farm bill news, CoV & 2gs gulabi gang benefit show

Dear Friends,

Thanks to all who came to the Make-Out Room show on Sunday. We (Conspiracy of Venus) are singing again this Saturday (5/3) at the Fort Gallery in Oakland, as a benefit for the Gulabi Gang, with Two Gallants and the Deciders. If you're staying in SF, please check out a few other great 5/3 show options in the events list above. And many more this week and beyond.

But wait! Before you get out your calendar, here's an important & condensed farm bill update (thanks to Tim Frank):

At the 11th hour, after staring at the possibility of simply renewing the current seriously flawed farm bill, House and Senate leaders finally broke their impasse this last weekend, reaching a tentative agreement on a new farm bill that would include many reforms we have fought hard for. These include significant new funding for food security, conservation, specialty crop and working lands conservation programs. This is good news, but not reason to rest easy. Lawmakers have this week to finalize major policy details, and absolutely nothing is guaranteed, so our continued engagement is critical. What they decide on this week could be the law of the land for the next 5 years. The tentative agreement calls for significant new mandatory money for many conservation and nutrition programs, but a number of important programs that support local food systems are awarded only discretionary funds which require approval every year and are much less dependable. We would like to make funding mandatory for the Farmers Market Promotion Program, Community Food Project grants and the Healthy Food Enterprise Development Center. These programs are needed to support new and expanded farmers markets, access to healthy food in underserved communities, and loans to rebuild local and regional food systems. If you have a chance to call your congressperson, let them know that funding for these local food systems should be mandatory. (If you're in SF, contact Speaker Nancy Pelosi.)

Now, please take a look at the just-updated list of bay area food/farming/music/movement & occasional art/social justice events above!!

xo
jessie

एअर्थ वीक

Dear friends:

Earth Day is quickly approaching; do you know where your reusable bags are?

Thanks to Alex Felsinger for the Guardian pieces this week highlighting the botticellis & their surfing habitsannouncing their record release of Old Home Movies as well as a mention of the Alemany Farm Earth Day Potluck featuring acoustic sets by the greenhouse from the Botticellis, Slow Motion Cowboys (w/ Pete from Trainwreck Riders), Leyna Noel, Vanessa Verlee & Jeremy Rourke.

Next weekend, head up to Marin for the Spring Fling at Slide Ranch! Celebrate the season at this farm-on-the-ocean with live music, local organic cuisine, and farm and craft activities for all. Volunteers are still needed! Email Annie by Monday April 21st if you want to help ~ anniem@slideranch.org.

A few food/farm related articles to check out:
}Guardian piece (go green issue!) about school gardens and kids' relationship w/ food
}SF Chronicle piece about the negative health effects of aerial spraying for LBAM
}LA Times editorial editorial about some of the environmentally harmful, wasteful practices that need to be removed from the Farm Bill. Call your representatives and Senators to express your concern. We may find out today (or soon) whether we will have a new Farm Bill or have to live with the old one for two more years, which would be tragic.

Choir show update:
Conspiracy of Venus is playing Sunday April 27th at the Make-Out Room, with Kacey Johansing and the Hallflowers and Saturday May 3rd in Oakland at the Fort Gallery with Two Gallants, Trainwreck Riders, the Deciders, and Ted the Block, to benefit the Gulabi Gang. We would love to see you there!

A couple more things:
I am starting to teach Beginner's yoga classes at 848 Divisadero on alternating Tuesdays. Email if you want more info, or check this list for updates. Raw foodluck to occur sometime in May.

Happy earth week!

Namaste,
Jessie

हेल्प एंड स्वेअत्शोप कोन्दिशन्स & मोदेर्ण-डे स्लावेरी इन थे अग्रिकुल्तुरल industry

dear friends,

a few announcements;

Action Alert: To help end sweatshop conditions & modern-day slavery in the agricultural industry, from the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, click following link to sign national petition (http://www.fairfoodnation.org/petition). The Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), a grassroots farmworker organization based in South Florida, has launched a national petition campaign calling on Burger King and other food industry leaders to improve the wages and working conditions of farmworkers, and to support an industry-wide effort to end human rights violations and modern-day slavery in Florida's fields. Please add your voice to this petition by April 25th.

If you haven't seen it yet, check out this SF Chronicle article about Guerilla Gardening, featuring the Bus Stop House Garden (interview w/ Justin Valone) and Alemany Farm (interview w/ Antonio Roman-Alcala): http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/03/29/HOPOVBK0B.DTL

A couple of shows were recently confirmed for the choir, Conspiracy of Venus: We are performing Sunday April 27th at the Make-Out Room with Kacey Johansing and the Hall Flowers. We would love to see you there. Also, please save the date (May 3rd) for a benefit show at the new Oakland location of the Fort Gallery. Donations will go towards the Gulabi Gang (click link to read article). Music by the Conspiracy of Venus, Two Gallants, Trainwreck Riders, the Deciders, and Ted the Block.

Last but not least, don't forget about the Botticellis' CD Release show THIS Friday at Cafe Du Nord, and the Alemany Farm Earth Day Potluck/BBQ on SATURDAY April 19th!

events are above, check back for updates. i still don't know how to change the language in the title ~ oh well.
love,
jessie

वायस टू सलेब्राते थे एअर्थ इन माय.

dear friendly people,
here are some plugs of things to consider। thanks for reading, and happy earth awareness month. if anyone knows how to change the language in the title, let me know, it (blog universe) won't let me type in english up there. ~jessie

announcements:

1) Earth Share of California has designated the month of April as Environmental Awareness Month (EAM!) in order to increase public awareness about the importance of living an environmentally sustainable lifestyle. Though we realize that taking care of the earth is quite essential all year round, we are focusing on this month ~ with the highlights of Earth Day (4/22) and National Reusable Bag Day (4/21). The goal, of course, is to encourage citizens from every walk of life to conserve, recycle, and reduce the carbon footprints they create in their everyday lives. Details at www.earthshareca.org.

2) Put your money towards bonnets not bombs, a great new project... made by real people, not machines. each stitch has a unique thought/feeling/mistake/joke/secret... behind it. check out the website bonnetsnotbombs.etsy.com to see the pre-made bonnets or email bonnetsnotbombs@gmail.com for details on getting a custom-made one.

3) It's April, which means it's another Rainbow Grocery Co-op coupon month. You can shop at Rainbow on Wednesdays, Thursdays, or Fridays and get 20% off your whole purchase, simply by using the coupon found in the back of the Yellow Pages. It's well worth the trip, if not in your neighborhood.

4) Raw vegan food luck (a potluck alternative) coming up, on a Sunday evening in April... of course it will be on the list above when the details are finalized.

noise pop ~2/26-3/2~ plus more garden, movement, & music events

hello!

first of all, thanks to everyone who came and participated in the simple pleasures lunar eclipse february birthday celebration on wednesday. it was lots and lots of fun and hopefully worth the trek (for most of you) to the outer richmond... an extra special thank you to the botticellis, trainwreck riders, and michael musika for making time to play some of my favorite songs! it was a real treat.

secondly, for those of you who live in SF, don't forget to use your rainbow grocery coupon this month - they are found in the back of the yellow pages and are good for 20% off your whole purchase - such a deal. but only on wed, thurs, and fri, so plan accordingly if you want the discount. :) let me know if you need a coupon -i have a few extras.

thirdly, you may want to clear a space for noise pop (independent semi-local music festival) this week - tuesday through sunday! you can visit www.noisepop.com for the full schedule. some recommended shows are highlighted below... and, as a reminder (because i'm really excited about this show): conspiracy of venus, the 1-year-old all-women acapella choir i'm in, is singing at the independent on saturday march 1st, with david dondero, tulsa, and the mountain goats... it's sold out, but if you can somehow find a ticket, you should come! if you have a ticket, please get there early cuz we go first!

fourth of all (?), a reminder/recommendation to join the city garden registry at www.sfvictorygardens.org!

and now, please check out the events above!

xo
jessie

garden for the environment upcoming classes - basic organic fruit tree care on saturday

FEBRUARY 2008

BASIC ORGANIC FRUIT TREE CARE
Date: Saturday, February 9th | 10AM – 1PM
Location: Garden for the Environment, 7th Ave at Lawton Street, San Francisco.

GFE and Orchard Keepers, organic tree care experts, are teaming up for this extensive workshop diving into the world of fruit trees and organic fruit tree care. Practicing proper fruit tree care will insure you reap the fruits of your labor! Join us for a 3-hour session beginning with basic management practices such as site selection, soil preparation, pest and disease management, pruning and the masterful art of planting a bare root tree. Spend the afternoon discovering the specific care and maintenance techniques of Pome (such as apples) & Stone fruits (such as plums). $15; No one turned away for lack of funds.

To Pre-Register, please call (415) 731-5627 or email info@gardenfortheenvironment.org.

INTRODUCTION TO IRRIGATION SYSTEMS
Date: Saturday, February 23rd | 10AM – 1PM
Location: Garden for the Environment, 7th Ave at Lawton Street, San Francisco.

Join Garden for the Environment and the Urban Farmer Store for this workshop on the basics of drip irrigation. Learn from local expert and Urban Farmer Store Founder, Tom Bressan, the most effective and efficient ways to deliver water to your landscape with minimal waste! From installing irrigation systems to appropriate irrigation design, this workshop will help you conserve water at the faucet. This Water Conservation workshop is $5.

To Pre-Register, please call (415) 731-5627 or email info@gardenfortheenvironment.org.

MARCH 2008

URBAN COMPOSTING
Date: Saturday, March 1st | 10AM – 12NOON
Location: Garden for the Environment, 7th Ave at Lawton Street, San Francisco.

Don't let your food scraps go to waste! The City has found that approximately 45% of San Francisco's residential garbage is valuable organic material that can be composted into a rich fertilizer for your soil! Learn what you can do to reduce waste, save money and help the environment. This workshop will cover the basics of both backyard and worm composting, so don't miss out! FREE!

To Pre-Register, please call (415) 731-5627 or email info@gardenfortheenvironment.org.

Pie Ranch popcorn at Rural Routes Film Fest at Red Vic tonight and tomorrow

The Red Vic Movie House and Pie Ranch Join Forces in Presenting

the San Francisco Premiere of : RURAL ROUTE FILM FESTIVAL

The Red Vic will serve organic popcorn grown locally

February 5 & 6, 2008

At the SF premiere of the Rural Route Film Festival, the Red Vic Movie House will sell organic popcorn grown at Pie Ranch, a educational non-profit farm located south of Pescadero on the San Mateo Coast. Students from Mission High School have been helping to grow and shell the corn (remove the kernels from the husk).

The Rural Route Film Festival was created to highlight works that deal with rural people and places. The festival, which showcases rural themes in an urban environment, features award-winning narrative, documentary and experimental films, as well as music video. Based in New York City - one of the world's largest urban centers - the festival brings selections to other cities and small towns all around the world. This year, the Rural Route Film Festival makes its San Francisco debut at the Red Vic Movie House which is screening two programs: Rural Route Tour on Tuesday Feb. 5th and Go Organic! on Wednesday Feb. 6th.

Pie Ranch is a center for education and social change. Through hands-on learning about the full cycle of food production - from seed and shoot to scrumptious meal to steaming compost - it inspires people to build a healthier food system. While much of its activity is based on the farm, the Ranch also works in the city with individuals, organizations, businesses and public agencies to foster stronger relationships between urban and rural communities. A city-based pie shop, Mission Pie, has grown in the Mission district of San Francisco, serving as the urban link to Pie Ranch and to other local farms. Motivated to be a supportive business collaborator with Pie Ranch, the shop provides the youth employment development part of the program by hiring 9 Mission High students. Information about Pie Rance will also be provided at these showings.

The Rural Route Tour program contains both fun and serious pieces from around the world. Included are films concerning Arctic owls in Montana (Snowies, Dir. Elliot Kennerson, US); Canadian lawnmower racing (Wanderlust 2: Thunder on the Track, Dir. Walter Forsberg, Canada); vignettes of life in a small village in the Carpathian Mountains (Pictograph, Dirs. Miso and Lida Suchy, Ukraine); and the story of a plastic lawn doe who finds herself lost on the gritty streets of Brooklyn, NY (Dear Deer Dir. Alan Webber, US).
Total running time is 97 minutes.

The Go Organic! program is a new component to the Rural Route tour and is essential viewing. These films provide a refreshing education on the current state of agriculture, and point out sustainable and organic practices that we all can take part in. The Meatrix (Dir. Louis Fox, US) and Frankensteer (Dirs. Ted Remerowski & Marrin Canell, US) expose the ways of unethical farming, while Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil (Dir. Faith Morgan, Cuba) and Back to the Land…Again (Dir. Gretta Wing Miller, US) provide us with inspiring role models. Also included is Academy Award Winner for Best Student Documentary, Ladies of the Land (Dir. Megan Thompson, 2006).
Total running time is 110 minutes.

SHOW TIMES:
Rural Route Tour: Tuesday: 7:15, 9:20; Go Organic! Wednesday: 2:00, 7:00, 9:20

TICKETS:

Available starting January 28 on-line via http:www.redvicmoviehouse.com. Also available 20 min. before each screening at the Red Vic box office. $8.50 regular; $6.50 for 2:00 matinees; $5 for seniors (62 and over) and children (12 and under) at all times.