Permaculture people at Green Gathering

 By Permaculture Association member Phil Moore of Permaculture People

Meet Phil Moore and Lauren Simpson at Green Gathering this year.

Permaculture means many things to many people. This is part of the genius of a systems approach to life rooted in an ethical framework that encompasses many ideas and skills not unique to it. As a design system what Permaculture brings, in Patrick Whitefield’s words, “[is] the element of design, a way of putting components together for their maximum benefit.”

Lauren, my partner and I, wanted to explore these ideas so in 2012 we decided to go to the Americas to escape London, break out of routines and begin to imagine new possibilities in our lives.

We spent a total of two years on the road: one year in Central America and one year in South America. Travelling overland we sought out permaculture projects and land based, ecological practices to learn, see, and participate in permaculture. You can read about our time here.

Nearing the end of our travels in the Americas we decided to continue our explorations to see what the scene was like back home.

Returning home in the spring of 2014 we hitchhiked across the UK visiting over 40 sites.

We were welcomed with warmth and open arms as we emailed people introducing ourselves as students of permaculture seeking to learn more.

“Observation is a form of intervention” said Chris Dixon, writer and permaculture practitioner, as we sat in the warm June breeze in Wales listening to him discuss regeneration, planning permission, and permaculture whilst sipping on our handpicked herbal tea.

We were given a five hour tour of Deano Martin’s site in Lincolnshire. Deano’s passion, understanding, and breadth of reading was apparent as we asked him question after question. His work ethic clearly apparent too. As he told us, “You learn by doing and when it’s done.”

In August we stayed a few nights with Graham and Nancy of the Red Shed in Coldstream, just over the border in Scotland. Marvelling at their abundant, productive forest garden we interviewed Graham for a short film about the UK’s oldest established forest garden which you can see here.

We met the unassuming and kind hearted Rod Everett at Backsbottom Farm, that was passed on to Rod by his father. Set in a beautiful valley in North Lancashire, the river Roeburn runs through 250 acres of wild flower meadows, ancient semi-natural woodland, pasture fields and fell land with swales. We travelled to Ed Tyler’s smallholding on the south-west coast of Scotland and discussed bioregioning; learnt about forest garden design at Martin Crawford’s 2.1 acre demonstration site on the beautiful Dartington Estate in Devon; we spent a week volunteering with Pat of Ourganics in Dorset, inspired by her humility and fearlessness; and learnt of the properties of Biochar at Ed Revill’s permaculture/agro-ecology based market garden in Swansea.

We have been inspired, humbled and amazed at the diversity and range of permaculture projects across the UK, many of which are PermacultureAssociation LAND projects.

We documented our travels in our blog and soon realised that more and more people wanted to hear about our travels.

This is one of the main reasons why we’ll be at this year’s Green Gathering - the off-grid family renewable community sustainable festival in Chepstow from August 13th-16th.

We’ll be in the Permaculture Zone helping set up and tat down but also to regale wanderers and wonderers with tales of our UK permaculture peregrinations. Story and travelling go hand in hand and we want to share with others the ideas, places and projects we had the good fortune of visiting.

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Permaculture people are Phil Moore and Lauren Simpson. They tweet at @permapeople. Any questions email permapeople@gmail.com

They are currently producing a series of short online films called ‘Living with the Land’. Collaborating with Permaculture Magazine and working in association with the Permaculture Association the films are a celebration of UK based practices showcasing some of the best examples of permaculture in the lead up to the 12th International Permaculture Convergence taking place in London, this September.

The history of the Permaculture Zone at Green Gathering - and what's in store this year!

By Permaculture Association member and Permaculture Zone Coordinator Tammi Dallaston

Green Gathering's Permaculture Zone - a place to learn, get involved, and meet new friends!

From its roots at Lower Pertwood Farm in the late 1990s, the permaculture area at the Green Gathering (formerly Big Green Gathering) has always sought out and linked permaculture practitioners in the UK and beyond.


Our original gardens were designed by Patrick Whitefield, Ken Fern (Plants for a Future), Helen and Jim Morris-Ridout (Copper Beech designs), and Tammi Dallaston (Made in Mach), and tended by many many volunteers over the years. Since the festival moved to Somerset, and latterly Chepstow, the permaculture area has relied on temporary displays, engaging speakers and a diversity of practical workshops.


At our new home in Chepstow, the permaculture area is billed as a temporary intentional community. We eat together, organise our days together, freely ask for and offer help, and showcase an inclusive way of life that can be possible with the three permaculture tenets: earth care, people care and fair shares.

This year the Permaculture Area will incorporate a Green Parenting space, Forest School, Willing Workers On Organic Farms (WWOOF) stall, Permaculture Association and International Permaculture Convergence info, Patrick Whitefield Memorial, Organic Tannery, free Seed Swap, wood-powered thermo-electric and solar phone charging, and a fireside space for conversation, singing and plotting…

PLUS workshops, to include:
Introduction to Permaculture: by Mike Feingold; meet him on youtube

Ecovillage Living: a daily workshop discussing ecovillage living, Welsh planning law, designing your dream home/community, and life in the Lammas ecovillage, by Tao and Hoppi Wimbush

Growing for Preserving: see permacultureplate.blogspot.co.uk

Dynamic Woodland Management: using Permaculture Principles, with Stephen Watts

...and much much more.

Not yet a member? Join today!

Networking at The Green Gathering 2015

The original off grid festival to host IPCUK Permaculture Ambassadors, Beatfreeks, Reclaim The Power and Patrick Whitefield memorial.

More than three decades after the first Green Gathering was held on Glastonbury's Worthy Farm, this solar and wind powered festival has forged alliances with a range of social enterprises, campaign groups and art collectives to create a sustainable event based around social justice and environmental issues – while retaining the intimate music stages, traditional crafts and community vibe of festivals past. 

 

In recent years The Green Gathering has hosted the Off Grid College, a Radical Routes Co-operators' Camp, Transition Towns, and an Occupy camp. 

In 2015 festival organisers are working with the Permaculture Association to raise awareness about the International Permaculture Convergence to be held in the UK this September. Permaculture Ambassadors will be at The Green Gathering to share their knowledge of ecological design systems from around the world – and to dispel the myth that permaculture is only about gardening.

Pioneering permaculture author Patrick Whitefield was instrumental in organising early incarnations of The Green Gathering. Patrick died recently at his home in Glastonbury and in recognition of his inspiration, a memorial for Patrick will be incorporated into this year's festival.

One of the UK's top events for families, The Green Gathering won a Festival Kidz Gold Award in 2014 and The Spark Family Award in 2013. With a view to expanding activities for teens, Green Gathering organisers have recently confirmed a new collaboration with Beatfreeks, an award-winning social enterprise set up to provide platforms for growth and expression to young people while addressing social issues and bringing benefit to broader communities. At GG 2015 the Beatfreeks collective will provide a series of youth-oriented workshops in poetry, music, dance, enterprise, leadership and media, culminating in a poetry slam and performance jam on the solar powered Floating Lotus Stage. 

 

Those attending the Gathering will also have the chance to network with No Dash for Gas and Reclaim The Power activists who've been responsible for raising awareness of climate change and fuel poverty, occupying power stations and organising action camps on the anti-fracking frontlines of Balcombe and Blackpool.

Green Gathering director Em Weirdigan says:

“It's amazing how many people say 'The Green Gathering changed my life'. It really is a festival beyond hedonism, where you can party then wake up and hatch plans for a better future with your mates from the night before. It's a place outside the mainstream where your eyes will be opened to fairer and more fun ways of living and working, and where you can learn practical skills to transform your world”.

Line Up 

The line-up includes live music from Martha Tilston, The Undercover Hippy, Seize The Day, Roving Crows, RDF, Dapper Cadavers, The Don Bradmans, Krankschaft, Tallulah Rendall, Formidable Vegetable Sound System, Will Tun and the Wasters, Suzy Condrad, Smiley and the Underclass, and Tori Reed. 

 

Spoken word and open mic venues will see poet and author Salena Godden, the legendary Artist Taxi Driver, Jazz Gnome Assassins and many more appearing over the four days of the festival. Bristol's Libby Lawes/HippyPunk will curate a late night dance venue.

The Green Gathering will be held 13-16 August 2015, in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the Welsh borders just 18 miles from Bristol. 

 

Advance Winter Tickets £85, Spring Tickets (from April 1st) £95. Youth Tickets £54 (11-15 years). Children under 11 go free. Tickets from Bristol Ticket Shop. 

Permaculture Association members get a discount to this year's Green Gathering! Please e-mail membership[at]permaculture.org.uk to gain your discount code. Not a member yet? Join today.

 

A Green Gathering Charity was established in 2013, with a remit to promote education for sustainability. 

 

More information about The Green Gathering: www.greengathering.org.uk