Time is running out to get in on our semi-annual Quebec Oat Order. The next order will not be until early winter! $22 for a 25 pound bag. Pick up in Addison County, Essex, Waitsfield or Montpelier. To learn more and to order go to: http://www.vermontlocalvore.org/foodsources/oats.html.
Hi Everyone!
I have been perplexed about how I was going to get to the Farmers’ Market AND the parade this weekend. Perhaps you are perplexed too??Robin McDermott
Mad River Valley Localvore Project
So, I checked with several of the farmers and here is what they have said about the market this coming weekend.
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Gaylord Farm: We will be there early and stay as long as we continue to have customers and veggies and meat. Our farm stand will be open on Friday and we will stock it with vegetables as well.
Hartshorn/Santa Davida: I am always at the market early. We will sell till we sellout on Saturday. The farmstand will be open on Saturday only for PYO strawberries.
Tunbridge told me last Saturday that they will be there early and will be at the market until the regular ending time of 1pm. Both Wendy AND Jean will be there!
Old Shaw Farm: We will officially be at the market from 9 to 1, but we are usually there, ready to go, about 8am.
Frozen Butcher: I plan to be there early (6:45 am), all set up and ready to boogie about an hour after that. Staying later, if there is business, is NO PROBLEM. I also will be having a sale on ground beef and sirloin tip
Three Shepherds Cheese: We are definitely staying late and may come early as well.
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It sounds to me like there will be ample opportunity to get to the market this Saturday – either before or after the parade!
Enjoy the holiday weekend!
Richard Czaplinski generously shares knowledge from 30 years of homesteading. Produced as part of PocSun’s, (Post Carbon Sustainability Network), a two year project to encourage the building of individual and community root cellars in Central Vermont. Richard would like to thank Scott Sawyer for his fine work formatting and adding photographs.
Click here to download the PDF.
From the Twitterverse – some 140 character summaries of the Round Barn “Tweet Up” held last night. Thanks to Candace Page at the Burlington Free Press for her coverage, as well.
Signgal@roundbarnfarm Fantastic tweetup! I expected hors d oeuvres, you fed us dinner! With table linens and $1 ginger ales. Thank U!!!22 minutes ago from web
SigngalMet the @bobbin Mama’s at @roundbarnfarm last night, too.They sew, they craft, they make shopping bags out of t-shirts. Terrific!12 minutes ago from web
likebeer@roundbarnfarm If you think you can help with our wedding you can DM or email me what you have in mind, maybe you can cut me a deal?11 minutes ago from Tweetie in reply to roundbarnfarm
SigngalJesse, aka @chelseagreen, gave us the lowdown on how to us Twitter at the @roundbarnfarm Tweetup.He’s a good person to follow. #VT #BTV4 minutes ago from web
http://twitpic.com/63850 – crowd watching demo by @thebobbin (fabric recyling)about 10 hours ago from TwitPic
http://twitpic.com/637r5 – #VT Tweetup agenda… (food, IMO, better draw than ‘social media’)about 10 hours ago from TwitPic
http://twitpic.com/637jy – Back from the #VT tweetup at Round Barn. The food line (I got there late)about 10 hours ago from TwitPic
Just got home from Round Barn Tweetup. My belly is full of great local food and my mind is inspired-one of my favorite combinations. Janiipeterson
tweeting up at the Round Barn in Waitsfield with other localvore tweeters. great local food, great music, wonderful peeps priruda
tweeting up at the Round Barn in Waitsfield with other localvore tweeters. great local food, great music, wonderful peeps feedmenow
http://twitpic.com/62sqp – nice turnout for the vt localvore tweetup – music, food, prizes & lots of tweeting 
the 2 story round barn … innkeepers
Here we are at the great Vermont locavore tweetup. The round barn farm is gorgeous! chelseagreen
Great Tweetup last night hosted by @roundbarnfarm!! Food was awesome! Thanks! Met some terrific folks and thought the format was inspired!
vtpcwizard Thu 28 May 06:26 via web
@roundbarnfarm So who ARE the hunky guys in your avatar? They ain’t you owners. ‘Fess up, please. We all want to know.
follownathan@roundbarnfarm – the tweetup was a smash! worked out perfectly for me and my journey! I look forward to staying in touch! I love #VTabout 7 hours ago from TweetDeck
edwardshepardrt: @hellosmalldog Thank you to @roundbarnfarm for an awesome gathering! Classiest tweetup ever. (I was there, it truly was fun!)about 8 hours ago from web
hellosmalldogThank you to @roundbarnfarm for an awesome gathering! Classiest tweetup ever. Also great to meet other #VT people & businesses!about 8 hours ago from web
north100RT @VermontCanoe: @roundbarnfarm We’re here. Serious food on the table from local farms & restaurants. Good live trio. Life is good. & yummyabout 8 hours ago from TweetDeck
JambutterThree cheers for Charlie (@roundbarnfarm), @hellosmalldog, @chelseagreen and @americanfbread for a great night at #VT tweetup. Great time!about 8 hours ago from Power Twitter
sryusenThanks 2 @roundbarnfarm for the amazing evening, @hellosmalldog for the fab goodies and 2 all for making me feel lucky to love where I live.about 9 hours ago from TweetDe
VTFlame@roundbarnfarm thanks so much for hosting – great to see old and new friends tooabout 9 hours ago from web in reply to roundbarnfarm
GrunbergHausVTMany thanks to @roundbarnfarm for an outstanding tweetup tonight. Very generous of you to share your beautiful facility.about 9 hours ago from web
north100Big thanks to @roundbarnfarm & all the folks who put together a great Vermont Localvore Tweetup event & to @cocodowley for the ride!about 9 hours ago from TweetDeck
SustainableComm@roundbarnfarm Thank you!!about 9 hours ago from web in reply to roundbarnfarm
DeepDishCreates@feedmenow Great chatting with you @roundbarnfarm Tweetup! Keep an eye out for: http://www.bakonvodka.com/about 9 hours ago from TweetDeck
likebeer@roundbarnfarm Had an amazing time at the Locavore Tweetup thanks for hosting it, met some very interesting Tweeps.about 9 hours ago from Tweetie in reply to roundbarnfarm
LifelineReaderthanks to the staff @hellosmalldog for providing computers for the tweetup @roundbarnfarm AND for answering my questions about my new I-Mac!about 9 hours ago from web
LifelineReaderJust met some real nice people at @roundbarnfarm localvore tweetup. @VermontCanoe @cocodowley @north100 and many other great tweeple.about 9 hours ago from web
Fiestavus@vtherbandsalad good to catch up with you guys at the @roundbarnfarm tweet-up, let’s do dinner SOONabout 10 hours ago from TwitterGadget
FiestavusThanks 2 @roundbarnfarm for the gr8 tweet-up, good to see the local tweeps #vt http://trunc.it/ac2babout 10 hours ago from TwitterGadget
north100The Vermont Localvore Tweetup @roundbarnfarm was just wonderful! Gorgeous setting, incredible food, & awesome ppl that make VT so special!about 10 hours ago from web
DeepDishCreates@vtexchange Great chatting with you on the way out the door @roundbarnfarm Tweetup! Next one: http://twtvite.com/d4ixbrabout 10 hours ago from TweetDeck
happyhollowvt@roundbarnfarm Thanks for a fun evening! Just joining the twitter world and learned lots. I missed the yak sausage, though, bummer!about 10 hours ago from web in reply to roundbarnfarm
callmelou@roundbarnfarm Had a wonderful time at tonight’s locavore tweetup! Thanks so much for hosting.about 10 hours ago from twhirl in reply to roundbarnfarm
amykirschnerhttp://twitpic.com/638lk – Lilacs still in bloom @roundbarnfarm in Waitsfield. GREAT localvore tweetup tonight!about 10 hours ago from TwitPic
VTExchangehttp://twitpic.com/638h2 – A foggy night @roundbarnfarm for localvore tweetupabout 10 hours ago from TwitPic
DeepDishCreates@roundbarnfarm GREAT Locavore Tweetup tonight – you’ve raised the bar for tweetups – thanks!about 10 hours ago from TweetDeck
VTExchangehttp://twitpic.com/638au – Great localvore tweetup @roundbarnfarm tonight. The agenda…about 10 hours ago from TwitPic
innkeepershttp://twitpic.com/634ev – just got to see the grounds @roundbarnfarm from the secret top of their silo… very cool #paiiabout 11 hours ago from TwitPic
MadmotionIs sorry to miss the @roundbarnfarm Tweet Up.about 11 hours ago from web
follownathanAt the @roundbarnfarm tweetup in #vt wearing dark flannel and black @TOMS shoes – 1st one to find me gets a free drink on me!about 12 hours ago from web
thisisjaceWishing I was able to make the Tweetup @roundbarnfarm, tonight. I’m at the next one, def!about 12 hours ago from web
mstonervt@roundbarnfarm Just landed SFO, thinking of Tweetup. Have a great time!about 12 hours ago from txt
AndreaLearned@roundbarnfarm, great tweetup! w/@monkeyhousemama @sryusen@kilgoreleslie. Who knew #vt has so many tweeters?about 12 hours ago from web
jkvt@roundbarnfarm any photos from the TweetUp for those of us still stuck at work?about 12 hours ago from web in reply to roundbarnfarm
augustfirstat Localvore Tweetup @roundbarnfarm. Great meal of fiddleheads, misty knoll chicken… Nice to see faces behind tweets! #btvabout 13 hours ago from web
laurzRT @theshorehaminn: Feeling quite sad about missing the big tweetup @roundbarnfarm. Can almost hear the fun from here. (Me too)about 13 hours ago from UberTwitter
JaneLindholmAt the TweetUp @roundbarnfarm in Warren. What a place! And as a Twitter neophyte (still), quite an event!about 13 hours ago from web
theshorehaminnFeeling quite sad about missing the big tweetup @roundbarnfarm. Can almost hear the fun from here.about 13 hours ago from TweetDeck
thebobbin@roundbarnfarm for the Tweet up. It’s so cool to meet the peeps behind the tweets!about 13 hours ago from Tweetie
BirdDivaKickin’ it at localvore tweetup @roundbarnfarm WOW!
hellosmalldog@roundbarnfarm tweetup! http://yfrog.com/0xt7ujabout 14 hours ago from Tweetie
VermontCanoe@roundbarnfarm We’re here. Serious food on the table from local farms and restaurants. Good live trio. Life is good..and yummy.about 14 hours ago from web in reply to roundbarnfarm
e_to_the_m@roundbarnfarm Good luck with the tweet-up tonight. Wish I could be there.about 14 hours ago from Tweetie in reply to roundbarnfarm
jacksonlatka@roundbarnfarm Wish I could be there. Sounds great!about 14 hours ago from web in reply to roundbarnfarm
innkeepershttp://twitpic.com/62pcf – just checked into Joslin room @roundbarnfarm – beautiful! check out the bath! about to check out their great …about 14 hours ago from TwitPic
swichi293Headed to the waitsfield #tweetup @roundbarnfarm #btvabout 15 hours ago from Tweetie
DeepDishCreatesHeading out to the Locavore Tweetup @roundbarnfarm. http://bit.ly/7p6hNabout 15 hours ago from TweetDeck
VoicesVTWhat does a healthy watershed mean 4 good food? Tell me 2nite @roundbarnfarm Tweetup! http://bit.ly/7p6hN #vtabout 17 hours ago from TwitterBerry
augustfirstHappily heading to the Valley tonight to meet up with locatweeetavores! @roundbarnfarm pingg.com http://bit.ly/169z03about 17 hours ago from bit.ly
Signgal@roundbarnfarm Fantastic tweetup! I expected hors d oeuvres, you fed us dinner! With table linens and $1 ginger ales. Thank U!!!22 minutes ago from web
SigngalMet the @bobbin Mama’s at @roundbarnfarm last night, too.They sew, they craft, they make shopping bags out of t-shirts. Terrific!12 minutes ago from web
likebeer@roundbarnfarm If you think you can help with our wedding you can DM or email me what you have in mind, maybe you can cut me a deal?11 minutes ago from Tweetie in reply to roundbarnfarm
SigngalJesse, aka @chelseagreen, gave us the lowdown on how to us Twitter at the @roundbarnfarm Tweetup.He’s a good person to follow. #VT #BTV4 minutes ago from web
Got Twitter? – Round Barn Chef Charlie Menard Hosts the Very First “Tweet Up” in Mad River Valley’s History
Ashton’s doing it.
Oprah’s doing it.
Britney’s doing it.
And more and more Vermonters are doing it.
The “it” in question is “Twitter,” of course, a new, popular and free Web 2.0 micro-blogging application that allows its users to build networks of “followers” who email each other 140 character messages about a whole range of topics of their choosing, ranging from the now-cliched “I had pancakes for breakfast – yum!” variety to breaking news about swine flu (“Hamthrax,” in one Twitter-led joke) and the latest local and national events (Seven Days journalist Shay Totten “tweeted” the entire legislative gay marriage hearing a few months ago, allowing his followers easy access to up-to-the-minute debates as they unfolded).
Critics are quick to call Twitter an epistemological train wreck, the latest example of a culture that has lost its mind to simplistic and silly trivialities. But Twitter users will tell you that the application is simply another fun and creative way to communicate, something the human animal never tires of doing.
One devoted Twitter user is Round Barn chef Charlie Menard (http://twitter.com/roundbarnfarm), who has organized the Mad River Valley’s very first “Tweet Up,” a fun foodie-driven event organized entirely through Twitter, to be held at the Round Barn on Wednesday, May 27 from 5-8 p.m.
“My interest in Twitter at first was pure curiosity,” explains Menard. “Once I started to find people with similar interests and to follow their tweets, I began to realize the power of community building that Twitter and social networking in general has.”
A “tweet” is simply a 140 character message send through Twitter. Popular “tweets” are “re-tweeted” by other Twitter users in their networks, amplifying the power of the message – in some cases, exponentially.
But of what value is Twitter to a Vermont chef?
“The Food community on Twitter is fantastic in general, and the Vermont “foody” presence is really amazing,” Menard explains. “You can get all sorts of news by following foodies—restaurant reviews, what a chef has just prepared for tonight’s special, what produce is coming out of gardens across the state, and of course the latest minute-by-minute news from events like the James Beard Awards.”
So what exactly is the purpose of a “Tweet Up”?
“The Tweet up is a mixer of sorts, an opportunity for our community to build and strengthen ties to our online neighbors, and a chance to meet the Tweeps behind the Tweets,” says Menard. “I know that there are some people that believe the future of Vermont is in its food. If we’re going to achieve that potential, we need to be a competitive presence in people’s lives and we also need to find a way to keep our young people in Vermont. I am truly inspired by the online community and I think that embracing the possibilities it offers will help us move forward.”
Find out more about Twitter at www.twitter.com.
For several months, our 16-year-old neighbor Dan O’Shaughnessy has been crafting a magnificent 500 tap sugaring operation in the woods on and adjacent to our little 3 acree homestead property – historically, a rich area full of maples ripe for tapping. Two weeks ago, the sugaring began in earnest, and Dan has already collected more than 2,000 gallons of sap, boiling off the excess for more than fifty gallons of the sweet stuff.
It is a wonderful success story – Dan is a focused and hard-working young dude with a vision, he’s had plenty of support from a whole extended family and community here in Mad River, and even the Harwood Union High School up the road a few miles is giving him some academic credit for his work after school out in the land.
In a praiseworthy article, the New York Post just celebrated our local sugarmakers, in a recent article about "Sugaring," profiling both Dave and Paul Hartshorn and Dan’s operations. It’s sugaring time! Here’s a quick 6 minute look at Dan’s whole operation…
Ever thought about what happens when wood chips and other plant-based “waste” products become high value resources? Will the growing demand for renewable power compete for those resources against the increasing use of composting to achieve healthier farming? And what does it all mean for climate change?
If these questions interest you, consider attending the Vermont Organics Recycling Summit on March 31st at Vermont Technical College. See additional info below.
Third Annual Vermont Organics Recycling Summit
From Waste to Resource: The Future of Organics
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Vermont Technical College, Judd Gym
Randolph Center, Vermont
Keynote: Bob Spencer, AICP
Environmental and compost site planning consultant, contributing editor to BioCycle Magazine.
Organic residuals are rapidly emerging as valuable resources to meet many community needs. At VORS 09 we will look at the existing uses of organic residuals, competing markets for these materials, and current and emerging technologies.
Visit www.compostingvermont.org for details and to register. Contact: Vicky.viens@state.vt.us or 802-241-3448
This event is a project of the Composting Association of Vermont (CAV) and the ANR Department of Environmental Conservation.
Free Worm Composting Workshop
Presented by Melissa Jordan, president of the Wormpost Northeast
Are you concerned about solid wastes and recycling? Join Melissa Jordan, president of the Wormpost Northeast to find out how to use worms to turn food scraps and other waste into compost.
Known as vermiculture, all it takes is a small bin, a of bit “bed” starter such as leaves shredded newspaper, died grass, hay or other organic materials and about a pound wrigglers. The yield of worm castings to volume of organic matter put in will vary from about 1:4 to 1:10. A household of two could easily process their veggies through a small worm bin, with the end result of keeping that waste out of your garbage. Another benefit is the nutrient rich, pH balanced compost produced that can then be used in your garden.
“This is an amazing interdisciplinary activity as well as a great home business,” said Jordan. “You can teach and learn so many different disciplines – math, shop, science. It can be so many different things to so many people.”
The workshop will feature a functioning worm bin as well as information and a demonstration of how you can make worm composting work for your family and the environment.
The free workshop will be held March 18, 2009 at the River Arts Building on Pleasant Street in Morrisville. We encourage Farmer’s Market visitors to stop by the workshop as well. Call Melissa Jordan at 802-888-4364 for directions and more information. For more information about the Farmers and Artisans Market, which is scheduled every Wednesday from 2:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., call Amy Walker at 802-888-3242 or visit http://riverartsvt.org/events/.
WHAT: Free worm composting (vermiculture) workshop
WHEN: March 18, 2009
WHERE: River Arts Building, Pleasant Street, Morrisville
Transition Town Montpelier will hold its second Open Space Meeting, entitled Feeding Our Communities, on Saturday, April 4th, at the Unitarian Church in Montpelier.
Feeding Our Communities
Time: April 4, 2009 from 11am to 4pm
Location: Unitarian Church downstairs
Organized By: Transition Town Montpelier
Event Description
Open Space Framing Question: What steps can we take in this next growing season and beyond, to feed our neighbors and ourselves, put up and store food for winter, and enrich the soil?
There will be a time for networking and sharing news and information. Be sure to stop in at the Winter Farmers’ Market the same day, from 10 am to 2 pm at the Vermont College gym.
Free – donations accepted to cover the cost of the event. Open to all!
Bring: Potluck, plate and mug, and flyers or information for the Networking Table.
See more details and RSVP on Transition Vermont
One of the compelling visions often shared at Valley Futures Network gatherings is of a future in which our community largely feeds itself with food grown by our neighbors, on the rich farmland in our Valley.
Please join friends and neighbors this Wednesday, February 18 at the Big Picture Theatre and Cafe from 6-9 pm to take a leap towards this vision of our future. A community potluck and fundraiser will kick off the final phase of the Vermont Land Trust’s campaign to conserve the Kingsbury Farm in Warren and the Bruce Farm on Route 100B in Moretown.
The conservation of these farms will lead to their revival as food-producing farms. The Kingsbury Farm will pass into the hands of the Vermont Foodbank and the Bruce farm will be affordable to an energetic couple eager to grow fresh vegetables and offer eggs and meat, particularly to those at the northern end of our Valley.
We have less than two months to raise the money needed to leverage over $278,000 in State and Federal Funds. Visit http://www.vlt.org/MRVcampaign.html to learn more about the Mad River Valley Two Farm Campaign. Spread the word and help make our future happen!
Contact Liza Walker at 496-3690 or Liza@vlt.org with questions.