The Yonder Calendar

(The festival occurs in two blocks: June 27-July 1 and July 4-8.)
The annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., celebrates the folkways and honors tradition bearers from across the United States and around the world. Nearly 1 million people visit the festival, held every year since 1967.
The 2012 festival includes “Campus and Community: Public and Land-grant Universities and the USDA at 150.” The programs celebrates 150 years of partnership among universities, the USDA and communities.
“Campus and Community” will focus on four themes that reflect the current work of public and land-grant universities and the USDA: reinventing agriculture, sustainable solutions, transforming communities and building on tradition. Each theme area of the program will allow visitors to interact with university and USDA staff, professors, students and community members highlighting exciting research and engagement projects. More than 20 land-grant and public universities will participate in this year’s Festival.
The festival includes music, demonstrations, lectures, food, and a host of other activities. All events are free.

Website: http://www.festival.si.edu/index.aspx

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and Wells Fargo offer financial assistance to communities for help in environmental stewardship: supporting sustainable agriculture, conserving land and water resources, restoring natural habitat and more. Non-profits, state, tribal and local governments, and educational institutions eligible. Awards $25,000-$250,000. Match required. Pre-proposals due July 2, 2012.

Website: http://www.nfwf.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Charter_Programs_List&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=25135

Slide show about bird banding, then a demonstration of banding mourning doves at the visitor center. Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Basking Ridge, NJ

Website: http://www.fws.gov/northeast/greatswamp/

Audubon National Wildlife Refuge, ND:
 Teachers of grades 1-6 may earn one graduate credit for this outdoor course focusing on wildlife, prairie grassland and wetland habitat. Take part in outdoor activities and discover project ideas and resources that can be used in the classroom. Register: 701-442-5474 ext. 117.

Website: http://www.fws.gov/audubon/

There will be a tour of a new JBS packing Plant in Greeley. R-CALF's Bill Bullard will speak. Sunday there will be a cowboy church service.
Cost is $60 up to July 6th. $70 at the door. For more information, contact Tom Moulden at 970-260-6820 or at tommoulden@aol.com. Or, Sadie Yates 970-442-1515; country_girls_510@yahoo.com

Deadline to register for “Digging In!,” the 6th Annual Farm to Cafeteria Conference. August 2-5 in Burlington, Vermont. Farm to Cafeteria began with the common goal of building strong communities, healthy individuals and resilient local farms.The conference will bring together food service professionals, farmers, educators, policy makers, representatives from government agencies and nonprofits, entrepreneurs, students and others who are breaking down barriers and expanding the impact of Farm to Cafeteria.

Website: http://farmtocafeteriaconference.org/6/

The 37th annual institute will focus on ""Rural Social Work at the Crossroads: Building Capacity, Nurturing Sustainability." The institute is an ongoing activity of the National Rural Social Work Caucus to bring practitioners and educators together to discuss and collaborate around interests and pressing concerns of social work practice in small towns and rural communities. More information is also available on the website of the Indiana University School of Social Work, http://socialwork.iu.edu/ruralconference/.

Website: http://www.ruralsocialwork.org/

The Northwest Community Development Institute will include strategies for sustaining strong communities, classes taught by community development instructors, and time to develop networking relationships with other leaders.

Website: https://secure.meetingsystems.com/nwcdi/

Celebrating Community: Sustaining Community through Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Plenary speakers, mobile learning workshops, and numerous presentations.

Website: http://www.comm-dev.org/index.php/conference-2012/2012-conference

"Pursuing Justice for Children and the Poor with Urgency and Persistence: A Community Youth Empowerment Conference."

Three thousand researchers, educators, policymakers, practitioners, faith leaders and advocates (including 1,000 young adult leaders) meet to focus on community and youth empowerment strategies to close the gap between "what we know works and what we actually do for our most vulnerable -- children and the poor."

Website: http://www.childrensdefense.org/conference

Conference Theme: “Honoring Mother Earth, Preserving Our Native Teachings, Adapting for the Future,” Sky Ute Casino & Resort, Ignacio, CO.

Website: http://www.nafws.org/images/stories/documents/RegionalConferences/2012swregionalconfinvite.pdf

The primary objective of the SSDPG program is to provide technical assistance to small, socially-disadvantaged agricultural producers through eligible cooperatives and cooperative development centers. Grants are awarded on a competitive basis. Each fiscal year, applications for the SSDPG program are solicited through a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) published in the Federal Register.

Website: http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/BCP_SSDPG.html

Deadline = July 27.

Funding to help rural hospitals introduce or expand services, education, screenings and other endeavors aimed at improving the health of people in their communities.

MultiPlan will award four grants of $7,500 each. This change enables recipients to pursue more comprehensive programs that deliver significantly greater value to their patient communities.

Eligibility: Applying hospitals must meet these requirements to be eligible for a Rural Health Outreach Grant. See the grant application for complete details.
- The applicant must be a participating provider of the MultiPlan, PHCS HealthEOS, Beech Street or Texas True Choice networks.
- The applicant must be a hospital in a rural area with population less than 1,000 persons per square mile.
- The facility must provide acute care.
- The facility must be considered an inpatient hospital.

Website: http://www.multiplan.com/providers/ruralhealthgrants.cfm

One of the best small town festivals in Kansas. Located in North Central Kansas, Courtland's (pop. 300) annual celebration is hosted the last weekend of July every year since 1964.  

Friday night is the BBQ Masters competition, talent show, and live music in the beer garden. Saturday has general and kids parade, kid's games, live music, food, sand volleyball, road rally, 5k, 1 mile run, poker run, street dance and beer garden.

Vist www.facebook.com/courtlandfunday to view photos, news, and videos of the past CFD celebrations.

Website: http://www.facebook.com/courtlandfunday

USDA Rural Utilities Service has issued a notice of funding availability (NOFA) for the Assistance to High Energy Cost Rural Communities program. Grants are available to individuals, states, political subdivisions of states, and other entities organized under state law, including Indian Tribes. Deadline: 7/30/2012. Funds may be used to acquire, construct, extend, upgrade or otherwise improve energy generation, transmission or distribution facilities serving rural communities in which the average residential cost for home energy exceeds 275 percent of the national average.

Website: http://rurallisc.createsend3.com/t/r-l-htkjjjl-tiyuduith-a/

NRHA is hosting this free education and advocacy event.

Join experts in D.C. to learn how to save Medicare Dependent Hospitals (MDHs) and the Low-Volume Hospital (LVH) program, and take this important message to Capitol Hill:
If congressional action is not taken by Oct. 1, millions of dollars in reimbursements to these facilities will be lost, hospital services will be reduced, and rural hospital doors will close.

July 30 from 1 p.m.-5p.m. will be an education day at the Hall of States. Attendees will be educated on how congressional action needs to be taken to prevent millions of dollars in reimbursements to MDH and LVH facilities from being lost, hospital services being reduced and hospital doors from closing.
July 31 from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. will be a shorter advocacy education session at Hall of States followed by lobbying day on the Hill. Rural health advocates from across the country will visit with their Congressional offices.

Participation in the March for Rural Hospitals is free, but you must register. 816-756-3140 x.10.

Website: http://www.ruralhealthweb.org/go/left/conferences-and-webinars/nrha-conferences/march-for-rural-hospitals

Founded by documentary filmmaker Michael Moore, this film festival puts its emphasis on foreign films, American independents, documentaries, and films which have been overlooked.

Classic movies show free of charge on a giant, inflatable outdoor screen overlooking Grand Traverse Bay in the Open Space Park at dusk.

Panel discussions with directors, writers, actors, and other members of the film industry are offered daily, for free. And an affordable film school runs throughout the festival, offering twice daily classes for film students and film lovers.

Festival runs July 31-August 5.

Website: http://www.traversecityfilmfest.org/

State Farm and Youth Service America are offering grants of up to $1,500 for programs enhancing student achievement through service-learning in K-12 public schools in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Grants will engage participating teachers and students in a service and learning program that promotes academic achievement, student outcomes, and stronger communities. Deadline to apply: 7/31/2012.

Website: http://www.ysa.org/goodneighbor