TRURO TO CELEBRATE FARMERS’ MARKET WEEK . . . BEE LOSSES DECLINE . . . TWO MORE WEEKS OF EARLY-BIRD REGISTRATION FOR THE 2014 BEGINNER FARMER SYMPOSIUM! . . . NATIONAL WETLAND CONSERVATION FUND . . . SUPPORTING “ZERO WASTE” IN NOVA SCOTIA  . . . THE GIFT OF GRAFT: NEW YORK ARTIST'S TREE TO GROW 40 KINDS OF FRUIT . . . OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST...

TRURO TO CELEBRATE FARMERS’ MARKET WEEK
Source: NSFA
The third annual Farmers’ Market Week takes place Aug. 2 to 9 with various activities lined up at markets across the province, including the Truro Farmers' Market. “It's just an opportunity to celebrate everything about the markets,” said Jamie Alcorn, Truro Farmers’ Market manager. “They’re a great venue in a town. Nova Scotia actually has the most markets per capita in the country.” Celebrating local farmers and craftspeople fit in with the theme of the week, said Alcorn, who added supporting the local economy and developing partnerships within the community are also highlights of the weeklong event. (read more)

BEE LOSSES DECLINE
Source: FCC
A greater percentage of bees survived last winter in Alberta, Manitoba, and most of the rest of Canada than a year ago. “Overall, beekeepers reported that 18.5 percent of Alberta bees died during the 2013-14 winter,” says Alberta's apiculturist Medhat Nasr. A year ago, beekeepers reported that 23.8 percent of Alberta bees died during the winter season. Alberta Agriculture surveyed a group of commercial beekeepers who operate over 90 percent of honey bee colonies in the province. Seventy-six percent responded. (read more)

TWO MORE WEEKS OF EARLY-BIRD REGISTRATION FOR THE 2014 BEGINNER FARMER SYMPOSIUM!
Source: ACORN
Space is filling up folks! Have you registered yet for ACORN’s 3rd Beginner Farmer Symposium & Mixer? Don't miss this special day, celebrating the future of organic agriculture in Atlantic Canada! With a nearly sold-out trade-show, full list of speakers, delicious meal preparations and more, we’re sure this year is going to bring another wonderful day of sharing and bridging new connections among new and long-standing members of the farming community in Atlantic Canada. (read more)

NATIONAL WETLAND CONSERVATION FUND
Source: Canadian Wildlife Service, Atlantic Region
If your organization is interested in wetlands you may be interested in the details about the National Wetland Conservation Fund. The deadline for submission of proposals for this current fiscal year is August 29, 2014. We hope to have funding approvals in place to allow for projects to be funded for the period of October 1, 2014 – March 31, 2015. (read more)

SUPPORTING “ZERO WASTE” IN NOVA SCOTIA
Source: Sustainable Maritimes (sust-mar)
It is not often we get the chance to rally in support of a government proposal on environmental and sustainability issues. But we’re reaching out to you because what seemed like certain approval may be in jeopardy. The Nova Scotia Department of Environment (NS DOE) has a consultation process on waste resource issues that is about to conclude. Its aim is to gauge public support for finally going further towards Zero Waste – the direction citizens advocated for, and the government agreed with, in the mid-1990s.They're proposing to add various materials to those prohibited for disposal through landfill or incineration, to clarify the definition of incineration to include new variations, as well as other common-sense improvements. These changes would once again make Nova Scotia an environmental leader in Canada and the world. (read more)

THE GIFT OF GRAFT: NEW YORK ARTIST'S TREE TO GROW 40 KINDS OF FRUIT
It sounds like something out of Dr. Seuss, but artist Sam Van Aken is developing a tree that blooms in pink, fuchsia, purple, and red in the spring – and that is capable of bearing 40 different kinds of fruit. No, it’s not genetic engineering. Van Aken, an associate professor in Syracuse University’s art department, used an age-old technique called grafting to attach branches from 40 different kinds of stone fruit onto a single tree. It’s called the “Tree of 40 Fruit.” (read more)