Vermont Country Store hosts fundraiser for farmers with collapsed barns
WESTON – The Vermont Country Store is reaching out to support its neighboring farmers who have been affected by barn collapses by organizing a fundraising brunch on Sunday, Feb. 27, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Bryant House Restaurant in Weston.
All proceeds raised will support the Taylor Farm in Londonderry and the Rohman-Wai Farm in Chester, whose barns collapsed recently under the tremendous weight of snow build-up this winter.
The Vermont Country Store is partnering with Strolling of the Heifers, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the public about sustainable agriculture in Vermont and committed to preserving the livelihoods of farming families and the health of consumers who depend on local farm products.
Proceeds generated from the brunch will be channeled to Strolling of the Heifers who will disburse the funds equally to the Taylor Farm and Rohman-Wai Farm. Any unused funds raised will be distributed to farms in other parts of the state to help with repairs associated with other barn collapses this winter.
Reservations for the fundraising brunch are recommended and may be made by contacting The Bryant House Restaurant at 802-824-6287. Those not able to attend the fundraiser may still donate to the cause by making their tax-deductible contribution directly to Strolling of the Heifers via their secure website at www.strollingoftheheifers.org.
Post Oil Solutions and Nature Museum host cold frames workshop
BELLOWS FALLS - Post Oil Solutions and the Grafton Nature Museum will host a cold frames workshop on Sunday, Feb. 27, from 2 to 4 p.m., at the United Church of Bellows Falls, 8 School St.
The workshop will be led by Post Oil's garden master, Robert King. The fee for this workshop is a 10/$40 sliding scale with no one refused for lack of funds. Pre-registration/payment is required however. To register, call 802-843-2111. Payment at door is $20, and only if there is room.
The simple glass covered wooden frame was a state of the art growing device 100 years ago. It can be used throughout all four seasons and provides a simple alternative to a free-standing greenhouse. Through slides and discussion, the basics of cold frame operation will be presented as a way to extend the season both in spring and fall. For further information, visit www.postoilsolutions.org.
Tax help available at Rockingham library
BELLOWS FALLS - The Rockingham Free Public Library is a designated site for tax preparation assistance this year, thanks to AARP. This service is for taxpayers with low to moderate income, and special focus on those age 60 and older.
Two certified AARP tax counselors will be at the library on Tuesdays in March, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Sign-ups are necessary, call the library at 802-463-4270.
Rabies clinic offered in Wilmington
WILMINGTON - The Wilmington Fire Fighters Association presents its annual rabies clinic at the Fire House on Saturday, March 5, from 9 to 11 a.m.
The clinic is open to all pet owners, with low cost vaccinations provided by Veterinarian Trudi Matt. Dog licenses for Wilmington residents will also be provided.
Sugar on Snow supper served in Guilford on March 5
GUILFORD - A Sugar on Snow Supper will be held Saturday, March 5, at Broad Brook Grange in Guilford.
Traditionally the first sugar supper in Windham County each year, the meal features ham, baked beans, cole slaw, potato salad, rolls, pickles, homemade donuts, and Guilford maple sugar on snow.
There will be three seatings: at 5, 6 and 7 p.m. At each seating, a half-gallon of Guilford maple syrup will be raffled. Tickets for the supper are $10 for adults; $5 for children ages 5-12, and $2 for kids age 4 and under.
Reservations for a particular seating are recommended, as the supper usually sells out in advance. A waiting list will also be kept, and those with reservations who cannot make it are asked to phone their cancellation. There are usually a few unreserved seats left for the 7 p.m. seating, for those who show up without a reservation. Reservations made be made by calling Thayer Tomlinson at 802-257-5359.
The Grange hall is located on Guilford Center Road, four miles west of the Guilford Country Store.
Transition Putney hosts economic summit on March 9, 10
PUTNEY - As part of an on-going effort to explore practical strategies for enriching our communities and reviving the local economy, Transition Putney, co-sponsored by the Putney Planning Commission, the Putney Inn, the Marlboro College Graduate School and the Putney Central School, will host a series of events focused on “Vitalizing Our Local Economy” on March 9 and 10.
Michael Shuman, one of the country's leaders in building rural economies, is the featured guest. Shuman, a noted economist, attorney, author, and entrepreneur, is widely recognized for his research into the economic advantages of small-scale businesses in an era of globalization. He is the research and economic development director for the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE).
He has authored, coauthored, or edited seven books, including The Small-Mart Revolution: How Local Businesses Are Beating the Global Competition, which was awarded a bronze medal for best business book by the Independent Publishers' Association, and Going Local: Creating Self-Reliant Communities in the Global Age. He holds an A.B. with distinction in economics and international relations from Stanford University, and a J.D. from Stanford Law School.
As Bill McKibben writes in the forward to The Small-Mart Revolution, “We want and deserve the delight that comes with working communities… towns where you depend on the people around you, and they depend on you -that's called living. It's about starting something-vibrant local economies that will make our cities and towns the places we very much want them to be.”
In just the same vein, the Transition Movement, a global organization with hundreds of recognized Initiatives all over the world, promotes the building of community health and resilience through socio-economic localization. Vermont's special mix of wise Yankee old-timers, hardworking farmers, creative entrepreneurs, artists and artisans that makes up the core of our diverse communities has proven particularly receptive to the ideals of transition.
There are recognized Transition Initiatives established in Montpelier, Hardwick, Shelburne, Manchester, and Charlotte, as well as in Putney. Paul LeVasseur, one of the Putney group's founders, explains their success at building community support and enthusiasm: “Transition is not meant to be in opposition to anything; it's a party, not a protest. It has that very positive can-do energy.”
For more information, contact LeVasseur at [email protected].
New thrift shop opens in West Townshend
WEST TOWNSHEND - The West River Community Project is sponsoring the “Community Closet,” offering men's, women's and children's clothing, footwear and toys on Wednesday and Saturday mornings from 9 a.m. to noon.
The thrift shop is located on the second floor of the former West Townshend Country Store on Route 30. The building now houses the West Townshend post office and the West River Community Project.
Any profit from the thrift shop will go to WRCP and support their local programs, which include chronicling community history and development of farming and vegetable production in the area for distribution to local restaurants, institutions and consumers.