Classes take place on a hilly, wooded eco-homestead campus featuring Bogwalker’s self-constructed cabin, gardens and fruit trees, and students can choose to camp on the property for a full immersion into a more sustainable way of life. “We are permaculture in action, a living example of the beauty and abundance of the land,” she says.
The Organic Growers School Spring Conference brings its roster of workshops, seed exchange, children’s programming and more to a new venue.
For its 25th anniversary Spring Conference, Organic Growers School looks to bring in the wisdom of people of color to talk about race-related issues in farming and the food system.
“A unique individual for his time and place, Chuck Marsh was committed broadly to environmental education, bigger-picture thinking and a deep love for people and the future of the world.”
The Organic Growers School’s Spring Conference is hardly a new event: The annual gathering of farmers, gardeners, homesteaders and assorted sustainability seekers turns 24 this month. But organizers say those attending this year’s edition, whether they’re newbies or longtime conference regulars, will surely dig up some novel information.
Rain Parker and her partner Temica Ferguson collectively lost 225 pounds through healthy eating and homesteading on their land in Rosman. They transformed their property, which was a foreclosure with mostly barren land, into an active homestead and site of community wellness and educational opportunities.
While growing food and other crops beneath the forest canopy isn’t new — it’s been practiced by indigenous and traditional cultures around the world for centuries — a new focus on forest farming is highlighting the possibilities of forest-based production of non-timber crops in Western North Carolina.
“Next year’s gathering will take place in Celo Aug. 4-6, 2017. Registration will open June 1.”
Now a beloved local happening, the Southeastern Permaculture Gathering has taken place every year since 1994. Permaculture enthusiasts of many ages and experience levels gathered on the grounds of the Arthur Morgan School in Celo Aug. 5-7 to forge connections, gain insights and learn new skills.
The Nutty Buddy Collective is pioneering new models of sustainable, perennial agriculture by establishing long-term leasehold agreements with conservation-minded landowners. Once the use of the land has been secured, the collective plants fruit and nut crops that take several years to reach maturity.
Asheville Jewish Community Center will host a panel discussion on Sunday, July 19, from 4-6:30 p.m. focused on helping help people connect with and better understand Jewish values that encourage environmental stewardship.
Crowdfunding platforms make it possible for individuals and organizations of any size to harness social networks and raise startup capital for projects that might otherwise fail due to lack of funding. This week: self-reliance through chickens, new adventures at Firestorm Books and a re-published Tarot classic.
In 1790, 90 percent of Americans were farmers. Today that figure boils down to less than 1 percent. The change is particularly noticeable in the South, which up until the 1950s, was a largely agrarian society. Now, some are calling for a rebuilding and supporting of a locally-focused food system — which used to be prevalent in Appalachia.
Permaculture, as the name suggests, is all about truly sustainable living. Permaculturist Jim Barton, a West Asheville community activist and organizer, has worked since to permaculture theory into the realm of public policy. Most recently he offered the most comprehensive critique of Buncombe County’s plan to lease landfill space for a new oil-fired Progress Energy […]
