April 17, 2013
Issue No. 73
header april 17
The Abundance Foundation's 
Earth Day 5K, Chef Challenge, Aquaponics, Fungi, Wild Herb Pesto Workshop, Financing Our Foodshed, Hemp Documentary + more! 
Dear Abundant Ones, 

This spring is in full swing; gardens are growing, fruit trees are shooting out baby leaves, and windshield wipers are necessary for pollen removal. 

Due to popular demand, we have ANOTHER aquaponics workshop coming up, as well as a double-header of Fungi 101 workshops so you can learn all about GROWING YOUR OWN!  Kim Calhoun is putting on wild edibles and there is a free solar workshop at Pickards Mountain!  Read on!

Thank you, Woods Charter Envirothon! The Chew + Swallow 
film festival was enlightening and all 
proceeds went to Abundance! Thank you for organizing a great event. Y'all rock!

Huge thanks to Top of the Hill for an amazing Bootleggers Banquet that is sure to be an annual tradition.  Full photo journalism is on our facebook page!   

Chef Challenge is this week from April 15-19, followed swiftly by the Briar Chapel Earth Day 5k this SATURDAY April 20th! 

blankets of pollen and fuzzy fig leaves,

Tami, Jenny, Mary & Beth 
The Abundance Foundation 
5k logo 2013
April 20th, 2013 @ 9:30 AM
*NEW USATF COURSE*
At the 5k: Live DJ + TS Designs T-shirt
5kshirt2013  
5k After Party:
Live music | Vintage Hwy
 Food | Parlez-Vous Cr�pe, The Parlour,
 Great American Meltdown
Beer | Carolina Brewery
 Yard Games
|Corn hole, bocci ball, horseshoes  
 Fun|Plant seedlings to take home +
high-gravity beer tasting with Carolina Brewery
Kids' Activities| Scrap Exchange & Morehead Planetarium 
bc
Special thanks to our Sponsors:
Briar Chapel
David Weekly Homes
Bradshaw & Robinson, LLP
CE Group
Kimley-Horn
Lynn Hayes Properties

Great Outdoor Provision of Chapel Hill
Fleet Feet Carrboro
Whole Foods Chapel Hill
Duke Center for Living
 O2 Fitness
All proceeds go to 
The Abundance Foundation
Our very own Carol Hewitt published Financing Our Foodshed....
Carol's New Book
short video about whether we should open the box of books or not...
We are so proud of Carol and the work she has done with Slow Money NC.  She writes about the stories of Slow Money NC and how this project took off in North Carolina after meeting Woody Tasch.  Over $600,000 local dollars invested later....she comes out with a book and she keeps on going!

Stories of passionate individuals working on local food and sustainable agriculture and each loan makes the local economy that much stronger.

To purchase a signed copy from Abundance, click here!
 
Chatham County Chef Challenge
chef challenge 2013
Studies show that kids learn better if they are eating fresh, from-scratch meals. Healthy meals comprised of whole, unprocessed ingredients also help kids avoid obesity, stay active and greatly reduce the risks of becoming diabetic or attaining many other preventable diseases plaguing American children today.

We believe that the lunch staff have an incredible role and responsibility to help serve our children the healthiest meals possible and we want to help provide them all the tools and experience needed to get there. 
 
Chef Challenge Week is this week! Chatham County cafeteria staff will be using seasonal and local ingredients on lunch menus of all 17 Chatham County Schools.

Monday, April 15th - Local Sweet Potatoes
Tuesday, April 16th - Local Tomatoes
Thursday, April 18th - Local Apples
Sustainability Tours 
@ The Plant
solar double
The Abundance Foundation offers Sustainability Tours at The Plant (220 Lorax Ln, Pittsboro) covering topics on renewable energy and sustainable food systems including:

Biofuels
Solar Double-Cropping
Aquaponics
Sustainable Agriculture
Medicinal Herbs
and MORE!
 
Piedmont Biofuels and Piedmont Biofarm are our amazing partners for Sustainability Tours.

Perfect for school groups, scout groups, clubs, classes, meet-ups, and more!
Book your tour here: 

 

Wild & Scenic Film Festival
April 25th @ Varsity Theatre
wild and scenic

Join us April 25th at 6pm for an evening of
wild and scenic
 thought provoking environmental shorts, 15 films shown at the Varsity in downtown Chapel Hill.
 
Benefit for Spoke'n Revolutions, a WONDERFUL youth organization doing amazing work. 
 
Tickets can be purchased @ The Abundance office, Townsend Bertram in Carrboro or online:
http://trianglewildandscenic.brownpapertickets.com/
The Abundance Foundation 
220 Lorax Lane #5 Pittsboro, NC 27312
Call us: 919-533-5181
 
The Abundance Foundation is a non-profit working to educate and empower the Piedmont about sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, and local economy through hands-on workshops, 
community-building events and by actively engaging youth.
 
 
abundance logo
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
View our videos on YouTube 
Become a member 
of the 
Abundance Family!
sustainers
 it's easy,
click here

workshopi

A big *Thank You* to our workshop sponsor:

Larry's Beans 


aquaponics drawing banner
May 4th, 9am-2pm
To register, click here.

In an age of rising populations and diminishing oil reserves, how are we going to feed ourselves? Aquaponics, a self contained, sustainable system for growing fish and veggies is one answer! These backyard food systems are one easy way to grow some of your own food.

Join Mike Yablonski and Rachel Tinker-Kulberg for an introduction into the world of aquaponics. During this hands-on workshop, Mike and Rachel will show you how to build your own backyard system. Just add plants, fish and water and you will be taking another step down the path to self reliance!


fungi drawing header
We've got two mushroom growing workshops coming up!  
Join the amazing Tim Keim!
 
mushroom log drawing
&
Learn all about how amazing mushrooms are, and then inoculate your own log with Shiitake mushroom spores to take home! 
 

wild herb pesto drawing banner
With Kim Calhoun Tuesday, May 14 6pm-8pm
 

Learn how to make friends and food with the weeds in your home "yarden" as we meet and eat some of the abundant wild edibles of the NC Piedmont.wild herb pesto hand drawing

 

In this enchanting and empowering evening plant walk, we'll celebrate the full bloom of spring as we wander the fields and woods edge around the

Abundance Foundation in search of common weeds to create delicious wild greens pesto together.  To register, click here. 


"Celebrating the Wild Plants and People 

of the Carolina Piedmont"

  Join us for the next one on May 12th, 1-4 PM 

wild market may 12  

The Wild Food + Herb Market e-newsletter will be sent out monthly featuring vendor spotlights, market updates, original wild food recipes, and local workshops, classes, and events to learn more about wild foods, native plants, herbalism and more! 
Subscribe to the e-newsletter!
email: [email protected]  
Visit our Facebook page for ongoing updates

 

Information on becoming a sponsor of the US's first ever Wild Food + Herb Market may also be found at http://theabundancefoundation.org/wild-food-herb-market.

pecha kucha june 2013

 
Free Community Solar Workshop @ Pickards Mountain-April 27, 10am-1pm
solar farm
Learn about the Community Solar model with Giles Blunden, a pioneer in solar energy and low-impact communities.  Two community solar projects were launched in Carrboro last year: 3.6 kilowatts at the Arcadia cohousing community and 5 kW at the Carrboro Farmers Market.  Another will be installed this year at Pickards Mountain: 35 kW on the south-facing barn roof.  You can join this project or start one at your favorite nonprofit.  Meet the people behind the Arcadia and Farmers Market projects. Tour Pickards' existing 100 kW photovoltaic system. Hear an update on the state of solar technology and financing, and learn how you can join the community solar movement. 

To register, click here!   

BRINGING IT HOME a new hemp documentary coming Spring 2013
BRINGING IT HOME a new hemp documentary coming Spring 2013

Bringing It Home Documentary; a documentary about Industrial Hemp, healthy houses and a greener America by
Linda Booker &  
Blaire Johnson

May 17, 7.00pm-10.00pm
@ The Plant 220 Lorax Lane Pittsboro
Music by Circle City, cash bar, Hemp appetizers before the 1 hour screening.

The fun will begin on the
Green Carpet
with the hemparazzi and you're encouraged to wear your hemp garments and accessories!   
Q&A with the filmmakers Linda Booker and Blaire Johnson. Advance tickets are $15 and $20 at the door.

More info or tickets, click here!
Save the date!
 
6th Annual 
Pittsboro Pepper Festival!
October 6th 2013

by The News & Observer's 
Andrea Weigl
 
Weeding Party!
@ The Abundance Foundation's Healing Herb Garden
Tuesday April 30th @ 2 PM
 
Come help us bring the herb garden back to life! Bring water, sunscreen/hat and gloves if you'd like!
The lovely folks at TABLE are looking for art & craft vendors for their April 20th event! Get in touch with them for an application today!

table
Proceeds go torwards emergency food aid for hungry Carrboro and Chapel Hill Children.
More info:
https://www.facebook.com/TABLENC