Permaculture without community?

Discussion in 'The big picture' started by mouseinthehouse, Jan 15, 2013.

  1. Ludi

    Ludi Junior Member

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    How do I meet fellow permaculturists in my locale? I am the organizer for San Antonio Texas Permaculture Meetup group https://www.meetup.com/San-Antonio-Permaculture/ but so far have only met one permaculturist. People do not attend the meetups.

    How do I get these 190+ permaculturists (or any other permaculturists) to meet? How do I meet them? How do I encourage permaculture community?
     
  2. Synergy

    Synergy Junior Member

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    Just off the top of my head Ludi , people with acreages can be pretty absorbed with matters keeping them busy and any introvert gardener types like myself will not justify the time or gas to go to a meetup ( I know I am a dysfunctional loner ) but if you establish some virtual email communication a network sharing where they obtain resources, what nurseries are carrying something the general permie might be interested in or a sale , that sort of thing to get some communication connection established . It might not be too huge a step to piggie back a general coffee meetup in the local of a spring seed swap location they might be converging at, a plant sale and exchange or an organized day to be able to pick up a free manure stockpile at a local stable is arranged ? Maybe a bulk purchase of lime or something that is an irresistable deal to come together ? Maybe after they have some comfortable rapport on the internet something they want or need will draw people out, an irresistable lure, and once they have some connection it might develop comradery ?
     
  3. 9anda1f

    9anda1f Administrator Staff Member

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    I took the liberty of copying one of Grahame's posts from another (to remain unnamed) thread and pasting it here as it contains an insightful observation and novel idea for forming community. It is now post #20 of this thread (although it still exists in the other thread). Thanks Grahame!

    The pertinent part of Grahame's post:

     
  4. 9anda1f

    9anda1f Administrator Staff Member

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    More from Grahame relating to his idea for Permaculture "chapters":

     
  5. 9anda1f

    9anda1f Administrator Staff Member

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    Another community building effort by our own forum member Woz. He is an active participant in a local (Melbourne) Permaculture group and is the editor of their e-periodical! This is no one-page rag. Woz builds an awesome, full color newsletter that features local gardens, farms, events, .... so much!

    I am trying to get the .pdf he sent me uploaded to somewhere that I can link to so you all can see his marvelous work ... stay tuned!

    (edit to add: Here's the Permaculture Melbourne website: https://permaculturemelbourne.org.au/)
     
  6. 9anda1f

    9anda1f Administrator Staff Member

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    I must say, in the interest of full disclosure, that I am also an introvert and live far out in the boonies, seldom visit town, and manage to stay on the fringes of any "community" goings-on in the area. I do enjoy the idea of community and am interested in the various ways folk are generating Permaculture groups and sharing information locally using online resources.

    ;)
     
  7. ecodharmamark

    ecodharmamark Junior Member

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    G'day Ludi

    The same way you encourage all forms of intentional community (IC).

    Recently, I was asked a similar question. The following is (a heavily edited) part of the answer I provided:

    Cheerio, Markos
     
  8. Ludi

    Ludi Junior Member

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    Thank you. So far I have not had success in meeting people even for a coffee meetup (they don't come to the meetup), and very little communication even on the internet.
     
  9. purplepear

    purplepear Junior Member

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    Ludi - what is the agenda of your meetups? Do you offer discussion on the ethics and principles of permaculture or building a round house or compost heap.? Are they about a permablitz at the local community centre or an open space discussion such as described in transition towns? People will need to see advantage for themselves in the activity to become involved but be careful as you can easily burn out providing for that need.

    I feel that community is everything in Permaculture, in all it's guises though it needs to be enacted with purpose and not just because it needs doing. For this it may need to just happen and can not be planned. When there is natural benifit to all in interacting then it occurs and is sustained.

    It is unfair to choose a solitary life and then expect a community contribution when the need arises. You may well get that contribution as there are people out there willing to give without recieving directly but it is not right to expect it or to make it part of your design. We need to design for appropriate interactions (community?) as we design in permaculture.
     
  10. Ludi

    Ludi Junior Member

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    So far, for two of the meetups there was no agenda except to meet and look at gardens (meetups were held in public gardens) and have lunch. The other two meetups I've scheduled included doing restoration on land which is being developed for an educational nature camp. But mostly the purpose of Meetup is to meet those with similar interests. That's mainly what I would like to do, to meet fellow permaculturists and talk about permaculture. Moving on to work together on mutual projects would be a bonus.

    So far all the meetups I've schedule include food. I might move on to offering free beer! :)
     
  11. purplepear

    purplepear Junior Member

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    You may do better to charge admission Ludi - some people value more the things they pay for - but not generally permies!
     
  12. kimbo.parker

    kimbo.parker Junior Member

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    as a misanthropist i operate as a hermit.

    however,
    sometimes i need someone else - and i hate this.
    at times like this, a group of hermits would be handy....

    but relationships like fires need tending - and i'm not big on this.
    i put my reliance on family - blood ties that were more solid.
    it was unfortunate when this attempt at 'tribe' failed....leaving me with the thought 'if you can't trust family who can you trust'
    remember, it's humans we're talking about....hardly a benign species.

    i can not imagine fitting into a tribe beyond family.

    well i can - but it would involve some imperative like invasion....then i would jump to rabid nationalist whereby my whole country was my community.
    or if it was space aliens - dam i'd turn on a dime and be 100% a proud member of Homo.spp

    in the absence of such imperatives; i remain, the misanthropist.
    despairing of the human stew and dam uncomfy about the other ingredients.

    I have never subscribed to the 'community' aspect of Permaculture, referring to a scale less than the Biosphere.

    it is Herd stuff - not applicable to those travelling wide of the Herd on untrammelled ground.
    i salute the introverts and hermits - living on the fringes -
    hale comrades.
     
  13. 9anda1f

    9anda1f Administrator Staff Member

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    When I observe closely, I find that there are more than the two aspects to herd you speak of (either in-the-herd or divorced from the herd). While there is the motley, churning mass of the core-herd, there is also the fringe-herd ... those that loosely orbit the core, working at the edges of the system but having a glimmer of the glory of creative extremism. Periodically, one or another of those-that-are-completely divorced from the herd stray near the herd's edge ... and it is with those of the fringe-herd that they can interact, even if only for a short while.
     
  14. mouseinthehouse

    mouseinthehouse Junior Member

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    Hale comrade Kimbo!
     
  15. purplepear

    purplepear Junior Member

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    Wake up to yourself Mouse in the House. Kimbo is no comrade but a lone wolf cringing on the edges of the action and too selfish to be involved in the day to day progression of community. It is novel to read his raves but where (in the context of this thread) has there ever been any worthwhile contribution to the discussion?
    It may seem harsh and I expect a huge backlash but the lone wolves out there are, in my opinion, are selfish and self serving and have little to contribute as we go towards sustainability or even some stability.
     
  16. permasculptor

    permasculptor Junior Member

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    Would you define yourself in the absence of a herd.
     
  17. Ludi

    Ludi Junior Member

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    Here are a couple essays I find interesting, pertaining to human community:

    https://rewild.info/anthropik/2005/09/thesis-7-humans-are-best-adapted-to-band-life/index.html

    https://www.cracked.com/article_14990_what-monkeysphere.html


    From an anthropological perspective, humans are adapted to live in small close-knit groups, but seem to be able to identify with larger groups with a good deal of effort and education. I think as we pass through this relatively brief period of our time on Earth known as "civilization" (in the anthropological sense) we might be transitioning from an identity rooted in small groups, through individualism (the industrial/present era) to an ability to identify/empathize with all humanity and the biosphere. But I'm a wild-eyed optimist! :)
     
  18. mouseinthehouse

    mouseinthehouse Junior Member

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    Get your self righteous head out of your arse for a second and accept that there are fellow human beings who might just have a different take on the world for a whole variety of reasons.
     
  19. ecodharmamark

    ecodharmamark Junior Member

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    Thanks, Ludi. I enjoyed reading those, especially the first. So-much-so, I've filed it for future reference.
     
  20. purplepear

    purplepear Junior Member

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    Be that as it may Mouse in the House but it will not change the fact that Kimbo is no comrade to anyone and that "different take"will ensure contributions to the solution will be minimal at best. The primciple and ethics of Permaculture in many instances require that we interact. There is no stopping people using parts of permaculture for their own gain and in caling that permaculture.
     

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