FEBRUARY 2008 NEWSLETTER   Hello  ,   The light is returning, the earth is stirring: a good month to be thinking about and supporting our local farmers as they prepare for this year's growing season. You can write them a note of appreciation this Friday, Feb 8th at the Kootenay Co-op between 1-3pm at the "Write to a Farmer Who Inspired You" event. If you can't make this Friday, the note writing station will be set up till the end of the month. There's a prize draw too! ---------------------------------------------------------- Community Potluck – Wednesday, March 5th     It’s time for another Community Potluck. On the heels of Community Food Matters successful 3 potlucks in 2007, we will host another evening of food & conversation sharing Wednesday, March 5th at 6pm at the Nelson Anglican Church on the corner of Silica & Ward Streets. Everyone is welcome & asked to bring a dish of food to share with others and if financially possible, one healthy food donation to the Anglican Church’s Friday morning Food Cupboard. The dinner will be from 6 – 7pm & afterwards Earth Matters will present their popular Farm to Table Slide Show for anyone interested. ---------------------------------------------------------- Farm to Table Update Earth Matter's Farm to Table Project will run until the end of March. There are lots of  ways to get involved: We are offering interactive presentations to students in Nelson and the surrounding area. Typically, these presentations involve a classroom information session followed by a grocery store tour in a subsequent class. We invite high school teachers from any subject area to get in touch for more information. These presentations were very popular in past years and we encourage teachers to contact us soon to arrange a presentation time. Please call 352-6011 ext. 17 or email earthmatters@ndcrs.com   Our youth art contest is running until early March. If you are a youth between the ages of 12 and 19 this is your chance! Express you thoughts about climate change and food and win great prizes. The contest has three categories: short essay, poetry and visual art. For more information about the contest or to enter, check out the Earth Matters website at http://www.earthmatters.ca/. Mark your calendars for 7pm Friday, March 21. Earth Matters will be holding a  celebration at the Scout's Hall to showcase the youth art contest submissions. Live music, food and a silent auction will also be on the menu. ---------------------------------------------------------- The Kootenay Organic Growers Society will hold their annual meeting this Saturday, Feb 9th, 1pm at the Library Basement. ----------------------------------------------------------