Green Sand

Farm2Table Sign-up!

2012-02-01T05:28:00.000-06:00

https://coop.sandhillsfarm2table.com/ See incentives for early sign-up! This is the award-winning LOCAL endeavor to bring Sandhills folks real food.

Green Growth Explained, Jan. 26, Sou. Pines

2012-01-06T04:39:00.000-06:00

SAVE OUR SANDHILLS SPEAKER EXPLAINS “GREEN GROWTH TOOLBOX”

On January 26, Save Our Sandhills will host Brenda Johnson, a specialist in ecology and wildlife, to describe why The Green Growth Toolbox, a cooperative, non-regulatory effort developed by the Wildlife Diversity Program of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, is so important to North Carolina in general, and Moore County in particular.
By its own definition, “Green Growth is a nature-friendly way of developing communities. It means conserving habitat and biological diversity while building homes, businesses and shopping centers.” Its tools consist of a handbook, GIS data package, and a website.
This project was conceived because of the unprecedented population growth fueled in North Carolina in recent years, along with projections that over the next 20 years, 3 million additional people would move to North Carolina, threatening our environment, public health, and quality of life.
Therefore, in 2005, the NC Wildlife Resources Commission developed the North Carolina Wildlife Action Plan, which identified sprawling patterns of land development as a top threat to wildlife resources. Since land use in North Carolina is regulated at the local government level, where officials often do not have sufficient knowledge concerning risks to wildlife while they develop policies concerning growth, The Green Growth Toolbox concept gained traction.
Green Growth helps to bridge the gap between scientists and local decision makers by offering wildlife data and important wildlife conservation principles so that well-informed decisions can be made. While planning for growth, communities learn how to protect important species and habitats by locating their important natural resources and determining how best to conserve them through land use planning. Habitats support much more than wildlife.
They also sustain healthy ecosystems, healthy economies, healthy communities, and a high quality of life. This is why The Green Growth Toolbox emphasizes 10 benefits to communities: “1. Better health all around, 2.Economic return, 3.Environmental safeguards, 4.Avoid environmental conflicts, 5.Attract new economy businesses, 6.Increase prosperity, 7.Generate tourist income, 8.Reduce costs to taxpayers and local government, 9.Respond to public demand, 10.Improve quality of life.”
In North Carolina, 45 local governments (including counties and municipalities) have received Green Growth Toolbox training at 11 workshops which targeted jurisdictions that are experiencing significant habitat conversion to development. Twenty-one local governments have received technical guidance on 31 land use planning projects. Locally, both Moore and Harnett County planning staffs attended Green Growth Toolbox Workshops and received follow-up technical guidance, including one that took place at our local Weymouth Woods Nature Preserve Auditorium in mid-2010. The NC Wildlife Resources Commission has been working in partnership with regional organizations, including Sustainable Sandhills, the Coastal Land Trust, and Land of Sky Regional Council.
In Moore County, The Green Growth Toolbox has been used to provide recommendations to the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) that is currently under revision by the Planning Board. UDO’s are the rulebooks for how building and development occur in a community, and thus can have heavy impacts on wildlife habitat. Most Green Growth recommendations to the Moore County UDO were made to the Planned Unit Development (PUD) and Subdivision Ordinances, since these usually impact large tracts of land at a time. The UDO process is currently ongoing, and work continues to see Green Growth recommendations adopted.
Brenda Johnson has worked with Sustainable Sandhills for two years as their Green Growth Planner. Sustainable Sandhills, a nonprofit dedicated to conserving the natural resources of the eight-county region surrounding Fort Bragg, concentrates on four main program areas: Green Business Certification, Green Schools, Green Growth, and Local Food.
Johnson holds a B.A. in Zoology from Ohio Wesleyan University, an M.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences from NC State University, and has several years’ experience in ecology and wildlife biology research. Her work at Sustainable Sandhills is funded by a fellowship through Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE).
She is currently working with both Moore County and Harnett County to incorporate Green Growth strategies into their land use policies.
Join us for an informative and interesting evening; refreshments will be served. Thursday, January 26 at 7 PM in the Southern Pines Civic Club, corner of Ashe Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. All are welcome.

April Fools tonight, Wine Cellar, 7-10

2011-12-31T11:46:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year.

The April Fools play at the Wine Cellar from 7 - 10pm tonight to bring in the New Year. Early enough you can enjoy the First Eve events from 6 -8 in downtown Southern Pines then enjoy great music before ringing in 2012 at midnight. Hope to see you tonight.

Art Pope Exposed, Dec. 13, 7 pm

2011-12-12T10:08:00.000-06:00

Hello Advocates,

There’s still time to RSVP for the upcoming “Art Pope Exposed” community teach-in in Raleigh this Tuesday, Dec. 13 at 7pm at the NC Association for Educators building, 700 S. Salisbury St., Raleigh, NC. We’re expecting a good crowd and lively discussion.

Can’t make it to Raleigh? Don’t fret, we’re bringing it to you. Our friends at the Institute for Southern Studies will be webstreaming the Tuesday event at: http://www.ustream.tv/user/facingsouth.

RSVP to attend in Raleigh OR tune in for the webstream at 7pm Tuesday.

Onwards,
Adam Sotak, Organizing Director,
Democracy North Carolina

Dec. 10, Occupy Moore Schedule of Events

2011-12-09T06:52:00.000-06:00

Schedule for Occupy Moore, Dec. 10

11:00 – 11:30 Drum Circle, Welcome, Reading by Rev. Don Welch

11:30 – 12:30 Education Panel

12:30 – 1:00 Music
1:00 – 1:15 Reading by Tim Maroney, Reading by NC NAACP 2011 Torch of Freedom Award Winner, Wilma Laney
1:15 – 2:00 A Look at The Moore County Poverty Study by Barbara Farr of League of Women Voters
2:00 – 2:45 Music by Tampa Blue
2:45 – 3:30 Jenn Frye of Democracy NC talks about Voter ID Laws with a Focus on Moore County
3:30 – 4:00 O'Linda Gillis of the Moore County NAACP
4:00 – 5:00 Featuring Fenton Wilkinson of Sandhills Farm to Table Cooperative on Empowerment

Nov. 10, in Sou Pines, Discuss, Learn about Fracking

2011-11-02T05:01:00.000-06:00

PENNSYLVANIA LANDOWNERS SHARE FRACKING EXPERIENCES

On Thursday, November 10, 7 PM at the Days Inn Of Southern Pines, the nonprofit organization Save Our Sandhills will host Carol French and Carolyn Knapp, dairy farmers from Bradford County, Pennsylvania, who have witnessed firsthand the effects of the gas extraction boom, known as fracking, and Hope Taylor, Executive Director of Clean Water for North Carolina (CWFNC).

As you may know, this natural gas boom that is sweeping across the United States may soon reach Lee County and northern Moore County. Geologists believe that there is a major sub-basin of natural gas that extends from Granville County above Durham southward through the Sanford area and into Moore County to the vicinity of Carthage. Some early estimates indicate that this area might yield as much as a 40-year supply of natural gas. Fracking of natural gas wells would take place in northern Moore County within the Triassic Deep River Basin/Sanford Sub-basin, and it could have great implications through all of Moore County. The Marcellus Shale gas deposits in Pennsylvania are different from those in our Triassic Deep River Basin/Sanford Sub-basin. Our gas deposits lie closer to the surface, have more faults, and may be less extensive.

We keep hearing that fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, has been around for decades. Therefore, why the big fuss now? Well, until recently, natural gas drilling consisted of “vertical” wells being drilled or fracked in order to retrieve the gas from porous rocks such as limestone and sandstone. Other gas in tight rock formations, such as shale, tight sand and coal beds, was uneconomical to extract until fracking with “horizontal” wells was conceived. This method of drilling involves injecting more than a million gallons of water and sand, as well as a toxic cocktail of chemicals under high pressure into the rock formation to release the gas. It has been estimated that over a 4-year period, up to 140 million gallons of water can be used by just one gas well.

Hope Taylor, Executive Director of CWFNC, will speak on the environmental and health impacts of hydraulic fracturing as well as current regulations and legislation in North Carolina. Following this, French and Knapp will talk about their firsthand experiences regarding fracking on their farms. Since 1999, Taylor has served as Executive Director of Durham-based CWFNC, a statewide science-based nonprofit that focuses on environmental health, drinking water and the impacts of energy production on water. Her background, which includes a Master of Science in Public Health degree in Environmental Science and Engineering from UNC-Chapel Hill, plus twenty years as a biomedical researcher at National Institutes of Health and Duke University, makes her an effective and knowledgeable advocate for the people and communities of North Carolina. In 2009, the EPA appointed Taylor to its National Drinking Water Advisory Council. In her spare time, Taylor is also a dairy goat farmer in the upper end of the Triassic Basin shale area. CWFNC promotes clean, safe ground and surface water and environments through organizing, education, advocacy and technical assistance.

Carol French and Carolyn Knapp are dairy farmers, one conventional and one organic, whose families had leased their farmland to gas companies for a small source of income for years. They had no expectation that gas development was imminent or that horizontal fracking would be developed and permitted in Pennsylvania. When Marcellus shale gas extraction with horizontal drilling began rapidly developing in 2007, many landowners were caught completely off guard. In 2010, French and Knapp founded Pennsylvania Landowners’ Group for Awareness and Solutions, an organization committed to educating farmers, landowners and the public about the consequences of rapid gas development. Both are familiar with the ‘good,’ the ‘bad,’ and the ‘ugly’ concerning gas extraction, as they live in Pennsylvania’s county that has been most impacted from rapid gas development. They presented a very powerful presentation at a Statewide Summit on Fracking Impacts in Pittsboro on September 10. Knowing that both sides of the issue need to be explored, they discuss the ‘good’ that can come from gas exploration: revenue for landowners from leasing agreements, jobs in the gas industry, business for restaurants, hotels and lawyers. And they raise awareness about the ‘bad’: questionable leases favoring gas companies, liens on property, mortgage conflicts, heavy truck traffic, social disintegration, loss of agricultural land, ground water contamination, increased community and farming costs, loss of tourism. They will also respond to industry messaging about the potential for shale gas to contribute to “energy independence” in the US, and to create sustainable jobs and other widespread economic benefits. Both suggest that we learn from other states by setting up support centers in our local communities.

Hear personal accounts from Carol French and Carolyn Knapp who are living with fracking on their lands on a daily basis. Their personal experiences can help us sort the good from the bad, and help us put guidelines in place to protect our communities if fracking is legalized as proposed in North Carolina. These guidelines can safeguard our air and water, our environment, and our way of life for future generations. We need to balance the promise of riches with the peril of drilling.

Join us for an informative presentation on Thursday November 10, 7 PM at the Days Inn Of Southern Pines, located at 650 US Highway 1 South (near the intersection of Morganton Road). Refreshments will be served. All are welcome.

Sustainable Sandhills Pickin' on the Porch

2011-11-01T14:45:00.002-06:00

Reclaiming Our Food, Oct. 14, Rooster's Wife

2011-10-10T19:22:00.000-05:00

You're Invited to An Evening with: Tayna Denckla Cobb and Reclaiming Our Food
October 14 – Friday, 5 pm

The Roosters Wife
114 Knight Street Aberdeen, NC

RECLAIMING OUR FOOD: How the Grassroots Food Movement Is Changing the Way We Eat is the new book by Tanya Denckla Cobb and it tells the stories of people across America who are finding new ways to grow, process, and distribute food for their own communities. Their successes offer inspiration and practical advice for all of us interested in eating better while also building community around local food production.
Please show your support for local food projects by joining us for a community potluck event. Bring a dish to share and tell your friends!
Phone:910.692-3211
Meet the Author, Local Food – Community Potluck Event!!

Day Trip to Greensboro, Sept. 28

2011-09-06T03:57:00.000-05:00

Day Tour to Historic Greensboro

Sponsored by the Moore County Historical Association

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Departs Shaw House, Southern Pines. 8:00 am to 5:30 pm
Day trip to Greensboro, NC. Visit Blandwood Mansion, an elegant 19th century Italian Villa, home of NC Governor John Matley Moorehead. Next stop, Greensboro Historical Museum where you will see the Dolly Madison and O. Henry memorabilia, rare documents, art works and a military history exhibit including 140 Confederate long rifles. Dutch lunch at Liberty Oaks restaurant. Final stop, Guilford Courthouse National Military Park (scene of the battle on March 15, 1781).
$55 members, $60 non-members. Travel by minibus
Sarah at the Shaw House (910) 692-2051 for info and reservations

Joyride, Sept. 6

2011-09-02T05:26:00.000-05:00

FirstHealth Community Health Services and the Foundation of FirstHealth are bringing Portland-based bicycle transportation expert and author Mia Birk to the Sandhills to discuss bicycling and pedestrian programs, plans and policies while sharing experiences and stories that inspired her success.

Monday, September 5

22nd Annual Tour de Moore Classic to benefit the Moore County Chapter of Habitat for Humanity
Join guest rider Mia Birk for a hilly, challenging and fun ride around beautiful Moore County in the heart of the Sandhills. For more information or to register, visit www.tourdemoore.org

Tuesday, September 6

Mia Birk will meet with key leaders to examine local policies that affect non-motorized transportation initiatives. Community leaders will have the opportunity to work directly with a leading expert on bicycle planning to create a bike and pedestrian-friendly community in Moore County.

Tuesday, September 6

Joyride: Pedaling Toward a Healthier Planet featuring author Mia Birk

6 p.m. • Robert E. Lee Auditorium, Pinecrest High School

A dramatic and enlightening behind-the-scenes story of how a group of determined visionaries transformed a community into a cycling mecca and inspired the nation. Please join us as author Mia Birk inspires, educates and empowers us to create ways to make our community more human, healthy, safe and splendid.

Representatives from The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines will be present with books available for purchase and signing.

To register for this event, please call (910) 715-5376 or visit www.firsthealth.org/joyride.

Shaw House Fair, Oct. 8

2011-08-27T19:06:00.000-05:00

3rd Annual Shaw House Fair

Saturday, October 8, 2011 • 9:00 to 4:00
Vintage Collectibles & Antiques Vendors, Food & Music & Tours!
Donate Collectibles

Silent Auction & Moore Treasures Table

Please help make the Shaw House Fair a success. "Treasures" such as pottery, jewelry, silver, art work, vintage collectibles, figurines, linens, and other items of value are needed for the Silent Auction and Moore Treasures Sales.
Drop off at the Shaw House Mon-Fri 1-4 pm or call 692-2051 for pick-up. A donation receipt will be provided for your tax records.
You can also support the MCHA by being a sponsor.
Send your tax-deductible donation of $50 or more to:
MCHA, PO Box 324, So. Pines, NC 28388

Food Banks and Hurricanes

2011-08-26T15:18:00.000-05:00

The Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina is preparing for a possible landfall by Hurricane Irene later this week.
The Food Bank distributes food and non-food essentials to more than 500,000 people at risk of hunger daily in its 34-county service area.
The Food Bank also acts as a first responder during times of a natural disaster reacting immediately to serve victims of tornadoes, hurricanes and floods throughout central and eastern North Carolina. The organization began on Monday to prepare for a possible impact of Hurricane Irene.
The Food Bank has taken inventory of the following types of items in each of its six warehouses in Durham, Greenville, New Bern, Raleigh, Sandhills (Southern Pines) and Wilmington: Disaster relief kits, retail size canned goods from salvage/food drives, cereal/granola/energy bars, fruit snacks, water, Ensure/Boost-type drinks, Pedialyte, paper goods, hygiene products, cleaning products and household goods.
“We are preparing to provide assistance and basic supplies such as food, water, hygiene and paper products to those who might be affected by Hurricane Irene,” said Peter Werbicki, president and CEO of the Food Bank of Central & Eastern NC. “We have already been in communication with North Carolina Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NCVOAD) and other disaster response teams.”
In the event Hurricane Irene does not affect the Food Bank’s service area, the organization will be prepared to assist other food banks in the state.
The Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina has a long history of responding to natural disasters. With the devastation of the 2005 hurricane season, the Food Bank sent nine truckloads of relief food and essentials to help the victims of the hurricanes in the Gulf Coast. The Food Bank distributed more than 233,000 pounds of food to that area.
In April 2011, the organization distributed nearly 500,000 pounds of disaster relief product to partner agencies affected by the tornadoes in the hardest hit counties in its 34-county service area.
For updates on Food Bank preparation and to be a part of disaster relief in the 34 counties served by the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina, go to http://www.foodbankcenc.org/.

Leasing Your Mineral Rights? Carthage, Aug. 23

2011-08-12T15:13:00.000-05:00

August 23rd, 2011, 6-8pm
Old Town Hall Building, 203 W. Barrett St., Carthage NC

Thinking About Leasing Your Mineral Rights?

With the arrival of natural gas leases in central North Carolina, landowners should understand the complexities of natural gas exploration, acquaint themselves with how to critically assess mineral rights contracts and learn about the potential impacts of drilling on agricultural fields, water resources, timber, and personal property. On August 23nd at 6pm the Rural Advancement Foundation International will host Penn. St. Cooperative Extension Educator Tom Murphy and N.C. St. Cooperative Extension Specialist Dr. Ted Feitshans for a public community information session on hydraulic fracturing and mineral rights leasing. Topics of discussion will include understanding the gas drilling process, negotiating a fair mineral rights lease, potential impacts on land resources, and limiting landowner financial liabilities in contracts.

Mr. Tom Murphy is a Penn. St. Cooperative Extension Educator with extensive knowledge of gas exploration and experience working with landowners in the Marcellus Shale region of Pennsylvania. Mr. Murphy will lead a presentation on gas exploration process, potential impacts on land and water resources, and the experiences of landowners leasing mineral rights in Pennsylvania.

Dr. Ted Feitshans, attorney and an Extension Specialist in the Agricultural and Resource Economics Department at NC State University, will also give a presentation on how NC landowners can evaluate leases offered to them by drilling companies and determine the status of ownership of the mineral rights on their land. Dr. Feitshans is one of the few mineral rights experts in North Carolina, with extensive experience in environmental and agricultural law.

Representatives from RAFI-USA, a farmer advocacy non-profit organization based in Pittsboro, will be present to help landowners with additional resources on natural gas extraction and information on legal supports available to landowners interested in signing a mineral rights lease. Following the presentations there will be a question and answer session for program participants.

This event is free and open to the public and will run from 6pm-8pm on Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011 in the Old Town Hall Building in Carthage, NC. For additional information you may contact RAFI staff member Jordan Treakle: 919-444-1321; jordan@rafiusa.org

More information on mineral rights leasing can be found on RAFI's website: http://www.rafiusa.org/gaslease.html

Sad Bad News from Downtown Southern Pines

2011-08-11T07:30:00.000-05:00

Specialty Cafe on northeast Broad Street is having to close its doors today. A bad faith agreement between the Cafe and the adjoining Pharmacy is resulting in withdrawal of the promised capital investment that enabled the cafe to exist as a much-needed and well-respected eatery and shop for only four months.

What is needed immediately is for local folks to stop by the cafe TODAY and stock up on its healthful variety of products that must GO.

This blog will continue to watch the events unfold.

Local Response NC Legislature, P'hurst Aug. 9

2011-08-05T08:53:00.000-05:00

From: Kevin Smith

Date: August 4, 2011 9:11:41 PM EDT

Subject: A gathering to organize opposition to the proposed marriage amendment to the state constitution

On September 12th the General Assembly will reconvene to consider amendments to the state constitution; aka the GOP's annual pander to the religious right, a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage and civil unions. The difference is that this time they have the numbers to make it more than symbolic.

If the hypocrisy of a legislature that wants government's hands off everything except for women's reproductive rights and the most personal decision two adults can make offends you, come help us consider ways in which we can remind Congressman Boles and Senator Blake, both co-sponsors, that the state has more pressing priorities than a shrinking fraction of the populace's need for self righteousness.

If you would like to help, please join us in the hearth room at the Congregational Church of Pinehurst, 7:00 on Tuesday, August 9th. The church is at 895 Linden Road in Pinehurst across the road from Elliott's. I hope to see you there.
Thanks, Kevin Smith

July 28, Fracking, SOS, Sou. Pines

2011-07-27T05:26:00.000-05:00

On July 28, 7 PM at the Southern Pines Civic Club, Save Our Sandhills will follow up the recent screening of the movie GASLAND with an open question–and--answer panel discussion featuring Senator Harris Blake and Representative Jamie Boles explaining their position to endorse North Carolina’s Senate Bill 709.
Understanding the topic of natural gas and fracking is going to be critical to this area since so many counties appear to be sitting on top of a 40-year supply of natural gas.

Events at Specialty Cafe, Broad St. Sou. Pines

2011-07-19T20:28:00.000-05:00

Meditation with Mark Hunsicker on Tuesdays at 7:00 pm. Mark is an accomplished teacher and makes everyone feel welcome in this guided and silent evening meditation group. Bring a pillow or mat. Chairs are available, as well. $5.00 suggested donation.
"Planting A Fall Garden" class taught by Robert VanDerVoort Wednesday, July 20th at 5:30pm. Come and learn from one of the Masters! Rob has a contagious enthusiasm when it comes to food...growing it, cooking it and eating it. The Cafe is fortunate to have him as a supplier of excellent produce.
Look for the next Specialty Pharmacy lecture on August 9th at 6:30 pm. Dr. Trey Waters will be discussing Nutrition; healthy food choices, food as medicine, and the role of supplements and vitamins in one's diet. Specialty Pharmacy offers Wellness Seminars every month; the seminars are informative and are a wonderful opportunity to learn from one of the area's experts in preventative medicine.

Decision July 19, Pine Forest Development, Co. Comm. meeting

2011-07-17T16:36:00.000-05:00

PINE FOREST

The decision on the Pine Forest rezoning has been lingering for several months. Numerous times meetings have been delayed because of illnesses of one or more of the Moore County Commissioners. At present, Planning Board Director Joey Raczkowski plans to present a report to the Commissioners on Tuesday July 19. At that time the Moore County Board of Commissioners may make a decision on the rezoning.

Let’s keep the character of Moore County from being destroyed.

PLEASE – Show your support by attending the July 19 meeting regarding the Pine Forest rezoning at the Moore County Board of Commissioners meeting, 6 PM at the historic Carthage Courthouse, 2nd floor.

Leasing Your Mineral Rights?

2011-07-12T14:55:00.000-05:00

July 19, 2011, 6:30-8:30 pm
Agriculture Building Auditorium, Pittsboro, NC

Thinking About Leasing Your Mineral Rights?

With the arrival of natural gas leases in Chatham County, landowners should acquaint themselves with how to critically assess mineral rights contracts and understand the potential impacts of drilling on agricultural fields, water resources, timber, and personal property. Topics of discussion will include negotiating a fair mineral rights lease, potential impacts on land resources, and limiting landowner financial liabilities in contracts. The Chatham County Center of North Carolina Cooperative Extension in conjunction with Rural Advancement Foundation International (RAFI-USA) will be conducting a program to help answer landowners’ questions about these issues.

Dr. Ted Feitshans, attorney and an Extension Specialist in the Agricultural and Resource Economics Department at NC State University, will lead a presentation on how landowners can evaluate leases offered to them by drilling companies and determine the status of ownership of the mineral rights on their land. Dr. Feitshans is one of the few mineral rights experts in North Carolina, with extensive experience in environmental and agricultural law. Representatives from RAFI-USA, a farmer advocacy non-profit organization based in Pittsboro, will be present to help landowners with additional resources on natural gas extraction and information on legal supports available to landowners interested in signing a mineral rights lease. Following the presentations there will be a question and answer session for program participants.

This program will run from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday July 19, 2011 in the Auditorium of the Chatham County Agriculture building in Pittsboro, NC. For additional information you may contact the Chatham County Center of NC Cooperative Extension at 919-542-8202 or by e-mail at extension.programs@chathamnc.org.

North Carolina State University and North Carolina A&T State University commit themselves to positive action to secure equal opportunity regardless of race, color, religion, creed, national origin, sex, age, disability, or veteran’s status. In addition, the two Universities welcome all persons without regard to sexual orientation. North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating.

Persons with disabilities and persons with limited English proficiency may request accommodations to participate by contacting Sam Groce, County Extension Director at 919.542.8202 or sam_groce@ncsu.edu or in person at the County Extension Office at least 5 days prior to the event.

Samuel E. Groce
County Extension Director
Administration, Community & Rural Development, Livestock & Forages
Chatham County Center, NC Cooperative Extension
North Carolina State University
Post Office Box 279 Pittsboro, NC 27312
Office 919-542-8202, Mobile 919-548-2220
webpage: http://chatham.ces.ncsu.edu/
e-mail: sam_groce@ncsu.edu

Hearing on Tyler's Ridge, tonight, 7:00, Douglass Center, Sou. Pines

2011-07-12T14:09:00.000-05:00

The Southern Pines Town Council will conduct a hearing on the Tyler's Ridge development proposal tonight at 7:00PM at the Douglass Community Center on W. Pennsylvania Ave.

Big Thank You to Gov. Purdue--No to Fracking, etc.

2011-06-30T20:02:00.000-05:00

Environmental Coalition Praises Governor Perdue For Vetoing GOP-Backed Bills That Would Have Hurt North Carolina's Environment and Economy

Coalition includes: Clean Water for North Carolina, Environment North Carolina, Environmental Defense Fund, North Carolina Coastal Federation, NC Conservation Network, NC League of Conservation Voters, NC Sierra Club, NC Wildlife Federation, Southern Environmental Law Center, Western North Carolina Alliance and others.

Governor Perdue’s historic vetoes of S 781 and S 709 are to be commended. The 2011 session of the N.C. General Assembly has carried out a relentless assault on the environment, and Governor Perdue understands that. The legislature has attacked environmental safeguards, land conservation, financial incentives for the wise management of our natural heritage, and even environmental education. We applaud the Governor for standing up to these assaults.

S 781, Regulatory Reform Act of 2011, would have handcuffed state agencies from creating environmental protections for North Carolina’s air and water. By vetoing S 781, the Governor recognizes that North Carolinians overwhelmingly support keeping or strengthening N.C.’s environmental safeguards.

S 709, Energy Jobs Act, would have put North Carolina’s thriving coastal tourism economy at risk, in search of elusive offshore drilling revenues. The bill would have also pushed North Carolina to begin hydraulic fracturing (fracking) for natural gas, a dangerous process which contaminates groundwater and has caused devastation in other eastern states.

Also, a copy of the letter submitted to the Governor asking for the veto of anti-environmental bills, which contains a complete listing of all 33 groups, can be found at: http://www.wral.com/asset/news/state/nccapitol/2011/06/21/9758002/Env_veto.PDF

For More Information

Clean Water for North Carolina -- Hope Taylor, 919-401-9600, hope@cwfnc.org

Environment North Carolina -- Elizabeth Ouzts, 919-833-0015, elizabeth@environmentnorthcarolina.org

Environmental Defense Fund - Jane Preyer, w 919-881-2912, c 919-740-6727, jpreyer@edf.org

North Carolina Conservation Network - Brian Buzby, 919-247-3617, brian@ncconservationnetwork.org

North Carolina League of Conservation Voters - Dan Crawford, 919-839-0020, dan@nclcv.org

N.C. Wildlife Federation --Tim Gestwicki, 704-332-5696, tim@ncwf.org

N.C. Sierra Club --Molly Diggins, 919-919-833-8467, molly.diggins@sierraclub.org

Southern Environmental Law Center - Derb Carter, 919-967-1450, derbc@selcnc.org

Western North Carolina Alliance - Julie Mayfield, 828-258-8737, Julie@wnca.org

Call the Gov. Today re Fracking/Offshore Drilling Bill

2011-06-29T18:47:00.000-05:00

Last chance to have your voice heard on VETO of S709 — Deadline tomorrow!

As tomorrow's decision deadline approaches, we still need as many people as possible to make their voices heard on Senate Bill 709 (promoting offshore oil, fracking and bad energy policy), and S781 (makes new protective rules essentially impossible, gutting current rules by endless cost-benefit analyses)! Please call again or for the 1st time, and urge friends and family to do the same. The veto of these bills is truly vital to our environment and quality of life in NC.

Call 919-733-2391 or email governor.office@nc.gov today!

Lawmakers Seek Inquiry of Natural Gas Industry
Federal lawmakers are calling on agencies to investigate the natural gas industry and whether the picture that has been painted accurately reflects the reality of projections. State and Federal concerns about the financial and environmental impacts sparked the inquiry. Five companies have been subpenaed including Talisman and Chesapeake Energy. Supporters of natural gas sent a letter signed by a bipartisan group of federal lawmakers to President Obama calling on him for continued support of natural gas development.
EPA Fracking Study to Focus on Five States
The Environmental Protection Agency will focus its national study of hydraulic fracturing on seven areas in five states. Five of these research projects will take a forensic approach, retroactively investigating places where drilling has already occurred and where contamination has been alleged (including sites in North Dakota, Texas, Pennsylvania, and Colorado). At two additional sites—in DeSoto Parish, La., in the Haynesville Shale and a separate site in Washington County, Pa.—the EPA will attempt to observe and measure the changes drilling brings to an area as it happens.

Worst Drought in More Than a Century Strikes Texas Oil Boom

The water crisis in Texas, the biggest oil- and gas- producing state in the U.S., highlights a continuing debate in North America and Europe over the impact on water supplies of an oil and gas production technique called hydraulic fracturing. The worst Texas drought since record-keeping began 116 years ago may crimp an oil and natural-gas drilling boom as government officials ration water supplies crucial to energy exploration. Environmental groups are concerned the so-called fracking method may pose a contamination threat, while farmers in arid regions like south Texas face growing competition for scarce water.

Division Street at Cameo Theatre, June 18

2011-06-17T09:53:00.000-05:00

SATURDAY, June 18, 11:00 am
Sustainable Saturdays Film Series

Division Street

CAMEO Art House Theatre, 225 Hay Street, Downtown Fayetteville

$6 per person, $5 for Cameo & Sustainable Sandhills members. Tickets sold the day of the event only.
Join Sustainable Sandhills this Saturday for our final showing of Divison Street as part of our Sustainable Saturdays Film Series.
Stay after the film to hear Maurizia Chapman, Transportation Planner with the Fayetteville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (FAMPO) speak about the region’s bike and pedestrian efforts & existing and proposed greenways. Also, Brenda Johnson, Green Growth Planner with Sustainable Sandhills, will give a brief presentation on local wildlife and habitat fragmentation.

Reminder: GASLAND, June 15, Sunrise

2011-06-12T07:59:00.000-05:00

GASLAND – The controversial documentary that has polarized America
Award-winning documentary "GASLAND" at the Sunrise, Southern Pines, Wednesday, June 15, at 7:00 PM. $7.
There is a natural gas drilling boom sweeping across the United States, and it is about to reach Lee County and northern Moore County. Geologists believe that there is a major sub basin of natural gas that extends from Granville County above Durham southward through the Sanford area and into Moore County to the vicinity of Carthage.
Energy companies want to use a highly controversial method of drilling to extract this gas, which is known as hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking." Fracking involves vertical as well as horizontal drilling and the pumping of huge amounts of water and chemicals into the shale rock to break up the rock and release the natural gas.

Horizontal drilling is currently illegal in North Carolina, but two bills currently being considered in the General Assembly would overturn this restriction.

This film dramaticcally shows the potential dangers of fracking to the environment and expecially to groundwater.
In order to provide a balanced view of the issues raised, a distinguished panel will discuss pros and cons, and questions will be addressed.

"Gasland", Sunrise Theatre, June 15, more on Fracking in Moore Co.

2011-06-06T08:20:00.000-05:00

Save Our Sandhills will be the primary sponsor for the showing of the dramatic documentary film "Gasland" at the Sunrise Theater in Southern Pines on Wednesday, June 15, at 7:00PM. This film deals with the potential dangers of hydraulic fracturing, a controversial method of drilling for natural gas. Other sponsors will be Sustainable Sandhills and the Sandhills Area Land Trust.

As most of you know by now, there is a natural gas drilling boom sweeping across the United States, and it is about to reach Lee County and northern Moore County. Geologists believe that there is a major subbasin of natural gas that extends from Granville County above Durham southward through the Sanford area and into Moore County to the vicinity of Carthage.

Energy companies want to use a highly controversial method of drilling to extract this gas, which is known as hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking." Fracking involves vertical as well as horizontal drilling and the pumping of huge amounts of water and chemicals into the shale rock to break up the rock and release the natural gas. Horizontal drilling is currently illegal in North Carolina, but two bills currently being considered in the General Assembly would make it legitimate.
As noted above, Save Our Sandhills will be the primary sponsor for the showing of the nationally acclaimed film "Gasland" at the Sunrise Theater on Wednesday, June 15, at 7:00PM. Admission is $7.00. This was an Oscar nominated documentary and a prize winner at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. This film exposes in a dramatic fashion the potential dangers of fracking to the environment and expecially to groundwater. The film itself, with dramatic footage of tap water being ignited with a match, is highly controversial and we will try to have panelists who will provide a balanced view of the issues raised by the film.

SS movie, Division Street, June 4, Fayetteville

2011-06-03T10:44:00.000-05:00

Sustainable Sandhills Sustainable Saturdays Film Series

Division Street

SATURDAY, June 4th and 18th, 2011, 11:00 am
CAMEO Art House Theatre, 225 Hay Street, Downtown Fayetteville
$6 per person, $5 for Cameo & Sustainable Sandhills members.
Tickets sold the day of the event only.
Join Sustainable Sandhills for the first showing of Divison Street as part of our Sustainable Saturdays Film Series.
Stay after the film to hear Maurizia Chapman, Transportation Planner with the Fayetteville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (FAMPO) speak about the region’s bike and pedestrian efforts, existing and proposed greenways, the East Coast Greenway, and transportation and wildlife crossings. Also, Brenda Johnson, Green Growth Planner with Sustainable Sandhills, will give a brief presentation on local wildlife and habitat fragmentation.

Movie, May 22, from Sustainable Sandhills--About Honey Bees' Plight

2011-05-20T09:50:00.000-05:00

Vanishing of the Bees

Sunrise Theatre, 250 NW Broad Street, Southern Pines

SUNDAY, May 22, 2:30pm

$7.00 general admission

More on Fracking in NC

2011-05-15T18:49:00.000-05:00

Let's get educated on fracking.

May 7, Saturday Night Live Musical, Sou. Pines.

2011-05-05T19:37:00.000-05:00

Saturday Night Live Musical Program, May 7, 7:00 pm
Southern Pines Primary School Auditorium
Master of Ceremonies: Mitch Capel "Gran-daddy Junebug"
The best in Gospel and Jazz Music, Featuring

The Multi-Talented Murphy Family
Walter Hill on Drums
Jeffrey McKoy - Keyboard
The Sensational 6 year old Gospel Singer, Zakayia Morrison
Constance Williams - Gospel
Ann McMillan - Gospel
The Mellow Tones
Joeli Baldwin - Jazz

Meet some of Moore County's Top Teen Achievers
Sponsored by the Southern Pines Land And Housing.com
A fund raiser to address sub-standard housing condition in Southern Pines
Program will be video-recorded for TV

Tickets: $10.00 donation tax deduction
Contact: Fred Walden @ West side Garage 910-692-1664, James Moore 692-2639 and Simon Funeral Home 692-3701

The Unforeseen, Apr. 28, Civic Club, Sou. Pines

2011-04-26T04:51:00.000-05:00

SAVE OUR SANDHILLS WILL SHOW GRIPPING DOCUMENTARY ON

REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT AND SPRAWL

On April 28, Save Our Sandhills will show the breathtaking documentary The Unforeseen, which was produced by Terrence Malick and Robert Redford. This film questions what we – as members of communities around the country – are willing to sacrifice in the name of growth.

This 90-minute film depicts the transformation of thousand of acres of pristine hill country in Austin, Texas, into suburban development by an ambitious real estate developer. In the process, a nearby natural spring is threatened, community conflict ensues, land is devastated, and lives are ruined. The Unforeseen, beautifully crafted, explores in-depth all sides of this politically-charged situation, showing the effects of development and sprawl on landowners, developers, and members of the community.

This same struggle is playing out in cities and towns across the United States and, at this moment, it is playing out in Moore County, particularly in Area A, which is the fastest growing area in the county. Moore County has had – and continues to have – controversy surrounding projects known as Stonehill Pines, Dormie Club, Pine Forest, Pine Needles, and Tyler’s Ridge. The question this film poses, “What are we willing to give up in the name of growth?” is not rhetorical. It is based in a reality that we must ponder. What do we envision Moore County to become in the future? Will it resemble “Everywhere USA?” or will it continue to have the charm and ambiance that has brought people to visit and settle here for years?
Join us for an informative and provocative evening; refreshments will be served. We will meet Thursday, April 28 at 7 PM in the Southern Pines Civic Club at the corner of Ashe Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. All are welcome.

5% Day for Carolina Farm Stewardship Assoc., Raleigh

2011-04-12T14:54:00.000-05:00

Great News! The Whole Foods Market in Raleigh on Wade Ave. has named CFSA the recipient of one of their 5% Days! Five percent of all sales on Tuesday, April 26th will go to benefit CFSA's work to support local, organic food and farming!
If you're in the neighborhood that day, please stop by and pick up a yummy treat (all food purchased for a good cause is calorie free!) or better yet, save your grocery shopping trip for that Tuesday and stock up!

Development and Urban Sprawl, movie, April 28, Sou. Pines

2011-04-01T13:36:00.000-06:00

SAVE OUR SANDHILLS WILL SHOW GRIPPING DOCUMENTARY ON

REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT AND SPRAWL

On April 28, Save Our Sandhills will show the breathtaking documentary The Unforeseen, which was produced by Terrence Malick and Robert Redford. This film questions what we – as members of communities around the country – are willing to sacrifice in the name of growth.

This 90-minute film depicts the transformation of thousand of acres of pristine hill country in Austin, Texas, into suburban development by an ambitious real estate developer. In the process, a nearby natural spring is threatened, community conflict ensues, land is devastated, and lives are ruined. The Unforeseen, beautifully crafted, explores in-depth all sides of this politically-charged situation, showing the effects of development and sprawl on landowners, developers, and members of the community.

This same struggle is playing out in cities and towns across the United States and, at this moment, it is playing out in Moore County, particularly in Area A, which is the fastest growing area in the county. Moore County has had – and continues to have – controversy surrounding projects known as Stonehill Pines, Dormie Club, Pine Forest, Pine Needles, and Tyler’s Ridge. The question this film poses, “What are we willing to give up in the name of growth?” is not rhetorical. It is based in a reality that we must ponder. What do we envision Moore County to become in the future? Will it resemble “Everywhere USA?” or will it continue to have the charm and ambiance that has brought people to visit and settle here for years?
Join us for an informative and provocative evening; refreshments will be served. We will meet Thursday, April 28 at 7 PM in the Southern Pines Civic Club at the corner of Ashe Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. All are welcome.

Backyard Chicken Care, April 9, Sanford

2011-04-01T13:31:00.000-06:00

BACKYARD CHICKEN SCHEMES

Instructor: Judy Hogan, Hoganvillaea Farm, Moncure
April 9, Saturday, 9 AM-4 PM. CCCC, Sanford, Civic Center and Hoganvillaea Farm. Cost $29.00 for the day.

Farmer Hogan will introduce students to backyard or urban chicken care: appropriate facilities, chick care, nutrition, litter management, laying, egg sales, and killing as needed. We begin in Sanford and then move to Judy’s Moncure farm in the afternoon to see her flock.

With limited space and experience, plus a sense of humor, raise a small flock of happy chickens. Hogan shares her learning curve on basics, chicks to healthy eggs and meat. Topics include: Everything wants to eat chickens, Spoiling your chickens and why, Outwitting your not so dumb chickens.

Students will gain confidence in starting and maintaining their own small backyard chicken flock, have a handle on potential problems, solutions, and additional resources.
Judy Hogan of Hoganvillaea Farm is a sustainable farmer whose main goal is self-sufficiency and growing her own food. She began raising White Rock chickens in 2003, and she sells extra eggs, vegetables, fruit, herbs to restaurants and individuals. She’s a member of Carolina Farm Stewardship Association. A published poet, free-lance writer, and creative writing teacher, she lives in Moncure near Jordan Dam.
For more information: Judy Hogan, (919) 545-9932
To enroll: Lee County Continuing Education, CCCC. (919)775-2122, x7793

Carbon Nation Showing April 2 and 16, Fayetteville

2011-03-31T15:25:00.000-06:00

Sustainable Sandhills Sustainable Saturdays Film Series

Carbon Nation

April 2 and 16, 2011, 11:00 am

CAMEO Art House Theatre, 225 Hay Street, Downtown Fayetteville

$6 per person, $5 for Cameo & Sustainable Sandhills members. Tickets sold the day of the event.
“A high energy film about real life American renewable energy success stories. No pie-in-the-sky projects here - everybody's sleeves are rolled up and work is underway!” – Jon Parsons, Executive Director of Sustainable Sandhills
Join Sustainable Sandhills this Saturday for the next installment of our Sustainable Saturdays Film Series. Carbon Nation is a feature length documentary about climate change solutions. Even if you doubt the severity of the impact of climate change or just don't buy it at all, this is a compelling and relevant film that illustrates how solutions to climate change also address other social, economic and national security issues.

Coastal Groins update

2011-03-30T06:22:00.000-06:00

Coastal Federation and Locke Foundation Agree: Groins Should Require Local Vote

Property owners in communities considering building a jetty, called a groin, to control beach erosion should be allowed to vote on the project or on any increases in local taxes that will be used to pay for the structure.
The N.C. Coastal Federation, the state’s major coastal environmental group, and the John Locke Foundation, the most influential conservative think tank in North Carolina, are urging the N.C. House of Representatives to add the requirement of a local referendum to a groin bill it’s considering. The bill would allow jetty-like groins to be built at inlets to control erosion and to protect private property. Such structures are currently illegal in North Carolina because they increase erosion elsewhere along the beach.

"This is a bad bill,” said Todd Miller, the executive director of the federation. “But if the legislature wants to allow these destructive piles of rock to be placed on our beaches, local taxpayers should get a say in whether they want to pay for them.”

These small jetties can cost as much as $10.8 million to build, according to a state study, and as much as $2.25 million to maintain each year.
"The best way to protect local taxpayers is to maintain the current ban on terminal groins,” said John Hood, president of the John Locke Foundation. “Short of that, local taxpayers should be allowed to vote on the issue before their community builds a terminal groin. Without a vote, taxpayers will have no voice and no choice but to pay a bill they don’t want and can’t afford for years to come."
The N.C. Senate, concerned about the possible cost to state taxpayers, amended the bill it eventually passed and sent to the House to include a requirement that the N.C. General Assembly must approve any appropriation for a groin, rather than allow the money to hidden in the state budget.
“The legislature gave some protection to state taxpayers by requiring a direct vote on any state appropriation,” Miller said. “Local taxpayers need to same sort of protection.”
The House is expected to take up the bill in the next few weeks.

Legislative Update, NC League of Conservations Voters

2011-03-28T06:27:00.000-06:00

Legislative Watch: Dismembering DENR; Turning Off the Green Lights; Hot Rail

Outrageous attacks on past environmental gains continue in the General Assembly.

Dismembering DENR: The N.C. Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is our state's primary executive agency for implementing state laws and programs managing natural resources, and protecting clean air and water and public health. As such, it is the natural lightning rod for those politicians who do not believe in supporting any of those missions. That opposition is now manifesting itself in the open hostility of bills which would cut away key sub-parts of DENR and send them to other agencies. Last week saw the filing of SB 388, "Transfer Forestry & Forestry Council to DACS", joining the previously filed SB 229, "Transfer DENR Soil & Water to DACS". These bills would remove the forestry management and soil erosion control agencies from DENR and send them to the state Agriculture department, which is run by the independently elected Agriculture Commissioner instead of the governor. (The Ag department has traditionally been regarded as more firmly controlled by the agribusiness lobby and hostile to most environmental regulations.) Other proposals would cut away still other offices from DENR and send them to Commerce or the Wildlife Resources Commission. Commenting on these moves, Rep. Joe Hackney (D-Chatham) told the Raleigh News & Observer, "What I perceive is a generalized attack on all parts of DENR. There are some people who want to dismantle it and reduce it to little or nothing. There are others who want to neuter its regulatory side, which the public will not like. The public places a high value on clean water and clean air."

Turning Off the Green Lights: Meanwhile, the opponents of expanding North Carolina's use of renewable energy sources in the generation of electricity are weighing in through HB 431, "Repeal Senate Bill 3 of the 2007 Session". SB 3 (2007) contained both good (i.e., REPS) and bad (i.e., CWIP financing) provisions, but it's on some groups' hit parade today because of its good points: It directs that electric utilities produce a minimum percentage of their electricity from renewable energy resources. Anti-environmental policy groups like the John Locke Foundation have an abiding disdain for green energy, and continue to wail that the Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard (REPS) will raise electric rates (without contributing to their friends in the oil and nuclear industries). It's uncertain how far HB 431 will progress, since even the power companies now support the 2007 SB 3 as adopted, and have entered into a number of power-purchase contracts from renewable energy sources as a result.

Hot Rail: Rail has become the energy-efficient transportation system that anti-environmentalists love to hate. Incredibly, a Mecklenburg County legislator (Rep. Ric Killian, R-Mecklenburg) has filed a bill (HB 422, "No High-Speed Rail Money from Federal Gov't.") which would turn back a federal grant which includes $152 million now slated to improve rail safety and efficiency in his home county. That's how much of the total grant of $461 million in high-speed rail-enabling track and intersection improvements is targeted for improvements in Mecklenburg. The rest would go to improving track and addressing rail/street intersection problems across the Piedmont between Charlotte and Raleigh. The excuse for this anti-rail money madness is that high-speed rail would cost tax money to maintain on an ongoing basis. However, does anyone wish to bet that Rep. Killian would be...ahem...tarred & feathered & ridden out of town on a rail...by his constituents if he introduced legislation to turn down Charlotte beltway funds on similar grounds? The hypocrisy involved is staggering. Twelve other Representatives (all Republicans) have signed on to this legislation, which would cost North Carolina up to an estimated 5,000 construction-related jobs at a time when the state's unemployment rate exceeds 9%. The bill is scheduled to be heard in the House Transportation Committee tomorrow (Tuesday, March 29) at noon.

Regulatory Watch: Speak Up for Public Health and a Clean Environment

Two weeks ago CIB advised our readers of a series of so-called "regulatory reform" hearings planned as a means of generating support for stripping clean air and water protections off the rulebooks in North Carolina. Those hearings kicked off last week, and they continue this afternoon in Guilford County.

The good news is that opponents of environmental quality have not had the public stage to themselves thus far. At the first hearing in Wilmington on March 11, supporters of environmental quality were also present in force and spoke eloquently. According to the Wilmington Star-News, area resident Laura Parks kicked off the public comments by reminding committee members, "When you seek to weed through these regulations, know that we also rely on regulations to protect us...We may not be a business, just operating the business of our homes."

Environmental allies cannot afford to rest, however. Several additional hearings are planned by the "Joint Regulatory Reform Committee", including one today (Monday, March 28) from 1 to 3 p.m., at the Jamestown campus of Guilford Technical Community College, 601 High Point Road, Jamestown NC. Speakers will have up to two minutes to address the committee. Sign-up to speak begins at 12:30 p.m. Those who cannot attend can send comments to the committee care of regreform@ncleg.net.

Supporters of protecting clean air and water and public health are being called upon to stand up at these hearings to defend the laws and programs which protect our health and environment. Time and place details for the remaining public hearings (April 4, Winterville; April 15, Flat Rock; and April 21, Raleigh) can be found here: http://www.ncleg.net/documentsites/committees/jointregreform/Joint%20Regulatory%20Reform%20Meeting%20Schedule.pdf.

According to U.S. PIRG (Public Interest Research Group), 108 million Americans live within 50 miles of one of the 104 operating commercial nuclear power plants in the United States. How many of them have received any information on emergency response or evacuation alternatives in the event of radiation releases similar to those taking place in Japan now?

Fears also continued to grow regarding the risk of further radiation leaks from spent fuel rods stored in pools outside the damaged reactors. In Japan as in the United States, tons of highly radioactive waste are stored in pools near but outside the reactor buildings. In the United States, almost 72,000 tons of these spent fuel rods are in temporary storage on plant sites, with more than three-quarters of the waste still very hot and sitting in water-filled pools for cooling. The amount of this intensely radioactive waste, which will remain toxic for tens of thousands of years, is currently growing in the U.S. at a rate of about 2,200 tons per year. When pools with the hot spent fuel are not kept filled with water, the residual heat of the rods can melt their casing and release highly dangerous radioactive isotopes to the environment. There is substantial concern that such releases already may have occurred in Japan.

Campaign Watch: Early Attacks Begin Against Environmental Ally

With the 2012 election year still nine months away, an automated telephone call attack campaign has already been launched against environmental ally U.S. Rep. Brad Miller (D-NC13). Miller's Congressional district is considered a likely target of redistricting efforts this year to reduce his support in 2012. In preparation for the expected campaign targeting Miller, the Republican Congressional Campaign Committee has initiated recorded calls to voters in the 13th District accusing Miller of supporting policies to raise gas prices. The calls implicitly refer to Miller's support for common-sense restrictions on offshore drilling. Miller responds that "according to the Bush Administration's Department of Energy, opening our entire continental shelf to oil drilling without regard to any environmental concern would not lower the price at the pump [for gasoline] at all. No amount of chanting 'drill, baby, drill' is going to change all that."
Education & Resources: Chances to Support Rail Transit
Finally this week, we note that residents of the Research Triangle region will have an opportunity to support development of its local, energy-efficient rail and bus transit system at four public workshops this week (March 28, 29, 30 and 31). For details on when, where, and how, see www.ourtransitfuture.com.

Food Matters Showing Feb. 4, 7:00, Raven's Wing

2011-02-03T11:32:00.000-06:00

Food Matters is a feature length documentary film informing you on the best choices you can make for you and your family's health. In a collection of interviews with leading Nutritionists, Naturopaths, Scientists, M.D.'s and Medical Journalists you will discover...
How to use food as medicine

Who needs vitamins?

Is organic better?

How safe is our food?

Natural treatments for lowering Cholesterol

Foods that fight Anxiety and Depression

Natural therapies for Cancer
Which drugs might do more harm than good
The best ways to detox, lose weight and keep it off

[Also: potluck at 6:15, meditation at 5:30, yoga with Mark at 4:00]

Jan. 27 lecture, Endangered and Rare Species, Ft. Bragg, Camp McCall

2011-01-23T06:19:00.000-06:00

SAVE OUR SANDHILLS SPEAKER DISCUSSES ENDANGERED AND RARE FLORA AND FAUNA ON FORT BRAGG AND CAMP MACKALL

On January 27, Save Our Sandhills will host Beth Evans, a Certified Wildlife Biologist, to speak about Fort Bragg and Camp Mackall’s commitment to endangered species. Both military installations are located within the rare longleaf pine-wiregrass ecosystem. Less than 3% of the original 92 million acres of this ecosystem still exist. This ecosystem, dependent on fire maintenance, supports a wealth of flora and fauna populations, many of which are endangered or rare.
Fort Bragg and Camp Mackall contain 23 vegetative community types with over 1,200 plant species, approximately 200 bird species, 51 reptiles, 44 amphibians, 41 mammal species, and over 50 known aquatic species. Among these species, 5 are federally endangered; namely, the Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Saint Francis Satyr Butterfly, American Chaffseed, Rough-leaved Loosestrife, and Michaux Sumac. Overall, 48 species are considered rare. A few rare species of flora, such as the Sandhills Lily and Sandhills Pixie Moss are on the Army’s Species at Risk list, and could potentially impact military training if they become federally listed. Some rare fauna species, such as the Gopher frog, Eastern Salamander, Northern Pine Snake, Southeastern Bat, and Rafinesque Big-eared Bat are also being studied for their survival and management requirements.
Of the 5 federally endangered species, the Red-cockaded Woodpecker (RCW), listed in 1970, was declining through loss of habitat by fire suppression, forest management practices, and urban development. In 1990 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued a Jeopardy Biological Opinion and recommended specific military training restrictions, monitoring, surveys, and habitat restoration in order to stem the decline. In 1992 Fort Bragg biologists began monitoring the RCW population, provided cavity enhancement, worked on habitat restoration, and placed protective measures around cavity trees. And in 2005, Fort Bragg succeeded in reaching its goal of 350 breeding pairs with assistance from the Sandhills Conservation Partnership and was able to reduce training restrictions by 50%. The Saint Francis Satyr Butterfly, listed in 1995, was thought to be extinct. It has been rediscovered, however, and is being studied by Fort Bragg biologists and university researchers in order to understand its survival requirements and to manage its habitat. The 3 federally listed plants, American Chaffseed (listed in 1992), Rough-leaved Loosestrife (listed in 1987), and Michaux’s Sumac (listed in 1989), are found in open uplands and in wetland ecotones. The areas in which these plants are found are monitored and managed by midstory removal and frequent fire.
Beth Evans will identify these 5 federally endangered species, and will discuss their life histories and their management requirements. She will also highlight a few other rare species in our globally rare longleaf pine ecosystem of the Sandhills. Evans received a B.S. in Wildlife Management from the University of Vermont in 1990. Subsequently, she served as a Research Assistant at Eglin Air Force Base in northwest Florida, surveying RCW cavity trees and becoming a member of one of the first teams to initiate banding of these endangered birds. Evans has been with the Fort Bragg Military Installation since 1993, working her way up from Biological Science Technician to Certified Wildlife Biologist. She monitors and surveys Fort Bragg’s endangered and rare flora and fauna species, and is involved with all aspects of protection and habitat restoration. Nevertheless, the majority of her work pertains to the RCW. Evans also participates in the NC Sandhills Conservation Partnership and the NC Chapter of the Wildlife Society, and conducts educational presentations to military personnel and the general public.

Join us for an informative and interesting evening; refreshments will be served Thursday, January 27 at 7 PM in the Southern Pines Civic Club, corner of Ashe and Pennsylvania.

Hearing, Jan. 18, Pine Forest PUD

2011-01-15T08:27:00.001-06:00

PLEASE ATTEND THE PINE FOREST HEARING JANUARY 18, 6:00, County Courthouse, Carthage

After months of quiet, the Pine forest proposed PUD slid its rezoning application through the Planning Department quietly during the last days of December. In order for this rezoning to take place, a water agreement (whereby the developer would pay $3 million for water line work) was to have been worked out by the county and developer. Evidently the water agreement is in place, but details are not forthcoming until the hearing. Withholding information like this is unheard of, and its legality could be questioned.
What is Pine Forest
Pine Forest is a huge project. It is 1,799 acres, of which 1,623 are being requested to be rezoned. This includes Nicks Creek, ultimately part of Carthage’s’ water supply, which runs through the middle of the entire property from west to east, with small tributaries feeding it throughout the property. In all, a great deal of wetlands abound, all of which are crucial to the welfare of birds and other wildlife, as well as to rare and unusual native plants.
The two largest functioning longleaf pine forests in North Carolina – Fort Bragg and the Sandhills Gamelands preserve – are both public lands that will remain protected. However, Bruce Sorrie, a botanist with the NC Natural Heritage Program, advises that this 1,799-acre tract is one of the two largest privately-owned functioning natural longleaf pine forests remaining in the North Carolina Sandhills. This property is in Moore County and has the greater biodiversity of these two remaining large tracts. It has a Sandhills lily population, other rare plant and animal species, and is the foraging area for red-cockaded woodpeckers, according to Jay Carter Associates. This property has not only state significance, but also national significance.

What is Planned
Planned are two separate communities – a resort hotel and residential community with a neighborhood retail center, as well as a gated residential community. These communities will include:
· Up to 890 residential and/or hotel rooms (with up to a maximum of 300 hotel rooms)
· 2 championship golf courses
· A golf short course
· Golf clubhouses for each course
· A resort spa, conference center, and fitness center
· A retail and office center
· An on-site wastewater treatment plant for use by Pine Forest and the nearby Dormie Club

What Is at Stake
· Water Where is water to come from within a 15- to 20-year timetable for total buildout? Who is to pay for this development’s water? If water is to come from other counties, will it still flow during droughts?
· Herbicides and Pesticides How will herbicides and pesticides be kept from seeping into Nick’s Creek? This project is in Watershed 3, and the waterways, with their floodplains, are in jeopardy. The chemicals used for both lawns and golf courses will eventually also have disastrous consequences for humans and nature alike.
· Traffic How will traffic be handled on local roads? The cumulative effect of Pine Forest and other projects proposed for this area should be taken into account. Three development projects are currently planned: Stonehill Pines (1,050 homes), Dormie Club (250+ homes), and Pine Forest. At present, at least 2,100 homes would be built in these developments. The planning rule of thumb is 10 trips per day per home. This totals 21,000 more trips a day onto the local roads, including Route 211. The cumulative effect of these proposed developments and the additional school traffic of buses and cars from the new West Pine Middle School (whose entrance is only ½ mile east of Pine Forest on Route 211) will be staggering. Route 211 is scheduled to start construction on widening from 2 lanes to 4 lanes by 2012. The widening will be between Route 73 and the Pinehurst traffic circle. Nevertheless, with new schools, new developments, and new hospital facilities all either proposed or under construction, the planned road infrastructure does not appear adequate for future needs. In fact, traffic volume at the traffic circle in Pinehurst already often functions at a low level.
· Costly Infrastructure Problems Raise Taxes All these new homes may necessitate more schools and additional services. Traffic will back up farther at both ends of the widened Route 211 because of the cumulative effect of these projects. Increased accidents could jeopardize the safety of school children, parents, teachers, and school administrators along with residents of nearby communities; and jammed traffic lanes could prevent emergency vehicle access.
· The Wastewater Treatment Plant What are the real facts concerning the wastewater treatment plant – its safety, odor, maintenance? In Cumberland County, documented problems have occurred. Other counties have had such terrible experiences that they now prohibit their use. Moore County Public Works has only a draft of conditions and standards, and it has no experience with private systems which could be turned over to a homeowners’ organization to operate. Will this really provide enough water for all the golf courses, common areas, and lawns at Pine Forest and the Dormie Club? Could water contamination be an issue?
· Loss of Habitat for Flora and Fauna With so much area allotted for houses, businesses, roads, and golf courses, how will animals have corridors and native plants flourish?

What to Do
In the fall of 2009, Save Our Sandhills voted to resist this PUD. We have an attorney helping us challenge this, and have a list of supporting speakers. Attending the meeting is essential. Numbers are important. It is not necessary for you to speak. The Board of Commissioners needs to see that a large number of citizens are concerned with this project. A project of this size is a small city, and will catapult Moore County from a rural area into an urban area with all its inherent density problems.
County Courthouse, Jan. 18, 6:00, Carthage

Response to Shooting in AZ

2011-01-11T09:35:00.001-06:00

Gabby's Gift by Martha Sterling-Golden on Saturday, January 8, 2011

I am a well of anger. So angry that it scares me. I am trying to find some semblance of the America I knew, flawed though she was, but beautiful at the same time. She aspired to perfection. It is a bitter irony that Representative Gabrielle Giffords, a Democratic from Arizona, should pay the price, along with 18 other victims, including a dead nine year old girl. Rep. Giffords supports gun rights.

I met “Gabby” when she came to the Women’s Campaign School at Yale University (WCSY) in 1999, and I was there as an alumna to moderate a panel. She was making the rounds of the various political training programs in preparation for a run for the Arizona State House. She spoke with deep affection for her family and her home state, and shared funny stories about running her family’s sizable tire business and riding a motorcycle around the desert. She was a star in her class.

Gabby won her election, and was invited back as a speaker. She served on our board until her election to Congress. Always, Gabby was full of optimism and excitement about the future for Arizona and America. She’s an American girl.

So, on the morning of January 8th, 2011, a beautiful Saturday morning in Arizona, Gabby was out doing what she loved to do: listen to the people she served. A young man, 22-year-old Jared Loughner, allegedly ran toward Gabby Giffords and started shooting. Once she was hit, it appears he continued to spray the crowd with fire from an automatic weapon until he had accumulated 19 victims. He emptied two clips. I waited until I had seen for myself the image captures of his social networking sites. This young man didn’t cite Jodie Foster or Charles Manson as his “inspirations”; he cited Sarah Palin and the Tea Party.

At his first press conference after the incident, Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik said, “It’s not unusual for all public officials to get threats constantly, myself included. That’s the sad thing about what’s going on in America, pretty soon we’re not going to be able to find reasonable, decent people willing to subject themselves to serve in public office,” Dupnik said, “vitriol might be free speech, but it's not without consequences."

For months, Sarah Palin featured a number of Democratic incumbent politicians on a gun-site riddled target map she called a hit list of Democrats. “Don’t retreat, reload!” she shouted with smiley-faced enthusiasm, and Rush chimed in with “Oh yeah, (Giffords) is on my political hit list too!” Fun! Except, in the words of an eloquent and anguished young man at a vigil in downtown Tuscon, “It isn’t funny.” He looked up and out and asked, “Why, ask yourself, why do you want power; what is it for?” That’s a good question.

Once upon a time in America, it was considered worthy to argue for what one believed in, and one presented those beliefs in a well-reasoned argument. People disagreed, but they didn’t call one another cowards or traitors or Fascists or Nazis. Now, it’s about bullies. Bullies who no longer have the Fairness Doctrine to answer to, and so they can say whatever they want and call it fact, and a lazy American public takes it as such. We sit, in stupor, in front of our television sets and computers and soak up whatever we agree with and damn the rest. All Republicans are Christian dominionists and all Democrats are godless traitors.

I am tired of you all. I will never believe that all Republicans are bad people, and unfortunately, I know that not all Democrats are good people. Although I am a liberal Democrat, I don’t watch Keith Olbermann or Rachel Maddow. I take no comfort in the “echo chamber.” My teachers taught me to gather information from a variety of sources, and to reason out what I believed about it.

The rising level of hatred and mistrust in this country, which has really been growing since the Nixon impeachment and bloomed during the Clinton years, has finally taken over, completely overwhelming anything which might reasonably be described as civilized public discourse.

Tonight, people lay dead and dying in hospitals all over Tuscon, and one of them is my friend, Gabby Giffords. Another is a nine-year-old girl. Still another a judge. The rest are aides, shoppers, and townspeople. And for what? Because a young man with a skewed mental state heard the call one too many times? Even as the Washington Post updates their coverage, lunatics are smearing toxins over the page:

“I think there's something up here. This doesn't make sense that the Dems are getting death threats i.e. the 2 packages exploding and now this. Yes, they'll want to take away our guns, but thats the least of our worries. This almost sounds like an inside job by the dems or worse men in back rooms. Everyone knows that this country is on the verge of civil war or a revolution, either way, sometimes you gotta nudge things along. I think this is the beginning of whatever is to come, but I hope I'm wrong. http://thelibertarianblogs.com/ Posted by: TheLibertarianBlogsDotCom January 8, 2011 9:41 PM Report abuse”

This is exactly the kind of thing that drives marginally tethered people over the edge. It isn’t rhetoric, it’s incitement. Are we citizens or bullies? And when did it become acceptable in American society to encourage violence against one another? This sort of anonymous “speech” should not be tolerated another moment in this country. Anonymous posts on newspaper and television web sites should end, and if the sites can’t figure it out, stop the comments altogether. Letters to the editor require contact information; why should it be any different for online news?

To my Democratic friends, I will ask you to hold a little while, even as I have been so nearly over the wall myself, to see how things play out. To my Republican friends, and you know who you are; it is past time for you to ostracize the worst offenders; to stand the hell up and say, “Enough.” Otherwise, you make yourselves accomplices to this heinous degradation and violence. For the love of God, reach out that we may reach back.
I have no idea what news we will wake to; whether Gabby will still be alive, or whether she will ever recover enough to have a life with her husband, Mark, who is an American astronaut. What I do know is that we must take something better away from this mess than we brought to it. We can hate each other just a little less, can’t we? That is what Gabby would want this episode to teach us. Gabby Giffords is a gift to all who know her. Let her gift to us be her sense of fair play, and above all, her belief that America should be a civil society where people work through their problems, rather than shooting through a crowd.

The writer is an alumna and past president of the Women’s Campaign School at Yale University. A program that provides campaign skills training for women who aspire to public office.

How Are We Hard-wired?

2010-12-08T13:02:00.001-06:00

http://empathiccivilization.com/ is not what one would suspect. Muy interesante!

Solstice at The Farm, Dec. 21

2010-12-01T14:50:00.000-06:00

Annual Solstice Celebration, Dec. 21, 6:00, The Farm

Join the drumming, potlucking, and bonfire-ing as we gather together to greet and enjoy the changing season at Jesse Wimberley's Farm in West End!

As You Upgrade This Season . . .

2010-12-01T14:41:00.000-06:00

Here at Raven's Wing Healing Center we're celebrating our Buy Nothing/Do Something Christmas. And we're adding another massage/Reiki room! We're looking for a few items in order to enhance our center and are willing to barter our services.

small CD player
area rug no larger than 10'
skinny table or small bookshelf
low stool
floor lamp
clock

Call Carley at 603 3403 or Maureen at 910 730 0480 Thanks! Merry Season!

Open House/B-day Bash at Raven's Wing, Nov. 13

2010-11-12T06:17:00.000-06:00

OPEN HOUSE and BIRTHDAY BASH!

Help us celebrate the 100th birthday of the house at

Farm Up The Street, 345 N Page St!

Tour the house and farm, enjoy snacks and drinks.

Find wonderful Christmas gifts from local artists and craftspeople next-door at

Raven's Wing Healing Center, 325 N Page St,

where massage therapist Carley Sutton makes her chemical-free bath and beauty products,

normally available downtown on Saturdays during Farmers Mkt season.

How about a gift certificate for massage for Christmas!

And come meet other folks who frequent Raven's Wing! Yoga teachers and students,

meditators, potluckers, documentary viewers, drummers, urban farmers, goat cheese makers,

massage therapists, Farm2Table enthusiasts . . . .

Saturday, November 13th, 1-5 pm. Hope to see you here!

Important TED Talks: Prosperity Without Growth and KIVA.org

2010-11-04T04:50:00.001-06:00

Friday, November 5th - Two TED Talks
Raven's Wing, 325 N Page St, SP

"Economics and Sustainability"
featuring the author of "Prosperity without Growth" and the founder of Kiva.org

Film starts at 7:00 pm Discussion to follow.
A suggested donation of $5 is greatly appreciated!
(Arrive around 6:15 for potluck between meditation and film.)

Regional Sustainability Symposium NOV. 10, Pinehurst Resort

2010-10-26T04:27:00.001-05:00

Regional Sustainability Symposium November 10 Pinehurst Resort 9 am - 3 pm

Morning Keynote Speaker: Mr. Henry McKoy, Assistant Secretary for Community Development for the NC Department of Commerce

Mr. McKoy will explain what it means to bring sustainability “to life” and how the economy, the community and the built/developed environment can work together to promote sustainability in the broadest sense.

Lunch Keynote Speaker: Mr. Addison (Tad) D. Davis, Command Executive Officer & Director of Services and Infrastructure Core Enterprise for US Army Reserve

Mr. Davis will discuss Army sustainability. As the Garrison Commander at Fort Bragg who founded their award-wining sustainability initiative, and through his years as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Environment, Safety and Occupational Health, Mr. Davis has a unique perspective to share about the importance of regional partnerships to advance the cause of both Army and Community sustainability.

Symposium agenda includes sessions on:

 How to attract the new “green consumer” and how to incorporate sustainable practices into your business.

 Why the Green Schools program, green space, and park systems are so important for children and communities.

 Tax incentives, credits and rebates for the use of solar power, wind power and natural gas, and how to make a business case for installing such technologies.

 Successes shared and lessons learned from a local food cooperative at the close of their first year in operation, and how citizens and farmers came together to bring fresh local food to hundreds.

 How to add layers of sustainability to your home with the use of native plants, xeriscaping, shade trees and more.

 An afternoon “Growth Quality” track that includes an interactive visual preference and assessment exercise that will inform Sandhills communities about the types of development and conservation their residents prefer in the future.

Learn more at www.sustainablesandhills.org

Oct. 28, SOS hosts SALT's Candace Williams

2010-10-25T05:41:00.000-05:00

SAVE OUR SANDHILLS SPEAKER DISCUSSES SALT’S WORK –

THE BEST KEPT SECRET IN THE SANDHILLS

On October 28, Save Our Sandhills will host Candace Williams, Executive Director of the Sandhills Area Land Trust (SALT) to discuss “The Best Kept Secrets in the Sandhills: The Work of the Sandhills Area Land Trust – Past, Present, and Future.” North Carolina’s 25 land trusts have protected over 309,000 acres of natural lands across the state. And SALT, our local land trust based in Fayetteville and Southern Pines, has recently been credited with protecting more than 10,000 acres of land in the Sandhills region. This is a tremendous accomplishment!

With burgeoning development in the Sandhills, slowed only by a faltering economy, SALT’s efforts are essential to preserving open space. Since 1991, it has been targeting prime pieces to preserve in Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Moore, Richmond, and Scotland counties. These pieces are primarily working forests, farmlands, riparian buffers, and significant natural areas. While its first few years of existence involved setting up a solid infrastructure, its past 10 years have brought in the majority of acreage under SALT’s stewardship. It has evolved from a volunteer-run organization to a professionally recognized organization which operates under the standards and practices of the Land Trust Alliance, the national support organization for land trusts nationwide. Its accomplishments have been wide-reaching: 1. Protecting water quality and drinking water supplies in the Drowning Creek, Little River, McLendons Creek, and Cape Fear River areas, 2. Preserving numerous working farms, 3. Preserving historic and cultural lands, including the Averasboro Civil War Battlefield, Pottery Road, and Rhodes Pond, 4. Preserving Horse Country land, and 5. Securing Military Training Lands; some sizeable projects are planned for the future.

Candace Williams, a native of the Sandhills, has worked for twenty-five years in New England. She is a conservation biologist and has a Master's Degree in that discipline from Antioch University in Keene, New Hampshire. She has worked and studied in many parts of the world such as the Arctic Circle, Ecuador, the Galapagos Islands, Trinidad, Tobago, Chile, and Baja. Most recently, she traveled to Cuba where she was part of a research team contributing to a long-term baseline study on the 24 endemic avian species in Cuba identifying their habitats for future protection efforts. The focus of her work has been endangered species and habitat protection.

Williams returned to North Carolina in 1999 to work as one of the state sea turtle biologists with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. Her work prior to returning to N.C. was with the Massachusetts Audubon Society's Coastal Waterbird Program in charge of all the coastal nesting bird colonies along the South Shore of Massachusetts, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket; the Manomet Center for Conservation Science as an avian researcher; and the Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program. She was also part of the working team that authored the U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan, a model for other countries around the world.

Since 2001, Williams has worked for the Sandhills Area Land Trust first as Associate Director of the organization in charge of Land Protection. In October 2009, she became the Executive Director. She has been instrumental in protecting over half of the 10,000 acres of land protected by the organization in the Sandhills.

Candace Williams' most recent honors are very impressive. She was the recipient of the 2006 Governor’s Conservation Achievement Award as the Land Conservationist of the Year -- the State’s highest natural resource honor; and she was the recipient of the National Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution – Woman in American History Award – for her contribution to conservation.
Join us; refreshments will be served. Thursday, October 28 at 7 PM in the Southern Pines Civic Club, corner of Ashe Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. All are welcome.

Even more ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle, Oct. 26

2010-10-19T05:52:00.000-05:00

North Carolinians recycle 85.4 pounds of materials a second. That's impressive! But we throw away more than 752 pounds of trash a second - almost nine times what we recycle.

Join Sustainable Sandhills to learn even more ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle!!

Sustainable Sandhills, Cumberland County

Community Action Team Meeting Tuesday, October 26th, 2010 6:30-8:00PM
Pate Room, Headquarters Library

Join Sustainable Sandhills for our October Cumberland County Community Action Team Meeting and participate and a mini-workshop about waste reduction. Through interactive activities and discussion, we'll share tips for reducing our waste stream and making better consumer choices. We'll also learn just how much material has been recycled and how much landfill space has been saved through the City of Fayetteville's Curbside Recycling Program!!! Sustainable Sandhills is a nonprofit dedicated to conserving the natural resources of the eight county region surrounding Fort Bragg, NC. Through education, demonstration, and collaboration, we are changing the ways we live, work, and play. Even the smallest effort makes a difference; visit www.sustainablesandhills.org to learn more.

Help Elect Environmental Protectors

2010-10-15T06:47:00.000-05:00

According to a survey conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research earlier this year, only 1% of Tar Heel voters cited the environment and climate change as the most important issues facing the country today—falling below “Other” and “Not Sure.” But to maintain North Carolina’s high quality of life and to continue growing our state’s economy, we must protect the air, water, and natural resources that make North Carolina special. This is why we need now more than ever to elect candidates who will make the environment a political priority.
In the 2008 elections, CCNC helped elect 71 of the 73 candidates we endorsed. These same elected officials did the job by ensuring a pro-conservation outcome for 10 of the 12 environmental bills Conservation Council worked on during the last legislative session. Please take a look at our 2010 Legislative Scorecard at http://www.conservationcouncilnc.org/ for a complete record of the key issues scored and how your representative voted on each.

We need your help once again this year. Your vote for our endorsed, pro-conservation candidates listed below and a gift to the Conservation PAC are two of the most important things you can do to help protect North Carolina’s environment, the health of our communities, and our economy.

With the General Election right around the corner, your contribution today will help us change the way environmental decisions are made in North Carolina. Your gift of $50, $100, $250 or $1,000 will make a huge impact, but gifts of any amount are appreciated.

Please help us elect leaders who stand up for conservation and successfully ensure a pro-environment majority in the NC General Assembly. Together, we will pass strong environmental policies for North Carolina.

Sincerely, Carrie Clark, Executive Director

P.S. Anti-environmental interests are spending more money in this election than ever before. Help us level the playing field by making your gift to the Conservation PAC today!
Remember early voting starts today October 14 and continues through October 30. You can find your early voter site at ncvoterinfo.org/

2010 Conservation PAC General Election Endorsements

North Carolina State Senate Races

District 1 – Sen. Marc Basnight, D-Dare

District 2 –Barbara Garrity-Blake, D-Craven

District 7 – Sen. Doug Berger, D-Franklin

District 9 – Jim Leutze, D-New Hanover

District 12 – Jody McCloud, D-Johnston

District 15 – Sen. Neal Hunt, R-Wake

District 16 – Sen. Josh Stein, D-Wake

District 17 – Sen. Richard Stevens, R-Wake

District 18 – Sen. Bob Atwater, D-Chatham

District 19 – Sen. Margaret Dickson, D-Cumberland

District 21 – Eric Mansfield, D-Cumberland

District 23 – Sen. Ellie Kinnaird, D-Orange

District 27 – Sen. Don Vaughan, D-Guilford

District 28 – Gladys Robinson, D-Guilford

District 36 – Sen. Fletcher Hartsell, R-Cabarrus

District 37 – Sen. Dan Clodfelter, D-Meck.

District 40 – Sen. Malcolm Graham, D-Meck.

District 44 – Beth Jones D-Burke

District 45 – Sen. Steve Goss, D-Watauga

District 49 – Sen. Martin Nesbitt, D-Buncombe

North Carolina State House Races

District 3 – Rep. Alice Underhill, D-Craven

District 5 – Rep. Annie Mobley, D-Bertie

District 7 – Rep. Angela Bryant, D-Halifax

District 9 – Rep. Marion McLawhorn, D-Pitt

District 16 – Rep. Carolyn Justice, R-New Hanover

District 19 – Rep. Danny McComas, R-New Hanover

District 20 – Rep. Dewey Hill, D-Columbus

District 21 – Rep. Larry Bell, D-Sampson

District 23 – Rep. Joe Tolson, D-Edgcombe

District 24 – Rep. Jean Farmer-Butterfield, D-Wilson

District 29 – Rep. Larry Hall, D-Durham

District 30 – Rep. Paul Luebke, D-Durham

District 33 – Rep. Rosa Gill, D-Wake

District 34 – Rep. Grier Martin, D-Wake

District 35 – Rep. Jennifer Weiss, D-Wake

District 36 – Robin Anderson, D-Wake

District 37 – Debra McHenry, D-Wake

District 38 – Rep. Deborah Ross, D-Wake

District 40 – Violet Rhinehart, D-Wake

District 41 – Rep. Chris Heagarty, D-Wake

District 44 – Rep. Diane Parfitt, D-Cumberland

District 45 – Rep. Rick Glazier, D-Cumberland

District 50 – Rep. Bill Faison, D-Orange

District 54 – Rep. Joe Hackney, D-Orange

District 55 – Rep. Winkie Wilkins, D-Person

District 56 – Rep. Verla Insko, D-Orange

District 57 – Rep. Pricey Harrison, D-Guilford

District 58 – Rep. Alma Adams, D-Guilford

District 63 – Rep. Alice Bordsen, D-Alamance

District 81 – Rep. Hugh Holliman, D-Davidson

District 85 – Beth Ostgaard, D-McDowell

District 93 – Rep. Cullie Tarleton, D-Ashe

District 99 – Rodney Moore, D-Meck.

District 100 – Rep. Tricia Cotham, D-Meck.

District 102 – Rep. Becky Carney, D-Meck.

District 103 – Ann Newman, D-Meck.

District 104 – Rep. Ruth Samuelson, R-Meck.

District 106 – Rep. Martha Alexander, D-Meck.

District 107 – Rep. Kelly Alexander, D-Meck.

District 114 – Rep. Susan Fisher, D-Buncombe

District 115 – Patsy Keever, D-Buncombe

District 117 – Chuck McGrady, R-Henderson

District 118 – Rep. Ray Rapp, D-Madison

District 119 – Rep. Phil Haire, D-Jackson

Scott Ainslie, Jazz, Tonight 8:00, Red Springs!

2010-10-08T07:30:00.001-05:00

Blues Guitarist Ainslie, Red Springs, Oct. 8

Red Springs Middle School 8:00

Friday, October 8th a very wonderful blues guitarist will be performing in Red Springs. Scott Ainslie is a great performer and advocate for social justice, and also an historian and performer of the music of Robert Johnson and the African American roots of American jazz and blues. Ticket prices are heavily subsidized by Red Springs Arts Council, so don't let that fool you. You can hear and learn more about Scott at his website: http:// cattailmusic.com/

Shaw House Vintage Collectible and Antiques Fair

2010-10-08T07:19:00.000-05:00

SATURDAY, October 9, 9 - 3:00
Shaw House Vintage Collectible and Antiques Fair
Shaw House, Southern Pines, NC, corner Morganton Road and Broad Street

No Admission Charge

Bring the whole family to the second annual Shaw House Fair of vintage collectibles and antiques on Saturday, Oct. 9, from 9-3. The historic Shaw House, office for the Moore County Historical Association, is the scene for the outdoor vendors' sites.

Admission is free and tours of the 1820s Shaw House and cabins on the property dating back to the 1700s will be conducted. There will be a silent auction, also demonstrations of weaving and colonial domestic skills demonstrated by Gail Frazer, plus live foot-tapping music by Clyde Maness and his friends, all day long from the porch of the Garner House.

Enjoy a lunch of hot dogs and all the trimmings made by Friends of the Bryant House. Raffle tickets are also available for $5 each for a drawing in December for a 42-inch Sony television set, proceeds to the Bryant House restoration.

The gift and book shop will be open, featuring items of local interest including MCHA famous old-fashioned hand-milled soaps.

Proceeds will help the historical association maintain and restore the five historic house museums it owns, used to demonstrate to the general public how early settlers of Moore County lived.

Salatin's Polyface Farm, Oct. 20

2010-10-05T18:04:00.000-05:00

POLYFACE FARM TOUR

Swoope, Virginia, Wednesday, October 20, 2010, 1-3 PM

Here’s an opportunity to visit and tour Polyface Farm in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. Polyface Farm is the home of Joel Salatin, the inspirational grass farmer featured in the movie FRESH. This planned visit has grown out of a sustainable agriculture discussion group held for the last four weeks at United Church of Chapel Hill. The participants in our discussion group are interested in local food production and agricultural sustainability issues. Therefore, we have scheduled a tour of Polyface Farm which is open to anyone and we invite you to join us. Here are the details:

1. This trip is open to anyone. Please share this information with anyone you wish.

2. Salatins can easily receive groups of any size. There is no limit to the number of people we can take.

3. We will be given a formal two-hour tour of the most interesting features of the farm: grass-fed beef, laying hens following the cattle, pastured poultry (meat chickens and turkeys), pastured pigs, and more. The tour will be led by Matt Rales, their official farm tour guide: 1 PM to 3 PM, Wednesday, October 20. I suggest we try to get there at least an hour early (two hours would be better) so we can look around a bit before the tour. They have an open-farm policy and I can show you quite a bit of the place myself.

4. It's approximately a five-hour drive one-way from Chapel Hill. We plan to carpool.

Fees:
a. Tour fee – We will divide the flat-rate $250 tour fee among everyone who attends. The more people who go, the lower the cost per person will be. We’d love to have 25 people (or more) and get the cost down to $10 per person (or less).
b. Shared carpool expenses.
c. Lodging for any nights you choose to spend on this trip. Some people plan to drive up the day before and spend the night of October 19th. There are several moderately-priced motels ($50 to $80 per room per night) in the Staunton, VA, area near the intersection of I-81 and I-64. Share a room or not; that would be up to you. Polyface Farm is about 15 miles south of Staunton. Other folks plan to drive up and back all in the same day; they would not have any lodging costs.
d. Meals are on your own.
e. The cost of any other attraction you might visit along the way.

To sign up for the tour or to get more information please contact: Skip Polson
Email: skippolson@nc.rr.com Phone: 919-889-4404

Blues Guitarist Ainslie, Red Springs, Oct. 8

2010-09-30T19:22:00.000-05:00

Dear Friends,

Friday, October 8th a very wonderful blues guitarist will be performing in Red Springs. Scott Ainslie is a great performer and advocate for social justice, and also an historian and performer of the music of Robert Johnson and the African American roots of American jazz and blues. Ticket prices are heavily subsidized so don't let that fool you. You can hear and learn more about Scott at his website: http:// cattailmusic.com/

Please help us publicize this event so we can have a good audience to welcome this fine musician. Feel free to forward this message to others. And feel free to call me for more details if you have any questions.
Thanks,
John and the Red Springs Arts Council

You can find more information about this performer at:

http://www.loydartists.com/index.php?page=bio&display=4
>

Pickin' on the Porch, Oct. 7, Fundraiser for Sustainble Sandhills!

2010-09-30T18:29:00.000-05:00

Pickin' on the Porch is just one week away!

We hope you can join us at our historic home in Grays Creek next Thursday, October 7 for a casual evening of good food and fun to benefit Sustainable Sandhills! The old farmhouse and fields date back to the 1840s, and we'll tune up our instruments, light a bonfire, and coax a few of the old family ghosts out to join us on the porch!

The Board and Staff of Sustainable Sandhills will serve you a delicious meal of barbeque, chicken, sides and desserts while The Parsons—and a handful of special guests—entertain you from the porch. Guitars, mandolin, banjo, fiddle, accordion, storytelling and singing are a part of the bargain, and all proceeds go to this great organization, Sustainable Sandhills!
Food and drinks will be ready at 5:30pm, and Fayetteville's "Best Local Musician 2010" Chris Hurst will kick off the music at 6:00pm.
Those who attended Pickin’ on the Porch last year know what a great time is in store—so don’t miss it!

Purchase your tickets today:
Online at www.sustainablesandhills.org with a credit card or PayPal account.

Over the phone – call our office 910.484.9098 and we’ll take your credit card info or tell you where to mail your check.

Stop by our office at 215-B Williams Street (Moore Exposure Building), Fayetteville, NC 28301 and we can take care of your order in person!

Please contact us at 910.484.9098 or email info@sustainablesandhills.org if you have any questions or need further information.
We can’t wait to see you there! Jon & Caroline Parsons

Harvest Dinner, Sept. 30, SCC

2010-09-20T04:37:00.000-05:00

Fall Harvest Progressive Dinner In The Garden - September 30th (rain date Oct. 1st) 5:30pm. Dinner, wine, music and art in the beautiful gardens of Sandhills Community College. Part of the proceeds will benefit the Landscape Gardening, Culinary, Music and Art departments of Sandhills Community College. Horticultural Society members $55.00 / non-members $60.00. Seating is limited. Contact Tricia Mabe for a reservation at 695-3882.

The Sandhills Horticultural Society is planning a Fall Dinner in the Horticultural Gardens of Sandhills Community College. They have teamed up with the Landscaping, Culinary, Art, and Music departments to host the event. The Culinary Department will prepare and serve dinner and wine. Music will be played during the evening by the Music Department and the Art Department is designing handout menus and doing the decorations. The Landscape Gardening Department will be preparing the gardens and making arrangements for the particulars of the event.

Must Watch Video re: Slow Food, Terra Madre Conference

2010-09-19T03:58:00.000-05:00

http://www.slowfood.com/dossier2010/eng
And Sandhills Farm2Table reps will be there in October, very exciting! Let's help them when they bring those excellent ideas and motivations back home. Slow Food for all, sustainable farming methods for all, cleaner air and water for all, community-building for all! Congratulations to Jan and Fenton, buen viaje, Amigos!

Local Non-profits, Moore County and Beyond

2010-09-17T08:51:00.000-05:00

The Moore County Historical Association will have a non-profits display table during its Shaw House Vintage Colletible and Antiques Fair, Saturday, Oct. 9, 9 am - 3 pm.

If you would like for us to display your info and/or brochures about your organization, please let me know by Oct. 5th. Thanks! and I hope to hear from you!

suttonmaureen@hotmail.com or 730 0480

THIRST in Fayetteville, Sept. 14, 6:30

2010-09-14T05:41:00.000-05:00

Is water part of a shared "commons" - a human right for all people? Or is it a commodity to be bought, sold, and traded in a global marketplace?
Sustainable Sandhills' Cumberland County Sustainable Film Series
Join us TODAY, Sept. 14 for Thirst
September 14th, 2010, 6:30-8:30 PM
Pate Room, Headquarters Library
300 Maiden Lane, Downtown Fayetteville
Sustainable Sandhills is partnering with the Cumberland County Headquarters Library for a FREE screening of Thirst.

Backyard Chicken Care, CCCC, Oct. 16

2010-09-06T07:20:00.000-05:00

BACKYARD CHICKEN SCHEMES

Instructor: Judy Hogan, Hoganvillaea Farm, Moncure
October 16, Saturday, 9 AM-4 PM. CCCC, Sanford, Civic Center
Farmer Hogan will introduce students to backyard or urban chicken care: appropriate facilities, chick care, nutrition, litter management, laying, egg sales, and killing as needed.
With limited space and experience, plus a sense of humor, raise a small flock of happy chickens. Hogan shares her learning curve on basics, chicks to healthy eggs and meat. Topics include: Everything wants to eat chickens, Spoiling your chickens and why, Outwitting your not so dumb chickens.
Students will gain confidence in starting and maintaining their own small backyard chicken flock, have a handle on potential problems, solutions, and additional resources.

Judy Hogan of Hoganvillaea Farm is a sustainable farmer whose main goal is self-sufficiency and growing her own food. She began raising White Rock chickens in 2003, and she sells extra eggs, vegetables, fruit, herbs to restaurants and individuals. She’s a member of Carolina Farm Stewardship Association. A published poet, free-lance writer, and creative writing teacher, she writes for Chatham County Line and lives in Moncure.

For more information: Judy Hogan, (919) 545-9932
Cindy Horrell Ramsey, Lee County Continuing Education, CCCC. (919)775-2122, x7790

Wise Use of Money, Keep It Local

2010-08-18T06:21:00.000-05:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDoipQt3whU

It's Debt, It's Jobs

2010-08-18T06:10:00.000-05:00

http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=5418

Discuss Renewables, Aug. 19, 7:00, Pinehurst

2010-08-09T06:33:00.000-05:00

You are cordially invited to a free discussion:

RENEWABLE ENERGY with STEVE KALLAND
Director and Chief Policy Analyst North Carolina Solar Center, NC State University
Kalland was recently featured on NPR’s “The State of Things” with Frank Stasio
THURSDAY, AUGUST 19th 7 PM

CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF PINEHURST, UCC
895 Linden Road - Pinehurst (across from “Elliott's” Restaurant)
Phone: (910) 295-2243)

Fall Subscriptions for Farm2Table Coop

2010-08-04T06:36:00.001-05:00

Sandhills Farm to Table is now offering Fall Subscriptions.
This will be an 8 week season beginning September 8/9 and running through October 27/28.
Local produce: lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, winter squash, onions, peppers, peaches, collards, kale, apples, sweet potatoes, chard, pecans, salsas, jams, honey, juices.
Box sizes are Standard for $21 and Family for $38. Delivery frequency is either weekly or every other week.
Available only to members. go to SandhillsFarm2Table.com and sign up.

In Sustainable Montgomery County

2010-07-27T04:47:00.000-05:00

http://www.sustainablesandhills.org/docs/EblastMontgomeryCountyarticlefinal.pdf

Angry Moms at SCC July 22, 6:30

2010-07-19T20:48:00.000-05:00

“We are facing an obesity epidemic. This generation will be the first in the nations’ history to live shorter lives than those of their parents.” - Centers for Disease Control

Sustainable Sandhills Presents “Two Angry Moms”
Thursday, July 22nd 6:30-8:00 PM

Dempsey Student Center Sandhills Community College
Two Angry Moms shows not only what is wrong with school food; it offers strategies for overcoming roadblocks and getting healthy, good tasting, real food into school cafeterias. The movie explores the roles the federal government, corporate interests, school administration and parents play in feeding our country’s school kids. See what happens when fed-up moms start a grass-roots revolution!

Please stay after the film for a panel discussion with local school food experts.

SOS, July 29, Ft. Bragg's Environmental Stance, Sou. Pines

2010-07-12T04:45:00.000-05:00

SAVE OUR SANDHILLS SPEAKER DISCUSSES FORT BRAGG’S COMMITMENT TO CONSERVATION AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT

On July 29, Save Our Sandhills will host Alan Schultz to speak about Fort Bragg’s commitment to conservation and wildlife management. Fort Bragg, initially constructed in 1918 in order to fulfill an essential role in our national security, has also evolved into an outstanding natural resource for the North Carolina Sandhills. Fort Bragg’s and Camp Mackall’s 160,000 acres (they are managed as one) comprise only a fraction of the nation’s Department of Defense lands. Nevertheless, the Fort’s forest managers began a visionary program decades ago that has had profound implications for research involving the health of the longleaf pine ecosystem with its unique wildlife habitat.

Alan Schultz, currently Chief of the Fort Bragg Wildlife Branch, leads teams of biologists, conservation officers, and public use specialists as they collaborate with others to enhance and protect the Sandhills natural resources. Schultz’ academic training is in Wildlife Ecology and Management, and his career spans over 27 years in the southeast with specializations in wildlife ecology and management, ornithology, forestry, and public natural resource regulation and usage.

In all, Schultz’ varied experiences make him comfortable in addressing the issue of multiple land use in conservation. Fort Bragg’s multiple land use incorporates the following into a single management strategy: military training, conservation, forest products, prescribed fire, and the public use of natural resources. Some of this strategy evolved as a by-product of experience. For example, military training exercises occasionally produced small fires, and these fires mimicked the natural lightning strikes common in the Sandhills. This fire was found to be essential to both the flora and the fauna of the longleaf pine ecosystem.
Because of Fort Bragg’s focus on conservation management and its immense amount of acreage, it not only serves as an ecological laboratory, but also as a showcase for diverse habitats and their resultant diversity of species. Its combination of natural resource managers and military trainers working together helps humans, plants, and wildlife benefit from a unique symbiotic relationship.
Join us for an informative and interesting evening; refreshments will be served. Thursday, July 29 at 7 PM in the Southern Pines Civic Club at the corner of Ashe and Pennsylvania.

Historic Crossover Reached, Solar Now Cheaper

2010-07-08T17:17:00.000-05:00

http://www.ncwarn.org/?p=2290

Big News from CFSA (Carolina Farm Stewardship Assoc.)

2010-07-02T07:03:00.000-05:00

Local Food to the Rescue: Joel Salatin Comes to North Carolina

by Fred Broadwell

CFSA was honored to host influential farmer and activist Joel Salatin as he visited Pittsboro, NC yesterday. Joel started his day with a brief stop by the CFSA office where staff filled him in on CFSA activities. Roland McReynolds then escorted Joel to Piedmont Biofuels and CFSA member Doug Jones' Biofarm, where Joel learned about Piedmont's biodiesel production and Doug Jones' season extension and variety trials work.
At 4 PM, a group of fifty CFSA farmer members and friends gathered at Cohen Farm for a CFSA member exclusive pasture walk with Joel. Cohen Farm, owned by CFSA members Murray and Esta Cohen, is a longstanding organic farm with 40 head of beef cattle, pastured hogs, heritage chickens and organic hay production. While standing in the middle of a gorgeous pasture, Joel enthralled the crowd with his provocative discussion of farm management, using the Cohen's farm as a case study. Joel described in detail his mob grazing techniques, putting 350 beef cattle in a small area with four foot tall grasses and moving them daily, on a six month rotation. "My neighbors think I'm nuts! But it works." Joel believes that the mob grazing forces the cows back into their natural behaviors -- they eat more aggressively lest their neighbor eats a plant first. "The cows don't just eat the ice cream and ignore the spinach." To Joel's pleasure, this has been leading to better plant biodiversity in the fields.
Following the herd, he deploys two chicken tractors with 800 birds each, commenting that it takes just as much time to handle a large flock as a small one. "We need to build in efficiencies on the farm." At a minimum, he recommends one chicken per cow to complete the mob gazing system.
When asked about liming and seeding, he said that he had never sown a seed or put out lime in thirty years. He said that proper grazing and letting the grass grow tall will build soft and rich soil; management is the key problem, not the soil ph. He's not opposed to some soil amendments and does purchase greensand, but doesn't see that as the place to start. Joel talked extensively about fencing and preferred to buy or lease land with no fencing in place since so often it is in the wrong place. "No straight fences!" he extolled. "Let the fencing follow natural pathways and good access points."
When the discussion moved to water, Joel suggested investing money in ponds and building them deeper and bigger to make a farm more drought tolerant. "We are stewards of the land and it is our duty to honor the land by making it resilient. Water is critical."
When asked about shade, Joel extolled the virtues of portable shade devices and described his equipment, joyrigged from old wagon chassis, piping and shade cloth. His equipment is made to withstand strong winds, which is important. One of his devices, he said, can provide shade for up to 100 head of cattle.
What about predators getting his chickens? For flock protection from ground predators, Joel strongly suggested well-trained guard dogs, whether exotic breeds or mutts. "Start them young." For aerial predators, he likes having a goose -- just one goose per flock has worked for him.
After the pasture walk on Wednesday evening, Joel spoke about food issues to an overflow crowd of 300 at Central Carolina Community College. He complimented the college on its sustainable farming program and new Natural Chef program (cosponsors of his visit.) Joel then gave an engaging hour-long talk on the perils of our industrial food system and how it is affecting our health, our communities and our rural landscape. When asked whether sustainable farming could feed the world, he brought up the events of the 1940s. Just when composting and a profound biological view of farming was emerging, World War II hit with its massive investment in bomb-making. Chemical fertilizers, cousins of bomb-making materials, received a massive subsidy from the government. It is just now that biological farming is finally catching up!
CFSA thanks Joel for visiting the Carolinas and appreciates the support of the NC Tobacco Trust Fund Commission, CCCC and an anonymous donor for making his visit possible. We also want to thank the Cohens for opening up their farm and Angelina's Kitchen for refreshments.

Angry Moms Coming to SCC July 22

2010-07-01T10:49:00.001-05:00

http://www.angrymoms.org/pdfs/facts.pdf

Joel Salatin Tonite, Jun 30, CCCC

2010-06-29T13:03:00.000-05:00

Joel Salatin: "Local Food to the Rescue"

Free public lecture Wed. June 30th, 7 PM
Central Carolina Community College, Building 2
764 West Street, Pittsboro

Before the lecture, tour the CCCC Student Farm with Joel -- 5:30 - 6:30
Refreshments -- 6:30 - 7:00
Sponsored by CCCC Sustainable Ag program, CCCC Natural Chef program, Carolina Farm Stewardship Assoc. and the NC Tobacco Trust Fund Commission.
Info at www.cccc.edu and www.polyfacefarms.com

Safe Hens?

2010-06-28T11:33:00.000-05:00

http://www.roseacre.com/cagesafe.html

Detroit Progressing Backwards, Local Food

2010-06-25T04:41:00.002-05:00

www.democracynow.org/2010/6/24/detroit_urban_agriculture_movement_looks_to

Christian Missionary Deconverted by Tribe (proteanview)

2010-05-20T10:36:00.000-05:00

Berkeley schools serve Epic Chicken | Cafeteria Confidential: Behind the scenes in school kitchens | Grist

2010-05-19T18:07:00.001-05:00

No more nuggets: Berkeley schools serve Epic Chicken Cafeteria Confidential: Behind the scenes in school kitchens Grist: "The Tyson nuggets are really extrusions and amalgamations of all sorts of chicken scraps, seasoned with a dose of salt and chemical additives. Factory machines shape the mix into kid-size mouthfuls that are breaded and baked assembly-line style, then frozen and shipped hundreds of miles to school kitchens. Low-skilled workers pour the frozen nuggets out of plastic bags onto sheet pans and quickly reheat them. A few minutes in a 350-degree oven is all it takes before the factory nuggets are ready to be displayed on the food service line where hungry kids scoop them up."
[How do we dare to feed much stuff to children?]

'Sandhills Farm to Table's May 19/20 News and Recipes'

2010-05-19T05:11:00.000-05:00

'Sandhills Farm to Table's May 19/20 News and Recipes'

April Fools Tonite, Aberdeen Cafe, 6:00

2010-05-14T06:53:00.000-05:00

The April Fools will play from 6-8 tonight at the Aberdeen Cafe. Come on down to hear the music and enjoy fish night at the Cafe.

Gulf Leak from the Air, by Amateur

2010-05-12T21:29:00.000-05:00

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=524_1273510578

Sustainable Sandhills Film, SCC, July 22

2010-05-09T12:36:00.000-05:00

Thursday, July 22, 2010 6:30pm - 8:00pm Location: Sandhills Community College, Dempsey Student Center, Clement Dining Room

Two Angry Moms
Amy Kalafa was stewing for years, packing her kids lunches from home and trying to get her community to pay attention to what kids are eating in school. When news of a national child health crisis began making headlines, Amy, an award-winning documentary filmmaker, decided to take the fight to film. Two Angry Moms is Amy's quest to learn what she and other parents need to know and do to get better food in their kids' schools.
Susan Rubin had been trying for a decade to work with her district on improving school food, earning herself a reputation as a rabble-rouser with a "macrobiotic agenda" (NOT!). She's even been banned from her children's' school cafeteria! In the meantime, legions of kids continue to make a daily lunch out of neon green slushies, greasy fries and supersize cookies, imperiling not only their long-term health but also their ability to learn. Exasperated, Susan decided to reach beyond her school district, and founded Better School Food, her own grassroots organization.
Part exposé, part "how-to", Amy chronicles the efforts of Susan and other leaders in the fledgling better school food movement as they take on the system nationwide. From Chefs Alice Waters and Ann Cooper reinventing school food in Berkley California to Chef Tony Geraci's student designed meals in New Hampshire, Amy discovers programs that connect the cafeteria with the classroom and connect our kids with the earth. Over the course of a school year, we see Susan's coalition drive dramatic changes in one Westchester, NY school district.
Two Angry Moms shows not only on what is wrong with school food; it offers strategies for overcoming roadblocks and getting healthy, good tasting, real food into school cafeterias. The movie explores the roles the federal government, corporate interests, school administration and parents play in feeding our country's school kids.
See what happens when fed-up moms start a grass-roots revolution!

It's the Dirt, Y'all!

2010-05-06T05:58:00.000-05:00

Moore County Sustainable Film Series

Join us for "Dirt! The Movie"
May 13th, 2010 6:30-8:00 PM
Clement Dining Room, Dempsey Student Center
Sandhills Community College
3395 Airport Road, Pinehurst, NC
Join us for a FREE screening of Dirt! The Movie.
DIRT! The Movie--directed and produced by Bill Benenson and Gene Rosow--takes you inside the wonders of the soil. It tells the story of Earth's most valuable and underappreciated source of fertility--from its miraculous beginning to its crippling degradation.

Food to Table in NC Completing Full Circle!

2010-04-23T15:05:00.001-05:00

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/25/magazine/25food-t.html?hpw

Half Day of Mindfulness, Red Springs, Apr 25

2010-04-22T05:46:00.000-05:00

Being Okay with Uncertainty and Releasing Turmoil and Fear

Michael Ciborski’s relaxed and light-hearted presence conveys joy and peace to all who have the opportunity to study with him.
His knowledge and practice grew from the rich soil of Plum Village, France, where he spent nearly ten years, both as a lay practitioner and as a monastic. Michael lived and worked intimately with Thich Nhat Hanh and the monastic community to organize, support, and offer meditation retreats around the world. Thich Nhat Hanh named him a Dharma Teacher in 2001. Michael returned to lay life in 2003.
He is married to Fern Dorresteyn, also a Dharma Teacher in Thich Nhat Hanh’s tradition. They have two children and live in New Hampshire, where they are building a mindfulness practice community for sustainable living called MorningSun.
WHAT TO BRING:
• Sitting cushion or meditation bench if you wish; chairs and extra cushions will also be available.
• A box lunch for yourself. Assorted teas, water and cookies will be supplied.
WHAT TO WEAR: Comfortable, loose fitting clothing; no shorts or tank tops, please!
COST: Donation based on ability to give. Suggested amount: $20
TO REGISTER: Please call or email if you plan to attend: 910-843-2427
johnbowman@nc.rr.com

Hemenway in Raleigh, Apr 26, Food Security

2010-04-20T05:12:00.000-05:00

On April 26, 2010, Toby Hemenway will give a lecture at 7:00 pm at the NC State University McKimmon Center in Raleigh, NC. Mr. Hemenway will talk about "Foodsheds and Footprints: Connecting Cities, Suburbs, and Farms for True Food Security" as part of NCSU's Park Scholarship Speaker Series.

Toby Hemenway is the author of Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture, which for the past six years has been the world's best-selling book on permaculture, a design approach based on ecology for creating sustainable landscapes, homes, communities, and workplaces. He is an adjunct professor in the School of Graduate Education at Portland State University, Scholar-in-Residence at Pacific University, and a biologist consultant for the Biomimicry Guild. He teaches, consults, and lectures on permaculture and ecological design throughout the US and other countries. His writing has appeared in magazines such as Natural Home, Whole Earth Review, and American Gardener.

He lives in Portland, Oregon, where he is developing sites and resources for urban sustainability. More information about Toby can be found on his website at http://patternliteracy.com/ Register for this free event at http://psss2010tobyhemenway.eventbrite.com/

Debbie Roos
Agricultural Extension Agent, Chatham County Center
North Carolina Cooperative Extension, 919.542.8202
debbie_roos@ncsu.edu
http://www.growingsmallfarms.org/
twitter.com/GrowSmallFarms

Climate Change, Water Wars, Bolivia

2010-04-19T20:20:00.000-05:00

* Jim Shultz on "Dignity and Defiance: Stories from Bolivia's Challenge to Globalization" * Jim Shultz, founder of the Cochabamba-based Democracy Center, gives a snapshot of Bolivia ahead of the World Peoples' Summit on Climate Change and Rights of Mother Earth. Ten years ago, Shultz helped expose the role of Bechtel in the privatization of Cochabamba's water supply. Listen/Watch/Readhttp://www.democracynow.org/2010/4/19/jim_shultz_on_dignity_and_defiance

* The Cochabamba Water Wars: Marcela Olivera Reflects on the Tenth Anniversary of the Popular Uprising Against Bechtel and the Privatization of the City's Water Supply * Ten years ago this month, the Bolivian city of Cochabamba was at the center of an epic fight over one of the city's most vital natural resources: its own water. The Water Wars occurred just months after the Battle of Seattle. The uprising against Bechtel on the streets of Cochabamba was seen as the embodiment of the international struggle against corporate globalization. Over the past week, water activists from around the world gathered in Cochabamba to mark the tenth anniversary of the Water Wars. Listen/Watch/Readhttp://www.democracynow.org/2010/4/19/the_cochabamba_water_wars_marcella_olivera

Farm2Table Coop Update, Members' Potluck

2010-04-19T06:13:00.000-05:00

Sandhills Farm to Table Cooperative Co-op Stats as of 4/16/10
* 830 members
* 556 subscribers
* 474 weekly box deliveries
* $157,000 subscription sales

Way to go folks. All this and we haven't even started deliveries.
Keep spreading the word. Encourage people to join, even if they don't want to subscribe.
REMINDER: Member Potluck and meeting, next Saturday, April 24th, West End Presbyterian Church, 6 p.m. Over 200 members are already coming. Join us! Please RSVP
Proposed Bylaws
At the Member Potluck, there will be a brief Member meeting to adopt Bylaws and elect Consumer Directors.
Thank you for being an active part of this community adventure.
Wishing you a good day,
The Sandhills Farm to Table Cooperative

UNC-TV, Food, Inc, the movie, with discussion, Apr 21

2010-04-19T05:44:00.000-05:00

UNC-TV Will Broadcast Views on Food, Inc. at 10:35 PM on April 21

On Wednesday, April 21 at 9:00 p.m. UNC-TV will broadcast Food, Inc., a provocative documentary film about the food industry in the United States. Food, Inc. is being offered as an episode of the PBS series P.O.V. Immediately following the documentary at 10:35 p.m. UNC-TV will broadcast Views on Food, Inc., a thoughtful conversation with representatives of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, the North Carolina Poultry Federation and the North Carolina Pork Council moderated by UNC-TV's Rob Holliday.

SOS, Apr.29, Wildlife Friendly Developments Program

2010-04-19T05:25:00.000-05:00

SAVE OUR SANDHILLS HOSTS EXPERT ON NEW

WILDLIFE CERTIFICATION PROGRAM FOR NORTH CAROLINA DEVELOPMENTS
On April 29, Save Our Sandhills hosts guest speaker Vann Stancil to discuss the newly created Wildlife Friendly Development Certification program developed through a partnership of the following groups – the North Carolina Wildlife Federation (NCWF), the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC), and the North Carolina Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (NC-ASLA). The program offers certification for developments that go above and beyond requirements to ensure that wildlife habitat is protected and impacts on the environment are minimized.

Why this concerted effort of wildlife biologists, conservationists, landscape design professionals, and developers? Over the past 20 years, North Carolina has lost 2.4 million acres of forests and agricultural lands. Realizing that the state’s precious open space has been dwindling for years, North Carolina began a mission on January 1, 1999, to save a million acres from development. Called the Million Acre Initiative, it was unable to achieve its 10-year goal, coming up 350,000 acres short.

In the same ten years, North Carolina lost more acres to development than any other state in the Union. If the projected population increase of 50% by 2030 is accurate, North Carolina is expected to lose another 2 million acres in the next 30 years.

Given these sobering statistics, Wildlife Friendly Development Certification was created, complementing the green building standards that are becoming a more normal component of building practices in North Carolina. Sustainable practices are critical to our environment. This voluntary program, a smart growth habitat initiative, works with a developer to identify important natural resources on the development site that need protection, and it awards points for using techniques that minimize environmental impacts. Bog turtles, hooded warblers, bobwhite quail, and American shad are as carefully considered as architectural styles and street grids. Prior to construction, developers complete an inventory of conditions on site, including types of wildlife habitat, wetland and stream delineations, and any existing manmade barriers to wildlife movement. These questions get asked:
* Where are possible wildlife corridors?
* How can wildlife passages be provided so that animals can safely navigate roads?
* Where are opportunities to remove invasive vegetation?
* How can wildlife habitat be maximized and impact on species minimized?

Throughout the stages of construction, developments are evaluated using a suite of criteria that offer points for the developer. The developer must earn a sufficient number of points to be certified. Even after construction, the homeowners’ maintenance can affect the status of the certified Wildlife Friendly Development.
Vann Stancil has been a Special Project Coordinator with the NC Wildlife Resources Commission’s Division of Inland Fisheries. Prior to this, Stancil worked for Progress Energy doing aquatic monitoring work on lakes and rivers associated with its power plants in the Carolinas. He has a B.S. from North Carolina State University in Fisheries and Wildlife Science and an M.S. from Virginia Tech in Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences.
Join us for an informative, interesting evening; refreshments will be served. Thursday, April 29 at 7 P.M. Southern Pines Civic Club, corner of Ashe Street and Pennsylvania.

Schedule, April Fools!

2010-04-16T06:42:00.000-05:00

The April Fools Old Time String Band is playing this Weekend!

Join Allen, David, Sherman and Steven at these events:

Friday, April 16, 6-8PM at the Aberdeen Cafe, facing the tracks in Downtown Aberdeen. Come enjoy the music and a fish plate. Help support a small business that is allowing local talent to enjoy performing. CD's will be available.

Saturday, April 17, 10AM-Noon at the Southern Pines Park Green in Downtown Southern Pines. Its the opening day of the Farmer's Market. Come enjoy! Bring a lawn chair and stay awhile. This is also Clenny Creek Day at the Bryant House near Carthage. Spend the morning with us at the park, eat lunch at Sweet Basil's, then take a scenic Moore County drive to the Historic Bryant House.

Sunday, April 18, 4-6PM Join some of the musicians from the April Fools at the Acoustic Music Circle, at McDonalds Chapel Presbyterian Church on Foxfire Rd., 2 miles from Linden Rd. and 1 mile from Hoffman Rd. Musicians and listeners welcome. Refreshments served.

If you would like to be removed from the April Fools Old-Time String Band email list please reply. Peace to you, Amy McDonald

Sat, Sun Events thru Moore County Historical Assoc.

2010-04-15T18:30:00.000-05:00

SATURDAY

Clenny Creek Festival
Saturday, April 17, 2010 • 11:00 am to 4:00 pm
3361 Mt. Carmel Road, Carthage, NC
No Admission Charge

The kids, mom and dad, granny and gramps, can all have fun at the fifth annual Clenny Creek Day at the historic Bryant House and McLendon Cabin.
There will be vendors with crafts, plants and other gifts for sale, music, homemade food, free tours of the homes plus historic reenactments. Visitors can wander around in the fresh spring weather while listening to authentic Bluegrass music.
There will be other fun events, including antique restored tractors and vintage cars from the 1930s to the 1950s to look at, plus historic interpretations from the Revolutionary War and Civil War era. Plus a great raffle with many items to win that will benefit the preservation of the houses.

For more information about the event, please visit moorehistory.com. To see photos of last year's event visit our Facebook photo album.

The Bryant House and the McLendon Cabin are located at 3361 Mount Carmel Road near the Harris Crossroads west of Carthage, North Carolina. From the traffic circle at Pinehurst, North Carolina, take US 15-501 north toward Carthage. Drive approximately 3.4 miles and turn left, onto NC 73 West. Drive approximately 3.5 miles and turn right onto Beulah Hill Church Road. The houses are approximately 5.6 miles on the right near the bottom of the hill. Please note, Beulah Hill Church Road changes names to Mount Carmel Road after the second crossroad (Harris Crossroad).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SUNDAY

History of the Furniture Industry in North Carolina,
1700 to the Present, Program by Dr. Kenneth Zogry
Sunday, April 18, 2010 • 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm
First Baptist Church, 200 E. New York Avenue, Southern Pines, NC
No Admission Charge

For much of the second half of the twentieth century, High Point earned the title of “Furniture Capital of the World.” But the furniture industry in the state is actually more than 300 years old, and this illustrated presentation follows that history from the early eighteenth century to the present.
This program presents a fascinating array of diverse styles and traditions, from early hand-made pieces by English and Scots-Irish cabinetmakers along the coastal plains and eastern piedmont, to the Germanic influences found in the western piedmont; and from the rural folk traditions of the mountains and foothills to modern manufacturing in towns such as Hickory, Thomasville, and High Point.
The work of several prominent makers is also presented, including Thomas Day, the free African American furniture maker and entrepreneur who built a successful business in the late antebellum era.
For more information about the event and Kenneth Zogry, please visit moorehistory.com.
The First Baptist Church in Southern Pines is located on East New York Avenue between May Street and Ashe Street.

N.C. pollen reaches a record :: WRAL.com

2010-04-07T20:54:00.000-05:00

N.C. pollen reaches a record :: WRAL.com

Zinn Wisdom

2010-04-05T20:03:00.000-05:00

"To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness. What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places (and there are so many) where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction. And if we do act, in however small a way, we don't have to wait for some grand utopian future. The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory."
-Howard Zinn, patriot, historian, and author

Article About Raven's Wing and Farm Up the Street

2010-04-04T18:52:00.000-05:00

http://voiceofmoorecounty.com/2010/03/31/like-mother-like-daughter/

Another Do-It-Yourselfer, Apr 22, Chatham Co

2010-04-04T05:21:00.000-05:00

Moncure poet and free-lance writer Judy Hogan will speak to the Friends of the Pittsboro Memorial Library on Thursday, April 22, at 7:30 P.M., at the Chatham County Council on Aging. "My Life and Economics as an Aging Poet-Farmer" will reveal how she has lived by relying more on the gift economy than on the market economy. Her passion to write led to valuing time more than money. In the desperate circumstances that inevitably arose, she became Sartre’s "genius," inventing solutions. In 1998 she began farming to grow her food and stay healthy.

Her solutions to life’s problems may seem outrageous, insane, and definitely high risk, but she enjoys good health, writes regularly, and keeps active and happy. She will read excerpts from her recently completed Pushkin and Chickens: The Story of My Farm.
Judy won the Indy Arts Award to Carolina Wren Press in 2008 for finding new voices. She writes regularly for Chatham County Line, and has published five books of poetry, two non-fiction. She helped found The North Carolina Writers Network and served as its first Chair (1984-87). She was Chair of the national small press association (COSMEP) 1975-78. In 2004 she served as Secretary and Volunteer Coordinator for the Chatham Coalition. She teaches Creative Writing at CCCC. Web: http://judyhogan.home.mindspring.com

Who Are the Major Polluters?

2010-04-03T07:51:00.000-06:00

http://www.peri.umass.edu/toxic_index/

Tonight, Apr 2 at Raven's Wing, 7:00

2010-04-02T05:38:00.000-06:00

No Impact Man: The Documentary
(2009) NR
A Fifth Avenue family goes very green when writer Colin Beavan leads his wife, Michelle Conlin, and their baby daughter on a yearlong crusade to make no net impact on the environment in this engaging documentary. Among their activities: eating only locally grown organic food, generating no trash except for compost and using no carbon-fueled transportation.
Laura Gabbert and Justin Schein's film premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.
Raven's Wing, 325 N Page St. Sou. Pines

Don't Miss These!

2010-03-27T06:35:00.000-06:00

Greeting the Train with the Sounds of Southern Pines Memory

Saturday, March 27, 2010 • 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Southern Pines Train Depot, 235 NW Broad St., Southern Pines, NC
No Admission Charge

Directed and produced by historian Ray Owen, the program is based on two historical greetings that helped found Southern Pines. In the years of settlement, an African-American choir known as the Singing Society greeted incoming trains, and the letters of town founder John T. Patrick tell of meetings between potential northern settlers and representatives from local Scottish families, arranged in an effort to demonstrate that the native Southerners were kind and hospitable. These two groups--African-American and Scottish-American--were pillars of local society, and with their blessing Southern Pines was settled. The presentation is intended to bear witness to the power of our culture, with roots reaching back for generations.
This event is co-sponsored by the Moore County Historical Association and the Town of Southern Pines in conjunction with the Arts Council of Moore County, the Clan MacKenzie Society in the Americas, Frank Pierce/A Southern Studio, Perry Davis/Davis Video Productions, Sandhills Farm to Table Cooperative, Scottish Heritage USA, Sept of Blue Clan MacMillian, The Southern Pines Welcome Center, and Sunrise Theater.
Current participants include:
Ray Owen- introductory remarks
Dr. Douglas Kelly, Professor of Systematic Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary, Charlotte, NC, and President of Scottish Heritage USA - leading the Lord's Prayer in Gaelic
Dr. Mary Wayne Watson, Humanities Instructor at Nash Community College, Rocky Mount, NC
Bethesda Presbyterian Church Choir - singing hymns in Gaelic
The Together-N-Unity Choir - singing traditional gospel hymns
The St. Andrews Presbyterian College Pipe Band - 3 members providing a bagpipes chorus & drum
Sept of Blue Clan MacMillian & the Clan MacKenzie Society in the Americas - tartan clad and flag waving
[and check out Farm2Table on the green beside Sunrise Theatre]
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Larry McNeely & Friends in Concert
Saturday, March 27, 2010 • 1:30 to 2:30 pm
Old Bethesda Church, 1020 Bethesda Rd., Aberdeen, NC
Admission $12 per person • Tickets can be purchased at the event
A concert featuring musician Larry McNeely and his band. Larry McNeely is an American five-string banjo player known for his collaboration with Glen Campbell and for recording several soundtracks for different motion pictures. McNeely began playing the banjo in 1961. In the following years, he absorbed both Don Reno's style and the Keith style. He moved to La Folette, Tennessee in 1965 to join the Pinnacle Mountain Boys and soon afterwards, he became a member of "Roy Acuff and his Smokey Mountain Boys". In 1969, he joined the Glen Campbell Show as a replacement for John Hartford. About five years later, he was working with Burl Ives and later with Smothers Brothers. He formed the "Larry McNeely Trio" in 1975. In the fall of the 1970s, McNeely began his career as a studio session player for movie soundtracks. Over the years he's been working with artists such as, Mac Davis, Eddie Kendricks, Percy Faith and Barbara Mandrell. He became a member of "Southern Manor", a progressive bluegrass band in 1984. Within a year he was back, working with Roy Acuff. Larry McNeely lives in Moore County and is married Beth Harris McNeely, who is a Bryant family descendent (the Bryant House). His concert will benefit the Bryant House and McLendon Cabin.
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Craig & Patrick Fuller in Concert
Saturday, March 27, 2010 • 3:30 to 4:30 pm
Old Bethesda Church, 1020 Bethesda Rd., Aberdeen, NC
Admission $12 per person • Tickets can be purchased at the event
Craig Fuller is a founding member of the pioneering Country Rock band, Pure Prairie League. While with PPL, he wrote and sang the band’s most noteworthy song, “Amie” and was the major songwriter on the band’s first two, most highly acclaimed albums. From 1996 to 1997 he recorded two records for United Artists with the band, American Flyer, the first of which was produced by famed Beatles Producer Sir George Martin. In 1978 he recorded the album, “Fuller Kaz” with Eric Kaz . As a member of Little Feat, he was a major writer on Let It Roll; the band’s grammy nominated 1989 album, Representing The Mombo (1991), and Shake Me Up”, (1993). From 1999-2001 Fuller lived in Nashville and wrote for Big Yellow Dog publishing. A father of four, he currently divides his time between Pinehurst, North Carolina and Nashville while performing 25-30 shows a year mostly with PPL but also a Solo act and a guest with Little Feat.
Patrick Fuller is the son of singer songwriter Craig Fuller and Dr. Victoria DeVito, who currently holds an assistant professorship at Vanderbilt University. Patrick has been performing since he was 17 years old and has been writing his own songs almost for as long. Born in Vancouver WA, he has moved around a lot in his early years and has experienced more American culture than most adults twice his age. He has been inflluenced by a wide variety of music and draws on those influences in each of his compositions. Patrick has lived in Pinehurst since 2001 and is currently a sophomore at UNC Chapel Hill.
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Tift Merritt in Concert
Saturday, March 27, 2010 • 8:00 to 10:00 pm
R.E. Lee Auditorium at Pinecrest High School, Southern Pines, NC
Admission $25 per person • Tickets can be purchased at the event
Tift Merritt is a Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter and recording artist whose music defies categorization. Her uniquely satisfying stew of rock and roll, soul, folk and country has record stores scratching their heads and audiences dancing in the aisles and telling their friends. Born in Houston, her family moved to Raleigh, North Carolina, where Tift grew up. She has released two studio albums—Bramble Rose (2002) and Tambourine (2004); and her third studio album, Another Country, was released in 2008. This event is presented by the Arts Council of Moore County and the Moore County Historical Association and made possible by Merritt's friend and MCHA Board Member, Nancy Blount.
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Oldest Living Confederate Widow: Her Confession
Sunday, March 28, 2010 • 3:30 to 5:00 pm
Old Bethesda Church, 1020 Bethesda Rd., Aberdeen, NC
Admission $15 per person • Tickets can be purchased in advance at the Shaw House
A gritty one-woman play starring Jane Holding, adapted for the stage by Holding and Allan Gurganus from his best selling novel "The Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All." A remarkable woman reveals her secrets one by one, in this harrowing and hilarious comedy about wars, both Civil and domestic. The story focuses on Lucy who marries a Civil War veteran. Though the war is long since finished, Lucy's husband remains haunted by it until the end of his life. Produced by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc. New York City.

Natural Areas Should Be Preserved

2010-03-23T05:55:00.000-06:00

Windows Live Hotmail: "Long-time friend and supporter of the Conservation Council, Pearson H. Stewart, died on March 14. Pearson was one of the State's original urban planners; he was the executive director of the Research Triangle Park and Assistant Secretary for Planning for the NC Department of Transportation, and instrumental in getting the Triangle J Council of Government started. Pearson was a firm believer that natural areas should be preserved and in became one of the founders of the Triangle Land Conservancy. His legacy will live on."

April Fools tonight, Wine Cellar, 7

2010-03-20T15:03:00.000-06:00

The April Fools are playing at the Wine Cellar tonight, 7PM. Come celebrate the first night of Spring!!!

The Fools won first place as a band at High Falls Fiddler's Convention last week so they should be red hot and raring to go. Note, the April Fools are especially good role models for children and/or adults who need guidance in the ways of the world.

[AND the Fools are playing April 17, opening day of Farmers' Market, downtown Sou. Pines!]

Farmers Speak Up

2010-03-17T18:47:00.004-06:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1axAqJGEXI

Important Site

2010-03-17T18:43:00.000-06:00

http://www.panna.org/

Palustris Events via SCC

2010-03-17T05:15:00.000-06:00

The Inaugural Palustris Festival

Sandhills Community College Palustris Event Line-Up 2010
Thursday, March 25 through Sunday, March 28 2010
Many Events are Free to the Public,
Maximum Event Ticket Price $25.00
For more information and to buy tickets online for the events (including events held at SCC) go to www.palustrisfestival.com
Information about SCC Palustris Events is also available by calling SCC Fine Arts Professor Denise Baker at (910) 695-3879.

SCC Palustris Events:
Lecture: Southern Culture: What We Learn from the Food We Eat
Professor Ray Linville
Thursday, March 25 - 12:30 pm - 1:20 pm
SCC Campus, Clement Dining Room (upstairs), Dempsey Student Center
Children (12+) welcome.
Cost: Free
Ray Linville, Sandhills Community College's associate professor of English & Humanities, will explore food ways of the South that make it a region distinct from other areas of the U.S. Learn about the historical, political, socioeconomics and other cultural connections of our cuisine--from okra and grits to sweet potato casserole and pecan pie. How is culture indentified in the eating habits and food choices of the South?

Lecture: Southern Pines: The History of Moore County Early Settlers
Ray Owen, Historian
Thursday, March 25 - 1:30 pm - 2:20 pm
SCC Campus, Clement Dining Room (upstairs), Dempsey Student Center
Cost: Free
The SCC Palustris experience settles in for an analysis of the early residents of Moore County, a session sure to shake a few limbs on the family tree of some participants. Come and find out more about the heritage of Moore County with historian Ray Owen.

Pottery Talk & Demo with the Seagrove Area Potters Association
Will McCanless
Thursday, March 25 - 2:30 pm - 3:20 pm
SCC Campus, Clement Dining Room (upstairs), Dempsey Student Center
Cost: Free
Will McCanless of McCanless Pottery and representative from the Seagrove Area Potters Association (SAPA) will share the uniqueness of Seagrove area pottery with examples and demonstrations.

Art Exhibit at SCC's Hastings Gallery: What We Love About Where We Live
Photographs from Across the Atlantic
Professor Denise Baker
Thursday, March 25 - 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
SCC Campus, Hastings Art Gallery, Boyd Library
Cost: Free
Children are Welcome.
This international photography exhibit will showcase the new Sister City commitment between Southern Pines/Moore County and Newry/County Down in Northern Ireland. The exhibit will include photos by members of the Sandhills Photography Club and the Warrenpoint Photography Club. Refreshments and music will be provided.

Southern Culture Dinner in the Pines
SCC Culinary Department
Thursday, March 25 - 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
SCC Campus, Little Hall, Russell Dining Room
Cost: $25.00
Reservations Required - Please call Lavada Alsbrook at 695-3796 or tickets may be purchased from the Palustris website.
Just when you think your hunger for Southern culture has been met, the SCC Culinary Program spoons up its own version of "closing time" with its Southern Culture Dinner in the Pines. Yum! Enjoy a authentic Southern buffet prepared by the SCC Culinary Technology program. Food will focus on local foods, cuisine and culture. We will feature a slow cooked hog from Cane Creek Farm in Siler City, Beans, Hush Puppies, Slaw, Southern sweet rolls, pies, tea and much more, including a live band. We hold a pig pickin once a semester and they are always immensely popular. You can sit in our comfortable dining room, out on the front patio under the umbrellas, or you can take a box or two home with you to share with your family.

PineStraws Writers in the Garden
James Dodson, Steve Bouser, and special guest Emily Harrison Wilson
As well as PineStraw Contributors: Stephen Smith, Deborah Soloman, Megan Shore and Ashley Wahl
Friday, March 26 - 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
SCC Campus, Ball Visitors Center, SCC Horticulture Gardens
Cost: Free
Children are Welcome.
In the tranquil setting of the Sandhills Community College Gardens, PineStraw Magazine presents "Writers in the Garden," featuring James Dodson, Steve Bouser, and special guest Emily Herring Wilson reading from new works, plus selected readings by PineStraw Contributors, Stephen Smith, Deborah Soloman, Megan Shore and Ashley Wahl.

SCC Gardens Guided Tour
Sandhills Horticultural Society
Friday, March 26 - 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
SCC Campus, Ball Visitors Center, SCC Horticulture Gardens
Cost: Free, but donations are welcome
Children are Welcome
Please direct questions to Tricia Mabe, 695-3882
The Sandhills Horticultural Society will lead tours of the 32-acre garden on the campus of Sandhills Community College. This garden includes a diverse variety of plants and garden styles, from a formal English garden to a Japanese garden. Tours will be guided on the hour.

Lecture: Southern Literature: The Southern Literary Renaissance
Professor Larry Allen
Friday, March 26 - 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
SCC Campus, Clement Dining Room (upstairs), Dempsey Student Center
Cost: Free
The Southeast region's literary renaissance is the focus of this session designed as a patchwork of prose and poetry from our beloved South. Larry Allen, Sandhills Community College's Department Chair and language professor, will examine the explosion of literary activity that emerged from the South following WWI.
Lecture: Southern Films: Southern Character & Caricature in Films
Professor Ron Layne, SCC Dean of Instruction
Friday, March 26 - 2:00 pm - 2:50 pm
SCC Campus, Clement Dining Room (upstairs), Dempsey Student Center
Cost: Free
SCC takes a visual romp through American cinema in search of the best and worst depictions of the Southern Belle and Beau, the Snopes and the Stellas, the hucksters and the hardworking sharecroppers that Hollywood has used to define the Southern Spirit. Ron Layne, SCC's Dean of Instruction and language professor, will explore the depiction of Southerners in film. Lecture will include a series of film clips with interspersed commentary.

We hope to see you on campus enjoying our wonderful line-up of SCC Events for the Inaugural Palustris Festival!

Thank you!
Denise Baker
Professor, Fine Arts
Sandhills Community College
bakerd@sandhills.edu
(910) 695-387