permaculture

[Permaculture Cooperative <permaculturecoop@gmail.com>]

Hi Saruj

Re: [permaculture] Why is permaculture more about selling books, DVDs and
training courses?

I support your valid question. I came across this post on the Transition
California website recently, regarding Transition Training in Oakland, at
the Humanist Hall (a centre of much social justice work)

Hi Chris,
I already filled out the form on the Transition Training website in order to
come to the training at Humanist Hall. So I don't know why I'm not
considered registered except that I can't pay $250. I live on social
security, less than $10,000 per year and have no disposable income. Also,
I'm one of the two people who will be cleaning up the Hall after the
Transition Training is gone. I help clean the Hall for each and every event
and perform many other duties at the Hall to keep it in passing good
condition for events like yours. I'm hoping to go to your training for free,
if you can believe!
http://transitioncalifornia.ning.com/events/training-for-transition-2

I can only hope that the post is out-dated and the person was able (as is
often the case) to attend for free. But, I think it clearly demonstrates
Suraj's concern.


In my experience, permaculture teachers and designers are some of the
nicest, most inspiring, hard working and bravest people around.

They are not getting rich from the selling of books or courses.

Indeed, in my humble opinion, the permaculture movement is especially bad at
selling books, courses etc.


For instance, the biodynamics movement has marketing associations that pool
resources for marketing campaigns. So do all sorts of producer cooperatives,
wheat, wool etc

I've proposed permaculture marketing cooperative projects in the past, to
this list and to Bill Mollison and Tagari. I initially registered the domain
Permaculture.coop for expressly that purpose, with the Permaculture.coop
domain registered under the auspices of Tagari. I also proposed a video
marketing campaign, a pooled exhibitions campaign at the Green Festivals in
the USA etc


As to the free information and education, the permaculture free schools, I
think this should be much more common. Recently at the Brecht Forum and the
Riverside Church, in New York City, the good folks from Local Energy
Solutions and the Ripple of Hope, ran free permaculture talks.
http://brechtforum.org/events/perennial-vegetables-workshopcharla-de-vegetales-perennes


A large online resource of permaculture information and education is also
needed.

Again, I would suggest a permaculture media and education cooperative could
be formed that pooled some of the excellent content from existing authors
and talent and used that to create an online resource.

Perhaps this could be another business line of the Permaculture.coop ?



I think are additions and re-configurations to the permaculture industrial
ecology that could deal with the economic crisis, the rise of free
information via the internet, the global justice movement, and the dire
problems of climate change, global warming, the food crisis, economic crisis
etc..



We are researching a global permaculture cooperative and am focussing on a
permaculture workers cooperative.

"The global-permaculture-workers-cooperative will operate under a freemium
model, with education and media, social, economic and ecological justice as
free services. Paid services will be offered to individuals, organisations
etc that can prove a certain commmitment to permaculture workers-cooperative
principles."

http://gaiapermaculture.com/projects/permaculturecooperative/blog/2009/05/29/global-permaculture-workers-cooperative-san-francisco/

there is more
http://gaiapermaculture.com/projects/permaculturecooperative/blog/

In conclusion, I think it makes enormous sense for a conversation to start
about permaculture succession planning. The pioneers are reaching retirement
and need support, they cant keep working the same loads. There is an
established mid-career of permaculturalists, who have done amazing work,
detailed work and deserve much more recognition and reward, and there is
also a huge upsurge in interest in all sorts of green activities, urban and
organic gardening in the rich industrialised north. There is also a food
justice movement in the Global South. Groups like Ripple of Hope work in
both worlds.


regards
Nicholas Roberts

-- 
Nicholas Roberts & Kirstie Stramler
skype permaculturecoop
email permaculturecoop@gmail.com
--
plans http://gaiapermaculture.com
video http://Permaculture.TV