North American Permaculture Convergence:An epic opportunity!

 
August 29, 30, 31, 2014
Harmony Park, Clark’s Grove, Minnesota
 
EVERY PERMACULTURIST IN NORTH AMERICA IS INVITED!
Old and young. Experienced and novice.
 
The NAPC is a historic moment.
It marks the cusp of a new era, the turning of the wheel, the passing of the guard.
Be a part of this historic event.
 
This is a meeting of the minds.  This is a gathering of the experts.
 
This very first North American Permaculture Convergence offers a special opportunity to meet up to 1,000 permaculture movers and shakers from across North America to share our successes and strategize how to create a permaculture future. Permaculture pioneers, authors, teachers, organizers, consultants, visionaries and farmers getting together to talk story and build symbiotic relationships. The NAPC offers the permaculture movement an opportunity to build a more cohesive movement. It offers us a chance to discuss curriculum, certification, organizations, mentoring, etc. Vast amounts of information will be exchanged via workshops, presentations, hands-on activities, roundtables, exposition and many other modalities.
 
There are a number of levels of participation:
 
The core group currently comprises 8 people.  Michael Pilarski, Montana; Monica Ibacache, New York; Koreen Brennan, Florida; Bill Busse, Minnesota; Adam Brock, Colorado; Rashid Gilanpour, California; Mario Yanez, Florida; and Sarah Ashley Baxendell, New York.
 
Paid staff/coordinators.  These are people who take on major responsibilities for specific facets of the event. There are 22 positions at this time, some of which will be co-managed by two people. Unfilled positions will be advertised within the next month.
 
Action Teams. There are currently 13 Action Teams listed on the NAPC website which people can now join. More teams will be created as we go along.  There is no limit on how many people can be involved in the Action Teams.  All of the Action Teams will be facilitated by a staff person or core group member.
 
Bioregional reps and advisors. We would like one or more people from each bioregion to do outreach in their bioregion and give us feedback.
 
Work Trade. NAPC is offering 25 full work trades and 50 half worktrades to people who need financial help to attend.  There is now a place on the website where people can apply for work trade.
 
Sponsorships. There are varying levels of sponsorships and corresponding benefits.
 
Permaculture Exposition. The NAPC Exposition will feature a wide array of permaculture organizations, businesses, services and products. Exposition participants can sell books, T-shirts and products. Organizations and companies can promote their causes and services.
 
Convergence participants. We are anticipating 1,000 permaculturists from around North America to attend. We are keeping admission costs low to enable wide participation. $133 is the early bird price till June 1.  Some scholarships will be available. There will be tours, field trips and special trainings both before and after the NAPC.
 
Please visit the NAPC website for more information.  Some areas of the website are not functional yet and some need tweaking.  Please bear with us as we move forward.  There is lots to do and we didn’t want to wait any longer to get the show on the road. 
 
PLEASE JOIN US!   northamericanpermaculture.org

2014 Inland Northwest Permaculture Convergence: Two Possibilities

The 1st North American Permaculture Convergence (NAPC) is in the works and it looks like it will be held near Minneapolis, Minnesota August 28-31, 2014.

I (Michael Pilarski) am on the NAPC core organizing committee so will be putting a lot of my time into the NAPC and thus will not have much time for organizing a 2014 INPC (Inland Northwest Permaculture Convergence). Here are two possibilities for the 2014 INPC:

1) An organizing committee comes together and does the organizing with my input and advice. Camp MiVoden near Hayden Lake, Idaho, said we could come back again this year. Other venues can be proposed.

2) We hold the 2014 INPC on the Amtrak train which travels directly from our region to Minneapolis. It takes just slightly longer than a day for the Amtrak Empire Builder train to go from Whitefish, Montana to Minneapolis. About a day and a half from Spokane. I just took the train from Whitefish to St. Paul/Minneapolis, so I am familiar with the trip and enjoyed the experience. If several dozen INPC permies got on the train in Spokane, Washington and several dozen got on that same train in Whitefish we could have a great time and conduct our annual INPC business on the train trip. The Minnesota team could have a shuttle pick us up and deliver us back to the train station.

The Empire Builder train starts (on its west end) in Seattle. There is also a train that comes from Portland, Oregon and combines with the Seattle train in Spokane. Thus a large group from the maritime and interior PNW could travel on the same train and even be more fun.

A one-way trip from Whitefish to St. Paul/Minneapolis is currently $161. It is $164 from Spokane and $164 from Wenatchee. I will be calling Amtrak to see if we can get a reduced group rate.

What do you think of these two proposals? Which would you vote for?
Anyone interested in being on the core organizing team for a 2014 INPC?

SEND FEEDBACK to Michael Pilarski, friendsofthetrees@yahoo.com

 

See all the Details for the Hot Springs Course

Thanks to everyone who came to the Inland Northwest Permaculture Convergence. See you again in 2014.

NEW! Videos from Michael Pilarski's 2013 Missoula Permaculture Design Course

The 2nd Annual Inland Northwest Permaculture Conference (INPC2) in Missoula, Montana, has come and gone. It's hard to believe. It was a great success with nearly 50 presenters, oodles of workshops, field trips, panel discussions, shared meals, a conta dance and friendships renewed and initiated.

Many thanks to our conference organizing team for the countless hours put in, and to our conference sponsors, our work trade crew, our slate of presenters, our trade show tablers, the University of Montana, the University Center Kitchen Crew, the Celtic Knots string band and anyone else who helped make it all happen.

You can see the presenters and their workshops, plus other information from both the 2011 and the 2012 conferences under the "Past Conferences" tab in the menu bar.

There are also some conference photos in the galleries. You can add you own photos of the conference, photos of your Permaculture projects and the like. Click "Share Photos" under the Galleries tab.

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News

Permaculture Design Course Scholarship Application

Submitted by inpgadmin on Fri, 01/17/2014 - 9:38pm

The Inland Northwest Permaculture Guild would like to offer one or two scholarships to
deserving people for each permaculture design course we put on. We can also do some fee
reduction scholarships in additional cases.

You may fill out our on-line application or download an application you can either fill out electronically or print out and send in.

2014 Inland Northwest Permaculture Convergence: Two Possibilities

Submitted by inpgadmin on Mon, 01/06/2014 - 12:59am

The 1st North American Permaculture Convergence (NAPC) is in the works and it looks like it will be held near Minneapolis, Minnesota August 28-31, 2014.

I (Michael Pilarski) am on the NAPC core organizing committee so will be putting a lot of my time into the NAPC and thus will not have much time for organizing a 2014 INPC (Inland Northwest Permaculture Convergence). Here are two possibilities for the 2014 INPC:

North American Permaculture Convergence Being Planned for 2014 - Your Input is Requested

Submitted by inpgadmin on Mon, 01/06/2014 - 12:25am

Dear Permaculturists of North America,

The desire for a North American Convergence has been expressed by a number of Permaculture practitioners and organizers over the years. It was also seriously discussed at the IPC in Jordan in 2011. As a result of efforts a nd organizing meetings held at the recent Cuba IPC, it is now obvious there is enough coherence and momentum to move this idea forward.

Read the Friends of the Trees Society December 2013 Newsletter

Submitted by inpgadmin on Mon, 01/06/2014 - 12:17am

You can read the newsletter on-line HERE or download a pdf (see 'attachement' below)

INLAND NORTHWEST PERMACULTURE CONVERGENCE –SEPT 10 UPDATE

Submitted by inpgadmin on Tue, 09/10/2013 - 3:08pm
 
 
The INPC is a unique opportunity for all of us who dream of a more sustainable and resilient future to come together from diverse backgrounds and habitats to share, explore and practice strategies to build the capacity and interconnection of our initiatives and to further empower our common visions becoming a reality.
 
One participant coming to INPC wrote this about why he was coming:
“This many stellar people passionate about these lifeways generates a critical mass that forges conne

Inland Northwest Permaculture Convergence - AUGUST 28 UPDATE

Submitted by inpgadmin on Wed, 08/28/2013 - 5:41am

Inland Northwest Permaculture Convergence - Why bother?
 

Inland Northwest Permaculture Convergence – June 11 News

Submitted by inpgadmin on Mon, 06/10/2013 - 9:42pm
The biggest INPC news!
 
TOBY HEMENWAY is our 2013 INPC KEYNOTE SPEAKER.
 
We are happy to announce that Toby Hemenway, author of Gaia’s Garden is our INPC keynote speaker.

Conference Host University of Montana Grows its Own Food and Buys Local

Submitted by inpgadmin on Wed, 09/26/2012 - 10:25am

[Ed. Note: Here's where the money you spend for food at the 2012 Inland Northwest Permaculture Conference goes!]

 

UM's Farm to College program hits $1M milestone

September 22, 2012 10:30 pm  •  By MARTIN KIDSTON of the Missoulian Newspaper

On a cool September morning, University of Montana executive chef Patrick Browne wandered the school’s organic garden, watching over the selection of kale, the picking of tomatoes and the ripeness of the squash.

Standing aside in his white kitchen apron, he noted how the chickens will arrive fresh from Ryegate, and when the crowd sits down for supper at the evening banquet, scheduled for later that week, the entire meal will be Montana raised.

New Website Feature - Post your own permaculture opportunities

Submitted by inpgadmin on Fri, 02/17/2012 - 5:02pm

You can now post listings of many types of permaculture opportunities such as a job openings, jobs sought, courses offered, design clients sought, equipment for sale and the like.

If you are a registered user and you are signed in, you can post your own opportunity. Your posting will need to be approved prior to going public.

 

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