Valley Futures

Present: Robin Morris, Conner Soderquist, Betsy Jondro, Rob Williams, Josh Schwartz, Jordan Dietz, Ginny McGinn, Eric Brattstrom, Dottie Kyle, Stan Ward, Quayle Rewinski, Jasna Brown, Kathy Meyer, & Wendy Cox.

Join VFN in seconds for free @ http://www.valleyfutures.net.

Note: Our November VFN breakfast will take place on Friday, November 11 @ the Big Picture.

FLOOD RELIEF HQ UPDATES (Jasna+Betsy)

Jasna.Brown@gmail.com is your contact for any ideas and questions.

Masonic Lodge Flood Relief HQ phasing out by October 30. Shrinking office, moving into Phase 2 – General Contracting Phase – working with individual families on construction projects to try and get buttoned up by winter.

Volunteer Labor and Donated Materials in need! And need to raise more money for Contracting Phase – ideas, everyone?

How much? $30,000 for insulation, drywall, flooring, sheetrock needs in all these homes. (Thanks to Allen Lumber and Bisbees for their reduced prices on Irene rebuilding supplies!)

Discussion ensued.

Masons will be throwing a party for all volunteers – invitations out soon. (Let’s party).

FOOD HUB UPDATE (Robin)

Officially in business for meat processing! Start processing lamb on Monday. Kudos!

Working with UVM Extension to put together a food safety course.

New web site – http://www.madriverfoodhub.com with blog for promoting local food businesses.

First employee – Jake Finsen, working 7 am throughout the day. Meat processing – let’s go.

Thanks to Joey Nagy, Dan Holtz, Robin Morris, and everyone else who has helped get this going.

And don’t miss Joey Nagy’s Vermont Meat Company’s new product on shelves now – among the first meat to be grown, slaughtered and processed in-state.

SOIL CARBON CHALLENGE (Stan Ward)

Friday, October 21 @ 4:30 @ Three Springs Farm on Old County Road. Kick off event for Vermont. Check out related email from Stan for more information.

Back story: Ten year program to measure the amount of “soil carbon” in various places across the country, connected to soil fertility, climate change mitigation, etc.

MRV PLANNING DISTRICT UPDATES (Jordan+Josh)

Jordan reported on a “When Disaster Strikes” conference call, in which folks involved in disaster relief efforts shared their stories of transformation (exploring Greenberg, KS, etc).

Josh briefed everyone on Richard Heinberg’s Statehouse/legislature talk that happened yesterday – Senior Fellow at the Post-Carbon Institute and author of 10 books, latest is The End of Growth.

Josh briefed a UVM Sustainable Community Development class on the VFN and our model of a “non organization” to network and connect people.

Chris Badger, Waitsfield’s energy coordinator, announces $250 rebates for home energy audits – pick up apps for rebate forms @ Waitsfield town office.

MRV Energy Series continues – Monday, October 24 on Financing Energy Programs/PACE program – Big Picture @ 7 pm.

MRV River Meeting – October 27 – to explore Irene’s impact on the Mad River.

UVM/VFN Local Community Initiatives kick-off event on September 14 – 40 folks – final presentation date on Wednesday, December 7 @ Big Picture.

Decentralized Wastewater Study continues – looking at Irasville and Waitsfield. Contact Josh Schwartz for more details.

Be the change!

Tags: Flood Recovery, VFN Monthly Minutes // Add Comment »