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13
Join BlackSpace Indianapolis on February 13, 2021 for a Walking Tour of the Historically Black neighborhood of Martindale-Brightwood with Through2Eyes
Indiana (guided by lover of history, Sampson Levingston). Tour begins at 12pm EST. Learn about the legacy of this unique community and how you can continue to invest in and build Black Spaces in Indianapolis.
Suggested Donation is $5 for Allies (those who do not identify as from the Black Diaspora). Meeting location will be shared upon RSVP. Use the ticket link to RSVP. Questions? Email: [email protected]
Please note that COVID-19 restrictions will be enforced during this outdoor event. Masks will be required, and physical distancing is strongly encouraged. Please wear comfortable shoes and warm clothing, since this is an outdoor event that will require a lot of walking.
More about BlackSpace Indy: BlackSpace honors the lives of countless victims of this violence, we celebrate Black existence in its current form, we mourn lost Black futures. Our private homes are not safe. Our public spaces are not safe. The “justice” system must change and it does not stop there. No landscape is neutral. Urbanists design and plan the built environments where these tragedies occur. The disciplines impacting our built environments are steeped in racism and anti-Blackness. BlackSpace challenges architects, planners, urban designers, artists, and all curators of built spaces to unlearn traditional values and rethink Manifesto-based practice.
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @BlackSpaceIndy
Tags: History Walking Tour, Martindale-Brightwood Neighborhood
11
On Thursday, February 11th at 2 PM EST, the Schumacher Center for a New Economics and BerkShares, Inc. will host a virtual Community Banking Roundtable with presidents Jay Anderson of Pittsfield Cooperative Bank, Rick Cantele of Salisbury Bank and Trust Company, and Chuck Leach of Lee Bank to highlight the role and defining characteristics of community banks.
This conversation will be moderated by Alice Maggio, former director of BerkShares, Inc., a corporator of Lee Bank, and member of the Schumacher Center’s Board of Directors. This free webinar will take place from 2:00 to 3:30 PM EST via Zoom. Register below.
Tags: Schumacher Center for a New Economics, BerkShares, Inc., nonprofit, timebanking, giving economy, sharing, cooperatives, cooperation, alternative currency, localism, shop local, main street.
31
TLC Transitional Life Care, a Vajrayana Buddhist non-profit program supporting the end of life transition is delighted to announce…
RELEASING ATTACHMENT
TO PREPARE FOR THE BARDO
A teaching by Khenchen Tsewang Gyatso Rinpoche.
On Sunday, January 31st, 2021,
from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time on Zoom.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER: https://tlcserves.secure.retreat.guru/program/releasing-attachment-to-prepare-for-the-bardo/
ONCE REGISTERED, YOU WILL RECEIVE A ZOOM LINK BEFORE THE TEACHING
The registration deadline is Saturday, January 30th.
Suggested sliding scale donation
$20 – $40
No one will be turned away for lack of funds. If you can’t afford to give a donation see email at facebook link.
Venerable Khenchen Tsewang Gyatso Rinpoche is an esteemed Nyingma lama in the Payul tradition of Vajrayana Buddhism and is recognized as an erudite scholar, an accomplished Dzogchen master, and an authentic and highly qualified teacher and lineage holder. He is known for his kindness, compassion, and skillful means by practitioners around the world.
Get to know us at tlcserves.org, Facebook, Instagram & GoFundMe.
Tags: RELEASING ATTACHMENT TO PREPARE FOR THE BARDO, religion, Buddhism, workshop, spirituality
31
A virtual series of talks and panels with more than 50 prominent organic farmers, scientists, and climate activists
Session 1: What is the Real Organic Project?
January 3
3-5pm EST
It’s not an ordinary certifying organization. Tractor rallies, protests, grassroots gatherings, and passionate voices are the heart of the Real Organic Project. It represents the farmers who want to provide food the right way. No cutting corners. It’s a group of people who care about agricultural systems and are fighting to reclaim the word “Organic” — a word that was stolen by lobbyists and big agricultural corporations. It’s a movement to provide the transparency that we need.
This is our story.
Session 2: What is Soil Health?
January 10
3-5pm EST
Soil is the source of life. It’s home to a complex network of bacteria, viruses, minerals, fungi, worms, insects, and decaying organic matter, all of which work together to create an inexplicably nutritient-dense medium. It’s the perfect elixir, forming the base of all terrestrial ecosystems’ food webs. Just as energy passes through food chains, so do the minerals and micronutrients that are converted and mined by the subsurface biome — signatures and gifts of the soil. What mysteries lie beneath the soil? Can soil be replaced by other mediums for growing food? How do we ensure that soil health is the center of agriculture?
Sessions 3: Farming and Climate
January 17
3-5pm EST
Humans have been farming for over 10,000 years, but some studies say that we only have 60 years of farmable soil left on the planet. The topsoil is being killed on a large scale by the forces of deforestation and chemical-laden agriculture. As the amount of living soil decreases on Earth, so does the potential for carbon sequestration via photosynthesis. The fate of life and soils are intimately intertwined. Thankfully, there is a straightforward way to both reverse the effects of climate change and restore our soils. The answer? Decreased carbon emissions paired with real organic farming. Yep, even the real organic beef and dairy farms are good for the climate.
Session 4: Health and Nutrition
January 24
3-5pm EST
Stuart McMillan of Legend Organic Farm once said, “Organic agriculture is more than simply the presence or absence of pesticides.” While the elimination of toxic pesticides and herbicides from food is certainly a step in the right direction, there’s more to the equation when it comes to consumers’ health. Let’s take the example of an egg. An egg from a bird with limited outdoor access and an all-grain diet differs from a truly organic egg in more ways than just taste and appearance. The concentration of healthy cholesterol and omega-3’s is also much higher in a truly pasture-raised bird. Our health depends upon knowing the difference.
Session 5: What Can We Do?
January 31
3-5pm EST
Farmers and eaters throughout the United States and beyond are pushing to create transparency within a disjointed food system. But what are the most important steps for us to take moving forward? Where do you contribute? How do we hold each other accountable?
Healthy Food • Healthy Soil • Healthy Climate
Tags: talks and panels with more than 50 prominent organic farmers, scientists, and climate activists
31
Register here:
https://forms.organise.earth/index.php?r=survey/index&sid=369134&lang=en
This online gathering aims to explore cultural difference, Western culture, colonisation, modern societies as well as Indigenous worldviews, perspectives and philosophies from around the world, including Australia, Africa, New Zealand and the Americas.
Practical decolonial actions that flow from these perspectives will also be considered along with potential emergent decolonial futures. Formats will include presentations, interactive exercises in small breakout groups, and general questions and discussion.
This gathering will be hosted by XR Global Support Trainings and Regen 101 Working Group and will be facilitated by Dr. Yin Paradies, an Aboriginal-Asian-Anglo Australian of the Wakaya people from the Gulf of Carpentaria. He is a Professor of Race Relations at Deakin University, where he conducts research on racism and anti-racism as well as teaching and researching Indigenous knowledges and decoloniality. Yin is a climate and ecological activist who is committed to understanding and interrupting the devastating impacts of modern societies.
He seeks meaningful mutuality of becoming and embodied kinship with all life through transformed ways of knowing, being, and doing that are grounded in wisdom, humility, respect, and generosity. He is a current Moora Moora resident, having moved to the mountain in 2020 to be in community, cultivate a closer connection to Country and engage in an ethos of down-shifted collective sufficiency, voluntary simplicity, frugality, direct democracy, and radical localisation.
While this is a “free” event we do invite participants to engage in the gift economy to support a local community climate change food growing group.
Feel free to do so here: PayPal.Me/YinParadies
Register here:
https://forms.organise.earth/index.php?r=survey/index&sid=369134&lang=en
Regen 101 workshop
Register here: https://forms.organise.earth/index.php?r=survey/index&sid=939276&lang=en
Support XR here: https://chuffed.org/pay/campaign/62932
Tags: explore cultural difference, Western culture, colonisation, modern societies as well as Indigenous worldviews, perspectives and philosophies from around the world, including Australia, Africa, New Zealand and the Americas, nonprofit, social justice
30
Register to join us for organizational updates, silent auction, conservation awards, and more! We’ll hear from National Wildlife Federation’s President & CEO, Collin O’Mara, on a path forward for wildlife conservation in 2021. We’ll also host the new DNR Division of Fish and Wildlife Director, Amanda Wuestefeld, and learn about the Grasslands for Gamebirds and Songbirds program. High school and university students can register to attend for free!
Tags: nonprofit, environment, nature, sustainability, Indiana Wildlife Federation
29
Papa Warfleigh’s Funk Revival LIVE at the Historic Melody Inn Friday, Jan 29, 2021. Special guests tba! $5 cover
Note: Masks required and capacity is limited to 25 people, including the bands. So be sure to buy a ticket early, mask up, and let’s celebrate a little life, love and a new President and VP together 🙂
Tags: Papa Warfleigh’s Funk Revival, Live Music, Melody Inn
28
Celebrate the opening of Hendricks Commercial Properties’ new Bottleworks District in Indianapolis during a virtual talk about restoration of the former Coca-Cola bottling plant’s radiant terra cotta facades. Emily Byl, PE, of ARSEE Engineers will discuss the creative methods artisans used to match and repair historic terra cotta and the difficulties crews had to overcome to restore an iconic Indianapolis landmark.
Tags: Celebrate the opening of Hendricks Commercial Properties’ new Bottleworks District
27
Join us for our kickoff and prep webinar to discuss HSUS Indiana’s Humane Advocacy Week!
During Humane Advocacy Week, you will ‘meet’ virtually with your two state legislators to ask for their support of priority HSUS Indiana animal protection legislation. These meetings will be virtual, via zoom, phone, facetime (whatever works best for you!)
Find your state legislators: http://action.humanesociety.org/site/PageServer?pagename=electedOfficials
What’s even more exciting is that each day of the week between February 1 – 5, there will be a different virtual activity and opportunity to be a voice and take action for animals in Indiana and beyond!
Whether you are a veteran or new advocate, you will want to participate in the HSUS Indiana Humane Advocacy Week Kickoff & Prep Webinar on Wednesday, January 27th from 6:30-7:30 PM.
You will learn about the week’s planned activities, top HSUS Indiana legislative priorities, how to schedule your meetings with legislators & more.
Looking forward to “seeing” you soon to take action for animals!
Tags: Humane Advocacy Week, nonprofit, Humane Society, social justice, animal welfare, vegan
26
This is a discussion of the book entitled “African American Poetry, 250 Years of Struggle and Song” by Kevin Young. The discussion will be facilitated by Ms. Angela Jackson-Brown who is an Assistant Teacher Professor of English at Ball State University. The panelists will be Dr. Emily Rutter, Associate Professor at Ball State University, Dr Sharon L. Jones, Professor of English, Language and Literatures at Wright State University and Frank X. Walker, Professor of English at the University of Kentucky.
This program will be streamed on Facebook Live.
This program made possible by a grant from Lift Every Voice. Lift Every Voice is presented by Library of America in partnership with the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture and funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and Emerson Collective.
Tags: “African American Poetry, 250 Years of Struggle and Song” by Kevin Young, book discussion
24
A virtual series of talks and panels with more than 50 prominent organic farmers, scientists, and climate activists
Session 1: What is the Real Organic Project?
January 3
3-5pm EST
It’s not an ordinary certifying organization. Tractor rallies, protests, grassroots gatherings, and passionate voices are the heart of the Real Organic Project. It represents the farmers who want to provide food the right way. No cutting corners. It’s a group of people who care about agricultural systems and are fighting to reclaim the word “Organic” — a word that was stolen by lobbyists and big agricultural corporations. It’s a movement to provide the transparency that we need.
This is our story.
Session 2: What is Soil Health?
January 10
3-5pm EST
Soil is the source of life. It’s home to a complex network of bacteria, viruses, minerals, fungi, worms, insects, and decaying organic matter, all of which work together to create an inexplicably nutritient-dense medium. It’s the perfect elixir, forming the base of all terrestrial ecosystems’ food webs. Just as energy passes through food chains, so do the minerals and micronutrients that are converted and mined by the subsurface biome — signatures and gifts of the soil. What mysteries lie beneath the soil? Can soil be replaced by other mediums for growing food? How do we ensure that soil health is the center of agriculture?
Sessions 3: Farming and Climate
January 17
3-5pm EST
Humans have been farming for over 10,000 years, but some studies say that we only have 60 years of farmable soil left on the planet. The topsoil is being killed on a large scale by the forces of deforestation and chemical-laden agriculture. As the amount of living soil decreases on Earth, so does the potential for carbon sequestration via photosynthesis. The fate of life and soils are intimately intertwined. Thankfully, there is a straightforward way to both reverse the effects of climate change and restore our soils. The answer? Decreased carbon emissions paired with real organic farming. Yep, even the real organic beef and dairy farms are good for the climate.
Session 4: Health and Nutrition
January 24
3-5pm EST
Stuart McMillan of Legend Organic Farm once said, “Organic agriculture is more than simply the presence or absence of pesticides.” While the elimination of toxic pesticides and herbicides from food is certainly a step in the right direction, there’s more to the equation when it comes to consumers’ health. Let’s take the example of an egg. An egg from a bird with limited outdoor access and an all-grain diet differs from a truly organic egg in more ways than just taste and appearance. The concentration of healthy cholesterol and omega-3’s is also much higher in a truly pasture-raised bird. Our health depends upon knowing the difference.
Session 5: What Can We Do?
January 31
3-5pm EST
Farmers and eaters throughout the United States and beyond are pushing to create transparency within a disjointed food system. But what are the most important steps for us to take moving forward? Where do you contribute? How do we hold each other accountable?
Healthy Food • Healthy Soil • Healthy Climate
Tags: talks and panels with more than 50 prominent organic farmers, scientists, and climate activists
24
Reiki is a powerful healing technique built on a foundation of self-care, community care and practice. Every month we bring together a wholehearted group interested in Reiki, energy work and healing for our Reiki Community Sharing Circle. No matter your level of training or depth of experience, you are welcome to join if coming together in like-hearted community resonates with you. Every person will have the opportunity to learn, to practice and to receive healing. In our 2021 classes, we will journey through the chakras from the root chakra to the crown chakra (and beyond)!
This is a hybrid class, offering options to attend in-person (space is limited and masks are required) or online. Register in advance to reserve your spot and receive your connection details if you are joining virtually.
Click here to register: https://myinnerpath.com/classes/
//2021 Schedule//
January 24
February 28
March 28
April 25
May 23
June 27
July 25
August 22
September 26
October 24
November 28
December 26
Tags: Reiki, healing modality, self-care, energetic work
24
In Henry County, Kentucky, the Wendell Berry Farming Program of Sterling College offers a tuition-free junior and senior year farming curriculum focused on ecological management of livestock, pasture, and forest using draft animals and other appropriately scaled mixed power systems. Inspired by the lifework of farmer and writer Wendell Berry, and designed in partnership with The Berry Center, in New Castle, Kentucky, the program serves undergraduate students from Kentucky and elsewhere who intend to farm. In combination with previously-earned credits, students earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems from Sterling College, a federally-recognized Work College. Wendell Berry says of the curriculum, “This farming program is exactly what most needs doing here.”
As we have done for decades on our Vermont campus, Sterling College provides in Kentucky a farmer education that links the liberal arts to farming, forestry, draft power, and good land stewardship. The curriculum combines the arts and sciences with community-based, co-operative economics and training. Students work with local farmers, economists, rural advocacy groups, and The Berry Center staff. The curriculum culminates in graduates’ farm plans. The Wendell Berry Farming Program is for students who will have completed at least 60 college credits by August of 2021 and who are farming already or intend to farm for a livelihood. Cohorts of 12 students are selected from a pool of applicants for a 2-year commitment. Applicants do not need to have attended Sterling College in order to apply. Although financial need is not a prerequisite for admission, we are especially interested in applicants who are Pell Grant-eligible as well as students from groups underrepresented in farming. Typically, admitted students have a strong liberal arts and sciences background, a solid work ethic, a desire to farm, and a commitment to strengthening rural places.
Register here: https://sterling.radiusbycampusmgmt.com/ssc/eform/Md670c87A86R0x6702l0B1.ssc
Tags: Wendell Berry Farming Program Virtual Open House, college open house, nonprofit, farming, major
23
Join us for a Solidarity Summit!
When: January 23-24, 2021
Where: Wherever you are, and online at hopin (link TBD)
Who: People who are ready to use mutual aid to support each other in building a world that supports thriving life for the 100%
Why: Hosted by Humans United in Mutual Aid Networks, in order to come together to learn from and support each other in mutual aid efforts. Our goal is to create means for everyone to discover and succeed in work they want to do, with the support of their community. We act on our belief that everyone deserves a lively humanhood, and we support each other to live our highest and best life.
What: At the Solidarity Summit we’ll gather (COVID-safe, physically distant, outdoor, masked when possible, and/or online) simultaneously in our localities with our local mutual aid partners, and connect online across all the locations participating, in order to build skills, relationships, and momentum together while benefiting our local work.
Online connected sessions include:
- Skillshares on projects (food sovereignty, wellness, renewable energy, housing, supply development)
- Skillshares on tools like software and economic structures
- Open roundtable discussions
- Outreach and visioning activities with our local communities
- What now for newbies? Real and simple invitations to engage
Many Solidarity Summits include some physical
work we help each other with.
Sign up here to join in shaping it.
See the calendar at mutualaidnetwork.org for more information and scheduling details.
Tags: food sovereignty, wellness, renewable energy, housing, supply development, nonprofit, social justice, sharing economy, solidarity
21
Tags: Nonprofit Quarterly, business leadership training, social justice, Remaking the Economy: Health, Racial Disparities, and Economic Justice
20
Do you want to sell your products or services and start an online store? Need something that is simple to follow and doesn’t delve deep into the techie stuff?
If so, you’re in the right place. WooCommerce is an incredible option.
WooCommerce is by far the most used eCommerce platform in the world. In this webinar, we will learn how to set up your website to sell products in this simple, cost-effective, and easy-to-manage solution.
Tags: web design, WordPress, e-commerce, WooCommerce
20
Do you know when and where to spend your organization’s limited technology budget, or how to get the best return?
Join the conversation as we share our research and results from our sector-wide survey—as well as the expertise and hard-earned lessons from nonprofits like yours—in an online forum designed to help you identify which decisions are most likely to pay off and which will lead to disappointment. We’ll walk through some of the most interesting findings from The State of Technology Decision-Making and ROI Among Nonprofits, and our panel of experts will show you…
- How to measure the true return on a technology investment
- What the most frequently overlooked hidden costs are
- How to maximize value
We’ll also make time to answer questions from the audience. Don’t miss this opportunity to make the most of your 2021 budget priorities.
About our Presenters
Karen Graham
Director of Education and Outreach, Tech Impact
Karen Graham is a speaker, trainer, writer, and consultant with expertise in technology leadership and innovation, nonprofit software, and digital strategy. She is the Managing Director of Education and Outreach at Tech Impact.
Patrick Callihan
Executive Director, Tech Impact
As the Executive Director of Tech Impact, Patrick leads the development of programs that include technology education, services and support designed specifically for organizations and several workforce development programs like ITWorks, CXWorks and Punchcode..
Jeanne Bell
Director of Practice Advancement, Nonprofit Quarterly
Jeanne Bell, MNA directs NPQ’s Advanced Practice program to advance critical conversations about nonprofit management and leadership. She is the former CEO of CompassPoint, where she stewarded the strategic evolution of the organization to focus on emerging leaders and emergent leadership practice with an explicit orientation to social change. She is the author of numerous articles on nonprofit leadership, strategy, and sustainability and co-author of several books.
Steve Heye
Social Impact Manager, Netsuite
Steve Heye is a Social Impact Manager at NetSuite (Oracle) where he manages the Suite Capacity program which has 4 team members globally. Suite Capacity provides free programs to help nonprofits go-live and expand their use of NetSuite. They also act as technical experts across the Social Impact team, which donates the NetSuite solution to nonprofits and provides Pro Bono services. He is the author of Chapter 1 on IT Alignment in the NTEN book, Managing Technology to Meet Your Mission. With over 20 years of experience working with nonprofits and technology, Steve brings a real passion and unique set of experiences to the NPTech community.
About Tech Impact’s Idealware
Idealware is a program of Tech Impact, a nonprofit on a mission to use technology to better serve the world. As the authoritative source for independent, thoroughly-researched technology resources for the social sector, our publications, assessments, and training resources save you time and money by providing impartial guidance that gives you the knowledge and confidence you need to decide what’s best for your organization. Learn more at www.techimpact.org and visit our Technology Learning Center at www.techlearningcenter.org.
Tags: nonprofit, training, Tech Impact
19
EcoFarm2021 Pre-Conference Event
The time has come for organic farmers to come together to protect the meaning of organic. Join many of the pioneering farmers of the organic movement as they discuss why the organic industry is in need of a course correction and what we must do to bring it back home to its roots. Gain a greater understanding of why many organic farmers are fighting to reclaim the word “Organic” from lobbyists and industrial agricultural corporations. Explore the connections between healthy soil, climate, and nutrition to shed light on why we need greater transparency in food labels and the importance of farmers to lead the way.
Cost: $35
Register: https://eco-farm.org/civicrm/event/register?reset=1&id=46
Tags: Organic Farming, nonprofit, social justice
19
FEATURED SPEAKERS
Fred Krupp – Moderator
President
Fred Krupp has guided EDF for three decades. A leading voice on climate change, energy, and sustainability, he is a champion for harnessing the power of the marketplace to protect our environment.
Under Krupp’s leadership, EDF has become one of the world’s most influential environmental organizations. He has focused international attention on the problem of methane emissions from the oil-and-gas system and led EDF’s innovative corporate partnerships with FedEx, KKR, McDonald’s, Walmart and others. EDF’s annual operating budget has grown from $3 million to over $180 million, staff has increased from 50 to more than 700, and membership has expanded from 40,000 to over 2.5 million.
Krupp was educated at Yale and the University of Michigan Law School, and received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Haverford College.
Mark Brownstein
Senior Vice President, Energy
Mark leads EDF’s Energy Program, bringing over 25 years of energy and environmental experience to the job. Past experience includes serving in senior environmental and corporate strategy management positions in the utility industry, an attorney in private practice specializing in the Clean Air Act, a state air quality regulator, and an aide to a member of the US House of Representatives. Mark serves on the US Department of Transportation’s Technical Pipeline Safety Standards Committee, and the Advisory Committee of the University of Pennsylvania’s Kleinman Energy Center. Mark has taught Energy Project Finance at NYU Law School and U.S. Energy Policy at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA). He has a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School, and a B.A. from Vassar College. Phi Beta Kappa. Truman Scholar.
Elizabeth Gore
Senior Vice President, Political Affairs
Elizabeth brings decades of experience working in Washington, DC to advance EDF’s policy priorities through the political system. As Senior Vice President for Political Affairs, Elizabeth leads a team of lobbyists and advocates aimed at creating cleaner air and water, safer communities, healthier kids and a livable planet. She also works with EDF’s partners across the political spectrum and works to take EDF policy goals and make them a reality.
Elizabeth served in senior positions in the U.S. House of Representatives, the Office of Management and Budget, and the U.S. Senate. Throughout her career she has focused on energy and the environmental policy. Prior to her time at EDF, she also worked in the private sector, representing a range of energy and environmental interests.
Nat Keohane
Senior Vice President, Climate
Nathaniel Keohane is an economist, advocate, and expert on climate, environment, and energy issues in the United States and globally. Keohane is Senior Vice President for Climate at Environmental Defense Fund, a leading nonprofit advocacy organization based in New York.
In 2011-2012, he served in the Obama Administration as Special Assistant to the President for Energy and Environment in the National Economic Council and Domestic Policy Council, where he helped to develop and coordinate administration policy on a wide range of energy and environmental issues. Prior to joining the Administration, Dr. Keohane was Director of Economic Policy and Analysis and then Chief Economist at EDF, playing a lead role in efforts to enact comprehensive cap-and-trade legislation in Congress.
Vickie Patton
General Counsel
Vickie serves as Environmental Defense Fund’s General Counsel and manages the organization’s national and regional clean air programs. For two decades, she has worked to protect human health and the environment from air pollution. She has been involved in numerous rulemakings under the Clean Air Act and associated cases (including several successful cases before the U.S. Supreme Court), testified before congressional and state legislative committees, and authored several articles on air quality protection and environmental policy.
Prior to joining Environmental Defense Fund, Vickie worked at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of General Counsel in Washington, D.C., where she provided legal counsel on a variety of national air quality initiatives
Tags: join leaders from Environmental Defense Fund for a discussion of the window of opportunity we have now to make a meaningful difference for the future of our climate and the health of our families and communities – while helping to build a more equitable and prosperous America for all.
17
A virtual series of talks and panels with more than 50 prominent organic farmers, scientists, and climate activists
Session 1: What is the Real Organic Project?
January 3
3-5pm EST
It’s not an ordinary certifying organization. Tractor rallies, protests, grassroots gatherings, and passionate voices are the heart of the Real Organic Project. It represents the farmers who want to provide food the right way. No cutting corners. It’s a group of people who care about agricultural systems and are fighting to reclaim the word “Organic” — a word that was stolen by lobbyists and big agricultural corporations. It’s a movement to provide the transparency that we need.
This is our story.
Session 2: What is Soil Health?
January 10
3-5pm EST
Soil is the source of life. It’s home to a complex network of bacteria, viruses, minerals, fungi, worms, insects, and decaying organic matter, all of which work together to create an inexplicably nutritient-dense medium. It’s the perfect elixir, forming the base of all terrestrial ecosystems’ food webs. Just as energy passes through food chains, so do the minerals and micronutrients that are converted and mined by the subsurface biome — signatures and gifts of the soil. What mysteries lie beneath the soil? Can soil be replaced by other mediums for growing food? How do we ensure that soil health is the center of agriculture?
Sessions 3: Farming and Climate
January 17
3-5pm EST
Humans have been farming for over 10,000 years, but some studies say that we only have 60 years of farmable soil left on the planet. The topsoil is being killed on a large scale by the forces of deforestation and chemical-laden agriculture. As the amount of living soil decreases on Earth, so does the potential for carbon sequestration via photosynthesis. The fate of life and soils are intimately intertwined. Thankfully, there is a straightforward way to both reverse the effects of climate change and restore our soils. The answer? Decreased carbon emissions paired with real organic farming. Yep, even the real organic beef and dairy farms are good for the climate.
Session 4: Health and Nutrition
January 24
3-5pm EST
Stuart McMillan of Legend Organic Farm once said, “Organic agriculture is more than simply the presence or absence of pesticides.” While the elimination of toxic pesticides and herbicides from food is certainly a step in the right direction, there’s more to the equation when it comes to consumers’ health. Let’s take the example of an egg. An egg from a bird with limited outdoor access and an all-grain diet differs from a truly organic egg in more ways than just taste and appearance. The concentration of healthy cholesterol and omega-3’s is also much higher in a truly pasture-raised bird. Our health depends upon knowing the difference.
Session 5: What Can We Do?
January 31
3-5pm EST
Farmers and eaters throughout the United States and beyond are pushing to create transparency within a disjointed food system. But what are the most important steps for us to take moving forward? Where do you contribute? How do we hold each other accountable?
Healthy Food • Healthy Soil • Healthy Climate
Tags: talks and panels with more than 50 prominent organic farmers, scientists, and climate activists
