An Integrative model for teaching Permaculture creatively
Manifesting Dreams/ Redundancy/ Co Creation/ Post Scarcity Design
Project in a nutshell
Manifesting Dreams/ Redundancy/ Co Creation/ Post Scarcity Design
Project in a nutshell
Goals Articulation
- Bridge the gap between the two extremes of Permaculture teaching- "Heart" and "mind"
- Move into teaching Solo courses to make a sustainable income
- Integrate a strong community building aspect to the course
- Integrate an Action Learning Internship to extend and deepen learning, establish a project, provide financial backing for start- up costs
- Gather all the equipment needed for a mobile course set- up upon my return to the UK
- Collaborate with land owners to create thriving projects
- Demonstrate and imbue effective project leadership skills
Resource Analysis
Equipment/ Resources Owned
Equipment/ Resources purchased for the course
Below; A natural fridge made from unglazed terracotta pots gapped with wet sand- ideal for keeping dairy produce
Resources for the internship (Knowing some particulars for this initial trial course/ internship already)
The materials gathered to make the mobile PDC set- up were accumulated with low impact and simple living in mind. Running on the model of a simple camp kitchen, shared cooking duties, cold showers and simple pit latrines. More details about the actual conscious design aspects can be found in the following chapter.
Using deposits from the course bookings (once an established number were booked) I accumulated all the items I felt necessary to meet bot the needs of a group of people living together for a period on the land, plus the consideration of putting on a high quality diverse training.
Running the course, my first in UK and alone, luckily fell into the hands of my Panya friend Sam. It was decided that Sam would be dealing with the logistics of the internship materials, etc, with myself acting as a mentor and resource in the background. This grounds Sam into the role of organising and leading up the project whilst allowing me to rest into the work after an intense course.
A re-con mission to York earlier in the year left us with clear ideas for venues for day visits, food suppliers and other local resources. A small light industrial estate on rented family land also promised a very local source of firewood, sawdust and scrap building materials.
Equipment/ Resources Owned
- Van
- 2x 6m yurts
- Groundsheets
- 8x 3m Marquee
- Computer/ Hard Drives with vast Media
- Kitchen ware
- Tools- various
- Permaculture library
- Teaching Permaculture Guidebooks
- Experience of a range of courses/ styles/ community building
- Experience with Co Counselling/ NVC
Equipment/ Resources purchased for the course
- Large cooking pans
- Cutlery/ Crockery for 25+ people
- Large heavy duty stoves
- Gas supply
- Projector
- Blankets
- Stationary
- Plant stocks
- Bulk organic whole foods
- Fresh organic vegetable supplier
- Random wood for building showers, camp kitchen, etc
- Rope and string
- Feedback loop with "behind the scene" people
- Check- in strategies
Below; A natural fridge made from unglazed terracotta pots gapped with wet sand- ideal for keeping dairy produce
Resources for the internship (Knowing some particulars for this initial trial course/ internship already)
- Building materials; wood, cob, straw
- Access to vehicles
- Rental of 13 ton digger
- Tools, various
- Wheelbarrows
- Plant stock
The materials gathered to make the mobile PDC set- up were accumulated with low impact and simple living in mind. Running on the model of a simple camp kitchen, shared cooking duties, cold showers and simple pit latrines. More details about the actual conscious design aspects can be found in the following chapter.
Using deposits from the course bookings (once an established number were booked) I accumulated all the items I felt necessary to meet bot the needs of a group of people living together for a period on the land, plus the consideration of putting on a high quality diverse training.
Running the course, my first in UK and alone, luckily fell into the hands of my Panya friend Sam. It was decided that Sam would be dealing with the logistics of the internship materials, etc, with myself acting as a mentor and resource in the background. This grounds Sam into the role of organising and leading up the project whilst allowing me to rest into the work after an intense course.
A re-con mission to York earlier in the year left us with clear ideas for venues for day visits, food suppliers and other local resources. A small light industrial estate on rented family land also promised a very local source of firewood, sawdust and scrap building materials.
Course and Internship Design
The internship follows a weekend resting, where people can go off site and rest, read or socialise;
- The course is structured much the same as many other PDCs I imagine. There is a full evening schedule that is non- obligatory, yet dense if the group is particularly desiring to maximise their use of time. There is a mix of film nights to extend learning, group shares, workshops and fun events such as conscious dance
- All are welcome and valued!! (some of our young mothers were refused entry to multiple courses!)
- Everyday has at least one full practical session, with games, song and ceremony in other sessions, the evening and at breaks
- The course is shaped around progressive integration of newly acquired knowledge, with days following patterns and themes
- The entire structure is flexible and moveable depending on the group energy and desire
- The Group decide their schedule and are regularly involved in community decision making
- The schedule and study discipline is gently held, led from behind, to keep things flowing constructively
- Students cook for each other to reduce costs, support interaction and mutual effort and share favourite recipes and tips
- Students learn about Co Councelling, World Cafe, Integral Theory and Spiral Dynamics, Conscious movement, NVC and the Patrix to form a backbone to the groups "identity"
- Students form "Heart Keeping" and "recap" groups to take care of some of the group processing
- Feedback "think and Listens" allow quick and effective sharing and distress release throughout the course
- 2 or more design projects allow good integration of the design process, a chance to work on personal projects, and focus collective intelligence in the final design on the project being initiated
- Concerns and opportunities that present themselves are utilised for learning experience
- Human care is a central theme and strong community building exercises are valued equally to information cramming
- People are encouraged to stay onsite, or within the locale, to keep the group energy together, and encourage meeting each others needs simply with the resources at hand
The internship follows a weekend resting, where people can go off site and rest, read or socialise;
- The internship follows on from the final design work on the course- We are aiming to implement what matters/ what is priority for the land owner
- Interns are encouraged to work on what excites/ challenges them in line with above
- The schedule for the internship still involves cooking and basic housekeeping, but is more flexible to the groups energy and desires
- Check- ins and work party meetings happen every morning and every 5 days
Heres some slideshows from the PDC
2011 Courses
Below is a video of the results of a powerful Action Learning internship, creating a 50 sq.M living roof to capture water up at The Patch in Norfolk. Built by a handful of people in 4 days, a great example of how community has greater potential than the sum of the individual parts.
OP5 Outcomes
Professional
-
Taught solo PDC
-
Creative leadership development
-
Impair leadership skills
-
Initiate new PC project
-
Establish new model for teaching PC in UK
-
Bookkeeping and organisation skills
-
Creating community
-
Accumulated resources to run mobile courses
-
Comprehensive notes for Full PC courses
-
Online resources for others to utilise
Personal
-
Deeper sense of direction
-
Full trust in my abilities in this field
-
New connections/ friends
-
Deeper understanding of group processes
-
Right Livelihood in action!
Project
-
Initiated exciting new PC project
-
Developed deign for integrated food forest/ perennial/ aquaculture site
-
Built infrastructure for future courses
-
Rapid prototyping of new models of designing educational courses
-
Bridged gap between “heart” and “mind” teaching in PC
-
Initiated courses for next year
Appendices
The Superheros UK ride 2010
http://www.triskelefarm.com/service-to-our-community.html
Switching to UBUNTU- Open Source Tech
I have been waiting a long time to make the switch to OS software. Not only do I support the ingrained values, I also appreciate the collective intelligence that has gone into its creation. My friend totally wiped my computer and installed Ubunu 10.04, giving me the "deep end" treatment in a relativelly restful work period to get used to it.
You can download Ubuntu Freeware here
Living into our visions
OP 5 was originally going to be detailing the process of living into our ideals (Michelle and I) as we returned to the UK full of ideas for a big land based project. This project is PhD material!! Its a huge undertaking over a very long time and so I re- evaluated progress so far and decided to change the content of this OP completely.
Behind the scenes Michelle and I have spent nearly a year designing how we wish to live our lives, what we want to create and how we wish to go about it. We are building a website for the project we wish to initiate here in the UK
http://www.triskelefarm.com/service-to-our-community.html
Switching to UBUNTU- Open Source Tech
I have been waiting a long time to make the switch to OS software. Not only do I support the ingrained values, I also appreciate the collective intelligence that has gone into its creation. My friend totally wiped my computer and installed Ubunu 10.04, giving me the "deep end" treatment in a relativelly restful work period to get used to it.
You can download Ubuntu Freeware here
Living into our visions
OP 5 was originally going to be detailing the process of living into our ideals (Michelle and I) as we returned to the UK full of ideas for a big land based project. This project is PhD material!! Its a huge undertaking over a very long time and so I re- evaluated progress so far and decided to change the content of this OP completely.
Behind the scenes Michelle and I have spent nearly a year designing how we wish to live our lives, what we want to create and how we wish to go about it. We are building a website for the project we wish to initiate here in the UK
www.triskelefarm.com
Living into our ideals as we go...
(Arriving back to the UK)
Applying for a UK passport
After researching on the internet through Consulate sites, then public forums which seemed more legible (!) we discovered Michelle was automatically a UK citizen. This is due to a combination of Her birthdate, Her fathers marital status at time of birth and having all the right documentation. This makes our movements considerably more relaxed knowing that we can reside in the UK without having to constantly deal with visas or working constraints.
Sistering with The Possibility Alliance
The inspiration, confirmation and support we presenced at the Possibility Alliance has led to a shift in our next steps. Michelle and I feel very clear that we want to get super clear about our highest intentions and make sure we are both very clear on the details of what each other is thinking.
We both see clearer that if our vision is simple and clear and we remain committed to both moving continually closer to our highest ideals, whilst remaining flexible in how we reach them, we shall be on the road to success.
We are clear now that we do not want to compromise our highest ideals for anyone elses sake. We want to be inclusive and accessible to anyone and our ideals mean we shall be departing quite sharply from the modern technocratic way of life.
Securing a Low Impact Home
Michelle and I are returning to the UK to live on the inland waterways on a narrowboat. By living this way we can maintain a very low impact lifestyle, rent free, whilst focusing our energy on actualising our visions.
The boats can be fueled with biodiesel, with cooking and heating by wood. It also supports our desire to live simply, close to nature, and aids our transition towards living fully in alignment with our highest ideals.
We bought a reletively new boat that was an unfinished project. This will allow us to build the systems on the boat to our preference, balanced with resale spec/ aesthetics that remain fairly neutral. We began this process by purchasing a 60 year oldRayburn so we can heat/ cook/ heat water by wood. There is regular cutting along the canal which is simply left to rot, a resource we can make good use of.
We can cycle everywhere we need to and have linked the engine cooling to create a tank of hot water whenever the engine is run. This drives radiators and hot water for showers, etc.
Writing out about "Living into"
Our work for this year is simply living into our ideals further and further, getting simpler and simpler. We shall practice articulating our vision to as many people as possible and spread our intentions in an inclusive and dynamic way. Fund raising does not seem a major focus as we "let come" and simply trust that the universe will support such a loving vision.
Below is a copy of a co- created email we sent to our friends and family;
Service as a Eco- Social Action
Our work to bring the Superheroes ride to the UK, and a regular fixture combines our desire to serve as well as connect and network with others whilst spreading our intentions for our project. It is a big part of living into our ideals.
Reconnecting with Family
It is a long journey for me, having been so distant and disconnected with my immediate family for so long. Recently Michelle and I installed a mini food forest with my younger sister. Connecting around shared values and visions like this feels like the beginning of a more engaged time with the rest of my family.
Living into our ideals as we go...
(Arriving back to the UK)
Applying for a UK passport
After researching on the internet through Consulate sites, then public forums which seemed more legible (!) we discovered Michelle was automatically a UK citizen. This is due to a combination of Her birthdate, Her fathers marital status at time of birth and having all the right documentation. This makes our movements considerably more relaxed knowing that we can reside in the UK without having to constantly deal with visas or working constraints.Sistering with The Possibility Alliance
The inspiration, confirmation and support we presenced at the Possibility Alliance has led to a shift in our next steps. Michelle and I feel very clear that we want to get super clear about our highest intentions and make sure we are both very clear on the details of what each other is thinking.We both see clearer that if our vision is simple and clear and we remain committed to both moving continually closer to our highest ideals, whilst remaining flexible in how we reach them, we shall be on the road to success.
We are clear now that we do not want to compromise our highest ideals for anyone elses sake. We want to be inclusive and accessible to anyone and our ideals mean we shall be departing quite sharply from the modern technocratic way of life.
Securing a Low Impact Home
Michelle and I are returning to the UK to live on the inland waterways on a narrowboat. By living this way we can maintain a very low impact lifestyle, rent free, whilst focusing our energy on actualising our visions.The boats can be fueled with biodiesel, with cooking and heating by wood. It also supports our desire to live simply, close to nature, and aids our transition towards living fully in alignment with our highest ideals.
We bought a reletively new boat that was an unfinished project. This will allow us to build the systems on the boat to our preference, balanced with resale spec/ aesthetics that remain fairly neutral. We began this process by purchasing a 60 year oldRayburn so we can heat/ cook/ heat water by wood. There is regular cutting along the canal which is simply left to rot, a resource we can make good use of.
We can cycle everywhere we need to and have linked the engine cooling to create a tank of hot water whenever the engine is run. This drives radiators and hot water for showers, etc.
Writing out about "Living into"
Our work for this year is simply living into our ideals further and further, getting simpler and simpler. We shall practice articulating our vision to as many people as possible and spread our intentions in an inclusive and dynamic way. Fund raising does not seem a major focus as we "let come" and simply trust that the universe will support such a loving vision.Below is a copy of a co- created email we sent to our friends and family;
Service as a Eco- Social Action
Our work to bring the Superheroes ride to the UK, and a regular fixture combines our desire to serve as well as connect and network with others whilst spreading our intentions for our project. It is a big part of living into our ideals.Reconnecting with Family
It is a long journey for me, having been so distant and disconnected with my immediate family for so long. Recently Michelle and I installed a mini food forest with my younger sister. Connecting around shared values and visions like this feels like the beginning of a more engaged time with the rest of my family.
