Earth Day 2014 Happenings @ the Freight Shed: Market Morning April 19, 2014

Earth Day is Tuesday, April 22^nd so during this Saturday's farmers market, we'll be sharing ways to "Green" our lifestyles, environment and community. Join us in the south end Community Room!

Bath Community Stenciling Blitz

Sunday, April 27 | 1 - 4 pm
Bath City Hall parking lot

Our alliance friends from the Kennebec Estuary Land Trust (KELT) will be on hand during this Saturday's farmers market to sign folks up for the upcoming Bath Community Stenciling Blitz, next Sunday, April 27 @ 1 to 4 pm. 

What can we do to keep the Kennebec River, its tributaries, and our city’s sewer system in optimal shape?

Storm Drain Stenciling.

It's simple way to prevent this type of pollution. By stenciling a friendly “Keep It Clean -- Drains To River” message next to our city’s storm drains, we can let neighbors and visitors know that anything dumped and tossed in the street or on lawns can wind up in the nearby river.

Storm Drain Stenciling is a widely used and fun community-building activity for families, neighborhood groups, scout troops, service clubs, and local businesses. By participating you will become more aware of the link between our city’s landscape and waterways as well as leave behind a helpful reminder for others.

For more information about the Stenciling Blitz, visit www.kennebecestuary.org, call 442-8400 or email them here

Happenings @ the Freight Shed: Market Morning February 1, 2014

This Saturday at the Bath Farmers Market, visit the Kennebec Estuary Land Trust’s table to learn about the fun array of upcoming events. Specifically, the 4^th Annual Winter Read, a community book discussion group. 

This season’s selection is  Taste, Memory: Forgotten Foods, Lost Flavors, and Why They Matter by local author, David Buchanan. 

The reader joins gardeners, preservationists, environmentalists, farmers, and cooks on a journey to rediscover the role of forgotten varieties of food in our farming fields and at our dinner tables. It’s a fascinating read that brings together the author’s love of food, farming, and discovering New England’s unique agricultural and culinary history.

Will with his Irish Bouzouki and in the foreground, Michele on the fiddle
Photo courtesy of  www.twistedstrings.net

Also, we welcome back Twisted Strings, an acoustic duo who entertain us with a wide array of tunes with Celtic roots and featuring Michele Roy on fiddle and Will West on the guitar and Irish bouzouki! 

Not sure what an Irish bouzouki is? Well come on down to check it out!

For more information regarding what's going on at the Bath Farmers Market, be sure to check out their weekly newsletter, News from the Bath Farmers Market -- you can either sign up to subscribe or catch it on their Facebook Page. 

Are you interested in learning more about the Bath Freight Shed? Thought so! Well please visit our website and if you're able to make a donation or become a Member, you can do that there as well! Not able to make a donation right now but want to help out? Well, we have lots of opportunities for volunteers either on a regular basis or just now and then. You can email Merry Chapin or call her at 207-443-5669 for more information.

Look for the Market Information Booth where you can also purchase your Market Money Tokens and if you're a SNAP customer, this is the booth to visit to take advantage of SNAP Incentive Program where fore every $4 you purchase by swiping your EBT card, you earn an extra dollar! Swipe $16 and you get an extra $4 in tokens -- extending your purchase power!

You can also purchase Bath Farmers Market Gift Certificates at the Information Booth -- a gift that gives year-round!

This Week at the Bath Freight Shed: Georgetown Central School 4th Grade - April 6, 2013

Earth Month in the Community Room:

April 6th: Georgetown Central School 4th Grade composting project

April 13th: Creative examples of re-use exhibit and hands on activities. Pictured is a chair being re-used from a (legally obtained!) discarded Wrong Way sign!

April 27th: KELT's community blitz day to stencil storm drains in downtown Bath. Learn more about this upcoming event at "No Dumping! Drains to River!"

April 27th: Last day of the Winter Market tribute to our local farmers and food producers - in photographs and paintings of our Bath Farmers Market farms 

Coming up later this Spring:

• May 4th: Maine's First Ship /Bath Freight Shed Yard Sale

Useful Resources to Green your Lifestyle

Did you know that you can do away with the commercial household cleaning products that contain harsh chemicals with everyday products you you may already have in your kitchen? You knew folks did this but didn't know which product to use for carpet stains? Laundry detergent? Well there's a website you can access through the National Resources Council of Maine, titled "Toxic-free Maine" with a handy-dandy brochure available to help guide you through as you green up your life!

Here's a brief PSA from the WCLZ Green Team Minute on the subject: http://989wclz.com/green-team/safetly-clean-those-muddy-carpets/

Composting

Some of us do it, some don't, but many of us want to but either don't have the space in our yards or the time. Well there's a new service called Garbage to Garden that simplifies it all for you.

Here's a snippet describing Garbage to Garden but please visit their website to learn more.

Stop contributing to landfills and start composting, with Garbage to Garden, where your kitchen scraps are recycled -- your participation helps us to support schools, gardens, and the environment. 

• Recycle your food scraps on garbage day
• Compost all food waste, including meat, dairy, and bones
• Receive a clean bucket each week
• Request deliveries of matured compost at no extra charge
• $11 monthly, and FREE if you can volunteer!

DID YOU KNOW THAT FOOD WASTE IS THE #1 COMPONENT OF MUNICIPAL GARBAGE?

When you compost with Garbage to Garden, you are helping to keep organic waste -- the primary component of trash -- out of landfills and incinerators. You are also reducing atmospheric pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

The waste you recycle with Garbage to Garden is used to renew our soils, and to generate green electricity through anaerobic digestion technology, with no harmful byproducts.

JOIN THE MOVEMENT!

Currently, Garbage to Garden does not provide service to the Bath area but there is a system for petitioning the group to add our city to their routes. Please sign this petition to we can have Garbage to Garden in Bath!

News from the Bath Freight Shed: Coming up in April

Dear Freight Shed Alliance Friends, 

As we wrap up our first winter season of the Bath Farmers Market I wanted to call your attention to April's market mornings and would like to encourage everyone to help get the word out and be involved. These mornings are such a great time to strike up the conversations that get people to become part of the BFSA. 

On March 15th, Andrew Deci gave a tour of the Freight Shed to a group from the Maine Downtown Institute Conference - it was safe to say that they left energized to tackle what may seem like impossibly challenging projects in their own down towns based on what they saw. It is daunting at times but with this team that is growing it is very encouraging!

Mark your Calendars!

Our next meeting BFSA will be on April 10th at noon in the Freight Shed. It's an important meeting as we look toward summer projects and events at the Freight Shed.

For the time being our Hands On Fridays have been put on hold as we regroup. With warmer weather promised we look forward to organizing a variety of work groups to suit different schedules.


Best,
Wiebke