Showing posts with label Detroit Abides. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Detroit Abides. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Writing & Speaking Out, Alcohol As A Gas, Food Policy Meet

One of my post-USSF resolutions is to begin to use this blog a bit more. There's a great many reasons for this, but the most vital is to get the writing juices going again. For a moment there I was actually calling myself a writer. This wasn't because I simply wanted to, but because I was writing at least 2 hours a day and getting paid (directly and indirectly) by doing so. Aya Eden has blessed us in many ways, but he's been hard on writing as my silence here and through Detroit Evolution easily reveals. You'll probably have to deal with some rather off the cuff posts and half thoughts, but I'll try to post daily. You've been warned! :)

A few things on point today.

Leeann and I sat down and finished up the press release for July's Detroit Abides. We're going to share some of Alcohol Can Be a Gas and then do our best to guide the discussion towards viable do-it-yourself alt energy projects happening in and around Detroit. Look for a facebook event invite to come across your screen soon. Detroit Abides is our free monthly movie night in Eastern Market that we host with the support of Great Lakes Bioneers Detroit and Eastern Market Corporation. It's offered up on the 3rd Wednesday of every month in Shed 5 from 7-9pm. It's a good thing to sit amongst pallets of produce with friends and neighbors to watch a film and talk about our shared future. Please consider joining us this month. Bring a chair!

Speaking of Eastern Market, I'll be there tonight for the monthly Food Policy Council meeting. Another post-USSF resolution is to be more present and open to the important work going in right here in Detroit. As the USSF, I looked to a great many outside resources for missing pieces and for answers to specific questions. Of course, the answers or pieces that most closely fit were coming back at me from Detroit. Most of them coming from our friends, heroes and partners working in urban agriculture. I want to support them and work to co-create an equitable, just and resilient food system in Detroit. I'm attending these monthly meetings to increase my own awareness so I can become more vocal/active about the measures that have to be taken to help facilitate the change that's coming. I'm no expert, but I need to learn more and share what I know and "see" with anyone who will listen at this point.

To this end, Caitlin is going to be teaching this evening's 6:30 People's Yoga session at Spirit of Hope Church. I encourage you to attend tonight as Caitlin teaches an incredible class. Angela and I have been attending her morning classes and benefiting from them greatly. I know that my regular student's bodies will appreciate the changes offered in her sessions. I think that our styles are very complimentary.

To go off a bit, one of the joys and complexities of yoga is that it takes so many forms. I'm well aware that I've spent a great deal of my life hooked on particular and certain forms, but at the same time I must recognize that the most profound changes in my life have occurred in the moments when I've been taken by aberrant and uncertain forms. All this to recommend that folks work with as many different instructors as possible and to try out as many manifestations of yoga as one can find. Oh, and do this throughout your yoga, ahem.. "career." Sure, give into the modes of being that can emerge from yoga, but be flexible. I've been in the Ashtanga mode for about 10 years now, but I always try to open myself to other manifestations. I feel a certain shift happening currently, so my research and practice begins anew, striving to stay open to new forms.

So, that's what happens when I don't edit. Whew, it's going to be rough to hit "publish."

Please consider coming to the Food Policy Council meeting tonight at 5:30p in the Eastern Market office. I'm not sure how many people will be there or how these meetings go, but there's only one way to find out.

One note: Tomorrow is the Bogg's Center USSF Wrap-up and I'll be heading in that direction as well. I'll post the details on that sometime today. It's time to wake the family and get to work.

Monday, July 12, 2010

DETROIT GATHERING FOCUSES ON DIY ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 12, 2010
Contact: Leeann Drees
Phone: 313.316.1411
email: leeann@detroitevolution.com

FREE DETROIT GATHERING FOCUSES ON DIY ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Detroit Abides screens selections from David Blume's Alcohol Can Be a Gas!: Fueling an Ethanol Revolution for the 21st Century on Wednesday, July 21st, 7-9p in Eastern Market's Shed 5

Detroit, Michigan – July 12, 2010 - This month's Detroit Abides event will focus on do-it-yourself alternative energy. Detroit Evolution, Great Lakes Bioneers Detroit, and Eastern Market Corporation are pleased to share selections from David Blume's acclaimed film Alcohol Can Be a Gas!: Fueling an Ethanol Revolution for the 21st Century, followed by a discussion with local innovators who are working to put alternative energies to use today.

As awareness of fossil fuel, carbon footprints, and climate change grows in the city and in the world, many community members are looking for more ecologically friendly, domestically produced sources of energy. David Blume's film, a companion to his book of the same title, examines the possibility of using alcohol fuel as a cleaner, cheaper, and more sustainable alternative to currently available fossil fuels. After viewing selections from the film, attendees will have the opportunity to hear from two local innovators who are working to implement alternative energy systems using alcohol, geothermal, and solar technologies. Our discussion will focus on the viability of such technologies within Detroit.

On Wednesday the 21st, over the course of what is sure to be an informative and interesting evening at Eastern Market, participants will learn about the extraordinary and promising possibilities of alternative sources of energy. In Alcohol Can Be a Gas!, David Blume discusses how to make alcohol from a variety of readily available materials; the process of converting a gasoline engine to E-85 or 100% alcohol for as little as $50; how (and why) to start a community-supported energy co-op; and much more. Immediately following these selections will be a look at real-life, local applications sure to inspire Detroiters who are seeking to power their communities more sustainably.

Since 2008, Eastern Market Corporation, Great Lakes Bioneers Detroit and Detroit Evolution have been partnering to present this FREE Movie Night in Eastern Market. On the third Wednesday of every month, Detroit Abides screens a movie on a sustainable topic, explores the topic at the local level through discussion and support from regional groups and businesses, and creates a space to meet like-minded people from all walks of life & grow an active, healthy community. For this casual event, attendees should bring a comfortable seat. Shed 5 is located at the corner of Russell and Alfred St. Parking is available in the lots adjacent to the Shed. For more information or to get involved call Detroit Evolution at 313.316.1411.

###

About Detroit Evolution - Detroit Evolution promotes the health, joy and liberation of all beings. Dedicated to sustainable practices, we present workshops and community focused events to assist in and inspire the co-creation of a resilient and relocalized Detroit. http://detroitevolution.com

About Great Lakes Bioneers Detroit - Bioneers comprise a network of visionary innovators working to build a sustainable, positive and creative future for the web of life. This year's Great Lakes Bioneers Detroit Conference, held October 15-17 at Marygrove College, will combine local sessions, solutions and events with international innovations. http://www.sustainabledetroit.org/bioneers/

About Eastern Market Corporation - Eastern Market's public market is open on Saturdays from 6:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. For more information, contact 313-833-9300 http://www.detroiteasternmarket.com

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Urban Agriculture & Environmental Health In Detroit

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 3, 2010
Contact: Leeann Drees
Phone: 313.316.1411
email: leeann@detroitevolution.com

DETROIT GATHERING FOCUSES ON URBAN AGRICULTURE AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH

Detroit Abides screens Big River, A King Corn Companion & HealthyTown on Wednesday, May 19th, 7-9p in Eastern Market's Shed 5

Detroit, Michigan - May 3, 2010 - This month's Detroit Abides is a double feature focused on environmental health. Detroit Evolution, Great Lakes Bioneers Detroit, and Eastern Market Corporation are pleased to host director Bill Couzens and screen his film HealthyTown, as well as to look more deeply at the environmental impacts of large-scale agriculture with a screening of Big River: A King Corn Companion.

Detroit has been alight with discussions of and proposals for large-scale urban agriculture projects. “In addition to land use, local economic and community engagement concerns, large-scale agriculture in an urban setting provides us an opportunity to look into the environmental impact of farming” explained Gregg Newsom, one of the event organizers. After the screenings there will be an opportunity for discussion of the films and information on local groups working in environmental health will be shared.

The evening will begin with a showing of HealthyTown, a film exploring efforts to bridge Detroit's gaps in environmental health through prevention. The film features such influential local organizations as Earthworks at the Capuchin Soup Kitchen, Local Motion Green, Children's Hospital of Michigan, the Kresge Foundation, and Kids Kicking Cancer. Bill Couzens, the film's director, will be present to share his work.

HealthyTown will be followed by Big River, a short follow-up to the Peabody-winning documentary King Corn. Viewers will follow Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis as they investigate the environmental impacts of the acre of corn they planted in Iowa. Traveling from the Midwest to the Gulf of Mexico, the two friends will learn about the effects of pesticide and herbicide use on everything from the distant ocean to cancer patients in their own community.

After the screenings attendees will have an opportunity to discuss the films and their local relevance with event organizers, activists, and HealthyTown director Bill Couzens. Considering all of the recent interest in large-scale urban agriculture in the city, this promises to be a timely and lively conversation.

Since 2008, Eastern Market Corporation, Great Lakes Bioneers Detroit and Detroit Evolution have been partnering to present this FREE Movie Night in Eastern Market. On the third Wednesday of every month, Detroit Abides screens a movie on a sustainable topic, explores the topic at the local level through discussion and support from regional groups and businesses, and creates a space to meet like-minded people from all walks of life & grow an active, healthy community. For this casual event, attendees should bring a comfortable seat. Shed 5 is located at the corner of Russell and Alfred St. Parking is available in the lots adjacent to the Shed. For more information or to get involved call Detroit Evolution at 313.316.1411

###

About Detroit Evolution - Detroit Evolution is dedicated to the health, joy and liberation of all beings. We're dedicated to sustainable practices and presents workshops on these and other topics to assist in and inspire resilient and relocalized Detroit. http://detroitevolution.com

About Great Lakes Bioneers Detroit - Bioneers comprise a network of visionary innovators working to build a sustainable, positive and creative future for the web of life. This year's Great Lakes Bioneers Detroit Conference, held October 15-17 and Marygrove College, will combine local sessions, solutions and events with international innovations. http://www.sustainabledetroit.org/bioneers/

About Eastern Market Corporation - Eastern Market is open on Saturdays from 6:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. For more information, contact 313-833-9300 http://www.detroiteasternmarket.com

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

The New Evolve Detroit! - WWJB? Shepherd's Pie & DIY Vegan Holidays

Novmber Header

Local-lujah!“If you have come to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together."
~Aboriginal activists group, Queensland, 1970s

Greetings Detroit and all who grace us here!
Our last update was entitled "We're Back" and we're pleased to say that this is the case with our second missive from our new home. We're busy and it's intense, but we're back up and running with actions in our new community and outreach to our entire region and to the global stage. We want to thank all of our new subscribers and those who have been with us since the beginning. We thank you for tuning in as our work is driven by your support and your attention Our gratitude cannot be overstated.

What's New for Detroit Evolution?
We're pleased to share that we hosted our first Corktown Community Brunch last Sunday with the incredible support of Brother Nature Produce. It was a well received event with 40+ folks enjoying Angela's food. We met many new neighbors, grew awareness of our work and had a blast. Keep an eye out for our next Community Brunch as we plan to offer another in December. We've also been working to secure a new space for Evolutionary Yoga here in Corktown and will share all the details shortly. We know many of you have been pining for the return of our yoga sessions and we think you'll be pleased with our new offerings. As we get back into the groove, we want to share that Gregg is taking on new Massage/Bodywork clients. Please give us a call to schedule a session today. (Note: due to our intense schedule, we typically schedule sessions about a week to two weeks out.) Please check out all our offerings & events below and give us a call at 313.316.1411 to connect. We're excited to be back and look forward to sharing with you!

This Week's Events:
Another busy Detroit Evolution week on the rise!

On Wednesday night we continue our Free Monthly Movie Series in Eastern Market with a screening of "What Would Jesus Buy?" Sometimes our movie selections can get a little heavy, so we are very excited to share this film that's both hilarious and illuminating. We'll learn about the work of Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping and discuss great local and handmade alternatives to the massive consumer "big box" shopping event that our sacred holidays have become. Please view the trailer below and bring a blanket, a chair and some friends this Wednesday! All the details are in our events section.

This Saturday we'll continue with our DIY Holiday theme as we present Angela's DIY Vegan Holiday class. We've had a great response to this class and only have a few seats remaining. You can pay with paypal below or email Angela to register and arrange payment. Angela will prepare and share her recipes for a "turkey" with all the fixin's. Afterward, we'll be heading over to the Detroit Urban Craft Fair at the Majestic Theater and invite everyone to join us. For the past few years we've done the majority of our holiday shopping at this incredible locally grown event and can't recommend it enough. Again, the details for this and all our upcoming classes are below and you can always give us a call at 313.316.1411 for more info or to register for any of our exciting events.

Also, don't miss the Return of our Live Raw Yoga Music Brunch on the day after Thanksgiving. We're so excited to bring people from our various communities to their yoga mats to boycott big box shopping and breathe, move & break "bread" together. We think this is going to be the best "Black Friday" ever!

Can I get a "Local-lujah?"

In Health, Joy and Liberation,
Gregg for Angela, Aya Eden & Detroit Evolution



November 16th, 2009

Evolve Detroit is published as needed by Detroit Evolution and is dedicated to Health, Joy & Liberation.

In This Issue:
Greetings & Update
Exciting Events & Classes
Recipe: Shepherd's Pie
Connect & Collaborate


Our Community Keeps Growing! Subscribers this week:
1087

Please share Evolve Detroit and encourage your friends, family and community to subscribe.


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evolvedetroit Another great sunrise in Detroit! Have you read the new Evolve Detroit? Angela's Shepherd's Pie recipe! http://ping.fm/xqzno 8 seconds ago reply

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evolvedetroit Learning massage, bodywork & energy work was/is one of the greatest things I've ever done. It's an honor to be able to assist people in need 17 hours ago reply

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evolvedetroit Yes, another Evolve Detroit is coming out TODAY! You can subscribe at http://ping.fm/2WZNu 19 hours ago reply

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evolvedetroit Good Morning! So glad the New Moon is here. It's a great day to plant seeds & set intentions. Our blessings to you & yours! 23 hours ago reply

Detroit Evolution also offers

  • Private Kitchen Classes
  • Personal Chef Service
  • Catering for any sized event
  • Nutritional Counseling
  • Private Yoga & Meditation Instruction
  • Massage & Bodywork Sessions
  • Sustainability Workshops
  • Motivational Presentations

Please contact info@detroitevolution.com or call 313.316.1411 for a personalized quote or our hourly rates.

We actively pursue trade/bartering and will gladly offer a sliding scale for those in need.

Please help us Evolve!
Now that we have settled into our new home in N. Corktown we are once again expanding our offerings and events. If you have found value in our work, whether through a tasty hand-crafted lunch, a meaningful yoga class, or one of our awareness raising movie nights, please consider helping us to offset the cost of our offerings. By doing so you'll assist us to lay the foundation for the next phase of our work.

Paypal Donations

Events and Classes

Weekly Events:

Sundays: Evolutionary Yoga with Gregg
Every Sunday, 2-3pm - $15 Walk-in
NOTE: Your first week of classes at Practice Yoga are FREE!
Location: Practice Yoga
20792 Mack Ave, Grosse Pointe Woods 48236
The Evolution continues with this weekly yoga offering. Gregg is honored to connect with the long time Detroit Evolution supporters at Practice Yoga to offer these Sunday classes. Sessions with Gregg place emphasis on the breath and the expansion of consciousness rather than the perfection of form. Come out and join us this and every Sunday!

November Events:

Detroit Abides! Community Movie Night in Eastern Market
This Months Free Movie: What Would Jesus Buy?
Wednesday, November 18th 7-9pm
Location: Eastern Market's Heated Shed 5
Shed 5 is located at the corner of Russell and Alfred St.
We are pleased to continue our monthly movie series with a very special screening of our friend Reverend Billy's inspirational documentary What Would Jesus Buy? Join us as we exorcize the demons of credit debt and big box shopping! We will also discuss the importance of supporting local business and growing resilient local economies in the city of Detroit. Please bring a friend, a chair and a blanket as we gather together to enjoy this hilarious and enlightening film.
Please view the trailer.


Great Lakes Bioneers Detroit, Detroit Evolution, and Eastern Market Corporation come together on the third Wednesday of every month to present Detroit Abides, A Free Sustainability Gathering in Eastern Market's Shed 5. The event features a movie on a sustainable topic, explores the topic at the local level through discussion and support from regional groups and businesses, and creates a space to meet like-minded people from all walks of life & grow an active, healthy community.

November Vegan
DIY Holiday Class

Saturday, November 21th Noon-3pm $25
Location: The Detroit Flyhouse in Eastern Market
In the FD Loft Building - 3434 Russell St. Loft #302

The Holiday season is a wonderful time to share healthy options with family, friends, coworkers and our community. Angela will share and prepare a special holiday menu including an appetizer, side, main dish, and dessert. Rather than purchase a processed tofu-turkey from Oregon, learn to make a moist and incredibly tasty one in your own kitchen! At the end of class we'll have a sampling of all the dishes and answer any questions you may have about making healthy versions of your family's traditional dishes.

November 21st is a huge day for Holiday DIY Crafting in Detroit as the Detroit Urban Craft Fair will be held at the Majestic Theater. Angela is pleased to offer this as an early class so we will all have plenty of time to attend the DUCF & get some holiday shopping done.

To register for our
November Vegan
DIY Holiday Class

please email Angela or call 313.316.1411

You can also register through Paypal
(Please note the $2.50 fee per paypal transaction)

To register for our
Live Raw Yoga Music Brunch please email Gregg or call 313.316.1411

You can also register through Paypal
(Please note the $2.50 fee per paypal transaction)

Stop Shopping!
Practice Yoga & Eat Raw Instead
The Return of Live Raw Yoga Music Brunch

Friday, November 27th 9:30am-Noon $35
Location: The Detroit Flyhouse in Eastern Market
In the FD Loft Building - 3434 Russell St. Loft #302

Boycott Big Box shopping and all of it's ills, from selling products made with child labor to the active destruction of resilient local economies! Instead, come together and share a 75 minute Evolutionary Yoga session led by Gregg Newsom. This breath centered flowing practice will benefit those new to yoga and seasoned veterans.

Our session will feature Live Music from Dixon’s Violin. Described as cosmic gypsy, electronic romanticism and interstellar whalesong, Dixon’s mesmerizing electric violin will provide the perfect accompaniment to our focused breath and movement.

After our session we’ll enjoy a local and organic Raw Food Brunch prepared by Angela Newsom. Experience the benefits of Raw Foods and how they assist to balance the body and mind. Over Brunch we’ll share in a Satsang (open discussion) on the benefits of a healthy and humane diet to our practice on and off the mat.

Save the Date for these December Events:

Detroit Abides! Community Movie Night in Eastern Market
This Months Free Movie: TBA
Special Date! Wednesday, December 9th 7-9pm
Location: Eastern Market's Heated Shed 5
Shed 5 is located at the corner of Russell and Alfred St.

December Vegan
DIY Holiday Class

Saturday, December 12th 1-3pm $25
Location: The Detroit Flyhouse in Eastern Market
In the FD Loft Building - 3434 Russell St. Loft #302

The Holiday season is a wonderful time to share healthy options with family, friends, coworkers and our community. Angela will share and prepare a special holiday menu including an appetizer, side, main dish, and dessert. Menu T.B.A.

To register for our
December Vegan
DIY Holiday Class
please email Angela or call 313.316.1411

You can also register through Paypal
(Please note the $2.50 fee per paypal transaction)

MOCAD and the Model D Speaker Series present
Green Initiatives Detroit!
PRESENTATION and DISCUSSION

Wednesday, December 16, 2009 at 6PM - FREE
Location: MOCAD 4454 Woodward Ave, Detroit, MI 48201
This evening, organized by MOCAD and Model D Media, will feature several innovative projects and organizations working in Detroit for a Greener today! Some of the individuals and organizations involved will be the Green Garage, Detroit Evolution and landscape architect Jeff Klein's Classic Landscaping company, among others.

FAMILY DAY: Paper Gardens and Raw Food?!?
Sunday, December 20, 2009 from 12PM to 4PM - FREE
Location: MOCAD 4454 Woodward Ave, Detroit, MI 48201
A family day dedicated to creating a garden inside the brick walls of MOCAD. Children can use raw food, such as potatoes and mushrooms, to create prints. They can learn how to make mosaics using rice & beans. Knowledgeable volunteers will show how to make origami animals and flowers. There will also be live demonstrations by the good people at the Detroit Evolution Lab for kids and their parents on methods of preparation and the health benefits of raw foods.

Save the Date: January 2010!

New Years Day Detroit Evolution Celebration
Featuring a festive and transformative Live Raw Yoga Music Brunch

Friday, January 1st 9:30am-Noon $40
Location: The Detroit Flyhouse in Eastern Market
In the FD Loft Building - 3434 Russell St. Loft #302, Detroit 48207



RecipesAngela is honored to share two of her favorite holiday recipes. We are going to include recipes in upcoming Evolve Detroit. We would appreciate your feedback and healthy success stories. For more information or to learn about our Healthy Holiday Catering please email angela@detroitevolution.com

Notes From Angela's Kitchen:
Recently, I had the honor of being the guest chef at the Growing Healthy Kids class held by Earthworks Urban Farm. We made this delicious recipe for vegan Shepherd's potpie, a perfect warming winter dish. I had a blast and the kids were really impressive with their cooking skills! Enjoy preparing and eating this dish with your family!
~Angela

Vegan Shepherd’s Pot Pie – serves 4-6
This is a delicious combination of a shepherd’s pie and potpie, using both fluffy mashed potatoes and a crispy golden brown crust to top the mix of saucy tofu and vegetables. Feel free to replace the tofu with another meat substitute like seitan or crumbled veggie burgers and change the vegetables according to what you have on hand.

1½ pounds russet or red skin potatoes, peeled and cubed
¼ -½ cup soy, almond or hemp milk
2-3 garlic cloves
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1-2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

½ acorn squash, peeled, seeded and cubed small
1 pound firm tofu, drained and cubed
1 large yellow onion, diced
1-2 carrots, diced
1 small head of broccoli, florets and stems diced
1 cup baby portabella mushrooms, sliced
1 cup frozen green peas
¼ cup tamari or soy sauce (tamari is wheat free soy sauce)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1½ cups water or vegetable broth
2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons arrowroot or cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

2½ cups whole-wheat pastry flour (or spelt flour)
½ teaspoon sea salt
2/3 cups sunflower or grapeseed oil
4 tablespoons ice water, or more

Preheat oven to 350°. To make the potatoes, place cubed potatoes into a medium pot and add enough water to cover them by 3-4 inches. Bring to a boil; reduce slightly and cook until potatoes are tender. Drain and place potatoes in a medium bowl along with the milk, garlic, olive oil sea salt and black pepper. Mash using a potato masher, hand beaters or standing mixer until potatoes are smooth and fluffy. Set aside.

To make the filling, add all of the ingredients from acorn squash to green peas in a large bowl and toss to combine. Set aside. In a medium pot, combine the tamari, tomato paste, water or veggie broth and herbs. Bring this mixture to a boil. Add the arrowroot/water and stir until sauce thickens. Remove pot from heat and pour the sauce over your veggies and tofu in the bowl. Toss well. Add sea salt and black pepper to taste. Coat a pie pan or casserole dish lightly with olive oil. Spoon the filling into the dish.

Spread the mashed potatoes over the veggie/tofu filling. Set aside while you prepare the crust.

To prepare the crust, whisk together the flour and sea salt. Add the oil and whisk until the mixture becomes crumbly. Slowly drizzle the water in and mix with your hands until the mixture forms a ball. Add more water if the dough seems dry. On a lightly floured surface roll the dough out roughly to the size of your baking dish. Lay the dough over the dish and crimp the sides to seal. Using a knife cut small slits into the top of the dough to provide air circulation. Drizzle the top with olive oil. Set your dish in the oven on top of a baking sheet to catch any spill over.

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes, or until the crust reaches a golden brown.

Creative Commons License
Vegan Shepherd’s Pot Pie by Angela Newsom - Detroit Evolution is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

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US Social Forum
Detroit, June 22-26, 2010
The US Social Forum is a movement building process. It is not a conference but it is a space to come up with the peoples’ solutions to the economic and ecological crisis. The USSF is the next most important step in our struggle to build a powerful multi-racial, multi-sectoral, inter-generational, diverse, inclusive, internationalist movement that transforms this country, and changes history. We must declare what we want our world to look like and we must start planning the path to get there. The USSF provides spaces to learn from each other’s experiences and struggles, share our analysis of the problems our communities face, build relationships, and align with our international brothers and sisters to strategize how to reclaim our world.

The purpose of the USSF is to effectively and affirmatively articulate the values and strategies of a growing and vibrant movement for justice in the United States. Those who build towards and participate in the USSF are no longer interested in simply stating what social justice movements “stand-against,” rather we see ourselves as part of new movements that reach beyond national borders, that practice democracy at all levels, and understand that neo-liberalism abroad and here in the US is not the solution. The USSF provides a first major step towards such articulation of what we stand for.

The 4th annual Detroit Urban Craft Fair

When: Saturday, November 21, 2009, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Where: The Majestic Theatre, 4140 Woodward Ave, Detroit
Admission: Free, all ages

The 4th annual Detroit Urban Craft Fair will take place from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009 at the Majestic Theatre in Detroit.
The fair, Michigan’s largest indie craft fair, is entering its fourth year with the same commitment to DIY community that made it a must-attend event the past 3 years. Over 50 Michigan and national DIY crafters have been selected to showcase their unique work in the market.

For more info DUCF, check out www.detroiturbancraftfair.com or e-mail info@detroiturbancraftfair.com

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

October's Detroit Abides - Transition Movie Night

October's Detroit Abides, A Free Transition Movie Night
Wednesday, October 21st, 7 - 9 pm
in Eastern Market's Shed 5

This month's topic: The Detroit Public School System

Please Note: As we move into Fall weather please remember to bring a sweater, blanket and friends to stay warm. Though Shed 5 is enclosed and heated, it is a large space that can be drafty.

This month we are honored to share the feature length documentary, Our School, a film transcends the spatial abyss which is Detroit, to interweave the experience of going to high school for one day, dawn till nightfall, in the city.



Our School is a ninety minute documentary that uses cinema-verite to create a visceral experience as students and staff navigate the halls and streets of Detroit, interweaving the struggles and successes of teenage life within the urban school system. The camera follows students and staff for one day, from the courtroom to a school for young mothers, from a closing school to one newly refurbished. This film presents the connections, differences and contradictions of a single day in Detroit public high schools. It was created to seat the viewer inside the classroom amongst the students and staff experiencing the urban educational crisis. Shot over the past four years during Detroit Public Schoolʼs closure of 96 schools, the film depicts the uncertainty surrounding the future of education, and what it will look like.

Following the film we will discuss and share our thoughts on the film and the current state of DPS.

Great Lakes Bioneers Detroit, Detroit Evolution, and Eastern Market Corporation come together on the third Wednesday of every month to present Detroit Abides, A Free Transition Movie Night in Eastern Market's Shed 5. The event features a movie on a sustainable topic, explores the topic at the local level through discussion and support from regional groups and businesses, and creates a space to meet like-minded people from all walks of life & grow an active, healthy community.

For this casual event, please bring a comfortable seat. Shed 5 is located at the corner of Russell and Alfred St. Parking is available in the lot adjacent to the Shed.

For more information or to get involved call Detroit Evolution at 313.316.1411

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Tonight's Detroit Abides, join filmmaker Chris Bedford & celebrate EF Schumacher!

Wednesday, August 19th, 7 - 9 pm
in Eastern Market's Shed 5

This month's FREE movie:
COMING HOME E.F. Schumacher and the Reinvention of the Local Economy

Afterward, we'll discuss the concepts presented in the film and their potential in Detroit. We're pleased that filmmaker Chris Bedford & The originators of Detroit's local currency, Detroit Cheers, will join us for our discussion.

Coming Home

In 1973, British economist E.F. Schumacher wrote “Small is Beautiful – Economics as if People Mattered”, – a book that offered a vision of an economy driven by a desire for harmony, not greed; an economy based on community and ecological values, not global financial derivatives. In the 1970s, “Small is Beautiful” helped launch a back-to-the-land movement that is the ancestor to the Local Food Revolution of today.

For the last three decades, the E.F. Schumacher Society has transformed Schumacher’s ideas into a series of practical innovations – reinventing much of the local economy of Great Barrington, Massachusetts and southern Berkshire County in the process.

Chris Bedford’s film, COMING HOME: E.F. Schumacher and the Reinvention of the Local Economy tells the story of the Society’s remarkable work that includes founding of the nation’s first CSA, economic development based on Community Land Trusts, and the creation of the nation’s most successful local currency – BerkShares.

Great Lakes Bioneers Detroit, Detroit Evolution, and Eastern Market Corporation come together on the third Wednesday of every month to present Detroit Abides, A Free Sustainability Gathering in Eastern Market's Shed 5. The event features a movie on a sustainable topic, explores the topic at the local level through discussion and support from regional groups and businesses, and creates a space to meet like-minded people from all walks of life & grow an active, healthy community.

For this casual event, please bring a comfortable seat. Shed 5 is located at the corner of Russell and Alfred St. Parking is available in the lot adjacent to the Shed.

On the third Wednesday of every month DETROIT ABIDES screens a movie on a sustainable topic, explores the topic at the local level through discussion and support from regional groups and businesses, and creates a space to meet like-minded people from all walks of life & grow an active, healthy community.

For more information or to get involved call Detroit Evolution at 313.316.1411

Tuesday, July 07, 2009

July Detroit Abides: A Convenient Truth

Detroit Abides, A Monthly Sustainability Gathering
This month's movie:
A Convenient Truth: Urban Solutions from Curitiba, Brazil
Wednesday July 15, 7-9pm - FREE!
Location: Eastern Market's Shed 5

Great Lakes Bioneers Detroit, Detroit Evolution Laboratory, and Eastern Market Corporation come together on the third Wednesday of every month to present Detroit Abides, A Free Sustainability Gathering in Eastern Market's Shed 5. The event features a movie on a sustainable topic, explores the topic at the local level through discussion and support from regional groups and businesses, and creates a space to meet like-minded people from all walks of life & grow an active, healthy community.

A Convenient Truth: Urban Solutions from Curitiba, Brazil is an informative, inspirational documentary aimed at sharing ideas to provoke environment-friendly and cost-effective changes in cities worldwide. The documentary focuses on innovations in transportation, recycling, social benefits including affordable housing, seasonal parks, and the processes that transformed Curitiba into one of the most livable cities in the world.

View the Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swQTTG3NcYY

Cities should be a solution not a problem for human beings. The city of Curitiba has demonstrated for the past 40 years how to transform problems into cost-effective solutions that can be applied in most cities around the world.

For this casual event, please bring a comfortable seat. Shed 5 is located at the corner of Russell and Alfred St. Parking is available in the lot adjacent to the Shed.

On the third Wednesday of every month DETROIT ABIDES screens a movie on a sustainable topic, explores the topic at the local level through discussion and support from regional groups and businesses, and creates a space to meet like-minded people from all walks of life & grow an active, healthy community.

For more information or to get involved call “the Lab” 313.316.1411

Wednesday, April 08, 2009

This Month's Detroit Abides - The Garden

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 8, 2009
Contact: Gregg Newsom
Phone: 313.316.1411
email: gregg@detroitevolution.com

FREE SUSTAINABILITY GATHERING SCREENS THE GARDEN
Eastern Market’s Detroit Abides presents this Academy Award Nominated Documentary and invites Detroit Urban Farmers to share their stories.

Detroit, Michigan, April 8, 2009 – Great Lakes Bioneers Detroit, Detroit Evolution Laboratory, and Eastern Market Corporation are pleased to present a free screening of The Garden on Wednesday, April 15th from 7 - 9 pm.

From the ashes of the L.A. riots, the South Central Farmers have nurtured the nation’s largest urban farm. Since 1992, they have created a miracle in one of the country’s most blighted neighborhoods. Growing their own food. Feeding their families. Creating community. But now, bulldozers are poised to level their 14-acre oasis.

The Garden tells the story of the country’s largest urban farm, backroom deals, land developers, green politics, money, poverty, power, and racial discord. The film explores and exposes the fault lines in American society and raises crucial and challenging questions about liberty, equality, and justice for the poorest and most vulnerable among us.

Following the film we have asked a few of Detroit's Urban Farmers to share their stories. We are pleased that Mark Covington, Chairman of the Georgia St. Community Collective (GSCC) and Kate Devlin of Spirit Farm and FAITH Farm will join us.

For this casual event, please bring a comfortable seat. Though Shed 5 is enclosed and heated, it’s a large space so bringing sweaters, blankets and friends is advised. Shed 5 is located at the corner of Russell and Alfred St. Parking is available in the lot adjacent to the Shed.

On the third Wednesday of every month DETROIT ABIDES screens a movie on a sustainable topic, explores the topic at the local level through discussion and support from regional groups and businesses, and creates a space to meet like-minded people from all walks of life & grow an active, healthy community.

Links:
http://www.blackvalleyfilms.com/
http://www.detroitevolution.com/detroitabides.html

- END -

About Detroit Evolution Laboratory - The Lab is a unique space in Detroit's historic Eastern Market dedicated to the health, joy and liberation of all beings. The Lab offers yoga, vegan and raw food classes, catering, nutritional consultation and meal planning. Individual bodywork, reiki and NLP sessions are also available. The Lab is also dedicated to sustainable practices and presents workshops on these and other topics to assist in and inspire a New Detroit. http://detroitevolution.com

About Great Lakes Bioneers Detroit - Bioneers comprise a network of visionary innovators working to build a sustainable, positive and creative future for the web of life. Bioneers is a nonprofit organization that promotes practical environmental solutions and innovative social strategies for restoring the Earth and communities. The Great Lakes Bioneers Detroit Conference combines local sessions, solutions and events with international innovations. This year's conference is October 16 – 18 and will be held on the Marygrove College campus in Detroit. http://www.sustainabledetroit.org/bioneers/

About Eastern Market Corporation - Eastern Market is located between Gratiot and Mack, bordered by St. Aubin and the I-75 service drive—just northeast of downtown Detroit. The Market is open on Saturdays from 6:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. For more information, contact 313-833-9300 or visit the website at http://www.detroiteasternmarket.com

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Peak Oil Resources

Here are the resources that Lisa Forzley put together for last night's Detroit Abides. As always, HUGE thanks to Lisa for her assistance with this incredible event! ~Gregg

DETROIT ABIDES – MARCH 18th – Peak Oil Resources
The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil
http://www.powerofcommunity.org

What is peak oil?
Peak oil is the point in time when the maximum rate of global petroleum extraction is reached, after which the rate of production enters terminal decline. The concept is based on the observed production rates of individual oil wells, and the combined production rate of a field of related oil wells. The aggregate production rate from an oil field over time usually grows exponentially until the rate peaks and then declines—sometimes rapidly—until the field is depleted. This concept is derived from the Hubbert curve, and has been shown to be applicable to the sum of a nation’s domestic production rate, and is similarly applied to the global rate of petroleum production. Peak oil is often confused with oil depletion; peak oil is the point of maximum production while depletion refers to a period of falling reserves and supply. (From Wikipedia)

Are there varying opinions? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predicting_the_timing_of_peak_oil

Documentaries
End of Suburbia - A movie that discusses the dwindling supply of cheap energy in the form of fossil fuels and its effect on society. http://www.endofsuburbia.com/

A Crude Awakening - A Crude Awakening, produced and directed by award-winning European journalists and filmmakers Basil Gelpke and Ray McCormack, tells the story of how our civilization’s addiction to oil puts it on a collision course with geology. Compelling, intelligent, and highly entertaining, the film visits with the world’s top experts and comes to a startling, but logical conclusion – our industrial society, built on cheap and readily available oil, must be completely re-imagined and overhauled. http://www.oilcrashmovie.com/

Websites
Community Solutions - The Community Solutions program, started in 2003, is a national resource for knowledge and practices on low-energy living and self-reliant communities. We educate about the coming global oil production peak and climate change, and design solutions to the current unsustainable, fossil-fuel based, overly centralized way of living. http://www.communitysolution.org/

Association for the Study of Peak Oil and Gas - A network of scientists and others, having an interest in determining the date and impact of the peak and decline of the world's production of oil and gas, due to resource constraints. http://www.peakoil.net/ http://www.aspousa.org

Books
Peak Everything: Waking Up to the Century of Declines - Peak Everything addresses many of the cultural, psychological and practical changes we will have to make as nature rapidly dictates our new limits. This latest book from Richard Heinberg, author of three of the most important books on Peak Oil, touches on the most important aspects of the human condition at this unique moment in time. http://www.newsociety.com/bookid/3964

The Post-Petroleum Survival Guide and Cookbook: Recipes for Changing Times - Over the coming years we will need to move from a global culture addicted to cheap, abundant petroleum to a culture of compelled conservation, whether through government directive or market forces. The Post-Petroleum Survival Guide and Cookbook provides useful practical advice for preparing your family and community to make the transition. http://www.newsociety.com/bookid/3927

Documents
The Hirsch Report (AKA Peaking of World Oil Production: Impacts, Mitigation, & Risk Management)
http://www.netl.doe.gov/publications/others/pdf/Oil_Peaking_NETL.pdf

Overview of the The Hirsch Report http://www.resourceinvestor.com/pebble.asp?relid=11748

Kinsale 2021: An Energy Descent Action Plan - This document “is the first attempt at setting out how Kinsale, a West Cork town of about 7,000 people, could make the transition from a high energy consumption town to a low energy one. The impending peaking of world oil production will lead to huge changes around the world, and Ireland will not be immune from this.” http://transitionculture.org/wp-content/uploads/KinsaleEnergyDescentActionPlan.pdf


DETROIT ABIDES is presented on the third Wednesday of every month by
Detroit Evolution Laboratory, Great Lakes Bioneers Detroit & The Eastern Market Corporation

Detroit Evolution Laboratory
http://detroitevolution.com
Great Lakes Bioneers Detroit
http://www.sustainabledetroit.org/bioneers/
Eastern Market Corporation
http://www.detroiteasternmarket.com

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Tonight's Detroit Abides, Join us!

Friends,

I thought I would send this along to remind you about tonight's Detroit Abides in Eastern Market and inspire you to join us. Here is a review of the film from Yes Magazine, which is a resource we highly recommend. We hope to see you this evening! ~Gregg

Wednesday, March 18th, 7 - 9 pm
in Eastern Market's heated Shed 5

This Month's Topic: Peak Oil

This months FREE movie is The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil


The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil
Reviewed by Janaia Donaldson
Yes Magazine

“The Power of Community” is creating excitement in localization groups, and with good reason. In this film, individual Cubans tell us how they responded to an artificially imposed “Peak Oil” in the 1990s, when the fall of the Soviet Union caused the loss of most food and oil imports. Their stories serve as a valuable model for a world facing Peak Oil on a global scale. Cuba’s transition to a low-energy society is hopeful and instructive.

Interweaving a cogent overview of global Peak Oil with the story of Cuba’s experience, director Faith Morgan outlines the dire consequences of Cuba’s energy crisis. Transportation halted. Electricity was available sporadically. Lacking substitutes for fossil-fuel-based farming, food production was devastated. The average Cuban lost 20 pounds.Morgan shows us the innovative responses of the Cuban people. We see city-dwellers planting urban gardens on every available plot, using permaculture and organic farming to reclaim soils destroyed by chemical fertilizers and pesticides. These local farmers reconnect with their neighbors and willingly supply free food to elders, schools, workers, and pregnant women.

We also see how Cuba coped with a sudden lack of energy for modern infrastructure. Without fuel for cars, Cubans walked, carpooled, and rode buses. They even massively adopted the bicycle, despite the prior absence of a cycling culture. We also see Cubans creatively reducing energy consumption in their homes and workplaces and implementing small-scale renewable energy projects.

Most of the innovations Morgan presents arose from the Cuban people, but she shows how the government fostered them. To increase food production, the government divided state farms into smaller private farms and cooperatives. With smaller farms and local control, farmers replaced fossil fuels with labor-intensive practices, animal power, and Cuban-developed biopesticides and biofertilizers, resulting in increased per-acre productivity.

To help people survive, the Cuban government even expanded their free, localized medical system.

Cuba adapted, survived, and thrived because they mobilized their entire culture. They made changes requiring cooperation, adaptability, and openness to alternatives. As one Cuban in the film remarks, “When told they needed to reduce energy use, everybody did it.”

Janaia Donaldson is the host and producer of “Peak Moment,” www.peakmoment.tv, a TV series about community responses to Peak Oil.

Source: http://www.yesmagazine.org/article.asp?ID=1587#community

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

March Detroit Abides - The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 9, 2009
Contact: Gregg Newsom
Phone: 313.316.1411
email: gregg@detroitevolution.com

FREE SUSTAINABILITY GATHERING DISCUSSES PEAK OIL
Eastern Market’s Detroit Abides opens a discussion on Peak Oil with a free screening of The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil.

Detroit, Michigan, March 9, 2009
- Great Lakes Bioneers Detroit, Detroit Evolution Laboratory, and Eastern Market Corporation are pleased to present a free screening of The Power of Community, How Cuba Survived Peak Oil on Wednesday, March 18th from 7 - 9 pm. This fascinating and empowering film shows how communities pulled together, created solutions, and ultimately thrived in spite of their decreased dependence on imported energy. After the film we will open a discussion on the reality of Peak Oil and what it means to those of us living in an auto industry dependent region.

Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil


When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1990, Cuba's economy went into a tailspin. With imports of oil cut by more than half – and food by 80 percent – people were desperate. This film tells of the hardships and struggles as well as the community and creativity of the Cuban people. They share how they transitioned from highly mechanized agriculture to using organic farming and urban gardens. It is an unusual look into the Cuban culture during this economic crisis. The film opens with a short history of Peak Oil, a term for the time when world oil production will reach its all-time peak and begin to decline forever. Cuba, the only country that has faced such a crisis, is an example of options and hope.

For this event, please bring a comfortable seat. Though Shed 5 is enclosed and heated, it's a large space so bringing sweaters, blankets and friends is advised. Shed 5 is located at the corner of Russell and Alfred St. Parking is available in the lot adjacent to the Shed. For more information or to get involved call "the Lab" 313.316.1411

On the third Wednesday of every month DETROIT ABIDES screens a movie on a sustainable topic, explores the topic at the local level through discussion and support from regional groups and businesses, and creates a space to meet like-minded people from all walks of life & grow an active, healthy community.

Links:
http://www.powerofcommunity.org/cm/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1
http://www.detroitevolution.com/detroitabides.html

- END -

About Detroit Evolution Laboratory - The Lab is a unique space in Detroit's historic Eastern Market dedicated to the health, joy and liberation of all beings. The Lab offers yoga, vegan and raw food classes, catering, nutritional consultation and meal planning. Individual bodywork, reiki and NLP sessions are also available. The Lab is also dedicated to sustainable practices and presents workshops on these and other topics to assist in and inspire a New Detroit. http://detroitevolution.com

About Great Lakes Bioneers Detroit - Bioneers comprise a network of visionary innovators working to build a sustainable, positive and creative future for the web of life. Bioneers is a nonprofit organization that promotes practical environmental solutions and innovative social strategies for restoring the Earth and communities. The Great Lakes Bioneers Detroit Conference combines local sessions, solutions and events with international innovations. This year's conference is October 16 – 18 and will be held on the Marygrove College campus in Detroit. http://www.sustainabledetroit.org/bioneers/

About Eastern Market Corporation - Eastern Market is located between Gratiot and Mack, bordered by St. Aubin and the I-75 service drive—just northeast of downtown Detroit. The Market is open on Saturdays from 6:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. For more information, contact 313-833-9300 or visit the website at http://www.detroiteasternmarket.com

Tuesday, February 03, 2009

February's Detroit Abides - Race the Power of an Illusion

ABIDE: to endure, sustain, or withstand without yielding or submitting: to abide a vigorous onslaught.

If you would like to be a Detroit Abides resource or to 'table' at this important event please contact Lisa

Detroit Abides October

On the third Wednesday of every month DETROIT ABIDES screens a movie on a sustainable topic, explores the topic at the local level through discussion and support from regional groups and businesses, and creates a space to meet like-minded people from all walks of life & grow an active, healthy community.

For more information or to get involved call “the Lab” 313.316.1411

Wednesday, Februdary 18th, 7 - 9 pm
in Eastern Market's heated Shed 5

This Month's Topic: Dismantling Racism in Detroit

This months FREE movie is Race: the Power of an Illusion

This month please join Great Lakes Bioneers Detroit, Detroit Evolution Laboratory, and Eastern Market Corporation for a powerful DETROIT ABIDES. On Wednesday February 18th from 7 - 9 pm we'll gather and screen 2 of the 3 part series Race: The Power of an Illusion. We will view the episodes The Story We Tell and The House We Live In. This informative documentary will assist us to establish an open dialog on Racism requisite to Social Justice and meaningful change in Detroit.

The division of the world's peoples into distinct groups - "red," "black," "white" or "yellow" peoples - has become so deeply embedded in our psyches, so widely accepted, many would promptly dismiss as crazy any suggestion of its falsity. Yet, that's exactly what this provocative, new three-hour series by California Newsreel claims. Race - The Power of an Illusion questions the very idea of race as biology, suggesting that a belief in race is no more sound than believing that the sun revolves around the earth.

The Story We Tell uncovers the roots of the race concept in North America, the 19th century science that legitimated it, and how it came to be held so fiercely in the western imagination. The episode is an eye-opening tale of how race served to rationalize, even justify, American social inequalities as "natural." The House We Live In asks, If race is not biology, what is it? This episode uncovers how race resides not in nature but in politics, economics and culture. It reveals how our social institutions "make" race by disproportionately channeling resources, power, status and wealth to white people

For this casual event, please bring a comfortable seat. Though Shed 5 is enclosed and heated, it’s a large space so bringing sweaters, blankets and friends is advised. Shed 5 is located at the corner of Russell and Alfred St. Parking is available in the lot adjacent to the Shed.

Please support and promote our partners:

Great Lakes Bioneers Detroit Eastern Market Corporation Detroit Evolution Laboratory

ABIDE: to endure, sustain, or withstand without yielding or submitting: to abide a vigorous onslaught.