Blogs

It's been nearly three years since the Occupy movement burst onto the stage and made it's splash. It highlighted global inequities and the failures of big power and money to ensure we attend to the well-being of all members of society.

One of the ripples has come from of a small group of people in Wellington, who have focussed on building tools to facilitate the discussion and consensus decision making process across groups, without them having to be in the same place at the same time.

From a foundation of several successes under its belt, that include the tool being translated into multiple languages, www.loomio.org launched a crowd-funding campaign a month ago, with a goal of $100,000. It has just closed and the total given is over 123,000 so they will now go on to make the next version of the software, which includes a mobile app. Loomio is commited to keeping the tool open-source and free, while inviting support from users who can afford to give and support its ongoing development.

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In early February I was invited to participate in a week-long seminar looking at science-based future scenarios.  There were about 50 participants, and about 30 experts from Europe and one from America and myself gave presentations on what our modelling shows about the future of energy. This was no IPCC with political filters. None of the scientists was trying to sell a technology or get funding. This is probably as close as you will get to good, honest thinking about the future. » Read more

‘Wise Response’ is Seeking Your Support for Parliament to Endorse a Risk Assessment for New Zealand Via our Avaaz petition: » Read more

Permaculture Design Certificate Course*

Permaculture is the harmonious integration of landscape and people — providing their food, energy, shelter, and other material and non-material needs in a sustainable way. » Read more

Enormous opportunities are opening up as we transition from an unsustainable industrial food production and distribution model, to one that regenerates the very soil and land that supports life.

Thankfully and not before time, this topic is receiving increasing amounts of attention.

A rising chorus is now coming from UN agencies on how food security, poverty, gender inequality and climate change can all be addressed by a radical transformation of our agriculture and food system.

• The UN report: Wake up before it’s too late
• The USDA: Soil is a living and life-giving substance we depend on
  
• USDA video promoting soil biology as a key

Here in New Zealand we’re playing our part.

Food Forest Design course

The application window is still open for the first intake of the Food Forest Design course. On Feb 17th the fun begins when a small group of keen learners meet at Koanga Gardens in Hawkes Bay with James Samuel, Jon Foote and Kay Baxter, to begin the first block course of the inaugural Food Forest Design course.

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I innocently pressed play on this video on Tuesday night and did not expect what followed. This 30 minute video is in Rob's words "his favourite talk" from the recent trip he did to the US, after breaking his vow not to travel by plane.

This is by far the most impactful, energising, inspiring video I've seen in some time. It's meaningful, thoughtful, humorous, delightful and real.

Here's the link to the thoughtful article which summarises the ideas.

www.transitionnetwork.org/blogs/rob-hopkins/2014-01/5-factors-will-enable-transition-scale

Rob is suggesting five factors to help the Transition movement scale up in a way that's proportionate to the challenges of our time. They are:

1. Create a learning network
2. Support and resource core groups
3. Bring forward investment for Transition enterprises
4. Become better storytellers
5. Build an evidence base

The first New Zealand Food Forest Hui, held in Auckland last week was a high energy and over-subscribed event (we had sold out and had people in a waiting list). Here are some of the highlights and outcomes. If you missed it, stay in touch, there’s sure to be another!

Building community like a forest

While we spoke at the Hui, about food forestsand forest gardens, we also modelled living like a forest – each playing our part in an intricate eco-system of exchanges.

Our forest layers were represented by age, stature, flexibility, stores of knowledge, experience, wisdom and more.

We celebrated what is, embraced the possibilities of what could be and committed to practical actions to support the vision.

Imagine food forest projects popping up all over the country, on public land, on private land, for community benefit, for individual food security and well-being, and for commercial gain. We were united around this vision of building New Zealand’s food self-reliance through resilient, multi-layered, mostly perennial food systems, all the while remaining grounded and caring for each other.

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I got alerted to this project by Carl Pickens, while in the final weeks leading up New Zealand's first Food Forest Hui (Sep 26-28). More information on the Hui.

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We moved 18 Cu M of mulch around the 5 year old trees in the Surfdale community orchard yesterday.

This is a step in replacing the grasses (such as Kikiuyu) with ground cover plants of our choosing (some edible) - to be followed by other (mostly perennial) food plants in the families of root crops, herbs, shrubs and bushes and flowers for the pollinators and our pleasure.

This will result in a multi layered forest garden requiring minimal maintenance, and producing free food for the public who frequent it.

» Read more