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rmikulak@courier-journal.com

Trendy event alert: On July 26, “locavores” — devotees of locally grown and raised foods — will bring dishes made with foods grown or produced no more than 100 miles from Louisville to a potluck dinner celebrating the bounty of area farmers at Bardstown Road Presbyterian Church.

The fact that this dinner can be regarded as a “trendy” event is in itself a symptom of what the American food industry has become.

Until perhaps 100 years ago, the idea of encouraging people to eat locally, to purchase and consume food raised within, say, 100 miles of the place of consumption, would be fairly pointless, for no other way of getting food was available to most people.

Read more…

^{Where: Berea Community School Gym}

^{Bring a dish prepared with ingredients produced within 100 miles of Berea. Please write down your recipe and sources of ingredients. Recipes from the first three years of potlucks will be published in the Berea Local Foods Recipe Book in October 2009. Join us in celebrating and promoting the bounty of Berea’s 100-mile “foodshed.”}

^{For more information: 859-985-1689}

Downloads

• 100 Mile Potluck Catalogue
• 100 Mile Potluck Flier – 2009

Wednesday, Mar. 11, 2009

BEREA — What if the energy supplies, food systems and other foundations of our modern economy and lifestyle suddenly changed? How would your community cope?

It’s a notion more of us have been thinking about during the past year. We saw gasoline spike to $4 a gallon last summer, then watched our consumption-driven economy slide into a deep recession.

Berea is one of nearly 150 communities around the world participating in a project called Transition Town. It is a citizen-driven effort to develop local strategies for coping with inevitable change in energy supplies and economic conditions that are no longer sustainable or good for the planet.

THE REST OF THE STORY: http://tomeblen.bloginky.com

Getting Down to Work Workshop

Sunday, May 31, 4 pm to 6 pm

Public Library, Chestnut St.

Early in 2009, Transition Town Berea (TTB) became the world’s 134^th official Transition Initiative, signifying a community working to increase its resilience to external energy, economic and environmental shocks. One of the efforts that gained TTB this recognition was the development of 36 recommendations for action by the city that were presented last November to a public meeting attended by about 90 people.

Since that time, a group of members of Sustainable Berea have been studying The Transition Handbook and discussing next steps for TTB.  Listed below are 8 initiatives that should be easy to implement. In fact, groundwork has been laid in most of these proposals.

On May 31, we invite all people who want to move into action to join us. Our task is to select two or three of these 8 steps that we can address immediately.  Transitioning Berea is a total community effort and we welcome anyone interested in this exciting and important work!

Energy

Planning and implementation of an expanded 2009 Berea Solar Tour (October 3) to maximize its effectiveness in promoting the use of solar energy in Berea.

Promote alternatives to dependence on a private car such as organized ride share programs and zip car community car sharing programs.

Economy

Evaluate the potential for alternative mediums of exchange such as a local currency or a Local Exchange Trading System (LETS) for Berea.

Compile and publish a directory of local businesses.

Food

Establish a Community Task Group to conduct an analysis of food security issues in Berea and to develop a plan for Berea’s food security in 2025.

Compile and distribute a Local Food Directory

Propose and promote changes to the Berea Livestock Ordinances to support the keeping of backyard chickens.

Organize a raised bed project to construct and sell 100 raised beds to increase Berea’s local food production.