February 8, 2011
Issue No. 27
feb email header

Biodiesel Intensive Workshop + Summit, Pecha Kucha tomorrow, Chatham County Schools Chef Challenge, NYC 1/2 Marathon and more!

Dear Abundant People,

We are in the full swing of planning the Biodiesel Intensive workshop, the Sustainable Biodiesel Summit, our Workshop series is starting to fill up and we are expanding Children's Tours to include a camp this year.  Sustainability is evolving nicely and quickly!  Check out a few new things like our Chatham County Schools Chef Challenge...an innovative way to get kids to eat their veggies!  Also, the infamous Mardi Gras, a St. Patrick's Day Parade and a 5K Earth Day event that includes local food, community garden and some fun education.  Thanks for reading!

Biodiesel Intensive with Sustainable Biodiesel Summit-march 2-4 & 5th.
summit
Piedmont Biofuels unveils first in the nation enzymatic processing today at the National Biodiesel Conference.  For the article, click here.

Enzymatic processing will be covered in the Biodiesel Intensive Workshop and SBS coming up:
This year, we are coupling the Biodiesel Intensive with the Sustainable Biodiesel Summit and finishing with a bang by including tickets to the Mardi Gras Carnival!

Highlights of the Saturday, March 5th Summit include: 
three Great Projects:  Matt Steiman on the Dickinson College Plant, Eric Henry on Burlington Biodiesel Cooperative, and Rob Del Beuno on Southern Green Industries.  For the full schedule and registration, click here.  Early bird pricing is available until February 26.

The Biodiesel Intensive will be held March 2, 3 and 4th leading into the Summit.  The full schedule is hereEarly bird pricing goes until February 22nd!  From humble beginnings as a biodiesel co-op to commercial biodiesel production, Piedmont Biofuels has first hand experience with all scales of sustainable biodiesel production. They are the smallest BQ9000 certified producer in the world recognized nationally as fuel quality experts and internationally for their biodiesel education programs. Come experience life in a local economy and spend a few days learning about production, plant design, methanol recovery and glycerin markets, fuel quality testing, regulatory and safety, and the fundamentals of the biodiesel business. This year Piedmont is adding a session on its breakthrough enzymatic biodiesel production.  For more information or to register, click here.
Chatham County Schools Chef Challenge
moncure school
Chef Colin and Chef Jimmy with Moncure School lunch ladies
So, what happens when you take a posh chef, give them basic ingredients, limit sugar, salt and fat and ask him to cook for some of the pickiest eaters around....your kids?!!!

We are thrilled to be working with the Chatham County School System (17 schools, 8000 kids), Briar Chapel, Colin from Fearrington House, Jimmy from Crossroads @ Carolina Inn and Steve from the Natural Chef Culinary Program @ CCCC.  In April, we will be pulling off a pretty large feat!  Each Chef will be creating a menu using the school's ingredients, USDA guidelines, school equipment and also working with the lunch ladies so that they can create this.  From there, over three days, the new creations will be served to the children.  They get to vote on their favorite.  The following week, we'll invite local celebrities to make their favorite choice for the grand winner.  For more information and to keep posted, click here.  To read Superintendent Logan's perspective, click here.  Briar Chapel's blog is here.

 

Coming Up...5K Earth Day Run & St. Patrick's Parade
5 k runSave the date for our annual Briar Chapel 5K benefit and Earth Day celebration.  April 16th will start with a 9.00am 5K run...nice and challenging on the beautiful USTF certified course.  We'll have kids activities, local food and beers, gardening talks and a reading by local author, Jonathan Bloom from American Wasteland.  Will be a fantastic day. To register to run, click here.  More information and schedule to come. 

Also, we are joining forces with Larry's Beans for the Raleigh St. Patrick's Day Parade.  The theme of course is "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle".  If you'd like to join us for drumming, dancing, parading, email us!  It's Saturday, March 12 @ noon in Raleigh.  And of course, wear green!
Our goal is to bring sustainability to central North Carolina quickly, innovatively and while enjoying the journey.

blue skies and an early spring,


Tamela Schwerin
The Abundance Foundation
In This Issue
Biodiesel Intensive
Chatham County Schools Chef Challenge
Earth Day 5K & St. Patties Parade

Pecha Kucha  Pittsboro

February 9th!


pecha kucha pittsboro

  

We are all gathering for our first Pecha Kucha of the new year at Carolina Brewery in Pittsboro.  We have an incredible line up of PK Presenters & Topics:

Public Art

Are We Hippie?

Plasma Arc Gasification

Mayberry Modernism

Local Tarot Part 2.

Inflation

The Golden Ratio

Building Hope in an Era of Melting Glaciers

Hope to see ya there!!   

 

  

  Mardi Gras 
Carnival 2011

March 5th, 7.00pm!


mardi gras

Join us for a night of adventure with tarot card readers, jugglers, aerial dancers, W.I.N.G.S and the music of Durham's Hobex and the Atomic Rythm Allstars.  You do not want to miss this one!  For early tickets, click here. 

  

Proceeds go to 3 different non-profits:

  The Abundance Foundation 

Childcare Networks 

and  

Triangle Land Conservancy 

Un Grand Merci to our Supporters:
Chatham Marketplace
Chatham Mills 

Weaver Street Realty 

Piedmont Biofuels
Joy of Movement Dance Studio 

Pabst Blue Ribbon

The 3 Kings Mardi Gras Float
Hobbs Architects
Skip & Lisa London  

Starlight Mead 


DIY Workshop Series:
kim calhoun
Kim Calhoun educates on how to make your own medicine!

 2011 is going to be the best year for educating ourselves on how to be more empowered around topics of energy, local food, well-being and sustainability.  To register or be put on a waiting list see below:

March 12th-Vermicomposting with Ben Reckendorf of Carolina Wormcastings:  email us to be put on the waiting list.

March 26th-Make your Own Medicine: creating an herbal home apothecary with Kim Calhoun.  Register here.  

April 2nd-Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants with Alan Russo.  Register here. 

April 16th-Building small off-grid solar electric systems with Rebekah Hren.  Register here.

April 30th-Canning 101 with Rachel Hoff.  Register here.  

May 7th-Sustainable Beekeeping with Catherine Adamson.  Email us to be put on the waiting list. 

New York City 1/2 Marathon Fundraiser for Abundance!!
Jess
It's cold in NYC...but that doesn't stop Jessalyn!

Wow...we are so lucky to have people even in NYC supporting the work at Abundance.  Jessalyn Estill (ok, yes, she is my lovely step-daughter) is running a 1/2 marathon for the cause!    Sustainability is in her heart...she is passionate about the topic and works with Green Team, a NYC agency that focuses on the Awakening Consumer...  

To check out her page, and help her get to her goal of $1500, click here.  GO JESS!!!