Vineyard Conservation Almanac

LIVING LOCAL HARVEST FESTIVAL
Living Local Harvest Fest Promotes Island Self-Reliance

At any given time, it’s said, there’s only three days’ food supply on Martha’s Vineyard. And when we buy groceries, fossil fuels, and electricity from “away,” the money we spend goes off-Island instead of circulating within our local economy. How can we foster greater self-reliance, especially in food and energy production? How can we nurture our economy, environment, and community? Let’s find out, together, at the Living Local Harvest Fest, a free, collaboratively organized event focused on “Claiming our Island Future.”

Fri, Sept. 26, a community forum at 7:30 p.m, the Chilmark Community Center. On video, acclaimed author and visionary David Korten (video at right >) will talk about how the interlinked challenges of dwindling fossil fuel supplies, environmental degradation, and climate change cry out for a shift to local food production, local renewable energy, and conservation of endangered resources. A panel of Islanders Jim Athearn, Trip Barnes, Emily Lindsey, Tom Osmers, and Kate Warner, moderated by John Abrams, will then discuss applying these ideas to our distinctive Vineyard environment. Community dialogue will be encouraged both during the presentation, and over dessert afterwards. Sat, Sept. 27, the event is at the Agricultural Hall in West Tisbury. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., participants will be able to choose from a wide variety of activities, including creative hands-on workshops, discussions to promote community action, and exhibits by local organizations and vendors. Numerous kids’ activities and local food will be available. The West Tisbury Farmers’ Market will also be at the fairground for the day, along with the annual Antique Power Show. Sat, Sept. 27, The Harvest Fest celebration, 6 to 10 p.m. For the potluck dinner, community members are asked to bring a dish made with local ingredients to feed six, as well as their own non-disposable place settings to minimize waste. A number of exciting local performers will be on hand to offer home-grown music.

Living Local Harvest Fest is a collaborative event sponsored by The Vineyard Energy Project, Island Grown Initiative", Vineyard Conservation Society and the MV Agricultural Society.

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In This Issue:

Local News:
Hazardous Waste?......Not in My House! Water-Kind Cleaners for your Home

Feature:
Thriving Texas Is Slowed by Ike;
Plastics chemical linked to heart disease, diabetes

Calendar:
2008 FARM INSTITUTE-FALL PROGRAMS;
Nature Tours with The Trustees of Reservations;
The Big Oyster, History of the Half Shell;
more...

Save The Date:
Removal of an invasive species;
Fundamentals of Shellfish Farming: Practical Tools, Tips & Techniques*

Be Prepared!:
Hurricane Preparedness

Climate Change Update:
Weather History Offers Insight Into Global Warming

Energy Update:
House Adopts Plan to Ease Offshore Drilling Ban;
Costs dull appetite for green energy

Waste Update:
Refuse district issues face Tisbury voters;
EPA Lets Electronic Waste Flow Freely, GAO Report Says

Sustainable Update:
Community Supported Agriculture Runs Out of Money Before Fall Harvest Is In

LOCAL NEWS

The following information is part of the Vineyard Conservation Society’s Clean Water Initiative, intended to educate vineyarders about protecting our ponds and other water resources from pollution. This valuable information has been excepted from “The Island Blue Pages, A guide to Protecting Martha’s Vineyard Waters”.

Hazardous Waste?......Not in My House! Water-Kind Cleaners for your Home

“Make Your Own Non-Toxic Cleaning Kit!”

Assemble a few spray bottles, empty jars, and the basic ingredients: baking soda (for scouring & deodorizing),white vinegar (removes mildew, odors, bacteria, & scale from hard water), borax & washing soda (degreases, cleans), citrus solvent (cleans oils and grease, some stains), lemon juice (removes gums, tarnish & dirt), and lemon & tea tree oil (disinfectant). Any of the above ingredients can be safely mixed together.

Go to the Water section for the rest of the list.

Feature

Thriving Texas Is Slowed by Ike
By MIGUEL BUSTILLO, ANA CAMPOY and BEN CASSELMAN
September 15, 2008

HOUSTON -- The destruction from Hurricane Ike stretched from Louisiana to central Texas and threatened to crimp energy supplies and hamstring one of the nation's healthiest regional economies.

http://online.wsj.com/article/
SB122143678798534279.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Plastics chemical linked to heart disease, diabetes
By Rachel Ehrenberg
Tuesday, September 16th, 2008

Study is based on data collected from human adults and matches urine concentrations of bisphenol A with type 2 diabetes, heart disease and liver enzyme problems

Urine levels of the chemical bisphenol A, found in many plastics, are strongly linked to type 2 diabetes, heart disease and liver enzyme problems, a new study suggests. The study, which examined a representative sample of the adult U.S population, appears in the Sept. 17 Journal of the American Medical Association.

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/
id/36488/title/Plastics_chemical_linked_to_heart_disease,_diabetes

A Greener Oil Change
September 2008
Courtesy of Greentips online

A regular oil change can improve your car’s fuel economy and minimize its air pollution and global warming emissions. But what about the environmental impact of that oil change if it is not done right? According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), nearly 200 million gallons of used motor oil are improperly disposed of in the United States each year. The oil from just one oil change can contaminate one million gallons of water—a year’s supply for 50 people.

If you are a do-it-yourself oil changer, the EPA has provided the following guidelines to ensure the process is as clean as possible:

After draining the oil, but before removing the drip pan from under the car, close and secure the drain plug and check for leaks.
If you are changing the oil filter, drain it for a minimum of 12 hours into a clean plastic container with a tight-fitting lid (do not use a container that once held chemicals, food, or beverages). Then, carefully pour the oil from the drip pan into the container.
Reuse your drip pan; do not rinse residual oil down the drain or into your yard.
If you do accidentally spill any oil, use absorbent material like sawdust or cat litter to clean the spill, then dispose of it in the trash.

Calendar

2008 FARM INSTITUTE-FALL PROGRAMS

Mondays & Tuesdays After School (A.S.P.)
Grades: 1-5
When: Pick a day * 9/27-11/24 (no 10/13)
Time: 3:30 to 5:30
Fee: $120 for eight / 2hr. sessions**
**Free transportation via Stagecoach Taxi Scheduled to be determined by participants needs…

Farmers-in-Training (F.I.T.)
Ages: 10 & up * w/qualifying experience
When: Fridays 9/19 – 11/21
Time: 3:15 to 5:30
FEE: $150 for ten / 2hr. sessions
*F.I.T. students are accepted to based on level of experience & commitment. Mentoring, apprenticeships and independent projects are all part of this program. Call to find out whether F.I.T. is the right “fit” for your child.

Wee Farmer Mornings
Ages: 2-4 year olds with a parent
When: Saturdays, 9/13, 9/20 & 10/11
Time: 9:30 to 11:00
Fee: $15 (per session)

Saturday Afternoon Work
Ages: 5 years old & up
When: Saturdays, 10/4 – 11/22
Time: 12:30 to 3:30
Fee: $175 for eight / 3hr. sessions

Visit www.farminstitute.org for more of what’s new down on The FARM! Space is limited – don’t be disappointed Register Today! For details &/or to register call Melinda at 508 627-7007 ext 106 Or email: Melinda@farminstitute.org!

Nature Tours with The Trustees of Reservations

Mon, Sept 22, Nature Tours with The Trustees of Reservations on Chappaquiddick are offered daily, including Fishing Discovery tours, Cape Pogue Natural History, Lighthouse or Quest tours. For details and reservations, call 508-627-3599.

The Big Oyster, History of the Half Shell

Tues, Sept 23, The Big Oyster, History of the Half Shell, by Mark Kurlansky. Sustainable Book Club discussion- 5:30 p.m. at the West Tisbury Library

Breakfast Meeting and panel discussion

Tues, Sept 23, Breakfast Meeting and panel discussion with the Martha’s Vineyard Women’s Network begins at 7:30 a.m. in the Baylies Room of the Old Whaling Church in Edgartown. Theme is: Living Green, Saving Green. Cost is $30 for walk-ins, $25 for members and $15 for those already registered online. For details, see mvwomennetwork.org.

CREATURE FEATURE - Turtles

Tues, Sept 23,CREATURE FEATURE - Turtles, Felix Neck, Tuesdays, 10:00-11:00 am Young naturalists get a close-up to native animals of Martha’s Vineyard. Programs combine a story, craft and a look at the “creature” of the week! Fee: $6M, $9NM per child,For children ages 3-5 with an adult.

WILD WEDNESDAY – Crabs

Wed, Sept 24, WILD WEDNESDAY – Crabs, Felix Neck, 10:00 -11:00 Come and meet the natives! Martha’s Vineyard has an exciting array of native flora and fauna; join us each week as we highlight different island species. Fee: $6M, $9NM per child- For children ages 5 and up with an adult.

DOWN BY THE SHORE

Thurs, Sept 25, DOWN BY THE SHORE, Felix Neck, 10:00 -11:30 am Learn about some amazing creatures of the sea. Take a short walk to a protected beach, where you will explore shallow waters with nets. Wear clothes and shoes that can get wet. Fee: $6M, $9NM per person- For adults and children of all ages.

Living Local Community Forum

Fri, Sept. 26, Living Local Community Forum 7:30 pm, Chilmark Community Center. Live video talk by David Korten, author and environmentalist. Panel discussion with Jim Athearn, Trip Barnes, Emily Lindsey, Tom Osmers, and Kate Warner, John Abrams. Part of Living Local Harvest Fest: Claiming our Island Future. Events continue Sept. 27.

Living Local Harvest Fest

Sat, Sept 27, Living Local Harvest Fest 9 am-3 pm, Ag Hall, West Tisbury. Workshops, discussions, exhibits, kids activities, local food, W.T. Farmers Market, Antique Power Show. Potluck dinner, 6 pm.

Alpaca Farm Open House

Sun, Sept. 28, Alpaca Farm Open House: 1 am-6 pm, Island Alpaca Company, 1 Head of the Pond Rd., Oak Bluffs. Meet the latest baby alpaca! Refreshments. Knitting Workshop: Felted Alpaca Mittens. 1-5 pm, $45 plus supplies 508-693-5554.

Save The Date

Removal of an invasive species

Sat, Oct. 4, Please join the Eastville Point Beach Committee in the removal of an invasive species from the Eastville Point Beach bird sanctuary area. 9:00 a.m. to noon. Spotted Knapweed is taking hold at the beach and it is time for a volunteer effort to remove it and to prevent its' spread. This removal will promote nesting activities of various Tern species as well as Piping Plovers in the plateau at the beach. Bring gloves (knapweed can cause skin irritation) and a weeding tool (hoe, rake, etc.).

Fundamentals of Shellfish Farming: Practical Tools, Tips & Techniques*

A Course Offered by the Southeastern MA Aquaculture Center, Cape Cod
Cooperative Extension & Woods Hole Sea Grant
Oct. 2nd – Nov. 20th — Thursday evenings, 6-8 PM
This 8 week course will cover the basics of shellfish aquaculture, emphasizing practical, no nonsense information. The course will introduce students to the subject of shellfish aquaculture, progressing from an introduction to shellfish aquaculture to shellfish hatchery & nursery production to field grow-out of oysters and clams. Additionally, the course will include management of predators, pests and diseases, as well as providing basic information on business management and permitting.

The course begins on Thursday, October 2nd and runs every Thursday night through November 20th. The class will be held at the Barnstable County farm on Route 6A in Barnstable and meets from 6 to 8 pm

The course fee includes printed materials and is $100 per student (audit or certification) and is payable to Barnstable County. Payments may be sent to Bill Burt, Cape Cod Cooperative Extension, PO Box 375, Barnstable, MA 02630 and inquiries directed to Bill Walton (508-375-6849, wwalton@whoi.edu).

Announcement

The War Between Public Health and Private Interests

The film ‘Flow,’ was a very successful part of the MV Film festival. William Marks, a long time advocate for clean water, and participant in the film, introduced the film to the two packed audiences at the island screenings. Following is a New York Times review:

The War Between Public Health and Private Interests
By JEANNETTE CATSOULIS
September 12, 2008

A documentary and a three-alarm warning, “Flow” dives into our planet’s most essential resource — and third-largest industry — to find pollution, scarcity, human suffering and corporate profit. And that’s just in the United States.

http://movies.nytimes.com/2008/09/12/movies/12flow.html

Be Prepared!

Hurricane Preparedness

"Preventing the loss of life and minimizing the damage to property from hurricanes are responsibilities that are shared by all."

Throughout this Web site, information has been provided regarding actions that you can take based on specific hurricane hazards. The most important thing that you can do is to be informed and prepared. Disaster prevention includes both being prepared as well as reducing damages (mitigation).

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/
english/disaster_prevention.shtml

Climate Change Update

Weather History Offers Insight Into Global Warming
By ANTHONY DePALMA
September 15, 2008
NY Times

NEW PALTZ, N.Y. — It is probably a good thing that the Mohonk Mountain House, the 19th-century resort, was built on Shawangunk conglomerate, a concrete-hard quartz rock. Otherwise, the path to the National Weather Service’s cooperative station here surely would have turned to dust by now.

Every day for the last 112 years, people have trekked up the same gray outcropping to dutifully record temperatures and weather conditions. In the process, they have compiled a remarkable data collection that has become a climatological treasure chest.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/16/
science/earth/16moho.html?pagewanted=1

Energy Update

House Adopts Plan to Ease Offshore Drilling Ban
By CARL HULSE
September 16, 2008
NY Times

WASHINGTON — The House on Tuesday night approved a measure that would ease a longstanding ban on offshore oil drilling and try to spur greater use of alternative fuels as Democrats and Republicans engaged in a bitter pre-election clash over America’s energy future.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/17/
washington/17cong.html

Costs dull appetite for green energy
By Patrick Cassidy
pcassidy@capecodonline.com
September 19, 2008

BOSTON — Green energy is hot, but electric customers appear cool on paying for it.

With the high cost of electricity and a shaky economy, convincing customers to voluntarily pay more than they have to is a challenge, according to energy company officials who attended an industry conference yesterday.

More than half of the 3,800 customers who signed up for the Cape Light Compact's green energy plan three years ago have left it. The challenge is unlikely to get easier with energy costs expected to continue to rise for the foreseeable future, Cape Light Compact administrator Maggie Downey said outside the forum at the Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel.

http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/
pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080919/NEWS/809190320/-1/NEWS01

Waste Update

Refuse district issues face Tisbury voters
By Janet Hefler
Published: September 18, 2008
MV Times

Tisbury voters will decide whether to take the first steps towards creating a regional waste management district at a special town meeting September 30 at 7:30 pm in the Tisbury School gym. Much like a bin of commingled recyclables, it takes some sorting to separate out the details of the article's $1.2 million price tag.

http://www.mvtimes.com/news/
2008/09/18/tisbury-refuse-district.php

EPA Lets Electronic Waste Flow Freely, GAO Report Says
By Juliet Eilperin
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, September 17, 2008; Page A11

The Environmental Protection Agency has done little to curb the export of discarded electronic products containing hazardous waste, much of which ends up in poorly regulated countries and harms the environment and public health, the Government Accountability Office concluded in a report being released today.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/
content/article/2008/09/16/AR2008091603225.html

Sustainable Update

Community Supported Agriculture Runs Out of Money Before Fall Harvest Is In
By JULIA RAPPAPORT
Vineyard Gazette

Community Supported Agriculture, the popular organic Island vegetable cooperative at Whippoorwill Farm, is on the rocks again, this time because of a business plan that has failed.

In a letter mailed and e-mailed to farm share members this week, the five-member CSA advisory group announced an $81,000 operating deficit and appealed to members to write checks to help put the farm back in the black. “Cash flow has dried up,” the letter reads. “We will soon be unable to pay the workers who harvest our food and will face the decision to close down operations.”

http://www.mvgazette.com/article.php?18482

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