicines and botanic foods may contain aristalochic acids as a contaminant.
Styrene, riddelliine (found in certain plant species), captafol (a pesticide), cobalt-tungsten carbide (a metal in powder or hard form), certain kinds of inhalable glass wool fibers (used for insulation) and o-nitrotoluene (used in the production of dyes and chemicals) were classified as substances that can reasonably be anticipated to be human carcinogens, the NIEHS said.
People are usually exposed to styrene by working in a manufacturing environment, as the chemical is used to make plastics and rubber for insulation, car parts, pipes, food containers and carpet backing, according to the report. Smokers are also exposed to styrene because the chemical is present in cigarette smoke. The chemical can also leach out from styrofoam containers, but the levels that are released are very low, the report said.
Some studies have shown that styrene increases the risk of leukemia and lymphoma in humans, and lung cancer in mice, according to the report.
"Reducing exposure to cancer-causing agents is something we all want, and the Report on Carcinogens provides important information on substances that pose a cancer risk," said Linda Birnbaum, director of both the NIEHS and the National Toxicology Program, in a press release.
The Report on Carcinogens now includes 240 items. Some known carcinogens in the report include arsenic, asbestos, mustard gas, certain strains of the human papillomavirus, solar radiation, tobacco smoke and wood dust. "Reasonably anticipated" human carcinogens include chloroform, progesterone and diesel exhaust.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' carcinogens list is separate from the World Health Organization's list. The WHO's list was updated last week to include cell phones as a "possible carcinogen."
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Chlorine Accidents Take a Big Human Toll
Over the past 10 years, there have been hundreds of accidents involving chlorine nationwide, injuring thousands
By Jane Kay and Environmental Health News | October 20, 2011
Five workers were fatally injured and two others were seriously injured when an explosion occurred in a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) production unit at Formosa Plastics in Illiopolis, Illinois, east of Springfield. Image: U.S. Chemical Safety Board
Beverly Martinez was sitting at her desk in the office of a California scrap metal recycling plant when she felt the blast rattle her window.
One of her co-workers, Leonardo Morales Zavala, rushed through her door, struggling to breathe. “Run!” he yelled. He had just cut into a one-ton tank to recycle it in the yard – a football field away – and out poured a noxious substance. He didn't know what it was.
The workers ran as fast as they could toward the street. But they couldn't escape the giant, greenish-yellow cloud. A couple dozen people – workers and customers – dropped to the ground, gasping for air. Martinez fell, too.
"I couldn't get up. I felt like I was being strangled. I thought, 'I'm going to die. I'll never see my granddaughter grow up,’ ” Martinez said.
As she struggled to reach the building across the street, she heard a voice. "Bev, Bev, help!" It was Ricky Mejia, a 23-year-old inspector, calling to her from the ground.
"Ricky couldn't breathe, he couldn't walk. I'm stocky, and I told him to grab my side. Myrna Navarro was already hanging on my shoulder. She was praying enough for everyone. In my head, I was getting to the Firestone tire warehouse across the street. It seemed like an eternity,” she said.
“Then, I couldn't do it anymore. I said to Ricky, 'Your wife is pregnant. You've got a baby coming. Get up!' “They finally made it to the warehouse, where Mejia collapsed.
More than a year later, the ghost of a chlorine cloud lingers like a vivid nightmare at Tulare Iron and Metal Inc., located in the heart of California’s Central Valley.
On that June afternoon in 2010, 23 people were taken to hospitals and six were kept for treatment, including Mejia, who was hospitalized for 11 days, two of them on life support. Sixteen months later, the workers are still beset with health problems, including lung, stomach and Post Traumatic Stress Disorders.
Over the past 10 years, chlorine has been involved in hundreds of accidents nationwide, injuring thousands of workers and townspeople, and killing some, according to federal databases. It is second only to carbon monoxide when it comes to the percentage of accidents that cause injuries, according to the newest federal data.
Chlorine is one of the most widely used industrial chemicals in the world today, with 13 million tons produced annually in the United States alone.
An element that is abundant in the Earth’s crust and oceans, the powerful, corrosive substance is considered essential to an array of products. It is used in manufacturing plastics, synthesizing other chemicals, purifying water supplies, treating sewage and making refrigerants, varnishes, pesticides, drugs, disinfectants, bleaches and other consumer products.
In recent years, accidents have occurred when chlorine leaked or spilled, pressurized tanks were punctured, train cars derailed or when other chemicals were improperly – and often unknowingly – mixed with it. In some cases, thousands of people have been evacuated after an accident at a factory or during transport of liquefied chlorine. Janitors, housekeepers and others also have been exposed when they mix acidic household chemicals with bleach or swimming pool chemicals.
The worst chlorine gas accident in the country occurred in 2005, when 18 freight train cars derailed and released 120,000 pounds of chlorine gas in the mill town of Graniteville, S.C. Nine people were killed and at least 1,400 people were exposed, resulting in more than 550 people treated at hospitals, including some with serious lung injuries. More than 5,000 people were evacuated from their homes.
Chlorine gas is particularly insidious. Even small exposures can trigger coughing, choking and wheezing, and burn the eyes, skin and throat. Inhaling large amounts constricts the airways by inflaming the lining of the throat and lungs. At the same time, fluid accumulates in the lungs, making it doubly hard to breathe. People can literally drown in their own body fluids. At high exposures, a few deep breaths are lethal. <MORE>
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Farm Bill 101
By Annie Cheatham, President, New England Farmers Union
Who gets the biggest portion of Farm Bill dollars?
1) Organic dairy farmers?
2) Large industrial farmers?
3) Nutrition programs?
4) Soil management programs?
When asked this question by Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Kathleen Merrigan on her recent trip to western New England, 70% of the audience said that the answer was #2. Take a look at the pie chart below and you will see that the largest portion of farm bill funding goes to nutrition programs. And this pie chart is based on 2009 figures. Today, nutrition programs constitute over 75% of the farm bill’s budget.
Of the overall farm bill budget, 14% goes to the farm safety net. Providing a safety net for farmers is an old tradition in our country. For generations our government has agreed that farmers should be provided with some sort of assurance that if disaster strikes, if weather conditions reduce or eliminate their yields, if market prices fall far below the cost of growing crops, we will, as a society, provide some insurance for them so that they can recover and plant again. Farmers produce food for us to eat, and for people of the world to eat. Theirs is the riskiest business there is, without any protection from weather and weather related disasters. Already in 2011, over 40 states in the U.S. have experienced weather related agricultural disasters. A safety net is part of our contract. Farmers grow food for our society; we take care of farmers in emergencies.
Crop insurance and direct payments have been the predominant mechanisms for this protection. Today, the U.S. Congress and the White House are giving intense scrutiny to these and other agriculture programs with the aim of reducing funding to unprecedented levels. In budget and appropriations passed by the U.S. Congress in the last 2 years, agriculture spending has suffered cuts 2 or 3 times deeper than other federal programs. During the next 10 years, the current farm safety net is projected to make up less than 0.28% of federal spending. Programs that have a large impact on New England farmers, the conservation and energy programs, are expected to account for only 0.12% of federal spending. Still reductions continue to be made in programs that help farmers.
New England Farmers Union Priorities
During the September fly-in, 10 New England Farmers Union members visited all of the offices of New England members of Congress to tell them our priorities for the farm bill. They are these:
Dairy
- Dairy policy should include an effective supply management program that uses a fixed base as well as a refundable assessment, collected on milk at all times, not only when margins are low;
- Do not eliminate MILC (Milk Income Loss Contract) or Dairy Product Price Support Program (NDDSP) in order to fund an untested insurance program;
- Include a variable make allowance which would change in direct proportion to prices so that farmers and processors will have an incentive to raise milk prices;
- The existing federal milk marketing order system should be maintained with the addition of a price discovery mechanism;
- Dairy policies should be designed so that they will have the maximum benefit for family dairies.
Conservation and Energy
- Sustain or increase funding for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Farm and Ranch Land Protection Program (FRPP). As demand for local farm products increase, there is pressure to step up production on limited land. Conservation programs are necessary to support environmentally sustainable management practices.
- Increase funding for the Conservation Technical Assistance (CTA) program and Natural Resources Conservation Service’s technical service providers. Coupling funding for conservation management projects with on-site technical assistance results in greater long-term success and sustainability.
- Increase support for on-farm energy conservation and renewable energy programs, with particular focus on anaerobic digesters, through Rural Energy for America (REAP) loans. Investment in these projects improves farms’ long-term sustainability, and helps shield them from significant fluctuations in energy prices.
Regional Equity
Continue the $15 million regional equity provision for conservation programs. Conservation funding is particularly critical in New England, as our region’s population density and high land, labor and inputs costs mean significantly higher conservation project costs. Without the regional equity provision, New England states’ allocation of funds for these programs would decline precipitously.
Specialty Crops
Specialty crops are what are mostly grown in New England—fruits and vegetables. Dairy is the only commodity product produced by farmers in our region. As you can see from the chart above, only a small percentage of the overall farm bill budget goes for dairy and specialty crops. NEFU calls for increased flexibility for specialty crop funding, and have it based on state priorities. Differences in regional growing conditions, consumer demand and access to markets should take precedence over aggregate federal priorities when allocating funds for specialty crops.
Nutrition
Support farmers’ market coupon programs through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), previously known as food stamps. Such programs benefit SNAP recipients by giving them access to fresh, healthy food. They benefit local farmers by opening up otherwise inaccessible markets.
What you can do:
Senator John Kerry is the only New England member of Congress to serve on the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, or the “supercommittee,” as it is called. The 12 members of Congress on this committee have unprecedented power. They will be writing farm bill language in the next few weeks. Email or call Senator Kerry and tell him you support NEFU’s priorities.
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Solar PV Breaks Records
Earth Policy Release
Eco-Economy Indicator
October 27, 2011
J. Matthew Roney
Solar photovoltaic (PV) companies manufactured a record 24,000 megawatts of PV cells worldwide in 2010, more than doubling their 2009 output. Annual PV production has grown nearly 100-fold since 2000, when just 277 megawatts of cells were made. Newly installed PV also set a record in 2010, as 16,600 megawatts were installed in more than 100 countries. This brought the total worldwide capacity of solar PV to nearly 40,000 megawatts.
Data provided to Earth Policy Institute by GTM Research show that Chinese manufacturers again dominated the global industry in 2010, with close to 11,000 megawatts of PV cell production. (See data at www.earth-policy.org.) This was the seventh consecutive year in which China at least doubled its PV output. Taiwan was a distant second with 3,600 megawatts produced, followed by Japan with 2,200 megawatts, Germany with 2,000 megawatts, and the United States with 1,100. The top five countries thus accounted for 82 percent of total world PV production.
PV capacity in the United States also saw strong growth in 2010, increasing by more than 50 percent to reach 2,500 total megawatts. California, which now has more than 1,000 megawatts connected to the grid, again led all states in new PV installations. But a number of other states, including New Jersey, Nevada, and Arizona, are ramping up their solar capacity as well, driven by programs and incentives at the state and federal levels.
Although the cost of PV has fallen substantially over the decades, solar-generated electricity is not yet widely price-competitive with electricity generated by heavily subsidized fossil fuels. If the full cost of burning fossil fuels, including health effects and the costs of climate change, were incorporated into the price of electricity, PV would quickly be revealed as one of the least expensive sources of power.
As PV costs drop, as concerns about climate change grow, and as countries look to replace finite fossil fuels with energy sources that can never run out, the growth in solar power should continue. The potential is practically without limit: a 2011 article published in Energy Policy shows that solar PV deployed in suitable locations could generate 30 times the electricity currently produced worldwide.
BEAT Note: While BEAT strongly supports solar PV on roof tops and brownfields, careful siting is essential. Industrial energy projects all deserve very careful environmental review. We do not support siting large solar "farms" on agricultural land or other open space. Every new or redeveloped big box store and shopping plaza should be required to have energy production on the roof.
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Berkshire Grown Announces Sixty-Seven Vendor Lineup for Family –Friendly Thanksgiving Holiday Farmers’ Markets
GREAT BARRINGTON + WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. (November 1, 2011) – Berkshire Grown will present more than 60 regional farmers and food producers to the Berkshires at the third annual Holiday Farmers’ Markets, scheduled for Great Barrington on November 19 and Williamstownon November 20, the Saturday and Sunday before Thanksgiving. A second market in both locations is scheduled for the Saturday before Christmas on December 17.
The Berkshire Grown Holiday Farmers’ Markets connect farmers and food producers directly with members of the community, strengthening the Berkshire Grown farm-to-table network. The Holiday Farmers’ Markets create new opportunities for farmers and food producers to increase sales of locally produced and preserved agricultural products, helping to boost the local economy.
In Great Barrington, Holiday Farmers’ Markets will be held at the Muddy Brook Elementary School Gymnasium on Monument Valley Road and in Williamstown, the markets will take place at the Williams College Towne Field House on Latham Street. All four markets will run from 10 am – 2 pm. PLEASE NOTE THE NOVEMBER WILLIAMSTOWN MARKET IS ON A SUNDAY THIS YEAR
Entertainment for the whole family includes live music at both venues and lunch items will be available for purchase. The events are free and open to the public.
The Great Barrington November market will present 37 vendors including Allium Restaurant + Bar, Asia Luna, Berkshire Co-op Market, Berkshire Grown, Berkshire Mountain Bakery, Berkshire Wildflower Honey, BlueQ, BOLA Granola, Broody Hill Cookies, Bug Hill Farm, Castle Street Cafe, Cedar Farm, Community Cooperative Farms, Consider Bardwell Farm, Cricket Creek Farm, Farm Country Soup, Farm Girl Farm, Foggy River Farm, Indian Line Farm, Justamere Tree Farm, Klara's Gourmet Cookies, Kripalu, Leahey Farm, Markristo Farm, Mayflower Farm, Maynard Farms, Moore Fine Food, Mystical Rose Herbals, North Plain Farm, Ooma Tesoro, Project Sprout, Shaker Mountain Canning Co., Sweet Brook Farm, The Meat Market, Tortured Orchard, Your Spice of Life, Zehr & Sons Mushroom Farm.
The Williamstown market will host 30 vendors in November including 3-Corner Field Farm, Babycakes, Berkshire Grown, Berle Farm, Black Queen Angus Farm, BlueQ, Bug Hill Farm, Cedar Farm, Community Cooperative Farms, Cricket Creek Farm, East Mountain Farm, Farm Girl Farm, Farm Country Soup, Gammelgarden Creamery, Holiday Brook Farm, Ioka Valley Farm, Jaeschke's Orchard, Klara's Gourmet Cookies, Mezze Catering, Mighty Food Farm, Nichols Poultry Farm, Ooma Tesoro, Peace Valley Farm, Shaker Mountain Canning Company, Sweet Brook Farm, The Berry Patch, Tortured Orchard, West River Creamery, Wild Oats Market and Williams College Sustainable Food & Agriculture Program and The Zilkha Center.
A SUCCESSFUL HISTORY
The Holiday Farmers’ Markets began in 2009 with two market locations the weekend before Thanksgiving, taking place on the same day. Given demand for winter markets, Berkshire Grown hosted a total of four markets in 2010, adding the weekend before Christmas as a second economic opportunity for the food and farming community. This year, the organization will be producing four markets again.
Berkshire Grown has made great strides toward increasing awareness of locally grown food throughout the region. The Holiday Farmers’ Markets have attracted more than 4,400 people in 2010 and vendors generated more than $80,000 in sales for their businesses. There were 64 vendors at the November markets and 72 vendors at the December markets. These markets drew more people than the best-attended Berkshire-based farmers market during the summer. The Holiday Farmers’ Markets welcomed 2,100-plus attendees in 2009 and are showing significant economic impact as the events grow. “Wildly beyond expectations,” was how one of the vendors described their experience in a post-market survey, which is issued after every market.
SPONSORS
As part of Williams College’s ongoing commitment to sustainable food and local agriculture, the College is co-sponsoring the markets by donating the Williamstown venue as well as providing funding toward the event. The Williams College Sustainable Food and Agriculture Program and The Zilkha Center for Environmental Initiatives is supporting the markets as a community partnership to further incorporate the principles of sustainability into the fabric of campus life. For more information on Williams’ ongoing commitment to sustainable food, visit http://sustainability.williams.edu.
In addition to generous support from Williams College, the premier sponsors for the markets are The Williamstown Chamber of Commerce and the Green Pastures Fund of the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation. Major sponsors of the event include Berkshire Co-op Market, Berkshire Organics, BlueQ, Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health, Mezze Restaurant Group, Sweet Brook Farm and The Red Lion Inn.
DETAILS
Great Barrington – Muddy Brook Elementary School Gymnasium
Saturday, November 19th – 10 am – 2 pm
Saturday, December 17th – 10 am – 2 pm
Williamstown– Williams College Towne Field House
Sunday, November 20th– 10 am – 2 pm
Saturday, December 17th – 10 am – 2 pm
Visit www.berkshiregrown.org/holiday-farmers-markets-2011 for additional details.
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Hiring for General Manager Wild Oats Market in Williamstown, Massachusetts
Seeking a new general manager for our co-op, a financially successful, flourishing community-owned business.
Wild Oats is a cooperatively owned grocery store that has provided quality local, organic and natural foods and other products to northern Berkshire County and southern Vermont since 1982. The store has sales of $3.6 million, over 40 employees, 1200 members, and 4100 square feet of retail space.
The general manager is responsible for the management of all operations and reports to the board under Policy Governance. The ideal candidate will have proven leadership skills, extensive supervisory, financial and retail grocery management experience, knowledge of the natural foods industry, excellent communication and team-building skills, an understanding and commitment to co-operative principles, and experience working with a board. We offer competitive pay and benefits.
To learn more about Wild Oats and for a complete job summary, please visit our website www.wildoats.coop/employment.html. To apply please send cover letter and resume to board@wildoats.coop.
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Jobs Abroad for Graduating Seniors:
Looking for an exciting and rewarding international post-graduate experience?
Apply for a Program Director position with Manna Project International.
Manna Project International is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to engaging young adults in holistic community development initiatives. We operate three international sites in Nicaragua; Ecuador; and Guatemala, where our yearlong volunteers, Program Directors, oversee the day-to-day operations of these sites. They are teams of young, motivated, and qualified adults—mostly recent graduates—who live together at our sites and take on the responsibility of running their own community development programs. Since our approach to community development is holistic, our Program Directors work in a variety of fields, depending on their interests. We have programs addressing issues as diverse as health, education, microfinance/business development, English, literacy, and leadership development. Incoming Program Directors can either take over an existing program, or propose a new program to fill an area that is not currently being addressed.
The Program Director position represents a series of incredible opportunities. It is an opportunity for service—for working hand in hand with community members to improve the quality of life for those who live in underdeveloped regions. It is an opportunity for adventure, endowing participants with the ability to travel, to seek new experiences, and to live with other young adults in a distinct and vibrant new culture. And it is an opportunity for leadership, as Program Directors are able to take ownership of their programs, thereby seeing the direct impact of their individual and team efforts.
For more information on MPI and the Program Director position, check out our Program Director Handbook, along with our FAQ. Thank you for your time. We look forward to receiving your application.
If you have any questions, please contact apply@mannaproject.org.
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2012 Envi Leadership Program Fellowships Now Open to Applications
Applications for ELP's 2012 Fellowship Classes are Now Open!
http://www.elpnet.org/about-fellowship
With our network growing, programs expanding and new collaborative opportunities on the way - why wait?
In 2012, ELP will be selecting classes for its New England (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT) and Eastern Regional (NJ, NY, eastern PA) Programs and planning the return of our Chesapeake Region (DC, MD, VA).
Programs are open to up and coming leaders from allsectors and disciplines - in fact that's what makes ELP so appealing to the 500 Fellows we've trained to date.
In addition to 10 days of intense leadership training, you will join a dynamic professional network unlike any other in the country - one filled with practitioners in the private, government, academic and non-profit sectors who are creating new opportunities to address our toughest challenges like climate change, water quality, sustainable farming, environmental justice and more.
This is an opportunity to join a network that is supportive of your work and your personal goals.
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