Alachua County Library District’s Headquarters Library
Meeting Room A
401 E. University Avenue
Gainesville, FL 32601
Hello Joanne,
It is time to mobilize to protect everyOutstanding Florida Spring, and we are counting on you to be there with us.
We will gather on Monday, August 28, in Gainesville at the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) public workshop on its proposed rules relating to the harm from consumptive use (groundwater withdrawals) to Outstanding Florida Springs. As you might be able to guess, FDEP’s new proposed rules are a mix of worthless gobbledegook, the same old unprotective existing law, and an assortment of escape clauses.
The Florida Springs Council and Sierra Club have been demanding strong “harm” rules for 7 years, and this is what FDEP has to offer? We cannot let FDEP continue to cater to large water users and developers at the expense of taxpayers and the state’s precious, imperiled springs. The quality of the water in our Florida springs is inextricably tied to the quantity of water in our aquifer, so over-pumping is a scourge that must be stopped. That’s why Florida Springs lovers will be there on August 28.
Let’s leave FDEP without a doubt that we will never accept less than what our beloved springs deserve and require. Let’s stand together in Gainesville.
Election Schedule for SSJ Executive Committee
SSJ Executive Committee (ExCom) consists of seven members, and five of these seats are up for election this year.
Oct 2nd- Nominations Due
Oct 23rd- Petition Candidate deadline (additional candidates can petition to be on the ballot by providing signatures of at least 25 members)
Nov 13th- Voting begins
Dec 18th- Voting ends
Jan 2024 - Newly elected SSJ Executive Committee members term begins
If you or someone you know would like to serve on the SSJ Executive Committee, please contact the NomCom members at ftimothymartin@yahoo.com.
Energy and Climate Action Team
Sept. 11, 2023 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Virtual Meeting (link shared via email after registration)
Come work with us on: Clean Energy, Energy Justice, and Climate Justice
Join us to explore local answers to this global question by examining the impacts of climate change in North Central Florida and advancing and expanding on solutions.
On April 15, I went to Jasper to visit Chris and Deanna Mericles’ farm – where they use a mix of ancient and modern farming approaches – where humans and animals are acting together to produce an amazingly beautiful farm. I enjoyed meeting the animals who all have a name, seeing them being healthy and peaceful, connecting with humans in their own ways…
One important feature of the farm is that all the animals are regularly moved to fresh ground and pastures. This helps fertilize and enrich the soil and grows healthier animals and pastures. The Mericles leave more than half of the property in forest to allow habitat for wildlife, carbon capture and aquifer recharge.
I left their farm feeling that it was a very special place, peaceful, serene and yet constantly being “a work in progress”.
Chris and Deanna bought 40 acres of Long Leaf pine forest in 2008 and added another 40 acres in 2015. The trees are now about 29 years old now. Lots of underbrush was covering the ground of the forest so they started by clearing one row of pines out of every three rows and they then planted grass in the middle. The goal was to create an uneven aged forest and incorporate silvopasture farming.
In 2013 they acquired 2 cows and now they have 16 cows raised as grassfed beef. They have 18 pigs and hundreds of chickens, raised for broiler chickens or laying hens.
Only premium non-GMO feed is given to the hogs and the chickens. They have 96 chicks (called biddies) raised for meat. They have pullets and hens (Novo-gen variety).
The pigs or hogs are Berkshire variety and Baxter is the only boar. Right now, Baxter and Pinky are living together to breed some young piglets. Pigs are separated in various pig pens where they can eat grass and make a mess of the ground, then they are moved to a new pig pen covered with crabgrass or cowpeas as Deanna experiments with various types of grass. Next will be spaghetti squash…
The pastures for the cows are various strips of grass – large rectangles of land divided by electric fencing. Chickens and cows share these pens, and water is available in large troughs.
It was delightful to visit their farm and you can visit it online at their website www.longleafpasturefarm.com or join us for the outing on October 28. Don't delay as attendance is limited!
An urgent appeal from Southeast Gainesville residents:
Help Defend Our Community from a Dump Expansion
We’re raising funds to stop the expansion of a landfill site next to homes, schools, farms, parks and churches. A group of neighbors have hired a lawyer and experts to challenge the expansion permit.
Please contribute $25 or more towards helping us win this fight.
We need your help to win
We are asking our supporters to assist with legal fees, expert fees, and logistical costs to challenge the expansion. Your contributions support our ability to challenge the expansion permit.
We’ll keep you updated as we prepare for the hearing. Please share our campaign widely with your friends and family.
Our fundraiser goal is $6,000.00 by August 31, 2023. Every little bit helps.
There's a puddle of stars,
A lake of constellations without a single sound,
When a drop of hope touches the blanket of peace and hope
It sends out pieces of happiness to the person who had a drop of hope
There's an ocean of galaxies
Where we are just comets floating through space
Waiting for peace to happen
The light from the blanket
Is from a war long forgotten,
But we still fight
Yet there's still space left in our heart of flaming rage
We soon will destroy that very blanket that covers us
From the light soon will fall upon us.
And we will all regret all we’ve done to this tiny world
And we’ll try to save the little flame of desire left in our little hearts
And if we lose that desire
All we have left is desperation, sadness, and loneliness.
Now we’ll soar through the cosmos as stars
Instead of hiding in our comet shells
And we’ll shine like a supernova spreading hope and happiness
You can now direct donations through Cash App to support the Sierra Club Suwannee-St. Johns Group by using our CashTag$:
$SSJSierra
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