Ronnie Cummins, founder and director of the Organic Consumers Association, will be giving a free public lecture entitled “Climate Catastrophe: How Organic Agriculture and Green Technology Can Help Us Survive the 21st Century” on Wednesday, March 10, 7:30pm at the Fairfield Public Library.

The Organic Consumers Association (OCA) is a non-profit, U.S. based network of 850,000 consumers, dedicated to safeguarding organic standards and promoting a healthy, just, and sustainable system of agriculture and commerce. The OCA’s primary strategy is to work on national and global campaigns promoting health, justice, and sustainability that integrate public education, marketplace pressure, media work, litigation, and grassroots lobbying.

In his article The Organic Revolution: How We Can Stop Global Warming Cummins writes, “Beyond the gloom and doom of the climate crisis, there lies a powerful and regenerative grassroots solution: organic food, farming, and ranching.”

“Millions of organic farmers, ranchers, conservationists, and backyard gardeners (supported by millions of organic consumers) are demonstrating that we can build a healthy alternative to industrial agriculture and Food Inc. Our growing organic movement is proving that we can not only feed the world with healthy food, but also reverse global warming, by capturing and sequestering billions of tons of climate-destabilizing greenhouse gases in the soil, through plant photosynthesis, composting, cover crops, rotational grazing, wetlands preservation, and reforestation.”

Cummins is the editor of OCA’s website, organicconsumers.org, Organic Bytes newsletters, and Organic View. He also serves on the steering committee of OCA’s Mexico affiliate, Via Organica.

Cummins has been active as a writer and activist since the 1960s, with extensive experience in human rights, anti-war, anti-nuclear, labor, consumer, environmental, and sustainable agriculture campaigns. Over the past decades he has served as director of US and international efforts such as the Pure Food Campaign and the Global Days of Action Against GMOs. From 1992-98 Cummins served as a campaign director for the Foundation on Economic Trends in Washington, D.C. In 1998, Cummins organized the SOS (Save Organic Standards) Campaign, spearheading the largest consumer grassroots backlash against the US Department of Agriculture in recent history. He is also a frequent lecturer, both in the US and abroad.

Cummins’ visit to Fairfield is sponsored by Sustainability Research Institute, the not-for-profit research arm of The Sky Factory, LC.

The following is a letter from FACC Board Chairman Bob Moore, as originally posted on the FACC blog.

Dear Patrons, Friends, and Supporters of the FACC,

Last year, under the leadership of Executive Director Rustin Lippincott, the FACC underwent a dynamic and positive shift by presenting a broad variety of affordable events that appealed to a high percentage of our local residents and which attracted approximately 17,000 out of town visitors. One significant result of this management transformation was that Center revenues grew over 400% last year. Mayor Ed Malloy along with many other Fairfield residents, civic and business leaders see the Center as a significant, irreplaceable Community asset for two primary reasons:

Quality of Life

photo by Will Merydith

1. A continuing and broad choice of top entertainment and cultural events for families and adults, without having to drive to Cedar Rapids, Des Moines or Iowa City.
2. A multi-functional, spacious location for parties, indoor markets and wedding receptions.
3. A place to get to know your neighbors better while having an enjoyable, relaxed time.

Economic Impact

1. Out of town visitors that came to Fairfield because of Center events generated an estimated $3,000,000 in additional spending in Fairfield in 2009.
2. Even during a recession and with traffic routed around Fairfield with the new bypass, Fairfield’s local option tax collections rose by 1% last year.
3. Local employers acknowledge the FACC as an important local feature for recruiting and retaining talented and skilled employees.
4. Over 100 local organizations have had successful meetings and events at the FACC.

The FACC building in itself represents our community working together for economic growth and improved quality of life.

Facilities like the FACC generally are constructed and operated to serve the community and rarely break even without community support. If you live in the Fairfield area, you are likely aware that even with our success in 2009, our recent business planning has clarified the need to become debt free and to establish an annual fundraising campaign to operate at breakeven each year.

Debt Free Plan

We are currently underway with a plan to eliminate our debt via a public/private partnership with the City of Fairfield, its residents, Iowa State Bank, the USDA, and our individual and business donors by raising a total of $1.6 million. To date, Iowa State Bank, the Fairfield City Council, the FACC Board of Directors and several key FACC donors have already made firm commitments to this plan.

Annual Fund Plan

photo by Guy Harvey

In December we launched our “300 for 100” Annual Fund Campaign to raise $360,000 by June 30th for needed capital improvements and operating funds in 2010. If only 300 businesses and individuals donate an average of $100 per month, we’re confident that the Civic Center will remain healthy, grow and continue to serve our community. Over the past three months, we have already raised $123,000 (34%) of these funds.

You may be interested to know that by May 1st we plan to insure that the FACC property remains under local control by:

1. Appealing to local businesses and individuals who have the committed vision and resources to invest in Fairfield’s long-term growth. We are raising $950,000 from this group, $550,000 of which has already been raised.
2. Helping more Fairfield citizens see and feel how the Center directly and meaningfully benefits their lives so that on May 4th, they will support passage of the referendum to permit the City to own the Center free and clear through a reallocation of approximately ½ of the 25% portion of its community betterment local option sales tax collections over a 9 or 10 year period ($650,000 in total).

As a patron of The Fairfield Arts & Convention Centerthere are a number of ways you can help secure its future:

1. Continue coming to Center events that appeal to you, and encourage your friends to do so. Also, your patronage is important at Fairfield’s other venues that present live entertainment such as – Morningstar Studio, Café Paradiso Red Rock Tavern, and Revelations. Every venue is an important contributor to Fairfield’s richness.
2. Become more informed about our 2010 business plan and the May 4th referendum by reading this website or contacting Rustin or any of our board members.
3. Support the FACC financially. Make an instant donation, or download a donation card which provides several payment options, including monthly automatic payments.
4. Vote on May 4th in favor of local option sales tax referendum.
5. Help us educate your friends and neighbors about how the Center enriches our community and family life and about the importance of voting Yes on May 4th.

Thank you for your past and future support.

Sincerely,

Bob Moore
President
FACC Board of Directors

On Sunday, March 7 at 1:00pm there will be a peace rally held in Fairfield on the Hwy 1 Bridge (just north of MUM campus on Hwy1). This is a celebration in honor of the resilience of millions of women survivors of war around the world. The organization, Women for Women International (WFWI), has created a global campaign called Join me on the Bridge. This campaign is scheduled to coincide with the 100 year anniversary of International Women’s Day and the 10th anniversary of the UN Millennium Development Goals. We will meet at 1:00pm to celebrate women with song and drumming, write our messages of peace and hope on a large banner that will be sent to the international organization (along with photos and video footage of the gathering), and to sign petitions for peace, which will be sent by WFWI to various governments around the world to encourage them to provide women greater access to education, job training, credit, property rights and support.

On International Women’s Day, WFWI is bringing thousands of women from Rwanda and the Congo together on a bridge that sits between their two countries to demand an end to war and to demonstrate that women can build the bridges to peace and economic sustainability. In solidarity, both women and men will gather together on bridges throughout the world in a global movement to create peace, inspire strength and give hope.

Women for Women International is a nonprofit humanitarian organization that works in war torn areas of the world (Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Nigeria, Rwanda, DRC, and Sudan). Through a sponsorship program, women survivors of war are able to take back their lives and become productive citizens. First, their basic needs of food, shelter, health care are met and then they begin a year long training program called “Renewing Women’s Life Skills”. Here they gain technical and vocational training, learn about their rights as women, and regain their self esteem. Throughout this year they are encouraged to correspond with their sponsor through letters and sometimes pictures. Once they graduate from the program, these women have new tools to return home with and to help provide for their families and gain a standing in the community, which they otherwise did not have. Through this organization, women are able to change their lives and the lives of their families and rebuild communities that have been completely destroyed by war.

We look forward to you joining us to celebrate and support Women world wide in an effort to build the bridges to a brighter future – You can also stop by and see us at this Friday’s Art Walk (in front Walker Group).

Parental Advisory: video contains profane language.

Live from The Beauty Shop, Fairfield, Iowa’s underground music venue. Black sheep band Porno Galactica, now renamed Utopia Park, basks in the glory of being voted Fairfield’s Best Musical Act of 2009 by FairfieldVoice.com, and kicks off a multi-state tour.

Dom Rabalais (who also plays in the band Coyote Slingshot) raises his mug and yells, “Tonight, we dine in heaven!” – a proclamation which shares, perhaps, a unintended parallel to the movie “300″ in which you hear, “Spartans! Ready your breakfast and eat hearty, for tonight we dine in hell!”

Brother Phil, sporting his dlf.tv t-shirt, also assures that the mugs get full attention. Decibels = sound crunch. Compared to the rich full-bodied heart-melting strength of their live music, the music recording portion of this video is crappy, thanks to Sony cameras. It is included for the “hard-core” fans.

We’re fortunate to have so many great venues for playing and listening to music in Fairfield.

A new website, the Fairfield Music Gallery provides  you with a place to sample the richness and depth of local songwriting and musical talent.

The site provides musicians, songwriters, singers, engineers and the like with personal profiles and a place to store and promote mp3s, videos, podcasts, create discussion forums – and more.

Unlike MySpace or Facebook, this site is only for Fairfield and the surrounding area. Our mission is a simple one, to provide a place for local musicians and their fans to promote themselves, meet each other, and possibly even work together as a result of their interactions on the site.

Sign up as a member and join the appropriate group (songwriter, musician, singer, recording engineer, fan, etc) You can put a few photos on your page, load a few of your original songs (mp3), load a video of your original music performance and redirect people to your own website if you’d like.

Some of the local talent who have joined includes: Sharon Bousquet, David Seagull, Owen Blake, Aaron Blum, David Bordow, Theo Shier, Joe Toth, Mark Soth, Mike Scanlon, Laura Cohen, Beth Payne and Stevie Ray Jeffries.

For those of you who do not have the ability to record your work, Mark Soth of Blue Cat Alley can arrange for the recording of one or two pieces depending on the complexity/ length etc – at no charge -  from his home studio (which provides very decent quality.)  Contact  Mark at mrf@mchsi.com and he can arrange for a recording session.

Please check out the site and enjoy!

Tickets are now available for the Fairfield Area Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Awards Banquet Presented by MidWestOne Bank, happening the evening of March 11 at Best Western Fairfield Inn. Fairfield City Councilman and attorney Myron Gookin returns for an encore performance as the evening’s emcee, as do award presenters Terry Baker and Jane Anne Harl, who will name winners in more than ten award categories.

The slate of programming awaiting those attending the celebration and dinner includes the Business. Community. Pride. Awards, which were first introduced in 2009, as well as time-honored traditions like the naming of the Libertyville Savings Bank Citizen of the Year, said Brent Willett, Chamber executive director.

“Every award we’ll hand out March 11 is designed to recognize investment and innovation on the part of Fairfield business and community institutions,” he said. “Be it capital improvements, resource redeployment, new media, or lifelong accomplishment, the Banquet is about celebrating progress in this community.”

In addition to the Business. Community. Pride. Awards, the Chamber will name a 2010 Citizen of the Year, which is awarded each year to the most outstanding Fairfield citizen. In 2009, Melva Dahl and Dr. Donal Hill were named Co-Citizens of the Year. Past winners of the prestigious honor determine the honoree(s) each year.

Aside from the awards, other Banquet programming will include a report on the City of Fairfield from Mayor Ed Malloy, remarks from Fairfield Economic Development Association President Pat Doyle, a “Night on the Town” basket silent auction and a photo slideshow of winners.

Award winners will be named in the following categories:

• Libertyville Savings Bank Citizen of the Year
  • Outstanding Fairfield citizen
• Cambridge Impact Award
  • Recognizing a longtime Chamber member who has made outstanding contributions to the Chamber and the community
• Progress Award
  • Business improvement or New Young Business of the year
• New Young Business Awards
  • Recognizing those businesses who entered their first year of existence in 2009 and who made marked improvements to their space of operation or product delivery
• Business Improvement Awards
  • Recognizing those businesses which made marked improvements to their space of operation in the last year
• Community Improvement Awards
  • Recognizing those community projects which made marked improvements to their theatre of operation in the last year
• Rising Star Award
  • Chamber member in its second or third year which has made outstanding early contributions to the Fairfield Area
• Chamber of Commerce
  • Adaptation Award
• Business which has redefined itself in the community or its marketplace over the last year. A transformation of purpose or product.
  • Interactive Media Award
• Web site/blog of the year
  • Web site/blog of the year
• President’s Award
  • Recognizing one outstanding contributor to the Fairfield Chamber of Commerce in 2009

The Annual Banquet, which begins with a cocktail hour at 5:45 pm and includes dinner, has sold out for the past several years, and reservations are required. Tickets are $30 and are available at the Chamber office at 204 West Broadway. Contact the Chamber by phone at 641-472-2111 or chamber@fairfieldiowa.com to reserve tickets.

For more information on the Annual Banquet, visit FairfieldIowa.com.

The Fairfield Area Chamber of Commerce is a non-profit organization dedicated to the advocacy of its more than 350 member partners. The Chamber produces dozens of community events year-round and works with local, state, regional and national partners to improve the Fairfield’s business environment and quality of life. The Chamber’s 204 West Broadway offices also house the offices of the Fairfield Economic Development Association.

In this age of going green, reducing energy use, recycling and reducing waste, do you wonder if you are doing enough? Pekin, Iowa resident, Dawn Bechtel, who was born, raised and is employed in Fairfield, wanted to do something more so she created a Fairfield Freecyle/Buycycle Facebook Page in September 2009 with the main goal of keeping as many items out of the landfills as possible. Today they have over 500 members listing items they are willing to give away for free (freecycle), items they are wanting to sell (buycycle) or items they are in need of and would like to find used instead of going out and paying for new (recycle).

The Page’s creator, Dawn Bechtel, describes her motivations and intent:

Ever since the day I read Danny Seo’s book Heaven on Earth – 15 minute miracles to change the world, I’ve wanted to implement them all and more. Our environment takes such good care of us and it is important that we show our appreciation and take even better care of our environment.

We don’t have trash or recycling pick up where we live so recycling is a must! Garage sales are a lot of work and not well attended in this area and we have some nice things that we no longer need and don’t want to just toss them in the trash! We’d like to see them find good homes. I’d heard several of my friends from other states talking about FREECYCLE and although I did a few Google searches I was unable to find one in our area. Frustrated, I decided to start one on FACEBOOK and see what happened.

It is my hope that every item posted will soon find a new home. That everyone living in and around Fairfield that has a FACEBOOK account will want to be an active member and those that don’t have a FACEBOOK account will be asking their friends that do, to list or find items for them.

Members have found new homes for toner cartridges, TV’s, microwaves, swing sets and more. Got some exercise equipment collecting dust in the corner? Several members of Fairfield Freecycle/Buycycle are interested.

In addition to posting items, the Fairfield Freecycle/Buycycle also promotes fundraising and recycling efforts currently going on in the community and other resources for recycling like The Bargain Box, My Lucky Day, Agapeland’s Closet and Chickadees. The Fairfield High school (FBLA) is asking for donations to recycle used consumer electronics, ink cartridges, and any unwanted, tangled or broken Metal Jewelry – you can find a complete list of items they are accepting on the site. Members can also find a complete list of the items that can be recycled at Waste management as well as any fees that might be associated with certain items

You know the old saying, “one person’s trash is another person’s treasure”, and that is definitely the case at the Fairfield Freecyle/Buycycle Facebook Page. Check it out and help keep as much out of the landfills as possible.

Francis Thicke is holding a film screening fundraiser for his candidacy for Iowa’s Secretary of Agriculture.

The producers of the award-winning documentary film King Corn have released a sequel: Big River. Both Big River and an abbreviated version of King Corn will be shown Friday, February 19, starting at 7:30 p.m. on the 10-foot movie screen in Morning Star Studio’s ballroom, upstairs at 51 1/2 South Court Street on the east side of the Fairfield Town Square.

In King Corn college friends Ian and Curt plant one acre of Iowa corn and follow their harvested corn into the food system. What they find raises troubling questions about how we eat, how we farm, and the stuff we’re really made of.

In the Big River sequel, Ian and Curt track the trail of fertilizers and chemicals used to produce their acre of corn and discover how farm runoff travels through waterways to eventually reach the Gulf of Mexico, where that pollution causes an aquatic dead zone.

Friday night’s event will begin at 7:30 with a 50-minute version of King Corn, followed by the 30-minute film Big River. After the films Francis will spend a few minutes outlining his vision for a sustainable agriculture and food system in Iowa and will ask you to share your thoughts as well.

A minimum $5 donation is requested for the evening. Additional contributions are welcome.

More information on Francis Thicke’s campaign for Iowa Secretary of Agriculture can be found at www.thickeforagriculture.com.

King Corn Trailer:

Big River Trailer: