Fwd: FoodShare E News: March and April events

[Guest guest]

--- " enews " <enews wrote:

> FoodShare E News: March and April events

>

Contents

Seedy Saturday

 

BAN TERMINATOR SEEDS!

 

Stop Suicide Seeds

 

Urban Seed Savers Network

 

Lorraine Johnson on Gardening with Native Plants

 

 

Tree Tenders Training Program

 

Starting Organic/Heritage Seeds

 

Voices de la tierra /The Voices of Earth

 

Canadian Organic Growers

 

The Art of Preservation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hasta luego Jennifer !

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seedy Saturday

When: March 18, 2006, 10 a.m. & ndash; 3 p.m.

 

Where: Scadding Court Community Centre

at 707 Dundas St. W. (southeast corner of

Dundas West and Bathurst)

Wheelchair Accessible

 

Cost: Free (suggested donation $2 for Seeds of

Diversity Canada*.

 

 

What's it all about?

Seedy Saturdays are held in towns

and cities across Canada help to spread awareness

about the importance of preserving Canada's genetic

plant heritage and are a fundraiser for Seeds of

Diversity, a non-profit organization working to

protect our seeds.

 

Seedy Saturday is also a great way to put aside

winter and know for a fact that Spring is on its way!

 

Wonderful & unusual heritage seeds to buy. Or trade

your last year's seeds with other like-minded

gardeners. You & rsquo;ll finally find those gardening

supplies you've been looking for but can never find!

Plus an Eco Fair with Toronto & rsquo;s busiest

environmental organizations.

 

WORKSHOPS (scheduled from between 11 am to 2 pm)

1. Soil Making 101 with Krista Fry

2. Screening and panel discussion of the

documentary, " From Seed to Seed " with Roberta Stimac

3. Seed Starting - drop in at the greenhouse

4. Seed saving internationally. A farmer's

right to save seeds with Kate Green from USC

and more TBA

 

Toronto's Seedy Saturday is sponsored by

Toronto Community Garden Network

with FoodShare, Scadding Court, The Stop

Community Food Centre,

Plant a Row / Grow a Row, Composting Council

of Canada

Toronto Food Policy Council,

with support from the Ontario Trillium

Foundation and the United Way

and is made possible with the help of

our fabulous volunteers.

 

top

 

 

Urgent! TAKE ACTION BY MARCH 20 2006 TO BAN

TERMINATOR SEEDS!

From the Ban Terminator Campaign Canada

http://www.banterminator.org/p/282

http://www.interdireterminator.org/

p/282

 

TAKE ACTION:

 

We are asking Canadian groups and individuals to TAKE

ACTION during

this CRITICAL MONTH before the most important

meeting of the United

Nations Convention on Biological Diversity being

held March 20-31 2006.

 

SEND A LETTER INSTANTLY FROM

http://www.banterminator.org/p/282

 

SEND A LETTER to the Prime Minister instantly from

www.banterminator.org/p/282

 

The March 20-31 meeting of the UN Convention on

Biological Diversity

in Brazil will decide the future of Terminator

technology. Terminator

plants are genetically engineered so their seeds are

sterile and

cannot be saved and re-planted by farmers.

 

Please join with the International Ban Terminator

Campaign to take

action against Terminator seeds. The Canadian

Campaign is coordinated

by the National Farmers Union, ETC Group, Inter

Pares and USC Canada

with support from many other groups (see

http://www.banterminator.org/

endorsements).

 

To make a difference:

1. please WRITE to the Prime Minister, Minister of

Agriculture and the Minister of the Environment before

March 20 - you can send a letter directly from

www.banterminator.org,

 

2. have your group ENDORSE the Ban Terminator

Campaign,

 

3. DONATE to the campaign

 

4. and, if you can, ATTEND the " Terminator on Trial "

event in Ottawa

March 20,

 

5. WATCH FOR further updates and action alerts as we

monitor the Government's actions in March.

 

 

UPDATE:

 

The industry-government goal to approve Terminator

technology is now

clear: The Canadian government is clearly pushing

for approval of

suicide seeds, even though Canada has stated that it

" neither

promotes nor opposes " Terminator. Canada is helping

Monsanto,

Syngenta and other companies that are intent on

overturning the UN

" de facto " moratorium on Terminator. In February 2005

the Liberal

Government took bold action to try and end the

moratorium.

 

Recently at an important United Nations meeting

(January 23-27 2006

in Spain) the Canadian Government delegation worked

with Australia,

New Zealand and the United States to undermine the

moratorium on

Terminator technology. The Canadian government

helped Australia

oppose the Precautionary Principle (which is the

basis of the de

facto moratorium) and introduce reference to

" case-by-case risk

assessment " of Terminator technology.

 

For more information see http:// www.banterminator.org

top

 

Stop Suicide Seeds - a public forum with

PERCY SCHMEISER

When: Friday, March 31, 2006 - doors open at 6pm,

forum starts at 7pm

 

Where: Bloor Street United Church, 300 Bloor Street

West, just east of

Spadina at Huron

 

What: Percy Schmeiser is the Saskatchewan farmer who

went up against

Monsanto - all the way to the Supreme Court.

Percy will be speaking about

GMO Pharmaceuticals, Terminator Seeds, and

the Seed Sector Review. Kregg

Hetherington is studying anthropology at the

University of California, Davis

campus. He will be speaking about peasant

and indigenous farmers from

eastern Paraguay who are being displaced by

the rapid expansion of GM

Soybean monoculture.

 

Visit www.actfortheearth.org for more details or

contact ACT for the Earth,

foodjustice,

tel:647-436-6398.

 

Full details on our online calendar at:

 

http://activistmagazine.com/index.php?option=com_events & task=view_detail & agi

d=8

 

Please also encourage folks to join the international

campaign to BAN

Terminator technology -

www.banterminator.org.

 

top

 

 

First meeting of the Urban Seed Savers

Network, Toronto

When: Sunday, April 29 from 2 pm to 4pm

 

Where: Northern District Library, 40 Orchard Blvd, 2nd

floor

just east of Yonge, one block north of

Eglinton)

 

What: The Urban Seed Savers Network is a new project

started by Seeds

of Diversity Canada (www.seeds.ca) members

in Toronto. It's a way for

urban gardeners to connect over common

interests in seed saving and

sharing, growing heritage organic veggies,

fruit and flowers, genetic

diversity, food security and more. We hope

you will join us and share

your ideas and dreams!

 

Contact: RSVP for the meeting. Call or email

ussnto or

1-866-509-SEED

top

 

 

 

The Toronto District School Board and Evergreen

present:

Lorraine Johnson on Gardening with Native

Plants

When: Thursday, March 23rd, 2006 7:00-9:00 pm

 

Where: At the Textile Museum of Canada 55 Centre

Avenue (just East of Dundas West and University)

 

What: Come out and meet gardening guru Lorraine

Johnson, author of some of

Canada & rsquo;s premier gardening books.

Lorraine's slide presentation will

introduce you to using native plants to

create low maintenance habitat

gardens that attract birds, butterflies

and other wildlife. She & rsquo;ll also

cover plant selection, ongoing maintenance

and elements of design.

 

Tickets: $5 in advance, $8 at the door

 

To purchase tickets, call Lisa at 416 596-1495.

 

 

top

 

 

Tree Tenders Training Program

LEAF is offering a free, 3-session training program

for individuals who want to gain tree-related

knowledge and skills. If you have had some experience

at tree planting or gardening, but want more in-depth

training this series is for you! Priority will be

given to individuals already volunteering or working

with the City, Toronto and Region Conservation, or

other community groups.

 

Dates and Times

 

Thursday, March 30th, 7:00 to 9:30 pm

Thursday, April 6th, 7:00 to 9:30 pm

Saturday, April 8th, 10:00 am to 3:00 pm

(combination of indoor and outdoor)

 

Space is limited. Applicants must be at least 18

years of age. To apply, please call 416-413-9244 to

obtain application form from LEAF at 73 Bathurst St,

Suite 305, Toronto, ON M5V 2P6

 

Topics to be covered include:

 

Tree and shrub identification

Tree biology

The roles of soil and climate

Tree establishment

Tree care and maintenance

Identifying and managing tree stresses

Recognizing health or disease issues

 

Resources and handouts will be provided. Resource

manuals will be available for sale, but are not

mandatory. Lead instructor for the program is Todd

Irvine (Certified Arborist, LEAF) with guest

instructors from City Forestry and the TRCA.

 

The training will take place at Maple Cottage, just

south of Queen St, one block east of Leslie St. The

majestic silver maple that inspired Alexander Muir to

write & ldquo;The Maple Leaf Forever & rdquo; stands in

front of this beautiful cottage which was restored in

2002.

 

top

 

 

Starting Organic/Heritage Seeds a Workshop

 

When: Thursday, March 30th from 2-4pm

 

Where: Rosedale Heights Secondary School, south of

Bloor at Castle

Frank subway station. When entering the

grounds take the left or

southern drive. Keep south of the school.

The round greenhouse is on

the south-east corner of the building.

Limited parking north of the

greenhouse.

 

What: How to Start Your Own Vegetables and

Flowers from Seed Organically

 

We will cover: Various ways to start seeds; soil

mixes; potting up;

transplanting seedlings; lighting; with

tips on after care, hardening

off and setting plants into the garden.

The emphasis will be on starting

vegetables, and simple flowering plants.

 

Presented by Dagmar Baur and Liz Hood and the Green

Gardeners Group www.greengardeners.ca

 

Cost: $20 for a 2 hours session. Partial or partial

scholarships available

 

Contact for more info To register, or for questions

please email your

name and phone number to

workshops

 

Space is limited to 14 participants, so

please register early.

 

top

 

Voices de la tierra /The Voices of Earth

 

Listen up!

 

Every Sunday from 4 to 5 PM at 1610 AM

Radio Voces Latinas now has a Spanish language

gardening & environmental program hosted by none other

than our own Julieta Duque.

 

Julieta is looking for Spanish

speaking people who are interested in talking about

seeding, recycling, and other sustainable practical

ways of living. So if you qualify, or know someone who

does and would like to participate in this radio

program contact Julieta at jduque

 

The program is also on internet at

http://www.torontohispano.com

 

top

 

 

Canadian Organic Growers - Toronto Chapter

AGM

When: Sunday, March 26, 2:00 - 4:00 pm

 

Location: Northern District Public Library

40 Orchard View Blvd., Toronto

 

What: COG - Toronto's Annual General Meeting. As well,

there will be an update on the Guelph Organic

Conference, COG National's AGM and strategic plan, and

COG-Toronto's recent and upcoming public events. Other

Events

 

For more info: torontochapter

 

 

top

 

 

The Art of Preservation

Cheese Culture, in collaboration with historic

Montgomery's Inn and

Slow Food Toronto invite you to share in

the following festivities:

 

An aperitif in the inn's restored tavern (est. 1830)

A five-course meal prepared by chef Tonia

Wilson, incorporating

 

traditional preservation methods

 

A preview of Ontario's latest craft cheeses with

Julia Rogers

Presentations on Ontario's culinary heritage

A " Preserve Exchange " : bring a jar, take home a jar

An historical recipe card of a traditional Ontario

dish

 

Enjoy a convivial evening of local food and drink

preserved by traditional methods

of smoking, salting, drying, pickling and

fermenting. Our ancestors' techniques of " putting by "

transformed Ontario's bounty into

sustenance for the winter.

Today, we enjoy these historic foods for

the flavours they bring to our table.

 

When: Friday, March 31, 7:00 pm

Where: Montgomery's Inn 4709 Dundas Street

West, Etobicoke, M9A 1A8

(Islington subway)

 

Tickets are $60 ($55 for Slow Food

members)

Seats are limited.

 

For reservations and information please

call:

Tonia Wilson (416 669 1807)

or Julia Rogers (416 466 0309)

 

Proceeds go toward the refurbishment of the Inn's

historic bake-oven.

A donation will also be made to Slow Food Toronto's

Terra Madre fund.

 

www.cheeseculture.ca

www.montgomerysinn.com

www.slowfood.com

top

 

 

photos by Laura Berman