North Howe

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On Sunday 5 September the Local Food Group enjoyed a wild food foray in the woods at tenstmuir with Fife Ranger Tony Wilson.

Applied Systems Thinking (The Viable Systems Model and Community Resilience) in mid September in Findhorn. Click here for more information.

Tickets are available from John Vaughan 01337 810359

What is it? A 1 day permaculture introduction course with James Chapman
Who is it for? Anyone wanting to find out a bit more about permaculture.
Where is it? At the Sutherland building, Beecraigs Country Park,
Linlithgow.
When is it? SATURDAY Oct 9th, from 10am til 4.30pm
What do I need to bring? Outdoor clothing, pen and paper, packed lunch.
How much? Please pay what you can afford, from £5 to £20. Free places are
provided if required.
How do I book? Please contact james chapman to book a place and for
payment details. james@tree-wise-men.com 07790 265883

The next energy group meeting will be on Monday 6 September at 7.30pm in Collessie. Please come along and find out more about our projects.

Fife Diet thought you might be interested in reading the Fife Diet carbon foodprint report, see here:

http://fifediet.co.uk/read/

Fife Diet today publishes Scotland’s first comprehensive study of carbon reductions and food: ‘Foodprint’.
The results show that by eating the Fife Diet way people are cutting their green house gas emissions by considerable amounts. A Fife Diet household sample showed an average foodprint which is approximately 27% lower than the UK average. Furthermore, the top end of the sample have a foodprint which is between 40% – 50% lower than the UK national average.

The research volunteer sample has also pledged to reduce its food impact yet further, by wasting less, eating local and organic, composting, eating less meat and growing their own. These would reduce emissions by a further 5%.

These reductions are very significant, as they are being achieved against the backdrop of a food system which is highly unsustainable and predisposes all of us towards a high foodprint. For example a report earlier this year showed that the food we eat accounts for 30% of the UK’s carbon footprint. according to a new report – How Low Can We Go? published today by WWF-UK and the Food Climate Research Network (FCRN)
Working with Climate Futures, Scotland’s leading carbon consultants, the Fife Diet project has assessed the impact of the project in carbon terms, but there are other benefits.

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The latest images from Samadi down at the community allotment.

A message from Linlithgow Climate Challenge and the Soil Association Scotland:

Would you like to know more about Community Supported Agriculture? This is sometimes a natural next step for a local food growing project.

Linlithgow Climate Challenge and Soil Association Scotland have organised this event to stimulate thinking around Community Supported Agriculture (CSA).

Community Supported Agriculture Information Session
20 September 2010
2.30-4.30pm
Donaldson’s School  Linlithgow

The session will be led by Mick Marston who is a CSA Regional Development Officer for the Soil Association. Mick works with a range of CSA’s in England will use this experience to  cover the following topics:
What a CSA is and what any CSA should have as its core principles
Different models in operation in England/abroad which could stimulate thinking
Things to consider when setting up a CSA
Building a financially sustainable CSA

Most of all, there will be time for questions and discussion.

The event is free but places are limited to 30 people in order that we can get facilitate some good discussion. Please provide your name, a contact email or telephone number and the organisation you represent.

To register for this event please email emartin@soilassociation.org If you cannot email you can call Erika on 0131 666 2474.

If you cannot attend but would be interested in a future event please let us know.

We are delighted to be holding this event at Donaldsons School , who will be providing some refreshments which will be locally sourced.

The Transport Meeting scheduled for Monday 30 August in Giffordtown Hall has been cancelled. News of when our next meeting will be will follow soon.

At Monimail Tower Project (MTP) postcode KY15 7RJ. On Friday 10thSeptember.

The sweat lodge is a ceremony where we connect to the earth to say thank you for our lives.

During the day we will collect the willow to build the bender with, build it, cover it, dig the fire pit,
dig the stone pit, light the fire and then sweat. We will be following Native American Wisdoms.

The day will start at 10am and for those only able to come for the sweat please be here by 6pm at the latest.

Please bring enough vegetarian or vegan food to last the day, to share or just for yourself!
(we will share lunch and a meal after the sweat)

We will be able to provide hot water for drinks and stoves to heat food on.

There are toilets and washing facilities although no showers!

If you would like to stay the night then you will have to bring your own camping equipment eg. Tent, mat, sleeping bag.

Stella Longland will be the Lodge chief, Rob Brodie the fire keeper.

Please let us know in advance if you are coming by emailing Rob, also with any queries you may have
(robrodie@hotmail.co.uk) or phone Rob on 07952 832 242

Donations are welcome to help cover costs.

About 350 people attended the conference organized by Transition Network. Unlike the urban setting of Battersea this year we were in a most relaxing rural Devon. On offer again a plethora of workshops, films, music, dance, Open Space sessions, Heart & Soul and visioning events – even the England USA football match was timetabled in.

One of the conference’s peak moments was Nicole Foss’s talk: Making Sense of the Financial Crisis in the Era of Peak Oil. (Available: http://transitionradio.posterous.com/tag/nicolefoss)

In summary Nicole explained how our energy inheritance (energy rich fossil fuels) has made it possible to create an enormous financial ‘bubble’ – in effect a huge Ponzi or Pyramid scheme – which has now imploded. Bubbles like this are nothing new but the most recent one is unprecedented due to the extreme interconnectedness and highly speculative nature of our global markets. We thus have entered a time of financial deflation, but this time also coupled with energy depletion. The latter might not manifest in the short term – however no technology on earth can make up for the condensed resource that fossil fuel is and neither is our energy infrastructure e.g. the electrical grid – capable of delivering the renewable energy to the places where it is needed. We are thus in transition from a culture fuelled by an energy inheritance, to one fueled by energy income.

Rob Hopkins and Peter Lipman commented on her talk and re-emphasise the urgency of making the Transition and the importance of community as compared to money. Have a look: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2lx3ZLmQj4)

It seems Transition is now taking on board not only Climate Change and Peak Oil but also the financial crisis and the development of social enterprises is seen as one of the routes forward in building future economic stability.

Rob Hopkins also introduced a new way to perceive Transition: as a Pattern Language. As Rob explained Transition is multi-layered and complex and the 12 steps or ingredients (see: http://www.transitionnetwork.org/community/support/12-ingredients) – though a very useful blueprint – do not capture the complexity of what is going in the initiatives. The basic idea of using pattern language  – as I understand it – is to map more of this complexity and to reevaluate and apply some of the tried-and-tested solutions to human problems which display a certain universality – in other words: there is no need to reinvent the wheel – yet also we to develop new solutions to deal with our contemporary issues. Rob is keen for people to contribute to the next Transition Handbook which will involve the application of pattern language. (See: http://transitionculture.org/2010/06/04/rethinking-transition-as-a-pattern-language-an-introduction/)

A short film on the T – conference is YouTubed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-Gmh2cePNk

(Spot the guy with the NHTT T-shirt.)

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY:

Scottish National Gathering

Friday the 19th November ?South Hall, Pollock Halls, Edinburgh

Transitions: diverse routes to belonging November 20th and 21st 2010?John McIntyre Conference Centre, Edinburgh.

The Wild Food Foray is a little over a week away on Sunday 5 September up at Kinshaldy where Tony Wilson will be meeting us at 2pm. If should be a great afternoon and looks like we will have quite a crowd there. If you want to go and are interested in going on the minibus then get in touch with Louise. If you are taking your car remember the £1 for the car park.

Autumn is drawing nearer and the apple crops will soon be ready. If you have an excess of apples we may have the solutions for you. You could always barter them on The NHTT eXchange and trade them for other produce or maybe even an Indian Head Massage! If you have any great seasonal recipes that you would like to share then this is place to do that too.

If you want to use the juice from your apples then why not hire our community apple press which will be available from the end of August. For more information checkout the Apple Press Page on the website or get in touch with Louise

We have also organised a Fruit Tree Pruning Workshop which will take place at the Monimail Tower Project Orchard on Saturday 6 November. The course will run from 10am-2pm and f you would like to book a place then get in touch with Louise now.

Two exciting events in November – please come along to both!  Booking isn’t open yet, but keep an eye on the webiste for further details.

Scottish National Gathering
Friday the 19th November
South Hall, Pollock Halls, Edinburgh

This will be our 3rd national get together.  Expect the usual family friendly fun and games, open space, workshops and time with friends old and new.  There will be a ceilidh in the evening, which will also be welcoming people coming to:

Transitions: diverse routes to belonging November 20th and 21st 2010, John McIntyre Conference Centre, Edinburgh.

It is part of human nature to form resilient communities based on co-operation and sharing – ones which live with care and respect for the earth and other species. The Transition approach is a recent expression of this, and there are many other cultural streams across the world – historical and current – which express it in their own way,  all of whom can connect with communities across the world seeking to defend or re-create sustainable ways of living.

This conference invites you to come and share your work, explore where you come from and where you belong, and learn about other ways to connect with people in your own community and beyond.

In deeply understanding and re-connecting with the aspects that have shaped where we’ve come from and the local place we’re in, we aim to gather resources and strategies to help us in our efforts to make the urgent transition to a sustainable way of life. This will involve sharing stories of good practice, exploring cultural identity, and developing effective models of communication. It will include asking ourselves:
What are cultural roots of that resilient and inclusive way of living of which Transition is a current expression?
What are the roots and drivers of the consumerist lifestyle which is challenging the planet’s (and our social) capacity to cope?
How can we recognise, connect with and contribute to other pre-existing local ways in which people are building resilient and inclusive communities?
How can we learn from other cultural traditions and support other communities across the world to defend or re-create resilient communities?
Booking will be open soon from the Transition Scotland Website

The Energy Group have been working away to help householders put in place energy saving measures recommended in our toolkit. The insulation and draughtproofing surveys are nearly complete and we have applied to a private trust for a grant to subsidise the cost. We will therefore be writing to households that have been surveyed in the next 2-3 weeks to confirm what their cost would be. Cupar based Reed Insulation have already made a start on installing cavity wall insulation for those who have taken advantage of the special offer secured by the NHTT.

We are also looking at how we can take forward our Community Renewables and Village Hall Exemplar projects. If you would like to find out more or get involved then please come along to our next meeting on Monday 6 September in Collessie Hall.

The Community Bakery Sub Group have been busy looking into the possibility if setting up a community bakery within the NHTT area. We took some samples of hand made bread along to Collessie Gala where it was well received and we got some really positive feedback. Keen breadmaker and local resident Barbara Holden attended a 4 day ‘Baking for The Community’ training course to find out more about how to take the idea forward. The next step will be to carry out more feasibility work and meet with other communities who have experience of this type of venture. If you would like to be involved in this project the get in touch with Louise.

The Transport Group have been busy laying the foundations for getting our projects up and running. Using the survey results we have been carrying out feasibility work for the improvement of key paths and cycleways in the area. We have made some real progress with permission from landowners for several key sections. More information of how we will be taking this forward will be in our next newsletter. If you can’t wait until then keep an eye on our website for details of this and our other projects.

We are always on the look out for innovative ways to change to way we travel and use cars. One site we thought we would like to share with you is www.whipcar.com . This offers an interesting option for sharing cars within the community by allowing to you hire cars from people within the community, maybe even your neighbour. Take a look and the website and see if it might suit you.

The next Transport meeting will be on Monday 30 August at 7.30pm in Giffordtown Hall.

Come and join the Linlithgow Transition group in a mini Transition Gathering and Harvest celebration on Saturday the 25th September

Linlithgow Climate Challenge (LCC) & Transition Scotland Support would like to invite other Transition groups in Scotland to join us for a fun day mixing Transition discussions and also celebrating a Harvest Feast on Sat – Sept 25th.

We would love to use this event to promote what is going on around Scotland and to show the strength in Transition action from other communities. Esp if there’s any focus on food projects  So if you’d like to bring along a small amount of display material, we can find you a corner of the marquee.

Space will be provided so that we can not only eat but also talk about our transition aims and those of the wider communities.

As the ‘new kid’ on the official transition town block we’d very much like to meet you all and to share with you a little of our own local transition ambitions and efforts.

Click HERE to find out more

Come and join the Linlithgow Transition group in a mini Transition Gathering and Harvest celebration on Saturday the 25th September

Linlithgow Climate Challenge (LCC) & Transition Scotland Support would like to invite other Transition groups in Scotland to join us for a fun day mixing Transition discussions and also celebrating a Harvest Feast on Sat – Sept 25th.

We would love to use this event to promote what is going on around Scotland and to show the strength in Transition action from other communities. Esp if there’s any focus on food projects  So if you’d like to bring along a small amount of display material, we can find you a corner of the marquee.

Space will be provided so that we can not only eat but also talk about our transition aims and those of the wider communities.

As the ‘new kid’ on the official transition town block we’d very much like to meet you all and to share with you a little of our own local transition ambitions and efforts.

Click HERE to find out more

The coordinating group will be meeting on Monday 16 August at 7.45pm at the Blue Room at Monimail Tower. Click here for draft agenda. If you would like anything added for discussion then please let Louise know.