Permaculture Day 2015: In Support of Soil Report - call for more contributions!

By Nicola Bell, Membership Coordinator

A huge thank you to those of you who helped more people to hear about the benefits of permaculture on International Permaculture Day! 

You were part of 200 events and actions in 43 countries - thank you for making them happen!

Please help the International Permaculture Day 2015 team to compile photos, videos and stories for the International Permaculture Day 2015: In Soil Supporters Report - click here to contribute.

Some Permaculture Association members have already shared their successes with the network:

 
Abundant Earth, Co Durham:

It may have been freezing cold but around 70 of you came to the Abundant Earth open day today....Thanks for your effort and your company! 

The day coincided with International Permaculture Day. This year the focus was on soil and Wilf gave tours and talks throughout the day relating to this topic. 

Children ate fairy cakes and bounced on the trampoline, some of them bottle fed the lambs and planted flowers. 

Mark and Vicky brought their biochar demonstration which was incredibly informative and lots of people now have a biochar sample. 

Matt giving a wood turning demo at Abundant Earth

Matt made a beautiful bowl on his pole lathe for all see. Beth tried to weave on the peg loom but it was a bit chilly! 
Lashings of hot tea was freely available and tasty cakes were for sale; a percentage of which we will send to the Kathmandu Earthquake fund.

Mike and Vicky demonstrating bio char at Abundant Earth

We also sold our eggs, salad and some of west ridings organic compost.

There were a great deal of leaflets and books to browse and there was a dvd playing about permaculture and soil.
Our next open day is on Sunday September 6th! Save the date!!!

Pennerley Permaculture Project, Shropshire:

We had 14 people come for a two hour tour of the plots and forest garden followed by tea, cake and discussion. A good time was had by all. One person e-mailed after to say, "We just wanted to drop you a brief note to say a real big thanks for your time and insights on Sunday – packed full of gems and golden nuggets and very much appreciated."

Glengall Wharf Garden & Burgess Park Food Project, Peckham:

Worries about the weather disappeared almost as soon as we came on site – the afternoon was fresh and glorious. A great turn out of people, lured by the promise of learning more about soil and how to manage it meant we got lots done and ate well. Read more on the blog...

Searching for frogs at Glengall Wharf, Peckham

The Grange, Norfolk

Over three days we stock fenced over 200 metres of meadow, built a new plinth base for the yurt, potted on at least 100 courgette and squash plants, built a rocket stove, weeded the herb garden and cut and split over a tonne of wood. But it wasn’t all work…on Sunday night we fired up the cob oven and cooked some delicious pizzas before watching a film on the projector and each day was punctuated by wonderful food and conversations.

After three tiring but exhilarating days our project here seems possible again, at least for a little while. But it won’t be long before another blitz is needed – and we will put out the call for help once more!

Tom and Ben putting the finishing touches to some stock fencing at The Grange

www.soilandsoul.org.uk

Ian making pizza for dinner at The Grange

Tomas Remiarz, Wales

I did a workshop on Edible Landscapes at the local "Spring Greens" Festival, with about 20 people. The festival's theme was "the land" and it  also had presentations by Chris and Looby on their new Applewood project, by Simon Fairlie on land rights, a permaculture stall by Roz Brown as well as many other stalls and events. 700 people attended - great success!

The Beautiful Spring Greens Fair 2015

 

Mike Pope, Lancashire

The course went really well, lots of positive feed-back, (thank you for the material you sent). Two of the participants came as a result of seeing it on the Permaculture Association website. 

We covered the meaning and ethics of Permaculture in the morning, ending with a presentation of an eco-renovation of a terraced house from our friend Andy Hunt.

The afternoon was a discussion and videos of the principle of forest gardening, followed by a trip to our forest garden (hopefully soon to be a Land Centre). On the Sunday we had a volunteer session at the garden which was well attended. We hope to run another similar event in the autumn. 

Offshoots Permaculture Project, Lancashire

Victoria Woods and Phill Dewhurst spoke at the Alternatiba event in Todmorden on Sunday 3rd May.

The talk was well attended with over 40 people and standing room only at the venue, Todmorden Town Hall

The presentation was an introduction to Permaculture with a focus on soils and positive solutions and Offshoots Permaculture Project

For about 45 minutes we gave out information and answered questions, showed a short 6 minute film of Offshoots as well as publicised the next local Permaculture Design course starting Saturday 6th June 2015

If you'd like to learn more about permaculture demonstration sites like these, or to find one near you, check out the LAND network.

Please help the International Permaculture Day organisers by sharing your stories and photos, so that we can celebrate everyone's involvement! 

We also have also set up a Flickr album to share activities that happened across the network, so feel free to send more to us at the Permaculture Association.

If you would like to host a talk, course, festival, tea party, seed swap or anything else for International Permaculture Day 2016, please let us know!

 

Nurturing Your Local Permaculture Network - more...

by Nicola Bell, Membership Coordinator

Welcome to the second in a series of posts aimed at giving support and ideas to help new local permaculture networks to germinate. For the first, click here!

Get more done, working together!

What sort of group are you?

Permaculture groups vary widely in size and activities across the UK. If you're just starting out as a new permaculture group, it's worth looking at other successful groups across the network, to get an idea of what you could potentially achieve together, or how you would like to evolve. 

Here are some examples from different regions:

• Lampeter Permaculture Group - Gather once a month at a members place to help each other with their designs.

• Leeds Permaculture Network - Monthly socials with excellent and engaging speakers, preceded by shared food.

• Permaculture Picturehouse
  London - Monthly gathering usually for films, sometimes speakers.

• Shropshire & Edges Permaculture Network
  Monthly skill-sharing gathering at a different home, farm or project. Participants bring ideas, encouragement and labour.

• Hull Permaculture Group - Book swaps, film nights, forest gardening and more! (see below)

• North East Permaculture Network
  Meet up for special events, with very active email list.


• London Permaculture Network  - a large network that meet regularly and host many events and activities including the annual London Permaculture Festival, at Cecil Sharp House.

Please let us know more about your group if you would like to be featured here or in future features. Many of these groups have Group Permaculture Association membership, and benefit from listings in the newsletter 'Permaculture Works' - click here to join as a group member.

Activities to do as a group

It is sometimes daunting to coordinate a series of events if you're just getting started. Take it easy, why not get to know one another first, and see how things evolve! Here's Lausanne of the fantastic new Hull Permaculture group:

"We first thought about forming our Hull Permaculture group after our permaculture design course had come to an end. It was formed as a means for us to keep in touch and continue learning together.

We try to meet up on a monthly basis. During the winter months we usually meet up at a local pub, have a chat, bring books, magazines and questions to share, and have group discussions.

When summer comes around we take advantage of the lighter nights and visit each others sites, projects and allotments.

One of our members, Janet, works for the NHS and has an allotment space set up to nurture positive mental health and well-being, and this has been very inspiring.

We will also organise socials and meals at each other's houses, and one of our members has recently started running a permaculture picturehouse from an outhouse in his garden!

We are planning visits to other local group events they year, such as Leeds Permaculture Network, and we also hope to visit some LAND Centres.”

- Lausanne Tranter, Hull Permaculture Group and Permaculture Association member

Hull Permaculture members: Lausanne Tranter, Tracey Henry and Ashley Forrester at the Constable Street field. Photo: Simon Renilson

Some other ideas for activities include:

• Organise a permaculture film evening - you can now watch 'INHABIT - the permaculture perspective' online!
• Host a seed swap
• Organise a skill swap
• Invite a guest speaker to come and talk to you
• Hold a permaculture coffee morning
• More examples coming up in the next post!

Are you part of a regional group? Please let us know what you get up to, so we can share with the network.

Engagement and gaining new members

As I mentioned in the previous post, twitter, facebook and mailing lists are a great way to encourage others to engage with your activities. Having a Flickr page to share your achievements together is another option - just check out these great active Flickr sites made by Permaculture Association members and tell me you're not inspired!

• Brighton Permaculture Trust
• Wildheart Permaculture
• North Devon Permaculture

You could also consider getting a website or blog to bring all of this together, including a calendar of upcoming work days and socials. 'Wordpress', 'Drupal' and 'Joomla!' are all free and user friendly content management platforms that allow you to create beautiful websites.

Permaculture Association members can also add their courses and events listings online, as well as jobs and opportunities. These are promoted via our monthly ebulletin which goes out to over 7,000 subscribers, so it's well worth it. Find out how to join here.

It is as important, if not more, to get the word out offline. There are those of us who do not have access to the internet, and those who are always out and about and you're more likely to engage away from a screen - you want to make sure everyone gets the invite to learn about permaculture, and benefit from being actively involved in their community. Here are some ideas of locations you could approach to help promote your activities with simple posters (remember to get permission first!):

• Allotment noticeboard
• Library
• Community Centre
• Health Food Shops
• Cafes
• Universities and schools
• Community Centre
• GP surgery
• Places of worship
• Yoga Centre

If your group chooses to become a Group member of the Permaculture Association, you'll benefit from a listing in 'Permaculture Works', which helps new members near you to find you.

You should also spread the word to other regional networks who share your ethos; it's all about working together to bring about positive change after all! Here are some ideas of organisations who may have regional groups in your area:

• Transition Network
• Friends of the Earth
• The Green Party
• The Land Workers Alliance
  Let us know who else we could add to this list!
   

Need a venue?

If you're the sort of group that's going to out grow your local cafe or pub as a meet up space, you might want to start looking for a venue to hold monthly socials. A lot of the establishments listed above may also have meeting rooms and break out spaces that you could potentially hire for an evening, so it's worth enquiring. 

Permablitz in action!

You may also find that some venues would welcome the addition of a permaculture design. For example, Cecil Sharpe House in London, which hosts the annual London Permaculture Festival, won an award after permablitzlondon transformed the entrance into an edible and wildlife haven!

If you've got a good idea for a possible permaculture group venue space, let us know here.

Once you've put the word out about the exciting events and activities you've got planned, enjoy connecting and enhancing your community with permaculture! :)

Please help more regional permaculture groups succeed

We are facilitating the creation of an FAQ with help from our experienced permaculture groups across the network! If this is you, we want to hear from you! Please share your experiences of setting up and running up a group, so that more can succeed.


Next time: More great activities to do as a group, and some social media tips - permaculture style!

Become a Group Member of the Permaculture Association and get your group listed in Permaculture Works here!

Come We Grow

by Charlotte Haworth.

Attendees enjoying live acts at Come We Grow

Come We Grow

Friday, 31 October, saw the marking of a number of occasions. The date has special significance for a number of cultures anyway, and not just for connotations of plastic masks, glow-in-the-dark teeth and threatening (or is it cajoling?) your neighbours for sweets. On top of this, it was also the day of Come We Grow, which I had the pleasure of being involved in.

What is Come We Grow?

Last month’s event, held at the Wheatsheaf Hall in Vauxhall, South London, was celebrating the release of ‘Fear of a Green Planet’, the new EP from KMT. He is the co-founder of the May Project Gardens in Morden, which combine an interesting mix of permaculture garden and community and music studio where people from all walks of life can go and record.

KMT (his artist name: he introduced himself to me as KMT Ian) seems to have equally strong roots in both hip-hop rap and permaculture. An example of how these perhaps sometimes seemingly incongruous themes come together is KMT’s ‘bling’: from a distance, a large, chunky silver necklace such as may be fashionable among trendy rappers (though I won’t pretend to know about these things). As you get closer, however, it becomes clear that the necklace has been made up of recycled ring-pull tabs.

Celebrations of Growing

The workshop I was running at Come We Grow focused on our identification with culture, and indeed what it means to be a part of an existing or emerging culture. In line with this, the subject of Halloween came up; and we explored the significance of this celebration as seen by the people present. To help facilitate discussions we had a pumpkin with us, which got participants talking of carving and of fancy dress. We ended up exploring the idea that many Halloween traditions which are common now in UK culture are based on commercial gain rather than actual cultural ties. When asked if anyone knew of any deeper Halloween traditions no one could say. I was quite surprised at this, though it could have been that simply people were getting tired. I decided to share my reasons for celebrating this date, which I shall summarise here too.

Halloween

Halloween is a later name for one of the eight important pagan celebrations held throughout the year. Each are chosen according to how much light there is rather than a particular numbered day. At the longest and shortest days we have, respectively, the Summer and Winter Solstices, and in between these, when the day and night become equal in length, are the Spring and Autumn Equinoxes. Then in between each of these days are four more celebrations, “cross-quarter” days in the middle of the others, when change is in the air and, as many traditions believe, the world of magic and of spirits is closer to our own.

These four ‘in between’ festivals can be seen as the most potent times of year, and though pagan and Celtic traditions have been somewhat forgotten in this country, are still celebrated by people nowadays, though possibly as more of a revival than a continuation, since so much of our traditions were totally lost. The eight festivals are listed at the bottom of this article with the “cross-quarterly”, or (as some feel) more magical, ones, in bold, and the one which corresponds to Halloween is known as Samhain (pronounced “sa-ween”).
For me, Halloween is about the celebration of this time of change, of the light and dark in their eternal dance, and the seasons turning towards the chill of winter. Though I have found the Pagan calendar to be of use in my own personal celebration-marking, I am by no means exclusively bound by it and have researched many other traditions of this day too, taking from them the meanings which suit me. In some cultures this is a time for honouring the dead, such as with the Mexican celebration of El Dia de Los Muertos (see for example 2), and I feel this is important not just for remembering whichever friends or relatives you know who have passed on, but also with a consideration of your ancestors and all those who have gone before you, and what they have given to you.

It certainly made an interesting accompaniment to the seedbomb making, which was the actual practical aim of my workshop. Even our younger friends, who let’s face it were only really there to play with mud and clay, seemed vaguely interested in our Halloween explorations.

Welcome

Later on, as the night truly began drawing in and the faint flutter of otherworldy beings to flick in and out of our peripheral hearing (well OK, it may have been the kettle boiling in the cafe), we witnessed the Welcoming Ceremony of the evening. In order to give the attendants a proper welcome, Come We Grow actually had a Shamanic Celebrant to help us all get into the right mood. Aama Sade Shepneki (2), the Celebrant, has a grace and presence which is quite notable, even when she is not speaking. When she began the ceremony, playing a djembe to raise everyone’s energy levels, there was more than one person present with goosepimples.

She also mentioned the importance of Samhain and how, as she puts it, “the veil is thinner” at this time of year. She says it is a time for drawing in our energy and storing up our reserves in preparation for the cold season; a synchronicity with my explorations of the symbolism of the pumpkin and all of the good food which it represents. She says it is also a time for reflection on what we have achieved and meditation on what we are planning.

One of several stalls at the event, sharing food, thoughts, and fun.

For anyone who may, too, have been trying to start something new over the past couple of weeks and been repeatedly flummoxed by it, these seem helpful words to remember.

Hip hop permaculture

Following the welcome, KMT gave an introduction by singing one of his rap songs; a history of the May Project Gardens. The chorus is, “Planting little seeds every day/ watching the world just change,” (3) and as he wandered around the hall he gave out actual seeds to accompany the song.

Having a keen interest in both music and permaculture, it was inspiring to see such heartfelt and passionate art being performed right in front of me. I suppose I lost interest a little in combining my two hobbies after hearing some of the tepidly whimsical songs which have come out related to permaculture. KMT has helped to reignite that interest. It is so clear now: just because we care about the planet and about each other, doesn’t mean we also can’t make music with raw energy and soul.

Another key benefit of the musical aspect of May Project Gardens is that it can help foster connections with so many more people than a simple permaculture project. Many people have never heard of permaculture but a lot of people, especially in South London, have heard of hip hop. Perhaps they come to the May Project just to make music, which is fine. But maybe while they are there they get a tour of the gardens, and end up deciding to help out there, or to recreate some or other aspect of the gardens in their own lives.
All in all, a highly inspirational event, and I look forward to participating in future Growing celebrations. 

From Ozichi Brewster, Ambassador:

"I thoroughly enjoyed the day as an ambassador, learnt from others, shared my knowledge and made new connections. I have since become a member and attended one meeting of the Community Food Growers Network, a very valuable resource for urban growers.

I am looking forward to exploring some of these elements within my design proposal as I embark on my permaculture diploma. Whilst I enjoy advocating the virtues of permaculture design for virtually all ills of human existence, I may only win converts by being a true participant of resilient designs."

KMT (right).
"Just because we care about the planet and about each other, doesn’t mean we also can’t make music with raw energy and soul."

From KMT, the event coordinator:

"The highlights for me included the structure of the day starting with workshops and culminating in a music event. The support from everyone who contributed and the feedback from the audience. Finally having a small but passionate team was crucial, it meant I could step back perform tracks and hold space.

Come We Grow will tour, the frequency and the size of the tour has yet to be decided as everybody involved is a volunteer."

References

1. UNESCO, 2014. ‘Indigenous Festivity Dedicated to the Dead’. http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/RL/00054 – retrieved 09/11/14
2. Tree Circle Ceremonies, 2014. ‘About’. http://www.treecircleceremonies.co.uk/ – retrieved 09/11/14
3. KMT Freedom Teacher, 2014. ‘Little Seeds’. http://kmtfreedomteacher.bandcamp.com/track/little-seeds – retrieved 09/11/14

Check out other posts from Charlotte Haworth on her blog.

Just two weeks to book your tickets and enjoy a fantastic weekend of workshops and entertainment!

There's just two weeks to go before the UK Permaculture Convergence - don't miss out! Book your tickets today in order to enjoy a weekend of fantastic workshops such as: 

• Chris Evans: Permaculture in the Himalayas
• Hannah Thorogood: Regenerative Agriculture at the Inkpot
• Graham Burnett: Vegan Permaculture
• Deano Martin: Designing Grain Polycultures for Food, Fertility and Fun
• Wilf Richards & Alan Charlton: Bridging the Gap Between the PDC and Diploma
• Jan Martin: Diploma Accrediation Presentation
• Chris Warburton-Brown: An evening Woodland Bat Walk
• Andy Goldring: Let's Get Enterprising. We are good ecologists, Andy argues we need to be great economists too
• Aranya: Your smartphone as a design tool
• Pippa Chapman: Designing polycultures
• Jo Barker: Foraging - a permaculture way  

Full list and draft programme here...

Why not make a week of it and take advantage of a new course taking place on the same site, Gilwell Park, during the week before the convergence: 

7 Ways To Think Differently - a new course and a new book by Looby Macnamara (author of People and Permaculture)

"The thoughts and actions of people past and present have determined the current state of our planet. If we change our thinking, we can change the health of our own lives, and also the future state of our world."

Join Looby, Peter Cow and Kerry Lane for an imaginative and playful adventure into shifting our own thinking to support a thriving present and future for ourselves and humanity.

8^th – 12 Sept (just before the UK convergence at the same site)

www.designedvisions.com

Please phone 01981 540121 to book onto this course.

Click here for a complete list of workshops on offer during the UK Permaculture Convergence.
Don't miss out - book your tickets today!

London Permaculture Festival

by Lucy Purdy 

With just days now to go, the team behind the London Permaculture Festival are poised and excited to welcome people to Cecil Sharp House in Camden on Sunday July 6.

With innovation and solutions taking centre stage, we’ve gathered together a truly inspiring group of people, workshops and stalls this year. We hope there will be something at the festival for everyone: from whetting the interest of people new to Permaculture, to innovative and exciting projects to inspire the most experienced of Permaculturalists.

On the practical side, speakers will include ‘Vertical Veg Man’ and guardian gardening writer Mark Ridsdill Smith, who will explain how to create a self-watering container garden. No batteries, timers or outside taps needed! Annie Levy will discuss lacto-fermenting with a Permaculture twist, Juliet Kemp will explain the huge wealth of possibility by practicing Permaculture in pots, while nurseryman and rare plant collector Paul Barney of Edulis nursery will tell you about 10 edible perennials which he promises will “float your boat”.

Shamaila Akram, of Tuba Seed Permaculture, will hold an interactive introduction to Permaculture, while Maddy Harland of Permaculture Magazine and the Permaculture Association’s very own Andy Goldring will speak on Big Picture Permaculture and Permaculture in Cuba respectively. Andy will also talk about what was discussed at the IPC and how this will feed into this September’s Convergence, and the next global event, to be held in London 2015.

Hart will bring a taste of music
and culture of the Baka
to Camden on July 6.

A workshop which has drawn lots of interest in the run-up to the festival is run by Su Hart who has formed a fruitful musical partnership with the Baka people of the Cameroon rainforest since first visiting there in 1992. She formed a band, Baka Beyond, and produced two albums with the Baka too. Hart – a veteran of the likes of Glastonbury Festival - was drawn instinctively to the Baka’s relationship with music: a binding force in their lives. They live in the rainforest, hearing nothing but natural sounds, so learn from birth to listen acutely to the natural world around them. They cure illness and argument with song, they raise their voices to enchant animals, to bring luck in the hunt, to soothe babies and to unite the group in purpose and in joy. Hart will bring a taste of this to Camden on July 6. Read more here.

Also unfolding on the day in a beautiful, colourful celebration of Permaculture will be experts in straw bale building, cob making, seed-bomb sculpting, and an introduction to aquaponics by a man who keeps tilapia fish in his garage! Plenty of kid-friendly events will take place too for budding Permaculturalists of the future.

A thriving new staple of the London Permaculture scene, and one which will be explored at the festival, is the Permablitz. Permablitzes involve people coming together to create or improve a community or household edible, wildlife-friendly garden, according to the principles of Permaculture. This is learning about Permaculture and gardening as you work, building community networks, sharing good food and enjoying the feeling of coming together on something worthwhile. The concept will be explained in detail on July 6.

A thriving new staple of the London Permaculture scene, 
and one which will be explored at the festival, is the Permablitz.

We urge you to come along on the day, dip into those workshops and activities which really grab your attention – all of which are explained

here – and spread the words among friends and family via Twitter and Facebook. There has been a real buzz about this year’s festival. We’ve had articles published about us in Sublime Magazine, in which Permaculture was described as “dynamic, evolving and inspiring” and on Recycleopedia.com too. This piece read: “The festival looks set to be an inspiring, action-packed day out, suitable for all ages, and most importantly, a chance for people to connect over the ideas of Permaculture. Warning: many find that once it takes root, it becomes a way of life.”

The festival will unfurl in the heart of the capital, where diversity and abundance of human spirit abound. This is what Permaculture is all about! Hopefully you can be part of this wonderful day.

www.londonpermaculturefestival.com

UK Permaculture Convergence 2014: Get ready for a life- changing event!

by Anna Schmidt

Strategic Communications Coordinator at the Permaculture Association

The Permaculture Association warmly invites you to spend an unforgettable weekend (12th – 14th September) at this year's UK Permaculture Convergence. The event takes place at Gilwell Park in London, an amazing forest location with great views!

Book your tickets online here.

The weekend will be packed with a huge diversity of workshops. Whether you are new to permaculture or want to deepen your knowledge, be sure you'll leave this event with plenty of new ideas, knowledge and practical skills. Three month before the convergence, we already have over 10 confirmed workshop leaders and speakers, which include Looby Macnamara, who is going to present her new book “7 Ways to Think Differently”; Chris Evans, who will talk about permaculture in the Himalaya; and Maddy Harland, who will introduce us to the world of unusual trees and forest gardens.