Greetings!

 

Welcome to the first edition of the ACORN newsletter!

 

It's hard to believe but ACORN is now five years old!  We've come a long way.

 

In the first year following our founding in 2005, the ACORN Network organized monthly public meetings, and hosted speakers, films and videos to educate the community about the need for relocalization. We were very public and visible.

 

From 2006-2009, ACORN got down to work and dedicated its efforts to developing local food and energy projects. The focus turned inward. In 2009, the energy committee spun-off from the Network and established itself as a business, the ACORN Renewable Energy Co-op , to provide local heating options and weatherization services. Last year the food committee also collaborated with the Addison County Localvores to promote eating locally and co-sponsored the first local food summit in March and the regional Farm-to-Plate meeting in December.

 

The time has now come for us to go back out into our community and reconnect with you. The Network re-organized itself as a 501(c)(3) non-profit in 2009 with the intention of becoming a membership organization directly

sustained by the support of our community. 

 

Although we've sent out many press releases and numerous email notices of our activities and events over the years, we've never had an official newsletter-until now. We think it's about time we did.  This newsletter will be published periodically. 

 

In our next issue, we'll explore the mission of ACORN and how the Network evolves.

 

In the meantime, we welcome your comments and contributions! Please send them to info@acornvt.org.

 

Thank you!

Sincerely,

 
Jonathan Corcoran
President, ACORN Network

 

 

The ACORN Network will present Chris Martenson's "Crash Course" on three Tuesday nights: March 30, April 6 and April 13. The meetings will be held at 7:00 P.M. at the Addison County Regional Planning Commission's conference room (14 Seminary St. in Middlebury ).

 

The Crash Course looks at several areas that are important to our current situation: economy, energy and environment. Martenson has spent several years compiling this information and creating an informative and compelling  presentation that has been viewed by thousands of people all around the world.  We will watch a high-definition DVD followed by a short discussion period.

The Course is in three sections. On March 30 we'll watch "Foundational Information and Money"; on April 6, "Economy;" and on April 13, "Energy, Environment and Integration."

 

This analysis has led Chris to three beliefs: 1. that the next decade or two will be very different from the last several decades; 2. that it's possible that the pace and/or scope of change could overwhelm the ability of our key social and support institutions to adapt; and 3. that we do not lack any technology or understanding necessary to build ourselves a better future. Rather, we only lack the political will, which really is a reflection of the fact that "We the People" have not yet raised our voices in unison for real, substantive change.

 

Ron Slabaugh participated in a weekend workshop with the Martensons and will facilitate the discussion. The Crash Course is available free on the Internet; however, ACORN suggests that there is considerable value in watching it with our neighbors and sharing our reactions.

 

The first annual meeting of the Addison County Relocalization Network (ACORN) will take place on Tuesday, March 16 at the Addison County Regional Planning Commission, 14 Seminary Street in Middlebury. The gathering, which will be held in the public meeting room at the rear of the ACRPC.

 

The meeting will feature a report on the ACORN Network's most recent activities, including a report by Network interim president Jonathan Corcoran, financial report by interim treasurer Rich Carpenter, approval of the budget for 2010, election of the board by members, brief reports by the ACORN Localvores as well as the Acorn Energy Co-op, and a demonstration of the new ACORN Network Website by Greg Smela.

 

But most of all, the annual meeting will provide an opportunity for all participants to get to know each other better and to share suggestions and ideas about the Network as we move forward. Refreshments will be provided. Come join us for an exciting evening.

 

Membership in ACORN shows that you are interested in supporting the projects being developed to further Addison County in these transition times. Whether your interest is Local Food, Local Energy, Local Economy or Local Culture, or if you have an idea for a project yet to be developed, we invite you to join us!

 

Best of all, membership is free and open to anyone who supports the organization's goals. To become a member simply download a membership application from our website at: www.acornvt.org/membership, print it, fill it out and mail it to the address provided.

 

When doing so please take a moment and tell us what projects you would like to be involved in    Your ideas and input are very much needed.
 

While you're at it, please consider making a financial donation to ACORN. As a totally volunteer, member-driven organization we are looking for direct financial support from the community we serve to sustain our work. The membership form explains how easy it is to make a donation - in any amount - to support what we do. (As a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization your donation may be tax deductible. Please consult your tax advisor for details.)

 

For more information or if you have any questions about membership, please visit the ACORN website at www.acornvt.org, email us at: info@acornvt.org or call us at 802-382-0401.
 

 

 

ACORN will be exhibiting at the Addison County Green Energy Expo on Saturday, March 13th, at Middlebury Union High School from 9 am to 4 pm. Several of our Board members will be presenting at the event, as well.

 

The event brings together local energy experts, farmers, agricultural students, homeowners, and businesses for a day of local food, over 30 workshops, over 50 exhibits, demonstrations, and community. With the theme of "Building Sustainable Homes & Businesses", attendees will leave the event with ideas on how to reduce energy costs, become more efficient in their daily lives, build "green" affordably, weatherize their homes and more.

 

In addition, this year's Green Energy Expo, now in its third year, will have a greater focus on local food. A Farmers' Corner will fill the high school cafeteria with members of the Addison County Food Collaborative. There will also be demonstrations on cooking with local foods, and the opportunity to interact with Hannaford Career Center agricultural students - our future farmers.

 

The keynote speaker is Jim Merkel, Author of Radical Simplicity: Small Footprints on a Finite Earth and Director of the Global Living Project. He will talk about how you can integrate 'radical simplicity' into your lifestyle, to live a more equitable and just life. Admission is $5 per family, $2 for adults, and $1 for children.
 

 

 

Since 2007, Susan Smiley of New Haven has been working to develop a growers' directory for Addison County. When the ACORN website went live in 2008, the directory was included but it didn't get as much attention or use as we had hoped. So we explored the notion of a printed guide similar to ones we'd seen from other foodsheds around the state. ACORN members scoured the region for printing quotes, searched for interns and wrote grants, but nothing materialized.

 

In the fall of 2009, we approached Angelo Lynn, publisher of the Addison Independent, and proposed that ACORN co-produce a guide with his newspaper. He graciously agreed and so we set up a series of planning meetings for advertising, editing and distribution.  The 28-page Guide will include the growers' directory, articles, profiles and recipes and showcases the rich diversity and abundance of food and farming in Addison County.

 

The Guide is scheduled to be published on March 11, 2010 just before the Green Energy Expo in Middlebury. Eight thousand copies will be inserted in the Thursday paper and an additional 3,000 copies will be distributed throughout the balance of the year through supermarkets, garden centers and general and convenience stores.
The evolution of the Guide has been an extraordinary experience in community partnership. The project started with Bay Hammond, Kristin Bolton and Susan Smiley of the Addison County Localvores. It was joined by Angelo Lynn, Katie Flagg, Andrea Suozzo, Doreen Gilbert and Brian King at the Addison Independent. And then there were the contributions of Middlebury College students Lea Anne Calderon-Guthe and Corinne Almquist and community members Cindy Hill, Erin Buckwalter and Galen Helms.  Not to mention the 65 advertisers from our county businesses, associations and community organizations without whose generous support the Guide was just a great idea! Thank you all!

 

It takes a county to produce a guide!

 

 

On December 8th, 2009, ACORN helped host the Addison County Farm to Plate Summit, part of a statewide initiative to address the gaps in Vermont's food system. The summit brought together over 100 participants from all aspects of the food sector, including farmers, food service staff, chefs, distributors, retailers, and consumers.

 

Participants divided into groups to address five main topics:

     
Despite the different topics, many of the groups found themselves discussing similar challenges and solutions. Some of the major points that emerged from the summit included the need for better education of students, citizens, and policy makers, with an emphasis on incorporating an agricultural curriculum into schools. The potential for a centralized storage and vegetable/meat processing facility in the county was discussed at length, as well as the creation of an aggregator or a broker within the county who can help match farmers with retail and institutional buyers. Overall, the summit helped build connections among people working on critical food issues, and participants came away committed to continuing to build a viable and equitable local food economy here in Addison County.

 

As a next step, the Statewide Food Summit for the Farm to Plate Initiative will be held at the Rutland Middle School on April 10th.