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Upcoming Events at a Glance September 14th-18th North American Permaculture Convergence, Hopland, CA Monday, September 19th: North Bay Permaculture
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 Singing Frogs Farm Family |
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North Bay Permaculture Showcase |
Monday September 19th, 2016
Depart: 9:00 am – Solar Living Institute, Hopland, CA
Return: 5:30 pm – El Cerrito Plaza BART, 6699 Fairmount Ave, El Cerrito, CA
Cost: $80 (doesn't include optional $15 lunch) |
 Aspen Madrone - BAGT's Sonoma/Marin Tour Manager |
Dive deep(er) into permaculture and resilience with visits to educational centers and grassroots projects on this post-Convergence tour of San Francisco’s North Bay. You’ll gain a deep appreciation for the passionate changemakers who are transforming the Bay Area and building a just world that we can proudly pass on to the next generation! Our fabulous Tour Guide Aspen Madrone will show you a behind-the-scenes view of food forests, intentional communities and educational projects. Visit urban homesteads, permaculture business, no-till farms, private-public partnerships, and more — there is something for everyone on this unique and fascinating tour! |
 Singing Frogs Farm |
Sebastopol
Singing Frogs Farm is an outstanding model of sustainable stewardship and carbon sequestration. This micro-farm combines bio-intensive land, forestry and management theory and has become a highly productive and profitable living experiment in no-till vegetable production. Singing Frog farmers have greatly increased bird and bee populations, as well as their native perennial plant diversity and density. They've also dramatically reduced water usage while producing roughly $100,000 in vegetable sales per crop acre per year!
Recipient of Four Ecological Awards: International Green Institute Hall of Fame Award, Pure Farms' Pure Water Award, Leadership in Sustainability Award, and the National Pollinator Conservation Award |
 Permaculture Skills Center |
Sebastopol
The Permaculture Skills Center is a 5-acre demonstration site, farm school and educational institution dedicated to sharing regenerative land development and management practices in the Laguna de Santa Rosa watershed. Through permaculture teacher trainings, including ones which focus on women’s leadership, their focus is on water harvesting, ecological landscaping, and the development and management of regenerative agriculture systems. |
 Cob House at the Heirloom Festival |
Petaluma
Miguel “Sir Cob-a lot” Elliott of Living Earth Structures is a renowned cob designer whom we'll meet. His mission is to construct high quality living earth structures and encourage community involvement through educational workshops and gatherings around the finished project - whether it’s a cob oven, cob classroom or a cozy cabin. As a bonus you'll get to taste delicious pizza cooked in his own cob oven at the Convergence! |
 Trathen in his bountiful garden |
Petaluma
Daily Acts community leader Trathen Heckman will host us at his home, where he'll share his gardens, chickens and bees, as well as "pockets that you can walk into to get to the food. We’ve got gooney berries, early peach, late peach, wild peach and 40 to 50 different vegetables and fruit trees. We’ve got drive through fast food in the driveway! We’ve copied nature and put layers one on top of the other and used the broken concrete to build up the beds. We have rucola and herbs in the corners and use recycled olive oil drums to hold our recycled water.” Since California is challenged by drought, instead of pulling up lawns to save water, Trathen buries them under compost, cardboard and mulch. He’s installed grey water recycling in his home while replacing his lawn to save water and growing drought tolerant plants and food. |
Save the Date!
October 16th, 2016 11:00 am to 6:00 pm
Come and join Slow Money’s legendary Farm Fest community, made up of entrepreneurs, investors, and food activists! Learn about the wide variety of exciting sustainable food and agricultural businesses in Northern California in the casual setting of a working farm. Tara Firma Farm is a hands-on, powerful illustration of what it means to bring money back down to Earth. Through the showcase and subsequent community potluck, new relationships and friendships are formed that often lead to helpful connections - spawning conversations about funding and other ways to support this cutting edge work.
Tentative Schedule:
11:00 am Tara Firma Farm Tour
12 noon - 1:15 pm Potluck Picnic Lunch
1:15 - 1:40 pm Welcome - Slow Money Entrepreneur Showcase
3:30 - 4:30 pm Farm Tour, Games & Marketplace
4:30 - 5:15 pm Keynote Speaker
5:30 - 7:00 pm Happy Hour, Marketplace, Burnside the Band Plays |
Special Guest Band: BURNSIDE
On the evening of the Farm Fest, join Evan Wiig from the Farmer’s Guild and his band Burnside!
What is the The Farmer's Guild you ask?
The newest wave of farmers, ranchers, and sustainable food system advocates supporting healthy food production by collectively striving toward the economic viability of agriculture, while developing the social networks to attract, cultivate and sustain a new generation ready to work the land.
Check out this Video with a sample of their music or visit their Facebook Page. |
North American Permaculture & Building Resilient Communities Convergence
September 14-18, 2016
Solar Living Institute, Hopland, CA.
We’ll gather together for an inspirational five days of intensive focus with a common goal: to design, build and strengthen regenerative communities & habitats, in accordance with nature, for the benefit of humans, plants, animals, the greater bioregion & the Earth at large.
Visit: Permaculture Convergence |
The Convergence is a combined effort of the 2nd Annual North American Permaculture Convergence and the 11th Northern California Permaculture Convergence. It will bring together an estimated 1,000 permaculture designers, social and environmental justice activists, community organizers, educators, speakers, individuals and organizations from not only Northern California, but also the greater United States, Canada, Mexico, countries from the Caribbean, Central America and beyond. |
 Pond at the Solar Living Institute | |  Relaxing by the Lake at the Convergence | |  Convergence Cob Building Workshop |
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Whether you are a seasoned permaculturalist, a community organizer, a transition town activist, or just a person wanting to learn game-changing skills to live more successfully and in greater harmony with people and planet... and find community in the process…
this Convergence is for you!
Tickets HERE |
 Aquaponicis Demonstration | | | |  Kid Friendly Convergence |
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 Come Visit us at the Convergence! |
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If you’ve ever participated in one of our tours and would be kind enough to share your experience, it would be a wonderful way to support our efforts. Please take a moment to write a few words HERE. |
Bay Area Green Tours Mission
Bay Area Green Tours 501(c)3 provides educational tours and events that demonstrate the sustainable economy in action, inspire support of local green businesses, and empower people to incorporate environmental responsibility and social justice into their personal and professional lives. |
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