2021 Inland Northwest Permaculture Guild Convergence
Sept. 10, 11, 12, 2021
We held the 2021 Convergence once again at Ken Casler's beautiful farm and retreat center,
Casler Farm
1266 Mosquito Creek Rd.
Clark Fork, ID
Hear Ken Casler and Jason Smith talk about the Convergence on KRFY Radio's Morning Show.
Keynote Address Saturday Afternoon: Zach Weiss, Reversing Drought, Flood, and Fire through Water Cycle Restoration (Audio)
Live Music Friday Night: Reggae with Fungilion
Live Music Satuday Night: Heat Speak
Heat Speak is an indie folk group led by singer-songwriter Dario Ré. His impassioned poetics sung in English and French are supported by dynamic musicianship and intricate arrangements to create a unique blend of indie folk, chamber pop and world fusion. (Audio)
Partial List of Workshops
Permaculture 101 with Jason Smith
An introduction to permaculture.
Mushrooms and Fungi with Jason Smith
Food Forests with Gabe Gaul
Plant Walk with Michael Skeeter Pilarski
We will take a walk around the site to see how many kinds of plants we can spot and talk about their uses.
Hybrid Huts with Robert Merrill
Harnessing interim shelter is so vital when trying to establish permanent shelter. As we know a tent just does not suffice in most climates..... and an RV is for some.... money that is needed for primary shelter. So, a hybrid hut can be assembled in a few days for under a grand utilizing easily scrounged materials. It will reasonably last 3 or more years and tolerate some harsh elements. Our non-profit has focused on providing interim shelter for the less fortunate. Goals being aimed at empowering those individuals and taking the repurposing of discarded industrial materials to new highs.
Samsortya in Afghanistan; our work continues with Sheila Grace
Dr. Raqib founded Afghanistan Samsortya in 2008 after visiting her home country for the first time in several decades and seeing the environmental devastation that was wrought by almost four decades of war. Samsortya means Revitalization in Pashto. I have been blessed with the privilege and honor of working very closely with Mariam for the last 8 years and continue to do so, even in these transitioning times. Columbia Basin Permaculture, here in Eastern WA, shares the exact same semi-arid climates as those in Dr. Raqib's homeland. The success of Samsortya is due to a very unique approach, not found in NGO's or other nonprofit organizations and we believe the work will continue, as it has in the last 20 years of occupation, now, and into the future.
Bliss Express with Jesse Christian
How to communicate your needs using NVC (Non-violent communication which I've renamed to Bliss Express) principles and practices. We will also talk about healthy practices such as making a Green Drink from locally gathered herbs and weeds from your garden as well as Cleansing and Clearing Toxins with green coffee enemas. These all work together so that you can feel at Bliss every moment of your life!
Back to a traditional, sustainable, less processed, less traveled, and indigenous food system with Jason Moore
Jason, the President of the Montana Co-op will share the last 10 years of creating and operating this system. This new system is currently being rolled out and it's an important time to connect to it. Learn the food system changes, the benefits for producers, consumers, and the earth, and obtain the steps to manage your Co-op "community driven" food hub (one in every community in the NW USA).
Wireless Tech, FCC failures, the 5G control grid AND Solutions for your Health & Privacy with Colleen Palmer
The 3 letter organizations FCC, FDA, and EPA, that we pay to protect our health and safety, are captured by industry and failing to do their jobs. Learn how to reduce your exposure to radio frequency radiation, about the 5G control grid, and how to step out of it by blocking and decentralizing data collection to protect your health and your privacy.
Water Stories - Leaders for Change with Zach Weiss
Around the world there are incredible examples of people standing up for their land, their water, and their co-living beings in order to restore landscapes. How can we bring water back to landscapes? How can we reverse migration and make a healthy abundant earth for all life? From every continent there are examples of elders having shown us a viable path forward. Yet these stories are far too unknown, people don't know what they can do to make a difference. Water Stories has been created to fix this and create a community movement to change our relationship with water for the restoration of earth's living systems.
Reversing Drought, Flood, and Fire through Water Cycle Restoration with Zach Weiss
The hydrological cycle of our planet is being severely disturbed, from the tops of our watersheds to the river mouths feeding the oceans. This is leading to increased drought, desertification, flooding, water scarcity, collapse of ecosystem function, disease, crop loss, etc – which when occur are called “natural” disasters. There is nothing natural about these disturbances, it is rather the direct result of previous miss-management.
This feedback loop is not only preventable but reversible through improvement management and cooperation with natural systems. Decentralized water retention landscapes - returning the water to the earth that is being otherwise diverted by human development - provides a proven and effective method for enhancing the cycling of water in the landscape, reversing desertification, stabilizing climate change, and improving water availability and quality - all while increasing productivity and vitality for both humans and their ecosystems.
This presentation provides both the context and theory for the larger ecological issues at hand, as well as real world examples of the solutions and approaches that can affect change. Highlighting projects from a variety of different contexts, scales, and climates leaves participants equipped with a fundamental understanding of the key elements, and introduces the incredible possibilities for restoration and regeneration.
Animal Communication with Pace Schneid
This workshop is a slideshow presentation of how most animals communicate using body language, tone, and spatial proximity. Our domesticated dogs will be used for many examples, but these signals are presented by many species including farm animals, cats, bears, and other wildlife. You will learn how to give calming signals to deescalate tensions with a fearful animal as well as create boundaries with pushy ones. We will go over empathetic communication and the importance of keeping your emotions in check when working with animals.
Knotty By Nature with Pace Schneid
Knots are rad! A length of rope transforms when you realize its potential. “Knotty By Nature” explores the balance of creative engineering, design, and utility behind knots. The workshop will discuss knot fundamentals and lingo, then circle up as a group and start tying. We'll learn several classic knots and how to use them to solve every day problems – like the bowline, sheet bend, two-half hitches, and clove hitch. We'll learn knots based on the interest of the group... applications of knots and rope work span many industries, hobbies, and crafts and can be personalized to your needs.
Knaughty knots with Kristel Bowden
A workshop geared toward youth and anyone else that wants to attend. The workshop will be knots, ranging from
simple to more complex. I will explain how to create the knot, when and how to use it and why it's important. The participants will be given
paracord that they can practice with and keep. An added bonus will be a "tarp" set up using the knots.
Call (208) 495-4059 for more information.
A COVID-aware Event
With heartfelt gratitude to our 2021 Convergence sponsors:
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Spokane, Sandpoint and Coeur d'Alene
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Coeur d'Alene, ID
