NW Permaculture Institute

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Fresh, Free Film in Salem Wednesday July 11th @ 6:30pm

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Will Allen – Growing Power

 

“Our current industrial method of food production is increasingly viewed as an unsustainable system, destructive to the environment and public health. But what is the alternative?

Fresh profiles the farmers, thinkers, and business people across the nation who are at the forefront of re-inventing food production in America. With a strong commitment to sustainability, they are changing how farms are run, how the land is cared for, and how food is distributed. Their success demonstrates that a new paradigm based on sustainable practices can be profitable and a model for our food system, if people choose to support it.

Fresh opens with a short summary of the problems and consequences of industrialized food production, then focuses primarily on the individuals who are creating new approaches to address environmental, health, and economic challenges throughout the food chain.

Joel Salatin is a world-famous sustainable farmer and entrepreneur who, by observing nature, devised a rotational grazing system for his animals that heals the land while making his operations many times more profitable than his conventional farming neighbors.

Will Allen, a former pro basketball player and recipient of a Macarthur “Genius Award”, is now one of the most influential leaders of the urban farming movement. He teaches people in the inner city the value of healthy food and how to grow their own.

David Ball saw his family-run supermarket and a once-thriving local farming community dying with the rise of Walmart and other big chains. So he reinvented his business, partnering with area farmers to sell locally-grown food at an affordable price. His plan has brought the local economy back to life.

Fresh also features a farmer in Iowa who illustrates the struggles family farmers face, a hog farmer in Missouri who stopped using antibiotics on his pigs, and commentary by noted food expert and author Michael Pollan.”  Film 70 mins.

 

Interested in restoration agriculture, sustainable gardening, and local solutions? Come join our latest free film to meet other like minded folk and learn more.

NW Permaculture Institute Free Film and Lecture Series
Held in Salem every 2nd Wednesday @ 6:30 pm
At Salem Friend’s Meeting House, 490 19th Street NE (19th at Breyman)
For more information: 971-218-4772, or dianedalychavez@gmail.com.


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Creating Green and Resilient Homes and Neighborhoods, free talk with Jan Spencer, Wed April 11th @6:30pm

April 11 Presentation, Jan Spencer

Interested in restoration agriculture, sustainable gardening, and local solutions? Come join our latest free lecture to meet other like minded folk and learn more.

NW Permaculture Institute Free Film and Lecture Series
Held in Salem every 2nd Wednesday @ 6:30 pm
At Salem Friend’s Meeting House, 490 19th Street NE (19th at Breyman)
For more information: 971-218-4772, or dianedalychavez@gmail.com.

 


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Salem Free Film, Talk, & Potluck, “Food For Change: The Story of Cooperatives in America,” followed by talk with Jason Codner, Board President of the Silverton Food Co-op, Sept 22nd @ 6:30pm

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Food co-ops are a force for dynamic social and economic change. Using interviews, rare archival footage, and commentary, Food For Change is the first film to examine the important historical role played by food co-ops, their pioneering quest for organic foods, and their current efforts to create regional food systems. 82 mins.

After the film Jason Codner, Board President of the Silverton Food Co-op, will speak and take questions. “Cooperatives have a long history of providing their communities with access to healthy, sustainably-grown food. They do this by putting community over profit and operating by a set of values and principles that encourage equity, democracy, honesty and openness. Silverton Food Co-op is striving to be such a store. We are a grocery store that is owned by the community. Find out more at silvertonfood.coop!”

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Earth Care, People Care, Fair Share: Free Film and Lecture Series
Held in Salem every 4th Thursday @ 6:30pm (except November and December)

Salem 4th Thursday events include potluck & discussion
@ Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Salem, 5090 Center Street. NE, Salem

For more information email nwperma@gmail.com or call 503-449-8077


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Registration has begun! Permaculture classes starting in Salem Sept 10th…

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Permaculture Essentials for the Pacific NW, 36 hour class

Build resilience, save money and energy, save water, and feed your family or community.
Come join our latest classes!

12 classes – $15 each (If all classes are paid in advance, course discounted to $160)

Permaculture is “Earth Care, People Care, and Return of Surplus,” combining traditional and innovative methods that are sustainable and energy saving, enriching to the soil and all life. Design a system to feed your family, or complete additional short classes to earn your certificate and work as a consultant.

Permaculture Essentials for the Pacific NW covers permaculture history and ethics and goes into depth on the core concepts for creating sustainable systems by observing connections and capturing energy. Explore the energy transactions of trees, the roles of fungi, and the many functions of living soil. Learn pH, mineral availability, and enriching your soil with worm beds, weeds as repair tools, and compost fixing strategies. Study landscape effects on climate and temperate climate design for your home and landscape from kitchen gardens to main crops and food forests. This course prepares you to design a sustainable system for your yard or small farm in the Pacific NW.

Saturdays, starting September 10th, 2016, 10am-1pm,
@ Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Salem, 5090 Center St. NE, Salem, Oregon.
Instructor, L. June, email nwperma at gmail dot com, or call 503-449-8077 for questions or registration


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Salem Free Film Event, Abundance on a Dry Land: Water Crisis or Run-off Crisis? Harvesting Solutions, August 25th @ 6:30pm

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Abundance on a Dry Land: Water Crisis or Run-off Crisis?  Harvesting Solutions

 

In California and other regions affected by drought, agriculture is suffering from a lack of water and farms are being abandoned at an alarming rate. Fortunately, some people have developed solutions to capture the rains that DO fall. In many dry regions around the world, land restoration helps water penetrate healthy soils and in turn increase crop yields.

Even in dry areas, water which typically might run off, can be harvested and stored in tanks, ponds and swales. By using swale systems, gabions, biodiversity, mulching, pioneer trees, animals both wild and domestic, check dams, fruit forests, keyline plows, compost teas and many other methods, it is possible to turn the soil into a large sponge, and design new productive landscapes.

Abundance on a Dry Land explores the work of Erik Ohlsen, Geoff Lawton and other growers, permaculture designers and educators, showing how intentional design can benefit both humans and nature.  52 mins.

 

Earth Care, People Care, Fair Share: Free Film and Lecture Series
Held in Salem every 4th Thursday @ 6:30pm (except November and December)

Salem 4th Thursday events include potluck & discussion
@ Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Salem, 5090 Center Street. NE, Salem

For more information email nwperma@gmail.com or call 503-449-8077


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Roseburg Free Film Event, Ingredients, August 19th @ 6:30pm

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As American food nears a state of crisis, INGREDIENTS explores a thriving local food movement where community, food-safety, and flavor are commonplace. Traveling across the United States, from the urban food deserts of Harlem to the abundant Willamette Valley, INGREDIENTS, is a journey that reveals the people who are bringing good food back to the table, and the myriad ways we all can eat better. It empowers and sparks the joy of discovery in creating a healthier, more sustainable model for living and eating well in a world in need of balance.  67 mins.

Earth Care, People Care, Fair Share: Free Film and Lecture Series
Held in Roseburg on most third Fridays of the month

@ First United Methodist Church, 1771 West Harvard, Roseburg, Oregon.
For more information call Diana Cason, 941-735-0452, or 541-459-3938


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Permaculture classes start in Roseburg June 8th

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Permaculture Essentials for the Pacific NW

Build resilience, save money and energy, save water, and feed your family or community.
Come join our latest classes!

12 classes – $15 each (If all classes are paid in advance, course discounted to $160)

Permaculture is “Earth Care, People Care, and Return of Surplus,” combining traditional and innovative methods that are sustainable and energy saving, enriching to the soil and all life. Design a system to feed your family, or complete additional short classes to earn your certificate and work as a consultant.

Permaculture Essentials for the Pacific NW covers permaculture history and ethics and goes into depth on the core concepts for creating sustainable systems by observing connections and capturing energy. Explore the energy transactions of trees, the roles of fungi, and the many functions of living soil. Learn pH, mineral availability, and enriching your soil with worm beds, weeds as repair tools, and compost fixing strategies. Study landscape effects on climate and temperate climate design for your home and landscape from kitchen gardens to main crops and food forests. This course prepares you to design a sustainable system for your yard or small farm in the Pacific NW.

Wednesday evenings, starting June 8th, 2015, 6:30pm-9:30pm,
@ First United Methodist Church, 1771 West Harvard, Roseburg, Oregon.
Instructor, Diana Cason, call 941-735-0452, or 541-459-3938 for questions or registration

 


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Houses of Straw, Salem Free Film and Potluck March 24th @ 6:30pm

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Houses of Straw: The rediscovery of strawbale building

What are the advantages of strawbale building? Straw is a renewable, locally available, agricultural by-product that offers superior insulation value as well as sound absorbing and fire retardant qualities. Houses of Straw explores green building in Germany through interviews with owners, builders, architects, and experts. Come see why so many people worldwide are falling in love with these beautiful strawbale homes. 43 minutes.

Earth Care, People Care, Fair Share: Free Film and Lecture Series
Held in Salem every 4th Thursday @ 6:30pm (except November and December)

Salem 4th Thursday events include potluck & discussion
@ Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Salem, 5090 Center Street. NE, Salem
For more information: 503-449-8077

This event is made possible by support from the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Salem, LifeSource Natural Foods, and private donations from people in our community. Thank you for your support!


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Voices of Transition documentary & Kris Hikari with Friends of Trees, Free Film and Lecture in Salem, February 25th @ 6:30pm

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Voices of Transition presents innovative, inspirational – and concrete – solutions to the food security challenges we humans increasingly face. It explores agroforestry models in France, permaculture and TRANSITION TOWN initiatives in England and the organic farming revolution in Cuba.
By focusing on immediate profit and ignoring millennia of experience in agronomy, agroindustry is responsible for the unprecedented erosion of soils now occurring around the world. Add climate change and dwindling natural resources to the picture, and it would appear that even societies in the Global North are no longer safe from famines. Voices of Transition is a film which is optimistic but clear-sighted. It makes clear that these current and impending crises are, in fact, positive challenges!  65 minutes.

 
After the film, Kris Hikari will share how Friends of Trees is working in Salem to build a sense of community through the simple act of planting trees together. She will touch on the many values of the “urban forest” and what we can all contribute to the growth and health of this commonly overlooked natural resource. Kris will also share upcoming opportunities to plant with Friends of Trees, and additional resources to get involved with the stewardship of Salem’s urban forest.

Friends of Trees is the northwest’s biggest and longest standing community forestry non-profit that plants trees with local volunteers throughout the Willamette Valley and into Vancouver, Washington. Our mission is to bring people together to plant and care for city trees and green spaces across the northwest. Over the course of the past 26 years, we have planted over a half a million trees and native shrubs with the help of tens of thousands of community members. FOT currently plants in over 20 municipalities, and is in it’s 4th planting season in Salem. Our efforts are largely driven by water quality goals, but also aim to increase shade and natural beauty in the city, reduce the urban “heat island effect”, and to improve urban livability overall.

Kris Hikari is a passionate steward of urban environments for the well-being of both people and wildlife. As Regional Programs Manager with Friends of Trees, she helps establish tree planting programs in new communities throughout the Willamette Valley. Kris is an ISA-certified arborist and has worked in the natural area restoration and urban forestry fields for over seven years. She holds a Master of Landscape Architecture degree from the University of Oregon, and previously studied geography of the Pacific Northwest at Portland State University. In her free time, Kris is an avid gardener, birder, naturalist, and bike builder.

 

Earth Care, People Care, Fair Share: Free Film and Lecture Series
Held in Salem every 4th Thursday @ 6:30pm (except November and December)

Salem 4th Thursday events include potluck & discussion
@ Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Salem, 5090 Center Street. NE, Salem
For more information: 503-449-8077

This event is made possible by support from the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Salem, LifeSource Natural Foods, and private donations from people in our community. Thank you for your support!

 

 

 


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2016 Salem free film series starts February 25th! The history of fruit walls may change your gardening plans…

NWPI 2016 Salem free film series starts February 25th!

The NWPI offers a free film series in Salem, Oregon on the 4th Thursday of the month, February-October in 2016.  We are lining up films and speakers on transition towns, natural building, worms, and other permaculture topics. We are also considering repeating key films that have gotten many repeat requests. So, as we finalize the series for 2016, we’d like feedback from you. Please send an email letting us know which films you’d like to see again, and what topics interest you for future films? If you are not already on our mailing list, keep up to date on our events by sending an email with “subscribe” in the subject line to, nwperma at gmail.com.

NWPI will be offering our 36 hour, Permaculture Essentials for the Pacific NW, class again starting in September. If we have enough interest in a Saturday morning summer series, we may offer it then as well. Please contact us as soon as possible if you are interested in taking classes, as seats fill up fast. NWPI will also be offering our two 12 hour follow up classes that complete the PDC, Permaculture Solutions for Recharging Landscapes with Water and Earth, and, Permaculture Strategies for Community Building and Global Repair, 2016 dates TBD.

We were impressed with this article on the history of fruit walls and wanted to share the link with you below. Happy 2016 from NW Permaculture Institute!

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Fruit walls in Montreuil, a suburb of Paris

Fruit Walls: Urban Farming in the 1600s, by Kris De Decker

We are being told to eat local and seasonal food, either because other crops have been transported over long distances, or because they are grown in energy-intensive greenhouses. But it wasn’t always like that. From the sixteenth to the twentieth century, urban farmers grew Mediterranean fruits and vegetables as far north as England and the Netherlands, using only renewable energy.

These crops were grown surrounded by massive “fruit walls”, which stored the heat from the sun and released it at night, creating a microclimate that could increase the temperature by more than 10°C (18°F).

Later, greenhouses built against the fruit walls further improved yields from solar energy alone. It was only at the very end of the nineteenth century that the greenhouse turned into a fully glazed and artificially heated building where heat is lost almost instantaneously — the complete opposite of the technology it evolved from….
To read more, visit lowtechmagazine.com

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An English fruit wall. Wikipedia Commons