Chrys will demonstrate how to effectively choke out your pesky garden vegetables with a vigorous stand of indefatigable, healthy quack grass.

Okay, seriously, what's planned is to start early Friday morning with an in-depth, hands-on, participatory, all-out attack on the Quack Grass that is threatening to engulf the 8000 sq. ft. garden at Heartsong using SHEET MULCHING as our primary weapon.

This will be our second go at this. One lesson learned from the previous attempt is: You can't skimp! No stretching of limited cardboard supplies by layering on too thin. In that case, do a smaller area thickly.

Corrugated cardboard is a fantastic mulch for killing sod, moisture retention and weed suppression, but to beat an established sod of Quack Grass rhizomes, you need to layer it on thick (not so if you don't have a grass problem-- depends on the individual situation). Worms love it! You will immediately see an increase in your earthworm population as they feast on the cellulose-rich paper. Some folks worry about toxins in the glue, but my feeling is we have a lot more important things to worry about in the world, plus, I have great faith in the ability of the worms and other micro/macro flora/fauna in living soil to break down small amounts of toxins. I do worry about excessive heavy metals from too much colored ink, but minimal-ink cardboard is still readily available.

There will be other garden tasks, some transplanting, trellissing, perhaps a bit of carpentry on the goat barn, maybe some irrigation assembly in the orchard, putting together of beehive frames, and the like.

So come early to the Convergence and get down and dirty with me in the garden.

Extra credit will go to anyone who brings any quantity, large or small, of corrugated cardboard (no plastic tape, minimal ink-- black preferred or single color).

Chrys has been raising dairy goats for nearly 20 years and, though largly self-taught, has developed an approach that keeps modern medicine and cruelty out of the picture and integrates the keeping of goats into the design of a diversified permaculture homestead. Chrys raises a small herd of six cross-bred dairy goats at Heartsong. In past years he's kept upwards of 25 goats at a time. In addition to his goat husbandry workshop, he'll be milking four goats each morning and will likely make a batch of fresh goat cheese sometime during the Convergence, so, if you can catch up with him, he won't mind if you tag along.

Come to the Inland Northwest Permaculture Convergence early this Friday morning to participate in some fun and educational hands-on projects implementing permaculture on Heartsong's 8 1/2 acre site. All day Friday will be a fun and energetic work party!

We'll be building two of these solar food dehydrators. We'll also be doing a lot of sheet mulching in the Heartsong garden and food forest, also some transplanting, harvesting in the orchard, tending of the hedge-row, maybe some drip irrigation, construction work on the goat barn or putting up raspberry trellis depending on the size of the crew.

Later on Friday: 4:30-6:00pm Astrology and the Four Elements-a Cosmic Perspective with Steven 'Stargazer' Pack.

Workshop Period A 8:30pm - 9:30pm Movie (Inhabit) Permaculture videography with Jason Patrick Smith Socializing and Singing around the campfire.

Inland Northwest Permaculture Convergence
Tumtum WA Sept. 9 - 11
http://www.inlandnorthwestpermaculture.com/

All over the world permaculture designers have created wonderful permaculture sites.  These perennial landscapes are designed to come to maturity  in a scale of decades, and can go on being productive for centuries, well outlasting the lifetimes of their designers. The intent of these sites is to create permanent agriculture. To fulfill this intent we need an additional design element:  we need a way to guarantee that these designed landscapes survive and are allowed to fulfill their potential through multiple changes in property ownership.

We are developing the Permaculture Conservation Trust  as a way of protecting permaculture sites in the Northwest.   A conservation land trust accepts a conservation easement on a particular piece of property, and then protects the property from being used for anything not allowed in the easement. Conservation easements have been used to protect  sites for their ecological values, such as scarce habitat or important biodiversity, as well as to preserve farmland and historical landmarks. Permaculturally designed landscapes have the kind of value typically protected by conservation easements.

We invite people who are interested in protecting permaculture sites, either their own or in general. as well as people who are interested in invisible structures in general. to join us in a roundtable discussion of the Permaculture Conservation Trust, where we are in its development, what we still need to do, and how we can best meet the needs of the permaculture community.

Kaniksu Land Trust Project: Creating a community organic, food forest with fruit guilds and hugelkulture.

~ Permaculture Design of 80 acres under the Kaniksu Land Trust Project

~ Creating community through leadership and volunteering

~ Feeding the community youth and elderly

~ Efforts beyond the growing; food preperation. fermentation projects, canning/jarring and drying. 

"I believe that mycelium is the neurological network of nature."   -- Paul Stamets Author and advocate of bioremediation and medicinal mushroomsHunting mushrooms in the burn!!! Where how when and why to set out on a mycelium hunt.

Details soon!

The Art of Sacred Living is a practice of learning how to live our busy lives in a sacred way that nurtures our relationship to the earth and all her inhabitants. How do we intertwine our spirituality, heighten our awareness, and give back to Mother Nature, while still holding down our jobs and taking the kids to soccor? How do we trend lightly and live in right relation to the earth in modern society? This topic goes beyond Sustainable Living. It's too late for that. It's time to Regenerate, Revitalize and be Resilient!

Karie is also coordinating the Skill-share Village at this year's Convergence to share homesteading, ancestral and/or primitive skills, such as, blacksmithing, spinning, weaving, fiber craft, skills, flint-napping, fire making, tanning, buckskin sewing, pottery, bow and arrow making, etc., that can be demonstrated or be hands-on. The Skill Share Village will have a schedule of activities throughout Saturday and Sunday. You are invited to have a booth, tent or station to do your activities, show your stuff, and do education. Outreach and sales are encouraged. Generally we do not pay presenters/instructors, but we can waive admission. Meals are included.  For INPC contact Karie Lee at 208-659-9000 or email kariek@sandpoint.net

Landscapes and grazing management needs to be able to asses the priorities of decision makeing to affordably design their system. Learn how to look at your map in terms of the scale of permanency and holistic context  as the paradigm to start from. We will look at holistic context and goals, climate, geography, water, access, forestry, buildings, fencing, soil, economy,  and energy.  Darren Doherty is world class in his understanding of large landscape design and implementation. This class will be an overview of his 10 day training. Bring a large relief map of your place to jot down your ideas. 

A lecture on the soil types, plant communites, and crop-analogues of the Inland Northwest, in evolutionary context. Emphasis on succession and taxonomy. Also an introduction to the naturalized perennial food plants of our region, and the lessons they have for appropriate horticulture. 

Kyle will be participating in the primitive skills camp, demonstrating flint-knapping, friction fire, and other ancient skills. 

In this presentation we will be covering an array of highly useful tools for the small scale farmer.  We will discuss topics such as sources for good tools, making your own tools, tool maintenance, and use of tools.  Please come to this class with your favorite tool in hand or be able to share about it.

The second portion of this class will cover the use and cultivation of a handful of perennial vegetables adapted to our region.  Perennial vegetables are one of the greatest sources of low-input yields.  There nutritional value develops over time and are often easily propogated.  It is encouraged for people to come to class prepared to share about a perennial vegetable they have grown or are interested in.

Biological solutions are critical to the success of land restoration efforts.  Seeds are the greatest tool in the pocket of the students of Earth Repair.

Informed by over 28 years of experience, this presentation will provide in depth coverage on the harvesting and processing of Native Seeds.  For harvesting we will discuss plant ID, when to harvest, care of raw seeds, and effecient harvesting strategies.  For the processing side of things we will discuss seed cleaning strategies for Native plants, many of these strategies also pertain to many cultivated plants as well.  We will also discuss equipment, care seeds, cleaning processes, and how to make seed mixes.

 Some contributions that permaculture can make to the earth repair and ecosystem restoration movements.  How to repair damaged environments and make them more productive.  What can we learn from ethnobotany and ethno-ecology on how to manage Inland Northwest landscapes for productivity and health.

Species, tools and timing.

What better way than "Destiny by Design"?

This workshop will detail a case study of how to use permaculture principles in a purposeful planning approach on a pristine plot of land. Attendees will be able to sketch out a practice pad vision for their own property with discussions of the possibilities they possess. As the master planner of the first ECOS Eden Adventure Lodge project  Rob Lyman has kept the heritage of one of these wonder-filled sites in the family even after his mother retired who grew Christmas trees on the surrounding 230 acres for more than 30 years: This is rarified natural splendor; a Class1 riparian forest environment with a year round creek nestled into a sparsely settled mountain hideaway in North Idaho. The area has native populations of deer moose elk bear turkeys coyotes grouse woodpeckers hummingbirds and at least 45 other different kinds of birds and many more species of creatures too numerous to mention. The flow and head calculations on this short stretch of Curtis Creek have determined that it can deliver more than enough micro hydro power through low impact “run of the river”technology to supply 2 full households worth of electricity at 0 carbon load emissions while also back feeding the grid in times of excess production. It is being planned to never deplete any water supplies or fish spawning environments. There will be trout ponds that encourage the wild fish to spawn. The wild mixed with the symbiotic will provide some relaxing barbless catch and release fly fishing along side a greenhouse based aquaponics system that can provide a year round source of sustainable protein while also fertilizing the edible vegetation. Nearly everything will be purposely constructed with green building specifications in mind. Native and reclaimed materials will be showcased in the perfect blend of technological advances working hand in hand with natural systems protecting the watersheds while providing much needed energy production a sustainable eco-tourism industry and many new jobs.

Permaculture designing will allow the seven layers of vegetation above and below ground to develop maximum potential for growth and achieve a balance that provides a continual food forest harvest for those who support and tend it. These will not be farmers tending crops but gardeners harvesting bounty from self sustaining plots of native cuisine. 

If you would like to enjoy organic natural food grown in our gardens or harvested fresh locally through Community Supported Agriculture food cooperatives and organic growers; we would like you to order it from the menu and then watch it being prepared in exciting and creative ways. 

For an added adrenaline loaded adventure you may also want to experience thrills and excitement as you scream above the native canopy safely suspended on a zip line heading for 1 treehouse after another and yet another view of the surrounding valley and the mountains in the distance. Listen to the wind whistle in your ears along with the birds. All along the way there will be interconnected chains of life all around you…….. Suspension Bridges across idyllic settings nature trails and people mover systems for the physically challenged….. Observation towers with relaxing loungers binoculars and accommodations you never want to leave….. Native flora detailed on descriptive plaques listing beneficial properties and traits. And the zip lines and harnesses will provide the adventurous type with over 120 ft of vertical drop through the North Idaho canopy to the watershed trail system below.

 
Let's Build an ECOS (Environmental Conservation Observation & Suppport ) Headquarters on the Hoodoo! Tranquil AccomodationsStunning Views Nature Trails Organic Produce Native Cuisine Sustainable Land use Management Micro-Hydro zipline adventure treehouses & More!!! Do you have a special talent or interest to donate? Let me know how to make this project better with your nature friendly ideas. Everything about this place is a lot of what I'm about.

Learn about Ehrenfried Pfeiffer's Soil Chromatography method and what it is, where it came from, when it was developed, who has used it, why its important too Permaculture and how to perform the tests. Each test takes a pictorial view of your soil at a single moments glance, similar to a self portrait. With the picture you can start to best evaluate your soils biological activity, the soils ability to drain and retain water, enzymatic activity and start to determine the best actions for fixing such issues through increasing OM, Biological activity through applications of compost, mulch, green cover crops, compost teas, bio-fertilizers and holistic sprays.

This workshop can be taken alone but is recommended to be taken in conjunction with either the Hands-On Composting workshop or the Biologically Active Compost Tea workshop or both all together.

Turning unwanted food & yard waste into Compost, a valuable resource needed by all gardeners. Master Composter/Master Gardener Ryan Herring will share his advise on easy ways to get started composting for everyone. Learn about composting bins, materials, C:N Ratios, troubleshooting, the soil food web, and much much more. We will be building a pile and getting those fingernails dirty!!!!

This workshop can be taken alone but is recommended to be taken in conjunction with either the Soil Chromatography for Beginners workshop or the Biologically Active Compost Tea workshop or both all together.

Learn how to take your compost a step further and create an actively aerobic compost tea packed full of diverse healthy microbes. Making fungally dominated tea, bacterial dominated tea or a balanced tea can be helpful to many different plants. The brewing of the tea with oxygen allows for the growth of beneficial microbes and when applied to plants and the soil the beneficial microbes out compete the "Bad" guys for food, nutrients and residency. We will be spreading out our Compost Tea we make on the garden at Heartsong. We will talk about how the Soil Chromatography relates and how to use the two in conjunction with each other.

This workshop can be taken alone but is recommended to be taken in conjunction with either the Soil Chromatography workshop or the Hands-On Composting workshop or both all together.

Join us for an insightful look at the Four Elements: the Earth, the Water, the Fire and the Air that make up our material world and their Cosmic signifigance in our lives including info on planting by the moon.

Are you interested in helping to grow our region's food system? If so, join us for a discussion about strategies to grow our food system including infrastructure development, opportunities for collaboration, national trends, and whatever other ideas our collective genius has to offer.

Three Apples and Mike Sullivan’s workshop will involve the introduction and construction of a solar hot water system for on or off grid.  Three Apple has been refining this system for 16 years. The hot water system will be for sale after the workshop. They also plan on having a working demo model at Heartsong.