This website was designed by Kendra, an amazing 18 year old who worked with Back to Basics this past summer.
It was another successful summer at Back to Basics!
Over the past three
years we have grown and given away over 30,000 lbs of organic produce to
local agencies and taught over 100 volunteers the art of organic
farming. This past summer we built 8 new gardens in
Barrie with the help of 7 youth we hired through the YMCA Youth Quest program. We built an affordable housing model home in a 20 ft shipping container showcasing self-sufficient, sustainable living. We started a bike messenger service and a lawn care company using push reel lawnmowers that we towed behind bikes on trailers. We had our second year with our biodiesel cooperative where we shared 4000 liters with our members. And finally, we started Unity Market and Studios, Barrie's first local food, art, music and culture hub that also houses a class A recording studio.
To make a donation to Back
to Basics Social Developments, a registered not-for-profit, follow the
link below. We need to raise funds for Back to Basics' sustainability and arts
outreach programs run from our headquarters at Unity Market and Studios.
Money raised will be put towards:
-mentoring musicians and offering hands on experience with lessons, lyric writing workshops, rehearsing and recording.
-offering our community art studio space to artists who need space to collaborate and create.
-expanding our community garden builds and education programs.
-growing our biodiesel cooperative and other local energy projects in the works
-a tool-share program and community workshop space where we are recycling bikes and teaching people how to maintain them
-our entrepreneur training project called the "Green Team" that offers
lawn care with push-reel lawnmowers towed behind bikes on trailers as
well as our bike courier business and hopefully a bicycle taxi service
in the near future.
-expand our Go Green day camp during the summer months.
-allowing future projects to be explored including our plans for a
Sustainability Education and Research Centre with self-sufficient and
affordable housing. This could also be seen as an Eco-Village in the
city with a community kitchen and cafe, an indoor vertical farm
including aquaponics so we can have food security and provide a revenue
stream, and a full workshop for research and development.
Thank you for your support!
Lawn care & Property Maintenance Gardens
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The L.S. UNITY COMMUNITY CLEAN-uP, A Fundraiser For BACK TO BASICS Social Developments
-Months ago, I started bringing a bag with me on short walks or errand
runs around town. On a short 5 minute walk, I spend a few extra minutes
picking uP garbage along the way. AMAZING the results in a short time,
both with the amount of garbage collected and the positive reaction from
people in the Community!! On Sat. Nov. 12th I will be long boarding (a
giant skateboard) around the perimeter of Barrie (a 45km route) picking
uP garbage along the way. I am gathering
volunteers to head uP different areas of the city to participate by
pitching in to help clean uP the city of Barrie. WE ARE LOOKING FOR YOUR
HELP AND PARTICIPATION!! :-)
-The purpose of this event is to
clean uP OUR city, promote positive Community engagement, alternative
transportation, as well as raise funds for "BACK TO BASICS Social
Developments" our Non for Profit Organization. The monies raised will go
toward funding FREE programs, workshops and camps for Youths and People
who can't afford them. Programs include: music lessons, recording for
emerging artists, visual art classes, photography, yoga and organic
farming workshops.
-"BACK TO BASICS" has been running for 3
years and is now operating out of UNITY MARKET and STUDIOS, 25 Toronto
St. Barrie. Over the past 2 years, BACK TO BASICS has given away over
30,000 pounds of organic food to The ELIZABETH FRY Society, The DAVID
BUSBY Street Center and a number of other Charities.
-This
event will be starting at 8:30 am on Nov. 12th at UNITY MARKET. I will
be leaving UNITY at 9am for an estimated travel time of 5-7 hours. There
is a link to a map of the route below. Starting at UNITY MARKET and
headed east on Simcoe St. I will be ending the journey back at UNITY
MARKET where we invite everyone to join and celebrate the positive
accomplishments of the day!
-UNITY MARKET will be hosting an
Open House throughout the day with guided tours of the facility, it's
out reach and its operations. There will be live music as well as a
giant canvas painted by SAGE throughout the day.
-The Community
is invited to participate on levels BIG or small. Whether You would like
to get involved for the whole day or if You get out for a short walk,
bring a bag with You and help pitch in!
-For more information
of how YOU can get involved contact me, Shane Dennis (L.S.) by email:
info@LShiphop.com or by phone at UNITY MARKET, 705-737-5208
LINK TO MAP OF ROUTE:
http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/56736932/?open_ive_done=1&new_route=1
DONATION METHODS:
AT TD CANADA TRUST (***ANY TD BANK****):
Back to Basics Social Developments bank account at TD Canada Trust
Transit number: 20782
Institution number: 004
Account number: 02205238436
VIA PAY PAL:
Back To Basics Pay Pal link:
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=ABHASS5K63ZYG
VIA EMAIL TRANSFER:
Send To: back2basics09@gmail.com
IN PERSON:
Donations can be made in person at UNITY MARKET And STUDIOS, located at 25 Toronto St. Barrie , Ontario.
To hear some of L.S.'s Music check out:
http://www.LShiphop.com
http://www.LShiphop.com/mobile
http://www.youtube.com/LShiphopDotCom
 Back to Basics Calendar
Go Green Day Camp
Training Problem Solvers of Tomorrow
Outline & Schedule
Solving the world’s problems sounds like an overwhelming task, but it can be as simple as starting in your own backyard...or the backyard of your neighbours. Spend a week with us in our gardens and see how fun, knowledge, friendship and compassion grow along with our vegetables!
Back to Basics, a local non-profit community organization founded by Andrew Miller, is dedicated to implementing creative solutions to some of the most pressing issues in society. In an increasingly globalized world with all its challenges, he strives to bring a sense of community to our daily lives by focusing on local solutions to hunger and access to basic necessities. The goal? To provide food, water, shelter and education to everyone, regardless of their situation in life.
In pursuit of this goal, Back to Basics has created seven urban gardens in the city of Barrie, operates eco-friendly lawn maintenance/landscaping and bike courier services, and has organized the city’s first bio-diesel cooperative.
New for 2011, Back to Basics is offering a summer day camp program for Barrie and area children, staffed with an enthusiastic group of YMCA program participants and volunteers. Back to Basics’ camp offers an opportunity to see a non-profit organization in action as we go green, tending our gardens and building stronger and healthier people and communities.
Programming will include time in our charity gardens, growing healthy organic food, an exciting trip to a local organic farm, cooking lessons, outdoor games and activities such as scavenger hunts and sports, as well as music, arts and crafts. Team building and environmental awareness are key components of all aspects of the program. Go Green Day Camp gets kids outside, playing, learning and growing, in a nurturing atmosphere that encourages forward thinking and empathy for self, others and the world around us.
Day Schedule:
*Every activity at Go Green Day Camp is challenge by choice*
9:30am-10:00am: Meet at Back to Basics Headquarters, 48 Parkside Drive; team building activities; weekend talk with hot chocolate; morning stretches
10:00am-11:15am: City adventure walks (educational places, beach & playground); Outdoor games/activities (soccer, volleyball at beach, basketball, team building, skateboarding, biking)
11:15am-12:15pm: Arts & Crafts; Special Seminar sessions
12:15pm-1:30pm: Lunch: Cooking with Kyle; choose ingredients (some from our garden) and make meals as a group
1:30pm-2:30pm: Project of the week
2:30pm-3:00pm: Music, dancing, singing; whatever gets the adrenaline pumping
3:00pm-4:00pm: Daily tree, vegetable, or flower planting; garden activities
4:00pm--5:00pm: Afternoon snack(optional); group game; wind-down activities, i.e. name game (each participant tells one thing they like about the next child)
Camp Curriculum
Back to Basics Activities:
- Gardening (at the charity gardens, seeding & sprouting, tree planting, etc.)
- Take-home plant grown during the week, i.e. sunflowers, beans, etc.
- Construction: bikes and bike trailers, greenhouse, assorted projects
- Field trips (organic farm, greenhouse, marsh)
Outdoor Games/Activities:
- Daily adventure walks
- Sports (soccer, volleyball, basketball, tennis, skateboarding, biking etc.)
- Picnic games (three-legged & potato sack races, egg & spoon race, water balloon toss)
- Hunts (scavenger/treasure, man)
- Yoga for beginners
- Photo Safari
- Afternoon dance break
Arts & Crafts Projects:
- Painting
- Found Art Masterpieces (with scavenger hunt finds)
- Photo Safari Project (collage, scrap book, mobile, etc.)
- Recycled Crafts: Sock monkeys, papier mache creations (globes, pinatas, etc.), egg carton creatures, bird feeders (pine cone or other), bead- and jewellery-making
- Sidewalk chalk art gallery
Special Activities/Seminars
- Cooking with Kyle: healthy food for kids; host the parents for lunch on Fridays to showcase new cooking skills (food and supplies included in price)
- Mad Science with Shauna: environmentally-themed science projects and ‘How Stuff Works’
- Others, to be determined
Children Will Need to Bring:
- Weather-appropriate clothing & footwear; change of clothes
- Hat
- Sunscreen
- Refillable water bottle
- Container to hold seedling, assorted items for recycled craft projects (i.e. old sock
Pricelist Options (July to August):
- 1 week $200.00 (cooking supplies, food, craft materials, sports materials all included)
- 2 weeks $375.00 save $25.00 (as above, all included)
- 3 weeks $550.00 save $50.00 (as above, all included)
- 4 weeks $725.00 save $75.00 (as above, all included)
- 8 weeks/full-season $1,450.00 save $150.00 (as above, all included)
 We can be reached by:
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 Eco Pod Exterior
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Unveiling of Back to Basics' Eco Pod!
Back to Basics, Andrew Miller, Ecofest Barrie, In House Productions, Doug Pettigrew are proud to bring you this remarkable, collaborative project. A chance of meeting two committed people on the same path and with the same vision, has resulted in the beginnings of this inspiring project.
This ecopod showcase gives an easy and accessible option to homeowners to find out how they can better green their property by starting with a simple budget and gradually working up to more sustainable choices. We are eager to share ideas with homeowners who want to save money or improve their homes and lifestyles with green ideas.
Affordability and sustainability don't usually go in the same sentence when it comes to housing but Back to Basics is proving otherwise with its Eco-Pod, a dwelling fashioned from a reused inter-modal steel building unit (ISBU). This type of shipping container construction is gaining in popularity as increasing numbers of people recognize the social and environmental shortcomings and disadvantages inherent in traditional building practices. Our Eco-Pod will be the first of its kind in Barrie, and work is now complete: insulation, internal braces and supports and windows have all been installed. We are finally able to offer sustainable and affordable building options to the public!
Back to Basics: growing, and going green. If you are interested in receiving regular updates about our programs and progress, please proceed to the "Contact Us" page to be placed on our mailing list for monthly newsletters and notification about upcoming events.
Special thanks to:
Elgin Bolton and his staff from Secure Store for seeing the value of this project, contributing and allowing us the space to work.
Habitat for Humanity Huronia for their support, and energy and for leading others into believing in the project.
Claude Chiandet and his woodworking class at St. Peter's High School, Barrie, who contributed the fantastic cabinets below the front windows.
Simcoe Solar for graciously donating the solar pannels.
Enertest Corporation, the leader in energy efficient homes.
ds2 Disigns Inc for their fabulous interior design.
Yanch for their Geothermal heating & air conditioning.
Enviro Paving donated the recycled tire deck.
ecoINHABIT.
Project Innovations for grey water recycling and water generation ideas.
Genetron Systems for their "indoor rainforests", breathing walls.
Mountain Equipment Co-op for sponsoring.
A very special thanks to the "Crew" from Y.M.C.A who put energy and fun into making this a success.
 Eco Pod Interior
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