COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS
 
Ellen Bynum, Executive Director for Friends of Skagit County, joins Ginny for a discussion about Friends of Skagit County.  She talks about why Friends came into existence after the Growth Management Act passed, and how it has worked to help preserve the rural character of Skagit County.  Ellen gives us a crash course in permitting and appeals processes for development projects, and amendments to the Comprehensive Code.  She advocates strongly for citizen participation in land use decisions.
 
Saturday, JUNE 22ND
10 -11:30 A.M.
BURLINGTON LIBRARY
833 South Spruce Street, Burlginton, WA.

Burlington RAIN GARDEN WALKING TOUR
Thursday, May 30th from 5:30 pm to 7 pm

Put on your walking shoes and appropriate outdoor attire and join us for a walk and talk tour of the City of Burlington's new rain garden and LID (low impact development) demonstration projects, which were designed to enhance historic old town, help accommodate projected growth and development, and protect the health of Gages Slough and the Skagit River.  Learn about the City's long-term vision, rain gardens, and how you can apply LID concepts in your own landscape.  This FREE event is being hosted by the Skagit Conservation District, City of Burlington, Skagit County Master Gardeners, and RE Sources for Sustainable Communities.  To register, contact Kristi Carpenter (360) 428-4313 or email:  kristi@skagitcd.org.  Registration deadline:  May 28th
Bring your favorite walking shoes!  We will meet at the new Scenic Regional Byway/Information Center at Railroad Park, 520 E. Fairhaven in Burlington

Bellingham Rain Gardens Tour
June 1, from 9:30 to 12:30. This tour includes lunch and transportation, costs $20, and registration is required.
Details here:

Online registration via Brown Paper Tickets:
http://raingardentour.brownpapertickets.com/

The Facebook event (please share & invite Friends):
http://www.facebook.com/events/370455379742619/

The event on our website (please copy to yours):
http://tinyurl.com/bellinghamraingardens

This tour is co-hosted by RE Sources for Sustainable Communities, Sustainable Connections, City of Bellingham and Washington State University Extension.

Questions? Contact Lee First, 360 733 8307 or leef@re-sources.org

Greenwood Tree Cooperative School would like to invite you to attend a brief Open House for our Mixed-Age Kindergarten Class that we will be starting in the Fall 2013 season.


Come play, meet Mrs. Baker the teacher, and see a puppet show at 2 PM. Get a glimpse of our Kindergarten program of next year.


Drop in anytime between 1 PM and 3 PM at GWT school.
Tuesday, June 4th


500 W. Section Street ( behind Mount Vernon Post Office)
Mount Vernon, WA


Questions? email Maria at mcmssw@yahoo.com


Thank You,

The GWT Board

from  Transition Fidalgo & Friends            "Growing Community Resilience"            http://transitionfidalgo.org           

Transition Fidalgo & Friends is happy to partner with the Anacortes Farmer's Market to bring our community free skill-share workshops through the market season!

The Market opens at 9 AM. Workshop will be inside the Depot at 10 am.

June 1 workshop, 10 am:  Growing and Using Culinary Herbs
Learn where to get herbs, whether to grow or buy them, how to preserve and use them, and more! Instructor Becky Stinson is a master gardener and herbalist, and a wonderful teacher who delights in sharing her love of herbs.  Free; no registration required.

Other workshops to put on your calendar:

June 8:     What the Bees Told Me/Marc Caputo
June 15:   Fix a Flat/Nick Stowe
June 22:   Guitar Maintenance/Aaron Powell
June 29:   Tool-sharpening/Don Slack
July 6:      Medicinal Herbs & Tonics/Suzanne Jordan
July 13:    Making Queso Fresco/Vivian Smallwood
July 27:    Raising Chickens in Your Urban Backyard/Linda Zielinski
Aug 10:    Making Natural Cleaning and Petcare products/Michele Mahler
Aug 24:    It's All in the Dirt/Caitlin Price Youngquist
Sept 7:     Vermiculture/Callie Martin
Sept 14:   Safe Home Canning/Vivian Smallwood
Sept 28:   Gluten-free cooking/Sharon Swan
Oct 5:      Fermenting Foods/Julianne Ash

TILTH PRODUCERS of WASHINGTON and WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY SMALL FARMS TEAM PRESENT

2013 SUMMER FARM WALKS
This year’s spring farm walk season has been a success, and there are still more fantastic walks to come! Join us to learn first-hand these farmers’ secrets to success!

All farm walks are 12:30 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Sign-in 12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Join us with your own lunch at 11:45 am for informal networking
Pre-registration encouraged
Cost: $15 for Tilth Producers members, students and interns
$25 for non members; $5 fee for day-of registration

Click Here to register or for more information

June 17 - Preserving Agricultural Heritage Through Creative Collaborative Farming
Suyematsu-Bentryn Farms on Bainbridge Island was farmed by Akio Suyematsu for eighty years and is now collaboratively-farmed public land. The 40-acres are city-owned and managed by the non-profit Friends of the Farms (FOF). Learn about this partnership and agricultural community, including youth education, Farmers’ Guild, worker-owned winery,
farm apprenticeship program, and collaborative farm stand. Lunch provided by Friends of the Farm.

June  24 - Integrated Approaches to Pest Management: Farmscaping for Beneficials in
Washington’s Columbia Basin  Hands-on (limit 25 people)
Lenwood Farms in Connell, Franklin County. 
Fifth generation farmer Brad Bailie practices alternative pest management methods and weed control on his 600-acre farm, growing grains, seed, camelina, potatoes, and vegetables. Hands-on learning in plant-based insectaries for beneficial insects to control crop-damaging bugs, as well as beetle banks, and native flora.

July 8 – Opening the Farm to the Public: Success for a Family Heritage Farm
Wilson Banner Ranch in Clarkston, Asotin County. 
Wilson Banner Ranch has been practicing sustainable agricultural methods for 125 years, raising diverse crops.  Learn how they adapt to change with a variety of marketing practices including farm events, u-pick, tours, festivals, a farm market, and collaboration with local growers. Join the farmers at the peak of cherry harvest to learn about their operations and history.

July 15 - Beekeeping on a Biodynamic Farm   (limit 30 people)
Friendly Haven Rise Farm in Venersborg, Clark County.
Join Jacqueline and Joseph Freeman on their biodynamic farm to learn about starting and tending hives, maintaining hive health without pesticides or additives, and incorporating bees into a diversified farm. Biodynamic agriculture is a farming system that conceives of the farm as a living organism and a self-contained entity, with emphasis on holistic management.

 
August 4 - Integrated Green Approach to Growing and Processing Organic Berries in the Heart of Skagit River Valley
J4 Berry Ranch in Mount Vernon, Skagit County.
John & Leslie Rogers and Joel & Amy Cunningham converted a conventional farm into a certified organic, top quality, berry operation. They use earth-friendly practices on their 103 acres, from addressing fuel use and water quality to local marketing and strong employee relations. Join them at the season’s peak to learn about harvesting, processing, storing and marketing berries.
 
August 26 - Pasture Based Products to Support Family, Community, and Environment
Lincoln Creek Ranch in Galvin, Lewis County. 
Farmers Nate Lewis and Melissa Barker raise pastured eggs, meat and dairy. See how their grassland management practices provide 100% of their animals’ needs. Learn about NRCS EQIP projects through an on-farm animal waste (including offal) composting facility. Explore biodynamic principles and certification which espouse holistic practices and philosophy.

September 16 - Dry Land Grazing & Water Systems for Grass-fed, Grass-finished Cattle 
Maple K Farms, LLC in Colfax, Whitman County. 
Tom & Cheryl Kammerzell raise Highland cattle on dry land pasture. Join them on their 3rd generation farm to explore how they manage their pastures to the best advantage for their grass-fed cows.  Learn how they developed water systems for the cattle that ensure stream water quality in riparian zones.

Jacqueline Cramer
Education Program Coordinator
Tilth Producers of Washington
4649 Sunnyside Avenue N #305
Seattle WA 98103
Phone: 206.632-7506
Fax: 206-632-7562
www.tilthproducers.org
Tilth Producers promotes ecologically sound, economically viable and socially equitable farming practices that improve the health of our communities and natural environment.