BfR's Events in 2006

As of June, our upcoming events are dedicated
to observance of 20 years since the Chernobyl nuclear accident

Post-Chernobyl Self-Help Mini-Fundraiser on Sunday, June 25 in Palo Alto: Biointensive for Russia is raising funds to bring Igor Prokofiev of the NGO Viola to Ecology Action's Teacher workshop in July. Igor lives and works in Bryansk oblast', an area in Russia seriously affected by Chernobyl fallout, and Viola's experiments have shown that composting and double-digging can reduce the radiation levels in vegetables by 40%. Learn more at an event Sunday, June 25 from 3-10 pm at 831 Marshall Dr., Palo Alto, CA 94303. Plant sale, flea market, garden tour (4 pm), borscht supper (6 pm), music (6:45 pm), and illustrated talk (8 pm). For info or to RSVP, please contact Carol Vesecky at 650 856-9751 or email BfR.

Visit of Igor Prokofiev to Northern California, July 15-31: Events including garden tours and fundraisers are being scheduled for the period following the workshop, including an event in Palo Alto on July 28. To be kept up to date on these events, be sure to contact us for inclusion on our mailing list (see below)!

Chernobyl-20 Ecotour of Russia and Ukraine, Oct. 15-27: Join us to travel to Russia and Ukraine in late October and experience these countries at a variety of levels . You'll be supporting eco-farming trainings for teachers from the radiation contaminated zones of Russia & Ukraine, environmentalists, ag researchers, and dacha gardeners, while enjoying a marvelous cultural experi-ence! Travel with Carol Vesecky, Director of Biointensive for Russia, and long-time BfR associate Tamara Kowalski, both of whom are fluent in Russian. Visit Moscow, Sergiev Posad and our workshop hosts at Novo-Sin'kovo, Smolensk and the nearby cultural heritage site Talashkino, the Bryansk regions where BfR's partner the NGO Viola operates, and ancient and modern Kiev. In collaboration with Friends Of Chernobyl Centers-US (FOCCUS) based in Kiev, we will hold round table discussions and meetings on the nuclear radiation issue.

Past events of BfR and our CIS partners this spring include a 5-day seminar in Kyrgyzstan, 3 weeks of Chernobyl-20 events in the Bryansk oblast' of Russia', and talks in Willits, Palo Alto, Madison, and Stanford

Sustainable Lifestyles in Southern Russia: Vladimir "Volodya" Loginov, founder of EcoInform, Kurganinsk, Russia, and Carol presented a talk and slideshow on two occasions in March & April. Volodya described his work with environmental groups in Southern Russia and his testing and teaching of sustainable lifestyles practices. Carol Vesecky presented ecotour slides and described BfR's work promoting sustainable GROW BIOINTENSIVE mini-farming in Eurasia, Talks were given on March 11 at the Methodist Church in Willits CA, and and on Tuesday, April 18 at Acterra in Palo Alto CA. Light refreshments including eggplant "caviar" were served on both occasions.

In Russia, the NGO Viola held a conference marking the 20th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear accident: For three weeks in April, Viola conducted activities to reminding the population of the danger of nuclear radiation: seminars and round tables, art activities at schools, and an asphalt drawing competition. Locations were in the contaminated Novozybkovskiy, Kletnyanskiy, Krasnogorskiy, and Zlynkovskiy districts of the Bryansk oblast', as well as in relatively uncontaminated Bryansk city and Domashovo village. The Earth Day Network (an international organization) supported the travel costs.

Biointensive Mini-Farming in Russia's Chernobyl Radiation Zone: At UW-Madison on May 20, Carol focused on the scientific monitoring expedition by BfR's partners at the NGO Viola in Bryansk in Fall of 2005. Using dosimeters, participants tested the harvests of vegetables grown using Biointensive and traditional methods in the radiologically contaminated areas of Ukraine and Russia. The test results show that produce grown in these areas is still dangerously contaminated. Viola's prior experiments have shown "that GROW BIOINTENSIVE techniques (specifically, composting and double-digging) reduce the radionuclides in the harvest quantitatively." Viola's leaders Dr. Ludmila Zhirina and Dr. Igor Prokofiev also presented this information at the activities conducted in April, mentioned above.

Carol also spoke in May and June to Jasmina Bojic's documentary film class at Stanford University and to the membership of the Mid-Peninsula chapter of Women's International League for Peace and Freedom on the impact of Chernobyl radiation on the affected populations and on how the Viola group has shown that GROW BIOINTENSIVE reduces the radionuclides in vegetables.

In Central Asia, Irina Kim conducted her first GROW BIOINTENSIVE workshop in Kyrgyzstan, at the University of Jalalabad: Irina conducted the workshop in Jalalabad, not far from the Uzbek border in Kyrgyzstan, from June 5-9, 2006. There were 32 participants participating for the full 5 days, including a rector, a pro-rector, deans, professors, lab workers, and students from the biology, agriculture, and forestry departments of both Jalalabad and Osh universities. Irina covered the usual topics covered in GROW BIOINTENSIVE (GB) workshops: The world farming/food situation, history of organic agriculture, sustainability, sustainable Biointensive mini-farming, the 8 components the GB method, double-digging to 60 cm depth, compost preparation and application, intensive planting, open pollination of seeds, growing of seedlings for transplantation, companion planting, calorie production, garden and orchard planning, and GB as an integral method. The participants were also given a wide range of literature on GB and Ecology Action. The workshop was sponsored by BfR, with funding of $2000 raised from our membership.

Our Fundraising goals include
Funding needs include (some funding should come as income from Ecotours):
$600 for Igor's costs ($1400 has already been donated),
$500 to begin work on workshop materials in Russian,
$1000-4000 for Irina Kim's workshop tours in Uzbekistan & Kazakhstan,
$1000 or more for publication of Ekologicheskii ogorod,
$500-2000 for a workshop in Smolensk,
$300 or more for the round table in Kiev,
$10,000 or more for a workshop by Steve Moore in April 2007 in Novo-Sin'kovo

Suggested donations to Ecology Action in support of BfR's work:

• $5 to join postcard invitation list (or just as a goodwill gesture)
• $20 to become a Member and receive 2 newsletters per year
• $50 to become a Donor
• $100 to become a Contributor (request a book if desired)
• $250 to become a Supporter
• $1000 to become a Workshop Funder (request an invitation to dinner!)

Send your donation to BfR, 831 Marshall Drive, Palo Alto, CA 94303. To be tax deductible, checks should be made out to "Ecology Action" -- write "for BfR" on the memo line.

To RSVP or request information on any of the above events, the ecotour, or our budgets, call 650-856-9751 or email Carol.

Happy Gardening! Carol, Joanna and volunteers

Biointensive for Russia
913 Oso Road
Ojai, CA 93023 U.S.A.
(805) 640-1897  cvesecky@igc.org
http://biointensiveforrussia.igc.org

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