Building Sustainable Earth Community

** Closing the Food Gap: Resetting the Table in the Land of Plenty **

The Kansas City Public Library and KC Healthy Kids
host food policy expert
Mark Winne
for a presentation called
Closing the Food Gap:
Resetting the Table in the Land of Plenty
on
Thursday, February 21, at 6:30 p.m.
at the Central Library
14 W. 10th St. Kansas City, MO 64105

http://www.kclibrary.org/rsvp/2008/markwinne/

 "Americans spend less as a percentage of their annual income on food than any other nation. As a result, U.S. consumers have unknowingly accepted agricultural pollution, social disruption, and the decline of family farms in return for cheap food."  

This is how Mark Winne views the American food system, which he analyzes in Closing the Food Gap. Winne tells the story of how Americans get their food: from poor people at food pantries and convenience stores to the more comfortable classes, who increasingly seek out organic and local products. Along the way, he presents evidence to support his notion that the current food system is racist, classist, and sexist and confronts the complicity of both government and big business in this dangerous network.  

A 6 p.m. reception precedes the event. Admission is free, but reservations are recommended. Call 816.701.3407 or RSVP online. 

Winne will be in Kansas City to assist with the KC Healthy Food Policy Initiative, a project of KC Healthy Kids. The initiative brings together diverse stakeholders to align local food-related policies with national health and nutritional goals while supporting a sustainable food system. Winne is the Food and Society Policy Fellow for the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. After serving as executive director of the Hartford Food System in Connecticut for 25 years, he is now a widely recognized government consultant on food policy and received the 2001 U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Plow Honor Award, the USDA’s highest honor. 

This event is co-sponsored by KC Healthy Kids, a charitable foundation
focused on promoting fit and healthy kids in Greater Kansas City. 
www.KCHealthyKids.org

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*PLAINSCRAFT TRACKING & WILDERNESS AWARENESS CLUB*
Saturday, 5 January 2008, from 9am to noon
Wakarusa Wetlands, Lawrence, KS

Join us for a fun-filled morning of community learning as we explore the
woods along the Wakarusa river. We may get a glimpse into the lives of
wild animals through the tracks they leave. We may learn about wild
edibles and medicinals, learn to interpret the language of the birds or
learn about simple tool making and survival skills.

We will meet at the Wakarusa bridge, approximately 1 mile south of
Haskell and 31st street. There is room for parking on the side of the
road. The woods are just a short walk from the road. Call 785-766-0113
if you have any questions.
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*PEAK OIL ACTION COMMITTEE *
Sunday, 6 January 2008, 10:00am-12:30pm - brunch and meeting
Delaware Street Commons, Common House, Lawrence, KS
(driveway and parking entrance from 13th Street just east of Delaware
Street)

During 2007, the Peak Oil Action Committee (of “Kaw Valley”, for lack of
a better term) held several meetings, and one of the members attended
the Fourth Annual Peak Oil Conference in Yellow Springs Ohio. The group
identified several policy guide documents, and set some group action
priorities.

2008 is beginning with a reinvigorated group having plans for local
action in education, organized outreach, and policy initiatives. One
pending action is a presentation to the Lawrence Sustainability Advisory
Board in preparation for a request to the City Commission to adopt a
Peak Oil Resolution.
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*CITIZENS FOR RESPONSIBLE PLANNING MEETING*

Sunday, 6 January 2008, 7:00pm, Grant Township Center (Prairie Moon School)

Because the Airport Business Park zoning and annexation hearing was
postponed from December until 15 January, the CRP has not had a general
meeting for a while. This meeting will be to get organized prior to the
City Commission hearing, to plan the CRP presentation to the Commission,
to gather the final public petitions, and to rally folks for a huge
turnout at the City Commission on 15 January.
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*NATIVE MOVEMENT & KEYA EARTH - TALK, SLIDE SHOW & FILM*

"Indigenous Perspectives on Cultural, Environmental, and Social
Sustainability"
Monday, 7 January 2008, 6:30pm, Lawrence Public Library

The speakers are here to participate in the sustainability intersession
at Kansas State University and have graciously volunteered to do an
additional presentation for the Lawrence community. We would appreciate
your attendance.
http://www.keyaearth.com/ http://www.nativemovement.org/
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*SUSTAINABILITY ADVISORY BOARD- CITY OF LAWRENCE*
Wednesday, 9 January 2008
Recycling and Resource Recovery Annex, 320 N.E. Industrial Lane, Lawrence KS

Monthly meeting of this Board to discuss any and all aspects of
furthering sustainability policies and practices by the City of Lawrence
government and private persons. Members of the Peak Oil Action Committee
have proposed the City Commission adopt a Peak Oil Resolution addressing
energy sustainability. This resolution has been referred to the
Sustainability Advisory Board, and tentatively will be on their 13
February agenda.
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Common Table Discussion Group January 10, 2008 at 4:00 p.m.

Hello BSEC folks................the groups around this common table are just the groups with whom it would be well for us to network, collaborate for attendance at the Korten return engagement in January 2009. Let's start now by attending the meetings and join in this effort to cultivate relationships. bye now. janet

Angela Ferguson
816-356-7100 office
816-914-6210 cell

"Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tune without words and never stops at all." Emily Dickinson "Every good thing needs to be done over and over again, forever". E. W. Woodward
Janet Brown Moss, BridgeWorks... helping us relate and communicate across lines of difference, to make a difference. are you ready to make a difference?

email: janetbridgeworks@sbcglobal.net or Call 816/531-6577-home office 816/695-0033-cell

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No Till Gardening Educational Discussion Friday, January 11, at 5:15 PM

Patrice Gros* wishes to have a conversation with interested people on organic, no-till gardening/farming. He will say a few words to get us started and then we will open for questions and comments. Please come to Kansas City Community Gardens at 6701 Kensington, off Gregory Blvd. in Swope Park in Kansas City on Friday, January 11, at 5:15 PM. If you need transportation or are willing to offer a ride I will try to matchmake. Come even if you are brand new to gardening. Patrice is a wonderful communicator. Patrice is looking for interns to work with him this season. Please let people know about this opportunity. No charge.

Thanks

Marty Kraft 816-333-5663

*Patrice Gros left the big city 12 years ago and fell in love with gardening. He has been a full time organic farmer for 10 years, following a 2 year apprenticeship. He is the co-founder of two local farmers markets (Berryville & Eureka Springs, AR) and sit on the board of the Eureka Market. He is married and has two children. Patrice makes a nice living by devoting about 1/2 time to gardening. He runs Foundation Farm and associated Farm School for people to learn gardening. http://www.foundationfarm.com/

Posted here by Kaedden Landy suggesting that this be a pot luck dinner discussion!

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*KAW PERMACULTURE COLLABORATIVE - INTRO & PRESENTATION*
"Permaculture: Food Security in an Era of Energy Depletion"
by Steve Moring
Saturday, 12 January 2008, 12:00-2:00pm, Lawrence Public Library

The conventional model of industrial agriculture is totally dependent on
fossil fuels for fertilizers, pest control, plowing and harvesting,
transport of food, and refrigeration. With the impending advent of
escalating fuel prices due to Peak Oil, this system will collapse. Our
future food security can derive only from a decentralized, localized,
diverse production and distribution base, grounded in building
sustainable soil fertility.

The Kaw Permaculture Collaborative endeavors to bring together
knowledgeable Permaculturists with local farmers and urban gardeners who
want to learn about and implement permaculture design and practice on
their land. We plan to develop a local Permaculture Design Certification
Course. We also want to establish a forum for sharing ideas and skills
on sustainable agriculture, food distribution, water catchment, creating
biodiverse soils, seed saving & exchange, and more.
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*AIRPORT INDUSTRIAL PARK ANNEXATION & ZONING - LAWRENCE CITY COMMISSION*
Tuesday, 15 January 2008, 6:30pm, Lawrence City Hall

This proposal to annex and rezone 145 acres of Class I-1 prime farmland
for warehouse and trucking industrial uses is of concern for our local
and regional future food security. Other serious implications are the
exacerbation of flooding for North Lawrence proper, the more severe and
frequent storms that can bring "100 year flooding" to these bottom
lands, the estimated $8 million cost to taxpayers for bringing City
infrastructure to the site to subsidize private profits, and the
existence of more appropriate industrial sites and zoning elsewhere in
our community.

People are encouraged to attend and speak at this meeting where the
final decision will be made. You can also send letters to the City
Commission by e-mail to:
bjwalthall@ci.lawrence.ks.us
Bobbie Walthall is the Executive Secretary at City Hall--she'll copy and
distribute your letter to commissioners and city manager. Make sure you
identify that the topic is the "Airport Business Park". It is best to
send letters the week before the meeting.

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BSEC members will be participating in the following events:

Building A Sustainable Earth Community will be hosting a coalition planning session Sunday, December 16, at the Creative Minds Community Center. The same location where a recent 27 hour fundraiser was held. The location was selected so the coalition members could get an up close view of a possible Sustainable project. We hope you can attend and join us in our effort to process our intentions.

See you Sunday:

WHERE: Creative MInds Community Center

31& Troost

Kansas City, Missouri

TIME: 3:00 to 6:00

NOTE: IT IS A POT-LUCK FUNCTION (COME SHOW OFF YOUR FAVORITE TREAT)

For additional information call:

Richard Mabion -- Chairman of Planning Committee

913-481-9920

Following is a commentary provided by one of the organizer of theOvernight Fundraiser.

Words from Kaedden:

I love the Sustainable Sanctuaries ideals and help every chance I get to achieve those ideals as real policies, practices, and implemented energy efficient, renewable energy, conservation, and recycling systems that help these community centers achieve sustainability. My philosophy behind doing this is that the more sustainable examples that exist in our society the faster the people will achieve sustainability and the faster the empire will crumble to the rise of autonomous free thinking socially & community oriented people.

Building our networks and building our community connections is a very positive worthwhile effort. In order to build sustainable Earth communities it is my belief that we must have tangible examples of what a sustainable community is. This is going to take money and a whole lot of labor by the people who believe in sustainability as the only potential future that will guide people out of the dark ages of empire and enlighten them to the greatest possibilities for the future of the human adventure. This Sunday, I intend to address how we can all participate in such a renaissance through this organization. I hope we will all be able to attend the BSEC council meeting at the Creative Minds Community Center this Sunday Dec 16th.

It is my understanding that we will have the general council meeting from 3-6 pm and I propose that we bring a pot-luck-holiday-party with us to enjoy during and after the meeting. So breakout your best baked goods recipes and bring something to share with the community. Musician in the group should definitely bring their instruments for improve performances and jam session following the meeting during breakout sessions. We should also take a collection for the venue as they badly need to raise funds for repairing the roof there. I am looking forward to seeing everyone this Sunday and wish you all the best in Sustainability this Holiday season. Peace,