PGE along with Wiggy and Next Seven Farm are hosting a convergence of permaculture minds.  The location is a beautiful work-in-progress nestled in a hollow in Colliers WV about 30 miles west of Pittsburgh.  Isaac (Wiggy) is working to rebuild 5 greenhouses, plant orchards, and protect the natural order.  His vision is of a place where people can gather, get their hands dirty, and learn the homesteading life first hand.

We will Start at 9am on March 27 with a full day of talks, hikes, and permaculture projects until 5pm.  Later on that night we'll have a bonfire and hang out.  Bring your instruments or drums.  Food is POTLUCK.  Cost is DONATION.  All proceeds will go to admin, supplies, and a keg of local beer for the night.  Feel free to come for the day or night or both.  Indoor/Outdoor camping space is available.

To RSVP or for questions and directions email: PittsburghGardenExperiment@gmail.com

Topics covered will include but are not limited to:

• Wild Edibles
• Maple Syruping
• Growing Mushrooms
• Forestry
• Water Management
• Aquaponics
• Greenhouse Production

Here's a video of Isaac's farm a few years ago.  It has changed a lot even since then!

read more

read more

Finally, here are the results from the Urban Agriculture Open Space on Jan 30th.

Top Ranked 2010 Class Topics

• Garden Design
• Vacant Lot Remediation
• Soil Science
• Seed Saving
• Composting
• Greenhouses
• Food Storage

Community Supported Workshops Offered

• Concrete Retaining Walls and Irrigation - Rolf
• Chickens and Micro-Livestock - Chris M
• Composting - Janet + Jeff N
• Cooking From the Garden - Jeannine + Diana
• Natural Vision Correction - Elisa

Backyard Blitzes (all day work party)

• McKees Rocks - Kate
• Monroeville - Elisa
• Lower Lawerenceville - Alina
• One Woman Farm - North Hills - Margaret
• West End - Red Door Farm & Zoe's Herbs and Teas
• Food Forest in Hazelwood

Permaculture Design Projects

• Megan's in Highland Park - ultimate vegetable garden
• Jeff J.'s - Permaculture with chickens
• Millvale - Community Garden and Orchards
• Miguel's in Penn Hills - Stormwater Management Design
• Troy Hill Garden Co-Op - Urban Livestock

I will contact all the teachers and venues individually and publish a calendar for the year very soon!

Thanks for participating!

Jeff

read more

- Pittsburgh Urban Agriculture Brainstorm -

• What topics are important to you?
• Can you teach a topic or know anyone who can?
• Can you help us become a better organization?
• Do you have a backyard project you'd like to get help with?
• Are you part of an organization that would like to sponsor us?

This is an open forum for cultivating and harvesting ideas from our local community. We'll be sitting down and asking these questions and more. If you would like to help us improve our second year of events, teach a class, host a work-party or anything to do with urban agriculture, come share with us!

Details:

Jan 30th, 1:00pm

Dozen Bake Shop

3511 Butler Street; Lawerenceville, PIttsburgh, PA

email:  pittsburghgardenexperiment@gmail.com for more info.

read more

Pittsburgh Winter 2010

PERMACULTURE DESIGN COURSE

Presented by Three Sisters Permaculture Design

Permaculture on the Edge: Please join us as we explore, design, and apply Permaculture Design at this unique location. Lipp Homestead is a 1.3-acre site in West View, two miles from the City line and just off 279N. A 5000 sq. foot organic garden space, stream, and original 1898 farmhouse and dairy house are what remains of the Lipp family farm. Course participants will work to increase the sustainability of the site through the application of ecological design principles and practices. A day will be spent at Three Sisters Farm and Bioshelter.

75 hour Permaculture Certification Course

Jan 31st - Introduction to Workshop - 7-10 PM $30

Feb 20-21, 9-5 PM; Feb 15, 6-10 PM; Feb 27-28, 9-5 PM; Mar 13-14, 9-5 PM; Mar 17, 6-10 PM; Mar 20-21, 9-5 PM

Fee: $1200; Early registration by Jan 1, 2010: $1000

For more details visit www.bioshelter.com

To register contact Darrell Frey at defrey@bioshelter.com or call 724-376-2797

read more

Subhash Palekar - Natural Farming In India

read more

Here's an audio recording from my friends at the Erie Wire.  It's a great talk on the topic of "biophillic" cities by Unversity of Virginia professor, Timothy Beatley.

Green Urbanism:  Sustainable and Resilient Cities by Timothy Beatley

read more

http://neohiopdc.wordpress.com/

read more

Many have asked where one can take a Permaculture Design Course, the standard in-depth introduction to permaculture principles and design. Darrel Frey of Three Sisters Permaculture Design is hosting a PDC near Pittsburgh this winter. Here are the details:

Pittsburgh Winter 2010

PERMACULTURE DESIGN COURSE

Presented by Three Sisters Permaculture Design

Permaculture on the Edge: Please join us as we explore, design, and apply Permaculture Design at this unique location. Lipp Homestead is a 1.3-acre site in West View, two miles from the City line and just off 279N. A 5000 sq. foot organic garden space, stream, and original 1898 farmhouse and dairy house are what remains of the Lipp family farm. Course participants will work to increase the sustainability of the site through the application of ecological design principles and practices. A day will be spent at Three Sisters Farm and Bioshelter.

75 hour Permaculture Certification Course

Jan 31st - Introduction to Workshop - 7-10 PM $30

Feb 20-21, 9-5 PM; Feb 15, 6-10 PM; Feb 27-28, 9-5 PM; Mar 13-14, 9-5 PM; Mar 17, 6-10 PM; Mar 20-21, 9-5 PM

Fee: $1200; Early registration by Jan 1, 2010: $1000

For more details visit www.bioshelter.com

To register contact Darrell Frey at defrey@bioshelter.com or call 724-376-2797

read more

3 Rivers Bioneers is bringing solutions-based discussion to town with their 3 day workshop October 16-18, 2009.

The mission of 3RB is to foster a local movement of citizens and organizations who strive to cultivate sustainable communities in the Three Rivers Bioregion through actions revolving around social justice, ecological health, and innovative solutions.

3RB is a project of the Urban Ecology Collaborative.

Check for our Permaculture workshops in the conference program!  and click here to Register.

read more