Gettin' back to it

January's full moon, north of Steamboat Springs, Colorado

Happy February 1st!  Are you thinking about your garden yet, or your spring plans, or anything else that involves more outside, in the sunshine, warm weather time? I am, as I frequently say, already "exploding with ideas" and in an effort to get them a bit more under wraps and get my mind-space more coordinated, I realized I've been ignoring this perfect forum for all of the ideas that have been arising out of many interesting conversations and experiences...

Hello Idea Tree, I’ve missed you!  Keep in mind, I’ll be working out all the kinks on the blog in the coming days and weeks.  I’m also thinking it’d be great to add some tabs for categories e.g. Gardening, Food/Recipes, DIY, Interiors, and Miscellaneous and equally interesting ideas.  Any input is greatly appreciated...what do you want to hear and see on The Idea Tree?

Here’s a little bit about what I’ve been up to in the past few months.  I returned to beautiful Colorado at the beginning of November and was simultaneously inspired and completely exhausted from everything I’d learned and experienced.   Over September and October my time in California was spent studying permaculture, working on an organic farm, attending a multitude of conferences and events, and spending time with many wonderful individuals.

I arrived back home feeling torn about where I wanted to live, what I wanted to pursue, and a lot of other frustrating feelings that are probably fairly normal for a 24 year old.  After an equally exhausting holiday season traveling around the country, exploring potential places to relocate, my partner and I finally decided that Colorado is truly where we want to be.  It was true for us that after leaving a place we’ve both lived for a long time, we inevitably ended up appreciating and recognizing a lot that we love and would miss if we were to make a move at this time in our lives.

There is still a lot that I’m trying to figure out, and I believe when I’m 80 years old, I’ll still be trying to get myself together.  So here’s to recording some of things that inspire me and will hopefully inspire you this year!

A Day in Pictures: Mano Farm, Ojai, California.

Justin, co-founder of Mano, taking a much needed break from the sweltering heat and making a to do list.  

Clay, the other volunteer/work-exchanger, also from Colorado!

 A seed-saving project creates wonderful results.

 Dirty, sweaty, happy.

 Enormous radishes!

 The long driveway into the farm, lined with pomegranate trees.

 The little shade structure where CSA members can pick up their share.

Three of the CSA members, smiling and ready to dive into this week's glorious share of veggies: purple brussel sprouts, eggplant, peppers, radishes, carrots, mustard greens, romaine lettuce, arugula, rainbow chard, frizz kale, and zucchini. http://www.manofarm.org/

Duh, False Economies Don't Work for Real People.

What we all have in common with each other today, to many different extents, is the shared experience of a fallen economy.  With this, comes an array of other problems with a similar idea at its core: that (for the most part) people have forgotten about what economy actually means.  The Greek root of the word "economy" is oikonomia, meaning "to manage one's house".  So what does it mean to manage one's house, today and throughout history?  To me, I think of comfort and stability.  Also pertaining to the ancient origin of this word, are the ideas of stewardship and resource use.  Inherent to the idea of "house" is the idea of the land, the foundation on which that house is built.  So, in looking at our current economic problems, here and in the rest of the world, it's easy to see what connection is missing, that between the land and the management of the house.  And don't worry, I'm not ignoring the other key component here: the managers.  We, the people!  

Sorry for the little academic introduction, but growing up, most of us no doubt probably thought that the word "economy" for sure had something to do with money, paper money that is, a "fiat" or artificial currency used to dictate our very lives whether we want it to or not.  

For the last couple of weeks, I've been staying with my aunt and uncle in Ojai, CA.  I have often struggled with the idea of money, especially coming from a wealthier family and not needing to work as often as many of my peers.  Not to say I don't have a healthy work ethic, I have been volunteering at an organic farm for the last three weeks, but it's not the same as busting my ass everyday to feed myself or my family.  

The truth is, many people are struggling to create a healthy relationship with money, regardless of their financial situation. The irony being that money doesn’t even seem to represent anything real or tangible anymore, so how can we create a relationship with it?  If we could all just pay each other in fruits and vegetables....

Myself, as well as a few other family members, have been trying to cultivate a more honest relationship with money and how it is used and viewed in our society.  Last Thursday night, a good family friend, who also happens to be a "socially responsible" investment advisor, hosted a little gathering of folks from the Ojai area, wealthy and not, who came to talk about money, what they think of money, and how we can use it to do more good in the world.  David had just attended the Slow Money conference in San Francisco, and the dialogue that ensued during our little gathering had less to do with specific steps to take and more to do with general ideas that can be used to bring in a larger understanding of how society interacts via money and ways to "slow down" your money.  Slowing down your money is essentially spending to support local goods and services that in turn support the local economy, the environment, and spark development of the community.  You can watch the little video below to learn more.

By Woody Tasch

Many of the titular ideas I mention in the rest of this post have been adapted from ideas mentioned during our gathering in Ojai.  Thank you to everyone that offered their words of wisdom and also to people everywhere who are working to create their own wisdom and awareness of what a "sustainable" economy actually looks like.  Seeing as I’m no financial guru or advisor myself, take into account that I’m not offering the answer, just simple inspirational tidbits that can be applied to other topics as well. 

"Money is energy"

Think of the last time you were riding along as passenger in a car with a friend or family member that happens to be a really bad driver.  Did you find yourself gripping the passenger door for dear life?  Or maybe holding onto the seat, unconsciously hoping that in the event of an accident, you'd be just fine?

Knowing that most people have experienced this exact thing, think about what it means to hold onto money, especially while the government and hoards of multinational corporations are driving us into a deeper hole of debt, bad economics, and hugely devastating externalities.  Is it really going to do that much good to hold onto our money so tightly, when we know, whether consciously or not, how much good that money could do to actually pull us out of this mess?

So now picture that money as a bright ball of energy.  When you're afraid, what might be your first instinct?  To grip it, tightly, hoping that it might protect you?  But what does money do more than anything, especially in our society?  It perpetuates greed, insecurity, and most of all, it breeds fear within ourselves and in future generations.  People hold onto money out of fear, fear of not having.  Now think of what happens when you give money away to people that have none or at least not enough to be doing what they need it to do.  Money can be used in a way that benefits a person’s life, a great business idea, an organization, or an entire community.  It not only feels good, but in a way, it's like letting that energy flow out of you and into another person.  The energy is no longer contained, burning everything up inside and leading to that familiar empty feeling, which eventually wants to be filled up with what?  You guessed it, more stuff!

When we use our money to buy stuff that we don't need (and by no means am I claiming to be innocent of this), in a way we're continuing to hold onto that energy.  Our species evolved to live off of very little: food, water, shelter, clothing, love, and friendship, little else was needed to satiate our appetites, both physical and emotional.  The lesson here is to let it flow, in terms of our attachment to money and the money itself.  I'm not condoning that we give away all or even most of our money, and we can still save for our children's college funds, retirement, and other necessary things, but especially with investments, think of all the people we could help, even with just a little bit.  Think of all the good it could do for fostering or broadening your relationship to the community you live in.  

“Dreaming the Future You Want to Live In”

When we create the purpose of our money, it immediately leads to a feeling of purpose in our lives.  And even if you don’t have money, finding a way to go out and make it can be a way of finding the purpose of your life and your money all at the same time.  By no means am I saying this is easy, especially seeing how difficult it’s been for many folks in all generations to find secure and fulfilling jobs and careers.  Financial dependence, or even independence however, is not the only way of succeeding.  What about financial interdependence? Aren’t we all tied together in this mess?  Then, working together, as a manifestation of our inherent interconnected nature ought to be the best way of getting out of it.  So, how do we do this?

“A Strategy Based on Generosity”

Whether we give more of ourselves or more of our resources, generosity is a powerful conductor of life energy between people.  “Gifting” societies have existed in various forms all over the world for thousands of years.  Many of these societies lack any agreement between peoples giving and receiving gifts of goods and resources, and continue to work simply by the iteration of a tradition fueled by a heightened awareness of mutual reciprocity and well-being of the community.  Other strategies of economic exchange have appeared via alternative currencies and the reinvigoration of bartering systems throughout the world.  Not only are these economies more sustainable, they also require more communication and cooperation between people, thus forcing people to "turn off the T.V. and talk to each other" as one woman said at our gathering.  A simple yet incredible solution.  You can read more about gifting economies at this Huffington Post article or here. 

As a last thought that ties all of these ideas together is that of a “Creativity Support Network”.  I have no idea if I’m the first to coin this term or if it’s been used before, but the idea behind these networks is that through generosity, letting money flow more freely within communities, and recognizing our financial interdependence, we’re automatically supporting creative processes and innovations that will work to solve many of the environmental and social problems pervasive in the world.  Money can be a huge source of worry and anxiety for many people.  Let it instead be a source of hope and inspiration.  

Conversations with Your Inner Revolutionary

It's been a whirlwind these last few days and weeks, but what an amazing journey it's been. I'm definitely struggling with all the driving I've been doing lately, but I'm happy to be back in beautiful Marin County to attend the Bioneers Conference taking place this weekend.

On Monday, I'll be heading back down south to continue my work/volunteer stint at Mano Farm, where I've been learning a ton about seed saving and small scale organic farming. Don't know about Bioneers? It is worth checking out if you're interested in changing the world for the better. In fact, I was fortunate enough to have an article about the conference published on elephantjournal which you can check out here.

Plus, elephant also posted a great article that includes a few videos of speakers from past years.

All of the events, courses, and activities I've witnessed and participated in during the last month seem to be in perfect alignment with many other events occurring throughout the world. For instance, the Occupy Wall Street campaign has completely taken over countless other cities and new offshoots of the protests continue to arise. Lot's of interesting articles are being published about these protests, some of which can be checked out at the links below:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/12/opinion/theres-something-happening-here.html?_r=1

http://westandwiththe99percent.tumblr.com/

http://www.elephantjournal.com/2011/10/we-are-the-99/

In addition to all of the far away, amazing, and change-inspiring activities taking place, I seem to have chosen the right place to spend this Fall, because everyday I hear about a nearby lecture or event taking place that pertains to exactly what I'm passionate about. Already, I've seen numerous academics, activists, and environmental experts speak in person, and tomorrow I will be attending Bioneers with a press pass (!!) - giving me the incredible opportunity to witness interviews with even more incredibly visionary people. I feel very blessed to be here at this time in my life.

For this post, I wanted to share an excerpt from a commencement speech made by Paul Gilding, author of The Great Disruption, whose work is mentioned in the New York Times article above. I find his words especially evocative of the hope and perseverance many of us need to be reminded of during this era of political back-and-forths, global crisis, and general chaos.  

From "On Leading a Useful Life"

"There is in my view, no contradiction or confusion in all the things I’ve done. It’s been a long exploration on how to live a life that is happy and useful – trying to make the world a better place and being of service, while enjoying the process of doing so.

Through this life, I’ve developed the core beliefs and values that now guide me and that I want to share with you today.

1. We are slightly evolved monkeys.

Firstly, I believe we are, as Jared Diamond argues in the Rise and Fall of the Third Chimpanzee, slightly evolved monkeys. We’ve been animals, driven by basic instincts like survival, eating, passing on our genes and protecting our immediate families for many, many millions of years. For a very short 40,000 years or so, we’ve been vaguely human. So be patient with humanity, we’ve only just started being people and we’re not very good at it yet. It is very much a work in progress, and one definitely worth contributing to.

2. Ideology is a cancer.

I’ve learnt the hard way, to have a deep distrust of ideology and fanaticism. Whether it’s been hanging around with communist trade unionists, corporate free marketers or anti-capitalist environmentalists – I’ve seen ideology be a cancer that blinds us to seeing the way forward. So be open to new ideas. Yes, be clear and firm on what you believe, but listen carefully to others beliefs and test yourself constantly. Be comfortable in being wrong, changing and moving on.

3. The system is a mirror – focus on the behaviour not the institution.

I believe that society, or the system in which we live, is a mirror. Money is not evil. Companies are not bad. Charities are not good. Goodness and badness is in people’s behaviour not in institutions. We are the market, we elect the politicians, we get the media we pay for, we build companies by buying from them, we create the pollution that is killing us. We created all that you see around you. The system is a mirror that we need to carefully look into each day and observe our reflection. So focus on the behaviour.

4. Attacking others mobilises emotion but also creates resistance.

My early activist days were all about attacking others. This was a great way to mobilise emotion both amongst our own supporters and the media. Seeing things in black and white is easier and more fun. It makes you feel righteous because you see others as wrong.

But it’s not actually very helpful if you want to fix something. The legacy of conflict is ideology, bitterness and resistance to change. We need to confront bad behaviour directly, we need to simplify and communicate what’s wrong with it, but, if you’ll allow me one, gender insensitive, sporting analogy, we need to play the ball, not the man.

5. Act with good intent.

I also believe in the importance of intent. When you act, be clear on your intentions – know what you’re setting out to achieve and why you’re doing so. Who are you acting for? What is your motivation? Is it clear? If your intention is good, then get on with it, but be easy on yourself when you make mistakes – adjust, refocus and move on.

6. Fun is great, but pursue happiness not distraction.

Fun is critical and helps us be happy. We should enjoy our lives, not have them be some kind of suffering obligation. But remember fun comes from satisfaction, not from distraction.

Helping others is a form of positive self interest. Helping other people succeed or making the world a better place is fun and brings me great joy. It’s not a sacrifice I make, but the way I gain satisfaction and generate a feeling of having a useful life. It makes me happy.

Conclusions

What does all this mean for you?

Let me finish by asking you to consider the following three suggestions as you go forth and consider your future.

1. Above all else, lead a useful life. Whether it be as a painter, a scientist, a cook, a father, a mother or a teacher, spend your life pursuing your passion and doing so in a way which leaves something positive behind. Make the world a better place for your visit.Don’t leave it to the end, facing mid life crisis or late-life guilt and then decide to contribute something, as so many wealthy businessmen do. Start today, right now and keep doing it every day from here on. So please, be useful and make a contribution.
2. Secondly, be happy. Not entertained, not distracted, but happy. Look within, find yourself and work out how to nourish the soul inside. Happiness comes from satisfaction. A job well done, a passion pursued, a life well lived.
3. Thirdly, be nice to others. Keep it simple. Make your partner a cup of tea. Thank people who help you. Thank your parents for doing their best. Teach your children respect, by showing it to them. Love other people…and love yourself."

You can see the full text at this link: http://paulgilding.com/who-is-paul/personal-values-and-philosophy

My good friend Lindsey and I filmed a little video about her cool and super easy to use compost system. She was also kind enough to write up a little blurb about her experience. Something to keep in mind that she forgot to mention is moisture. Keep in mind the natural humidity and moisture levels in your climate. For my compost pile back in Boulder, I need to water often to ensure that it doesn't dry out and kill the helpful microorganisms and insects doing all the good work for me. In Marin County, where Lindsey's house is, moisture might not be such an issue. Just remember, all life needs water! So if it's hot and sunny outside, give it some aqua lovin' and the detritivores and decomposers will thank you!

"After a terrible and failed attempt at composting last year I decided to give it another try, this time with a few adjustments. For my first attempt I bought a large garbage bin and dumped a bunch of my food scraps into it without stirring it much and without adding any brown material. I learned a lot from this and made some crucial adjustments. For one, I made sure that the compost material was connected to the soil. I now stir my compost on the regular and I took the time to read up a bit on what exactly the recipe is for a healthy compost. There are some great online sources out there detailing the types of material that help.

For the second time around I was a little tight on money and also didn’t want to buy something new, so I decided to look around my house, yard, and garage for some old trash cans or something that could work as a bin. I found two that would suffice, and used a power drill to saw off the bottoms of both. I sawed off about the bottom half of both. I then drilled a bunch of holes in the side of the bins to support air circulation and ventilation for the compost. Finding a good spot for your bins is important too, one that is easily accessible for you and preferably one that gets some sun. I found a great spot on the side of my house that was unfortunately run over by tall grass. After an hour of pulling the grass up I took a hand fork hoe and dug around at the soil to prepare it for the wonderful nutrients on the way. The soil was not too bad, definitely dry and with a few rocks. After sifting it a bit and making sure there were no more large stones it was ready. The next and final step was placing these two (one also works) bins into the area by turning the ends into the soil a bit until an inch or two of soil was covering the bottom. Grab the lids of the bins and top ‘em off and there you go, you are ready to compost!!

As far as what goes into your bins, there is great information out there online, but its not too hard to figure out. Basically there are two groups of material that you want to make sure are in balance- half “green” material and half “brown” material. Green materials are high in nitrogen and include vegetable and fruit scraps, coffee grounds, grass clippings, etc. Some examples of brown materials that are high in carbon are newspaper (and most types of paper that don’t have too much ink), dried plant remains, and tea. It’s nice to keep a container inside your house of the material you will add to your bin, and I chop the material a bit to help the speed up the decomposition process. One more crucial step to successful composting is STIRRING! A great friend advised me on this one and I find it one of the most important steps. Each time you add something to your bin, stir, stir, stir! Once a day is great, and definitely each time you add something new.

Go for it!! It’s an amazing addition to your life and if I can do it, anyone can!"

Hi everyone, I have tons to write! So much that it can't all be done in one post. Alex and I safely arrived in Ojai last night after spending the weekend with our traveling permie crew and a few more friends at the amazing Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival (a FREE fest that occurs every October at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco). My brother Ira, sister-in-law Aileen, and baby Meg are on their own adventure on the East coast and we're making camp in their wonderful house for the next few days. Work at Mano Farm begins tomorrow morning and I'm so excited to meet Justin and Quin, the founders and operators of Mano and its growing abundance of beautiful veggies and medicinal herbs. It also helps to have family here in Ojai (my aunt, uncle, cousins, and bro and sis and niece when they return) and it's going to be an amazing three weeks.

Here's a link to a little video about Mano farm: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/manofarm/mano-farm-community-supported-agriculture-food-jus

This morning, I finally finished compiling the ever evolving permaculture book list. Many were titles thrown out and passed around during our course in September while others are my own recommendations, or recommendations of other students. To boot, I've added whatever websites, documentaries, and other authors I could scribble down. Please feel free to add to or correct the list by using the comment function on this blog. Or comment to say "what's up" or whatever you're feeling as you transition into civilization again. WOAH!


I will also be adding my own videos from the class to this site, as well as a plethora of photos and relevant information.


This blog is a community space. Obviously, it's in its early stages but I would love to extend the invitation to any and all of you Permies and other folks that might feel inclined to write up a little post, or op-ed piece, or whateva you damn well please! You can email me and I'll post it with your name up here on my groovy and overly simplified cyber bulletin.

Once again, thank you for reading, everyone. For those I met in the last couple weeks, please keep checking back for tidbits from our class or to read whatever I write, or to publish something of your own.

Book List for All

OAEC Permaculture Intensive Sept. 2011

Mentioned by both instructors and students

Permaculture One - Bill Mollison and David Holmgren

Permaculture Two - Bill Mollison

Permaculture: Principles and Pathways Beyond Sustainability - David Holmgren

Permaculture: A Designers' Manual - Bill Mollison

The One-Straw Revolution - Masanobu Fukuoka

The Integral Urban House - Sim Van Der Ryn, Helga Olkowski, Institute Farallones Institute

Food Aid After 50 Years - Christopher Brendan Barrett, Daniel G. Maxwell

Self-Sufficiency for the 21st Century - Rick and Dick Sturges

Tree Crops - Joseph Russell Smith

Tending the Wild - Kat Anderson

Lost Crops of the Incas - National Research Council

Lost Crops of Africa - National Research Council

1491- Charles C. Mann

1493- Charles C. Mann

Cradle to Cradle - Bill Mckibben

Botany in a Day - Thomas J. Epel

Agriculture in the City: A Key Sustainability in Havana, Cuba - María Caridad Cruz, Roberto Sánchez Medina

Farm City - Novella Carpenter

By Nature’s Design - Pat Murphy

Animal Skulls - Mark Elbroch

The Fractal Geometry of Nature - Benoit B. Mandelbrot

Sacred Geometry - Stephan Skinner

Divine Proportion - Priya Hemenway

The Power of Limits - György Doczi

Water Storage - Art Ledwig

Watersheds - Clive Dobson and Gregor Gilpin Beck

Rainwater Harvesting - Brad Lancaster

Water For Every Form - unknown

Fearless Speech - Michael Foucault, Joseph Pearson

Open Space for Democracy - Terry Tempest Williams

Living Water: Viktor Schauberger and the Secrets of Natural Energy

The Synergistic Garden - Emilia Hazelip

The Earth Care Manual - Patrick Whitefield

Perennial Vegetables - Eric Toensmeier

Barefoot Architect - Johan van Lengen

Totem Salmon - Freeman House

Energy Efficiency and Environmental Landscaping - Anne Simon Moffat, Marc Schiler

Natural Building - Joseph Kennedy, Catherine Wanek, Michael G. Smith

Biogas Handbook - David House

Rocket Mass Heaters - Ianto Evans and Leslie Jackson

Humanure Handbook - Jospeh C. Jenkins

Urban Homestead - Kelly Coyne and Erik Knutzen

The Carbon-Free Home - Stephan and Rebekah Hren

Microhydro: Clean Power From Water - Scott Davis

Acquiring Genomes - Lynn Margulis and Dorian Sagan

The Farmer’s Earthworm Handbook- David Ernst

Sepp Holzer’s Permaculture

The Rebel Farmer - Sepp Holzer and Konrad Liebchen

The Secret Teachings of Plants - Stephan Harrod Buhner

Imperfect Balance - David Lewis Lentz

Dirt - David R. Montgomery

Holy Shit - Gene Logsdon

The Soul of Soil - Grace Gershuny and Joseph Smillie

Teeming with Microbes - Jeff Lowenfels, Wayne Lewis, Elaine Ingham

Carrots Love Tomatoes: Secrets of Companion Planting...- Louise Riotte

Companion Planting - Susan McClure and Sally Roth

The Science of Dogon: Decoding the African Mystery Tradition - Laird Scranton, John Anthony West

(see also, Sacred Symbols of the Dogon and Cosmological Origins of Myth and Symbol)

Supernatural: Meetings with the Ancient Teachers of Mankind - Graham Hancock

(see also, other works)

The Best Thing I Ever Tasted - Sallie Tisdale

Wild Fermentation - Sandor Katz

(see also, The Revolution Will Not Be Microwaved)

The Findhorn Garden - George Trevelyan and The Findhorn Community

The Secret Life of Plants - Peter Tompkins, Christopher Bird

What’s Mine Is Yours: The Rise of Collaborative Comsumption - Rachel Botsman, Roo Rogers

Other authors:

Sepp Holzer

E.O. Wilson

Vandana Shiva

DVDs:

Bill Mollison- Global Gardener

Graham Hancock's BBC documentary series: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mn3qV1BN3Ow)

Geoff Lawton- Harvesting Water: The Permaculture Way

The Milagro Beanfield War

Food Fight

Michael Ruppert’s Collapse

Online resources:

http://www.transitionnetwork.org/

www.stellanatura.com

www.collapsenet.com

www.oilfreefun.com

www.keepersofthewaters.org

www.botanical.com

http://liberationpermaculture.wordpress.com/