National Center For Appropriate Technology Latest News

All the latest in green community development news in the most recent issue of o...

http://www.facebook.com/ — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 3:55:41 -0600

All the latest in green community development news in the most recent issue of our Smart Growth Online newsletter: Study shows houses near public transportation retained value, rail travel triumphs over air for short distances, and biking to work or school is even healthier for you. Read these and more news here: http://bit.ly/10Q3GTT.Smart Growth Online -- Newsletter for April 3, 2013campaign.r20.constantcontact.comThe Local Government Commission has announced that PDF files of presentations given at the 12th Annual New Partners for Smart Growth Conference in Kansas City are now available [...]

New Tool to Spur Economic Development through Food Businesses Released

https://attra.ncat.org/calendar/br_news.php — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 11:57:27 -0600

Communities interested in fostering economic development around local and regional food can find examples and how-to information in Food Innovation Districts: An Economic Gardening Tool. The new resource from the Northwest Michigan Council of [...]

Sage Mountain Center Offering Renewable Energy Workshop Series

http://www.montanagreenpower.com/blog/blog1.php — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 7:35:00 -0600

Sage Mountain Center has announced a series of five renewable energy workshops during April. The two-hour workshops will covers solar electricity, solar hot water, small wind generation, financing, rebates, and ways to sell power back to the power company. There will also be demonstration equipment, handouts, and time for questions and answers. See the schedule and locations at www.sagemountain.org/workshops/index.html.Original post blogged on [...]

Butter Making in Billings

http://www.montanafoodcorps.org/ — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 11:47:00 -0600

Madyson Versteeg is a service member in Billings. The first day of spring—the Vernal Equinox—inevitably brings with it a sense of renewal and hope for growth. Since January, we have been sifting through seed catalogs, drawing out garden plans, and planning garden work days for the coming spring. Toscano Kale, King Richard Leeks, and Bull's Blood Beets have become common vocabulary. We shared pictures of fruits and vegetables fresh from Johnny's seed catalog and identified seeds straight from their packets.We're ready for spring but first planting is still weeks away. So, I spent the last few days waiting by making bread and butter! As we not-so-patiently waited for that first spring day, we got some jitters out by shaking things up; shaking cream up, specifically, to make butter. Late winter seemed like the perfect time to get some last minute cooking in before getting back out in the garden. The kids [...]

Growing Inside & Out

http://www.energycorps.org/blog — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 10:40:16 -0600

Audrey Todd, Energy Corps member serving with Imagine Grinell in Iowa, had the opportunity to attend a Growing Power workshop in Milwaukee. MILWAUKEE, Wisc. – I arrived in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on a foggy evening.� I had dreamed the fog would clear by morning, the sun would come out, and spring would be here. Alas, I woke up to a light dusting of snow and below freezing weather; it's a good thing I brought my big winter coat.� Any other time in the winter, this morning would have been picturesque. I would have planned a day of sipping hot cocoa and snuggling into a giant comforter. It is easy to say that it is not the kind of morning you expect to have on your way to a training workshop on urban farming, but Growing Power isn't what you expect.� It's about dismantling preconceived notions.� To quote Will Allen, CEO & [...]

Strategic Lessons in Sustainable Community Building

http://www.smartgrowth.org/engine/index.php/resources/ — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 10:22:00 -0600

This report by Groundwork USA highlights ten case studies from communities that are working to become more equitable and sustainable through community engagement in reclaiming brownfields, urban rivers, and vacant spaces. For more information: [...]

Putting the Pieces Together

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 1:35:59 -0600

By Kathy Blaha. Originally published on City Parks Blog on March 14, 2013, as part of a series on public-private partnerships and parks. City Park Blog is a joint effort of the Center for City Park Excellence at the Trust for Public Land and the City Parks Alliance to chronicle the news and issues of the urban park movement. Since January I've spoken with leaders at city parks and their partners from Rose Kennedy Greenway in Boston all the way to Caras Park in Missoula, Montana, studying park conservancies, BIDs and downtown associations in partnership with city and state agencies to manage, maintain, program and fund public parks - mostly downtown parks. I've been thinking about those interviews and the research that I've done and trying to pull out the lessons and commonalities about these partnerships. So far, I think lessons fall into three groups: Governance and the art of partnering Programs and [...]

Bozeman Local Food Fair April 8

http://farmtocafeteria.ncat.org — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 3:08:18 -0600

Come to Bozeman on April 8 for the 7th Annual Local Food Fair! [...]