Upcoming Events in April

Dear Friends: There are a lot of great programs happening in April. Please check out our web site for the latest details.

April 2 Friday,at 7:30PM, Showing of For the Next Seven Generations film followed by discussion at Ahimsa Village. For more details go to http://www.forthenext7generations.com/. Please RSVP to bob@ahimsavillage.org if planning to attend.

April 3 Saturday at 7:30PM, Kirtan and the Dances of Universal Peace at O-An Zendo, Julian. For more details go to http://oanzendo.org/schedule.html or call 234-1449.

April 21 Wednesday at 7:30, Transition Town State College presents film showing and discussion of "The Power of Community" at the Friends Meeting House, State College. More details to follow. Contact Jackie Bonomo at jabonomo@verizon.net

April 30 Friday at 7:30PM, Lecture by Bob Flatley: Characteristics of Success: An Investigation of the Factors Associated with Success in Intentional Communities. More details will be posted at www.ahimsavillage.org

News Flash: March 28, 2010 - two Transition Town initiatives are getting underway in Centre County - Transition Town State College and Transition Town Bald Eagle Valley. Click here to read article on our blog.

To get involved with TT State College contact Bill Sharp at bsharple@comcast.net

To get involved with TT Bald Eagle contact Deb Fisher at dflowersjulian@gmail.com

TRANSITION CENTRE: From Oil Dependence to Local Resilience by Bill Sharp

Transition Towns is underway in Centre County. A steering group of a dozen is meeting at Ahimsa to found Transition Initiatives in Bald Eagle Valley and in State College. Several other Central Pennsylvania communities are starting to move in this direction.

The goal of the Transition Towns Response is to preemptively adapt to energy scarcity, climate change and growing economic instability. Our goals are to dramatically reduce dependence upon fossil fuels, develop strong local communities, promote our capacity to meet more of our needs locally, achieving a harmony with the environment and leave a legacy of sustainable living for our descendants.

The Transition Response was started in Ireland in 2005 by permaculturalist Rob Hopkins. Rob moved to England where he developed the Transition Towns model published in his guide for forming local initiates, The Transition Handbook. Transition US was founded in December 2008 and Transition Centre in March of 2009. There are now over 265 recognized Transition Town projects (sixty-one of which are in the US) in sixteen countries and many hundreds more forming.

Three of us recently attended a weekend Transition Training and have returned home ready to support the launch of Transition Towns in central Pennsylvania. We are in the process of apply for formal Transition Iniative Status.

You will find our web site at www.transitioncentre.org

Top "Cleanest" Fruits and Vegetables in the Produce Section

Like the dirty dozen of produce, there is a list of the top cleanest produce you can purchase that is not organic. These are least likely to contain pesticide residue.

Here's the Cleanest:
Bananas
Kiwi
Mangos
Papaya
Pineapples
Watermelons
Asparagus
Avocado
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Corn
Onions
Peas

When organic is not available, here's some tips to protect you from "non-organic" produce:

• Buy fresh vegetables and fruits in season.
• Trim tops and the very outer portions of celery, lettuce, cabbages, and other leafy vegetables that may contain the bulk of pesticide residues.
• Peel and cook when appropriate, even though some nutrients and fiber are lost in the process.
• Eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. This would limit exposure to any one type of pesticide residue.
• Wait until just before preparation to wash or immerse your produce in clean water. When appropriate, scrub with a brush.
• Special soaps or washes are not needed and could be harmful to you, depending on their ingredients. Read the label!

From the Berks Conservancy Green blog - http://berksconservancy.blogspot.com/