permaculture is so awesome!
I love the principals and possibilities that Permaculture offers for healing our land. For those of you who have never heard of it, Permaculture is an approach to designing human settlements and agricultural systems that mimic the relationships found in natural ecologies.
Take a look at this little video describing the main principles of Permaculture:
The idea has been around since 1970 or so, and it's finally beginning to get the recognition it deserves. EarthFlow Design Works in Orange County, CA is offering courses in Permaculture. The courses are taught by some of the most knowledgeable designers out there. If you have an interest in gardening and/or the environment, then this is right up your alley . Check it out and if any of you sign up for the classes, I would love to hear about your experience.
I use Permaculture the best that I know how, on my land and in my life. However, I don't incorporate the animal part into the equation. Personally, I don't really feel that I need to use animals in Permaculture. I really like most of the thinking behind Permaculture, I just choose to leave the animals alone, as I don't feel that we need to use them to effectively and beautifully live.
And if any of you are interested in this, and don't really know where to start, check out the Permaculture Institute's website. It's a great resource for learning about permaculture, finding permaculture design courses, and connecting with other people who are also into permaculture.
And if you know about other similar classes or workshops out there, I'd love to hear about those too.
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For all of you who took Larry's Permaulture course, or have an interested in Permaculture, there will be the 2nd annual Permaculture Convergence happening April 29-May 1 in Malibu with Larry Santoyo of EarthFlow Design, Penny Livingston (featured in the video above) and many more great workshops, games, storytelling and more.
Learn more at www.socalconvergence.org
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NYC WorldWide Bake Sale For Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary, help spread the word!
Look for a WorldWide Vegan Bake Sale in your area, or start one of your own! Check out veganbakesale dot org. -
Dear Alicia Silverstone, I am asking for your support in our goal to preserve the Stony Brook Southampton campus, currently the only college on Long Island whose sole mission is environmental sustainability. Due to state budget cuts, the president of Stony Brook University has announced his plan to close most of the Southampton campus. Word of the closure came from a local news report before Dr. Stanley had informed students and staff of his decision. Students and local politicians have proposed to raise the $6.7 million that SBU would save from the campus' closure, Dr. Stanley remains firm in his decision. The closure will move all of the programs besides marine science and graduate creative writing to the main campus. Dormitories and all but two academic buildings will be shuttered, as well as the newly renovated and LEED-certified library. These proposed cuts come after taxpayers have provided $78 million to re-open and renovate the Southampton Campus under SBU. The campus currently enrolls 525 full-time, part-time, and graduate students and planned to accept at least 200 students in the fall. Employment, local economic stimulation, and most recently, the joint language reclamation initiative of the university with the Shinnecock Nation will suffer. Our current efforts to reverse this decision include a rally upon Dr. Stanley's arrival to meet with our campus; letter writing campaign to local, state, and federal politicians and NPO's and NGO's; online and paper petitions; and a planned march to the Stony Brook main campus. Any support from your organization would be greatly appreciated. For further information, communication and collaboration we have set up a fan page on Facebook: Save Stony Brook University-Southampton Campus Twitter: SaveSouthampton Online Petition: http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/savesbs Sincerely, Gabrielle Andersen on behalf SBU-Southampton Campus.
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Thanks Alicia, for promoting such great ideas. I came across your talk at Kepler's Books on The Kind Diet on fora.tv and was really impressed that you're taking this on. I'm more of a "flirt" right now, slowly working towards veganism.
I'm a poop engineering (technically, a wastewater engineer) focused on recycled water systems, such as graywater and rainwater, for residences. Californians use more than half of their water for landscape, especially lawns. I'm working with many organizations here, in San Luis Obispo, to convert lawns to food-producing gardens. It felt that World Water Day left too quietly, wishing that it made more of an impact.
Since it's hard to convince most homwowners to reuse their water -- right now it's cheap enough to waste rather than install any kind of system to reuse it -- I'm trying to advocate also adding a garden in place of a lawn or landscaping. With the reused graywater feeding the fruit trees and vegetables, so much is better: less lawn pesticide flwoing into the storm drains and creeks, reusing clean drinking water twice, healthy food grown very locally, happy time spent outdoors tending your garden...all permaculture ideas and more. -
alicia,I had mentioned this in another link but ,just in case ,I'm sending you it here again. it's called the real food campain, which support's a future of healthy soil's food and people. it is on the same scale as organic gardening ,but one step further ,to establish nutrient dense crop's and create a new standard for food quality,providing workshop's and support to farmer's ,little people like me who grow there own and the community.my co-op has a workshop in conneticut and we work out of a farm in glastonbury right now ,it teaches you about the soil, what is missing from it how to test ,evaluate and be kind to the land! great program!! here's the web-www.realfoodcampain.org check it out ! -
Thank you, Alicia, for your post on permaculture. For those of you in the LA area, EarthFlow Design Works is also offering its annual spring permaculture certification course beginning this weekend, April 3 & 4 in LA- taught by Larry Santoyo. see http://earthflow.com/LAPDC_spring10.php for more info. wishing you all things good, green and growing! Kathryn Ellen earthflow.com
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To SlobosVeganGal, tried to watch it. but i just don't have the stomach for that. i had to turn it off. it is just horrifying -
To SlobosVeganGal... The trailer to that documentary is something that should be flashed all over our television screens JUST AS MUCH IF NOT MORE than 'Twilight'. It just hurts in the deepest part of my soul to see the way God's creatures are treated. Thank you for sharing...
And on the subject of permaculture, VERY COOL! I will definitely be checking into that!! -
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I find permaculture very interesting, but have since discovered authentic 100% vegan agriculture: "pacific agriculture". In Germany for instance, there is a community (lebe-gesund.de) of vegans who produce fantastic vegetables and fruits this way: No animals involved at all in the process. I discovered them last year and have become a fan at once (eating carrots that have not had any contact with manure or powdered bones seems very simple, but unless you grow them in your garden, "animal-free" vegetables are almost impossible to find in Europe). These German producers are a religious group and I am rather an anti-religions person, but still I haven't found anything closer to a vegan way of living since. I wonder if this "pacific vegan agriculture" also exists in the US. Cheers everyone! -
How do you garden and compost in a city, with rats? I want to plant a little vegetable and herb garden, but I don't know how to avoid rodent pillagers. These rats seem omnipotent. They can chew through anything, and they fear nothing. Any tips?
I have heard that turtles are efficient sentries against rodent intruders - they use them in the butterfly sanctuaries. Is this worth looking into, or are turtles too climate-sensitive? -
Thank you, Filipe for painting that wonderful picture! It sounds like such a fulfilling way of life and I'm inspired to create a permaculture environment in my yard. :) :) :) -
http://www.earthlings.com/
this video speaks for itself. But it makes me proud to be vegan. We are saving the animals and the planet one day at a time and the more people who have information that this documentary provides, the closer we are to a Kind World. -
As I'm getting ready to start my garden outside in the up and coming weeks- this is definitely something I'll be checking out!.....Thanks for the links and the insight-
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