Archive - May 13, 2010 - Page
I’m probably breaking all the rules of “local” down in my basement, where under banks of grow lights artichokes, epazote, cumin and lemongrass, nigella and fenugreek, radicchio and rapini, Corsican gourds and tomatillos, and 12 varieties of hot peppers are humming along. There are the usual suspects, too — tomatoes and eggplants, squash and greens.
Editor’s Note: The Addison Independent is introducing a new gardening column to run each Thursday through the growing season. It is written by three local gardeners — Kate Gridley of Middlebury, Barbara Ganley of Weybridge, and Judy Stevens of Orwell — from three perspectives.
The column will focus on lessons learned from the land and explores the ancient connection between the garden and the kitchen.
Kate chronicles adventures of the in-town artist-gardener who is passionate about the possibilities of growing and cooking with local seasonal ingredients.
VERGENNES — Addison residents on Tuesday reversed their Town Meeting Day stand and voted against the proposal to unify Addison Northwest Supervisory Union governance under one board, effectively stopping the unification plan.
ADDISON — The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) expects to soon finalize an agreement with a Colorado-based general contractor that will later this month begin work on a new, $70 million Champlain Bridge that should be ready for traffic by late summer of 2011.
MIDDLEBURY — First wood chips, now manure.
After firing up a $12 million biomass plant to burn wood for heat last winter, Middlebury College is hoping to turn another local resource — manure from the county’s dairy farms — into an alternative form of heating fuel to power the campus.
On-farm methane digesters have already drawn attention in Vermont for using manure from some of the state’s larger dairy farms to generate methane gas, which is burned to create electricity.
BRISTOL — Although it is only the middle of May, for Eric Swanson harvest time has almost arrived.
The Bristol resident harvests mushrooms, many of which begin to sprout in the spring.
Swanson is a wildcrafter, someone who searches the woods for wild edibles. Sometimes he spends days at a time in the woods, filling his backpack with fresh, wild specimens.
MIDDLEBURY — The Middlebury selectboard will create an ad hoc committee to hash out potential new economic development strategies for the town as well as new ways to support existing activities that are currently being met by financially strapped volunteer associations.
MONTPELIER — The Vermont Legislature was nearing adjournment but was still slogging through some major issues as the Addison Independent went to press on Wednesday.
Chief among the unresolved issues was the fiscal year 2011 budget, according to Sen. Claire Ayer, D-Weybridge. Ayer, the Senate majority whip, said legislative leaders and Gov. James Douglas remained at odds on a final spending plan, largely over the matter of taxes.
Among the items wrapped up in the waning days of the session were:
