Ethiopia’s Strawberry Fields Eco-Lodge – A Call for Participation
Aid Projects, Community Projects, Courses/Workshops, Demonstration Sites, Education Centres, Project Positions — by Alex McCausland October 28, 2011
Permaculture in Ethiopia stands on the edge of a sea of possibilities. This is a virgin land. The mighty plains of Abyssinia rise out of the Eastern Sahara, to become rolling fertile uplands, worked by farmers in the primeval mode that the modern westerner can only dream about nowadays, caricatured by the Shire in Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings. It is a land where people live in little circular grass-roofed huts and make hay stacks with wooden pitch forks to feed their cattle through the dry season. They plough the deep fertile soils with oxen and sow a variety of crops, of which their most beloved is their own indigenous endemic grain t’eff, used to make the national staple food, injera.
Comments (5)Cuba To Host Eleventh International Permaculture Conference (IPC11)
Conferences, News — by Craig Mackintosh PRI Editor October 27, 2011
Roberto Perez triumphantly rides a camel at IPC10,
while looking forward to hosting IPC11 in Cuba, November 2013.
Photo © Craig Mackintosh
One of the tasks for attendees of each International Permaculture Conference (IPC) is to hear bids for hosting the subsequent IPC, consider the best option and to vote on it. Cuba, ground zero for the largest peak oil rehearsal the world has ever seen, easily carried the day. So, all eyes now look to November 2013 for IPC11 — an IPC with a distinctly Cuban flavour.
If you didn’t catch it already, watch Roberto’s IPC10 conference presentation here. And, below you can hear Wes Rowe talking to Cuba’s Roberto Perez — representative of the Cuban Permaculture NGO, the Antonio Nunez Jimenez Foundation for Nature and Humanity — about his thoughts on the winning bid:
Comments (0)Presentations for Download – from the Tenth International Permaculture Conference (IPC10) in Jordan
Conferences, Courses/Workshops, Presentations/Demonstrations, Social Gatherings — by Craig Mackintosh PRI Editor
All photographs © Craig Mackintosh
This is a short post to provide a central repository for people to download presentations I was given after the Tenth International Permaculture Conference (IPC10) in Jordan, which ran over September 2011.
Note: If there are presenters who haven’t passed their files to me, but would still like to see them on this page, I would ask you to send them to me on editor (at) permaculture.org.au and I’ll happily add them.
Comments (9)Introduction to Holistic Management Course with Kirk Gadzia at Milkwood
Animal Forage, Courses/Workshops, Land, Livestock, Rehabilitation, Soil Conservation — by Milkwood Permaculture October 26, 2011
Here’s a quick note about our upcoming Intro to Holistic Management course with Kirk Gadzia that starts on the 1st of November at Milkwood Farm in Mudgee, NSW, Australia.
Having worked side by side with Allan Savory for many years, Kirk knows a thing or two about using herbivores to heal a landscape. What’s more, he’s an amazing teacher, the likes of whom I haven’t yet encountered. So it’s a pretty special opportunity to have him back.
Comments (2)Maarten Stapper: “Biological Agriculture – a Third Way?” (IPC10 Presentation – Video)
Animal Forage, Biodiversity, Commercial Farm Projects, Compost, Conferences, Courses/Workshops, Food Plants - Annual, Food Plants - Perennial, Fungi, GMOs, Health & Disease, Plant Systems, Presentations/Demonstrations, Rehabilitation, Seeds, Soil Biology, Soil Composition, Soil Conservation, Soil Erosion & Contamination, Structure, Trees, Water Contaminaton & Loss — by Craig Mackintosh PRI Editor October 25, 2011
If you didn’t catch it already, be sure to check out the previous post with Dr. Maarten Stapper’s first IPC10 convergence presentation. And, after several attempts, I finally managed to get his second presentation uploaded — you can click play above to watch this as well. With decades of experience in the farming industry, Dr. Stapper has a great deal to share, and a lot of insight to go with it.
Comments (1)Permaculture Pilgrimage – a Few Places Left
Courses/Workshops — by Tamara Griffiths October 24, 2011
The Planetary Permaculture Pilgrimage — teacher training with some of the world’s greatest teachers — has been a collaborative effort between these amazing teachers, Delvin Solkinson and myself. The courses will run back to back in November across NSW, QLD and Victoria.
The courses with Geoff Lawton and David Holmgren have been filled but we still have places for students at Robin Clayfield’s creative permaculture teaching 6-day course and her 1-day community decision making and governance. I have done both of these courses and they are amazing, equipping me with many teaching skills and inspiration to work with student needs strengths, and facilitation methods I have used with groups. They were so good I’m doing them again!
We also have places in Rosemary Morrow’s course the following week — with her take on how to teach PDCs to students around the world. I simply can’t wait, it’s going to be spectacular.
We would love to have you join this adventure with us and become part of the next generation of permaculture teachers!
Please check out the folio (7mb PDF) and book directly with Robin Clayfield: robin (at) earthcare.com.au
For extra info you can contact me: Tamara (at) moonrisepermaculture.com.au
Comments (0)Maarten Stapper: “Agricultural Science and Technology is Stuck in a Rut” (IPC10 Presentation Video)
Commercial Farm Projects, Community Projects, Compost, Conferences, Courses/Workshops, Economics, Food Forests, Food Plants - Annual, Food Plants - Perennial, Plant Systems, Rehabilitation, Society, Soil Biology, Soil Composition, Soil Conservation, Soil Erosion & Contamination, Structure, Trees, Water Contaminaton & Loss — by Craig Mackintosh PRI Editor October 20, 2011
I’ve been a fan of Maarten Stapper’s work for a while now. In fact, further below you’ll find an article I wrote, way back in 2007, about his experiences at the hands of his former employer — Australia’s publicly funded CSIRO agricultural research body. I’d recommend you read the article before watching Maarten’s IPC10 Convergence presentation, as it’ll give you a good backgrounder on his valuable work and his commendable ethics. I say ethics because instead of compromising his principles so as to retain favour with those putting bread on his table, he stood his ground… and got sacked instead.
Comments (0)The PRI Restarts the Permaculture Teacher Registry
Community Projects, Courses/Workshops, Education Centres, Networking Sites, News, Village Development — by Craig Mackintosh PRI Editor October 19, 2011
Short Version
If you’ve been waiting to apply to be a PRI PDC Teacher, we are now ready to receive your application (English only at this point — but read the rest of the post below to find out more about other languages). To apply, simply log into the Worldwide Permaculture Network, ensure you’ve clicked on the ‘Click if you are a PDC Teacher‘ link on the right side of your profile, and then click on the ‘Apply to be a PRI PDC Teacher‘ link.
Long Version
In March 2010 Bill and Lisa Mollison’s Permaculture Institute (PI) ceased taking applications for their long-running permaculture teachers’ registry. As many immediately recognised, this left a gaping hole in the permaculture garment — one which needs to be filled if the movement is to maintain a reasonable standard of recognised education.
Accordingly, when the registry ceased, the Permaculture Research Institute (PRI) was suddenly flooded with "What now?" emails, and requests that we step in and take over the role of processing and verifying applications from permaculture teachers. This call came because existing teachers, and prospective teachers, all want to ensure that their students have confidence in the courses they’re committing their fees to.
Before I share what we’ve sought to do to fill this void, I will try to expand a little more on the above about why we believe having a globally recognised teachers’ registry is important and why we’ve been working hard to answer the many calls to facilitate this need.
Comments (19)Urban Permaculture Movie Night and Talk by Geoff Lawton, Gold Coast, Australia
Courses/Workshops, DVDs/Books, Social Gatherings — by Leah Galvin October 18, 2011
Attention people who are interested in Permaculture, sustainable living and being a positive change in our world.
Come along to our garden for our first showing of the Urban Permaculture DVD by Geoff Lawton, the director and educator of the Permaculture Research Institute of Australia!
The movie will be shown in the 5 year old Permaculture Organic garden called Urban Eden along with a talk and questions and answers by Geoff Lawton. Urban Eden was built by volunteers with materials kindly donated from local businesses! Gold Coast City Council Organic gardening workshops and events have been held in the garden.
When: Friday, November 4th at 6pm
Where: Mandala Organic Arts Cafe and Organic Permaculture Garden, 2558 Gold Coast Highway , Mermaid Beach, Gold Coast
Cost: $12 each at the door
All Welcome, including kids!
This event is brought to you by Gold Coast Permablitz and Mandala Arts and supported by Life Changing Doco’s.
There is an organic dinner, drinks and delicious desserts available on the night. Mandala Organic Arts Cafe is run by Vlady and his family who support local farmers where possible….
Contact: Leah 0406 897 195 or leg30 (at) hotmail.com or www.facebook.com/groups/98790327155
For more info about the movie and Permaculture see www.permaculture.org.au. And for Gold Coast Permablitz see our Facebook page.
Comments (1)How to Run Your Own Blitz
Community Projects, Land, Social Gatherings, Society, Urban Projects, Village Development, peak oil — by John Shiel October 17, 2011
by John Shiel
Photo © Craig Mackintosh
There are 2 ways to run a PermaBlitz (building a Permaculture community garden or backyard food garden in one day): coordinated by your local Permaculture club (you receive help with garden design, getting people to your house, and you are covered by their liability insurance), or where a group of friends just have a working bee and look after themselves. Not all Permaculture clubs run Permablitzes.
I am the Vice-Chair of Permaculture Hunter which promotes sustainable and healthy lifestyles in the Australian Hunter region (warm temperate/sub-tropical) and promotes the social and economic aspects of Permaculture. We hold monthly PermaBlitzes to build food gardens in 1 day (takes a few weeks to design, plan and get materials onsite), and members who help with 6 days of Blitzes etc. can get their own Blitz designed and coordinated.
We think it is imperative to encourage more food gardens with the looming oil/fossil fuel shortage which is leading to escalating food prices (mechanisation on the farm, pesticides, fertilisers, transport, refrigeration), and we can provide the templates, some design help, and some coordination for groups to start up.
Comments (6)Warren Brush: “Permaculture and Peacemaking in a Thirsty World” (IPC10 Presentation Video), Plus Permaculture Outreach in Kenya
Aid Projects, Alternatives to Political Systems, Community Projects, Conferences, Courses/Workshops, Demonstration Sites, Education Centres, People Systems, Presentations/Demonstrations, Social Gatherings, Society, Village Development — by Craig Mackintosh PRI Editor October 14, 2011
Warren Brush presents at the Tenth International Permaculture Conference
(IPC10), Amman, Jordan, September 2011
Photograph © Craig Mackintosh
I consider it a privilege to be a friend of Warren Brush, and it’s been a pleasure to see his rapid development in all things Permaculture. In his presentation at the IPC10 (Amman, Jordan, September 2011) Warren took on the topic of peacemaking — in his trademark style of very interesting storytelling, using examples from nature to teach us lessons and including examples from his experiences with indigenous peoples, and from conflict zones in Africa.
All in all you should find this a very worthy watch. Please click play below (and stay tuned for the message below the video!):
Comments (6)The Rodale Institute’s 30-Year Farming Systems Trial Report
Compost, Conservation, Demonstration Sites, Food Shortages, GMOs, Global Warming/Climate Change, Health & Disease, Irrigation, Land, News, Plant Systems, Rehabilitation, Society, Soil Biology, Soil Composition, Soil Conservation, Soil Erosion & Contamination, Water Contaminaton & Loss — by Craig Mackintosh PRI Editor October 13, 2011
 The Rodale Institute’s 30-year Farming Systems Trial report (1.3mb PDF) |
The Rodale Institute has been, for a full 30 years now, conducting a long-term comparative Farming Systems Trial. Starting in 1981, when it was already abundantly clear that industrialising nature was creating far more problems than it solved, the Rodale Institute began documented research comparing organically fertilised fields and conventionally fertilised fields on its 330 acre farm in Pennsylvania, USA.
It’s the longest running comparative study of its kind in the world.
In time for their trial’s 30-year anniversary, the institute has put out a report outlining its documented observations. You can download this report via the link at right.
This report is one of several well-researched reports that have come out in recent years, including the Union of Concerned Scientists’ Failure to Yield report (which proves GMOs do not perform as claimed) and the IAASTD’s 400-scientist-strong, 3-year worldwide study (which concluded we need to quickly transition back to relocalised, diverse, agroecological methods).
Comments (6)Urban Permaculture DVD – You May Order! (Shipping Nov. 1, 2011)
DVDs/Books, Urban Projects — by Craig Mackintosh PRI Editor October 10, 2011
At the International Permaculture Conference (IPC10) we treated attendees to the very first showing of the Urban Permaculture DVD. At the time I was personally too busy to watch it myself, but just last night finally sat down to do so.
In short, it was totally inspirational.
Comments (16)Poll Indicates Lack of Confidence in Murray-Darling Basin Authority Plans
Conservation, Developments, Irrigation, Regional Water Cycle — by Ian Douglas
by Ian Douglas
Initial results of an ongoing on-line poll on water policy in Australia raise concerns that the majority of Australians are far from convinced that the draft Basin Plan, soon to be released by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority, will be successful in its aims.
Comments (0)U.S. Gasoline Use Declining: Keystone XL Pipeline Not Needed
Developments, Energy Systems, Society, peak oil — by Earth Policy Institute
by Lester Brown, Earth Policy Institute
As the debate unfolds about whether to build a 1,711-mile pipeline to carry crude oil from the tar sands in Canada to refineries in Texas, the focus is on the oil spills and carbon emissions that inevitably come with it. But we need to ask a more fundamental question. Do we really need that oil?
The United States currently consumes more gasoline than the next 16 countries combined. Yes, you read that right. Among them are China, Japan, Russia, Germany, and Brazil. (See Excel data.)
But now this is changing. Not only is the affluence that sustained this extravagant gasoline consumption eroding, but the automobile-centered lifestyle that was considered part of the American birthright is fading as well. U.S. gasoline use has dropped 5 percent in four years.
