washington state permaculture/homesteading stuff

[Paul Wheaton]

I hope that this is appropriate. I suppose if it isn't this post will disappear - and I'm cool with that.

I know there are a lot of us in washington state. I'm currently in western washington (long story).

Recently I was talking to few different groups of people about how the local classes/workshops/events/etc. seem a bit sparse. And the folks putting them on are saying that turnout is low. After talking for a while, it turns out that the real problem is people finding out about what is going on.

So then we talked about how to remedy this so that we can get lots of great classes happening in the area! We've devised something that takes very little time and, we think, will have a huge impact.

There are two big initial steps:

1) beef up the Seattle Permaculture Guild newsletter events. It's already pretty healthy, but we think there are probably a half dozen great things going on every weekend that are not currently on the list. It's a wiki, so anyone with a password can update it. http://seattlepermacultureguild.org/...rentNewsletter

2) spend ten minutes a day, twice a week in the permaculture forums I set up - we're adding several area specific forums. Each forum takes me about 30 seconds to create. And we are finding some really great groups that want such a forum.

With a little effort from a few dozen people, I think we can make some huge progress in the area.

Thanks!

[Wayne02]

Thanks for posting this, Paul. I had no idea all this was going on in the area.

[Paul Wheaton]

Originally Posted by Wayne02

Thanks for posting this, Paul. I had no idea all this was going on in the area.

EXACTLY!!!!!

And the big thing is that I think there can be 10 times more than that going on. It's just that when somebody thinks of presenting something, they don't know how to let folks know. And folks don't know it's happening.

In the forums at http://www.richsoil.com/bb/index.php?topic=264 we're talking about what kinds of classes/workshops/events we would like to see in the area. I think a lot of them are the sort of thing that almost anybody on this site would like to go to.

I posted something there last week about learning more about wild edibles and I then got an email about a forming group! It's already paid off!

[homesteadmama]

Funny you should mention this--I was just thinking today about where I might look for some homesteading-type classes around here! I have been doing this homesteading-thing for a long time, but there are a lot of things I would like to try, and branch out a bit in areas I haven't had a chance to before. Here at the Evergreen State College--they actually have a degree program in Sustainable Agriculture. But, it is in the Environmental Department and you have to jump through all the hoops to get into the course itself. I have tried to talk them into offering a class or two as part of the continuing education program they offer, so that those of us around here who would like to just take a class or two could--but they say there would not be enough interest and it would cost too much. So--I, for one would really like to see what is out there in Western Washington--with special emphasis on setting up drip irrigation systems-rainwater cachment systems--backyard beekeeping--the in's and out's of using a small tractor for a small piece of land--and backyard dairies! I learn so much more when I can actually see what others are doing than just reading a book or magazine article. Be really interested in what you come up with for this side of the mountains!! Thank you!! Lynn

[Paul Wheaton]

Go to this thread on Seattle workshops and express what sort of events you would like to participate in.