Annual Meeting

May
22
Sun
Cohase Young Professional Potluck Meeting @ Alumni Hall
May 22 @ 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Cohase Young Professionals – Potluck Kickoff
May 22 @ 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm

When: Sunday, May 22nd 5:00-8:00pm

Where: Court Street Arts, North Haverhill, NH

 

Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1601185890200831

 

There has been interest in starting a networking group for young professionals in the Cohase Region. We’re hosting this event in hopes of gathering people together and finding out what would be helpful.

 

So, you probably have a few questions… Mainly, What is young? What is professional? Honestly, we don’t want you to get too hung up on the phrase “young professional.” The audience that we’re shooting for is the 21-40 crowd, but we also don’t want to discourage people from either side of the age spectrum that are interested in getting involved. Professional speaks to the fact that this is a group to discuss ideas, projects, business, economic development, creative economy, volunteer opportunities, networking, etc. You can be working for yourself, working for a family business, working for a corporation, volunteering for a local organization, etc. As long as you’re interested in bringing a project to the table, would like to brainstorm, would like to share connections, would like to offer your skills, or would just like to support this cause, you’re welcome and encouraged to come.

 

What’s the agenda? We are setting aside time for introductions, to introduce initial ideas for this group, and to collectively brainstorm what a group like this should offer to members and the community. We’d like your input.

 

What towns are included in the Cohase region? Technically, Bradford, Piermont, Haverhill (N Haverhill, Woodsville, Pike), Newbury (Wells River), Fairlee (W Fairlee), and Orford. That being said, we’d welcome people from the surrounding area as well. Have friends from Thetford, Hanover, Lebanon, Warren, Littleton, etc. that are interested? That’s awesome. Bring them.

 

QUESTIONS? Contact Monique Priestley at [email protected] or 802-222-1909

May
25
Wed
PERMACULTURE: EDIBLE FOREST MANAGEMENT
May 25 @ 9:00 am – 4:00 pm

1 Main Street
Randolph Center, VT

Learn how to build edible forest gardens by arranging useful plants into communities which support one another’s healthy functioning, while providing food, medicine, fuel and more. Through energetic, visually-­rich slideshows, dialogue, participatory outdoor walks, small­ group exercises, and a field trip with a hands-­on planting, students will leave this course with a grounded understanding of what exactly an edible forest garden is, an overview of how to plant and care for home and farm scale systems, a plant species palette, a grasp of basic ecological design principles, and an understanding of why our ecosystems require active human participation.

Topics Covered:

  • Edible Forest Gardening (EFG) ­ history, definition, plant and animal archetypes of the edible forest garden and the ecological frame
  • Ecological design principles applied in the EFG
  • Specific plants ­ why to use them, how to use them and where to grow them
  • Designing perennial polyculture­ guidelines, principles and examples of functional interconnection
  • EFG establishment overview  from soil prep to harvest
  • EFG’s place in the homestead,­ urban, suburban and rural settings
  • Agroforestry & farm­scale EFG applications
  • Personal & community empowerment through the EFG
  • Field trip & site visit to East Hill Tree Farm in Plainfield, VT; a fruit, nut and berry nursery with diverse, extensive orchard ecosystem plantings

For more information and to register: https://www.vtc.edu/ag-course/permaculture-edible-forest-management

For questions contact Rachel at Vermont Tech’s Institute for Applied Agriculture and Food Systems

Email: [email protected]

Stalled at the Start: Vermont’s Childcare Challenge
May 25 @ 9:00 am – 11:00 am

Register here: https://www.letsgrowkids.org/stalled-at-start

Wednesday, May 25 in Brattleboro
Marlboro College Graduate School, Room 2E
28 Vernon St, Brattleboro, VT 05301

TIME: 9 AM – 11 AM. Registration and breakfast begin at 8:30 AM – See more at: https://www.letsgrowkids.org/stalled-at-start#sthash.0s5X3Hkn.dpuf

Jun
1
Wed
i-Tree Software Training
Jun 1 @ 10:00 am – 12:00 pm

i-Tree Software Training
Two-Part Workshop
June 1st & 15th

Registration fee: $25; limited space
Register online by clicking here

i-Tree is a state-of-the-art, peer-reviewed software suite from the USDA Forest Service that provides inventory, analysis, and benefits assessments tools for the trees in our cities and towns.  i-Tree tools can help communities of all sizes strengthen their urban forest management, planning, and advocacy efforts by understanding and assessing the makeup of community forests, and the environmental services and economic benefits that trees provide.  i-Tree tools can support watershed planning, placement of trees, forest conservation, land use decisions, and much more.

 

i-Tree tools are free and accessible online.  This two-part workshop is intended to teach participants how to apply and promote i-Tree locally in order to make more informed decisions about tree management and stewardship.  This workshop is appropriate for anyone involved and/or interested in urban and community forest management: town planners, VT Tree Wardens, municipal recreation and public works staff, professional arborists, conservation commission and tree board members, educators, landscape architects, foresters, and municipal officials.

 

Training details:

  • The first part of this training will be an introductory live webinar on Wednesday, June 1st, from 10am-12pm, which participants will join remotely.
  • The second part of this training will be a full day training on Wednesday, June 15th from 9am-4pm at the Vermont Technical College in Randolph.
  • Registration is $25 and space is limited; click here to register.
  • The training will be led by Dave Bloniarz and John Parry, both with the USDA Forest Service.
  •  Participants are asked to bring their own laptop computer, if possible, to the in-person training on June 15th
  • Morning refreshments and lunch will be provided at the in-person training on June 15th.

 

This training is co-sponsored by the Vermont Urban & Community Forestry Program, a partnership between UVM Extension and the VT Department of Forests, Parks, & Recreation, and the USDA Forest Service: State and Private Forestry, Northeastern Area

 

Questions?  Contact Elise Schadler with the VT Urban & Community Forestry Program.  Flyer attached; please spread the word!

Affordable Housing Meetings
Jun 1 @ 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm

Dear Local Officials,

 

The TRORC region is short thousands of homes that are affordable.  Many of TRORC’s towns could benefit from more homes, as this would lead to more community members – employees, employers, customers, students, volunteers – as well as allowing current community members to move in to more appropriate housing for them.  Zoning regulations can inadvertently get in the way of producing such homes. Come discuss ways in which regulations can be changed to encourage more housing in your town with TRORC Senior Planner Kevin Geiger. Some of the topics that will be discussed are reduced lot sizes, mixed uses, waivers as incentives, and more. There will be two meetings over the next few weeks with one in Norwich and the other in Bethel a week later with more details to come. Please let me know if you plan on attending either one of the meetings.

 

See details below for Meeting:

 

Norwich Area Meeting

Date: June 1, 2016

Where: Tracy Hall: Norwich, VT

When: 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

 

Bethel Area Meeting

Date: June 8, 2016

 

Where: Bethel Town Hall 318 Main St.

When: 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Jun
8
Wed
Affordable Housing Meetings
Jun 8 @ 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm

Dear Local Officials,

 

The TRORC region is short thousands of homes that are affordable.  Many of TRORC’s towns could benefit from more homes, as this would lead to more community members – employees, employers, customers, students, volunteers – as well as allowing current community members to move in to more appropriate housing for them.  Zoning regulations can inadvertently get in the way of producing such homes. Come discuss ways in which regulations can be changed to encourage more housing in your town with TRORC Senior Planner Kevin Geiger. Some of the topics that will be discussed are reduced lot sizes, mixed uses, waivers as incentives, and more. There will be two meetings over the next few weeks with one in Norwich and the other in Bethel a week later with more details to come. Please let me know if you plan on attending either one of the meetings.

 

See details below for Meeting:

 

Norwich Area Meeting

Date: June 1, 2016

Where: Tracy Hall: Norwich, VT

When: 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

 

Bethel Area Meeting

Date: June 8, 2016

 

Where: Bethel Town Hall 318 Main St.

When: 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Jun
9
Thu
Valley Fest: A Celebration of All Things Local @ South Royalton Green
Jun 9 @ 3:00 pm – 9:00 pm

ValleyFest: A Celebration of All Things Local runs from 3-9 PM on the South Royalton Green on Thu., June 9. Contact Greg Tisher HERE

Jun
14
Tue
2016 Northeast State In-place Recycling Conference @ Sheraton Burlington Hotel and Conference Center
Jun 14 – Jun 16 all-day

Utlizing In-place Recycling Technologies: Engineering, Economic and Environmental Benefits

What: A Conference on In-place Recycling for State, Local, and Federal Agency Officials, Contractors, and Academia

Where: Sheraton Burlington Hotel and Conference Center

Burlington, Vermont

When: June 14-16, 2016

To view the official flyer and registration papers: Inplace Recycling Brochure

5TH ANNUAL UVM FOOD SYSTEMS SUMMIT: WHAT MAKES FOOD GOOD?
Jun 14 all-day

University of Vermont
Burlington, VT

5th Annual UVM Food Systems Summit

“What Makes Food Good?”
June 14-15, 2016 | Burlington, VT

The UVM Food Systems Summit is an annual event drawing scholars, practitioners, and food systems leaders to engage in dialogue on the pressing food systems issues facing our world.

As individuals and communities, our social, environmental, and political values greatly influence our sense of the “good.” In the context of food systems, we may favor certain agricultural production practices, culinary traditions, or labor policies. The 2016 Summit theme is an invitation for us to unpack the assumptions and biases that underpin our perspectives on how the food system should work.

Location:
Grand Maple Ballroom, Davis Center
University of Vermont
590 Main St., Burlington, VT 05405
Campus Map

Contact [email protected] for more information on the UVM Food Systems Summit.

For more information and to register, click here