Friday, October 10, 2014

Have you been Permacultured yet? well, if you haven't get Permacultured now! The H.O.P.E Permaculture Tour is HERE!



Have you?, no really, have you?  Been permacultured lately??

I can tell you I have, it has stolen my heart, taken my dreams, and tucked them away at the end of the rainbow for me to journey on, quietly walking barefooted on the land, quietly listening to my breath, witnessing what is inside of me and outside.  It has grabbed me by the hand, and shown me a vision of what is possible, a beautiful sustainable future, where individual expression is embedded with social conscience, where compassion is at the core of our hearts, and grace, love and respect for Life rather than fear guide our journeys and our choices.  

Permaculture is a system and a philosophy of creating permanent cultures using ecological design, modelled through the observation of nature, creating long term sustainable eco-systems that can be restorative, rejuvenate and take care of themselves for the most part.  "Permaculture is defined as consciously designed landscapes which mimic the patterns and relationships found in nature, while yielding an abundance of food, fibre and energy for the provision of local needs.... more precisely I see Permaculture as the use of systems thinking and design principles that provide the organizing framework for implementing the above vision"- David Holmgren 'Pathways to Sustainability'.

Traditionally Permaculture is used in creating permanent sustainable gardens and farms that nourish us with delicious goodness.  Permaculture goes to great lengths into evaluating and using the relationships already present in the eco-system to their maximum potential for the benefit and sustainability of all. 

But to me, Permaculture is everywhere! As much as it's principles apply to our outer landscape, they can also be used within.  As Ayurveda says, as within so is without, what exists in the Macrocosm, also exists in the Microcosm.  As much as these principles are tools for creating healthy ecosystems, they are also a means to discover and more so recover our deep ecology and our ancestral connection to the spirit of the earth.  True radiant health can only exist within once we begin to choose to create radiant health through our actions and our lives in our immediate and not so immediate environments.

So if you haven't been permacultuted yet, perhaps you will you will consider joining me and 5 others homesteaders who on Saturday October 18 & Sunday October 19th, will be co-hosting the first annual H.O.P.E. Permaculture Tour in the York-Durham Region, Ontario, Canada.  Come out & learn about permaculture design to create your own sustainable oasis!  2 days, 6 stops. 

Over the past few months myself and 5 other Homesteaders in the York- Durham Regions have gotten together recognizing the need to share our experiences, as well as, inspire and provide others with the tools needed to take self responsibility over our health, the food we eat, the importance of our relationship to the earth and our deep ecology, as well as, the importance of increasing our awareness of being local in our choices.  Out of this desire to be of service the Homesteading Organically to Produce Eco-systems (H.O.P.E.) Permaculture Tour was born. 

During this 2-day tour, we will be visiting 6 different homestead properties that have used permaculture principles in their design and the designers of these properties will be travelling around with the participants to answer questions throughout the weekend. A tour of each site and a workshop at each site will take place at all 6 locations. A bus and shuttle services will be provided throughout the tour.  Camping will be available at Foggy River Farm and there are also B&B's available in the area.  Light snacks and handout materials will be provided, but meals are not included. The bus will be stopping for lunch and additional shopping on both days.

For more info and registration see here: http://permaculturetour.eventbrite.com



I encourage you to check it out, come out, join us.  Spread the word, share the event!.  If you live far away, gather with your fellow homesteaders and start a H.O.P.E. Permaculture Tour of your own! It's not just a tour, it's a movement!

Yours Truly,
Your HOPE Activist,
Naty Howard.


QUOTE OF THE DAY
"Permaculture is the art of the possible."- Graham Bell 'The Permaculture Garden'.