Sustainable Season's Greetings

Join us here at the store, F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods and Supplies, 56 Maine Street, Brunswick, for a discussion with Shari Burke titled "Sustainable Season's Greetings," on Thursday, December 9, from 7 to 8:30 pm. The talk is free and open to the public.

Shari is a sociocultural anthropologist and self-professed Christmas junkie with an interest in the intersection between cultural and personal stories. With her husband Bill Burke, she founded the Center for Cultural Preservation to help people record their own life stories and to create space where community members can come together to share and listen to the stories of others. Through years of listening and helping people tell their stories, she has learned how to cut through cultural noise to discover what better ways are possible to experience the holidays.

"I learned a long time ago, through unhappy experience, that cultural ideas about what Christmas should be do not work for me," says Shari. "So I threw out what didn't work and came up with my own ideas about what does work. Everyone tells me how peaceful Christmas is at my house. I like that because it shows that the possibility for a better way is there for all of us -- we just have to find it."

Sustaining our own personal peace of mind, sense of well-being, feelings of joy, and personal connections with others can be challenging during the frenzy of activity that is culturally and often personally expected of us in December. According to Shari, we can meet this challenge to create a different kind of holiday experience -- one that is more meaningful and joyful for us and better for the planet.

Shari will discuss some of the larger issues surrounding Christmas in the United States, including the increase in waste production and personal stress, and offer practical solutions that will allow us to lighten our environmental impact while simultaneously brightening our own holiday celebrations. She welcomes your personal stories as well. Attendees are encouraged to share their own ideas about creating a meaningful holiday if they so wish.

"We have much to learn from each other," notes Shari. "We'll provide a calm space for listening to one another and for exchanging ideas."

More information about the Burkes and the Center for Cultural Preservation is available online at www.CenterForCulturalPreservation.com.

This talk is part of the F.W. Horch series on sustainable living. Each monthly talk is held on the second Thursday of the month at the F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies store, 56 Maine Street, Brunswick. Space is limited, so if you are interested in attending please call the store at 729-4050 to reserve a seat.

Living Sustainably and Saving Money

Guy Marsden of Woolwich will give a public talk entitled "Living Sustainably and Saving Money" at F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods and Supplies, 56 Maine Street, Brunswick on Thursday, November 11 at 7 pm. Guy will speak from his own experiences about his efforts to live as sustainably as practical while also saving money and reducing his carbon footprint. The event is free and open to the public.

"I do not believe that sustainability comes into conflict with living comfortably," says Guy. "My family has made very few sacrifices in the process of reducing our energy footprint."

Guy's presentation shares practical steps on the path to living sustainably -- from simple no-cost things like turning down the water heater, on up to installing solar panels. Along the way he will share anecdotes and personal stories about his journey. As an electrical engineer he will also demystify electric power: attendees will learn what a kilowatt hour is and why this measure of electrical energy is important to know.

 Guy documents his solar installations, including the solar building heating system he designed and installed and the solar domestic water and solar power systems he installed, on his web site at www.arttec.net.


Space for this talk is limited, so those interested in attending are encouraged to call the store at 729-4050 to reserve a seat.

This event is part of the F.W. Horch series on sustainable living. Each monthly workshop is held at the F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies store, 56 Maine Street, Brunswick on the second Thursday of the month.

For more information about the F.W. Horch sustainable living series, please call 729-4050 or visit www.FWHorch.com.

Solar Hot Water Talk

On Thursday, October 14, from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm, we will host a workshop by Philip Shelton titled "Designing and Building a Photovoltaic Powered Solar Hot Water System with Internet Enabled Energy Monitoring." Please join us at the store for this free talk.

Solar hot water systems are a common upgrade to many high performance homes in Maine. While free solar energy heats the water in these systems, many of them rely on house electric power for the pumps that circulate fluid between the solar collector outside and the hot water tank inside.

"Why add to your electric bill when you can power your solar hot water pumps from the sun too?" asks Phil. "After being told by a 'professional' that it could not be done, I set out to design and build a system that was truly Zero Net Energy."

Phil's free workshop will cover solar hot water system design, basic plumbing techniques and low cost system monitoring devices. He will show how you can use a solar photovoltaic-powered pump on an evacuated tube solar hot water system. Harnessing solar energy for your pumps provide two advantages. First, your solar hot water system is more reliable; it continues working even during power outages. Second, your pump speed matches the available solar energy: when more heat is available, your pumps circulate faster.

During the workshop, find out how to design and install a monitoring system that provides a more accurate measure of the hot water actually being delivered for use. You will learn how to use inexpensive monitoring hardware to determine how much energy -- and money -- your solar hot water system is actually saving.

"All the energy for my entire system, including radiant heat for our greenhouse, comes from the sun," says Phil. "The performance of our system is posted live on the Internet at www.sunnyhotwater.com."

Phil is perhaps best known for designing and building the world's largest rotating globe for DeLorme Mapping in Yarmouth, Maine. Computer controlled, 42' in diameter and built with 3 miles of aluminum tubing, it made it into the Guinness Book of World Records in 1999.

Phil honed his skills as a wooden boat builder on Long Island, New York, before heading to the wilds of Washington County, Maine. He bought 30 acres of woodland, three miles from electricity, and built a log cabin from the trees on the land. After living for five years without electricity or running water (unless you count "running water" up from the stream with galvanized buckets) and with a second son on the way, Phil decided to move towards civilization. He landed a job at the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath, Maine, and taught boat building for ten years.

His lifelong goal, as a boat builder, was to design and build his own boat and sail around the world. After ten years of off and on construction, the 42-foot gaff rigged cutter "Iwalani," equipped with a modified wind generator, was finally launched. Phil and his wife Amy left Maine in 2000 and successfully returned three years and 30,000 miles later. At Williams Farm, in Georgetown, Maine, they continue to pursue a self-sustaining lifestyle.

This talk is part of the F.W. Horch series on sustainable living. Each monthly talk is held on the second Thursday of the month at the F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies store, 56 Maine Street, Brunswick. Space is limited, so if you're interested in attending we encourage you to call the store at 729-4050 to reserve a seat.

Pulling the Plug: Rethinking Energy in Maine

We will host a talk by Bode von Franken titled "Pulling the Plug: Rethinking Energy in Maine," on Thursday, August 12, from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. The talk is free and open to the public.

Bode von Franken is the artist also known as Robert Van Vranken. He now lives off grid in Brunswick, due to a series of unintentional events.

"I slowly stumbled into being completely off the grid," says von Franken. "One disaster led to another, and now we're completely free."

Von Franken's talk will explore the journey from the familiar life connected to the electricity grid to the unexpected freedom of living off grid. He will share his personal experiences during his journey to energy self-sufficiency on Pennellville Road in Brunswick.

Von Franken is best known as the artist Robert Van Vranken. His visual work, shown in New York at OK Harris Works of Art and in San Francisco at Jenkins-Johnson Gallery, has been described as "intellectually stimulating paintings of mysterious architectural spaces." A native of New York State, Van Vranken graduated from Bowdoin College in Maine and received an M.F.A. from the San Francisco Art Institute. He has received many awards, including residencies at the Djerassi Foundation and the MacDowell Colony. More information about him and his work is available online at www.rvvart.com.

This talk is part of the F.W. Horch series on sustainable living. Each monthly talk is held on the second Thursday of the month at the F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies store, 56 Maine Street, Brunswick. Space is limited, so those interested in attending are encouraged to call the store at 729-4050 to reserve a seat.

Hope you can join us!

Going Solar

Join us on Thursday, June 10, from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm here at F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods and Supplies, 56 Maine Street, Brunswick, for a talk by John Capron, of ReVision Energy, titled "Going Solar: Energy from the Sun." Free and open to the public.

Five hundred square feet of solar electric panels on a sunny, south-facing roof in Maine generate 100% of an average family's annual consumption (about 6 million watt hours of electricity per year). Thousands of Mainers have already decided that the risks of remaining dependent on fossil fuels -- none of which is produced here in Maine -- outweigh the cost of harvesting clean and reliable energy from their own rooftops in perpetuity.

"Solar energy is one of the best investments you can make for your children and grandchildren," says John. "If we do not begin solving our energy problems today, we will leave them a legacy of fossil energy pollution, scarcity and geopolitical conflict."

John's talk will explain the basics of harnessing the sun for heat and power. You'll learn how solar power systems work, how much solar energy is available at different times of the year for space heating, hot water and electricity, and how much different options cost. The talk will also cover common questions and concerns, such as how you can find out if your location is sunny enough, how long an installation will take, how reliable is solar equipment, how to integrate solar energy into existing house plumbing and wiring, how to participate in Maine's net metering program to "spin the meter backward," and how to qualify for the myriad financing options, tax credits and rebates available.

ReVision Energy is a full service renewable energy company offering design, sales, installation and service. Formerly known as Energyworks, ReVision Energy has emerged as an industry leader in northern New England, having installed more than half of all solar energy systems in Maine for the past four years. Their engineers from MIT and Brown University have a combined 25 years experience in the design, installation and service of renewable energy systems.

This talk is part of the F.W. Horch series on sustainable living. Each monthly talk is held on the second Thursday of the month at the F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies store, 56 Maine Street, Brunswick. Space is limited, so if you are interested in attending, please call the store at 729-4050 to reserve a seat.

For more information, please visit www.FWHorch.com.

Top Bar Beekeeping

Gold Star Honeybees will present "How and Why to Keep Bees in Top Bar Beehives," a beekeeping discussion and demonstration, at our next sustainable living talk here at our store, F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods and Supplies, 56 Maine Street, Brunswick on Thursday, May 13 at 7 pm. The event is free and open to the public. Both experienced beekeepers and "wannabee" beekeepers are encouraged to attend.

"It's not about the honey, Honey," says Christy Hemenway, founder of Gold Star Honeybees in Bath, Maine. "It's about the bees!"

According to Christy, "Top Bar" beekeeping is a simple, bee-friendly, beekeeper-friendly, planet-friendly, and sustainable way of stewarding one of our most important pollinators. At the talk, she will discuss the simplicity of working a Top Bar Beehive and the advantages of this method of beekeeping.

Gold Star Honeybees manufactures a kit to build your own Top Bar Beehive using the most environmentally friendly components available. Gold Star Honeybees also offers a Beekeeping Service for folks who like the idea of having bees on their property, but are not able to dedicate the time and energy it requires to keep bees. For more information about the kit and beekeping service, visit www.GoldStarHoneybees.com or call 207-449-1121.

The demonstration on Thursday will take place inside, featuring an empty kit without the actual bees. Space is limited, so those interested in attending are encouraged to call the store at 729-4050 to reserve a seat.

This event is part of the F.W. Horch series on sustainable living. Each monthly workshop is held at the F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies store, 56 Maine Street, Brunswick on the second Thursday of the month.

For more information about the F.W. Horch sustainable living series, please call 729-4050 or visit www.FWHorch.com.

What You Need to Know About Maine's Weatherization Rebates

Our next sustainable living workshop will be "What You Need to Know About Maine's Weatherization Rebates" by DeWitt Kimball of Complete Home Evaluation Services on Thursday, March 11, at 7:00 p.m. This workshop is free and open to the public. Please join us!

DeWitt Kimball has worked in the building profession for over two decades and has extensive knowledge of building science, including green home construction. He is working closely with state officials as they roll out the new Efficiency Maine Weatherization Program. Funded by the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the program offers up to $3,000 in incentives for the first 4,000 homes that complete energy-efficiency projects meeting minimum energy savings requirements.

One of the most qualified professional property inspectors in Maine, DeWitt is a certified HERS rater, a BPI and Maine Home Performance with Energy Star energy analyst, as well as a certified mold tester, home inspector, radon tester, and boiler/furnace analyst.

Learn how to qualify for Maine's weatherization rebates while making your home energy efficient and structurally impervious to environmental conditions. You'll also have an opportunity to ask questions about new home construction, remodeling for improved comfort and energy efficiency, and the renovation of historic buildings.

Enjoy free refreshments and handouts.

Space is limited. To reserve a seat or for more information, please call 729-4050 or visit www.FWHorch.com.

Storm Window Clinic - Repeat Workshop

Back by popular demand, F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods and Supplies, 56 Maine St., Brunswick, will host a clinic by Rendon Sabina of Downeast Interior Storms, titled "Make Your Own Interior Storm Windows," on Thursday, January 14, at 7:00 p.m. The clinic is free and open to the public.

Interior storm windows are transparent, insulating storm windows that can be installed on the inside of any window. They are simply made using wood, polyolefin film, and open cellulose foam. They are affordable, reusable, and will save energy costs year after year.

Interior storm windows are designed to keep heat in and stop drafts. Properly measured, made and installed, interior storm windows will significantly reduce heating bills, particularly in homes with older double-hung windows. In general, they are much less expensive than replacement windows. Unlike plastic films, interior storms are reusable year after year. They can be installed and removed without the use of tools or fasteners.

Attendees at Thursday's clinic will learn how to measure, make and install interior storm windows for their own homes or for friends and family. Storm windows may also be custom ordered through F.W. Horch for those not wishing to make their own.

Free refreshments and handouts will be provided.

Space is limited. To reserve a seat or for more information, please call 729-4050 or visit www.FWHorch.com.

Cold Weather Composting Clinic

F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods and Supplies, 56 Maine St., Brunswick, will host a talk by founder Fred Horch and Brett Thompson, Master Gardener Volunteer, titled "Cold Weather Composting," on Thursday, December 10th, from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. The talk is free and open to the public.

"Promote global worming," says Brett Thompson. "Worms work inside when everything outside is frozen solid, and they make the best compost."

Worm composting is one of several systems for cold weather composting that will be discussed. The goal of the workshop is to help people understand their options for keeping food waste out of the local landfill all year round.

Worm composting (or "vermiculture") is an indoor technique for year-round composting of paper waste and kitchen scraps. Thompson will demonstrate how worm bins work, and answer common questions. Worms and worm bins will be available for sale.

In addition to worm bins, automatic NatureMill composters, anaerobic bokashi buckets, and insulated outdoor composters will be demonstrated. Free informational handouts will be provided. Seating is limited, so those interested in attending are encouraged to call the store at 729-4050 to reserve a seat.

The talk is part of the F.W. Horch series on sustainable living. Each monthly talk is held at the F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies store, 56 Maine Street, Brunswick at 7:00 pm on the second Thursday of the month. January's talk will be a workshop on making interior storm windows.

For more information, please call 729-4050.

Sustainable Home Tour and Talk

Join us on Thursday, November 12 for "Sustainable Home Tour and Talk." Homeowner Dave Tilton will lead a tour and discuss the design features and performance of his high-efficiency, low-impact home. The tour will start at 4:30 pm in Brunswick; a carpool will be arranged to visit the Tilton residence. The talk will start at 7 pm in Brunswick. Both the tour and talk are free and open to the public.

"We wanted to build in terms of what we believe is best for our environment, our earth, and our responsibility for being a part of the human community," says Tilton. "That's why we are continuing to share what we have done and what we are learning about the performance of our energy systems so we and others can improve on what we have done."

The tour gives participants the chance to see how the owners have integrated sixteen design principles into the specific requirements of working with timber frame strawbale construction in a passive solar orientation. This integration includes three active energy systems: grid tied solar photovoltaic power, solar hot water, and a propane fired condensing boiler. All support a full radiant heating system and the usual domestic hot and cold water systems. Installed cost data as well as follow-on performance information will be available. In addition, participants can see how principles of universal design -- handicapped accessibility - have been included where appropriate and feasible.

The Tilton home has been in process since 2005. Occupancy began in October 2006 and "detailing" has been the major task since. The home is a full traditional timberframe with interior revealed structure, wrapped by strawbale walls in a solar orientation. This permits both passive solar supplemented by active solar grid tied PV and an Apricus solar hot water system. Heat for the full radiant floor system is furnished by the integrated solar hot water and Baxi-Luna propane fired condensing boiler system. Main house windows manufactured by Thermotech of Canada are triple paned. There are 588 bales in the house walls and 332 in the garage producing walls 18 inches thick with an R value of 50. The roof system consists of ship lapped boards exposed on the interior, with roof guard, Nudura insulation (7 inches on the house and 3 and 1/2 inches on the garage and connecting section) with strapping and steel roofing on top. The heating system can be supplemented with wood heat with an antique kitchen woodstove and a Vermont Castings Intrepid.

The house is handicapped accessible with three-foot-wide doors, lever handles, pedestal bathroom sinks and interior ramps from garage to main house. Electrical outlets, where possible, are placed higher in the walls. Composting toilets by Sun Mar are in use even though Richmond has town sewer and water systems.

Those wishing to tour the Tilton residence prior to the talk are invited to meet at the F.W. Horch store in Brunswick at 4:30 pm. A carpool to Richmond and back will be arranged. The talk will begin at 7 pm in Brunswick at the F.W. Horch store, 56 Maine Street.

Seating is limited, so those interested in attending are encouraged to call the store at 729-4050 to reserve a space.

This presentation is part of the F.W. Horch series on sustainable living. Each monthly talk is held at the F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies store, 56 Maine Street, Brunswick on the second Thursday of the month. December's presentation will be on the topic of home composting of kitchen scraps during winter.

For more information, please call (207) 729-4050.

Storm Windows Clinic

F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods and Supplies, 56 Maine St., Brunswick, will host a clinic by Rendon Sabina of Downeast Interior Storms, titled "Make Your Own Interior Storm Windows," on Thursday, October 8, at 7:00 p.m. The clinic is free and open to the public.

Interior storm windows are transparent, insulating storm windows that can be installed on the inside of any window. They are simply made using wood, polyolefin film, and open cellulose foam. They are affordable, reusable, and will save energy costs year after year.

Interior storm windows are designed to keep heat in and stop drafts. Properly measured, made and installed, interior storm windows will significantly reduce heating bills, particularly in homes with older double-hung windows. In general, they are much less expensive than replacement windows. Unlike plastic films, interior storms are reusable year after year. They can be installed and removed without the use of tools or fasteners.

Attendees at Thursday's clinic will learn how to measure, make and install interior storm windows for their own homes or for friends and family. Storm windows may also be custom ordered through F.W. Horch for those not wishing to make their own.

Free refreshments and handouts will be provided.

Space is limited. To reserve a seat or for more information, please call 729-4050 or visit www.FWHorch.com.

Super-Efficient Homes: Build New or Renovate

Join us here at the store on Thursday, September 10 at 7 pm for "Super-Efficient Homes: Build New or Renovate," a green building clinic by Al Heath of Arrowsic. Our clinic is free and open to the public.

Al was a carpenter, designer, and contractor in the Bath/Brunswick area for twelve years before changing careers. Five years ago, when looking to have a new energy efficient house built for his family, he found that not only was it prohibitively expensive, but most builders didn't really know what "super-insulated, passive solar" meant. He then decided to immerse himself in the building science of energy efficiency and build his family's home himself. The resulting 2000 square foot house heats with one cord of wood and 50 gallons of kerosene per year. A solar hot water system provides the majority of hot water needs.

At the September 10th clinic, Al will share lessons learned during the process, including a list of helpful sources and contractors for those who want to design, build or renovate their own homes to be super-efficient. He is a Maine Home Performance Energy Auditor and consults with owners and builders on new and retrofitting projects.

Topics covered at the clinic will include: Should you build new, renovate or retrofit your existing home to new energy efficiency standards? Which standards should you use? How tight should your house be? What about indoor air quality and moisture? What is the best way to insulate? How much heat will you need and where to get it: solar, wood? In addition, Al will address specific questions from those who attend the clinic.

We'll provide free refreshments and handouts.

Space is limited. To reserve a seat or for more information, please call us at 729-4050.

Permaculture Design: Tools for Local Food Self Sufficiency

F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods and Supplies, 56 Maine St., Brunswick, will host "Permaculture Design: Tools for Local Food Self Sufficiency," a discussion led by local permaculture practitioners Noah Wentworth, Lisa Fernandes and Ted Markow, on Thursday, August 13, from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. The talk is free and open to the public.

"We can grow food and our local economy by utilizing our own yards, public open space and our local farmland," says Mr. Wentworth. "Come learn how to turn your lawnscape into a food producing gardenscape."

Addressing the growing concern about the energy consumed in shipping food from distant places and the degraded nutritional value when that food ultimately reaches our dinner plate, permaculture design offers strategies to grow more food in our own communities. Permaculture is a unique approach to creating agricultural systems that are perennial and evolve micro ecosystems that are healthier and more disease resistant. By designing ways to grow more food locally, permaculture seeks to strengthen local economies and revitalize our own yards, public open spaces and local farmland through plant diversity and balanced resource extraction.

Those attending the discussion will learn proven strategies for turning an unproductive "lawnscape" into a food producing "gardenscape" with enhanced economic and aesthetic value. Seating is limited, so those interested in attending are encouraged to call the store at (207) 729-4050 to reserve a space.

This presentation is part of the F.W. Horch series on sustainable living. Each monthly talk is held at the F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies store, 56 Maine Street, Brunswick on the second Thursday of the month. September's presentation will feature Al Heath on the topic of designing and building or renovating your own super efficient home.

For more information, please call (207) 729-4050 or visit www.FWHorch.com.

Electric Scooter Test Drive

Scoot USA presents a "Sustainable Transportation" demonstration and discussion at F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods and Supplies, 56 Maine Street, Brunswick on Thursday, July 9 at 6 pm. eGo electric scooters will be available for test rides, followed by a discussion of fossil-fuel-free personal transportation options. The event is free and open to the public. The discussion will take place regardless of weather conditions; a rain date for riding the electric scooters will be scheduled if necessary.

"Scoot to commute!" says Jeff Cooper, Director of Fun for Scoot USA. "Years ago I selected electric scooters for my own use for the ease of maintenance, no gas or oil to deal with. Little did I know that gasoline would touch $5.00 per gallon!"

Cooper is known as an innovator, taking what seems ordinary and seeing a higher potential, whether a business concept, an activity, or a product. In addition to his Scoot USA business, Cooper owns Slot Car Junction in Brunswick and H2Outfitters Sea Kayaking Adventures in Harpswell. The original idea for Scoot USA came about because of the need for reliable transportation on Orr's Island where his kayaking business is located. After several months of research back in 2004 he settled on the eGo scooters based upon reliability, balance, and ease of operation. But the biggest attraction for use on the island was the ease of maintenance.

The demonstration on Thursday will start at 6 pm, one hour earlier than the regular monthly talks at F.W. Horch, to allow attendees to test ride the electric scooters. Following the test rides, the discussion will take place inside. Space is limited, so those interested in attending are encouraged to call the store at (207) 729-4050 to reserve a seat.

This event is part of the F.W. Horch series on sustainable living. Each monthly event is held at the F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies store, 56 Maine Street, Brunswick, Maine, on the second Thursday of the month.

For more information about the F.W. Horch sustainable living series, please call (207) 729-4050 or visit www.FWHorch.com.

Composting Toilet Clinic

F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods and Supplies, 56 Maine St., Brunswick, will host a composting toilet clinic titled "No water, no septic, no problem!", on Thursday, June 11, at 7:00 pm. The clinic is free and open to the public.

"Conventional flush toilets waste between ten and 30 gallons of water every day when working properly -- and 200 gallons a day when leaking. You can save water, eliminate the need for septic or sewer, and protect our environment by installing an NSF-certified waterless composting toilet," says Fred Horch, founder of F.W. Horch. "Composting toilets meet code everywhere in Maine, and in most locations are the most cost-effective way to provide sanitary facilities."

Thursday's clinic will provide an overview of modern composting toilet technology, explaining how "dry" composting accomplishes the same results as a septic system or wastewater treatment plant, but on a much smaller scale, at a much faster rate, and at a much lower overall cost. Composting will be compared to other alternative toilet technologies, including outhouses, cess pools, incinerating toilets and chemical toilets. Participants will also learn how to install and maintain a composting toilet.

Maine code allows composting toilets to be installed in any residential or commercial building, as long as the system is certified to treat waste effectively. Several brands of composting toilets have been certified by the National Sanitation Foundation and meet code in Maine.

"Under the Maine Internal Plumbing Code, a homeowner is permitted to install a composting toilet provided it is listed for residential use by the National Sanitation Foundation, installed properly pursuant to the manufacturer's specifications and instructions, and approved by the Local Plumbing Inspector," says Anne Head, Commissioner of the State of Maine Department of Professional and Financial Regulation.

Those attending the clinic will have the opportunity to examine a disassembled composting toilet to see how waste is broken down inside the unit without the need for plumbing. Owners of composting toilets with questions or advice to share are particularly encouraged to attend.

Space is limited, so those interested in attending should call the F.W. Horch store at 729-4050 to reserve a seat. There is no charge for the clinic.

This clinic is part of the F.W. Horch series on sustainable living. Each monthly talk is held at the F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies store, 56 Maine Street, Brunswick on the second Thursday of the month.

Top Bar Beekeeping

Gold Star Honeybees will present "How and Why to Keep Bees in Top Bar Beehives," a beekeeping discussion and demonstration, at F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods and Supplies, 56 Maine Street, Brunswick on Thursday, May 14 at 7 pm. The event is free and open to the public. Both experienced beekeepers and "wannabee" beekeepers are encouraged to attend.

"It's not about the honey, Honey," says Christy Hemenway, founder of Gold Star Honeybees in Bath, Maine. "It's about the bees!"

Top Bar beekeeping is a simple, bee-friendly, beekeeper-friendly, planet-friendly, and sustainable way of stewarding one of our most important pollinators. Christy Hemenway, founder of Gold Star Honeybees, will discuss the simplicity of working a Top Bar Beehive and the advantages of this method of beekeeping.

Gold Star Honeybees manufactures a kit to build your own Top Bar Beehive using the most environmentally friendly components available. Gold Star Honeybees also offers a Beekeeping Service for folks who like the idea of having bees on their property, but are not able to dedicate the time and energy it requires to keep bees. For more information about the kit and beekeping service, visit www.GoldStarHoneybees.com or call 207-449-1121.

The demonstration on Thursday will take place inside, featuring an empty kit without the actual bees. Space is limited, so those interested in attending are encouraged to call the store at 729-4050 to reserve a seat.

This event is part of the F.W. Horch series on sustainable living. Each monthly event is held at the F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies store, 56 Maine Street, Brunswick on the second Thursday of the month.

For more information about the F.W. Horch sustainable living series, please call 729-4050 or visit www.FWHorch.com.

Gardeners of the Spirit

Here at our store, F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods and Supplies, 56 Maine Street, Brunswick, we will host a showing of "Gardeners of the Spirit," followed by a discussion led by Brunswick filmmaker Eric Herter on Thursday, April 9, at 7:00 pm. The event is free and open to the public.

"An Arizona-based group working to install school and community gardens asked us to talk with them about a documentary on their projects," said Herter. "Out of these talks came the idea that the film should cover the works of 'gardeners of the spirit' across the US, as they build community through the collaborative creation of peaceful, beautiful green sanctuaries in cities, schools, hospitals and prisons."

Starting in Maine, Boston, the Bronx and North Philadelphia, Brunswick residents Eric and Hoa Herter began shooting "Gardeners of the Spirit." They then moved by rent-a-car (daughter and all) from Minneapolis to Des Moines, St. Louis, Fort Worth, Phoenix, LA and the Bay Area, seeing vibrant gardens in ruined city-scapes, and recording meetings with remarkable people. "Gardeners of the Spirit" attempts to convey some of the spirit of the gardens and their creators.

Eric will be on hand to discuss his experiences making the film and share information about the proposed Brunswick Park and Gardens. He worked for years as a magazine writer/ photographer/ editor before starting to produce independent TV films for film festivals and local PBS affiliates. In the mid-'90s he became the producer for Associated Press Television in Hanoi, Vietnam, making videos for worldwide broadcast on Vietnamese human-interest and environmental topics. While with AP, he met and married Tran Thi Hoa, a photographer doing photo assignments for non-governmental organizations (NGOs). After their daughter was born in the late '90s, Hoa and Eric teamed up to produce video documentaries for the UN, international broadcast networks, and NGOs doing development and environmental work in Vietnam . Several of their environmental films are re-broadcast regularly in Vietnam.

Space is limited, so those interested in attending are encouraged to call the store at 729-4050 to reserve a seat.

This event is part of the F.W. Horch series on sustainable living. Each monthly event is held at the F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies store, 56 Maine Street, Brunswick on the second Thursday of the month.

For more information, please call 729-4050 or visit www.FWHorch.com.

Organic Gardening Workshop

On Thursday, March 12, from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm, our store will host a gardening workshop, "Starting an Organic Vegetable Garden," by Master Gardener Volunteer Brett Thompson. The workshop is free and open to the public.

"We'll help you get started growing your own organic vegetables," says Brett Thompson, a Master Gardener Volunteer and F.W. Horch manager. "Our workshop will emphasize organic and sustainable methods of gardening because that's just the way we are."

Topics will include the pros and cons of raised beds, how to reduce weeding and watering by using mulches, and methods of improving your soil. No prior gardening knowledge is assumed or required. Time will be provided for questions and answers.

Space for the workshop is limited, so those interested in attending are encouraged to call the store at 729-4050 to reserve a seat.

This workshop is part of the F.W. Horch series on sustainable living. Each monthly talk is held at the F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies store, 56 Maine Street, Brunswick on the second Thursday of the month.

Sustainable Coffee Talk

On Thursday, February 12, from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm, our store will host "Sustainable Coffee: From Crop to Cup," a talk by Bob and Carmen Garver, owners of Wicked Joe Coffee . The talk is free and open to the public and will be held at our store, F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods and Supplies, 56 Maine St., Brunswick.

"Our mission at Wicked Joe Coffee is to roast epic coffee in a manner that is kind to the earth and to the farmers who painstakingly grow our tasty beans," says Carmen Garver, who recently returned from a sustainability trip to a number of Rainforest Alliance coffee farms in El Salvador, meeting the farmers and working alongside them.

According to some estimates, coffee is the second-largest commodity trade on the globe, employing 25 million people worldwide. All of the producing regions are in equitorial latitudes -- none in the continental United States -- while the primary consumer markets are in temperate regions. Those attending the talk will learn how coffee is grown, harvested, processed, shipped and roasted. The Garvers will discuss the vast environmental and social impacts of the coffee trade, and explain what it means for their Brunswick roastery to be a USDA Certified Organic Operation and a member of the National Organic Program.

Free samples of organic, fair trade and shade-grown coffee from around the world will be provided. Seating is limited, so those interested in attending are encouraged to call the store at (207) 729-4050 to reserve a space.

This presentation is part of the F.W. Horch series on sustainable living. Each monthly talk is held at the F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies store, 56 Maine Street, Brunswick on the second Thursday of the month.

Seed Starting Class

We will host a seed starting class, "Grow Your Own Organic Food," by master gardener volunteer Brett Thompson on Thursday, January 8, from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm here at our store, F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods and Supplies, 56 Maine St., Brunswick, Maine. The talk is free and open to the public.

"We'll show you how to grow an indoor salad and at last have real baby greens!" says Brett Thompson, a master gardener volunteer and F.W. Horch manager.

Attendees will learn how to start garden seeds and build a light stand for under $11 in parts. Including shop lights, the total cost is under $40. With this stand one can start seedlings of organic vegetables, fruits and flowers. Class participants will also learn how to plant seeds directly in trays or in paper pots that home gardeners can make themselves.

Space for the class is limited, so those interested in attending are encouraged to call the store at 729-4050 to reserve a seat.

This class is part of the F.W. Horch series on sustainable living. Each monthly talk is held at the F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies store, 56 Maine Street, Brunswick, Maine, on the second Thursday of the month. February's talk will feature Bob Garver of Wicked Joe's, speaking on the topic of sustainable coffee.

For more information, please call 729-4050.