News
THANK YOU to the amazing volunteers from Bowdoin College’s Joseph McKeen Center for the Common Good who came out to the Bowdoinham Community School for this year’s Common Good Day!! Volunteers worked in the library cataloging and organizing books, and outside cleaning and beautifying around the school grounds. BCDI regularly participates in the great day, which connects volunteers with local community projects.
A big “THANKS” to all those that came by to “continue the conversation” with us during #celebratebowdoinham !! We appreciate your time, opinions, contributions, and support!
BCDI will be down at the Waterfront "continuing the conversation"! Come chat with us about what we're doing and how you can get involved! We'll have cold drinks, a shady place to sit, and plenty of membership forms to be filled out 😉
Here's a great article from The Times Record highlighting some of the action items that have and are occurring as a result of BCDI's Community Conversations last fall. All of you motivated Bowdoinham citizens turning these ideas into reality are commendable!!
Dear Members and Friends of BCDI –
Welcome to the first quarterly membership message to friends and supporters of the Bowdoinham Community Development Initiative (BCDI).
We hope this message finds you well, and we welcome this opportunity to share with you an update on the activities of BCDI. Please click HERE to read about our recent ventures and all those to come!
Thank you for your support!
The Community Development Advisory Committee needs your help! A number of people in the community have asked that the town look at the pros and cons of installing some kind of waste water treatment system for the village area. This issue arose during the Community Conversations sponsored by BCDI last October (Item 15 on the list of 16 Action Items) and has been mentioned in connection with support of business activity in town.
The CDAC has started some initial research. We are looking at the individual septic solutions businesses and residences currently have, the types of businesses that might need larger treatment solutions than can be afforded by the lot sizes in the village, and the expense that a village system would entail.
Most important—is there really a need for a full wastewater system for the village?
TAKE THE SURVEY HERE!
Please join us for a concert and dinner fundraiser at the Philip Mailly Waterfront Park in Bowdoinham!
Concert begins at 6 pm and dinner will be delicious tacos and sides prepared with fresh local farm ingredients. The band is Eagles Way, a local four-piece band sharing their love of classic rock and country.
Bring your friends, family, chairs or a blanket and enjoy the show! (Concert is free).
Attention, All!
As some of you may have heard, Stonecipher Farm has had an extremely difficult time hiring dependable and consistent farm help for their 2018 growing season. Ian fears that he is getting behind in his harvesting, weeding, and other farm chores and that he may begin to lose crops. Bethany and Eric at Harvest Tide Organics have offered to coordinate a volunteer day at Stonecipher to help weed some vegetable beds that have fallen by the wayside. Folks should plan to arrive at the farm for either a 9:00AM shift or a 1:00PM (or both!!) on Thursday, July 26th. Volunteers can expect to work for about 3 hours and should bring their own water, snacks, sun protection, and whatever else they may need to stay comfortable. This is a great opportunity to help one of our neighbors, get outside, and get your hands dirty on one of Bowdoinham's very special working farms! Stonecipher Farm is located at: 1186 River Rd. Bowdoinham, Maine 04008
Please do not hesitate to forward this information along! Ian is also looking for long-term paid farm help, so feel free to share this job opportunity among your networks.
Volunteers can RSVP to Bethany at harvesttideorganics@gmail.com. Please specify which time you would like to join us for, and please plan to RSVP by the end of the day on Wednesday, July 25th (if RSVPing isn't your thing, just show up!).
Thank you in advance for your help!
📸: BRIANNA SOUKUP, PORTLAND PRESS HERALD STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
One popular action item that came out of BCDI's 2017 Community Conversations was the creation of a "Natural Playground" here in Bowdoinham. Well, one of our awesome and motivated Bowdoinham residents has proposed this idea to Poland Spring's Calling 207 campaign!!!
PLEASE VOTE for our BOWDOINHAM WATERFRONT NATURAL PLAYGROUND ("We want to enhance our waterfront park with a natural playground for our kids. Bid rocks, logs, and balance beams could make our place so much more friendly to our kids.") You may vote once per day (or more so if you are using different devices, e.g. laptop and mobile phone), so please do so!!!
Join us for Bowdoinham’s 7th Annual Open Farm Day & Art Trail. The day will begin with farm tours at: Peary’s Garden, Campo di Fiori, Apple Creek Farm, Blue Bell Farm, Fairwinds Farm, Six River Farm, Havenridge Farm, East of Eden Flower Farm and Harvest Tide Organics. Come explore our local farms and see how our food is made! And because Bowdoinham is a “Very Crafty Town” we’ll have Catmint Garden & Gallery, Swan Island Restoration, Morphee Creations, Watersong Music, Melissa M. Fiori, Debbie Spaulding, Starrocks, Jane Page-Conway Fine Art Photography, AP Curiosities, Kate Cutko, Steven Thomas Bunn Furnituremaker, Jennifer Stonebraker, and Merrymeeting Arts Center joining us with an Art Trail. Bowdoinham Historical Society will also have both the Jellerson School and Meeting House open for tours.
Then at 3pm the celebration will continue at Mailly Waterfront Park for a barbeque featuring fresh foods from local farms and live music by the Intergalactic Yurt Band. The Intergalactic Yurt Band is a collective of artists, misfits, craftsmen and dreamers drawn together by love of music from the deep well of Americana, certified organic music.
The Barbeque will be catered by The Texas Barbeque Company with members of Village Lodge # 26 AF & AM the local Masonic Lodge in Bowdoinham. Bowdoinham Historical Society will also be joining the barbeque with their famous strawberry shortcake.
BOWDOINHAM, ME, 12 JULY 2018 -- Emerald Builders announced today its donation to the Bowdoinham Community Development initiative - our first donation as part of the 1% for the Planet program.
“We wanted to start by giving back to the community we are based in, so we chose to give our first donation to the Bowdoinham Community Development Initiative,” said Reggie Lebel, President of Emerald Builders. “This organization does so much for our town and helps facilitate important projects that contribute to our vibrant community and our healthy rural environment.”
“BCDI has focused on environmentally friendly, sustainable enterprise at the very local level since it was launched from a conversation six years ago. We are excited to have been chosen by Emerald Builders as their first 1% For the Planet partner. BCDI’s efforts in building community through “Neighbors Investing in Neighbors” and developing a Farmland Inventory are a great fit with Reggie and the Emerald team’s commitment to building a greener world.” Abby Sadauckas, Apple Creek Farm and BCDI Board Member
Emerald Builders joined 1% for the Planet in May, committing to donate the equivalent of 1% of sales through a combination of monetary, in-kind, and approved advertising contributions. We joined 1% for the Planet because we do everything we can to use the most eco-friendly products and processes we can, but our industry has a long way to go. It is dedicated partners who are going to get us there.
“When nonprofits and businesses come together the planet wins,” Kate Williams, CEO of 1% for the Planet. “All over the planet, nonprofits are doing essential work on behalf of the environment, many times their biggest challenge finding the funding to accomplish their goals. At 1% for the Planet we are proud to connect to dollars with doers to protect our planet for future generations to come.”
Contact information:
John Deans, Marketing Director
Emerald Builders
(207) 607-1118
Ingrid Leschefske
BCDI Coordinator
About Emerald Builders
Based in Midcoast Maine, Emerald Builders crafts high-quality beautiful homes with care that are super energy efficient and are made with environmentally conscious products and processes. Current industry standard building practices needlessly harm the environment and occupant health, and waste precious resources and their owners’ money. Emerald Builders provides clients with energy efficient, eco-conscious, and healthy homes that will last for generations. Emerald Builders is a triple bottom line company. http://emeraldbuild.com
About Bowdoinham Community Development Initiative
BCDI is a 501 (C) 3 nonprofit founded in 2012 working to provide capital to local businesses, sustain farms and build community. BCDI stimulates, grows and sustains healthy local enterprises, creates resilient local jobs, and facilitates collaboration among the for-profit, non-profit, and government sectors in the local community. BCDI’s focus is on farms, food, forests, the music, the art and the artisans that accompany them and the local businesses that support them.
About 1% for the Planet
1% for the Planet is a global organization that connects dollars and doers to accelerate smart environmental giving. We recognize that the current level of environmental giving - only 3% of total philanthropy - is not enough to solve the most pressing issues facing our planet.
Through our business and individual membership, 1% for the Planet inspires people to support environmental organizations through annual membership and everyday actions. We advise on giving strategies, we certify donations, and we amplify the impact of the network.
Started in 2002 by Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia, and Craig Mathews, founder of Blue Ribbon Flies, our members have given more than $175 million to environmental nonprofits to date. Today, 1% for the Planet is a network of more than 1,400 member businesses, a new and expanding core of hundreds of individual members, and thousands of nonprofit partners in more than 60 countries. Look for our logo and visit www.onepercentfortheplanet.org to learn more.
It’s official! Last fall, at BCDI’s Village Community Conversations, the Bowdoinham Historical Society asked us to help them find out what Bowdoinham citizens thought about a community center in our town. What would it’s impact be? It’s feasibility? And what about that beautiful building on Main Street that was for sale as the site for this community gathering spot? That idea has now become a reality, as the transfer of the former Merrymeeting Grange Hall from the Maine State Grange to the Bowdoinham Historical Society has officially taken place. CONGRATULATIONS to BHS for your vision, hard work, and perseverance in seeing this idea through!!! Everyone wins!!!
Get ‘em while you can! Here is another example of an “idea into action” from BCDI’s Village Community Conversations: This summer, canoe and kayak storage racks will be available at Mailly Waterfront Park for this summer's boating season. Space on the racks would be available in May and will end on November 1. Applications will be accepted by mail or in-person on a first come, first served basis beginning NOW. Check out the Town of Bowdoinham website for more info: http://www.bowdoinham.com/news-now-available-application-use-outdoor-storage-rack-canoes-and-paddle-boards
The Town of Bowdoinham is gearing up to vote on whether to build a new Public Works building out on Pond Road. The plan is to ask for authorization for up to $2.6 million for this project, to be bonded over 25 years. Thanks to some other expiring bonds and a few other factors, for a home of average value in Bowdoinham (~$175k), that is likely to work out to about $30-60/yr in taxes.
Among other things, if this project is approved, it will open up the waterfront area that was such a focus of the Community Conversations (if it doesn't, Public Works is likely to remain where it is for the time being). Approval would likely mean the waterfront development could begin next spring!!
If there are any questions about the project, please contact a Selectboard member or our Town Manager (wpost@bowdoinham.com). More infomation is available here: http://www.bowdoinham.com/public-works-facility-project-information.
Forum: Growing Farm Friendly Communities
Current & new tools to support farms in your town
8:30-11am
Monday, March 26
Bowdoinham Town Hall, Coombs Building, 13 School St, Bowdoinham
Hear community & municipal leaders share policy approaches and practical ideas for ways communities and farmers can benefit from working together.
Stephanie Gilbert, Farm Viability & Farmland Protection Specialist with the Maine Dept. of Agriculture, Conservation, & Forestry will moderate this panel discussion, followed by ample time for audience Q&, etworkin, and connecting directly to available resource.
For More Info & to RSVP
http://growsmartmaine.org/events/forum-growing-farm-friendly-communities-bowdoinham/
Registration:
Credit Card, Cash or Check Accepted.
Please register online in advance so we know you are attending!
Register Online & See More information:
http://growsmartmaine.org/events/forum-growing-farm-friendly-communities-bowdoinham/
Join the event on Facebook & invite your friends:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1988304901383542/
Co-hosted by GrowSmart Maine & BCDI in partnership with Maine Farmland Trust
Current & new tools to support farms in your town
8:30-11a, Wednesday March 14, 2018
Bowdoinham Town Hall, Coombs Building, 13 School St, Bowdoinham
Hear community & municipal leaders share policy approaches and practical ideas for ways communities and farmers can benefit from working together.
Stephanie Gilbert, Farm Viability & Farmland Protection Specialist with the Maine Dept. of Agriculture, Conservation, & Forestry will moderate this panel discussion, followed by ample time for audience Q&A, networking, and connecting directly to available resources.
$10 Active Farmers || $15 GrowSmart Maine & BCDI Members || $25 General Public
Credit Card, Cash or Check Accepted. Please register online in advance so we know you are coming!
Register Online & See More information:
bit.ly/FarmFriendlyForum2
http://growsmartmaine.org/events/forum-growing-farm-friendly-communities-bowdoinham/
Join the event on Facebook & invite your friends:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1988304901383542/