TALLE – Takoma Alliance for Local Living Economy

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Proposal to City of Takoma Park to Restore Portion of Dorothy’s Woods as Sustainable Urban Habitat

Please read and contact your Takoma Park Council member.

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May 27 Meeting: Invasive Plants in Your Backyard

Many of us are making the most of quarantine by connecting more with our yards as we do spring clean-ups, plant vegetable gardens, and tend to our flower beds.  This is a great time to tackle some of the invasive plants that may have found their way into your yard.  Non-native invasive plants are not only a nuisance in your garden or lawn–when they escape to parks and other open areas they  kill tress, crowd out native vegetation, reduce biological diversity and disrupt ecosystems.

Our guests  will be “ Weed Warriors” Kit Gage and Jim Anderson from Friends of Sligo Creek (www.fosc.org) . Their presentation will cover the essentials of non-native invasive plants: why this matters, how to recognize and properly remove common invaders, what to plant instead, and where to find native plants for your yard. You will also hear about local training and volunteer opportunities.  All are welcome. The program will be recorded live and will be available for later viewing on this webpage.

Resources on Non-native Invasive Plants.pdf

Invasive Plant Removal – Why Go Native?

Climate Action Coffee May 27 Part 1-Dorothy’s Woods and Invasive Plants from Galen Tromble on Vimeo.

Climate Action Coffee May 25 Mike Tidwell Takoma Trees from Galen Tromble on Vimeo.

May 20 Meeting: Koiner Farm Proposal for an Urban Farm Network in Montgomery County

Action Item: Petition to Build A Sustainable Urban Habitat Demonstration at Dorothy’s Woods

Update: read/download the draft proposal.

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March 25: Our Farming Community and Local Food Supply – What Now?

Notes and links from the March 25 call

Takoma Alliance for Local Living Economy (TALLE) invites you to join a “Regional Food Support Forum” via Zoom this Wednesday, 3/25 at 8 AM (Zoom details below).

This next Climate Action Coffee (BYO!) puts the conversation about issues facing our regional food system on the fast track and will explore what we can do to help. We will discuss how to mobilize local volunteers and other resources to support local farmers, distributors and retail stores if/when needed.  This is a surreal time coming at one of the busiest times of the year for farmers as they start to plant their crops.

* Can we identify chief needs now and anticipated in the near future?

* How might we collectively and individually meet those needs?

Moderating the discussion will be Philip Bogdonoff, TALLE/CAC Steering Group and Director, Washington DC Chapter, Biodiversity for a Livable Climate

Anticipated Resource People:

• Caroline Taylor, Executive Director, Montgomery Countryside Alliance (http://mocoalliance.org/)

• Lee Langstaff of Shepherd’s Hey Farm

• Mike Houston, General Manager, TPSS Co-op (tpss.coop)

• Nick Maravell of Nick’s Organic Farm

• Jackie DeCarlo, CEO, MANNA Food Center (www.mannafood.org) [or an alternate]

• Dale Tibbitts, Special Assistant, Office of the County Executive (https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/exec/)

• Heather Bruskin, Executive Director, Montgomery County Food Council (https://mocofoodcouncil.org/)

• Gene Kingsbury, Kingsbury’s Orchard (in the Ag Reserve) (https://www.kingsburysorchard.com/)

• And possibly others (e.g., Greg Glenn, Rocklands Farm & Vineyard; Delegate Lorig Charkoudian)

Please consider buying a share in a CSA in your region. Regenerative and other soil-building farming methods, when practiced in your watershed/foodshed, help protect community well-being.

Message from Montgomery Countryside Alliance on Helping the Farming Community

Here at MCA we are working on ways to help the farming community through this crisis and also help hungry folks tap into healthy local food. We want to hear from you on what you are worried about and what might help – is it labor, distribution, supply chain, what?  The quick survey is anonymous but if you want to be involved in planning a response with us make sure you include your contact info. This can be our finest hour.

Take the survey here and thank you!

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Busboys and Poets’ full service breakfast menu will be available, as well as complimentary Fair Trade coffee. We encourage anyone who is able to continue the conversation following the 7:30-9 a.m. program, either in the main dining area or in the Guillen Room, as Busboys and Poets generously invites us to remain there if we choose. Full breakfast service is available.