Working Groups

After our community celebration event, Transition Amherst formed several working groups. According to the suggestion of the world-wide network of transition towns we are part of, we are shifting our focus to support these working groups. To follow up on, or participate, watch for the Working Group Council meetings.

The Outreach and Awareness Raising working group will continue, along with the other working groups, outreach and community building.

Below is the list of working groups that have formed, with links to their own website or page, if any.

All Things Local: The All Things Local Cooperative seeks to improve food security, enhance local employment, advance community and regional economic well-being, and promote sustainable living by offering a marketplace for locally produced goods in the Pioneer Valley. See more about us at allthingslocalstore.org.

Grow Food Amherst: The mission of Grow Food Amherst is to create a resilient community by actively engaging its residents to support creative endeavors for growing healthy and affordable food locally, including public places and neighborhoods, and by encouraging more sustainable agriculture and permaculture projects in the Amherst, MA area.
We are a group of your neighbors who have joined together to work toward more food self-sufficiency in our town.  See more about us at growfoodamherst.org.

Eating in Season: This working group focuses on ways to prepare food that is available locally in a particular season. Envisioning four workshops a year, each introduces a way to make something delicious from seasonal vegetables.

Helping Hands: Helping Hands seeks to create a volunteer network where people in need of help can post their requests, and those who want to offer help can find volunteer opportunities that fit their interests and needs. We envision creating and advertising a website where users can post short term needs for farm labor, gardening, plowing, big clean up projects, etc and where volunteers can find helping opportunities according to date, location, and skill level. No reciprocity or payment. Anyone can post and anyone can help. We also expect that this site will have information that will allow volunteers to seek out non-for profits that are searching for more regular volunteer work.
Our first meeting will be in mid January stay tuned for more details.

Local Lending Club: A small CSA is looking to have a budget for lending to people who want to start local businesses, creating a local investment opportunity network. More details to come soon.

Let the Artifacts Talk: Aims to make a movie (or multiple movies) about the history of manufacturing and the way of life in our area by focusing on the artifacts (bottles, fishing rods, agricultural products) left behind. See more here.

Neighborhood Association: Connecting people living in the same neighborhoods by organizing get-together events, meals.

Outreach and Awareness Raising: This working group continues the efforts of the steering committee. Organizing Walks, Film screenings, and other activities may be part of the menu. Facilitating connection between all the working groups, via offering Working Group Councils, and maintaining this website are two of the current efforts.

Skill Sharing: We focus on learning and sharing practical skills that can help us prosper in a simpler society. Having a workshop once a month seem to be working. See what we have done so far here.

Transportation and Bikability: A group of people intending to make Amherst more bike-able by creating and promoting the creation of more bike paths. One of the projects currently going on is looking to set up bicycle parking facilities in Amherst that would protect against the weather and theft.

———————-
Other possible groups?: Eliminating Plastic Bags and Bottles …