2021
Inland
Northwest
Permaculture
Guild
Convergence

Save the Date!

Sept. 10, 11, 12

 We'll hold this year's Convergence once again at Ken Casler's beautiful farm and retreat center,
Casler Farm
1266 Mosquito Creek Rd.
Clark Fork, ID

Watch our website for details.

Monthly Perma-Blitz Prep-Party Weekends will be happening beginning in May.

Call (208) 597-4843‬ for more information.

 You can pre-order plants from Friends of the Trees for pick-up at this sale by visiting:
https://friendsofthetrees.square.site/

Have questions about the plant sale or being a vendor?
Email Us

Medicinal Herb Micro-Farming Workshop - Spokane, WA

with Michael Pilarski / Friends of the Trees Society

Saturday April 17, 2021

10:00am – 4:00pm

Followed by the Plant Sale and Garden Exchange

Register Here
Starts at $70

Location:
Backyard Herb Garden
7213 N. Regal St
Spokane, WA 99217
View Map

This workshop will be geared towards small-scale, commercial production and will include hands-on activities and tool demonstrations. Useful for those already growing herbs as well as beginners. Topics Include: Design, planting, species, harvesting, irrigation, weeding, marketing and so much more. We will look at examples of rhizomatous bed crops, annuals, biennials, 4-year root crops, long-term perennials, sub-shrubs, trees, etc. We will discus how to start new plots using a tractor or hand tools. How to achieve good production starting in year one and every year thereafter.
We will be touring an established herb and vegetable garden as part of the workshop.
Bring:
Brown bag lunch
Water bottle / Thermos
Garden gloves
Come prepared for the weather
Folding Chair
Umbrella if rainy, so you have a dry place to take notes
Notebook and Pen
This is an outside event. Masks are optional with social distancing.
About the instructor:
Michael Pilarski "Skeeter" is a farmer, educator, author and permaculture instructor who has devoted his life to studying and teaching how people can live sustainably on this Earth.  He grows a diversity of medicinal and food plants in complex, agroforestry systems.  Blending permaculture, restorative ecology and ethnobotany to enhance restorative land practices. His Herb Farm, Friends of the Trees Botanicals, has grown a wide diversity of crops in permaculture and agroforestry systems since 1972. He has been farming medicinal plants for the last 34 years in Eastern and Western Washington with a focus on small-scale and low capitalization. Pilarski’s 1/4 acre micro-farm in Chimacum, WA grossed $45,000 in 2020 (year 3).
Website: FriendsoftheTrees.net

Plant Walk & Wildcrafting / Foraging Workshop - Spokane, WA

with Michael Pilarski / Friends of the Trees Society

Sunday April 18, 2021

10:00am – 4:00pm

Register Here

Location:
Dishman Hills Natural Area - Camp Carol Parking Lot
698 South Sargent Road
Spokane Valley, WA 99212
View Map

We are surrounded by useful plants wherever we go. Native and non-native plants. Food, medicine, seeds, fibers, craft materials, building materials & more.
We we will be walking trails and talking about the plants we meet. The information will be useful for wildcrafting for home use as well as commercially. We will introduce the main medicinal plants found in Eastern Washington with optimum timing of harvest, collecting techniques, tools, processing, drying and sustainable wildcrafting guidelines.
Bring:
Brown bag lunch
Water bottle / Thermos
Come prepared for the weather
Umbrella if rainy
This is an outside event. Masks are optional with social distancing.
About the instructor:
Michael Pilarski "Skeeter" is a farmer, educator, author and permaculture instructor who has devoted his life to studying and teaching how people can live sustainably on this Earth.  He grows a diversity of medicinal and food plants in complex, agroforestry systems.  Blending permaculture, restorative ecology and ethnobotany to enhance restorative land practices. His Herb Farm, Friends of the Trees Botanicals, has grown a wide diversity of crops in permaculture and agroforestry systems since 1972. He has been farming medicinal plants for the last 34 years in Eastern and Western Washington with a focus on small-scale and low capitalization. He is the author of “Ethnobotany and Ethnoecology Resource Guide” and “Growing & Wildcrafting Medicinal Plants in the Pacific Northwest”.
Website: FriendsoftheTrees.net

The Practice of Sustainable Herbalism

By Jessica Spurr
Earthly Apothecary

Walking through the fields I see the skeletons of last year's plants, the St. John's Wort with its red stalks, the stems of the Yarrow, I feel the cool breeze on my face and feel grateful to reside in a place plentiful with its own medicine. These previously stated plants are in abundance here, as well as many other herbs I gather and process into medicine for humans. But what about other folks? Those who live in the city or other Urban areas, those who do not have their own space to gather from, where do they go to wildcraft? It is possible that some know of places to look for things, but it is more likely that many do not. State and National Parks are off limits when it comes to wildcrafting, for good reason! That could lead to widespread over-harvesting. So folks that are without their gathering spots have two options: Grow your own or turn to the Internet.
Growing your own when possible is important to consider. There are many endangered medicinal plants that can easily be cultivated in a small space, including a container on your balcony or steps. American Ginseng, Kava Kava and Lomatium are a few on the list of at risk herbs that you can cultivate (for a full list visit https://unitedplantsavers.org/ whose populations are endangered have a responsibility to grow our own whenever possible. This is something to be taken seriously, because we do run the risk of losing species. If it were not for forces like United Plant Savers (UPS), it is entirely possible that American Ginseng would have been lost forever. On this note, there is a fantastic book by Richo Cech (who is on the board of UPS) that I would encourage all to read: Growing At Risk Medicinal Herbs, in its second edition. It is a read worthy of your library.
Okay, so for the rest of the folks that cannot grow their own, we have a wonderful tool: The Internet! Online is a great resource – especially during Covid, and is useful for sourcing all kinds of things. But with this unlimited access to buy and sell, some things can easily be pushed to the back of our minds, things like sourcing, sustainability and ethics. There are wonderful markets online, like Etsy, where one can find hand crafted goods, including herbs. And then there are an abundant number of companies selling bulk herbs and medicines. However, in our longing to craft our own medicines, it can be easy to get ahead of ourselves in pursuit of the best deal for the most amount of material.
Vetting herb vendors takes a bit more time, research, and sometimes try-it-yourself approaches. There are things to look for in Bio's, Item Descriptions etc. (sustainably wildcrafted is a common term). I have found that most folks who are going out of their way to treat the plants, the process and the product with respect will go out of their way to tell you.
In the meantime, I would really like to point a light to some excellent examples of sustainably crafted sources of plants and medicine. Anyone can harvest some material, dry it and resell it online, however, someone who truly loves plants, their medicine and people will put the time and effort into gathering & crafting a beautiful product worthy of your purchase. By the way – I choose to boycott the worldwide monopoly that Amazon and the Bezos empire has created, not only for their part in out-competing small business, but also because they are unkind to their employees and actively discourage union organizing.
Friends of the Trees, currently in Port Hadlock, WA: Michael Pilarski has been the purveyor of herbs, books, extracts, permaculture, songs and more since 1978, he is a fabulous teacher and has the utmost respect for the plants.
Frontier Organic Co-op: Birthed in 1976, this company supplies many health food stores and co-ops (you may have seen their products in the bulk section). They were one of the first strong advocates for organic agriculture, and their commitment to sustainability is written all over their business model. https://www.frontiercoop.com/

MoonWise Herbs: Linda Conroy resides in Wisconsin, and is an organizer for the Midwest Women's Herbal Conference. She has an incredible bio on her website that has so many inspiring things – you'll just have to go read it yourself!
Mountain Rose Herbs, in Eugene, OR: This company was originally started by Rosemary Gladstar in 1987. They support only sustainable agriculture and have many philanthropic paths.
Strictly Medicinal: Richo Cech is the author of two fantastic books about herbs: Making Herbal Medicine, and Growing At Risk Medicinal Plants He is also on the board of United Plant Savers. From seed to plant, this is a great company.
Certainly there are many other fabulous herbalists that you can support, and I encourage everyone to do their due diligence. Just because something is affordable does not mean it should be, nor does it mean that it was treated with respect. Sustainable harvesting and growing our own is the way to go, and is paramount to all the future generations of plants and herbalists.

Permaculture 101 at UHURU

An Introduction to Regenerative Design

April 10 - 11
Rice, WA

$200 (or make arrangements)
Includes six outstanding meals
and invaluable instruction.

For information, call 509-738-7373

UHURU is a sustainable eco-community in the Huckleberry Mountains south of Kettle Falls, Washington. UHURU is organized for the study and practice of sustainable, cooperative rural living; and for the study and use of renewable energy sources, appropriate technology and permaculture.

Permaculture is an ethical design approach rooted in observation of ecological processes. These processes act as a framework for creating regenerative systems for human material and non-material needs, including food, shelter, and energy, as well as economic, legal, and social structures. Permaculture’s hallmark is the beneficial integration of internal and external elements within a given space for optimal function, production and beauty. Systems designed using the permaculture approach mimic nature in order to minimize waste, maximize efficiencies, and produce abundant yields. Permaculture itself is not a discipline, but rather a design approach based on connecting different disciplines, strategies, and techniques.

Footehills Farm Plant Sale

May 1st

7915 E Cooper Ln., Colbert
9am- 4pm

Footehills Farm is a 10-acre smallholding in a pine/fir forest in Colbert, WA where Torie and Thom Foote are creating a sustainable, energy efficient market garden farm using permaculture principles and agroforestry. They raise chickens, native timber, fruit trees, berry bushes, medicinal and culinary herbs and are in the process of building a 3400 sq. ft. "close to net zero" home. Every year they host WWOOFers in a tinyhouse and teach them valuable agrarian skills. In the future, guest houses, including yurts, will be built for visitors.

Footehills Farm Website
Footehills Farm on Facebook
Questions?
Send them an email.

Friends of the Trees’ Spring 2021 Schedule

Eastern Washington
April 10, Twisp: Farm tour of 25-year old Agroforestry System & Plant Sale
Open House 1:00pm to 4:00pm
Friends of the Trees Agroforestry Farm
250 Twisp River Road Twisp, WA
Free! Please RSVP
Plant Sale  4:00pm to 6:00pm - Open to the public.
Pre-order plants online or just show up and shop in person.
April 11, Manson: Medicinal Herb Micro-farming Workshop & Plant Sale
Workshop 10:00am to 4:00pm
Chelan Valley Botanicals
530 Lower Joe Creek Road Manson, WA
Register
Plant Sale 4:00pm to 6:00pm - Open to the public.
Pre-order plants online or just show up and shop in person.
April 15, Tonasket: Medicinal Agroforestry Farm Tour and Plant Sale at Edible Acres Farm
Farm Tour 1:00pm to 4:00pm
Edible Acres Farm
29 Alvarado Road Tonasket, WA
Free! Please RSVP
Plant Sale 4:00pm to 6:00pm - Open to the public.
Pre-order plants online or just show up and shop in person.
April 17, Spokane: Medicinal Herb Micro-farming Workshop & Plant Sale
Workshop 10:00am to 4:00pm
Backyard Herb Garden
7213 N. Regal St., Spokane, WA
Register
Plant Sale 4:00pm to 6:00pm - Open to the public.
Pre-order plants online or just show up and shop in person.
The Spokane plant Sale will be held in conjunction with
the Inland Northwest Permaculture Guild's Plant, Seed and Garden Exchange.
Bring plants, seeds, seedlings, gardening tools, books etc. to sell or trade.
Fee for vendors: $10.00
Bring your own table please.
April 18, Spokane: Plant Walk & Wildcrafting / Foraging Workshop
10:00am to 4:00pm
Dishman Hills Natural Area
Camp Carol Parking Lot
698 S. Sargent Rd., Spokane Valley, WA
Register
All of these are outdoor events with social distancing
Friends of the Trees Society put on its first tree sale in 1978. At the height of its career in the late 1980s, its tree sales were held in 24 different towns across northern Washington, north Idaho and Northwest Montana. Some of the tree sales evolved into public plant exchanges. Tonasket and Twisp Washington were two of the most regular tree sales. Over 200 tree sales have been held over the years. Many thousands of our trees, shrubs and plants are still growing throughout the region. Let's keep planting!

If you are an aspiring herbalist who would like to increase your knowledge from the ground up, the Three Women's Herbal Apprenticeship may be the affordable, local, and hands-on experience you are looking for!

Coordinated by Herbalist, Carla Martinez of Perianth Herbs, the April through November 2021 schedule provides:

--Herbal Wildcrafting & Botany: This field class is held one full Saturday per month and is led by Carla Martinez.

--Intro to organ systems: These classes will occur one evening per month. Join herbalist, Mary Schmidt, via either an in-person class near Spokane, or online.

--Intro to herbal preparations: These classes will occur online one evening per month. Join herbalist, Dianna Michaels, and explore the many methods for utilizing herbs in your life.

--Work Trade Field & Farm: Join Carla for a 2nd Saturday each month doing work trade in her garden. There will be an introduction to what we are working on and an individualized presentation assigned to each student present for future presentation. (This Work Trade keeps the class cost low.) The garden is located near Davenport, WA, approx. 35mi. west of Spokane.

NOTE: For all field classes and work trade we will be following COVID Safe Distancing and held outside. Masking will not be required for this portion of the class. If you choose to wear a face covering, I recommend a breathable respirator style as we will be hiking and working.

Cost: $275 non-refundable payment DUE March 25th, plus work trade. Students will be registered on a 1st come 1st served basis with a cap on the number of students. For more information on the schedule and class details and to reserve your place, please contact Carla ASAP at perianthherbs@yahoo.com or (509) 725-1421 (Landline, no text).

The Inland Empire Gardeners Plant Sale

May 8th

Spokane Community College

8am - 5pm

TIEG Website
TIEG on Facebook
Questions?
Send them an email.

NorthWest Vendors Market

6206 E Trent Ste.B.
Open 7 days a week from 10-6pm

We are just in the process of opening a booth at this site for
plants, salves, tinctures, etc. There will be 2 booths after April.
These are places where guild members could sell things. Those
that do would share in the monthly rent and help arrange/set
up wares they are selling. Talk to Torie if you are interested.
torie.foote@gmail.com

 This Newsletter is distributed electronically by the Inland Northwest Permaculture Guild Newsletter Service.
Email: zone1@inlandnorthwestpermaculture.com

Please consider donating to the Inland Northwest Permaculture Guild at the amount you can afford.

DONATE

Thank you!