"Economics of Happiness" Film Showing May 17th 7pm

Join Chaffee County Citizens for Sustainability for the showing of the Economics of Happiness.

Tuesday May 17 at Salida SteamPlant Theater 7PM

Following the film there will be a discussion on “WHAT’S HAPPENING LOCALLY”

1. Community Updates:
A. Chris Martin – solar gardens
B. Jon Fitz – LiveWell projects
C. Dave & Suzanne Ward – Farmers Markets,
CSAs, Poncha Springs initiatives.
D. Michele Riggio – Federal Farm Bill
E. Dave Bowers – local ‘cottage industry’ food bill
F. David Lynch – food sovereignty

2. Open Mic … What are you doing and how do you
envision the future of our region?
Share your wisdom and ideas of how to
transition to a healthier, more
unified, vital and resilient community.

About "Economics of Happiness"

Economic globalization has led to a massive expansion in the scale and power of big business and banking. It has also worsened nearly every problem we face: fundamentalism and ethnic conflict; climate chaos and species extinction; financial instability and unemployment. There are personal costs too. For the majority of people on the planet life is becoming increasingly stressful. We have less time for friends and family and we face mounting pressures at work.

‘The Economics of Happiness’ describes a world moving simultaneously in two opposing directions. On the one hand, government and big business continue to promote globalization and the consolidation of corporate power. At the same time, all around the world people are resisting those policies, demanding a re‐regulation of trade and finance—and, far from the old institutions of power, they’re starting to forge a very different future. Communities are coming together to re‐build more human scale, ecological economies based on a new paradigm – an economics of localization.

We hear from a chorus of voices from six continents including Vandana Shiva, Bill McKibben, David Korten, Michael Shuman, Juliet Schor, Zac Goldsmith and Samdhong Rinpoche ‐ the Prime Minister of Tibetʹs government in exile. They tell us that climate change and peak oil give us little choice: we need to localize, to bring the economy home. The good news is that as we move in this direction we will begin not only to heal the earth but also to restore our own sense of well‐being. ‘The Economics of Happiness’ restores our faith in humanity and challenges us to believe that it is possible to build a better world.

Support "Local Foods" Bill Today!!

Greetings,

The 'Local Foods, Local Jobs' Act (SB11 - 258) has passed the Senate but your help is needed to help it pass through the State House! Your support and action is needed as soon as possible to pass SB11-258 and increase consumer access to local, value-added goods, boost local economies, and increase the physical health of the people of Colorado while bringing communities together.

You can help by calling & emailing your Representatives, and encouraging friends and family to do the same. The process is quick & easy!

1) Find your state rep and their contact information by entering your address on this website: http://comaps.org/allsearch_old.html

2) What you can say when you call & email (please feel free to personalize the message)

Hello, my name is ______ and I am from ______. I am calling to support the 'Local Foods, Local Jobs' Act (SB11-258) that will be coming up for a vote shortly.

This bill will:

• Support entrepreneurs and encourage job growth
• Allow consumers the freedom to purchase products made with quality ingredients grown by local farmers
• Promote Colorado agritourism
• Allow local growers to be more profitable by utilizing surplus production

Please support for this bill when it comes up for your vote.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

More information on this bill:

This bill makes it easier for local food growers to sell baked goods, jams and jellies, spices, and dehydrated fruits and vegetables to Colorado families. It also boosts entrepreneurial opportunities and increases the availability of fresh, nutritious foods.

While expanding access to local foods, Senate Bill 11-258 also maintains important safety standards such as extensive labeling regulations and requiring products to be sold by growers directly to consumers on farms, at farmers markets, or through Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) organizations.

To read a copy of the bill, Click Here or paste http://www.leg.state.co.us/CLICS/CLICS2011A/csl.nsf/fsbillcont3/F8D6BE2D5D5766528725780100604D0D?Open&file=258_01.pdfinto your browser

Bill McKibben’s new book “Eaarth” just came out in paperback. I read the hardcopy from the library and was so inspired that I bought two copies in paperback: one to lend and one to give away. It comes with this pronouncement on the front cover which made me pick it up.

"READ IT, PLEASE. STRAIGHT THROUGH TO THE END. WHATEVER ELSE YOU WERE PLANNING TO DO NEXT, NOTHING COULD BE MORE IMPORTANT." —BARBARA KINGSOLVER

This book, after reviewing the FACTS of what has occurred on Earth in the environment over the last twenty or so years – not the projections of what COULD happen due to climate change but what HAS happened – truly shook me. I think of myself as being up on current events, but the details outlined were astounding.

The good news…and there is some, I want to share here. One very important step in the process of living on Eaarth, this new planet we inhabit since the old one doesn’t really exist anymore, is that LOCAL AGRICULTURE is a key in the days ahead, and for lots of reasons. Bill McKibben points out, “…local farmers’ markets are the fastest-growing part of the food economy, with sales up 10 to 15 percent a year, and the number of markets doubling and then doubling again in the last decade.” Here in the Upper Arkansas River Valley we can see the evidence of this trend through the efforts of the Foodshed Alliance and others. We have local farmers’ markets in Salida, Buena Vista, Canon City and Westcliffe, and local growers - a real accomplishment in the altitude range of 8,000 ft.

In the final section of the book, “Lightly, Carefully, Gracefully”, a smaller diversified agriculture is promoted as a solution for reducing carbon emissions into the atmosphere along with an “uptick of neighboring” among other things. I think we are right on track.

I encourage you to seek out Eaarth. It’s a great read and I have a copy to lend!

Guidestone is a non-profit organization dedicated to the integrity of the agricultural resources of the Upper Arkansas River region by fostering a local food economy, stewarding agricultural lands in production, educating for ecological literacy, and supporting sustainable development.

Book Report by Judie Anders, Guidestone

The Muse's Market - Saturday, April 2nd

Upcoming Event!

Come check out The Muse's Market on Saturday, April 2nd.

The Muse's Market intermixes Gabrielle Louise's social commentary folk music with the avant-acoustic music of David Rynhart, the poetry of Panama Soweto, the journalistic photography of Sebastião Salgado, and the fine art of Jimmy Danko and Laurie Maves.

Learn more...

Now Hiring... Farmhands Program Assistant

Guidestone’s Farmhands Education Program provides hands-on, experiential farm and nature-based educational opportunities to school groups, custom contract groups, children and families. Farmhands curriculum focuses on nature appreciation, ecological understanding, traditional arts, sustainable agriculture and human health and nutrition. Teaching sites include The Hutchinson Homestead in Salida and Weathervane Farm in Buena Vista.

Responsibilities:

Teach non-residential, outdoor farm & nature education programs for children ages 5-12 and to school groups grades Pre-K – 12. Develop and document lessons and create teaching materials to support Farmhands’ programs. Assist in some administrative duties.

Qualifications:

Educational background in the natural sciences, environmental education, sustainable agriculture, or related field; interested and enthusiastic about environmental education & farming; self-motivated and a sincere interest in the environment; experience working in a farm setting with children. First aid and CPR certification. A reliable car and valid driver’s license is required.

Compensation:

This is a 7-month contract position, ending Nov. 1, 2011, averaging 10 hours/week for $600/month.

Application deadline: April 1, 2011

Please send cover letter, resume and references to:

Andrea Earley Coen

Guidestone Education Director

PO Box 1056

Salida, CO 81201

For more information, go to our website www.guidestonecolorado.org, or feel free to contact Andrea at (970)309-3175 or farmhandsed@gmail.com

Be Inspired to Fight Environmental Decline

At Guidestone, we believe in positive action. While our planet struggles against environmental decline, we encourage our community to combat it by working together to dream, build and shape projects, movements and forums that reinforce environmental restoration and sustainability.

Find Inspiration

We have recently discovered a great website that collects and outlines environmental success stories. The Eco Tipping Points features over 100 success stories in which human well-being goes hand in hand with the health of the local ecosystem.

Read about a marine sanctuary in the Philippians, non-pesticide management at cotton farms in India, the creation of a coastal wetland in Arcata, and more!

What we learn from these stories is that successful environmental projects share the following qualities:

• Shared awareness about a problem
• Community participation
• No interruption of nature’s flow
• Transformation of waste into resource
• A strong leader
• A learned past
• Resilience to opposition

Thank you EcoTipping Points for providing desperately needed reassurance that environmental and social problems are not too big, too costly, nor too complicated to be dealt with effectively.

Guidestone's Land-Link Initiative

Want to learn more about Guidestone's Land-Link Initiative? Check out this informative video!