Sustainable Berea » News

Sustainable Berea Awarded a Federal Stimulus Grant

Becky McCane — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 13:33:00 +0000

Sustainable Berea has been awarded a federal stimulus grant of $6,500 through the Foothills Compassion Capital Fund Project to survey residents of Berea about their knowledge about issues related to sustainability. Through interviews with multiple segments of the population, SB will talk with people who have the potential to become active volunteers and future leaders in the organization.

Stephanie Harris, project coordinator, said “We will look at a variety of issues, among them people’s knowledge levels and the barriers for some groups to become involved with our projects. We will interview minority groups, teens and the elderly as well as business owners, members of other non-profits and civic leaders”.

The project must be completed by the end of September 2010.

As a requirement for the grant, Foothills is offering a series of classes that build capacity within non-profit organizations. These classes are open to the public and any organizations or individuals interested in attending can contact Sustainable Berea at: info@sustainableberea.org or call 985-1689.

“The quality of the classes is extremely high,” Harris said. “Foothills has secured some of the best people in the state to teach on topics ranging from fund-raising and board development to budgeting and marketing. We hope others in Berea will want to take advantage of these free classes”.

For a complete list of the classes, click HERE.

Sustainable Berea helps send local delegates to the BALLE Conference

Becky McCane — Sun, 23 May 2010 21:59:26 +0000

Sustainable Berea helped sponsor three local business persons who attended the BALLE conference in Charleston, South Carolina on May 21 – 23.

The Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE) is North America’s fastest growing network of socially responsible businesses, comprised of over 80 community networks with over 21,000 independent business members across the U.S. and Canada.

BALLE is helping these businesses flourish in their local economies and leveraging the power of local networks to build a web of economies that are community-based, green, and fair –local living economies.

The Berea delegates included:
Adam Walker of Berea Coffee and Tea;
Suzanne Robinson and Kristin Dalessio, both of the Appalachian Crafts Store.

Board member, Peter Hackbert, was instrumental in working with the business community to get this Berea delegation to the BALLE conference.

The rigorous program for the 8th Annual BALLE Business Conference focused on effective, applicable examples and best practices that can immediately put to use in local communities. The Berea delegates are required to give two public presentations on what they learned at the conference and how this information can be used to strengthen the local economy of Berea.

We look forward to hearing more from the Berea delegates upon their return to Berea. Details on the presentations will be posted as soon as they become available.

Transition Town Berea Featured in YES! Magazine

Becky McCane — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 04:11:25 +0000

Towns Rush to Make Low-Carbon Transition
…
The college town of Berea, Kentucky, one of the fastest growing communities in the state, is seeing its subdivisions expand and its farmland disappear. But one group of residents is making plans to help the community end its reliance on fossil fuels.

Read more in YES!

Dinner will celebrate bounty of farmers within 100 miles

James McWhorter — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 03:08:48 +0000

By Ron Mikulak

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…

3rd Annual 100-mile Potluck and Live Auction

James McWhorter — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 01:00:53 +0000

^{Time: 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm}

^{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