Los Angeles Permaculture Guild Newsletter 2008

May 2008

Los Angeles Permaculture Guild Newsletter

 on the web 24/7 !

taylorist.googlepages.com/permaculturelosangeles

Que pasa,

Feel free to repost this newsletter wherever appropriate and submit related needs, surplus, events and articles, videos, pictures and announcements. Community input is always encouraged and appreciated . . .

Thanks,

Taylor Arneson
taylorist@gmail.com
taylorist.googlepages.com


ARTICLES OF INTEREST

-- Michael Pollan on the Revolutionary Act of Gardening
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_11675.cfm

-- For South L.A. farmers, a new setting for their plots
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-buttonwillow28apr28,1,473987.story

-- Nuns embrace restoring connection with nature
http://www.insidebayarea.com/sanmateocountytimes/ci_9037610


(NEW) VIDEOS

-- Seedballs
http://crackle.com/play/?id=1590094#ml=fcx%3D210%26fk%3Dpermaculture%26fx%3D%26o%3D7

-- Urban Permaculture
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Qpyocn1Vc5U

-- Worm Tower
http://youtube.com/watch?v=scUTrypzyY0&feature=related

NEEDS AND REQUESTS

The Watt's Family Garden Club
(http://www.wattsgardenclub.org/)
and
"The Seed Lady" aka Anna Marie Carter
http://www.yesmagazine.org/article.asp?ID=576
are looking for................
Primarily we are looking for CASH and volunteers.
We need self motivated, self initiating, responsible people to help with various aspects of several different projects. People who have experience or skills as grant writers, researchers, marketers and community organizers would be most desirable. Please contact: Camille Cimino
camcim@yahoo.com
(213) 924-5238

-- Swan Song for the Lawn -Volunteers Needed -Ongoing starting in February '08
Help convert resource consuming lawns in and around Los Angeles into productive Fruit, Fuel, Food, Fiber and Medicine Producing Home Ecosystems! No experience necessary.
Contact us at info@earthflow.com

-- Accommodations Needed -Los Angeles -Ongoing
Larry Santoyo, Permaculture Designer, Teacher seeks private studio/guesthouse accommodations for frequent visits in and around downtown Los Angeles, Silverlake and Santa Monica Areas -Will trade for permaculture consulting, design and/or workshops.

-- I am always looking for people, M-F, who would like to volunteer working on permaculture projects at a home in Malibu.  Projects involve pruning, planting, mulching, propagation, water harvesting techniques, compost making, caring for chickens, light straw claw and earthen plaster, herb spirals, and more.  Anyone interested can contact me at swjennings@gmail.com Also, looking to build up the LAPCGuild wiki with profiles of people doing permaculture related activities in this city, so please submit anything you got, pictures, stories,  to swjennings@gmail.com

-- Eco Home needs help with promoting their tours - The number of visitors has decreased recently and they are exploring new opportunities to spread the word. Contact Dianne Carter at dcarterpr@earthlink.net. More about Eco Home /www.ecohome.org/pages/index.html


-- EMANATE needs monetary and material donations for their installations. All donations are tax-deductible. Contact jenna@emanate.org or 323.913.0915. www.emanate.org



SURPLUS

-- Bicycles for sale!
* fixed gear, raleigh women's road bike conversion, all new 700c rims and tires, good seat, bull horn bars, no lights or brakes - $ 300
* three wheeled adult (trike) beach cruiser style, coaster and front brakes, ape hangers, basket, needs new tubes and tires - $ 300
* brand new lollapolloza element skateboard made of bamboo limited edition, 7.5w, 52mm wheels - $100


-- Be part of every permaculture function there is in our newly acquired land in Venice, CA. We have a 55'x300' space a few minutes from the ocean in a very good growing zone with space available to rent or build your own natural space. We are needing strictly permaculture people to build a living modelthat will provide answers for our cities many problems. We need your skills and enthusiasm to be part of something very special.
 contact: Bobby 310-466-9600
 Must see!!

-- Earthflow Design Works offers the following products, services and skills: Permaculture Land Planning and Design -Training and Services; Jewelry Designs; Clothing Designs. Graphic Design & Photography. See www.earthflow.com for more info

-- We have Potted (1 to 5 gal) Garden Plants -Will trade for Avocados, Bamboo and/or ???
-Achira, edible canna
-Opuntia, spineless fruiting cactus
-Yacon, sweet, crunchy tubers
Contact: Larry & Kathryn Santoyo <info@earthflow.com> 805.459.0452

-- Available for pre-purchase!  Quail Springs, An Experiment in Permaculture by Joss Jaffe, is an important research and development tool supporting permaculture design and the long term vision of Quail Springs. Pre-purchase the book by contacting info@quailsprings.org.  $30 includes CD, or $10 for CD only, plus $5 shipping.

-- Hopedance offer: For $250 Hopedance Magazine will give you a full page to do what you want (listings, calendars, ads, articles, art, etc.) plus you get 1,000 copies of hopedance to do what you want. The page would be inside the regular issue of HopeDance. The next issue is on Relocalization.  Bob Banner 805 544 9663 www.hopedance.org

-- Path to Freedom's Peddlers Wagon http://pathtofreedom.com/peddlerswagon/ - Practical goods for your home and garden, including ollas, solar ovens, bike trailers and more. From the wonderful Dervaes family homestead.


-- Compost - Tim Dundon 626-794-1351 theroyalsoil@2doo.com www.2doo.com Tim is the King of Compost. He will deliver a huge dumptruck of horse manure and sawdust for 80.00 to your hungry soil. He might offer you some sage philosophy for free while he's at it.

-- Cob-a-nation with Ray Cirino! Ray is THE guy for cob in Los Angeles. His beautiful ovens, benches and other structures can be seen at LA Eco-Village, Path to Freedom and many private residences around the city. Check out his new cob playhouses! He also builds rocket stoves and welds amazing trellises. Hire him to lead a workshop or build something for you. email cobanation@yahoo.com

ACTIVISM / ACTIONISM

-- TAKE ACTION ON FARM BILL
The deadline on the 2007--Now 2008--Farm Bill has been a moving target, but the conference committee is currently set to conclude its work soon. We need as many e-mails as soon as possible to urge Congress to pass a Farm Bill that increases funding for organic, transition to organic, and nutrition programs, rather than simply more subsidies for corporate welfare and biofuels.. Please click here to take action now: http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/642/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=24318

-- Help Save the L.A. Eco-Village from the L.A. Unified School District
After a heated battle at the community meetings, LAUSD has chosen another site close by, but they still intend to put a large parking lot where the elementary school used to be, right in the heart of the LA Ecovillage
 See the following websites for details:
http://laecovillage.org/

-- Save the Whittier Narrows Natural Area!
 The Discovery Center Authority development is the first project to remake the 419 acre Whittier Narrows Natural area into a synthetic one. Visit naturalareafriends.net for more info. Friends of the Whittier Narrows Natural Area. 626 286 3850 info@naturalareafriends.net

-- California Cannabis Hemp & Health Initiative 2008 needs help in signature gathering: <www.jackherer.com> & <www.calhemp08.org>.

-- Petition Agri Fuel Incentives for Monsanto and other GMO corporations
http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/oca/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=895

WORKPARTIES, POTLUCKS, CLASSES AND EVENTS

-- Wed April 30th 11–11:30 am Federal Building lot, 11000 Wilshire Blvd. LA 90024
Meet in Southwest corner of Parking Lot, near Rochester Ave. to pick up your HazMat suit (or email to make prior arrangements)
12:00 NOON 'Clean-Up' Action begins in front of Oxy Building,
10889 Wilshire Blvd. LA 90024 (corner of Westwood Blvd)
What: "Clean-Up" Action – B.Y.O.B. We provide HazMat suits; you bring your
own broom or mop! Occidental Petroleum World Headquarters in Westwood
10889 Wilshire Blvd. L.A. 90024

-- Wednesday, April 30, 2008 6:00pm - 7:30pm Edgecliffe and Sunset - triangle park
Fallen Fruit is organizing this year's Nocturnal Fruit Forage 2008 in honor of the Loquat. It would be great if you could post the information to help spread the word to Angelenos. We do a tour every year at this time. It would be great to have you come along. If you have any questions. We meet a lot of residents when we stop in front of their houses with flashlights, shopping carts, bags and fruit pickers. They are usually happy to see us and offer to let us pick more fruit inside their properties. Its rare, at least in LA, to find people who actually use much or even any of the fruit growing on their properties.
Please let us know if you are planning to attend info@fallenfruit.org.

-- Friday May 2nd  9 am – 10:30 am
RALLY at Oxy Annual SHAREHOLDERS' MEETING with Achuar Leaders
"Oxy Annual Shareholders Meeting" Press Conference
Fairmont Hotel – sidewalk on Ocean Ave.
 101 Wilshire Blvd. @ Ocean Ave. Santa Monica 90401

-- Saturday, May 3rd 10am - 4pm $35!
RAINWATER CATCHMENT: TURNING THE BAY'S #1 POLLUTER INTO A #1 RESOURCE Jenna Didier, Director of Materials & Applications and Principal of Fountainhead Water Systems Design, Dr. Bill Roley, applied ecologist, environmental instructor and watershed planner, 10am - noon: Dr. Bill Roley, Full Circle Water Planning with Community Participation 1pm - 4pm : Jenna will lead a hands-on installation of a rainwater catchment system, including review of rain water fountains and irrigations systems.

-- Saturday, May 3rd from 10:30am - 1pm
 Tours of Los Angeles Eco-Village
 Learn the history, context, accomplishments, pitfalls, transitions, plans and visions for this two block central city demonstration ecovillage neighborhood-in-process and its intentional community.
Fee: $10 (sliding scale available). Reservations required, contact crsp@igc.org or 213/738-1254.


-- Saturday, May 10th 10am - 4pm  $35!
GREEN ROOFS AND BEYOND: GREENING ARCHITECTURE TO SLOW AND ABSORB STORMWATER
Freya Bardell, Director of GreenMeme
Brent Bucknam, Principal of Hyphae, Director of Living Architecture for Rana Creek
Dr. Bill Roley, applied ecologist, environmental instructor and watershed planner
10am - noon: Dr. Bill Roley, Full Circle Water Planning with Community Participation 1pm - 4pm : Freya Bardell will lead a workshop on slowing storm-water and cooling structures through integrated systems of green roofs, living walls and storm-water-planters.

-- Saturday, May 10, 2008, 9:30am - 3pm 5621 Montemalaga Drive $5
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275
The South Bay Energy Fair will feature, on site:
Bicycles as cargo vehicles
Electric cars
Multiple public transit advocacy groups
Local biodiesel purchasing
Solar energy installers
Energy-saving appliances & home retrofits
Ultra fuel-efficient motorscooters
Alternative Fuel Smackdown debate
Green Fashion Show
Independent film release
Link    www.southbayenergyfair.com

-- Sunday, May 11 from 10:30am - 1pm
 Tours of Los Angeles Eco-Village
 Learn the history, context, accomplishments, pitfalls, transitions, plans and visions for this two block central city demonstration ecovillage neighborhood-in-process and its intentional community.
Fee: $10 (sliding scale available). Reservations required, contact crsp@igc.org or 213/738-1254.

-- Friday, May 16 at 7:30pm and Saturday, May 17 from 8:30am – 5pm
A Taste of Permaculture: Hands-On Workshop
In this workshop, you will be introduced to the permaculture principles and ethics while gaining some hands-on experience in soils and gardening, orcharding, and seedball making. Permaculture Principles, Ethics, and Zones with Tyrone LaFay
Three 90-minute rotating hands-on workshops on
- Soils & Gardening with Brad Mowers
- Orcharding with George Patton
- Seedball making with Yuki Kidokoro
Course Fee: $115. Pre-registration required by May 13, alirosenblatt@gmail.com or 213/738-1254

-- Saturday, May 17th 10am - 4pm $35!
LANDSCAPING STRATEGIES FOR PARKING LOTS AND DRIVEWAYS
Glen Dake, Director of Glen Dake Landscape Architecture and former Green Deputy of Council District 13 Guest speakers TBA Schedule TBA Glen will lead hands-on installation instruction of permeable pavement, swales and filter strips.

-- Tuesday, May 20th, @ 7pm Santa Monica Main Library, Community Room
Come Join us for the first of a series of monthly meetings to discuss Permaculture and how we can apply it within our urban community.
We will use these meetings to begin to build a community of local citizens interested in bringing about real sustainable change in the
neighborhoods that we live in.  We are looking for permaculturists, gardeners, activists, teachers, environmentalists, city officials, parents, children, students, etc.  All are welcome.  We can change the world with our own two hands, let's start by changing our community together.For more information or if you would like to become more involved please send an email to: swjennings@gmail.com
The Santa Monica Main Library is located at 601 Santa Monica Boulevard, Santa Monica, CA 90401 (310) 458-8600

-- Saturday, May 24th Location TBA noon - 5pm
Fruit drying and sorbet workshop
Learn different techniques to build simple drying boxes and make sorbet from fruit collected in your neighborhood. We will walk to go pick loquats, plums and apricots, learn local history, climate and soils and agriculture as we walk through a neighborhood and take snacks and drying boxes home for a materials fee of $ 20
 Sliding scale, no one turned away for lack of funds. RSVP to: taylorist@gmail.com

-- Saturday and Sunday, May 24-25 ~ Building a Cob Oven and Baking Bread
with Quail Springs' teaching team $100 for each 2 day Skill Builder workshop, includes camping.
Register for the entire "Hands and Hearts" series for 2008 for $275 !
Optional materials fee may apply for each workshop. Meals will be organized potluck.
Contact info@quailsprings.org for more information or to register.


-- Saturday, May 31 and Sunday, June 1, from 10am-5pm
Weekend Gardening Workshop with Brad Mowers
Gain hands-on experience in all of the aspects of growing your own food.  In this weekend workshop we will learn about soils, plant seedlings, how to harvest fruits and vegetables, and compost their waste, closing the cycle. 
Specific topics covered will include:
- Soil health
- Seed starting
- Buying plants from the nursery
- Vegetable planting charts
- Putting plants in the ground and caring for them
- Growing in pots for apartment dwellers
- Inter-planting and biodiversity
- Plant culture and how to deal with insects
- Watering
- Wild plants such as lambs' quarter, amaranth, dandelion and nettles
- Composting
This class is for beginning gardeners as well as those who would like a refresher course for review and more information. Participants will go away with a well-rounded palette of information to start on their summer gardens.
Course Fee: $125. Pre-registration required by May 23, alirosenblatt@gmail.com or 213/738-1254.

PERMACULTURE COURSES:

-- April 20 - May 3, 2008
In cooperation with Four Elements Organic Farm, HopeDance Media & The Terra Foundation: Four Elements Permaculture Design Course San Luis Obispo County,   Permaculture Design Certificate Course Two-Week Intensive
Amazing Location... The site for this course is  Four Elements Organic Farm, a certified Organic Farm and an innovative Natural Building Learning Center nestled in the steep chaparral hills of California's Central Coast.
 http://earthflow.com/slo2008.php


-Santa Cruz, CA - Third Weekends of each Month, Feb-July
-San Luis Obispo, CA - Two-Week Intensive April 20- May 3, 2008
-New York City Open Center  -3Day CityPermaculture Strategies Workshop - April
-Woodbourne, Catskills, New York - Two-Week Intensive August 16-29, 2008
-Los Angeles, CA - First Weekends of each Month, Oct '08 - March '09
-Aveyron Region, France  - Permaculture Highlights & Historical Preservation Tour
 More Hands-On WorkParties - Natural building and "the home ecosystem" design on California's Central Coast and the Southland.

• Trades, Work-Trades and Payment Plans now available
• Teachers are also eligible for special Scholarship Discounts

http://earthflow.com/

--  February through July 2008
The Santa Barbara Permaculture Design Course Experience
Creating The Conditions for Sustainability to Happen...
February through July 2008.
One weekend a month for 6 months...
Join us on the second weekends of February through July 2008.
Locations will take us in and around Santa Barbara Co.





UPCOMING IN THE SUMMER

-- The Next Natural Building Workshop:
Edendale Farm in Silver Lake
Designing & Building an Outdoor Kitchen and Entertainment Space
One of the advantages of living in Sunny Southern California is enjoying the outdoors, yet very few are eating or cooking outside daily.
This hands-on workshop will use permaculture design and natural building skills to complete a beautiful space that is functional, economical and sustainable.
Starts at 9:00AM- 4:00 PM  Saturdays.
Part One    * Site and Kitchen Design
                    * Earthen Oven Theory & Techniques
Space is limited RSVP Special Workshop, Children are welcome contact: info@sustainablehabitats.org


-- Tuesday, June 3 from 6-9pm
Creating a LETSystem in your neighborhood with Alison Rosenblatt
 Alison has been researching local currencies since her arrival in L.A. Eco-Village in February.  She is engaged in testing and honing the emerging LETSystem in LAEV.  The LETS (Local Exchange Trading System) is a local currency system used throughout the world.  Come learn how you can make it happen in your neighborhood.
 Fee: $10 donation suggested.  No one turned away for lack of funds
Reservations required, contact Alison Rosenblatt at alirosenblatt@gmail.com or 213/738-1254.

-- Saturday, June 14 from 9am-5pm
Water Catchment with Swales
Taught by Joe Linton, author of "Down by the L.A. River"
Check our website, www.laecovillage.org, for more details, coming soon.

-- It's time to register for a brand new series of organic gardening classes. I'm really excited about them. Get the details by going straight to the registration page here: www.silverlakefarms.com/workshops.htm

--

-- Saturday and Sunday, May 24-25 ~ Building a Cob Oven and Baking Bread
with Quail Springs' teaching team $100 for each 2 day Skill Builder workshop, includes camping. Register for the entire "Hands and Hearts" series for 2008 for $275 Optional materials fee may apply for each workshop. Meals will be organized potluck.Contact info@quailsprings.org for more information or to register.




LAPG WIKI SPACE   :   http://lapcguild.wikispaces.com

ARASHI : https://www.arashi.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/lapg

BLOGS

-- http://permaculturecafe.blogspot.com/

-- http://permaculturetokyo.blogspot.com/

--

WISER EARTH Profile : http://www.wiserearth.org/organization/view/625ef7965dec0b50f16a19ec91d1f79a#

SO. CAL PERM ORGS
Los Angeles:
- Earthflow http://www.earthflow.com/  -  Larry Santoyo santoyo@earthflow.com 805-459-0452
- LA Permaculture Guild: Camille Cimino camcim@yahoo.com Joan Stevens 323-630-4673 mamabotanica@sbcglobal.net .

Points north:
- Ojai Permaculture Guild: Dave White david@ojaicra.org 805-646-9809
- Santa Barbara Permaculture Network: Margie Bushman sbpcnet@silcom.com 805-962-2571 www.sbpermaculture.org
- Sierra PC Guild, Paul Racko paul@sierrapermaculture.org
http://sierrapermaculture.org

Points south:
- PC Institute of Southern California (Laguna Beach): Bill Roley DrRoley@cox.net 949-494-5843
- San Diego Permaculture Center: San Diego Economic Conversion Council sdecc@igc.org (619)
255-6111 (new one)

STAY IN TOUCH:
- Los Angeles PC Guild e-list -- https://www.arashi.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/lapg
- South CA PC Guild e-list -- https://www.arashi.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/scpg
- LACity Repair e-list -- http://lists.riseup.net/www/info/cityrepairla
- LA PC Guild on Tribe -- http://lapcguild.tribe.net
- LA Mytological Society -- http://www.lamushrooms.org

LINKS

Permaculture Activist Magazine : www.permacultureactivist.net
Permaculture Credit Union : www.pcuonline.org
Hopedance Magazine : www.hopedance.org
Urban Permaculture Guild : http://www.urbanpermacultureguild.org/
LA Permaculture Guild website : http://www.lapcguild.wikispaces.com/
LA EcoVillage: http://urbansoil.net/wiki.cgi
EcoVillage / Permaculture places : http://www.ecologycenter.org/directory/results.php?sFAQ=permaculture
Sustainble World Radio Podcasts : http://www.sustainableworldradio.com/


 FARMERS MARKETS OF SOUTHERN CA

http://www.farmernet.com/events/cfms

BOOK LISTS OF INTEREST

http://www.users.bigpond.com/brookman/books.html

http://www.pdxpermaculture.org/books.htm

http://www.patternliteracy.com/reading.html

FREE E BOOKS

http://www.holmgren.com.au/

http://www.rainbowbody.net/Finalempire/index.html

http://farmerbarter.googlepages.com/foodbook



>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
To subscribe or unsubscribe to the LAPG newsletter, or to send a notice for next month, drop an email to taylorist@gmail.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

March 2008 

ARTICLES OF INTEREST

-- Permaculture Peoples Party
http://www.tagari.com/?p=206

-- EcoUrbanism
http://www.bluegreenearth.us/archive/organics/2005/santoyo-1-2005.html

--  Permaculture plants the seeds of growth, change
By Tad Sooter
Author Toby Hemenway talks sustainability and better living.
http://www.bainbridgereview.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=96&cat=23&id=1155217&more=0

-- Retrofitting the suburbs for sustainability
by David Holmgren
http://sbpermaculture.org/Suburbs_Holmgren.html

-- Starting a Successful Urban Ecovillage
By Diana Leafe Christian
 http://sbpermaculture.org/DChristianArticle.html


NEEDS AND REQUESTS

The Watt's Family Garden Club
(http://www.wattsgardenclub.org/)
and
"The Seed Lady" aka Anna Marie Carter
http://www.yesmagazine.org/article.asp?ID=576
are looking for................
Primarily we are looking for CASH and volunteers.
We need self motivated, self initiating, responsible people to help with various aspects of several different projects. People who have experience or skills as grant writers, researchers, marketers and community organizers would be most desirable. Please contact: Camille Cimino
camcim@yahoo.com
(213) 924-5238

-- Swan Song for the Lawn -Volunteers Needed -Ongoing starting in February '08
Help convert resource consuming lawns in and around Los Angeles into productive Fruit, Fuel, Food, Fiber and Medicine Producing Home Ecosystems! No experience necessary.
Contact us at info@earthflow.com

-- Accommodations Needed -Los Angeles -Ongoing
Larry Santoyo, Permaculture Designer, Teacher seeks private studio/guesthouse accommodations for frequent visits in and around downtown Los Angeles, Silverlake and Santa Monica Areas -Will trade for permaculture consulting, design and/or workshops.

-- I am always looking for people, M-F, who would like to volunteer working on permaculture projects at a home in Malibu.  Projects involve pruning, planting, mulching, propagation, water harvesting techniques, compost making, caring for chickens, light straw claw and earthen plaster, herb spirals, and more.  Anyone interested can contact me at swjennings@gmail.com Also, looking to build up the LAPCGuild wiki with profiles of people doing permaculture related activities in this city, so please submit anything you got, pictures, stories,  to swjennings@gmail.com


-- Eco Home needs help with promoting their tours - The number of visitors has decreased recently and they are exploring new opportunities to spread the word. Contact Dianne Carter at dcarterpr@earthlink.net. More about Eco Home /www.ecohome.org/pages/index

Febuary 2008
Los Angeles Permaculture Guild Newsletter

Salud,

Feel free to repost this newsletter wherever appropriate and submit related needs, surplus, events and articles. Community input is always encouraged . . .

Thanks,

Taylor Arneson
taylorist@gmail.com

ARTICLES AND RESPONSES

-- First plant your garden
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/first-plant-your-garden/2008/01/16/1200419885264.html

-- Petition Agri Fuel Incentives for Monsanto and other GMO corporations
http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/oca/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=895

-- Whiskey Barrel House at Findhorn
http://www.newstatesman.com/200801220004

-- Everything and the Kitchen Sink
http://www.hopedance.org/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=287&Itemid=97

-- Meat guzzlers
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/27/weekinreview/27bittman.html?ex=1202187600&en=a1087de0ce76df87&ei=5070&emc=eta1

-and response:
       Man must eat what his local environment supports, and how mans body needs specific nutrients related to his immediate environment. Man in the jungle should eat many fruits, tropical vegetables, fish, very little meat, man in temperate zones should eat more grains, leafy greens, beans, poultry and fish. In the desert, cactus, desert figs, fruits, chiles, beans, little grain, greens maybe reptiles, rodents and doves in winter. Northern plains, deer, rabbits, poultry, grain, buffalo, potatoes or a few domestic stock. In the arctic (where I Live} its hard to grow grain, you have only 3 months to grow a garden. Ground and water is frozen at least 6 months a year. We have a lot more meat animals than we do people. Selective hunting balances our ecosystem, for example to many bears mean fewer moose, so eat more bears. Eating meat in the arctic is a sustainable practice if managed versus promoting too much agriculture (which I encourage some agriculture up here).Domestic raising of reindeer,bison, goats and musk ox are also sustainable practices for protein in the arctic where free roaming meat is healthy for the few people who live in it and need fat and fur to stay warm.This is a far different scenario than all you folks down south that need to forget McDonalds and enjoy the fruits and vegetables you have that I sometimes dream of having. Eat what you have in natural abundance where you live even if its grasshoppers or cactus and we will all do fine and so will the land.

                                        - ed starten
--



NEEDS

-- Help Save the L.A. Eco-Village from the L.A. Unified School District
Bulldozers ~ Write a letter to school board member Monica Garcia and fax to all the
school board members (they will have the final say).  Come to an LAUSD
community meeting on Wed., Jan 30 at 6 pm at 100 N. New Hampshire, LA
90004 (one block west of Vermont Ave at First St. and speak up about why
you think it is important to save the Eco-Village neighborhood.  See the
following websites for details:
http://laecovillage.org/LAUSD2008.html
and
http://urbansoil.net/wiki.cgi/White_House_Place_Primary_Center_Developments

-- Green Thumb seeks new home.  I'm looking for a home to relocate my lifestyle to.  I love being outdoors, need indoor and outdoor space for 3 small rabbits, a big garden (current or to be created), have a hot tub I can contribute, need a bedroom as well as a smaller office space/rabbit zone.  Can pay up to $1000 but closer to $750 is much more workable.  I like to contribute to the beauty of a home and make a food forest, build soil.  If you would like to look for a place with me or have a place please call me!  Joan 323-630-4673

-- Swan Song for the Lawn -Volunteers Needed -Ongoing starting in February '08
Help convert resource consuming lawns in and around Los Angeles into productive Fruit, Fuel, Food, Fiber and Medicine Producing Home Ecosystems! No experience necessary.
Contact us at info@earthflow.com

-- ACCOMMODATIONS NEEDED -Los Angeles -Ongoing
Larry Santoyo, Permaculture Designer, Teacher seeks private studio/guesthouse accommodations for frequent visits in and around downtown Los Angeles, Silverlake and Santa Monica Areas -Will trade for permaculture consulting, design and/or workshops.

-- I am always looking for people, M-F, who would like to volunteer working on permaculture projects at a home in Malibu.  Projects involve pruning, planting, mulching, propagation, water harvesting techniques, compost making, caring for chickens, light straw claw and earthen plaster, herb spirals, and more.  Anyone interested can contact me at swjennings@gmail.com Also, looking to build up the LAPCGuild wiki with profiles of people doing permaculture related activities in this city, so please submit anything you got, pictures, stories,  to swjennings@gmail.com


-- Eco Home needs help with promoting their tours - The number of visitors has decreased recently and they are exploring new opportunities to spread the word. Contact Dianne Carter at dcarterpr@earthlink.net. More about Eco Home /www.ecohome.org/pages/index

TRANSPORTATION
    Los Angeles County has some of the worst transportation problems in the country. There is even a song called "nobody walks in LA". There are 4 motor vehicles for every resident, an infantile subway system, a confusing and aging bus system with several different districts and municipalities. We should encourage the use of our buses for commuting, simple trips and errands. the project should have a strong emphasis on the simplest forms of transportation first. Downtown provides the most diverse options. 

(map courtesy of LADOT)

    As you can see above, the major safe bike paths in Los Angeles are undeveloped and lack the kind of connections that encourages long distance, functional trips. They also have potential for some linkage if you align the river and channel corridors that are also experiencing beautification projects near Griffith Park and Culver City. These projects should include a bike path and some of them do already. Most of the paths are for suburban recreational use. City street bike lanes are not the most inviting mode of transportation. Here is another aspect where lobbying would be most useful. Connecting with all the organizations like Los Angeles Bicycle Coalition and Cicle to incorporate their future plans into the planning of massive city transportation projects. A park in downtown Los Angeles (like the not a cornfield park project ) could easily serve as a central hub for many of the existing paths and projects within the city. We should work with the city to create new low cost paths that would be safer for cyclists and motorists. More paths would mean cleaner air, more business for bike shops, and human scale community revitalization close to the bike path. Aligning a village close to a bike path and having a bike repair shop (like the bicycle kitchen) would benefit the community by saving residents trips to outside bike shops, providing a close place for riders on the bike path with problems. Repair services can also provide jobs for community members, aside from saving automobile related fees.

    The Los Angeles bus system sector overlay is difficult to navigate, but illustrates that we have a massive system that could be improved. Since the bus lines already have millions of dollars in buying power for fuel alone, we should try to be more effective in lobbying some of the municipalities lines to encourage retrofitting their diesel trucks and buses to run biodiesel and or greasel whenever possible. Encouraging the Diesel Technology department at Los Angeles Trade Tech College to include biodiesel introduction and education into their curriculum in future semesters would make the community more prepared for gasoline price gouges, which will effect everyone at more places than the pump.

(map courtesy of LADOT)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            ALTERNATIVE FUELS

    The cluster of biodiesel stations in the Midwest sector of our country gives us a clue why not many people in Los Angeles are aware of alternative fuels. Southern California has less than 5 public stations
(Maps below courtesy of the US Department of Energy)

    The little red triangles are biodiesel-fueling stations. They tend to cluster around industrial and agricultural areas, like Ventura County. Some providers are government or private only and are not open to the public. There are laws and registrations that must be met to legally use biodiesel in California, and may differ from county to county. In Northern California, the price is more stable, usually between $2.50 and $3.00. Here is can be sold in buckets in Marina Del Rey for $5.00 a gallon, or $2.59 in Cudhay. Most vendors do not always have a consistent supply. Lovecraft Biofuels  is rapidly expanding, opening numerous locations in the Silverlake  and Echo Park region, converting over 1000 "regan era" Mercedes Benz, and the Governors Hummer. Also the Los Angeles Biodiesel co op has had great success with their mobile fueling station. Recently, a biodiesel rental car company has set up shop near the Los Angeles International Airport, Bio-Beetle.

 

ARTIST WORKSHOPS


    To bring together a diverse group of artists on one site, consideration should be made for; how they use their space and materials, and how they can use each other's skills. Diverse art forms require diverse facilities, some require large amounts of energy, and some require little or no electricity. Each craft has special considerations that need to be addressed. Workspaces that share the most commonalties in resources and services would both benefit from close proximity. Workshops that use larger materials and machinery need to be as close to roads and entrances as possible. Sensitive individuals and electronics need to be as far away from heavy machinery as possible. The simplest forms of many technologies are encouraged. While some laundry facilities may exist on site, but it may be cost prohibitive since there will also be many washboards and clotheslines available.

Some of the possible facilities would include;

• Textiles
• Natural Building Facilities
•  Wood, Glass and Metal Facilities
•  Textiles
•  Fine Art and Folk Art
•  Digital Media Production Center
• Car, Truck and Bicycle Repair
• Alternative Fueling Station

    The Art Workshops will provide all most maintenance, and care for buildings and grounds. It will be fully capable of meeting all of the needs of constructing housing and additional facilities, including most amenities and furnishings. Visitors, students and children would be allowed to participate at a safe level, and all would benefit from having a direct interaction with fabrication of our surroundings. The bike and car services would be closer in proximity to metal facilities than the wood and textile areas, but all the different individual residents must interact or barter with almost all facilities to create abundance and efficiency for all residents. 

    By building housing above some of the major businesses of the site, people who work on site will have quick access to their workspaces from home and save valuable open space and real estate by stacking functions.  Los Angeles has a major affordable housing problem that affects many different types of people. Elderly, women and children represent the largest portions. Many landlords rent illegally, and have many more residents on the site than intended. A disproportionate number are also single mothers, explaining the large number of women and children. Homelessness is also growing rapidly, almost as rapidly as the median home price, while job growth and wages remain low, despite work done to mitigate these factors.    Many contractors today are more concerned with money and permits than they are with quality construction. The materials used to construct the average home contain hundreds or thousands of harmful chemicals that can harm all forms of life for thousands of years. Ventilation is lackluster, and people leave on appliances like heaters and air conditioners to compensate for something as simple as a ventilation shaft. Mold accumulates when moisture is trapped inside and people get sick. When people build their own housing, they know everything about it tend to take better care of it, and stay longer when they have the incentive of ownership. Individuality in building style is encouraged, and master builders from across the world are invited to build an example of their work to be on displayed in our community and used

(Photograph courtesy of Cal-Earth)


INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES


    With 50 - 100 people living together, there is an essential need for communication. Living in close proximity with one another illuminates commutes and some phone calls and emails. Some tend to prefer, or deem appropriate a person-to-person communication while others like phones or email. Each person makes choices to either embrace or reject each technology. The best thing to do is embrace and encourage as many forms of communication as possible, without allowing it to cripple our information system and leave people out who's communication style is different.


    Southern California is home to one of the most dense media concentrations on the planet. It is a huge part of the economy, and it would seem wise to diversify our investments by creating related businesses that serve this massive industry while also meeting and promoting our ethical needs and standards. By overlapping functions we will already be capable of, instead of hiring out, along with constantly expanding services offered will maximize the financial potential of the project.. A communication hub would serve the promotional needs of all of the individual guilds and the village as a whole. A large server and website than can link both stream live and stored video, and provide information network for people to do communicate in as many forms as possible including but not limited to;

•  Free Speech Zone
• Bulletin Board
• Wireless Internet
• Public Radio
• Newspaper / Print Shop
• Public Access TV (with educational content)
• Library
•  All available in one place
  

    Communication serves not only as a way for residents to contact each other, but also to make the surrounding businesses and suburbs aware of information that effects all of our communities. Free education and localization of our economy can stabilize and or lower the prices of our goods and services available to the public, allowing us to branch out, creating more oppritunity and providing more free services to everyone as we grow.