Communities Living Sustainably – have your say
Spring News and AGM
Top Tips for Retrofits 31st March
Community Farm ‘work’days
Don’t forget!
Regular Community Farm workdays are held every month
on the 2nd Saturday and the 4th Sunday
10.00am – 3.00pm…
……and it’s not all work………we have a Shared Lunch (bring what you like) and cups of tea on tap…..lots of chat – get to know someone new?……..A good social gathering interspersed with shared growing, sowing, weeding, watering, feeding hens, getting some exercise, planning our next project, a share in the harvest……. and lots more. What could be better!
Why not come down and join in!
You’ll find us behind Parkway Farm Business Centre and Weymouth College Skills Centre off Middle Farm Way, Poundbury, Dorchester DT1 3AR
Like to join our mailing list? Just email: farm(at)transitiontowndorchester(dot)org
Workdays at the Railway Orchard
Apples!!
Come and help us grow some in the centre of Dorchester at the ‘Railway Community Orchard‘
We have regular workdays on the 1st Saturday and the 3rd Sunday every month and you’ll find us there from 11.00am until 3.00pm.
The orchard is being created on what was an area of overgrown land and we’ve been very busy clearing away brambles and sycamores and planting trees and fruit bushes……and we’ve got lots of ideas…bees…pond…wildlife…picnics,
but we need your help….so put on your strongest boots, bring your ideas and some lunch and come down and join in!
See you there!
( You will find us along the footpath behind the garages at the eastern end of Monmouth road or from the footpath alongside the railway at the eastern end of Alfred Road (which is at the back of Dorchester South Station).
Like to join our mailing list? Just email: info(at)transitiontowndorchester(dot)org
Farm workday Sun 29th Jan
The next farm workday will be on Sunday 29th January….yes, I know that’s the 5th Sunday this month, but we’ve had to rearrange to avoid having two in a row….. it’s 10-ish until 3-ish with shared lunch in the middle.
Lots to do, so hope you can come!
Orchard workday Sun 22nd Jan
We had a great day at the Orchard on Sunday.
A large area was prepared for tree planting on the next workday (4th Feb), and while we dug we were serenaded by violins, a guitar and singing – and best of all there was a record turnout of about 20 people,
………..oh and the sun shined.
What better way to spend the day?
Here we come a-wassailing!!
Home Energy Saving Winner!
When Lorraine Wong (right) decided to borrow an electricity monitor from our loan scheme, she had very little idea how much electricity she was using in her everyday life. Six months later, at the close of the scheme, the monitor has helped her to make behavioural changes that have saved her money, reduced her carbon footprint and won her a prize of a local food hamper for her efforts!
Lorraine says: ‘The biggest surprise was how much energy my ceiling lights used as they are all halogen bulbs, so I decided to limit my use of these and use table lamps instead’
She has made many other changes too, such as making sure she dries her laundry out on the line, rather than using a tumble-drier, and washing clothes at a lower temperature. She says ‘I leave nothing on standby, and now I only turn my router on when I am actually using my computer’. Well done Lorraine!
The aim of the electricity monitor loan scheme was to help people to make a sustainable reduction in their consumption of energy. Sixteen participants in this free scheme were able to see their electricity usage in real time using a monitor with a portable display which helped them to understand where energy was being wasted in their homes. They were also invited to attend meetings where energy saving advice was available, and everyone that gave feedback at the end of the scheme reported that they had made a saving.
Fame at last!
Underlanche Community Farm was given a mention in a talk given a while ago by Rob Hopkins at the 2011 Tagore Festival held at Dartington. You’ll find it 24 minutes into the video which is called :
‘Transition as Cookery: my presentation at the 2011 Tagore Festival’
In today’s post on Transition Culture, Rob says “A couple of months ago I did a talk at the Tagore Festival at Dartington which eschewed Powerpoint and used objects sent in by Transition groups to tell the
story of how Transition unfolds. I really enjoyed it.” Here it is: