The Bring Food Home Conference Runs This Thursday To Saturday In Peterborough

From October 27th to 29th, farmers, processors, health care professionals, educators and government officials will be coming together at Trent University for a unique food conference called Bring Food Home 2011: Preparing the Ground for a Sustainable Food System. Conference attendees will be engaged in collaboration to build a food system in Ontario that is responsive to the needs of all.

On Thursday, Bring Food Home will host the "Let’s Talk About Food" event at Showplace. It will feature scholar and food policy expert, Mark Winne; the Director of Sustain UK, Jeanette Longfield; Indigenous scholar and educator, Dawn Morrison; writer and broadcaster Jon Steinman; and a welcome address by Mayor Daryl Bennett. Tickets can be purchased at the Showplace Box office for $12, or $5 for students and seniors.

Conference organizers have been working closely with Farms at Work, a local non-profit that works to keep farmland active and healthy, to provide conference attendees with a range of educational and engaging experiences. A number of other local programs will be making presentations and participating in the conference proceedings.

Peterborough’s local food scene offers wonderful opportunities for conference participants to visit innovative food projects, including By The Bushel Community Food Co-op, JustFood Boxes and Trent’s Seasoned Spoon Café. A bus tour to McLean Berry Farm and Kawartha Country Wines is being offered. Conference attendees will also enjoy the "Feast of Local Flavours" at The Elmhirst Resort, featuring local beers and food made with ingredients from Peterborough and Kawartha area farms.

For more info about the conference, visit Bringfoodhome.com.

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If You Missed The Northern Lights Last Night, Here's What They Looked Like

[chextvDOTcom]

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Here's The Shiny Findings From A New Report On The Economic Impact Of The Shining Waters Railway

This morning in Peterborough, the Shining Waters Railway group revealed the results of an economic impact study commissioned to explore the local economic feasibility of restoring Peterborough-Toronto commuter rail service and upgrading the existing track. The line would run 120 kilometres with a total of eight stations between the Peterpatch and Toronto's Union Station.

Among the projected conservative estimates, according to the report:

• Nearly 2000 jobs to be created and $531 million in economic output ($433 million in Ontario) due to capital investment in upgrading track, constructing bridges, and refurbishing rolling stock. Most of the difference would occur in New Brunswick where rail cars will be refurbished.

• An additional 110 jobs and $13 million per year in economic output due to operation of the commuter rail line.

• More than $12 million in tax collections for the province and $4 million for the federal government.

• Nearly $13 million a year in travel time savings and travel cost savings, $0.6 million a year in environmental savings from new and diverted riders of the service and $11 million in 2031 in accident related costs.

• If full Phase 1 & 2 operation begins by mid 2015, the economic impact between now and 2020 is approximately $700 million – combination of construction and operation related impacts and ongoing travel savings.

According to the report, these estimates "do not consider the likely impact of increased rail freight service, non-commuter related travel (tourism, for example), development around the stations, and possible attraction of new business to the region. These estimates do not consider economic activity from alternative ways in which public funds might have been used."

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There Is A Patch Of 10,000 Pumpkins At Peterpatch Pumpkins In The Patch

If any of you have been travelling up Lansdowne Street West and have noticed a field speckled with plenty of orange, well that is the home of Peterpatch Pumpkins. Owner/Operators Jared Patton and Natalie Schnurr worked long and hard this past Spring planting and caring for all the seeds in hopes of a successful first season. Their hard work has paid off with three acres of nearly 10,000 pumpkins waiting to find homes.

Peterpatch Pumpkins welcomes school/daycare trips and other visitors of course. They are located at 2312 Lansdowne St. W. and can be reached at 705.761.1475.

Have a listen to Natalie's recent interview on CBC's Ontario Morning to learn more about Peterpatch Pumpkins.

[Peterpatch Pumpkins]

[Contributed by PtboCanada's Julie Morris]

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Cool Captain Climate Appears At Queen Elizabeth For International Walk To School Day

Encouraging students—and parents—to move towards more sustainable modes of transportation isn’t easy, but this Wednesday (October 5th) at 8:30 a.m., many will be inspired to change their commuting habits as part of International Walk to School Day.

Students from Queen Elizabeth Public School will arrive at school using sustainable modes of transportation, such as by bus, walking, biking, rollerblading or skateboarding.

They will be greeted by Cool Captain Climate, who will be providing musical entertainment for those in attendance. Later, the students will take part in a celebratory march around the school.

"We hope that International Walk to School Day will inspire students to get to school in more eco-friendly means like biking or walking," says Johanna Hart, of Peterborough Green-Up in a release. "Not only will our environment benefit by having less pollution added to our air, but the students themselves benefit by moving around and being active on their daily commute to school."

[International Walk to School Day; Peterborough Green-Up]

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COIN Hosting "The Mangy Moggy" Bicycle Scavenger Hunt Fundraiser For United Way

On October 15th, Community Opportunity & Innovation Network (COIN) is hosting a United Way fundraiser in the form of a bicycle scavenger hunt.

The Mangy Moggy is for avid cyclists, commuters, Sunday-afternoon-cyclists, and families. Meet at Millenium Park at 2 p.m. that day, and the hunt starts at 3 p.m. 

Sign up in teams of 4 for their Poker Run, or as an individual for the faster paced Alley Cat Race.

[COIN]

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Peterborough Green-Up Presents Doc "Powerful Energy For Everyone"

This Thursday (September 22nd), Peterborough Green-Up will be presenting a documentary by David Chernushenko titled Powerful Energy For Everyone.  Admission is by donation, and the doc starts at 7 p.m. at the Peterborough Public Library.

[Contributed by PtboCanada's Julie Morris]

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Calling All Artists: Ecofest Is Looking For Applicants For Their Trashfusion Design Awards

Ecofest Peterborough wants applicants for their Trashfusion event taking place October 22nd. Submissions are due in by October 1st, and first prize wins $500. Apply here. More deets in the poster below.

[Trashfusion]

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Here's A Video Of The Sunset & Moon From A Recent Night On Armour Hill

[YouTube]

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Revenge Of The Turtles Night Is This Thursday At The Venue

More info here on this event Facebook page.

[Contributed by PtboCanada's Julie Morris]

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