Urban Permaculture's topics - tribe.net

Urban permaculture commons?

2009-11-01T04:03:16Z

Are people familiar with any urban permaculture commons gardens, anywhere in the world, that you could tell me about or refer me to? I'm putting a presentation together for my city council on urban permaculture, to convince them to fund installing permaculture commons on city parks land in Victoria, and it would be great to have some examples to point to. I'm having trouble finding much online...

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Self-intro

2009-06-02T20:26:08Z

Hi, I've just joined this group.

I live in the UK; in addition to getting my tiny backyard transformed into a herb garden I've recently taken on a very overgrown allotment which I'm trying to get something useful out of. Still working it all out as I go along :)

I'm also involved in a Transition group in my area which has recently started up, all exciting stuff!

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Training for Transition in Oakland on May 30th & 31st

2009-04-02T15:54:13Z

Why is the Transition Town model taking off so rapidly? How is it that a grassroots movement intent on the downsizing of modern life is receiving such a groundswell of enthusiasm? What can we do as communities do to address the overwhelming and intertwined issues of peak oil, climate change and economic instability?

Rob Hopkins, founder of the Transition Town model and author of The Transition Handbook, From Oil Dependency to Local Resilience, writes, “It is one thing to campaign against climate change and quite another to paint a compelling and engaging vision of a post-carbon world in such a way as to enthuse others to embark on a journey towards it.” Hopkins proposes that cities might be transmuted from “large, bland places with a few ‘entertainment’ venues, to diverse places with gardens, ponds, artworks, more opportunities for meeting and working with people and generally more to see and do,” where people had “less reason to travel to be entertained.”

“Rebuilding local agriculture and food production, localizing energy production, rethinking healthcare, rediscovering local building materials in the context of zero energy building, rethinking how we manage waste, all build resilience and offer the potential of an extraordinary renaissance — economic, cultural and spiritual.”

Come together to explore the aspects of life that this area needs to develop in order to sustain itself and thrive in the face of oil depletion, economic instability and climate change. How do we increase the resilience of our communities and drastically reduce carbon emissions? Many organizations in the Bay Area have been devoting themselves for years to essential issues related to this question. The Transition Town model is an opportunity to bring all of the ongoing good work into a cohesive framework aimed at creating a sustainable life for all.

Training for Transition is a 2-day "fundamentals" course for those wishing to know how to set up, run, and maintain a successful transition initiative. It is packed with imaginative and inspiring ways to delve into both the theory and practice of Transition.

Price for the weekend is $215.00 if you register before May 15 and $235.00 if you register after May 15.

For more details on Transition Initiatives and Transition Training, please visit: http://transitiontowns.org/TransitionNetwork/TransitionTrainingDetail

Facilitators: Scott McKeown (Transition Sebastopol) and Kat Steele (Transition Big Sur). Both are certified Transition Trainers and are part of the Transition US Training Pool.

To register, please visit: http://www.regonline.com/transitiontowntraining

Questions? Contact Chris Kresser at transitiontowntraining@gmail.com

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Cohousing, affordable, urban permaculture

2009-04-02T15:23:01Z

(please support us by forwarding this to any individuals or lists where people might be interested. Thank you.)

Playful shared meals, clucking chickens, children, artists, cooperative economics, outdoor movies, bicycles, musicians, gardens, bees, healers, social change work, biodiesel, fruit trees...

These are some of the things you'll find in North Oakland...
...at Mariposa Grove.

Is this for you?

COHOUSING/INTENTIONAL COMMUNITY - 2BR CONDO FOR SALE
Sales Price: $32,000 to $83,000 (after subsidies)
Income limits apply

Applicants must attend an open house! See below for details.

MARIPOSA GROVE (open house info below)
"Mariposa grove is a member-owned, consensus-based intentional community in an urban setting that supports sustainability, social justice activism, creativity and the arts. We are creating a permanently affordable home, a physical and social space where we share resources and responsibilities, grow together and support each other to fulfill our personal dreams while providing a model for the larger community of which we are a part." - Mission Statement of Condo Association

We have a rich web of relationships and history among the adults and children living here. Our community culture attempts to reflect our mission, supporting us and our society.

We're also just plain good folk. We enjoy a good time, both together and separately. Most of us have also been involved in both the arts, social change and/or sustainability work. Among the folks here (both in the affordable condos and in the house next door) we include 5 couples, 3 single adults, 4 (soon to be 5) children under 6, and a 13 yr old. Hopefully you'll get a bit of a sense of some of us at an open house. We have bios of many of us in the application packet.

All applicants must attend one of our open houses, read all materials supplied, and complete a written application. A description of our community, open house & application information, membership criteria and directions are contained in this email after the description of the units available.

UNIT DESCRIPTION

828A 59th St. - 2 BR, approx. 530 sq. ft. apartment
This efficient first floor space has beautiful Pergo style floors, new slate floor in bathroom, ample closets in the bedrooms, gas heat and stove, a dishwasher, an herb and flower garden outside the south facing front window and a kitchen skylight. It was remodeled in 2001.

Financial Details
Purchase Price: $197,000
Subsidies Available: $114,000 - $165,000 (depending on income & assets)
Estimated Monthly Cost: ~$750-$1050, (depending on income & assets, Including mortgage, taxes, condo fees, etc. - based on $10,000 downpayment and good credit)
Likely Necessary Annual Income: $25,000
Maximum Annual Income:
$46,350 (for a 1 person household), $53,000 (for a 2 person household), $59,600 (for a 3 person household)
Deposit/Initial Investment: $5,500.00 (Required before move-in. Applied to purchase as part of down payment)
Move in: Negotiable - June 1 to July 1
Monthly Rent between move-in and Close of Escrow to Purchase: $1,135 (+ supplies fee)

This cohousing community is just finishing the process of converting to condominiums. By the time our new member/purchaser moves in this should be completed. Our new member/purchaser should expect to rent until they can complete the process of of obtaining their loan to buy. This could take as long as three months . They will also need to provide a $5500 deposit. Since the unit will be purchased by our new member/purchaser shortly after moving in, they must prequalify with a bank for a loan to buy the unit as part of the application process before moving in.

If your income is higher than the maximum above for your household size, your application cannot be considered. We will also need 3 years of tax returns, recent pay stubs and a credit report as part of the application process, both to verify that your income is not too high, and to make sure you will be able to get a loan. This is also for people who have not owned a home during the last 3 years (possible exceptions for displacement due to divorce, or comparable situations).

Depending on your income & household size, from $114,000-$165,000 in combined subsidies will be available for you from the city of Oakland, the state, and the nonprofit we are affiliated with for first-time homebuyer downpayment assistance. This is what will keep the monthly purchase cost as low as listed above.

THE COMMUNITY (more info in person and in application packet)
Condo association- 3 buildings on 2 lots sharing back, side and front yards. Total of 6 units, plus a common unit, cohousing style. Willow House, an adjacent house, is legally separate but we are in most ways socially one community and share resources (like our yard and gardens).

Physically we're about 10 min from Ashby Bart in North Oakland, close to Berkeley Bowl, Whole Foods, independently owned cafes and farmers markets. We're a collective/cooperative/consensus-based group, and we eat together about twice a week right now. There's also lots of shared space - our common unit contains shared living & dining rooms, a kitchen, guest room, laundry, art room, office, and more. Our community hosts fruit trees and gardens, 6 chickens, bees, a children's play area, a cozy swing nestled in back yard, a firepit, kiwi vines, many fruits and vegetables growing around the back and front yards, a covered workshop area, an enclosed deck, especially good for classes and gatherings, and open decks ideal for quiet contemplation over morning coffee/tea.

The community was founded in 1999 and a friendly non-profit (Northern California Land Trust - NCLT) purchased the condo property in 2005. Mariposa Grove condo members are co-owners with the Land Trust and formed an LLC corporation which oversees the property and has worked with NCLT to do the condoization (should finish in early May).

Monthly rent (or condo fee after you have finished your purchase) of each unit includes water & sewer, but not PG&E. There is also a small household fee assessed per adult that covers supplies like toilet paper, DSL, laundry soap, dish soap, community retreats, chicken feed and some shared entertainment.

OPEN HOUSES & APPLICATION
We are having two open houses for anyone interested in the units:
Sunday, April 27th, 1pm-4pm
Saturday, May 3, 11am-2pm

We will hand out applications and other materials at the open house. We will not distribute applications by email, or at any other time other than open houses.

If you are interested, you MUST come to one of the open houses. Applications are due Wednesday, May 7th. (note: it is unlikely, but there is a slight possibility that we will add a 3rd open house - if you absolutely cannot make it to one of our open houses please email us to tell us why, and let us know more of your availability. If we add a 3rd then we will attempt to coordinate your availability with that of others in the same situation)

If we invite you to an interview you will need to submit additional financial information.

If you want to learn more about Mariposa Grove, please visit our website (which is in the process of being updated. Please revisit within a couple days) at http://www.healthyarts.com/mariposagrove. Bring any questions you might have to the open house. Please do not email questions. We expect many people will be interested and we can't commit to responding to them via email. Thank you for your understanding and interest.

MEMBERSHIP CRITERIA
The owners of the affordable condos will be selecting our new member/purchaser.
Here is part of what we will look at in choosing a new member.
More details are in the application packet.
- desire to live in a cooperative/collective environment
- willingness, interest, & ability to share the
workload of organizing the community including
attending regular group meetings
- willingness & interest in cooking for the group
semi-regularly
- skills in dealing with conflicts
- emotional and communication skills
- involvement in social justice/social change
work/activism
- interest and ability to carry projects that will
make Mariposa beautiful, interesting and open to
broader communities
- creative, artistic sensibility
- experience living or working in diverse environments

DIRECTIONS
Mariposa Grove
828, 832 & 834 59th St., Oakland
cross street Martin Luther King Jr. Way

via BART: get off at Ashby. Come out on the west side of
the station (towards MLK rather than Adeline), cross MLK,
and walk South down MLK. Stay on MLK as it goes under
the BART tracks. Turn right on 59th St. to 828 & 832.

via CAR/FREEWAY: take 580 to rte 24, then take the 51st
Street/MLK exit (first exit). Stay to the left for
MLK. 59th street is the 3rd light. Turn left onto 59th
and go to 828 & 832.

BOTH: 828 & 832 are a little past halfway down the block,
on the right. One house is green with red & yellow trim the
other is yellow with red & cream trim. Down the driveway
in the middle is the backyard and where you will likely find
people. Give a yell if you need to. If you don't find someone
quickly, knock on any door.

--

Mariposa Grove
CoHousing / Cooperative / Community
Creativity & Social Change

email: <mariposa@ic.org>
web: http://www.healthyarts.com/mariposagrove/

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school gardens

2008-01-05T13:30:18Z

http://hubpages.com/hub/How-to-Start-A-School-Garden

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Solver

2007-12-22T21:02:32Z

Are you a Solver?

http://www.innocentive.com/

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Urban permaculture group

2007-12-15T13:25:59Z

new group:

http://naturalgardeners.ning.com/group/urbanpermaculture

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Natural Gardening Social Network

2007-12-08T01:49:24Z

I have set up a social network for natural gardeners here:

http://naturalgardeners.ning.com/

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The Green News

2007-08-23T14:00:39Z

We make a difference each and every day. The problems arise when we do not know or refuse to acknowledge our connection with Nature.

Humans, even when they behave otehrwise, are Nature. We can choose to build a sustainable world or we can ignore the connection and risk our future.

http://www.squidoo.com/greennews/

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Greening Project

2007-07-13T15:28:31Z

The work on the greening project proceeds. The weather hsa been cool and wet so i am not as far along as I wanted. However, i have a few things in bloom. My priority has been to build soil. The site once had a hosue on it and is sandy and rocky. The city also dumps snow along its perimeter, This is snow cleared off the streets.

I am graduallyly reclaming the land and it will be a wildflower emadow when complete well it will never be complete but will evolve.

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mid June

2007-06-13T19:39:44Z

we have some new members so just checking in what are people up to, I have finally been able to leave my tomato plants out overnight..

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Digital Photo Exhibition

2007-06-10T15:14:22Z

Africa54 is hosting a digital photgraphic exhibit. the categories are, Food, Water, Your Backyard and Your Neighbourhood. Stay tuned for details.

http://africa54.com

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One day

2007-03-07T15:14:50Z

1day is a call to every person to take one day off on the 21 March 2007 and make the smallest possible carbon footprint.

http://1day2007.org/

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Intro to Permaculture Course: Washington, D.C.

2007-03-04T23:48:12Z

Intro to Urban Food Gardens:
Gardening as if your meals depend on it.

April 6- April 8, 2007. Washington D.C.

Learn to garden organically in an urban environment.
This two and a half day hands-on workshop includes: raised bed gardening & design, soil preparation, perennial food foraging systems, and composting—all through a permaculture approach.

Permaculture is a method of working with nature to design systems providing basic human needs such as food, shelter and health. This workshop will provide an introduction to the wisdom of permaculture and its possibilities for application in Washington D.C.

Intro: Friday, April 6th. 7-10pm. Location: To be announced.
Part I: Saturday, April 7th. 10am- 5pm. Location: The 7th Street Garden.
Part II: Sunday, April 8th. 12pm- 6pm. Location: The 7th Street Garden.

Cost: $250, due March 16th. *Work/trade or scholarships available for qualifying residents. (Intro & Part I only: $200)
Deposit: $125, due March 9th.
For more information and to register contact: Liz at 7thStreetGarden@gmail.com or (202) 722 2962

About the 7th Street Garden: Located on 7th Street, NW, between P and Q, the 7th Street Garden is a project in collaboration with Shaw EcoVillage and Bread for the City. The 7th Street Garden is a highly productive community food garden wherein low-income residents learn to grow, cook and market local produce. We are committed to an integrated community food project in collaboration with local organizations and the people of the Shaw community. The garden will greatly contribute to food security, economic opportunity and environmental enhancement in the Shaw community.

www.the7thstreetgarden.squarespace.com
www.shawecovillage.org,
www.herbnwisdom.com/Permaculture.php

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school yard gardens

2007-03-03T19:20:20Z

http://www.squidoo.com/schoolgardens/

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agroforestry

2007-03-02T15:22:37Z

http://www.squidoo.com/agroforestry/

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Urban permaculture lens

2007-03-02T13:55:24Z

http://www.squidoo.com/urbanpermaculture/

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Green Infrastructure

2007-02-24T15:38:33Z

Green infrastructure - the ecological processes, both natural and engineered, that act as the natural infrastructure. It includes ditches, creeks, wetlands, parks, open space, trees, green roofs, gardens, working lands, aquifers and watersheds that supply drinking water.

http://www.squidoo.com/greeninfrastructure/

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Care for people

2007-02-01T20:56:38Z

http://www.squidoo.com/give-so-others-may-live/

I have created this lens to make people aware of projects where the participants are seeking to reclaim their lives and communities either through education or sustainable agriculture. They are seeking funding to bring their plans to life. Where possible I have included the names, telephone numbers , and email addresses for the people who are organizing these efforts. You may contact them directly. In fact, I encourage you to make contact and be a neighbour.

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setting up an online conference

2007-01-15T21:24:37Z

Greetings, at the moment I am trying to determine if there is any interest in setting up an online urban permaculture conference. The technologies exist to make this happen, for example, we could use yahoo messenger's conference facilty at no cost. There are othehr possibilities and that is one thing we can explore how best to do this online work. I love to travel but to take a trip to talk about ways we can build sutsainable communities and reduce our energy use, for example, just seems wrong.

Thoughts?

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Food Not lawns; a review

2007-01-10T12:11:52Z

I reviewed Heather Flores excellent book on my Growing Green podcast. Growing green urges people to use the tools that already exist to live in harmony with Nature and to design and build sustainable communities. Flores’ book is one such tool. It can be used by individuals and community groups to make a difference. I especially like the fact that it fits so well with the we have got to get back to the garden theme.

http://permafrog.podhoster.com/rss/279

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Everything Gardens

2007-01-05T19:33:10Z

an excerpt from a longer article that i wrote.

Everything gardens. All living beings must eat. Humans purchase, trade, hunt, or grow. Animals hunt. Plants convert sunlight to food energy. All living beings must have nourishment. This is a basic need. This basic need is also common ground. Food production and food distribution, carried out to meet this basic need, are the common ground upon which we can build sustainable communities. Food production, otherwise known as agriculture and food processing, can create sustainable employment, healthy neighbourhoods and a strong local economy.

How we grow and transport food from the farm to the kitchen defines our society. Fast Food is becoming our most popular food delivery system and it is one of the most environmentally unfriendly. It is not sustainable to use so much energy to produce the paper, plastic, styrofoam and cardboard that we all too often find on our highways, sidewalks and city streets. How many miles does that ‘special’ meal travel before you eat it? How many gallons of fossil fuel are used in its production, storage and distribution?

A certified organic label means that no synthetic products have been used in the food production processes, this includes livestock feed. Organic food may still travel hundreds and thousands of miles from where it is produced to where it is consumed. This transportation requires fossil fuel use just as non-organic food does. The organic labels do not guarantee that there is equity in the work place or that fair labour practices exist.

Food, organic and non-organic, travels hundreds and thousands of miles to reach your plate. It is time to bring the field closer to the kitchen. Permaculture is a way to make this move. The word permaculture was coined, from the words permanent and agriculture, by its founders, Bill Mollison and David Holmgren. Since then for many permaculture designers, including the writer, permaculture is also a contraction of permanent and culture.

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We are what we eat

2006-11-01T14:08:27Z

We are what we eat. We do live in a fast, very-little-time-for-anything, I-am-so-busy world. That does not change the fact that we are what we eat. The human body and the Earth are interconnected. The minerals that form in rocks are ground down to soil, and this is taken up by plants. Humans either eat the plants directly or eat the animals who eat the plants.

The health issue is: Are there sufficient minerals and trace minerals in the food you are eating to provide your body with what it requires to function properly? What you eat is your choice. I do believe that it makes more sense to make informed choices rather than doing what is convenient. Consider this, does a fast food diet meet your optimum health requirements?

What impact do pesticides have on your health? What chemicals are used in the growing and processing of the food you eat?

The health issue is only one of three factors that determine how sound your food choices are. Over the next three weeks we will look at how all three, health, environment and economy are interdependent.

Now there are far too many people who have limited choices. The options that are accessible to people living on a low and fixed income are noticeably fewer than those who receive a higher income. Food is a commodity. Many of the good things too eat, such as blueberries and strawberries, are expensive. Organic meat and vegetables cost more. On another note, the cost of living is rising. Is your income?

Our food system is complex and far-flung. Food is much more than eating. How we move food from the field to the kitchen can define the society within which we live. Do we really want to dependent upon oil and long distance transportation?

If you want to eat healthy but have little time, you can consider buying a slow cooker*. You can prepare tasty and hearty food simply. Supper can be started in the morning before your leave the house and left to cook on low all day. Slow cookers are ideal for soups and stews. Beans, peas and lentils add low-cost add food value to your food budget. Search the Suite for recipes and more on using a slow cooker.

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Urban agriculture

2006-10-25T15:03:54Z

Urban agriculture is the growing of plants and the
raising of animals for food and other uses, and related
processing and marketing activities, within and around
cities and towns.

Urban agriculture has received increased attention in
the past few years from development organizations
and national and local authorities in developing and
developed countries.

With its multiple functions, urban agriculture plays an
important role in urban poverty alleviation and social
inclusion, urban food security, urban waste
management and urban greening.

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