Join Portland Maine Permaculture

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Meetup Location RSVPs
Dec 1 7:00 PM

31 attended (est.) – 4.00 4.004

Please join us for the third film in our 2009|2010 Permaculture Movie Night Series. This month we will be viewing the "Global Gardener" DVD, made up of four 20-minute segments (approx 80 min total) from the Australian TV show. Though a bit dated, this is still one of the best introductions to permaculture and will familiarize you with various approaches for different climates. Well worth the watch and often considered part of the "foundation" for permaculture learning.

More info about this film:

BILL MOLLISON is a practical visionary. For nearly two decades he has traveled the globe spreading the word about permaculture, the method of sustainable agriculture that he devised. Permaculture weaves together microclimate, annual and perennial plants, animals, soils, water management and human needs into intricately connected productive communities. Mollison has proved that even in the most difficult conditions permaculture empowers people to turn wastelands into food forests.

GLOBAL GARDENER is a series of four half-hour programs on one tape. Each episode looks at examples in different bioregions:

IN THE TROPICS - Mollison introduces the basic principles, and shows results in Australia, India, and Zimbabwe.

ARID LANDS - Reversing desertification in Arizona, Botswana and Australia.

COOL CLIMATES - Europe, Tasmania, and the San Juan Islands in Washington State.

URBAN - New York City and Harare, Zimbabwe.

Reviews:
"(Permaculture) involves caring for the whole system of earth and spaces, devising model systems with much design drawn from nature, with the end result being a system that's ecologically sound and economically profitable...Mollison provides practical and motivating information for just about anyone interested in gardening, sustainable lifestyles, and similar topics...Recommended." Rachel Lohafer, Instructional Technology Center Media Library, Iowa State University, MC Journal

"A lively and informative two hour video that will be greatly appreciated by
gardeners, farmers, horticulturists, and agriculturists." Midwest Book Review

"This uplifting production of positive change shows people, in developed and third world countries, in the bush and in the city, turning waste lands into sustainable food production systems....this video teaches not how to do it, but how to think about doing it. This film is probably the next best thing to taking a class with Mollison himself." Earthworks Magazine

"Highly recommended." Video Rating Guide for Libraries
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This is not a potluck event but feel free to bring a beverage or fruit or sweet treat to share during the film if you so desire!

Movie will start sometime between 7:00 and 7:10pm. Optional discussion to follow.

*Thank you to our friends at Zero Station for hosting the 2009|2010 Permaculture Movie Nights*

Cost: $1.00

Zero Station
Portland, ME, 04101

31 Yes
3 Maybe

Nov 19 6:30 PM

14 attended (est.) – 4.00 4.003

Please join Wolfe's Neck Farm for the kick-off event in their Winter Forum Series entitled Sustainability: Transition to Resilience.

The Community Forum starts with Lisa Fernandes’ discussion entitled “Permaculture for Local Resilience.” Her talk will introduce permaculture and examine how Maine can design resilient communities that have sustainable sources of food, water, and energy.
“Practitioners of permaculture (permanent + culture) envision human societies that know themselves as co-creative participants in natural systems. Permaculture aims to regenerate healthy, productive landscapes and communities by consciously applying ecological principles to the design of human habitats,” says Fernandes, the founder of Portland Permaculture.
She will speak November 19, at 6:30pm at the Freeport Community Library. There is a suggested donation of $5. A short reception featuring food provided by local restaurants will follow Fernandes’s talk. Interested community members will be encouraged to participate in facilitated break-out discussions led by our speaker.

*Note that this presentation is an "evolved" version of one you may have seen earlier this year; This version includes more imagery and examples and will be followed by small group breakout sessions with targeted brainstorming.
-----------------------------------
More About the Winter Forum Series:

“Community Forum Tackles New Ideas, Encourages Community Participation”
Freeport, ME (November 2009). You eat locally, turn the heat down, and carpool. You are an informed citizen, and you donate to local charities and volunteer your time. What more is a thoughtful Mainer to do?
One option is to take part in a new model for learning about and participating in social, environmental and economic change. The Wolfe’s Neck Farm Foundation will hold a Winter Community Forum focusing on the theme of “Sustainability: Transitions to Resilience.”
The Forum is noteworthy for two reasons, says Wolfe’s Neck Farm Interim Education Coordinator, Heather Foran.
“First, the Community Forum tackles important social issues by taking a holistic look at Maine and its communities, and how we can be resilient to crisis and genuinely sustainable. Second, it emphasizes community participation by giving community members a space to come together to face challenges and problem solve.”
Wolfe Neck Farm Foundation has held a Winter Lecture Series the past two years, bringing leaders in the fields of renewable energy and food systems to speak. This year’s Forum adds a participatory, community element: not only speakers and films, but also space for informal dialogue and facilitated break-out discussions.
The speakers and films will address different aspects of resiliency and sustainability, specifically food, energy, and water systems and economics. They will also examine hopeful and innovative models of sustainable and resilient communities, both past and present.
The community dialogue will build on these ideas and aim to create a vibrant and purposeful community dialogue about Maine’s future.

Cost: $5.00

Freeport Community Library
Freeport, ME, 04032

11 Yes
3 Maybe

Nov 14 1:00 PM

25 attended (est.) – 5.00 5.006

An event of special interest to urban and suburban permaculturists....brought to us by Slow Food, Rabelais Books and Cultivating Community.

On Saturday November 14th from 1:00 to 3:00 at Rabelais Books 86 Middle Street in Portland, and in association with Slow Food Portland, Novella Carpenter, the author of Farm City, The Education of an Urban Farmer will give a brief talk on her experiences farming in inner-city Oakland, California.

At Ghost Town Farm on her small plot in Oakland, Carpenter raises vegetables and herbs as well as bees, chickens, ducks, geese and even pigs. She has taken a deserted, desolate lot and turned it into an Eden. Her book Farm City tells of the journey of transformation, and the trials and tribulations along the way. She blogs about her exploits at www.novellacarpenter.com. Carpenter will be joined by members of Cultivating Community to discuss the challenges of farming here in Portland. Cultivating Community farms at the Boyd Street farm.

After the talk Carpenter will sign copies of her book which will be available for sale. For more information go to http://rabelaisbooks.com/rabelais%20home.html

Rabelais Books
Portland, ME, 04101

14 Yes
6 Maybe

Nov 3 7:00 PM

17 attended (est.) – 4.50 4.505

Please join us for the second film in our 2009|2010 Permaculture Movie Night Series. This month we will be viewing "One Man, One Cow, One Planet," a New Zealand film about the work of biodynamic practitioner and teacher Peter Proctor as he travels around India essentially helping to "undo" the work of the Green Revolution.

From the film's web site:
What does an environmentally friendly biodynamic food system capable of feeding everyone actually look like? This film is a blueprint for a post-industrial future. It takes you into the heart of the world's most important renaissance...Why YOU should see this film: Modern agriculture causes topsoil to be eroded at 3 million tons per hour. (that’s 26 billion tons a year). Human mass is replacing biomass and other species. The carrying capacity of the earth is almost spent. To maintain our comfort zone lifestyles we will soon need five earths to sustain us in the style to which we have become accustomed. The mantra of free trade has failed the world’s poor. There is a better way. Human created climate change is destroying the Planet. Ecosystems collapse is not some sci-fi fantasy. It is real and it is happening. Right now.


This is not a potluck event but feel free to bring a beverage or fruit or sweet treat to share during the film if you so desire!

Movie will start sometime between 7:00 and 7:10pm. Optional discussion to follow.

*Thank you to our friends at Zero Station for hosting the 2009|2010 Permaculture Movie Nights*

Cost: $1.00

Zero Station
Portland, ME, 04101

25 Yes
3 Maybe

Oct 24 9:00 AM

No rating yet

As permaculturists and advocates of "sustainability" we work actively to create resilient and abundant versions of the future. At the same time we must honestly face the fact that there are likely to be (and already are) enormous challenges in store for us personally and for our families and communities as we cope with economic upheaval, climate change and peak oil. Difficult episodes and, indeed, tragedies, are a natural part of life. Yet, just as we would prepare our own households for hardships (stocking the pantry, having candles and flashlights handy, etc.) we simply must prepare ourselves to be resilient in the very fiber of our emotions and attitudes.

Consider the personal implications of job loss, foreclosure, food and/or fuel shortages, widespread illnesses ... as well as the human tragedies that we all encounter such as deaths, disabilities, broken hearts and life changes of many colors.

Duct Tape Isn't Enough isn't focused on preventing adverse events from occurring, but on preventing human beings from being devastated by them, on building the skills and the attitutdes that are required to survive adversity. This training will prove valuable to each of us in ways we can only imagine right now.

This is a half-day training (9am to 1pm) is composed of six modules:
- Defining resilience and reviewing the skills and attitudes needed to maintain it (I)
- Taking your own personal resilience "inventory" (II)
- Resilience skills through storytelling (III)
- Your plan for building resilience (IV)
- Helping others, teaching others (V and VI)

Duct Tape Isn't Enough focuses on inherent "human technology" and what you can do to survive the challenges facing our society in the 21st century. The program is based to a large extent on The Maine Resilience Project which began in January of 2007 and has been delivered to many public and non-profit agencies since then, receiving very high praise. This workshop will be facilitated by Ron Breazeale, Ph.D.

The fee for this 1/2 day training is on a sliding scale of $40 to $60 and includes the newly published companion workbook of the same title ("Duct Tape Isn't Enough") which retails at $29.95. Please pay what you can (the higher end of the scale if you have abundance in the form of cash). The workbook is suitable for both reinforcing your work in the session as well as sharing your learning with others.

Morning break refreshments/snacks and a perpetual coffee/tea station are included.

Portland Location is being confirmed.

Cost: $40.00

No location was chosen for this Meetup

7 Yes
0 Maybe

Oct 20 6:30 PM

12 attended (est.) – 5.00 5.005

Please join us for our monthly potluck meal to catch up with one another in a casual way and get updates on our schedule of events coming up for the winter.

**Update ** Before our primary discussion begins, we'll be having a quick "public service announcement" from Orion Breen about Hour Exchange Portland!

The potluck will be followed by a discussion of an important topic that could influence the fabric of our local communities. Those of you who live in and around Portland might know that the city is in the process of rewriting its Charter (the city's version of its own "constitution."). Learn about the Charter process and why this historic opportunity to affect how we organize ourselves in future is of interest to permaculturists.

What if the charter not only affected governance and "process" but also acted as a guiding document toward resilience and true sustainability that could affect the entire greater Portland region?

Portland Location TBD

6:30 to 7:00ish Potluck Supper
7:00 or 7:15ish Announcements and Presentation/Discussion (Karl Rawstron + possibly a charter commission member)
8:30 Wrap-up

Potluck Breakdown
Last Name A-G: Bring a salad or side dish
Last Name H-M: Bring a snack or appetizer-type item
Last Name N-S: Bring bread or a beverage
Last Name T-Z: Bring a dessert

Please remember to bring your own potluck kit (plate/bowl/utensils/cup/napkin)! Please consider bringing your digital camera and posting up a few photos after the event!

Potluck food safety ideas here:
http://fycs.ifas.ufl.edu/news/2007/potluck.htm

Cost: $1.00

Only members of this Group can view the location for this Meetup

11 Yes
0 Maybe

Oct 10 9:30 AM

No rating yet

“Three does and a buck will give you a rabbit to eat for every three days in a year. “ - The Cottager’s Monthly Visitor, 1823

*** Postponed until early 2010*** Email organizer if this topic interests you ****


If you choose to eat meat and would like to learn about raising rabbits as a safe and humane way to provide meat to your family, this 2 to 2.5h session will get you started. Dot Perkins and her husband have been raising meat for their family for over 20 years, including meat rabbits. She is a strong advocate of humanely raised and butchered backyard livestock. Come listen to all the facts and many practical tips pertaining to raising this healthful, economical meat. Information about breeds, housing, winter care vs. summer care needs, breeding and problems will be discussed. In addition we will discuss (but not demonstrate) some butchering techniques.

On a personal note, I can attest to the fact that Dot is one of the most knowledgeable and compelling speakers on topics of food production and small-scale homesteading. She was born into a farming family and has been raising animals and food all her life. And if she didn't work for the NH Cooperative Extension she could probably make a living on the comedy circuit...but that's just my two cents and she'll hassle me for saying so:) Hearing her talk on any of these topics is well worth your time.

Note: It is your responsibility to find out if backyard meat rabbits are suitable for your local zoning/ordinance situation.

Portland Location - To Be Confirmed

We need at least 15 people for this event to be a 'go.' If we don't get enough people I will refund your attendance fee.

Thanks,
LisaF, Organizer

Cost: $12.00

No location was chosen for this Meetup

9 Yes
0 Maybe

Oct 6 7:00 PM

30 attended (est.) – 4.50 4.507

Please join us for the first films in our 2009|2010 Permaculture Movie Night Series. This month we will be viewing three short films (about 30 min each) about the extensive permaculture work of Austrian Sepp Holzer. The films are "Farming with Nature," "Aquaculture," and "Terraces and Raised Beds." This is a great opportunity to see some extensive cold-climate permaculture in action.

Sepp has built one of the largest functioning permaculture farms in Europe and has done so by carefully observing and working with nature over the years. Known to some as the "agro-rebel," Sepp had been practicing permaculture long before he ever heard the word!

This is not a potluck event but feel free to bring a beverage or fruit or sweet treat to share during the film if you so desire!

Movie will start sometime between 7:00 and 7:10pm. Optional discussion to follow.

*Thank you to our friends at Zero Station for hosting the 2009|2010 Permaculture Movie Nights*

Cost: $1.00

Only members of this Group can view the location for this Meetup

28 Yes
1 Maybe

Oct 1 6:30 PM

7 attended (est.) – 4.00 4.001

Repower Maine is is organizing community discussions across the state. At this event they will be talking about how clean energy legislation moving through the US Senate will help Maine, and how individuals can get involved in the weeks ahead. If you haven't been able to attend an event yet, this is a good opportunity to meet the local Repower staff and get your questions answered.

Colin Beckman is organizing this event. To learn more about Repower visit their web site: http://www.repoweramerica.org/us/maine

Light refreshments will be served, along with specific suggestions for clean energy advocacy.

Zero Station
Portland, ME, 04101

7 Yes
3 Maybe

Aug 29 1:00 PM

9 attended (est.) – 5.00 5.004

Please join our own local locavore Alison Page for an in-depth workshop, including hands-on, on preserving food using lacto-fermention. This ancient and effective method is a low-energy, low-tech way to create deliciously preserved foods.

This is a repeat of the AM session. Email the organizer if your desired workshop is full and we can add you to the waiting list.

Each attendee will gain a thorough understanding for how this process works, work as a group on the preparation of at least two different lacto-fermented recipes and have the opportunity to take home at least one jar of the finished product at cost (we will secure fresh organic ingredients at farmers market the week of the workshop). Based on the date we will most likely make a salsa and a carrot-ginger recipe but that may change based on availability of fresh ingredients.

Location: A Portland Public or Community Kitchen TBD (email me if you have suggestions)
1pm to 4pm


$25 Fee Per Person - includes our expert instructor, mid-session refreshments and handouts. You are encouraged to bring a notebook as well.

Please see our Meetup Event RSVP Guidelines:
http://permaculture.meetup.com/58/messages/boards/thread/5233158#20208623

The event fee is only refundable up to 14 days before the event (unless we have to cancel it for some reason). If you cannot attend you can certainly transfer your spot to someone else and we will provide a list of names on the waiting list, if there is one.

You can learn more about Alison LePage here and here.

Cost: $25.00

Public Market House Community Kitchen
Portland, ME, 04101

8 Yes
0 Maybe