Friday September 10, 2010 - Sunrise 6:37 A.M. Sunset 7:26 P.M - Moon waxing 7%.  September, in Old England, was called Haervest-monath (Harvest Month). This is the time to gather up the rest of the harvest and prepare for the winter months.

1] Visions of Utopia - Sat Oct 2
2] Permaculture Potluck Picnic: Getting Ready for Winter & Spring - Sun Oct 3
3] What's New at alchemicalnursery.org
4] Fiscally Sponsored Project Updates
5] Other Events of Interest: Bikes4Peace, PARK(ing) Day, Westcott Street Fair, Rain Barrel Workshop

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1] Visions of Utopia - Sat Oct 2

Come together at the Westcott Community Center  on Saturday October 2, 11:00 am, for a free screening of this award winning documentary film (The Communal Studies Association's Outstanding Project Award) and take part in a panel discussion with communitarians from around Syracuse.   "Visions of Utopia" (94 min.) is a great way to experience a sampling of community life "up close." You can see and hear community members tell their stories in their own words.  Part One includes: Profiles of seven diverse communities. Exploration of the "glue" that holds communities together. Honest revelations about what is working and what is not. A brief history of 2500 years of shared living. The communities featured in Part One are as follows: Ananda Village (Nevada City CA) Breitenbush Hot Springs (Detroit OR) Camphill Special School (Glenmoore PA) Earthaven (Black Mountain NC) Nyland   Cohousing (Lafayette CO) Purple Rose (San Francisco CA) Twin Oaks (Louisa VA)

This event is part of the Westcott Garden Extravaganza which includes: Free flower bulbs (for Westcott residents), view our award-winning film, purchase fresh vegetables, flowers and handspun yarn from Daily Harvest Farm's Farmers market, live music by Larry Hoyt and Friends; handwoven baskets from Ghana & Bluetree Studios,  pumpkin sale, hyacinth and allium bulbs, earth-sourced jewelry and note cards from Songs of Earth, and  the WCC Kid's Club bake and perennial plant sale/fundraiser. 

Link to Full Details: http://www.alchemicalnursery.org/news/317-visions-of-utopia.html

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2] Permaculture Potluck Picnic: Getting Ready for Winter & Spring - Sun Oct 3

An introduction to permaculture principles, and practical methods for working your garden for Winter & Spring.  We’ll be meeting at 717 Otisco Street, Syracuse, NY, a newly acquired property on the Near Westside that will be developed with Permaculture Principles and Techniques. Please bring your own bowl/plate/utensils and cups.  Potluck will be picnic style, no cooking or warming facilities will be available.  Trash will be carry-in, carry-out, no trash bins will be provided; however, compostable materials may be left on site.  Potluck starts at 12 noon; the workshop starts at 12:30 pm,  w/ lecture, discussion, and hands-on activities; and continues till 2:30 pm.  RSVPs welcomed at: 
http://www.meetup.com/Permaculture-and-Urban-Homesteading/calendar/14699497/

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3] What's New at alchemicalnursery.org

The 2nd generation of the Alchemical Nursery website continues to evolve.  Here's what's new and why you should visit soon:

• We've gathered the best of the web's latest news and stories about ecovillages and intentional communities into a convenient RSS feed.  You can view the most recent stories (which are updated daily) within the right-hand column's "Permaculture and IC News" module.
• A "Tools" module has been added to the left-hand column.  This space will include links for commonly visited and used resources outside of the alchemicalnursery.org domain.  At the present, you'll find handy links that will take you to the Permaculture and Urban Homesteading Guild Meetup page, the Upstate NY Permaculture list-serve, and the Alchemical Apps Email** log-in page.
• We're highlighting our affiliate partnerships in the left-hand column as well.  Newly featured this month is "The One Chocolate Bar by Gabrielle Brick" - distributed locally by Alchemical Enterprises. To purchase these delicious raw chocolate bars (with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Alchemical), visit: http://www.alchemicalnursery.org/chocolate.html

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4] Updates on Alchemical's Fiscally Sponsored Projects

Syracuse Grows will be offering tours of community gardens during the A-OK slate of events citywide on Saturday September 11 and Sunday September 12.  The tours will last one hour each and feature 3 -5 Syracuse gardens, depending on time and distance. The pick-up points are: St Lucys Saturday at 11; Mary Nelson Youth Center Saturday at 12:30; Sunnycrest Park Sunday at 11; and Assisi Center Sunday at 12:30.  Visit the Women Transcending Boundaries' A-OK site for more info at http://www.wtb.org/?page_id=776

The Craftsman Inn will be holding the Hog and Barrel Harvest Celebration on September 17 from 6 pm - 11 pm.  A portion of the proceeds will benefit Syracuse First.  Join this celebration of the Bounty of Central New York with an evening of spirits, beer and wine barrel tastings, spit roasted Berkshire Hogs transformed into a fantastic dinner, high powered entertainment and a truly memorable evening! Sample Jim Beam's portfolio of Small Batch Bourbons, Beak and Skiff's Apple Vodka, the award winning wines of the Finger Lake's Hosmer Winery, and beers from Middle Ages Brewery!  Full details at http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=128417190539333&ref=mf

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5] Other Events of Interest: Bikes4Peace, PARK(ing) Day, Westcott Street Fair, Rain Barrel Workshop

Join Bikes4Peace for our last bicycle repair clinic event of the summer at St. Lucy's (425 Gifford St) on the Westside on September 11th from 11am-1pm.  This event is part of the Acts of Kindness (A-OK) week.  We will be helping young people and community members fix their bicycles and helping with a bicycle giveaway.  Bikes4Peace is looking forvolunteer bike mechanics (all skill levels!) and community biking enthusiasts to help at this event.  To RSVP or for more information: Jessica at 472-5478, or Ursula email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  Please plan to arrive by 10:45, to have time for introductions & instructions before we get started!

Join Alchemical as we participate in PARK(ing) Day, a worldwide event that inspires city dwellers everywhere to transform metered parking spots into temporary parks for the public good.  Our parking space will be located on West Jefferson St in front of the MOST (The Museum of Science and Technology) at Armory Square in the heart of Syracuse.  The theme will be the Alchemical Book Share, and will include seating and loads of books that you can read onsite, or take home for free!  Stop by on Friday September 17th at any time before 5pm.  Learn more about PARK(ing) Day at http://my.parkingday.org/profile/COLABSyracuseUNiversity

Come visit us at the Westcott Street Fair on Sunday September 19 from 12 noon - 6:30pm.  We will be featuring an exhibit of theTrash Transformer Project artworks.  You can still place a silent auction bid on any of the pieces while at our booth, or buy visiting the TTP article on our website (where you can view the artworks as well) at: http://www.alchemicalnursery.org/news/287-ttp-artworks-revealed.html

Rain Barrels!  Come join Alchemical Nursery Board Member Sasha Batorsky and Brenda Muhammed for an informational session and either make your own barrel or pick one up that is ready to install!  This workshop will be held on Sunday September 26 at Lipe Art Park from 1pm - 4pm.  Ready made barrels are free for homeowners residing in certain areas within the city of Syracuse.  Free rain barrel recipients must attend an info session that starts at 1:30 pm.  For anyone would like to build their own rain barrel the cost will be $30.    For full details and to register visit: https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl=en&formkey=dHdTSE5QNVp5NEUyZnR2eEZnUEx1R1E6MQ#gid=0 

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[For more events, blog posts, and articles, visit www.alchemicalnursery.org]
[** Get your very own alchemicalnursery.org domain email address by contacting  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ]
[To donate to the Alchemical Nursery and help develop these projects and more, visit our Network for Good: Donate Now location.  Thank you for your support. ]