Videos of Selected Workshops Presented at the 2017 Inland Northwest Permaculture Convergence, Hot Springs, Montana, September, 2017.

These videos were Captured and Produced by Joe Clark author of How To Farm and Garden.

Choose from the listing on this page.

Field Trips

General Schedule

Workshop Schedule

For any questions please call Jill at 406-741-5323 or 406-531-6813 cell. 

BACKYARD GEOSCAPED NURSERY, 614 2nd Ave SOUTH, Hot Springs MT Friday September 1, 9:00am-10:15am

SPIRITWORKS HERB FARM, Whitefish, MT, Friday Sept. 1, 9am prompt-10:30 am and/or 10:30 am -12:00pm

URBAN PERENNIAL HOPMESTEAD, Polson, MT - Friday, September 1, 10:00 am to 11:00 am and 11:00 am to 12:00 pm

VALHALLA FARM, Hot Springs, MT - Friday September 1, 10:30-12:00pm

THE PLACE OF GATHERING, Dayton, MT - Friday, September 1,   1:30-3:30pm

THE WET SPOT, Hot Springs, MT - Friday, September 1, 4:30-6:00pm

BACKYARD GEOSCAPED NURSERY 614 2nd Ave SOUTH, Hot Springs MT Friday September 1, 9:00am-10:15am

Nina’s urban backyard nursery is geoscaped in response to the conditions of her site. A large amount of surface water flows across the landscape in her yard in a short amount of time, however the landscape later in the year is desert dry. By creating inverted hugels and pit gardens, Nina has managed the ground water in a way that it can be utilized much more effectively and longer into the dry season. Onsite is a nursery, several mature fruit trees, and bushes. Demonstrations include fall pruning and properly digging a tree for transplant. Nina has trees to share from her nursery for donation (green ash, maple, elm, honeysuckle, mock orange, etc.) Nina DeCoster 741-2063

Driving Time: 3 minutes            Walking time: 15 minutes         Approximately .5 miles

From Towanda, head south (toward downtown) on Spring Street and proceed approximately 3.5 blocks to Central Ave (one block past Main Street). Take a right onto Central Ave (West) and proceed 5 blocks to Eagle Lane and take a left (south), Proceed two blocks to Second Ave South and take a Right (west). Meet your host part way down the block in front of the garden.

SPIRITWORKS HERB FARM, Whitefish, MT, Friday Sept. 1, 9am prompt-10:30 am and/or 10:30 am -12:00pm

SpiritWorks is a medicinal herb farm in their 4th season.  Visit the 63 foot herbal mandala, which holds the energetics of this sustainable venture including farming, learning, growing health cultivating  the  desire in people to reconnect with nature and sustainable living values. Check out SpiritWork’s Retreat Center and Campground designed for people to visit and immerse themselves in a nature based lifestyle that builds health. To meet requirements of the department of health for wholesaling herbs out of state, SpiritWorks retrofitted a 24 foot cargo van into an herb dehydrator and commercial kitchen.  They are drying over 100 pounds of herbs in 36-48 hours!  If you love it and want to return and learn about growing herbs, SpiritWorks is offering an immersion internship program in 2018 (minimum 3 months).

Driving time: 1 hour 23 minutes from Hot Springs,  Distance: 76 miles  (SpiritWorks is located north of Kalispell and south of Whitefish off Highway 93)
Directions: From Hot Springs take the HWY 77 spur out to HWY 28 and turn Left (North) toward Lone Pine. Drive north for approximately 27.7 miles and take a Left (North) onto HWY 93. Head North on HWY 93 for approximately 46 miles. You will have just passed a gas station on the right, go one block, make a u-turn at the end of the divided highway to go south on 93, then make a right turn, west off 93 onto Hideaway Trail (immediately after a lamppost and the beginning of the divided highway); go down the hill, up the hill, at the top of the hill turn right - this is the driveway to SpiritWorks

Camping onsite is available for folks who would like to camp out Thursday night. Please contact Lindy at 406 260-7098.

URBAN PERENNIAL HOMESTEAD, Polson, MT Friday, September 1, 10:00 am to 11:00 am and 11:00 am to 12:00 pm

Kelly Ware, our host will be available for two separate tours, each approximately an hour or less each. Details forthcoming.

Our host, Kelly Ware, has an urban perennial spread in Polson including a variety of fruit trees, berries, grapes, comfrey, hops, bulbs, ext. She is offering a U-Dig to her visitors. Bring your boxes as Kelly has lots to share from her garden to yours…comfrey, mountain bluet, poppies, lemon balm, mints, Jerusalem artichokes, sumac (salmon & normal), choke cherries, plums… Each tour will be about an hour or less. 

From Hot Springs take the HWY 77 spur out to HWY 28 and turn Left (North) toward Lone Pine. Drive north for approximately 27.7 miles and take a right (South) onto HWY 93. Proceed for approximately 17 miles and drive into Polson. Turn right toward 3rd avenue East, Turn onto 3rd Ave E. Turn left onto 6th Street East and proceed to the intersection of 4th Ave East.
601 4th Ave E. Polson, MT  Northeast corner of Fourth Avenue and Sixth Street just a block off the Hwy above the park by the bay.   Kelly Ware 406-314-3808

VALHALLA FARM, Hot Springs, MT Friday September 1, 10:30-12:00pm

Valhalla Farm is a small, diverse, livestock & dairy operation/homestead on the edge of Hot Springs and the edge of Hot Springs Creek. Our animals are seasonally pastured, fed organic hay, Montana grown organic lentils and grains, milk surplus from the jerseys and goats, and a splash of overflow beer from one of Montana’s finest breweries.  We sell our products at the Clark Fork Farmer’s Market in Missoula MT with a farm to fork stand serving a poutine dish, biscuits and gravy, and sausages. All of the meat products come from Valhalla, the cheese curds come from Lifeline Organic Dairy in Victor, MT and the organic safflower oil for frying the potatoes is grown and processed at the Oil Barn in Big Sandy, MT. We also sell frozen pork and yak cuts at the Whitefish Farmer’s Markets. We produce all of the milk, cream, butter, goat cheese, and meat that our family consumes. We have a medicinal perennial garden where we are learning which shrubs and trees will survive the extreme heat/draught, and heavy locust pressures of the area. We plan to turn our pastures (approximately 11 acres) into a silvopasture system capturing and distributing water with a series of keyline infrastructure and swales. The pasture in between the tree belts will graze our yaks, dairy cows, pigs, and fowl. Come sample some homemade cheese, meet the characters adding fertility to the farm, learn from our experiments, and hear about 2018 plans for a walipini (in ground greenhouse/bathhouse).  The riparian area (approximately 7 acres) is host to the Ravenwood weekend children’s camp.

NO DOGS. Our livestock are protected from coyotes, bears, mountain lions, skunks, and the occasional wolf pack by two Maremma Abruze livestock guardian dogs and they take their job extremely seriously. They are very people friendly!!!

13 Hot Springs Creek Lane

Driving time: 5 minutes      Walking time: 20 minutes      Approximately .7 miles

From Towanda, head south (toward downtown) on Spring Street and proceed approximately 3.5 blocks to Central Ave (one block past Main Street). Take a right (West) and proceed approximately .5 miles to the end of Central Ave. Take a right onto Hot Springs Creek Lane (dirt road), cross the creek and greet the dogs!

THE PLACE OF GATHERING, Dayton, MT Friday, September 1,   1:30-3:30pm

The Place of Gathering was host to a PDC in 2012 lead by Michael Pilarski and a large scale earthworks permaculture project directed by Austria’s Sepp Holzer.  Katarina Hirsch, our host, has graciously invited us back to tour and visit the miles of hugelkultures, ponds, and raised beds planted with perennials and reseeding annuals installed 5 years ago. 

24606 Black Lake Rd, Dayton MT 59914 

Driving time 36 minutes , 37.5 miles.

From Hot Springs take the HWY 77 spur out to HWY 28 and turn Left (North) toward Lone Pine. Drive north for approximately 27.7 miles and take a Left (North) onto HWY 93. Proceed approximately 5.1 miles and take a left onto Black Lake Road. The entrance is approximately .8 miles from 93. Park to the right in the field where indicated and walk up to the main (2nd) house. Katarina Hirsch, our host will meet us there!

THE WET SPOT, Hot Springs, MT Friday, September 1, 4:30-6:00pm.

Come cool your thirst with a green juice made from weeds growing onsite and check out the backyard permaculture happenings in the shade dappled understory of poplars on Hot Springs Creek. Amanda’s gardens include fruit trees, berries, mushrooms, annual vegetables, and medicinal herbs.  And she heats her dishwater with her compost pile! Spring of 2017 flooded the property for several days and surprisingly many of the completely submerged fruit trees and perennials resiliently came out with a flourish. Bring a baggie or two as Amanda plans a seed dispersal into the hands of other permies!

Distance: 2  blocks

Travel Time: 5 minutes walking. 

Park at Towanda or Alamedas and walk east one block along either First Street N or Second Street N, take a right (South) onto A Street. The Wet Spot is on the corner of A Street and First Street across from the Mason Lodge. There is very limited to no parking on site. Meet our host Amanda Wood there. 
 

Three eulogies written by Michael Pilarski, Laura Lanfear and Michael Billington. 

David Lee Ronniger,  
December 1, 1944 – July 2, 2017.

A Dedication by Michael Pilarski

David leaves a large legacy.

David never took a permaculture course or called himself a permaculturist but he taught us lots.  He was an agricultural giant and an important person in the Hot Springs community.  We will miss him.

Millions of plants are alive due to his Native Seed Foundation, a seed business for native Northwest plants which specialized in shrubs.  David was one of the Northwest’s biggest native seed suppliers for the decades he was in business.  Many tons of seeds were cleaned out by David. He would process thousands of pounds of berries of serviceberry, elderberry, Oregon grape, currants, rosehips etc. each year.  These were sold to nurseries around the US and also used for reseeding programs after wildfires and disturbances.

Millions of people have been fed due to his business Ronniger’s Potatoes. Started in the early 1980s, David built up his seed potato business to host the largest selection of potato varieties in the US.  He introduced many new potato varieties to the public and we continue to enjoy those varieties today. David was a great farmer and he really knew how to grow potatoes.  Besides growing potatoes David grew many other kinds of crops over the years.  His main farming took place in North Idaho at his home farm outside of Moyie Springs, Idaho, but he actively farmed vegetables at his new postage stamp farm outside of Hot Springs Montana to supply his store Camas Natural Foods.

In the 1970s, David started the first natural food store in Salt Lake City and built it up to a successful business before selling it and moving to north Idaho.  Years later David started up Camas Natural Foods store on Main Street in the little town of Hot Springs, Montana.  David ran the store with his partner Linny Gibson until his death. It was (and is) a great place to buy healthy food and to bump into like-minded friends. The store, bakery and deli has fed many locals and non-locals over the years. Every town and city should have a natural food store in it. [Stop by the store when you’re in town for the INPC].

David was one of the best huckleberry pickers of his day.  20 gallons of hucks a day at times.  He bought a part interest in a huckleberry products business so that he would always have a ready buyer for his picking.

David was a great builder and over the years built several houses, large barns, sheds and root cellars to house his tons of potatoes. Stoutly built.

David was also a family man with two sons and a daughter. His son Simon runs the north Idaho family farm.

David knew how to work and was a man who never stood still until his final days. I lived with David in 1978 at a hippie commune called God’s Garden outside of Moyie Springs, Idaho. David and I organized and did many things together over the years and were good friends ever since we first met.

David enjoyed fishing and took time out from his businesses to go fishing. Now he is fishing in heaven.

David Ronniger, by Laura Lanfear

David Ronniger grew up in the Federal Heights neighborhood of Salt Lake City. After high school he joined the Marines.  when his father, who was an OB/GYN doctor died; David, his mother and his younger brother and sister opened Whole Earth Natural Foods in 1971.  In 1977 David left Salt Lake City to pursue his dream of being a farmer. His siblings, Molly and Steve continued to run the store until 1985.

David ended up with a farm in Moyie Springs Idaho and put in nearly 40 years of work there. One winter in the early days of his farming career, he was given a bag of unusual potatoes. With his uncanny knack for predicting upcoming agricultural trends, he held onto the potatoes all winter studying up on the long forgotten varieties and making plans to begin multiplying them during harvest. His crop turned out to be a bumper crop that year and Ronniger's Potato Farm was born. He changed Idaho from a monoculture potato crop to a cornecopia of variety. David was instrumental in introducing over 200 varieties of certified organic seed potatoes and 10 varieties of fingerling potatoes. His customers were on the forefront of potato history.  Ronniger's Potato Farm achieved something close to rockstar status in the world of agriculture.  There are dozens of articles written about him and his farm in magazines like Martha Stewart's, the New Yorker, Rocky Mountain Gardening, Hobby Farms, Montana Health Journal, National Gardening and Harrowsmith Country Life, just to name a few.  

But that's not all David is famous for.

In 1990 he got a Haflinger horse from a friend who was downsizing his own herd. The Haflinger is a small sturdy horse with a friendly nature and David used them in his fields. 15 years later David was the second largest breeder of this horse in the US.

David was one of the few people in the western United States who knew how to process the indigenous seeds of the area. He started off by collecting conifer seeds for Christmas tree farms across the country and soon started harvesting seeds for small trees and native shrubs. He collected seeds in Montana, Idaho, Washington and British Colombia forests for species such as quaking Aspen, bunchberry dogwood and Rocky Mountain Maple to ensure their continued existence.   He processed hundreds of thousands pounds of seeds.

David's days on the farm were long and he didn't hire much outside help. He prided himself on being self-sufficient and conscious of the environment. He would reuse and recycle. He went to auctions and rebuilt his farm equipment. He had his own sawmill and cut the lumber for the buildings that he built. He had old bikes which his workers used to get around on the farm.

The farm in Idaho is being continued by David's son Simon and family

David wrote that he "retired to Hot Springs".  During this retirement he remodeled and opened Camas Organic Market and then later added a large addition. He developed his little farm so he could provide his community and all the visitors with locally grown produce. He built a large root cellar and added a high tunnel greenhouse. He wrote that his intention was to set a precedence in Hot Springs for this community and other communities, families and individuals to see how simply we can live and appreciate the wisdom in smallness. He believed people must learn to grow a garden, learn about nutrition and start meals from scratch.  He wanted the store to be a place for people to come together and share what they are learning and growing.

Quote; "What I really want to see is an explosion of awareness. The only way to help people change their way of thinking is through education. Information is everywhere these days, but first person accounts, actually seeing how to make it happen... that's what hits close to home".

Certainly anyone who appreciates high-quality vegetables, plants and even horses can agree that our community's produce selections and our entire nation's agricultural selections and are a lot better off because of David.

David Ronniger, we thank you.

David Ronniger, by Michael Billington

I was burdened and blessed to be close to David throughout the process of his life slipping away.  I was there as often as I could through two surgeries and way too many days in a hospital.  And after being close enough to witness that degree of hardship the first thing I have to say is: Thank you Linny.  Your unrelenting kindness and care for David is a true measure of the quality of your person.  Thank you for putting yourself at your own edge to care for such a great man.  Since David cared for the community, and you cared for David, I believe it is this communities responsibility to help care for you.  If we want to honor David, then we should support Linny.  May the energy you expended stewarding such a bright soul come back to you ten fold.  Lets send her flowers, cook her food, anything we can do to bring balance to her efforts.  Thank you Linny.

Even to the very the last breath, David lived with determination.  Never once did he give the impression of defeat.  The last chapter of his life was consumed by the drive to get back to Idaho and I am greatful to have witnessed his return.  We put his body in a hole dug by his second favorite tractor, in a Pasture that once housed his herd of world class work horses.  His body lies beneath a willow tree that we planted to one day provide basket material that will carry a piece of him.  The man who has given so much on behalf of the earth has now given his final offering of his own flesh.  David, may god guide your spirit to unite with Marley [David’s dog] in your proper places.  If it is right for the path of your spirit, may you still linger amongst this world to guide the hands of the farmers, to sharpen the eyes of the fisherman, to hone the minds of tool innovators, and to guide the path of those working to heal themselves.  We will miss your presence but I would like to believe it remains in some way.

I studied David very closely for two years.  I did so because I believe in him.  I met him 5 years ago when he delivered a load of logs to a strawbale building I was helping with.  When I met him all I could think was “who the heck is this man?”  I discovered that answer very well in the subsequent years.  He was a living encyclopedia of dying skills and knowledge.  Soon I learned he was the man who opened the first health food store in Salt Lake City, he was the man who set up the speakers for some of the first rock concerts, he was the man who built a metal fishing boat when he was 13, he was a pioneer organic seed potato grower in the united states, he was the man who built a building every year, he was a pioneer for native seed reclamation work and he was the man who raised a herd of rare work horses.  Carpentry, Farming, Milling, Fishing, preparing food… the list goes on.  There are many who are a jack of all, master of none… but not many who are a master of most, jack of some.

 In a world of mediocrity David shined like a candle in the dark.  Most of his actions were like a luminary for guiding right living, A beacon for a new generation hungry for the path back to eden.   David was blessed with the rare combination of earth based intelligence, heart, drive, curiousity, and a disposition for action.  Many people break trail for the glory but few people are willing to break trail simply for the experience.  David was hard wired for discovery.  His resting state was active.  He did his best to pay attention to God’s will, and act on it.  He once told me that he ”wasn’t sure if the idea’s that came to him were his own or god throwing him a bone”.  Many days when we awoke to live out the day in working unison, he would tell me of a dream he had and how he had to follow up on it.  Most of us dream, few of us carry them out.  Not only did David enact his dreams, he shared them with others.

I asked him once… Why? Why put so much effort into this store, this town, when he could do anything he wanted… he selflessly told me “because this village needs good food”.  I have heard him called greedy and self centered by people of this community and beyond.  I have even received warnings about working with him.  True he was not always an easy man to work with, but if you were humble then he would teach you better ways to do things.  People are quick to criticize what they don’t understand, especially if comparing themselves to another’s greatness.   He knew that money had the power to create action and that by generating money we gain the ability to fuel the action we wish to see.   I do not believe he was self centered, he was focused and had purpose.  At times his walk required him to put his priorities before others, but the core of those priorities was service to humanity and earth.

This community called on David constantly.  One of David’s greatest insights on how to achieve things was to “not put down your hammer”.  What he was saying was that while you wield the hammer in your hand, do everything you can do with it before you put it down.  Despite this philosophy, on a daily basis he would selflessly put down his hammer to get someone a battery charger, loan them money for a truck, aid them with tractor work, answer their questions, or order them something they wanted.  He did this out of good nature, out of service.  Because he knew it takes a village.

Early in our close friendship I asked him “why did you choose to live in Hot Springs?’ he said “because people come here to heal and I want to help, and I could use a bit of healing myself.”  Later, when he asked me the same question I told him the simple truth “because you’re here.”   He put immense effort into helping this community to grow and heal, I pray that this community amplifies those efforts and carry them forward.  David once told me “It’s easier to take then to give, but its more fulfilling to give then to receive.”  If this community wants to honor the life of such a great man, then embodying this insight of his is a great step towards creating a living legacy.

He said that simple minds talk about people, mediocre minds talk about events, and great minds talk about ideas.  Some people talk fast and take little action.  Some people don’t have conversations, they talk you into submission.  David emphasized to me how it seems like people today have forgotten how to speak with each other.  He would say ”it’s a back and forth; listen... respond.”   He felt that a quiet peaceful meal time was one of the best arenas for this kind of connecting.  In that way, Camas [food store] to me can serve as something like a church… a way to bring people together in a good way. He believed in this community and he would demonstrate this faith and dedication through his form of speak: action.  He walked in full stride and left a wake of examples, demonstrations, and inspiration.  When he spoke it was a volley where he would hold nothing back and offer what he knew.  He would ask sincere questions hoping for sincere answers.  And even though he always thought he knew a better way to do things, he was still always interested in being taught something new.  I thank Dave for demonstrating so much realness and authenticity.

When debating coming to this [David’s memorial] I asked myself what is the purpose of this gathering? To remember a good man?  to celebrate and honor his life and contribution?  Why would I go?  I have held his hand through this process, what more can be done?  Then I saw that this isn’t about me or any one of us.  I realized that this is not for David either.  David has no more needs, he is finally at a well deserved peace.  This is for the communal organism, it’s about the community coming together to heal, to grow, and to remember David’s way of life so that we may work to adapt it to our own.  David’s memory can be a candle for the dark corners of this community.  With David’s example in mind, this community can become a better version of itself.  He has taught us all what is possible when health and hard work come together, now it is our responsibility to embody the wisdom he demonstrated through his actions.

General Schedule

Workshop Schedule

Field Trips

FRIDAY

12:00 noon - 4:00 pm: Field trips, multiple options.
12:00 noon: Registration opens (next to Tribal Nutrition Center).
5:30- 6:45 pm: Dinner.
7:00 – 8:30: Opening Circle and introductions.
8:30 on: Evening program, music, ad hoc scheduling.

SATURDAY

6:30 – 7:30 am: Yoga, open scheduling.
7:00 am: Registration opens.
7:30 – 8:30 am: Breakfast.
8:45 – 9:30 am: Morning circle.
9:30-10:30: Keynote talk by Kareen Erbe.
10:45 – 12:15: Workshop Period A
12:30 – 1:45: Lunch
2:00 – 3:30: Workshop Period B
4:00 – 5:30: Workshop Period C
5:45 – 6:00: Plenary.
6:00 – 7:30: Dinner & dinner discussion groups.
7:30 – 8:00: INPC meeting.
8:15 pm on: Montana Herb Gathering meeting. Ad hoc scheduling for caucuses or discussions. Socializing. Music.

SUNDAY

6:30 – 7:30 am: Yoga, open scheduling.
7:00 am: Registration opens.
7:30 – 8:30: Breakfast
9:00 – 10:15: Morning plenary
10:30 – 12:00: Workshop Period D
12:00 – 1:15: Lunch
1:30 – 3:00: Workshop Period E. Special interest groups.
3:15 – 4:15: Plenary. Where do we go from here. Proposals for action. Closing circle.
4:30-6:00: Work party to do general take down.

There will be a picnic dinner for workers and people staying overnight, a further work party and evening socializing.

Hey permaculture musicians,

John Erdman, local musician and long-time friend is soliciting local and Missoula area musicians to come play at the INPC and he reports that he has a lot of maybes and a few yeses.  So, we can be assured that music will be part of the scene at INPC.  This will include music at the outdoor venue of the Barber Shop Beer Parlor and music at the Towanda firepit. 

So bring your instruments and join in.  Jams or solos.  Background flutes or drums and what have you.  Possibly we can have dinner music. Sing-alongs. Music is part of every indigenous and traditional culture.  Let’s put the ‘culture’ into permaculture.

If you want to be part of the music scene. look up John Erdman when you get to the Convergence.  Or email Michael Pilarski if you want to send John a message.  Zone1@friendsofthetrees.net

The Permaculture Presidential Platform (PPP) will makes its debut at INPC 2017. The PPP will be a co-created platform of policies for a presidential candidate. A set of ecological and social policies to achieve the three permaculture principles of Care of Earth, Care of People and Fair Share.  Hundreds (and eventually thousands) of people can add to this PPP. It will cover all facets of government and society.  

Our goal is to get the PPP proposals on-line where people can vote for the policies that they support.  You don’t have to swallow the whole package. 

To get you in the mood to set policy you can play the game; Pretend you’re President.  What would you do if you were President of the United States?

Here is a list of policies I came up with when I played Pretend you’re President.

What policies would you like to add?  We will be soliciting policy proposals at the INPC 2017.  Make your list up ahead of time or write them up at the INPC.

Michael Pilarski’s submissions to the Permaculture Presidential Platform:

Just to get things going, This is the first draft of the first thoughts.

Go to a four-day work-week with more job sharing

Full employment.

Abolish the Federal Reserve.

Close the CIA

Repeal NAFTA.

ENERGY

Encourage solar, wind and renewable energy sources.

Ban fracking.

Close all nuclear power plants.

More regulations on coal mining.

Mining operations need to put up sufficient bond funds to pay for clean up and restoration.

AGRICULTURE AND LAND USE

Increase the farming and gardening programs for military veterans.

Ban GMOs.

More restrictions on pesticides and herbicides.

New subsidies and education programs to help farmers switch to organic. 

Incentives for more humane treatment of livestock

More emphasis on organic and sustainable agriculture at all County Extension Services and all land grant colleges .

Double the funding for Soil Conservation Districts every four years for 3 funding cycles.

Gardens at elder care facilities

Encourage farmers to do crop diversification.

Make permaculture design audits available to homeowners and landowners. Similar to an energy audit. 

Make water audits available to homeowners and landowners. Design and subsidize rooftop catchment, utilize other impermeable surface runoff areas.  Rain gardens, Increase self-reliance in water.

Promote rooftop gardens, solar panels and rooftop hot water heaters.

Encourage small-scale farms

Research policies that will lead to a healthier food supply (hence healthier people and less health care costs)

Encourage wildcrafting cooperatives that harvest weeds for food, medicine or other economic needs while achieving weed control objectives.

Expand CCC and WPA type programs that employ people to do restoration work, soil erosion control, tree planting, trail building, etc.

Develop earth repair communities, camps and programs.

Citizens’ land restoration councils in every county (Land Care example from Australia).

For the Palouse and grain growing farmers in the Pacific Northwest, incentives for contour cropping, broad base terraces, swales and keylining. Plant the Palouse eyebrows with trees and shrubs. Plant grassed waterways to economic crops such as nettles.

Plant biodiversity strips along roadways and highways with an emphasis on native plants. Design for economic yield, beauty and ecological functions.  This was successfully done on a large scale in Australia’s wheat districts and they became travel corridors for native biota. 

EDUCATION

No more standardized testing.

Add more curriculum to public education on home economics, arts, trades, gardening and ecology.

School gardens at every school.

MILITARY

Close down all overseas military bases. (This alone will release enough funds for all the PPP programs.)

Dismantle all nuclear weapons. Reduce nuclear weapons in tandem with other countries. 

HOUSING

Maintain buildings in good shape.  They last longer and this is a good investment and will gainfully employ a fair amount of people. 

More rent to own programs.

Provide healthy house audits to homeowners and renters to identify toxicity in the home and ways they can reduce it.

Cost sharing for adding sunrooms and greenhouses to buildings.

Increase the network of hostels in the US.

HEALTH CARE

Integrate herbalists and natural health practitioners into hospitals.

POLICE, PRISONS

Demilitarize the police. More citizen overview.

Free Leonard Peltier

Review all prison cases. Free political prisoners and non-violent marijuana offenses.

Horticulture, restoration and other green trainings in prisons.

IMMIGRATION REFORM

Come up with ways for current illegal agricultural workers to stay and work or get citizenship. Make it harder for them to be exploited by employers.

INDIAN AFFAIRS (FIRST NATIONS)

Review all treaties between the US and Native Tribes.  What needs to be rectified? 

Reform the BIA (Bureau of Indian Affairs). The tribes will know how to do this.

ECONOMIC

A higher percentage of tax money is kept local and allocated locally rather than by federal or state governments. Reduce big government. More democratic control of tax money.

Investigate and prosecute illegal criminal activity in banking and speculation sectors.

OTHER

Longer and better maternity leave/care for mothers and fathers.

BRING YOUR IDEAS TO INPC AND LET’S GROW THIS PLATFORM