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Meeting Recaps + Information>
January 2010 Monthly Meeting Minutes
February 2, 2010
Sustainable West Milford January 2010 General Membership Meeting Notes
The meeting was held at Hillcrest Community Center on January 25, 2010.
Welcome new members, Russ, Janice and Steve!
Agenda:
• 2009 Accomplishments
• Ample Harvest Update
• Green Team Formation
• Diminishing Resources Activity
• 2010 Projects in Motion
• What do our members want to see or learn more about this year?
2009 Accomplishments and Additional Notes
Community Garden:
• More plots (38) and people involved than ever before
• 60 people learned and used new organic techniques in their gardens
• Launched Ample Harvest and AmpleHarvest.org programs – Won ANJEC Award
• Subject of NJ DEP Sustainable Community Spotlight
Medicinal Garden:
• More people involved than ever before
• Installed water catchment and supply system which is an ongoing project
• Garden was expanded with new species, new beds and new signs
• Board will be discussing opportunities for expanding the medicinal garden this year
• Garden is healthy enough that we may be able to begin harvesting herbs for medicinal use
• Looking to educate more visitors this year on medicinal uses of these plants
Farmers Market:
• Initial season drew over 14,000 shoppers and kept over $250,000 in the local economy
• Local musicians gained exposure
• Buy Local Corner gave local merchants and NFP’s terrific exposure
• Launched the Canning Club – series of 4 hands-on food preservation workshops – members in attendance at meeting hope for expansion of these workshops
• Received $600 grant from PCCHC (Passaic County Cultural & Heritage Council) for music next year – this organization supports local arts & music
• Applied for SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research Extension) grant to add electronic market and delivery option – this would allow for online ordering with pick up or local delivery, which would allow us to create local jobs
Highlands GreenFest:
• Over 1,000 Visitors
• Over 70 exhibitors
• Added more hands-on learning experiences
• Added Green Fleet Shuttle Service for attendees
• Fabulous local food
• Recognition from Sustainable Jersey as example to be followed
Community Barn Painting:
• Painted and preserved 200 year old Grist Mill at Apple Acres
• Generated over 500 volunteer hours from 70 people
• Group of High School students really enjoyed sense of community in the work
• Raised over $700 in cash and contributions of supplies and inspired a lot of community pride
• Currently pursuing grant for additional work on barn and slate roof
• Karl Stehl has some past students who have offered assistance with the slate roof
• Committee looking into several other grant opportunities and for support from local stores
Product Sales:
• Dramatic increase in product sales in 2009
• From end of August through December, profit was over $400
• Sold approximately $100 a week in products at the Farmers Market – big help in paying for our programs
Environmental Film Series:
• 6-part series running from October 2009 through March 2010
• Well publicized and received by community and effective in drawing a number of new folks
• Possibility of showing some of these films to Environmental Commission to spark action
Green Drinks West Milford:
• Networking event founded in December of 2009
• Very well received and attended drawing new folks into our sustainable community
Education for Sustainability:
• Renee Allessio, Wendy Neil and Dave Watson-Hallowell received certification as Sustainability Educators – learned about sustainability and how to teach others about it. Available to teach about what sustainability means for a community.
• SWM to be featured on Dodge Foundation Sustainability Blog & Cloud Institute NJ Learns Stories
• Registered township for Sustainable Jersey Program
• Township Green Team launched
• Training gave SWM exposure with Sustainable Jersey and allowed for helpful connections to help move programs forward
Additional Notes:
• Dave applied to Dodge Foundation for grant to cover some operating expenses – need to focus on better organization management
Ample Harvest Update:
Ample Harvest calls on gardeners to donate excess produce to local food pantries. Ample Harvest is the program in West Milford, and AmpleHarvest.org is national, mirroring that program on a larger scale. The number of registered pantries is just under 1,400 nationally and growing daily. National exposure for the program continues, with a recent interview by a Fox reporter in Kansas City.
We received a letter of appreciation from one of the local food pantries about how much it meant to them to receive fresh produce grown in our Community Garden.
Community Garden Director and Ample Harvest Founder, Gary Oppenheimer, gave a presentation to the Town Council on Ample Harvest and AmpleHarvest.org. Councilman Phil Weisbecker asked the township attorney to draw up a resolution to be approved and then distributed to communities in NJ and nearby NY endorsing AmpleHarvest.org ... with the presumed hope that they’d get the word out in their communities. The township also agreed to have both SWM and AmpleHarvest.org websites listed on the township website.
They also asked Gary to write an article for the League of Municipalities, that they’ll then submit for publication to help spread the work throughout NJ.
The USDA invited Gary to participate in a meeting called the Peoples Garden Summit – a program of the US Dept of Agriculture to help promote local growing/farming and food consumption. The keynote speaker will be the Secretary of Agriculture. It takes place in Washington, DC in February. Gary will be working to gain support for the program from the Secretary.
SWM submitted a $275,000 grant application to the USDA to support the AmpleHarvest.org program. If approved, the money should arrive in September. 10 states have been targeted to focus on.
Green Team Formation
The Green Team is a group of community members who will work to create plans the township can implement to become more sustainable and ultimately to gain Sustainable Jersey Certification. The Green Team will act as an advisory committee to the township to help get programs and projects going and will mobilize the people to make change happen. The Green Team is supported by SWM, the Town Council and the West Milford Environmental Commission. The township has been very enthusiastic about supporting our projects and sustainability initiatives.
In addition to submitting the necessary documentation for certification, one of first projects is to submit a grant for a Trails Master Plan which will review how to connect the 100 miles of trails in town with other towns, transportation, commerce areas, hiking, water and horse trails.
There are lots of opportunities to participate with at least 10 or 15 roles for team members and lots to do so come on out to be part of this important team! The next meeting February 16th, Hillcrest Community Center, 1810 Macopin Road, West Milford, Room 8, 7:30 to 9:30 pm. For more information, please contact Dave at 973-853-2139 or davidh3168@aol.com.
A Sustainability Experience
Dave facilitated an activity entitled Diminishing Resources in which the goal was for everyone to find an empty chair when the music stopped. The activity demonstrated that the strategies used did not leave us in a better place than when we started and none of the strategies worked to solve the fundamental problem. It showed we are a symptoms focused society rather than one that addresses the source of the problem. Activity prompted us to think differently. Some examples:
We are running out of oil. Rather than switching to different transportation or fuel options, we buy more fuel efficient cars, prolonging the inevitable.
Clean abundant water supply – Symptoms approach – let’s clean the water. Problem solving approach – Highlands Act – let’s preserve and protect the water so the problem no longer exists in the future.
We spend time and precious resources caring for lawn, wondering how to keep up with it– why have a lawn? Why not replace the grass with a garden, use xeriscaping or permaculture methods – this leads to less fertilizer, less water, less cutting, less work!
Another diminishing resource is money, at home, as a township – we employ cost saving strategies or make more money strategies as opposed to dealing with the fundamental problem that we’re spending too much.
A sustainable community doesn’t necessarily look” green”, but it is one that thinks differently and chooses actions that lead to a sustainable community.
2010 Projects in Motion
Organic Community Garden:
• Educational events – looking for more participation from community members who have their own gardens at home.
• Ample Harvest West Milford has volunteer opportunities
• 2010 Sign up and Orientation meeting is Wednesday, March 10th at Hillcrest Community Center at 7:00 pm. Open to all.
Medicinal Herb Garden:
• Looking to expand education – perhaps people come with issues/ailments and we provide solutions
3rd Annual Highlands Greenfest:
• Taking place Saturday, May 22nd, 10 am to 5 pm at Bubbling Springs Park on Macopin Road
• First planning team meeting is to be held in February. Information will be available at the next general membership meeting.
West Milford Farmers Market:
• Looking to provide part time jobs and delivery options for those who can’t make it to the market
• Will pay a small stipend to Market Managers in 2010
• Looking to expand canning club
Sustainable Jersey Certification Program:
• Green Team has been formed and is moving forward
AmpleHarvest.org:
• Please visit the website and help spread the word
Barn Project at Apple Acres:
• More work to be done
• Committee has formed to find grants to cover costs and major repairs
Green Drinks West Milford:
• Ongoing second Thursday of the month from 5:00 to 8:00 pm at Wine in the Woods, 216 Cahill Cross Road, West Milford
Environmental Movie Night:
• Takes place the third Thursday of the month through March. Hillcrest Community Center, 1810 Macopin Road in West Milford, Room 8. Please arrive at 7:15 pm. The film begins promptly at 7:30 pm.
What do members want to see or learn more about in the coming year?
• Many ideas and suggestions were brought up and we’ll be looking for at future meetings.
• Township needs someone to explain to residents the benefits of Highlands Act for individuals as well as on a township and state level. This Act makes the town more secure and protects our future.
• What trees can be grown in this area to successfully bear fruit, nuts, etc.
• Bears – we need a reasonable solution. Fences are just a stumbling block.
• Growing food indoors, especially in the winter. Renee’s daughter is getting involved in hydroponics.
• Urban gardens are becoming more popular. Maybe check into non-profits moving into closed business spaces, such as car dealerships or other real estate that is a tax burden on property owners.
• Native American culture. Educate us on local history. Native Americans indigenous to this area hold knowledge and the culture as a whole invented sustainability. We can learn a lot. (side note – our local library is a great source of information on local history.)
• Learn about waste management. We don’t know what happens to what we throw away. Need to understand volumes dealt with by waste management, where it goes, and costs incurred. We have a new recycling committee leader who is an enthusiastic member of the Green Team. We need clarity on what is recyclable. We need to cut down on waste.
• Dave wants to push for town wide composting. The “Big Idea” is to have township take over recycling and begin composting organic waste. Would bring in 2 new jobs for township and revenue for recycling and composting matter. DPW can start small with a test that maybe begins with farmers market attendees dropping off compost waste for collection. 5 gallon lidded buckets can be given to participants. Township can study bear issues/smell/etc. Perhaps we can implement methane reclamation for energy. 1 pound of produce in a plastic bag produces 1 pound of methane gas. This is much worse than CO2. Composting will make a big difference. It will also cut down on frequency of trash pick ups. $2.6 million a year of town’s expenditure currently goes to waste management which could be dramatically reduced through more recycling and composting.
• More canning classes – we need a bigger kitchen. Classes were maxed out.
• Protection of Greenwood Lake (on a good note… the Environmental Commission is getting closer to doing something with Brown’s Point to resolve silt issues and pollution)
• Electrolysis water treatment methods instead of pesticides
• Understanding our local sole source aquifer and all that happens with water underground. What do we have here? Why do we need to protect and conserve? We don’t have a water ordinance or water conservation bill in town and we should.
• Explore new opportunities for use of Wallisch Estate. Perhaps fruit trees, expand community garden, fenced doggie playground. Doggie playground would need study done for impact. Would become social outing. Dogs may be natural deterrent for bears which would be good if fruit trees were there. Looking for light touch uses.
• Creating a time bank beginning with 500 volunteer hours from Apple Acre project. See Ithaca hours for example. Neighbors helping neighbors. Deposit time into your community bank of hours. An hour equals an hour regardless of your degree. Volunteer hours have the same value. Perhaps create a website to list projects you need help with and for people to look to see what they can help with. Maybe post lists at local hardware store offering this list of people who can help.
• Transportation issues – need leaders/energy behind solving these challenges such as carpooling, mass transit, etc.
Our next general membership meeting takes place on Monday, February 22 at Hillcrest Community Center at 1810 Macopin Road in West Milford. We will be in Room 8 from 7:00 to 9:00 pm. Please feel free to bring a friend!
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