1) Mary Boyer Sustainable Food and Agriculture Grant Application Period Opens
Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture (BRWIA) is calling for proposals for the 2014 Mary Boyer Sustainable food and Agriculture Grant program. The purpose of the Sustainable Food and Agriculture Grant is to strengthen our local food system by supporting female farmers, ranchers and processors who plan to create innovative, sustainable solutions to production or marketing obstacles in the High Country. Grant Applications are due by March 1. Two grants of up to $2,000 will be awarded to female farmers, ranchers or processors based in Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Caldwell, Mitchell, Watauga, Wilkes orYancey Counties in North Carolina or Johnson County, Tennessee for completing a sustainable food and agriculture project or pursuing educational opportunities in sustainable food and agriculture. Examples of past projects include: Multi Species Rotational Grazing and Invasive Weed Control and Highland Handling to Reclaim the High Country. “We are proud and excited to offer a fourth year of funding for our Mary Boyer Sustainable Food & Agriculture Grants,” explained executive director Sarah Myers. “Not only is this an opportunity to highlight innovative agricultural approaches to our High Country region, it is an excellent way to provide support to an underserved and growing demographic group. We are honored to be able to offer these small grants and we give continued thanks to all those who make this possible. Applications for the 2014 grant funding cycle are available on BRWIA’s website (www.BRWIA.org) and must be received no later than March 1.
2) Sustainable Foothills Help Green Businesses Earn Green
Sustainable Foothills (formerly Caldwell Green Commission) has launched their Green Business Certification programs for businesses in Alexander, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba and Watauga counties. The Green Business program assists businesses in finding ways to cut waste and increase profits. Energy efficiency is the first step in making a business sustainable. Sustainable Foothills provides valuable resources to enable the local business community to cut business costs in their energy use. The Sustainable Foothills green certification is tailored for each business and the certification provides them the opportunity to be listed on both the NC Department of Travel and Tourism and TripAdvisor websites. For more information on the Green Business Certificate Program at Sustainable Foothills, contact Melissa Patton, executive director by calling 828-754-0089.
3) Baha’i Devotional Meeting Feb. 9
There will be a Baha’i devotional meeting from 10 a.m. until noon on Sunday, Feb. 9 in Stony Fork. The theme of the meeting will be “God has created all and all return to God.” Prayers will be followed by a study on the nature of life after death. All are welcome. For more information and directions call 268-2191.
4) Amnesty International’s State Meeting to be Hosted at Appalachian March 1
The North Carolina Amnesty International State Meeting will be held at Appalachian State University on March 1 from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. The public is invited. Hosted by Appalachian’s Amnesty International chapter, the conference will be held in Anne Belk Hall Room 11. It will include discussions on the death penalty, poverty and human trafficking. Darryl Hunt, the Winston-Salem resident who spend almost 20 years in prison after being wrongly convicted of murder, and Tarrah Callaham from NC Coalition for Alternatives to the Death Penalty will discuss the death penalty in NC. Other presenters include Edith Garwood, specialist of Inrael and Palestine and the N.C. Dream Team, an organization composed of undocumented immigrant youth and allies. Registration fee is $20. This includes admission to all meeting events, lunch from F.A.R.M Cafe and membership in Amnesty International – USA. Register at www.aincstatemeeting.weebly.com. Attendants are encouraged to bring canned food items, which will be donated to the Hospitality House of Boone. The vision of this event is to raise state, community and campus awareness of some of the world’s most pressing human rights issues. “Our hope with this conference is to inspire others to become invested in human rights and feel empowered to take action,” said Amanda Moore, NC meeting coordinator.
5) ASU’s MBA Program Recognized by the International Graduate Forum
The London-based International Graduate Forum has included the Walker College of Business’s MBA program at ASU in its “Global Top 20” list for winter 2013-14. Appalachian’s Master of Business Administration comes in at No. 19 in a tie with Ice;and’s Reykjavik University. Appalachian is also included in the forum’s list of other tier one schools in North America for winter 2013-14. The information is included in IGS’s online publication, CEO magazine. The International Graduate Forum’s MBA rankings are based on key performance indicators considered to be of interest and value to potential students, according to their website. International diversity, class sizes, student work experience, faculty-to-student ratios, and faculty qualifications – both academic and professional – are given considerable weight. “With competition between business schools continuing to increase, it is important for schools to understand what students really want. Schools ranked highly by the IGF in CEO Magazine have been successful in this goal,” the publication reported. The Walker College of Business’s on-campus MBA program is offered in a compressed time frame allowing students to complete the program in one year from their start date. Students attend classes full time and year round by taking summer classes and/or internships. Concentrations are offered in sustainable business, international business, general management and economics. Beginning this fall, the MBA program will offer concentrations business analytics, leading and managing human resources, supply chain management and interdisciplinary business beginning this fall. An off-campus, two-year program is offered in Hickory.