Saturday, April 10, 10am, 4166 Maize Rd.

Learn about an emerging model for a sustainable, resilient future!Expect a good time for one and for all. Here are a few of the exciting developments that you will see and learn about.

• Meet Marcie and Tracey, who operate freshtownfarm.com (a great website) here and at other urban properties. They both, at separate times, managed the Food Bank Garden then founded their own operation. While setting up the farm here, they literally moved 100 tons of compost and other material by hand and built three hoop houses and a workstation connected to the shed. One or both of them will be on hand.

• Bee Keepers: Cheryl Baughman and her brother have nurtured their hives here for years. They will be on hand.

• David Smalarz: is a gifted potter and long-term community garden tender here. He and his wife have side-by-side gardens near the front of the house. The six rain barrels help supply water there. They will be on hand.

• Meet Art Yoho! Art will share his plans for creating a “Solarhood,” a bottom-up initiative to build a community solar energy-sharing system that everyone can join. Many believe that this is the model for a renewable energy future. Why? Because up to 75% of homes and apartments are not suitable for rooftop solar.

We’re calling it “The People’s Solar Project” to create a demonstration community solar and microgrid project that will generate five megawatts of solar energy to power eighty homes, five churches, and two city schools in a 300-acre area on Cooke Rd. Eventually, the Cooke Road Solarhood will include a resilience hub with energy storage, an attractive solar park, and an Energy Academy.

• Simply Living’s new director, Cathy Cowan Becker, has written a grant request for $3000 to support fabricating the prototype.

• Solarhood is taking form as a movement. $1000 has been offered to graphic artists all over the world to design the symbol for the movement.

Plan to attend and bring a friend. There is a lot to see and learn!

Hosted by Simply Living and Ready for 100 Columbus.