Category: News

The Local Crowd Monadnock Launches Online on Wednesday

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Archway Farm instagramThe Local Crowd (TLC) Monadnock will launch online on Wednesday, March 15, 2017 at noon with two 30-day campaigns focused on supporting sustainable agriculture:

  • Archway Farm’s “Farm to Table on Wheels” project
  • Stonewall Farm’s “Barn Raising” project

Both campaigns are based in Keene, NH.  Individuals can contribute online to either campaign regardless of where they live, inside or outside of the Monadnock Region.

Each campaign will offer a limited number of rewards to individuals who give at certain financial levels.  For example, Archway Farm offers a Sausage Club to individuals who give $75.  Sausage Club members receive one pound of four different kinds of Archway Farm sausages, each featuring an ingredient from a local farm.  The first sausage is a Cheddar Smoked Bratwurst made with Stonewall Farm cheese.

A kick-off celebration is scheduled at Stonewall Farm on Saturday, March 18, 2017 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The Local Crowd Monadnock Launch Party includes food samples, children’s activity stations and hayrides. Members of TLC Monadnock’s Leadership Team will attend to answer questions and handout resources.  This event is free and open to the public.

Register today

About The Local Crowd Monadnock

TLC Monadnock is a locally based crowdfunding platform that empowers individuals to support the businesses, organizations and initiatives that grow wealthier and healthier communities in the region.  Crowdfunding, or the practice of raising funds to support a project from a large number of people, is a viable alternative to recruiting businesses from outside the region to boost economic activity.

This project is part of a two-year research study funded by a USDA Small Business Innovation Research grant to gauge this platform’s effectiveness in rural areas.  During its pilot phase, TLC Monadnock will only accept campaign proposals from businesses, organizations or community initiatives based in Keene, Chesterfield, Hinsdale, Swanzey or Winchester.  TLC Monadnock will give preference to campaigns from these communities that align with their respective city or town’s master plan and contribute to a local, green and fair economy.

TLC Monadnock is a collaboration of regional economic development organizations working to cultivate a stronger ecosystem of investors, service providers and local economy champions.  A team of community leaders from Southwest Region Planning Commission, Monadnock Buy Local, New Hampshire Small Business Development Center, Greater Keene Chamber of Commerce, Monadnock Economic Development Corporation and Hannah Grimes Center manages this crowdfunding platform.

Discover more details and updates or contact Jen Risley at jen@monadnocklocal.org or 603-499-7950.

Community Supported Solar Presentation

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The Monadnock Sustainability Network is hosting a Community Supported Solar presentation at The Barn at the Harrisville Inn, Harrisville, NH on Thursday, March 23rd, from 6-8 pm.

We will discuss the new financial resource pioneered on the Monadnock Food Co-op.

Locally owned Community Supported Solar expands access to clean solar electricity. Find out how we can increase our energy independence and resilience; reduce our carbon footprint while boosting the financial strength of our communities.

The Monadnock Food Co-op (Co-op) is the host of the first locally owned community supported solar project in the Monadnock region. The 43.5 kW photovoltaic project, completed in May, 2016, is owned by Cypress Community Solar LLC which was formed to own the project and sell clean, locally harvested electricity to the Co-op. The company is owned by a group of local investors, who expect to sell the PV system to the Co-op within ten years.  The company and the Co-op have entered into a Power Purchase Agreement under which the Co-op will purchase all of the electricity produced by the project.

Most community solar projects are owned and controlled by developers or utilities. This locally developed, funded, owned and controlled project is Community Supported Solar, hopefully the first of many.  With the support of grants from the New England Grassroots Environment Fund, MSN managed the AUNE research and the formation of the steering committee for the initial project. Then MSN published the NH Community Supported Solar Guide to be used by others to pursue a locally owned, clean, renewable energy system on their school, CSA farm, church or other site in their community.

Successful “Rack It Up!” Program Is Back For 2017

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Free bike racks available for businesses and organizations in Jaffrey, Walpole, Winchester and Harrisville

By Liz Kelly, Southwest Region Planning Commission

Rack it Up! logoIn an effort to encourage more bicycling in the region, the Monadnock Alliance for Sustainable Transportation (MAST) and the Southwest Region Planning Commission (SWRPC) are seeking businesses and organizations in Jaffrey, Walpole, Winchester, and Harrisville to participate in Rack it Up!, a community-based bike rack initiative that aims to increase both the number and visibility of bike racks in the Monadnock Region.  The goal is to encourage bicycling as a healthy, fun and convenient transportation option for residents throughout the region.

Over the past three years, the Rack it Up! Program has provided 438 secure bicycle parking spaces at various locations in Keene, Swanzey, Hinsdale and Troy, including Yolo Frozen Yogurt, the Monadnock Humane Society, Brewbakers’ Café, the Hannah Grimes Center for Entrepreneurship, Ashuelot River Park, and the Samuel E. Paul Community Center.

Supported by the CDC’s Partnerships to Improve Community Health initiative, and administered by Cheshire Medical Center – Dartmouth Hitchcock to Healthy Monadnock partners, MAST and SWRPC are working to increase access to physical activity opportunities such as walking and bicycling.

Bicycling is an affordable and increasingly popular mode of transportation that has significant community health and environmental benefits.  Bike racks benefit businesses and organizations by increasing parking capacity, promoting physical activity and healthy habits, and providing more transportation options for customers and employees.

According to Mary Ann Kristiansen, Executive Director of the Keene-based Hannah Grimes Center and a 2015 Rack it Up! program participant, the bike racks “help promote an active culture, which is important in attracting entrepreneurs and younger people.  It helps promote a positive image of our community- that it’s a place to live, work, and play.”  To apply, go to www.mastnh.org/rackitup, or contact Liz Kelly at (603) 357-0557 or lkelly@swrpc.org for more information.

About Monadnock Alliance for Sustainable Transportation (MAST):
MAST is a volunteer coalition of organizations and individuals working to implement sustainable transportation solutions in the Monadnock Region.  MAST recognizes the broad impacts that our transportation system has on us as individuals and as communities- everything from access to employment and services to cost of living to our health and beyond.  MAST’s mission is to “promote all modes of transportation that enhance the environmental, economic and physical health and well-being of citizens in the Monadnock Region.”  To learn more about MAST, visit www.mastnh.org.

About Healthy Monadnock
Healthy Monadnock 2020 is a community engagement initiative designed to foster and sustain a positive culture of health throughout Cheshire County and the Monadnock Region. Founded and developed by the Cheshire Medical Center/Dartmouth-Hitchcock Keene in 2007, Healthy Monadnock’s action plans are being guided in the community by the Council for a Healthier Community, a group of 30+ individuals representing organizations, institutions, and businesses.  Community partners and Champions are working together to improve the quality of life and prevent the leading causes of death for everyone by implementing strategies to: increase healthy eating and active living, increase income and jobs, improve mental wellbeing, increase emergency preparedness, reduce substance misuse including tobacco, increase educational attainment, and increase access to and quality of healthcare.  To learn more about Healthy Monadnock, visit www.healthymonadnock.org.

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Registration Open: Future of Farming Conference

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Jen Risley's avatarYarden of Eatin'

cornucopia-farming-conference-poster11x19-2017Future of Farming in a Changing World Conference

Creating a Robust, Sustainable & Community Based Food System
March 25, 2017, 9 to 4:30
Monadnock Center for History and Culture
19 Grove Street, Peterborough, NH

  • Growing the next generation of farmers
  • Cutting edge technology solutions to support farmers
  • Models for growing, processing, and distributing sustainably grown food
  • Climate change and its impact on farming
  • Farmland access-matching farmers to farmland

Keynote speaker:  Philip Ackerman-Leist, Professor of Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems, Green Mountain College, VT; farmer, and author of Rebuilding the Foodshed: How to Create Local, Sustainable & Secure Food Systems.
Talks and panel discussion include:

  • John VanHoesen, Associate Professor of Geology; Director Natural Resource Management, Director Geology program, Green Mountain College, VT
  • Hannah Bissex and students, Farm to Fork program, Cornucopia Project
  • Ryan Owens, Monadnock Conservancy

Check in: 8 to 8:45am; program begins at 9am (pre-registration suggested as there are only 100…

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Be Part of the Crowd: The Local Crowd Monadnock

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fb-cover-photoThe Local Crowd Monadnock is coming — and we invite you to our public launch party on March 18th at Stonewall Farm in Keene.

View Launch Party details and RSVP

What’s The Local Crowd Monadnock?

The Local Crowd (TLC) Monadnock is a locally based crowdfunding platform that’s about us — our region, our community — and the goals we’ve created around economic development and prosperity.

Crowdfunding, the practice of sourcing small contributions from a large number of people, is nothing new.  In fact, the Statue of Liberty’s base was funded by crowdfunding in 1885.  Publisher Joseph Pulitzer launched a fundraising campaign in his newspaper and raised $101, 091 from over 160,000 donors.  In today’s world, that would amount to over $2 million!

With the advent of the Internet, the power of crowdfunding has increased exponentially.  TLC Monadnock brings that power to our community.

Once TLC Monadnock launches, you’ll be able to join with your friends and neighbors to support campaigns that inspire you — by giving any amount of money you feel able and moved to give (from $1 on up!).  Some campaigns provide rewards for your support — a thank you gift for funding their project.

TLC Monadnock will officially launch on March 15, 2017 with two campaigns focused on sustainable agriculture: Archway Farm’s “Farm to Table on Wheels” project and Stonewall Farm’s “Barn Raising” project.

Why Sustainable Agriculture?

Supporting sustainable agriculture is a prominent part of Keene’s Comprehensive Master Plan. Here’s a relevant section of the plan: “Local sources and sustainable agricultural practices can provide us with a high-quality, healthy, affordable and secure supply of food. We should continually seek to help local food producers sell their goods directly to consumers… as well as [support] sustainable food-production methods and education opportunities, linking local food with health, economic development, and land-use and climate-change goals.”

TLC Monadnock empowers the crowd to help the City of Keene — and our community — reach our Master Plan goals.

archway-bannerFarm to Table on Wheels

Archway Farm, a small family farm on Arch Street in Keene, raises heritage breed pigs.  “We think pigs are awesome, and there aren’t nearly enough of them in New Hampshire,” said Mark Florenz, owner of Archway Farm. “With the support of our community, we would like to purchase a mobile sausage cart that would allow us to showcase the great tastes of locally grown food directly to our customers.”

Mark hopes to bring Archway Farm products, as well as other local producers’ products (like bread and condiments) to the Farmers’ Market of Keene.  The cart will also be available to come to your home or place of work to provide lunch for small groups.  Learn more about Archway Farm.

girl-with-sheepBarn Raising

The stars of Stonewall Farm’s educational programs — the sheep, alpacas, goats and chickens — need a new and safer barn.  So, Stonewall Farm is having a barn raising, not only to help build the structure, but to fundraise to cover the costs of designing and constructing the barn.

“The new barn will offer interpretive features, encourage visitor interaction with the animals, as well as provide an adequate meeting space for educational programs involving the animals,” shared Julie Davenson, executive director of Stonewall Farm. “For over 27 years, people have been able to use the trails, visit with the animals and learn about agriculture first hand when visiting the farm.”

Discover more about Stonewall Farm.

TLC Monadnock Pilot Project

During its two-year pilot phase, TLC Monadnock will launch campaigns that support businesses, organizations and community initiatives based in Keene, Chesterfield, Hinsdale, Swanzey and Winchester.  If successful, we’ll expand access to enterprises throughout the region.  Any individual can become a supporter (it doesn’t matter where you live) — this limit is only for campaign creators.

TLC Monadnock is a collective effort of the Greater Keene Chamber of Commerce, Southwest Region Planning Commission, New Hampshire Small Business Development Center, Monadnock Buy Local, Hannah Grimes Center and Monadnock Economic Development Corporation.

Learn more and sign up for updates from TLC Monadnock.   Join the crowd – The Local Crowd Monadnock!

You’re Invited: The Local Crowd Monadnock Launch Party

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tlcm-final-rgb-updatedStonewall Farm in Keene will host The Local Crowd Monadnock’s Launch Party on Saturday, March 18, 2017 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.   The event includes food samples, children’s activity stations and hayrides.  Also, this event is free that is open to the public. 

The Local Crowd (TLC) Monadnock is a locally based crowdfunding platform that empowers individuals to support the businesses, organizations and initiatives that grow wealthier and healthier communities in the region.  Crowdfunding, or the practice of raising funds to support a project from a large number of people, is a viable alternative to recruiting businesses from outside the region to boost economic activity.

This project is part of a two-year research study funded by a USDA Small Business Innovation Research grant to gauge this platform’s effectiveness in rural areas.  During its pilot phase, TLC Monadnock will only accept campaign proposals from businesses, organizations or community initiatives based in Keene, Chesterfield, Hinsdale, Swanzey or Winchester.  TLC Monadnock will give preference to campaigns from these communities that also align with their respective city or town’s master plan and contribute to a local, green and fair economy.

TLC Monadnock will officially launch online on March 15, 2017 with two campaigns focused on sustainable agriculture: Archway Farm’s “Farm to Table on Wheels” project and Stonewall Farm’s “Barn Raising” project.  Supporting sustainable agriculture is a prominent part of Keene’s Comprehensive Master Plan.

“TLC Monadnock is about us — our region, our community — and the goals we’ve created around economic development and prosperity,” said Jen Risley, Monadnock Buy Local Executive Director.  “We invite everyone to become a campaign supporter — it doesn’t matter where you live.”

TLC Monadnock is a collaboration of regional economic development organizations working to cultivate a stronger ecosystem of investors, service providers and local economy champions.  A team of community leaders from Southwest Region Planning Commission, Monadnock Buy Local, New Hampshire Small Business Development Center, Greater Keene Chamber of Commerce, Monadnock Economic Development Corporation and Hannah Grimes Center manages this crowdfunding platform.

Discover more details and updates at monadnocklocal.org/tlclaunch or contact Jen Risley at jen@monadnocklocal.org or 603-499-7950.

CSA Day is February 24, 2017

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Jen Risley's avatarYarden of Eatin'

csa-dayCSA Day Offers Second Chance for New Year’s Resolutions

By Maegen Laney Noble and Kristen Laney O’Toole

Are your New Year’s resolutions already in the rear-view mirror? If so, you’re not alone, but you still have time to make good on those resolutions. February 24th marks the third annual CSA Day when you can join other like-minded people around the country who are committed to:

  • eating healthful foods and preparing them for their families;
  • supporting their local farmer;
  • being kind to our planet;
  • learning something new; and being adventurous in the kitchen.

CSAs in the Monadnock Region

CSA (community-supported agriculture) is a subscription to a season’s worth of sustainable, locally grown produce that is distributed to members throughout the harvesting season. It is a form of investment that allows small farmers to continue growing on a scale that may not be sustainable without the CSA model. CSA members enjoy the…

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Gecko’s Complaint

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Jen Risley's avatarYarden of Eatin'

I recently read a Balinese folktale Gecko’s Complaint and thought of all the businesses, organizations and individuals working to make the Monadnock Region’s communities more vibrant and healthy.  We all, while reaching towards our goals, may unintentionally interfere with one another.

Like the gecko, I have complained about the firefly that keeps me from sleeping.  Could it be that just like the firefly, whomever I am complaining about means no harm and is actually helping me reach my goal?

“So the Chief called Gecko in once more.  In a stern voice he said, ‘Gecko, no more complaining!  We’re all connected in ways we sometimes can’t see.”

We are all connected in ways we can’t see.  What are our common goals?  How can we self-organize and work more synergistically?  Instead of working on our goals in isolation, let us acknowledge our interconnections and create something larger and more beneficial to the…

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From Hurricane to Climate Change Film Showing: SWRPC Winter Commission Meeting

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The Southwest Region Planning Commission Winter Commission Meeting is scheduled for February 28, 2017. The meeting will feature the film From Hurricane to Climate Change and a panel discussion. For more information, please view SWRPC’s event flyer.

From Hurricane to Climate Change

Staff from Franklin Pierce University’s Monadnock Institute of Nature, Place  and Culture will  present a showing of their recently released film entitled From Hurricane to Climate Change.

The film is a collaborative effort between the University Institute, area residents, officials, business owners and nonprofit organizations, as well as regional and national subject experts and documents how the greater Monadnock region is addressing the challenges of an increasingly unstable climate.

The film opens with rare  footage of the Hurricane of 1938 impacting New England and communities such as Peterborough, and traces the increase in extreme precipitation events like the Alstead flood of 2005.  A focus of the film is the City of Keene, which has  experienced  repeated flooding events and has been judged  a “shining example of climate preparedness and adaptation.”

There will be a panel discussion following the film as well as a question and answer period.

MAST: At the Helm for the Region’s Sustainable Transportation Efforts

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carsharing2Originally Published in the Monadnock Shopper News

This month, Monadnock Buy Local gathered a list of businesses, organizations and initiatives strengthening Sustainable Transportation efforts in our region.  One initiative that came up again and again was the Monadnock Alliance for Sustainable Transportation, a.k.a. MAST.

MAST is a volunteer-driven alliance working to bring a better transportation future to our region.  MAST’s vision includes each of us spending more time interacting with others and less time alone in a vehicle.  MAST works to buoy transportation options that enhance the environmental and economic health of our region and the physical health and wellbeing of community members.  Simply put, MAST wants to offer you healthier options for getting around.

“The group recognizes the broad impact that our transportation system has on us as individuals and as communities — everything from employment, to our cost of living and our health,” said Henry Underwood of Southwest Region Planning Commission and MAST Steering Committee Coordinator.

MAST is looking for volunteers passionate about transforming transportation in the Monadnock Region.  Here’s a review of three initiatives MAST plans to tackle in 2017 and an invitation for you to get involved.

Go For the Gold: Bicycle Friendly Community

The City of Keene is one of four “Bicycle Friendly Communities” in New Hampshire.  A Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) welcomes and encourages bicycling with infrastructure (paths and bike lanes), educational programs (Safe Routes to School) and policies (Complete Streets). While MAST is proud that our city achieved a Bronze BFC status in 2015, we’ve set our sites on reaching a higher status in 2017 — let’s go for the Silver… or better yet, the GOLD!

“The League of American Bicyclists’ Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) program is a tool for communities to make bicycling a real transportation and recreation option for all people,” shared Henry.

MAST volunteers plan to assist city staff with Keene’s BFC application by gathering data and garnering support for programs or practices that help boost our city to a higher status.  Discover more at bikeleague.org/community.

Carsharing

MAST recently published a report that collected background information, case studies and next steps for developing a carsharing program in Keene.  Carsharing allows an individual to rent a car for short periods of time — by the minute or hour, instead of by the day.

Imagine you plan to bike to work, but suddenly remember you have a midday meeting across town.   Normally, you’d skip the bike ride and take the car — but with a carsharing program in Keene, you can ride your bike to work and reserve a car through the carshare program to get to your meeting.  Ride your bike to that central location, where the carshare is parked, and off you go.

Since the cost of carsharing is much lower than private car ownership, carsharing can bring more mobility to those who need a vehicle for only occasional trips.  If we built up our carsharing fleet with hybrid or electric cars, we’d also lower our community’s vehicle emissions — a goal in the City of Keene’s Greenhouse Gas Inventory.

“Carsharing is a transportation option that offers the benefits of having a car without the cost or hassle of private ownership,” added Henry.  “In 2017, MAST will work with community partners to determine the feasibility of carsharing in Keene and the Monadnock Region.”

Learn more at carsharing.org.

Bike to Work Day in May

MAST and the City of Keene plan to host a Bike to Work Day event in May.  Last year, bicyclists, walkers and transit riders stopped by Railroad Square in Downtown Keene to listen to a proclamation by Keene Mayor Kendall Lane, participate in a Complete Streets Workshop and enjoy a free commuter breakfast, as well as a variety of giveaways.  This year, we’re looking for volunteer energy to expand and energize this event.

Bike to Work Day is part of a national month-long celebration sponsored by The League of American Bicyclists to promote bicycle commuting.

“From fashion shows to group rides, local groups find unique ways to celebrate their diverse bike cultures and community pride,” states The League of American Bicyclists website.  “Whether you bike to work or school; ride to save money or time; pump those pedals to preserve your health or the environment; or simply enjoy exploring your community, National Bike Month is an opportunity to celebrate the unique power of the bicycle and the many reasons we ride.”

Get rolling at bikeleague.org/bikemonth.

Monadnock Buy Local supports the work of MAST and believes its work is integral to building a stronger Local Living Economy — one that is more local, green and fair. We serve on MAST’s Steering Committee and invite more individuals, businesses and organizations to climb aboard.  Contact Henry Underwood at hunderwood@swrpc.org or visit the MAST website at www.MASTNH.org.