 RENEWABLE
 ENERGY Ely Homestead, Rossie TECHNOLOGY * Sachno Homestead, Crary Mills (Potsdam/Canton), NY * The LLV defines "appropriate technology" as using the lowest and wisest resource inputs possible. We honor that "high" technology sometimes is the most appropriate, while at other times the healthier and least resource intensive methods will involve low-tech means: animal and human-power and so on. Apparently there are some who define this term as eschewing modern technology altogether, which we at the LLV find to be neither a positive nor a constructive approach for our work, though we honor people's choices for themselves. Our Energy Future Working Group is hard at work creating a brand new series of learning opportunities as part of our Local Living Venture / Rural Skills Workshops. Join our team! Or, check back for forthcoming details below and on our Workshops & Events page! UPCOMING EVENTS Home Tour Rocket Stove Mass Heater, Innovative Heating Option Sunday, February 3, 2013, 1-3 pm, near Canton Join us on this tour as a follow up to the "fire science" and "wood heat innovations" portions of our recent Renewable Energy Extravaganza! View the rocket stove mass heater in action! It was built at a home about 10 miles from Canton during an intensive three day Rural Skills Workshop, involving over 25 participants, in September of 2012. RSVP
is necessary for location information. There is a suggested donation
of $5 for anyone able to contribute to keep Local Living Venture programs going strong. Email us to RSVP for your spot -- we will send you the location and other information. LocalLivingVenture@gmail.com LOCAL EVENTS OF NOTE Rocket Stove Mass Heater Instructional DVD You can help to "crowdsource" (many small contributions funding a worthy project) a new Rocket Stove Instructional DVD by Calen Kennett, with Erica and Ernie (workshop leaders for our rocket stove demonstration project!) You can sample it on this Kickstarter.com promo clip. The end product will be a complete step-by-step instructional video on one of their most useful designs. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/673303251/rocket-stove-instructional-dvd The deadline is Feb 5th for all pledges to come in. If the fundraiser clears its goal the DVD will launch by summer. There is also a brand-new booklet on the Art of Fire as an incentive for this fundraiser. It's being pre-sold at the above link as well. Rocket Stove Mass Heater Demonstration Project Our Demonstration Project (near Canton, NY) is toured regularly. Check the Workshops & Events page to see if another tour is scheduled soon! If you are on our mailing list (approximately 3 notices per month are sent out) you will receive advance word of these events! Write us at LocalLivingVenture@gmail.com to be added to the mailing list. Check out this 7 minute video of the finished rocket stove:
A Look at Chelle Lindahl's Rocket Mass Heater Video made by Oliver Asselin, learn more about Oliver and his work at possible.org RESOURCES see below for Past Events A pretty comprehensive article on HOW TO START A FIRE (yes, that's withOUT matches, thank you!) reprinted at the site (click on link above) with permission from When Technology Fails, published by Chelsea Green, 2008. NOTE: Author Mat Stein was a Featured Speaker at our Local Living Festival in 2011. Interested in solar power for your home but need a primer in the basics? Go to http://homepower.com/basics/solar!! These folks have been writing the book, or in this case, magazine about all things "renewable in energy (not just solar) since 1987. For a good mix of beginner and advanced information check out Home Power Magazine for Solar, Wind, and other renewable energy sources for home and business. Check out the latest issue of the magazine by clicking their name above. St. Lawrence County, NY "One-Stop-Shopping" for all things "Energy Efficient" (click on the logo for www.RenewSLC.org) SUNY Canton has
a Building Analyst training course which can lead to BPI
Certification. "Building Analyst" will introduce you to the building
science field for residential housing. You can continue with Envelope
Professional or Heating Professional to be accredited with BPI (Buidling
Performance Institute), allowing you to offer NYSERDA incentives to
your customers. Arthur Garno '78, Program Coordinator, CREST Energy Task Force in St. Lawrence County and Region -- works on all things energy-related locally. Contact Ann Heidenreich at heidenreichann@gmail.com. Green-Trust A stalwart of the North Country Sustainable Energy Fair, Steve Spence's website is a great resource chock-full of interesting DIY, tutorials and information! Steve has moved south for now, so may not be available for projects in the North Country for the foreseeable future, but his site is well worth perusing regardless. www.green-trust.org/freebooks Energy Clearinghouse website for St. Lawrence County and Region http://ncenergyclearinghouse.blogspot.com Local (North Country of New York) Contractors:
Energy Efficiency (and Renewables!): Loads of useful information on this comprehensive government resource site. www.energysavers.gov/your_home Federal & State Tax Incentives for Energy Efficiency: Federal Tax credits for solar energy systems, water heaters, and insulation. www.dsireisa.org
Considering Solar Power?
Solar Resources, Definitions, Loans, and More www.greenamericatoday.org/pubs/realgreen/articles/affordablesolar.cfm Solar Energy: Free solar energy webinars every Wednesday votesolar.org/resources/get-some-sun-solar-webinarsSolar Savings: Solar Hot Water Resources & Explanations :
Have a Leasing Company Install Your Grid-Tied Solar Power System for Free? Leases & Power Purchase Agreements (PPA's) Note that these are not yet happening in our region of NY State, though they could begin at any time. The way it works: a dealer installs a system at your home under contract for 15 to 30 years. The system is sized to create as much power as you use, on average. You still are hooked up to National Grid and receive a bill from them for basic service and delivery of any electricity you use -- beyond what your solar panels created and fed into their grid. You receive a second bill each month from the leasing company charging you for the power you used that month; power that was created with your leased system. Note that contracts generally are in the 13.5 cents per Kw range, which is not cheaper than National Grid BUT you get that same price for the life of the contract -- see if you get that with National Grid over dozens of years! There is more you need to know! There is a difference between a Lease and a PPA, as explained in this thorough article. If your home is not appropriate for this program, there's a larger community-based option, but it will take some doing! "Community-Owned Solar Gardens" are another way to shift to locally produced, renewable energy by buying into a community array and receiving credits on their monthly utility bills. See also "Solar Gardens" http://www.greenamerica.org/pubs/greenamerican/articles/SeptOct2011/community-owned-solar-gardens.cfm Solar Buying Co-ops http://www.greenamerica.org/pubs/greenamerican/articles/SeptOct2011/neighborhood-solar-support-groups-reap-big-savings.cfm Green Reports of Interest (2010) www.greenamericatoday.org/pubs/reports/index.cfm Five Emerging US Public Finance Models: Powering Clean-Tech Economic Growth and Job Creation www.cleanedge.com/reports/reports-jobtrends2009.php For a little fun, check out this article on PV Portability! PhotoVoltaics are everywhere now, and can do many things, including help you charge all of those other electronic devices we've come to depend on! Hydrofracking Information, compliments of Michael and Kathy Gorr at a Local Living Festival 2011 workshop. Definitely a document with a particular point of view. Click on the attachment "Hydrofracking Information 2011" at the very bottom of this page for resources. PAST EVENTS Sunday, December 2, 2012
A MASSIVE Thank You to the close to 60 volunteers involved in putting together the wonderful mini-Energy Fair on December 1! It was a great day (although pretty cold!) and many people shared and gained a LOT of useful information! We really appreciate all of the wonderful volunteer presenters who contributed their time and knowledge, as well as community members who pitched in and helped to make it happen! Our favorite quote of the day: "We go to similar shows where we pay $2,000 for a booth and don't speak to nearly as many engaged people as you attracted here, and that aren't nearly as well organized. We'll be back, and would like to have our banner out front next time as a sponsor!" Marc Andre Lemieux Solart International, Montreal, Que. Well, thank you heartily for that wonderful vote of confidence, Marc Andre! We endeavor to always earn that level of praise, and appreciate your generosity in sharing such affirming thoughts with us. Keep an eye on this page, and our Workshop Schedule page for upcoming events -- and mark your calendar for the Local Living Festival on April 27, 2013! Yours Truly, Chelle Lindahl & Krystal White, and the LLV Energy Working Group: Miles Manchester, Jackson Francisco, Al & Martha Lumley LLV Board & Staff: Jenna Brown & Rajiv Narula Small Scale Renewable Energy
& Energy Efficiency Extravaganza! New Homes, Retrofit for Older Homes & Grid Tied Power + Wood Heating Innovations Saturday, December 1, 9:30 am to 5 pm Exhibit booths will open at 9:30 am, Speakers begin at 10 am. Cooperative Ext. Learning Farm, 2043 Rt. 68, Canton, NY, 13617 Check out our interview with Todd Moe at NCPR! Solar Wind Hydro Geothermal Wood Heating Innovations Energy Efficiency & more! Confirmed Speakers
This is the confirmed schedule. As with all things, however, it may be subject to change due to circumstances beyond our control. Thank you for your patience as we've pulled this wonderful event together! 10 AM
"Crazy Jerry" Bartlett 11:15 AMWoodstoves, Rocket Mass Heaters, and the Missing Link We think the title says it all on this one! Come share in the amazing world of an North Country favorite -- tinkerer-extraordinaire "Crazy" Jerry! (Don't let his nickname fool ya!) Presenter Biography: Crazy Jerry is “just a normal Northern NY recluse with a side order of ambition." He says, "Make plans to come to the Extravaganza. You definitely won't see any of this on TV!" Jim Juczak Woodhenge Sustainability Campus Micro Hydro: Macro Benefits Is the stream/river on your property productive enough to run your own power off of a hydro system? Learn prices, brand names, the simple math behind measuring stream flow, as well as the equipment necessary to hook it up. Presenter Biography: James S. Juczak lives with his family at Woodhenge, a 55-acre intentional community. He has written several articles and books, lectures on a wide variety of self reliance topics and is an inventor extraordinaire. He also consults on off-grid energy system design. Marc-Andre Lemieux 12:30 PMSolart Group Renewables Make Dollars and Sense for Energy-Intensive Agricultural, Commercial & Home Applications Solart will share how investing in solar is both cost effective and financially intelligent for average homeowners, farmers, and small businesses -- as well as the philosophy of Solart in assisting you to meet your goals. Presenter Biography: Marc-Andre Lemieux founded Solart International 4 years ago primarily focusing on the Ontario market. Through our headquarters in downtown Montreal, we have been able to expand our operations into the US and Caribbean. Bill LaPoint, Steve Sherwood, Richard Gast NY Forest Owner's Assn. (NYFOA) Wood: The Other Renewable Fuel Comparing Benefits & Managing Forests for Home Heating Learn about the energy output of various types of wood and how they compare to other fuels. Burning wood can be used with sustainable forestry to encourage preservation of wilderness areas for future use, wildlife preservation and recreation enjoyment, as well as reduction of carbon emissions. Presenter Biographies: Bill LaPoint is the NYFOA Adirondack Chapter Chairman Steven Sherwood is a DEC Forester Richard Gast is an educator and programs assistant for Cornell Cooperative Extension of Franklin County Mark Mayhew Project Manager at NYSERDA NYSERDA's Small Scale Wind Turbine Incentive Program Mark will discuss the basics of wind energy including the different sizes of turbines and what might be right for each type of person. He will also describe how NYSERDA's incentive program works. Presenter Biography: Mark Mayhew is project manager for New York State Energy & Development Authority (NYSERDA) on-site wind turbine incentive program. Jim Juczak Woodhenge Sustainability Campus Whole Home Heating & Comfort: Tankless Water Heaters; Radiant In-Floor Heating; GeoThermal and more 1:45 PM Scott Shipley 3 PMNorthern Lights Solar Energy Benefits of the Grid-Tied Solar Community Grid-tied solar connects people to a system as well as a community. It can be simpler and less expensive to install than off-grid systems and uses the technology and components more efficiently. Grid-tied systems can now make electricity cheaper than off the grid. Learn about how grid-tie solar works, including costs and the various financial benefits and incentives. Presenter Biography: Scott Shipley is President and owner of Northern Lights Energy, Hermon, NY. Northern Lights Energy has been designing and installing on-grid and off-grid solar electric systems in St Lawrence County since 1996. Gerald Loch commercial energy auditor/evaluator for NYSERDA's Small Commercial Energy Audit Program Residential Energy Efficiency & How to Measure Progress Learn about no-cost and low-cost efficiency measures. Topics will include: "apparent temperature" computations and relative humidity; use of high velocity; low flow shower heads; appliance management; phantom power and computations of the "energy factor" to measure relative month-to-month usage. Attendees will receive a free "Energy Kit" (a value of $15). Presenter Biography: Gerald Loch is a commercial energy auditor/evaluator for NYSERDA's Small Commercial Energy Audit Program. He is also the green jobs, green New York outreach coordinator for Jefferson and St. Lawrence counties. Panel Discussion: Jackson Francisco, Chelle Lindahl, Miles Manchester, Allen Lumley Wood Heating Innovations, Fire Science, and "Rocket" Stove Technology optional feature: a tour of our recently built rocket mass heater (sign up at welcome booth!) Recently the Local Living Venture organized a weekend-long workshop where we built a low- to no-cost mass masonry heater using "rocket" stove technology, which has nothing what-so-ever to do with jet fuel! It is a highly efficient way to burn wood that saves money, makes wood heat a much safer prospect (no creosote build-up, no chance of chimney fires), and greatly enhances your comfort in the home. There's a lot to it, and yet it is the sould of simplicity -- come learn more from the folks who shared in this building process, and go see the stove in action too! Bring a bag lunch! There will not be food available on site, so please bring provisions if you plan to be here all day! Confirmed Exhibitors Exhibits will be open from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Alternative Power Solutions: www.apsofny.com Solar and wind systems for residential and commercial customers are installed here! We want to help you live an independent, and energy conscious lifestyle. We provide innovative, flexible solar power and wind power solutions that meet the pure power demands of the new energy marketplace. We want to help you take advantage of renewable energy to deliver greater freedom from an increasingly uncertain energy supply. Our goal is to raise your awareness of the benefits of living an energy conscious lifestyle. We stand behind and strongly believe in doing what is right for the environment, while making sure the chosen system matches the customers lifestyle. Shaw Family, Heuvelton
First year on grid-tied power exhibit -- see how they did, ask about how it worked! Northern Lights Solar Energy: www.nlightsenergy.com
Northern Lights Energy exists to provide expert energy solutions to businesses and individuals. In addition to understanding electrical systems, we have extensive experience analyzing all aspects of energy usage in all types of buildings. Scott has been working and living with Solar for 20 years. Primary services include: solar electric system design and installation, electrical efficiency upgrades, and complete residential electrical wiring services. NYSERDA www.nyserda.ny.gov/Renewables/Small-Wind.aspx New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) is a public benefit corporation created in 1975. Today, NYSERDA’s aim is to help New York meet its energy goals: reducing energy consumption, promoting the use of renewable energy sources, and protecting the environment. DMT Foam www.dmtfoam.com Providing spray foam insulation, blown-in cellulose insulation and energy audit services for Northern New York, Upstate NY, Thousand Islands, Adirondacks, Watertown, and the North Country. Solart Group Contractors: www.solartgroup.com Solart International is a North American solar energy company specializing in the financing, development, manufacturing, building and operation of residential and commercial turn-key solar systems. The project sizes can range from home properties to commercial and industrial building owners. Our mission is to take on the most innovative, original and customized solar installations while providing the best customer service possible. We share an impressive track record when it comes to solar panel installations, customer satisfaction, operational efficiency, far-sighted innovation in solar energy, and the participation in the culture of renewable energy in Canada and the US. New York Forest Owners Association - Northern Adirondack Chapter: www.nyfoa.org The mission of the New York Forest Owners Association (NYFOA) is to promote sustainable forestry practices and improved stewardship on privately owned woodlands in New York State. NYFOA is a not-for-profit group of people who care about NYS trees and forests and are interested in the thoughtful management of private forests for the benefit of current and future generations. SUNY Canton Alternative & Renewable Energy Systems & Center for Renewable Energy & Sustainable Technology: www.canton.edu/csoet/alt_energy/ & www.canton.edu/crest/ CREST offers training in energy and building science along with customized training! Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA) www.adirondack .org Free or reduced Energy Star program home energy assessment information Viridian Green Energy viridian.com/BrunoEnergy Save money on renewable energy. TJ Toyota, Potsdam, NY Showcasing the latest model Prius -- TJ Toyota is a family-owned automobile dealership in Potsdam, since 1980. Their goal is simple – offer you the best product at the best price available and back it up with superior customer service. Plus a personal touch to make your experience a satisfying one. Crazy Jerry's yellow bullet hybrid bike (weather dependent) Cornell Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County Provides unbiased, educational outreach to the North Country through research, education and demonstration in Food and Agricultural Systems, Life Skills, Community Enhancement, Rural Stewardship, and Youth Development. St. Lawrence CCE's vision is to be a center of dynamic educational programming which will dramatically improve the quality of life and opportunity of North Country residents. Local Living Venture Volunteer run, community-based non-profit -- organizers of year-round Rural Skills Workshops and events, the Local Living Festival (April 27, 2013!) and the upcoming Homestead Learning Community. Oh, and this Energy Extravaganza, too! Our Home Page SPECIAL FEATURE: Miles Manchester's Wooden Stove Educational Display -- it's hot stuff! ~ End of Exhibitors ~ Suggested Donation
There is a suggested minimum donation of $10 advance, $12 at the door ($5 student) to attend all of the workshops as well as have access to the vendors. Seating is limited to 45 or less per presentation, and advance purchase of tickets is suggested. You may use your credit card via PayPal (see Advance Tickets link below.) Tickets may also be purchased at the door for $12 each.
We will email our confirmation to you and the information you provide will be "at the door" to provide entry for you and your guests.
THE BRIDGE IS NOW OPEN! Please note that the bridge is back in service on Rt. 68 between Canton and the Learning Farm, there is no need to go around. General Event Information This event is geared to the average family and what might be attainable for their pocketbook, as well as showing how savings can be gained from conventional energy efficiency methods -- even by renters. For instance, various no-cost and low-cost efficiency measures such as understanding “apparent temperature” and relative humidity; the use of high velocity, low flow shower heads; appliance management; phantom power; and, how to figure out the “Energy Factor” to usefully measure month-to-month usage. An “Energy Kit”, valued at $15.00, will be given to all attendees of the NYSERDA presentation on residential energy efficiency. Emphasis will be placed in many of the workshops on rebates and incentives available to home and business owners. Many North Country homes use wood heat and seek higher efficiency, less polluting options than the stove of yesteryear. You can spend a $1000 on a high-caliber stove - and you will get your moneys worth - but you can also build a rocket stove or retrofit your existing stove for almost nothing but your time. We'll talk about all of this and everything in between...once you understand the principles of simple fire science, your heating experience may never be the same! Micro-hydro systems (there are 168 untapped "dams" in the Adirondacks that could utilize this fairly non-invasive technology to power nearby homes, for instance) Geothermal systems where you tap into the steady temperature of the earth to pre-warm or pre-cool the air that will be forced through your HVAC equipment. Small wind systems can be purchased for as little as $1000, making them affordable for most families with a DIY-er on board, or with friends who are. Used components can make solar electricity dead cheap. It's not so expensive anymore to begin with, even new. Depending on your budget, and whether you're already "on the grid" with the power company, this technology is definitely coming in to it's own, price-wise. Crazy Jerry's bright yellow bullet hybrid bike and other transportation alternatives may also be on display (weather dependent) for you to talk to them about. All this and so much more will be on display or shared by presenters. JOIN US! Advance Tickets WebPage: http://www.sustainablelivingproject.net/donations-volunteers-sponsorship Volunteer webpage: www.sustainablelivingproject.net/renewable-energy-appropriate-technology/volunteer
Northeast Green Buildings Open House (GBOH)  Saturday, October 13, 2012, 9 am - 4 pm NESEA’s Green Buildings Open House (GBOH), held annually in October, is the biggest sustainable energy event in the northeastern United States. In 2011, nearly 11,000 people toured 500 homes, businesses, and public buildings showcasing energy-efficient design, systems, and products, as well as renewables. The LLV/SLP is serving as an organizer for this event in our region. Nationally many more homes are toured a week before the Northeast version we are hosting, through the American Solar Energy Association. These free tours are on an Open House basis and will be held in various locations throughout St. Lawrence County and as far west as Wellesley Island in Alexandria Bay and as far east as Ellenburg Depot. We will post more information about specific tours as details become available. For more information check out the GBOH website: http://www.nesea.org/gboh/ If you are interested in hosting a tour contact us at: SustLivingProject@gmail.com Masonry Rocket Stove Intensive Workshop Weekend of September 22, 2012 Presenters: Ernie & Erica Wisner Near Canton, NY -- 2-1/2 hours from Kingston, Ont. Build a cob masonry heater using rocket stove technology!! Up to 20 participants are invited to join in this 2-1/2 day intensive build. The fee is $150 per person, less for those who contribute to the planning process. Primitive camping is available free on site, with one empty cabin available free as well, also primitive. Some meals included and lots of camaraderie with fellow rocket scientists. See also: http://www.ernieanderica.info/earthenmaterials, www.richsoil.com/rocket-stove-mass-heater.jsp Plans are to showcase this DIY build during the nationwide renewable energy tours, being hosted in the North Country of New York by the Local Living Venture: Green Buildings Open House (clickable link) Saturday, October 13, 2012 (see full listing below) The site where the stove will be built is in the registry of Green Home Tours and is an off-grid solar-powered abode with Swedish gutters for rain water collection, a composting outhouse, and many interesting features in the small intentional community where it is situated. Solar Home Tour / Grape Vine Planting Work Party
April 21, 2012, 9am - through out the day, Potsdam NY Lou and Sandy Maine will be your co- hosts at their off grid solar homestead outside Parishville. Also co- hosting later in the afternoon will be Matt Whalen, Owner of High Peaks Winery, in Parishville NY. Lou and Sandy Maine have been living off the grid since 1982 and have a hybrid system of solar panels, diesel generator and battery storage. They use wood heat and have pre-heated wood heated hot water system. They also raise chickens and pigs and have a large garden with vegetables and storage crops. The home tour will take place at 9 am. After the tour there will be an optional Back Yard Vineyard Planting Work Party, which will begin some time after the tour will go until 1pm, followed by a bag lunch ( bring your own lunch please) and more planting from 2-5pm followed by a wine tasting with High Peaks Winery and a barbecue of farm-raised meat. Please bring a dish to pass if you plan to stay for supper (vegetarians welcome, despite the BBQ.) We will be planting 5 cold hearty test varieties of grapes for a total of 125 vines. If weather is inclement the workshop will be postponed until April 28th.If you are interested in signing up the home tour and optional work party contact us by phone at 315.347.4223 or email us to RSVP. Attendance is limited and you must RSVP. Suggested donation of $10 to $20, sliding scale, $5 student - scholarships available when you RSVP. North Country Clean Energy Conference June 21-22, 2012, Lake Placid Conference Center (not an LLV coordinated event) Registration is now open for the inaugural North Country Clean Energy Conference! The idea for this conference came out of the winning North Country Economic Development Council Plan’s vision and goals that called for “Creating the Greenest Energy Economy in the State.” Following a presentation at the North Country Symposium in late 2011, a team of committed individuals started working on developing a conference to identify the projects and investments that will help the region achieve its Clean Energy vision. Taking place at the stunning new Conference Center in Lake Placid (NY), the conference will begin Thursday, June 21 at 5 p.m. with networking, a student poster session and other activities. Dinner will be served at 6:30. Friday’s session is a full day, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., featuring workshops in five areas: solar, wind, hydro, biomass and conservation. There will also be an opportunity for input to the NYSERDA-funded Cleaner Greener Communities Sustainability Plan for the North Country. All meals are included in the admission fee, which is $50 until May 15. After that, the price goes up to $65. Register now by following this link: http://tinyurl.com/c2s5pnb Presenters and Sponsors sought: Contact Dan Mason, Conference Director at dhmason.uppermeadow@gmail.com. Conference Host: ANCA, 518-891-6200, anca@adirondack.org Green Home & Garden / Farm Tours
Living Roof, 30' Yurt & Garden Planting Party Saturday, May 28, 2011, Garden-10 AM, BYOBag Lunch-noon, Tour-1 PM Green Home Tour Visit a Living Roof and a Yurt home near Potsdam and meet with the builder/growers! View an Asian-style storage building with an attached carport that is a thin-shelled concrete living roof supporting an ornamental and vegetable garden. You can also tour the 30' yurt home and ask questions about life in the round. Here's the link to Todd Moe's interview with our hosts, on NCPR. Directions: Click here for a map to the Gardens (see below) - which is where we'll park for the Tour as well. Wear boots for crossing a wet field! Garden Planting Party Help plant out transplant seedlings -- the traditional way to spend Memorial Day weekend in the North Country! Learn from experienced gardeners and help create part of Cecilie's Garden this year. UShare, a community service project managed by Canton's Unitarian Universalist Church plants hundreds of seedlings every year, tending and harvesting for donation to area food pantries. You will learn about planting out seedlings, raised beds, drip irrigation, and proper mulching. This will take place at the the cooler time of 10 AM, with the nearby tour at 1 in the afternoon. Bring a bag lunch for noon break or zip into town on your bike (!? lovely hint!) See the link above for directions. Suggested donation (for the Tour only) is $10 to $20, sliding scale, $5 student - scholarships available. By reservation only, please RSVP for location and other information. Please note if you are interested in the "free" Gardening event, the "donation-basis" Tour, or both. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
This series of monthly tours features only one tour in a day. They are much more intensive and "whole-homestead" than previous (more renewable energy-related) tours. Energy, building systems, agriculture, cottage industries, land management, animals/livestock, and more will be covered as befits the host home that month. Some tours will also feature an optional "work day" event where you can help out with a project that is useful to the household and educational for you! Check back for updates of new events - usually on the last weekend of a given month, or thereabouts. Bookmark www.SustainableLivingProject.net/workshops-groups GREEN HOME TOUR! The first of monthly tour events upcoming! CRAZY JERRY'S CREATIVE OFF-GRID RETROFIT HOME SATURDAY APRIL 23, 2011, Noon Crazy Jerry's on the tour again! His presentation will focus on a nuts-and-bolts approach to Off-Gridding your older decrepit, non-energy star home -- in this case showcasing some very unique items. See how some of the oldest technology, simply and elegantly mingles with the new to provide the domestic amenities we love in a tinkerers treasure trove of a home. By the end of the tour, you'll be hot on the trail to start your very own endeavor -- within your skills and your budget. Here's a teaser list that should get you talking: Mobile-mounted Solar Panels, Sine-Wave inverter/Chargers, Batteries, 375 rpm in-house Diesel Co-Gen, Human Power!, Staber Washer, Spin-X Dryer, Sundanzer Refrigerator, Demand Water Heater and a fire truck extension ladder windmill tower ready for deployment. You'll also take in the in-house bicycle generator setup, the North Country's only bio-diesel powered motorcycle (115+ mpg!), sine wave inverter shootout AND a 3 minute spin dryer demo. New this Spring is a hotttt yellow human-electric hybrid full-bodied tricycle dubbed "The Aurora Project" (see pic on our Green Home Tours page!) If you're a tinkerer, and even if you're not, you will never forget this tour! Crazy Jerry says, "Make plans to come to the Green Homes Tour -- you definitely won't see any of this on TV!" Pre-register for this tour at SustLivingProject@gmail.com or by calling 315-347-4223. Suggested donation of $10 to $20, sliding scale, $5 student. Limited attendance, and it fills up fast! Exact address and directions will be sent to registered attendees. |
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ENERGY - Renewables |
