The Client and The Project THE CENTRAL CONNECTICUT RIVER VALLEY INSTITUTE, INC.
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The Central Connecticut River Valley Institute, Inc. (CCRVI), the primary client, is a non-profit organization dedicated to connecting people to the natural world. Based in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts, CCRVI was founded by Will Flanders in 2004. CCRVI focuses its work within the region of the central Connecticut River watershed, which loosely encompasses six counties: Franklin and Hampshire in Massachusetts, Cheshire and Sullivan in New Hampshire, and Windham and Windsor in Vermont. The mission of the organization is to Create educational programs and innovative social, cultural, and economic institutions which encourage people to experience the physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual benefits of living intimately, indigenously, and in deep connection with the natural world where they live, with themselves, and each other. (CCRVI)
CCRVI aims to serve this mission by creating regionally and locally sustainable sources for human needs and by promoting the conservation of natural resources. CCRVI has sponsored and supported a number of multidisciplinary programs focused on environmental education and resource preservation.
THE APIOS INSTITUTE Still in its formative phase, the Apios Institute, founded by Dave Jacke, author of Edible Forest Gardens, aims to further the practice of forest gardening by developing integrated and regenerative systems of perennial agriculture. The Apios Institute intends to work collaboratively with educators, farmers, gardeners, policy-makers, and communities, to research, develop, and demonstrate agricultural
schemes modeled after and inspired by the local temperate forest. Focusing initially on building small-scale systems, the vision of the Apios Institute is to think broadly and support work at larger scales, providing benefits to many collaborators through shared resources and knowledge.
THE COMMUNITY FOOD PROJECT In collaboration with the newly-formed Apios Institute and Shelburne Falls resident Kim Erslev, CCRVI has developed the Community Food Project, which through two initiatives (the Shelburne Falls Food Security Plan and the Perennial Food Project), seeks to develop a locally controlled food system for the village of Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts. The hope is that the Community Food Program may serve as a model for other communities within the region and beyond. The Shelburne Falls Food Security Plan is based on a vision of meeting food needs locally and determining the minimal food requirements of the residents of the village of Shelburne Falls. This report lays the foundation for the Food Security Plan, presenting food and nutritional needs, site analysis, and viable agriculture schemes for the village. Information and designs presented here will allow for more in-depth research and planning efforts towards the goal of local food security. The Perennial Food Project will also rely on the information laid out in this report to begin to determine appropriate plant species and cultivars for use in propagation and growth of perennials in village gardens. Perennial plants are those that live three or more years without replanting, and there are many such plants that produce edible crops, often using less energy and labor than annual food crops. The Perennial Food Project will not only determine which species are appropriate for use in small-scale semi-urban village production, but also share horticultural knowledge and practices for growing perennial crops, as well as propagate perennial plants to share with others.
THE SHELBURNE FALLS FOOD SECURITY PLAN: PHASE ONE