Hi all! We are wanting to pay tribute to folks in Appalachia who are contributing to the betterment of the Appalachian economy through Green Businesses, and will be promoting this through The Appalachian Voice starting in our October issue.

Volunteers are needed to assist (and have a great time) while students from Willis Elementary dig the potatoes planted in the spring by students from Blue Mountain School in Floyd.

TIME: from 11:00 until about 1:00

PLACE: Shooting Creek Farm, on Shooting Creek Road, across from the quarry, about a half mile from the intersection of Shooting Creek and the Blue Ridge Parkway.

DRESS: Looks like you should plan on cool and wet. It might matter to you. It won't likely matter to the kids, who find digging potatoes like prospecting for gold. 

The next week, these potatoes will be served in one or more Floyd County School cafeterias. And because small hands took part in planting and harvest, they will be some of the best-tasting potatoes Floyd County kids ever ate!

Call 540 250 0111 for more information.

Distinguished Panel Follows “The Electricity Fairy” at 7 p.m., Thursday, September 22

Floyd, Virginia – The audience at SustainFloyd’s (www.sustainfloyd.org) 7 p.m. screening of an award winning documentary tonight (Thursday, September 22) at the Floyd Country Store will see more than a great film, “The Electricity Fairy.”  There will be an array of delicious home-baked goods available for donations and the Association of Energy Conservation (AECP), one of the sponsors of the event, is helping to organize a panel of knowledgeable speakers to discuss the documentary.  The doors will open at 6:30 p.m.

“We will offer for purchase such unusual desserts as a pie made with Floyd’s own Concord grapes, Reese’s Pieces, and dark chocolate, as well as old favorites, such as apple cake, brownies and chocolate chip pecan cookies,” says Becky Pomponio, who is coordinating the SustainFloyd Fall Film Series. “We’ll also have locally-roasted Red Rooster Coffee, as well as popcorn and soft drinks for donations.”

“After we screen this terrific documentary, folks may stay for a discussion of our nation’s addiction to fossil fuels and what we can do about it in Floyd,” says Billy Weitzenfeld, AECP Executive Director and a SustainFloyd Board Member.  “We invite the audience to ask questions.”

Among those on the panel will be Weitzenfeld, a green construction and energy conservation professional, as well as Radford University Professor Bill Kovarik.  Kovarik, a journalist and historian who teaches environmental science, also writes for “Environmental Health News,” “Appalachian Voice,” “New River Voice,” and other environmental and science publications.

SustainFloyd is presenting three award winning documentaries in its 2011 Fall Film Series at the Floyd Country Store.  The first film, “The Electricity Fairy,” to be shown tonight at 7 p.m., examines the current construction of a coal-burning power plant in Wise County, Virginia, amid citizen protests.   Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. The Fall Film Series will serve as a fundraiser for SustainFloyd.  Tickets will be $5 at the door.  Popcorn, soft drinks, home-baked goods and locally-roasted Red Rooster coffee will be offered for donations.

The second film to be screened at 7 p.m. on Thursday evening, November 3rd, 2011 at the Floyd Country Store will be “Dirt! The Movie.” Doors will open at 6:30 p.m.  Narrated by actress Jamie Lee Curtis and directed and produced by Bill Benenson and Gene Rosow, “Dirt! The Movie” takes you inside the wonders of soil. This beautiful film tells the story of Earth's most valuable and underappreciated source of fertility – from its miraculous beginning to its crippling degradation.  Popcorn, soft drinks, home-baked goods and locally roasted Red Rooster coffee will be available for donations.  A panel discussion will follow “Dirt! The Movie.”

The third documentary in SustainFloyd’s Fall Film Series, shown at 7 p.m. on Thursday, December 8th, 2011 at the Floyd Country Store, will be “The Economics of Happiness.” Doors will open at 6:30 p.m.  The holiday season can be stressful, as people have less time for friends and family and face mounting pressures at work. “The Economics of Happiness,” which has won numerous awards, describes how globalization and the consolidation of corporate power have not created a happier life for many of us.  This film celebrates communities, which are coming together to re-build on a more human scale, with ecological economies based on localization.  Popcorn, soft drinks, home-baked goods and locally roasted Red Rooster coffee will be available for donations.  Following the screening, a panel of experts will discuss ways to make our lives – and the holidays – more meaningful. 

Created in 2009, SustainFloyd is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that assists the community of Floyd County,Virginia in sustainable, local growth. Our vision is a mix of the past and the future – we work to develop new ideas that will support the next generation of our rural community, while preserving our local traditions and history. To learn more about SustainFloyd and its mission, go to www.sustainfloyd.org.

PRESS RELEASE

SustainFloyd has two paying positions available immediately for the right individuals. 

The first is the FARMERS MARKET MANAGER position.  This is a part-time position 8-12 hours per week including Saturday mornings through the season.  It will begin end of April and go through October.  It is a paid position working closely with the Director of SF (that'd be me) and our vendors.  lf interested, please go to our website here for a more detailed job description.   We are looking for someone passionate about local food and the place of our downtown market in the community. If this sounds like you, please contact me at the number below or send your information to PO Box 745 Floyd VA 24091.  You can also respond via reply to this e-mail.

The other position is for a FARMER/GROWER at a farm in Floyd that SF has access to this summer for crop production.  This is an operating farm with fields redy for production, barn and the support of SustainFloyd in place.  Lodging at the farm could be a possibility.  This is not an internship or an employee but the real deal.  You will be growing the food and managing all aspects of the farm so  we need someone with experience and some get-up-and-go to seize this great opportunity.  The markets are there if the food can be produced and we want to help make this happen.  If interested, call me at the number below to discuss the possibilities.  

Volunteer shopper also needed!

The volunteer position is a fun one.  We have been funded under a grant from USDA Rural Development to purchase $5,000 in accessories for the Community Market.  We have the list and the budget in place.  What we desperately need is a good shopper, online or otherwise, who can compare prices and prepare a bid sheet to be approved by Rural Development before we can make the purchases.  (RD requires that we compare and purchase the lowest price product fitting the specs we set out.)  Once approved, we can pull the trigger and buy these much needed supplies.  The market season is upon us and we need to get this all in place within the next month. So this is a timely request for assistance from our community. 

If you could help out with this, please let me know via reply e-mail or giving me a call. 

Also on the local agricultural front, our friends at Foggy Ridge Cider are looking for a worker in the field and in the tasting room.  These are both part-time positions.  Contact Diane Flynt at 336-253-7141 for more information.

Thanks for reading and for your support of our efforts in local agriculture.

All the Best,

Mike 

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Mike Burton

Director, SustainFloyd

(540)250-0111

www.sustainfloyd.org

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