2014 Forest Garden Convergence - less than two weeks to sign up

The Forest Garden Convergence on May 31st is shaping up to be a really excellent event. A dozen speakers sharing their knowledge and experience with Forest Gardening; a specially recorded key-note video from Eric Toensmeier; vendors with forest gardening plants for sale; an evening of fun and entertainment.

If you are planning on attending – and I hope you are! – please remember to register.  We want to ensure that everyone attending has been accounted for (you know, things like name badges and seats and … well, you’ll have to wait to get there for the rest), therefore registration is important.  If you haven’t registered you will miss important information about the day as that information will be going out to registrants only.  If you’ve registered but someone coming with you hasn’t, please give them a nudge.  We want them to get participant information too.

By the way, the image above is the flower of a Maypop, our northern passion flower that can grow in Zone 5 and warmer. After the flower comes the fruit. Yes - passion fruit can be grown in Ontario!

Ken Taylor coming to the Living Centre on June 1st

Just one day after the 2014 Forest Garden Convergence, on June 1st, 2014, the Living Centre will be hosting Ken Taylor, who for decades has experimented with hardy fruit trees and plants. His research and development efforts have enabled him to put together one of the most comprehensive and unique tree collections in the world.



This all day workshop will be about replacing corporate genetics (GMOs) with regionally adapted genetics (for which he's coined the term RAGs).

Learn about growing, propagating, and grafting Asian pears, peaches, kiwis, seedless grapes, walnuts, and many more fruit and nuts trees that grow well in our climate with little attention, and have amazing tasting healthy fruit.

Full details and registration is available on the Living Centre website.

International Permaculture Day!

Get ready for International Permaculture Day on Sunday 4th May – join a global day of celebration and action!
This year’s theme is “Reclaiming Food Freedom!” 
Everywhere new laws are being passed, supposedly for our benefit, which limit our right to healthy, nutritious food; from raw milk bans, to hidden GMOs, to the criminalising of seed saving; the reality is that our once universal right is being robbed for corporate profit. And not only is our health and food sovereignty at stake as the food supply concentrates into fewer hands, but so is our food security, the environment and the livelihoods of countless farmers. We must reclaim our Food Freedom whilst we still can. Join our worldwide call on Sunday 4th May and come celebrate permaculture in action!


Events and Actions near you
Search for Food Freedom events and actions by region on our website: www.permacultureday.org.
Also keep up to date with the latest news via our Facebook page and Twitter.

About International Permaculture Day
Now in its 5th year, International Permaculture Day has grown rapidly from its roots as a local Australian initiative to a global day of celebration. Read about previous years and the amazing diversity of actions:
2012: http://www.permacultureday.org/international-permaculture-day-2012
2013: http://www.live.permacultureday.org

Transition Movement in Canada - Research Study Results

Over the past year or so, Rob and I have participated in the 'Transition Emerging' research study.  They have just come out with the first round of results from their surveys. Here is the first page of the two page document:

 

For the full research findings, click this link:

Transition Emerging Study Research Flyer

Whole Earth Summit

It's short notice (it starts tomorrow, March 11), but I just found out about this event, which looks excellent. They have a huge number of terrific speakers, and its online, and free. You can also buy 'toolkit' packages which give you great discounts on permaculture and other training courses, and access to videos and ebooks. 

http://wholeearthsummit.org

Four Season Permaculture Certification Design Course - starts March 29th

 

Permaculture is a complete design system, based on principles of ecology and sustainability that can be used to create resilient, economically stable, and productive landscapes, home and communities. Permaculture designers make their imprint on Earth, culture and economy a positive one.

The two courses below, offered by the Living Centre are great - I (Rob) have taken both. Unlike most Permaculture Design Certificates, which are 72 hour intensive courses all in one shot, the Four Seasons course is on several long weekends over the course of a year. This format is really great for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that it makes it much easier to take if you have a young family and work full time. You also get to see the property at the Living Centre through a whole year, which is really great. 

If you've been wanting to train in permaculture for awhile, just go for it. That's what I did in 2012, and it was a really terrific decision. 

 

Four Season Permaculture Certification Design Course

Begins March 29th 

 

For complete information 

Intro to Permaculture

March 1 & 2
Can be taken as a 1 or 2 day workshop 

For complete information

EARLY BIRD SPECIAL TO MARCH 6th -

The Four Season Permaculture Certification Course is an internationally recognized, 72-hour training in the ethics, principles, methods, techniques, and practices of Permaculture Design + 24 extra teaching hours + 24 hours group/independent work, a 120 hour certificate course. Learn about Permaculture throughout the seasons, with a focus on Temperate climates. This exciting and innovative Design Course offers practical, hands-on modules to deepen active learning about permaculture processes and design through the various climates of the year. click here

 

INTRODUCTION TO PERMACULTURE In this workshop you will learn the foundations of Permaculture. The workshop contains a healthy mixture of theory and engaging hands-on exercises with a focus on the creation of a forest garden.  This workshop will inspire you with methods and strategies to have a positive impact on the environment and lives. Informative, inspiring and practical!
The hours and cost for this workshop can be applied as credit towards the Four Season Permaculture Course click here

LondonSOUP - coming up this Sunday, March 2nd

Yes, it's almost March - what happened to February?

LondonSOUP is coming up this Sunday, March 2nd, 2014 at 5:30pm. This time it's at the Covent Garden Market in downtown London, on the Mezzanine Floor.

If you don't know about LondonSOUP, it's a local sustainable business micro-funder. You go, have some great food, listen to some pitches for funding for sustainable businesses, vote with your spoon (I'll it to your imagination what that means - but (hint) it doesn't mean throwing your spoons at the people you don't want to win.), then one happy project walks away with a cheque for $1000.

It's an awesome fun night that Julie and I never miss. Hopefully see you there.

Register here

Guerrilla Gardening Seed Bombs!

Despite how cold it's been lately, spring is on its way!  As we have been reviewing seed catalogues lately, this video seemed appropriate to this season of planning head.  Watch and learn how to make your own seed bombs!