Transition Town Manchester (TTM) invites you to take a ‘leap of faith’ this leap year by placing your order for grapevines for the springtime! This year Transition Town Manchester is partnering with Northeastern Vine Supplies and our friends Andy & India Farmer in West Pawlet, Vermont, our local supplier, to offer two varieties of grapes for sale to our local community. We will be hosting an informational session with Andy and India at the next monthly Green Drinks at Dorset Inn in Dorset, Vermont, which will take place at 6:30pm on Thursday, February 16. They will share information on the two varieties available, and also how to prepare to plant bare-root vines, establish simple arbors, and prune grapevines.

Somerset Seedless and Edelweiss varieties are each for sale online for $7.50 per vine. The vine sale will end on February 29, 2012. The vines will be available for pick up in April. The order form can be downloaded here.

TTM started a new tradition in 2010 when it sold 350 fruit trees in support of Bill McKibben’s 350.org, a day of global climate action. Then in 2011 TTM offered hazelbert nut trees for sale to the community. As in the past with TTM tree sales, the goal of this project is encourage our community to contribute to its own food production. The mission of this year’s offering it to extend the propagation of vines locally within our communities in partnership with a local producer.

About the Grapes

Somerset Seedless

A fully hardy pink seedless grape good for juice and jam. Hardy to around -30 and early ripening. Trailing growth habit and moderate vigor. Produces small to medium sized well filled clusters of orange-pink grapes with great flavor and texture. An easy seller at retail and farmers' markets. Great for the backyard.

Edelweiss

White seeded wine, table and juice grape. Hardy to -30 F. Excellent disease resistance and adaptability. Has a pleasing fruity, labrusca flavor which becomes more pronounced the longer it hangs on the vine. Best harvested around 17 brix for a light Germanic style wine. Edelweiss has become the signature grape of the Nebraska wine industry as well as achieving great popularity in most northern Mid-Western states. Numerous awards, including The Best in Show White Wine at the 2009 Cold Climate Wine Competition, have been given in recent years to varietal Edelweiss wines. Makes a very nice seeded white table and fresh juice grape too. Ripens early season.

When in full production, the fruit of a single vine can be expected to total 10-12 pounds. They will need to be planted 5-6 feet apart. If the vines will be planted within a 4x8 arbor, it will accommodate 2-4 vines. The grapes can be expected to ripen the last week in August and first week in September.

Green Drinks Manchester ~ Thursday, February 16

Please join us on Thursday, February 16 at 6:30 p.m. for Green Drinks at The Dorset Inn, 8 Church Street, Dorset, Vermont. Come discuss a local grapevine project, and learn more about it from resident experts, Andy and India Farmer of Northeastern Vine Supply. Enjoy drinks and conversation on topics including sustainable agriculture, climate change, local consumption, alternative energies, and the list goes on… with environmental enthusiasts. Green Drinks is an informal group of community members who wish to engage in environmental issues broadly. For more information on the “local” Green Drinks movement worldwide, visit greendrinks.org. “Like” Green Drinks Manchester VT on Facebook!

Green Drinks Manchester ~ Thursday, January 19

Please join us on Thursday, January 19 at 6:30 p.m. for Green Drinks at The Dorset Inn, 8 Church Street, Dorset, Vermont. Welcome 2012 with us – enjoy drinks and conversation on topics including sustainable agriculture, climate change, local consumption, alternative energies, and the list goes on… with environmental enthusiasts. Green Drinks is an informal group of community members who wish to engage in environmental issues broadly. For more information on the “local” Green Drinks movement worldwide, visit greendrinks.org. “Like” Green Drinks Manchester VT on Facebook!

Juicy News from Transition Town Manchester (TTM)

‘Tis the season for merriment, and Transition Town Manchester (TTM) invites you to celebrate the season by placing your order for grapevines for the springtime! This year Transition Town Manchester is partnering with Northeastern Vine Supplies and our friends Andy & India Farmer in West Pawlet, Vermont, our local supplier, to offer two varieties of grapes for sale to our local community. Somerset Seedless and Edelweiss varieties are each for sale online for $7.50 per vine. The vine sale will end online on January 15, 2012. The vines will be available for pick up in April. Please download the order form via the link below.

TTM started a new tradition in 2010 when it sold 350 fruit trees in support of Bill McKibben’s 350.org, a day of global climate action. Then in 2011 TTM offered hazelbert nut trees for sale to the community. As in the past with TTM tree sales, the goal of this project is encourage our community to contribute to its own food production. The mission of this year’s offering it to extend the propagation of vines locally within our communities in partnership with a local producer.

About the Grapes

Somerset Seedless

A fully hardy pink seedless grape good for juice and jam. Hardy to around -30 and early ripening. Trailing growth habit and moderate vigor. Produces small to medium sized well filled clusters of orange-pink grapes with great flavor and texture. An easy seller at retail and farmers' markets. Great for the backyard.

Edelweiss

White seeded wine, table and juice grape. Hardy to -30 F. Excellent disease resistance and adaptability. Has a pleasing fruity, labrusca flavor which becomes more pronounced the longer it hangs on the vine. Best harvested around 17 brix for a light Germanic style wine. Edelweiss has become the signature grape of the Nebraska wine industry as well as achieving great popularity in most northern Mid-Western states. Numerous awards, including The Best in Show White Wine at the 2009 Cold Climate Wine Competition, have been given in recent years to varietal Edelweiss wines. Makes a very nice seeded white table and fresh juice grape too. Ripens early season.

When in full production, the fruit of a single vine can be expected to total 10-12 pounds. They will need to be planted 5-6 feet apart. If the vines will be planted within a 4x8 arbor, it will accommodate 2-4 vines. The grapes can be expected to ripen the last week in August and first week in September.

Order form link.

Green Drinks!

Please join us on Thursday, December 22 at 6:30 p.m. for Green Drinks at The Dorset Inn, 8 Church Street, Dorset, Vermont. Enjoy festive drinks and conversation on topics including sustainable agriculture, climate change, local consumption, alternative energies, and the list goes on… with environmental enthusiasts. Green Drinks is an informal group of community members who wish to engage in environmental issues broadly. For more information on the “local” Green Drinks movement worldwide, visit greendrinks.org. “Like” Green Drinks Manchester VT on Facebook!

Next TTM Meeting - December 1st

The next Transition Town Manchester meeting is this Thursday, Dec. 1, at 6:30 p.m., Potluck, at 136 Blackberry Lane in Dorset.

Directions: Rt. 30 North, 1 mile past JK Adams take left onto Lane Road, 3/10ths of a mile on Lane Road take right onto Blackberry Lane, 4th house on right, long line of firewood leading up the driveway.

Thanks!

Permaculture Film Series

Wondering about Permaculture, the basic idea behind the Transition Model? Here is a great Permaculture series from our friends in Bennington;

Calling all gardeners and growers, thinkers and planners:

Join us for three movies about Permaculture and Edible Forest Gardens

Movies to be shown at 6 pm at the North Bennington Train Station starting next Wednesday. We hope you can join us for one or all.

Edible Forest Gardens grow food using perennial plants supported by planned ecosystems. They are an aspect of Permaculture appropriate for New England. In this series of three movies we hope to introduce the principles of permaculture in general and the development of Edible Forest Gardens in particular. There will be time for discussion after each. You are welcome to just one or all.

Following this series, we will be forming an ongoing permaculture learning group. This group will be planning and implementing an Edible Forest Garden for the northernmost acre of North Bennington's McWater's Park. In January we will be offering a weekend course in Permaculture and Edible Forest Design to provide this group and others with further training. We hope you can join us.

Farm for the Future (48 min) Wednesday, November 30th at 6 PM

This BBC production opens the series with a look at the difficulties with our current agricultural system. It is a beautiful and engaging movie which will whet your appetite for learning more.

Global Gardener: Permaculture with Bill Mollison (56 min) Wednesday December 7th at 6pm

Bill Mollison, the father of Permaculture, travels the globe in this four part series. We will watch two parts, the Tropics and Cool Climates, to see how permaculture weaves together microclimate, annual and perennial plants, animals, soils, water management and human needs into intricately connected productive communities.

Establishing a Food Forest (80 min) Wednesday December 14th at 6 pm

Join Australian Geoff Lawton on a Permaculture adventure as he demonstrates how to grow a food forest from start to finish. The aim of Geoff’s food forest approach is the creation of systems which are productive and abundant yet which require very little maintenance.

Sponsored by the Walloomsac Transition Initiative, the North Bennington Park and Recreation Committee and the Bennington County Regional Commission.

For more information write to walloomsactransition@gmail.com