INPG Newsletter - February, 2017
Urgent: We Need Your Input by Feb. 14 - Which Venue for the Convergence?
Dear permaculture friends and associates,
We would like to ask your opinion concerning two venue choices in
Montana for the 2017 Inland Northwest Permaculture Convergence (INPC).
When there is a decision to be made and an unclear path, it's good to
bring the issue to the general INPC membership and the permacultural
community in the Inland Northwest .
Apologies for the short notice, but please send us your feedback by the
end of Tuesday, Feb. 14 as we have an organizing conference call the
following day when we will be making this decision. Details below.
We are aiming for the dates of September 1-3, Labor Day weekend, for
the 2017 INPC.
On-line registration should be open by March 1 if not sooner.
Choice #1 - Crow's View Farm: An 80-acre homestead property near Ronan
recently purchased by a family who wishes to develop it along
permaculture lines, possibly as an on-going educational venue. There
can be hands-on activities to help move the farm forward that would
offer varied learning opportunities. Having the INPC there would really
help them out. We would be using portions of the large farmhouse,
equipment shed and other outbuildings. There are 4 spaces that are
covered for presentation rooms. We would have to create more kitchen
facilities and a lot of infrastructure. There would need to be some
serious work parties prior to the event. The Views are great. Crow's
View is bordered by natural tribal property. It is a fairly wild
setting within a mosaic of rural, agriculture, ranching, wild lands and
forests. INPC would be contributing to the development of Crow’s View
in a permaculture way. This could be the start of a long-term
relationship. Crow's View is 9 miles off hwy 93, right between
Kalispell and Missoula. Easy drive, good roads for those 9 miles. It's
also only 15 minutes from Flathead lake.
Choice #2 - Town of Hot Springs, MT: A combination of adjacent venues
in the town of Hot Springs. Alameda’s Hot Springs Retreat has motel
rooms and meeting rooms. The Tribal Nutrition Center has a large
commercial kitchen and dining hall. Towanda Gardens (permaculture
garden and nursery), and the Camas Recreation Hall with its large
meeting rooms. If we did it in Hot Springs there is a dedicated group
of permaculturists and friends who will help make it happen (we have 23
people on our list already). We would be influencing the whole town
since many people will stop by and check it out. There are a lot of
permaculturish things to look at in Hot Springs for field trip
possibilities and work parties. We would like to see a work party at
the school garden. People can soak in the hot springs. Hot springs is
about 30-45 minutes off hwy 93 north of Polson on hwy 28, which is how
we get to 90 to Spokane. It's about 1.5 hrs south of Kalispell so not
right between there and Missoula but not far off center.
Both venues are on the Flathead Reservation. We may or may not get more
tribal participation at Hot Springs because it is public space and two
of the facilities are owned by the tribe.
Our intrepid organizer Tawnya Rourke-Kelly has put together a
comparison chart to help folks consider the options. Go
HERE to
view the chart.
Which choice do you prefer?
Choice #1. Rural homestead.
Choice #2. The small, quaint town of Hot Springs. . .
Thoughts…. Feedback… Questions…
We will let you know what the organizing committee decides and will be
inviting your participation and assistance in the exciting 2017 INPC.
Send feedback to Tawnya Rourke Kelly
tawnyark@gmail.com
(406) 471-0022
Northeast Washington Permaculture Guild Monthly Meeting
Thursday, February 16 at 5 PM - 7 PM
Meyers Falls Market
160 E 3rd Ave, Kettle Falls, Washington 99141
Bring something for the potluck. BZ Israel will talk about seed saving
techniques. Bring some seeds to swap with fellow meeting participants
Announcing the Inland Northwest Permaculture Guild's
annual Seed Swap
Saturday March 4th, 12:00-4:00pm
Community Building, 35 W Main Ave. Spokane
Tables will be available for participants to display their goods. A $10 per table donation is suggested.
Questions? Contact Thom Foote, foote.thom@gmail.com
There are different ways to participate in the Seed Swap. Here they are:
1) Come to the Seed Swap (don't forget to bring
your unbridled curiosity);
3) Come to the Seed Swap with seeds* you collected to barter or sell (you
can bring your curiosity too);
3) Come to the Seed Swap with your own hand-made, agriculture-related
crafts to barter or sell (curiosity ok);
4) Come to the Seed Swap with literature and materials about your food
and/or ag-related non-profit organization (please contact us first). There
will be a lot of curious people walking through.
*The Inland Northwest Permaculture Guild encourages everyone bringing seeds to try and bring only open-pollinated, heirloom seeds that you grew or collected yourself. Invariably people also bring their old packages of store-bought seed to seed swaps. If bringing store-bought seed, please make sure the people you exchange seeds with know the seed company and the "packed for..." date for those seeds so they can make informed decisions. To protect public health and safety, GMO or treated seed is not allowed.
What’s a “Seed Swap”?
A group of people coming together to share, exchange and/or give away their extra non-GMO, open-pollinated seeds, starts and cuttings. Sometimes, the seeds are saved by the individual and sometimes they are commercially produced. Many wonderful heirlooms are exchanged at seed swaps.
Seed swaps also turn out to be fun ways to share information with others and develop a growing network of friends interested in growing (and saving seeds!).
Annual seed swaps also help build a community’s inventory of robust, healthy seeds that grow well under different conditions by being grown in different backyards and gardens.
Free the Seeds!
2nd Annual Seed & Start Fair
Location: Flathead Valley Community College,
Kalispel, MT.
Last year, this seed swap attracted 1600 (!) attendees. Impressive. Now they're doing it again.
Go to the Free the Seeds website for details and to sign up
--Vandana Shiva
The Inland Northwest Permaculture Guild is excited to announce the 2017 INPG Plant and Tree Swap, this year in conjunction with the Spokane Sustainable Local Food Colloquium.
Date & Time: Sat., March 25, 2017 - Noon to 4:30pm
Location: Unitarian Universalist Church of Spokane
4340 West Fort Wright Drive, Spokane
In past years when we've put on our annual tree and plant sales, it was fun when folks came with their own plants. Sometimes they donated them to INPG for us to sell, sometimes they traded with us or with other customers.
So this year we thought 'let's make it a Tree & Plant Swap and invite everyone to participate.' Kinda like a seed swap but a little later in the season-- fewer seeds and more live plant material.
No matter if you're a nursery or a hobbyist, farmer or gardener, we welcome you to come.
10' x 10' and 10' x 20' spaces will be available (if you need more, like a truck space, let us know and we'll try and make it work).
People can give away, trade or sell plants, starts, pots, root divisions, seeds, tree seedlings, cuttings, scionwood, succulents, etc.
Important: This year, we are not taking pre-orders. It's a Swap, folks just bring stuff (plants, money, neither or both). As much as we can we will publish a final list of plants and trees, etc. that are likely to be at the Swap. Watch the INPG website for details.
~We are asking folks bring only vigorous, healthy, no-chemical planting stock. This means no GMO. Words like 'heirloom,' 'organic,' 'open-pollinated,' 'unsprayed,' 'locally-adapted,' etc. come to mind when describing what we are hoping to see at the swap.
You can tell us what you will be bringing to the Swap.
We'll publish your list it and draw more customers for you, so do it. Try to get us all your info by two weeks prior to the event. Go HERE for details.
Friends of the Trees Society website.
Do you have something happening and want to get the word out?
We can put things into the next newsletter. We can post them on our
website and social media.
Just send us stuff.
INPG PO Box 2175 Spokane, WA 99210-2175
zone1@inlandnorthwestpermaculture.com
(401) 426-4674 (401 I am INPG)
INPG is on Facebook