Calendar

Organizations in Baja Arizona are welcome to list their local food and sustainable agriculture workshops, events and celebrations here. Send information to Calender Listings.
 

2010 Calendar of Events

Sept. 6 – 2nd Annual Solar Event at Tucson Children’s Museum, Tucson
200 S. 6th Ave. Hands on solar activities, demonstrations and solar cooking with food sampling at this Labor Day event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sponsored by Tucson Electric Power’s Bright Solutions. Free admission to museum. This event will feature local organizations and businesses that support solar energy with the goal of making families more aware of the importance of alternative energy resources. BASA will offer a solar cooking demonstration with sampling as well as solar ovens at a large discount through its Solar Cooking Program and solar cookbooks for sale. For more information contact brookess@tucsonchildrensmusuem.org and 520.792.9983 Ext. 114. 

September 11 – Medicinal Herbs of the Sonoran Desert, Central Tucson, Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. 
This all day class taught by well known herbalist John Slattery will include foraging for seasonal herbal plants in the surrounding Sonoran Desert that can be used for medicines and learning how to prepare them for later use. Central Tucson location. Cost $75. Sponsored by the Sonoran Permaculture Guild. Contact Dan Dorsey at dorsey@dakotacom.net or visit www.sonoranpermaculture.org for more info on our classes

September 12 - “Somos Las Semillas, We are the Seeds” Santa Cruz Valley Organic Farm & Garden Tour 
This first annual free tour of seven organic farms and gardens in the Santa Cruz Valley will be held on Sunday from 10 a.m. to dusk. It includes Arivaca Community Garden, Forever Yong Farm, Avalon Gardens, Agua Linda Farm, U of A Cooperative Extension Green Valley/Sahaurita Backyard Growing/Raised Beds, the 900 tree organic grove at Green Valley Pecan Co. and Continental School Garden. Visit one or all of these organic growers in any order. The tour is an open house at each site including how-to demonstrations and handouts on small scale organic food production in the desert. It hopes to increase awareness of local organic growers and to inspire everyone to eat more vegetables by starting gardens in their own backyards and communities and seeking fresh locally raised produce. Locally grown produce is weeks fresher than most produce sold in large grocery stores and it travels many few er miles. Buying from local growers supports the growth of the local food market. As the local market grows more people will be able to see small scale farming as a viable way to make a living creating a local food abundance with many positive social and economic impacts. On the tour there will be free samples of fresh vegetables to taste the difference as well as healthy snacks and drinks for sale. Fresh produce and other farm products will also be available at some stops. For more information contact Karen Geores at djeores@cox.net or check back here to get a tour map with farm descriptions and directions. Sponsored by Baja Arizona Sustainable Agriculture, Santa Cruz Valley Heritage Alliance and Maricopa, Platicamos Salud Community Health Center. 

September 18 – 77th Annual San Pedro Valley Fair
The San Pedro Valley Fair is a St. David tradition. It is sponsored by the St. David High School FFA & FCCLA. Everyone is welcome to compete for ribbons and to view all of the exhibits in poultry, rabbits, crops, vegetables, arts, crafts, homemaking goods, as well as student’s exhibits. Participation is open to everyone in the community and the San Pedro Valley. It is a fun day for all. If you have questions, want to enter something in the Fair, or need more information, please call the FFA Chapter advisor, Bill Alexander, 520-313-2637 or e-mail him at balexander@mail.stdavid.org

October 2 - Introduction to Permaculture – downtown Tucson, Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
In this one day overview of Permaculture design, ethics, and principles you will have the opportunity to put together a long term plan for your sustainable home and landscape – one that takes care of people and takes care of our environment at the same time.
Location: Mesquite Tree Permaculture Site, one and a half miles north of downtown Tucson. Cost: $59 – includes all course materials, handouts, and mesquite bread cooked in our solar oven. Contact Dan Dorsey at dorsey@dakotacom.net or visit www.sonoranpermaculture.org for more info on our classes.

October 2 – 1st Annual St. David Farmers Market Livestock Roundup. 9a.m. to Noon. St. David Farmers Market at St. David School on Hwy 80.
Got an extra horse, burro or mule that you want to swap or turn into green cash? Are your goats out of control, or your sheep just too silly? Do you keep poultry and have extras? Would you like some livestock to liven things up at your spread? Come to the farmers market at the St. David School for a day of swapping, selling, buying and special events. Lil’l cowboy/cowgirl skill competitions, Stick Horse Barrel Race, Dummy Steer Roping, Goat Ribbon Relay Race, live music, food, refreshments, produce vendors, hand crafted items & more. For more information come to the farmers market any Saturday morning, 9 to noon or contact Ernie at 520-310-2943 or donernesto@juno.com or Christine at 520-720-9518 or c.r.deubel@hotmail.com.

October 3 – BASA Members Annual Field Trip/Members Meeting at San Ysidro Farm, McNeal
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free field trip for BASA members and their families. San Ysidro Farm is a 360 acre operation, with 120 acres of irrigated pasture, where BASA Treasurer Nathan Watkins and his family raise a 100 ewe herd of South African Dorper sheep, cattle, goats and pigs naturally without hormones, antibiotics or confinement. The ten year old farm also recently became a refuge for relocated Burrowing Owls displaced from developments in Phoenix and Kingman. Bring a cooler & shop for a full selection of meats at the farm’s Meat Shop. Mike’s Cowboy BBQ will cater lunch offering his own grass-fed steer burgers with sides. Current membership with RSVP with lunch reservation required. Contact valerie.mccaffrey@bajaaz.org or call 520.378.2973.

October 9 - Natural Top Bar Beekeeping For Beginners – Avra Valley, Saturday, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
This one day introductory beekeeping workshop will be held in Avra Valley just west of Tucson, Arizona. The role of bees in a regenerative Permaculture design will be discussed, as well as the cost and planning involved in setting up a top bar bee hive. We'll harvest and taste some comb honey as well. Cost $75 - includes all class materials. Contact Jaime de Zubeldia at jdezubel@yahoo.com or visit www.sonoranpermaculture.org for more info on our classes.

October 21 – 1st Mesquite Milling & Mesquite Bake Sale at the Sierra Vista Farmers Market
Thursday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the NW corner of Wilcox and Carmichael. Bring clean, brittle dry mesquite pods that snap in half in 5 gallon plastic pails preferably. Mesquite flour, mesquite tortillas, mesquite pancake mix and mesquite baked goods will also be for sale. For more information please contact valerie.mccaffrey@bajaaz.org

October 23 – 4th Mesquite Milling/Mesquite Pancake Breakfast/Mesquite Bake Sale at Bisbee Farmers Market
Saturday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Bring clean, brittle dry mesquite pods that snap in half in 5 gallon plastic pails preferably. Mesquite flour, mesquite tortillas, mesquite pancake mix and mesquite baked goods will also be for sale. Get great mesquite pancakes with prickly pear syrup and optional local grass-fed sausage! For more information please contact valerie.mccaffrey@bajaaz.org 

November 6 - Complete Hands on Water Harvesting - Central Tucson, Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Learning how to use rainfall and storm water run-off is one of the keys to developing a sustainable and lush landscape. In this hands on workshop we will install a water cistern, learn how to read the water situation on a site, and do basic calculations on the water flow available. We will install basic earthworks to hold water on site, and talk about contours, plant selection, and mulching. Central Tucson location. Time: 9AM to 4:30PM Cost: $69 includes all class materials and handouts. Contact Dan Dorsey at dorsey@dakotacom.net or visit www.sonoranpermaculture.org for more info on our classes.

November 13 - Cascabel Mesquite Milling at the Cascabel Community Center
Check here for more details nearer the date. A few tips as you harvest this summer: Mesquite pods can ripen anytime from late June through September or October, depending on conditions. Ripe pods are dry and brittle and come off the tree with little pulling. Even green pods can be picked and allowed to ripen as they dry. We do not recommend gathering pods from the ground, as they are more likely to carry invisible molds which can produce toxins. After gathering, rinse the pods, then dry them in the sun until very dry and brittle. Store in a dry place until milling day. Happy harvesting and see you in November!

Baja Arizona Sustainable Agriculture, (520) 378-2973
5279 S. Calle Metate, Sierra Vista, AZ 85650