MOTTO: Sharing Knowledge from the Past ~ Building Skills for the Future
Vision Statement
We envision a thriving community life and regionally-based economy in the North Country. Mission Statement The Local Living Venture is working towards a resilient regional economy through community education, rural skills-building, and dynamic infrastructure development. The specific, mid to long-term goals of the Local Living Venture are: to create the Local Living Venture Center -- a Community & Agricultural Resource Depot that serves the community as a whole as well as rural enterprises and other non-profits working within our mission framework. Local Food for Local Folks The eventual goal is to create a Homestead Learning Community with a core curriculum based on growing, eating and preserving food, renewable energy systems, "green" building, and traditional rural skills. History The Sustainable Living Project (SLP) formed in the Autumn of 2009 when several of the key organizers of the now-defunct but highly successful annual North Country Sustainable Energy Fair partnered with the original creator of the Fair (way back in 1992) and decided that it was time to take it one step further. We are enthused to put on a new event that harkens back to the "roots" of the 17-year strong Energy Fair -- with an emphasis on "appropriate technology" (be it human-power or hi-tech!) and on further strengthening an already vibrant local community of homesteaders and other seekers of simpler ways to live, in town or in the countryside.Name Change We feel that the word sustainable can be perceived as too academic and/or too much of
a buzzword. It has a lot of baggage associated with it for some
folks. It can turn off people who are on the margins of interest in
these new/old ways of living, who are the very ones we are trying to reach with
our message. We began the process of re-visioning our message in April of 2012 and it culminated in the Fall of that year with the decision to change our name from the Sustainable Living Project to the Local Living Venture. Celebration! A dynamic organization has resulted from this initial seedcorn of an idea and other community members have joined the organizing efforts. There is a core coordinating group of 25-30 volunteers (more always welcome!) working on the various projects of the LLV, culminating in the third semi-annual Local Living Festival ~ A Celebration of Resourceful Living, to be held April 27, 2013 at the Learning Farm of the Cornell Cooperative Extension, 2043 SH 68, near Canton, NY, 13617. Sustainability doesn't happen just one day a year! Our year-round programs are the core of our work in the community and inform our creativity as a project through our emphasis on "open learning" -- the idea that we all have knowledge, skills and information to share with each other. Expertise is sought and honored from both the "experts" and YOU at all LLV events. Each one of us can implement personal changes toward
earth-friendly living - from installing low-flow shower heads to going
off the electricity
grid altogether. The LLV creates venues to promote long-term sustainability -- in
the
North Country of New York and beyond -- with emphasis on sharing
practical
low-cost and creative solutions that ordinary people can use in their
own apartment, farmhouse, business and social realms. 
We work to inspire and
Click to View Partnerships * Networks * Collaborations Click to View 2011 Annual Report (unabridged) Click to View 2010 Annual Report (unabridged) Chelle Lindahl, SLP Co-Coordinator, Administrative / Year-Round Events & Programs Melinda Ely, SLP Co-Coordinator, Finance / Fundraising / Volunteers Rajiv Narula, Project Organizer (Independent Contractor) Krystal White, Education and Outreach Facilitator (Independent Contractor) Sherry Long, Research & Technical Writing Associate (Independent Contractor) The Sustainable Living Project Team 2011 (includes Local Living Festival 2011 Coordinating Committee members) Chelle Lindahl, SLP Co-Coordinator, Administrative / Year-Round Events & Programs Melinda Ely, SLP Co-Coordinator, Finance / Fundraising / Volunteers Rajiv Narula, Project Organizer (Independent Contractor) Alyssa Lemmerman, SUNY Potsdam Experiential Learning Intern Paul Pickens, Recording Secretary & Major Donors Jacki DeGraw, Exhibitor Coordinator, Outreach Staffing & Hospitality at our monthly Gatherings Jim Christensen, Benefit Concert Logistics Viki Christensen, Program Creation, Outreach & Graphics Mark Berninghausen, BeeKeeping Discussion Group Co-Coordinator Lynne Ross, North Country Library System Interface Coordinator Betsy Hodge, Local Food Vendors & CCE Liaison Susan Dillon, Outreach Staffing, Workshop Recruitment & Zero Waste Arthur Freeheart, Outreach Staffing & Welcome Booth Administration Rosalind Ilett, Outreach Staffing, Zero Waste & Festival Hospitality Valarie Hallett, Outreach Staffing, Zero Waste & Workshop Presenter Bali MacKentley, Outreach Staffing & Zero Waste Raamitha Pillay, Outreach Staffing, Children's Workshops & Signage Bill & Katherine Brown -- Campus Sustainability Summit Coordinators Krystal White, GIS Mapping, Festival Evaluation, Liaison to SUNY Potsdam Middle Ground Sue Cypert, Workshop Recruitment Miles Manchester, Outreach Staffing & all-around top Volunteer Setanta O'Cellaigh, Outreach Staffing & Brainstormer Extraordinaire Jacob Reid, Photography & Videography Robin McClellan, Benefit Concert Coordinator Patti Hogle, Children's Tent Coordinator Bob Shepherd, Parking & Admissions Coordinator Vanessa Bittner, Exhibitor Assistance & Digital Cogitator Donna Seymour, Liaison to WCKN-TV and Excellent Networking Sherry Long, Themba PR, Outreach Staffing, Media Relations plus the Experiential Learning Interns of SUNY Potsdam and The Community Based Learning students of St. Lawrence University. Local Living Festival 2011 Committees Exhibitors/Demonstrators -- Jacki DeGraw + Vanessa Bittner Speakers & Workshops -- Rajiv Narula, Chelle Lindahl, Susan Dillon, Sue Cypert, Alyssa Lemmerman Fundraising -- Melinda Ely + Rajiv Narula, Chelle Lindahl & Paul Pickens Major Donations -- Paul Pickens Children's Activities -- Patti Hogle, Raamitha Pillay & Krystal White Parking & Admissions -- Bob Shepherd & Henry Seig Signage -- Raamitha Pillay Program Creation -- Viki Christensen GIS Festival Mapping Coordination -- Krystal White Farmer's Market -- Betsy Hodge Hospitality -- Rosalind Illet Food Vendors -- Betsy Hodge Home Tours -- NEEDED Media & PR -- Chelle Lindahl & Sherry Long Evaluations -- SUNY Potsdam's Middle Ground Volunteer Coordination -- Melinda Ely & Rajiv Narula Campus Sustainability Summit -- Bill & Katherine Brown Community Supported Ag (CSA) Display Creation -- Alyssa Lemmerman Zero Waste -- Alyssa Lemmerman, Rosalind Ilett, Valarie Hallett, Bali MacKentley, Susan Dillon, Arthur Freeheart Contact Us   |
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