Cortland County Sustainable Living Tour 10/8/11

Twin Oaks Dairy Tracking Solar PV System

Uttech Property

Please join us for the first annual Cortland County Sustainable Living Tour on October 8, 2011.  The day includes two tours.  Tour highlights will include: Straw bale and earth-berm construction, solar thermal, solar photovoltaic, geothermal, sustainable gardening, passive solar, LEED Silver building standards, and energy retrofits.

For more info please go to: cortlandgreenhomes.wordpress.com  or contact Beth Klein (607-753-5682) solarbeth@gmail.com

TOUR 1: Businesses and Organizations

10:15-11:00 Cortland YWCA, Cortland  - solar PV system

11:30-12:30 SUNY Cortland Professional Studies Building, Cortland – Meets LEED Silver standards, geothermal heating and cooling, and more

1:00-2:00 Lime Hollow Center for Environment and Culture Visitor Center, Cortland – Geothermal, solar PV system, and other green building techniques.

Tour 2: Farms and Homes

9:15-10:00  Twin Oaks Dairy, Truxton – tracking ground mount solar panels

Klein garden and Solar PV system

10:30 – 11:30 – Klein home, Solon  - ground mount solar PV system, solar thermal hot water system, on-demand hot water, wood stove, root cellar.  Jon Wood of Cortland and owner of  Green Sun Solar  will be on hand to talk about his solar thermal installation here.

12:00 – 1:30 –  Northland Sheep Dairy, Freetown/Marathon
Karl and Jan North Home: Earth-berm construction and passive solar, and more.
Donn Hewes and MaryRose Livingston Home: Straw bale construction, passive Solar, and more.

2:00-3:00 – Uttech home, Lapeer – Solar PV, solar thermal hot water, wood stove and more

Uttech Solar PV controllers

Canning Workshop

If you've always wanted to learn how to can, here's your opportunity.  Cooperative Extension is offering a hands-on workshop THIS Saturday (Sept. 17th) from 9-noon at the Cortland County Office Building (Basement room B-1).  Please pre-register ASAP by calling Sharon VanDeuson, Cornell Cooperative Extension, at 607-753-5078.  There is a small charge of $5 to help with materials costs.

Preserving the Harvest Presentation

Chris Applegate at the Virgil Market

Please join us for "Preserving the Harvest" on Wed. August 17th, from 7:00-9:00 PM at the New York State Grange Headquarters in Cortland (just off of Clinton Avenue). In this free workshop Chris Applegate will present information on "putting food by" for the winter.  Methods to be discussed include canning, freezing, dehydrating, root cellaring, pickling and fermenting.  Chris is an organic grower and food safety educator.  She has been a professional cook restaurant owner and college dining manager.  She currently manages the Virgil Farmers Market.  For more info please contact the Cortland County Soil and Water Conservation District at 607-756-5991.

Chris is an excellent speaker and very knowledgeable.  I encourage anyone thinking about preserving food as well as those who already do to come to this session.  She'll be able to answer all kinds of questions.