Resistance is fertile

Bored? How about some free:

• guerilla gardening with Heathrow third runway squatters
• organic veg growing at a horse-ploughed farm in Dartmoor
• non-hierarchical community living in the fossil-fuel free cider orchard Tinkers Bubble
• treehouse building and tunnelling for road protests at Combe Haven
• eco-building at the ZAD anti-airport post-capitalist protest site in France?

 Reclaim the Field Trips and learn the skills for revolution – all for free. We call this wwoofing with teeth. That got me thinking about a dog with teeth. Like a wolf. Then I thought of a cooler name. Wwolfing. Damn, I thought, that’s a cool name. What am I like?

For updates, subscribe to the Reclaim the Fields mailing list. You’ll also get emails from other land rights and food autonomy activists.

Scroll down…

Build your own gift economy festival

Hello Builders,

“Somewhere beyond ideas of right-doing and wrong-doing there is a field. I’ll meet you there.”

- Rumi

Inspired by Burning Man and remixed by Babylon the Beautiful, this is Building Man.

http://buildingman.org/

Our mission – if we choose to accept it – is the re-imagination of small festival culture and beyond. Replacing an outmoded ‘leave no trace’ philosophy, Building Man will help develop permanent site infrastructures and community arts hubs across the UK.

Volunteer Registration Open NOW | Project Dirt and the POOSH Network

http://buildingman.org/2013/03/27/volunteer-registration-open-now/

“Change is nature. The part we can influence. And it starts when you decide.”

- Walt Disney

Are you ready to build the change? Join our people powered (r)evolution by signing up today!

Throughout May 2013, the UK’s first ever Building Man will include permaculture design, eco build workshops, appropriate technology installations, contemporary healing practices, food waste banquets, evening discourses, conscious cinema, art and crafts, site decoration and much, much more…

This pioneering gift-led economy is 100% participatory and organised exclusively by volunteers, which makes it completely FREE to you, the people.

This is Building Man | Gift Economy Day

http://www.facebook.com/events/233384200133069/?fref=ts

With more than a little help from our friends, we’re delighted to announce our gift-led project launch.

Everyone’s welcome to help co-create this full power performing arts extravaganza, featuring the Magnus Puto, Undercover Hippy, Clayton Blizzard and people powered workshops from Upcycle and Solar Sense.

Everything’s FREE, including a collaborative food waste banquet from the near michelin-starred People’s Kitchen and Fareshare.

Join us from 4pm till midnight on Tuesday 2nd April and help us…

…Crowdfund the Movement | The End to End

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlLu96oL33g

“It’s just a ride”

- Bill Hicks

The End to End is a 1,000 mile free wheel adventure into new ways of being. Despite snow drifts, 20 inspired change makers will journey between permaculture projects, eco communities and organic farms from Thursday 28th March to Wednesday 17th April. Follow our intrepid explorers as they crowdfund £10,000 for the UK’s first ever Building Man on Bodenham Manor.

So, it’s over to you folks. Is Building Man really ‘an idea whose time has come’?

YOU decide! Because it’s 2013 and we’ve had the cosmic shift…

Please share this invitation with fellow Builders everywhere and help us peer to peer network this brand new festival making and community building project into another dimension.

For more information:

Press Releases | https://www.dropbox.com/sh/aqslt6mlepzlscv/NaHdKdkhZO

Crowdfund the movement:

The End to End | http://www.sponsume.com/project/end-end-building-man-fundraiser

Sign up for FREE with key partners Project Dirt or the POOSH:

The Green Social Network | http://www.projectdirt.com/project/9426/#!/journal_entry/14357

Be Constructive, Build the Movement | http://thepoosh.org/BuildingMan

Connect and share:

‘Like’ us on Facebook | http://www.facebook.com/buildingmancoop

Follow us on Twitter | https://twitter.com/BuildingManCoop

With all our super abundant love,

Marcus and the Building Man Co-operative

07881 208581

Permaculture dreams

la r.O.n.c.e welcomes volunteers…

We are a collective of 8 people, called la r.O.n.c.e, who are currently settling up in South Brittany(France), and we will be happy to welcome volunteers from May in order to discover (just like us!) permaculture and organic food growing by helping out with everything that need doing on site.

La « r.O.n.c.e. », (aka Resist. Organise. Nourish. Create. Exist) is a collective of farmers, artists, mechanics, cooks, permaculturists, botanists, trainers that aim to experiment with a post-capitalist life and creative forms of resistance. Our collective brings together activists (e.g. against the Notre-Dame-des-Landes airport), who are using consensus decision making and are respectiful of the expression of emotions.

We are currently settling up on a 15 acre site, located 4 km away from a train station and within a very active region. An organic market garden is starting off this year and also has three donkeys, which will be eventually used to work the land. We are also planning a self managed mechanic workshop, a vegan nomadic kitchen, a lab/training centre on art and activism, a forest-garden and the refurbishment of buildings.

We would prefer that volunteers stay about three weeks (but this would obviously need confiming after a week spent together), to have proper public liability insurance and to become a member of the « friends of la ronce » (a non profit organisation aiming to support our projects). The conditions are very basic (no hot running water, sleeping in a caravan without heating, etc) and our food is mostly vegan. We speak French and English.
If you are interested, please send an email explaining why you want to come, when and for how long, your experience, the language(s) you speak, etc)

Basile, Caroline,  Eric,  Jean-Marie, JJ,   Isa, Mathilde, Prune (+ Azzaro, Quazar, Loustic)

Contact : laronce@riseup.net / 0033 2 97 44 36 71 (preferably in the evening)

Roundhouse revolution

We built our 7.5m roundhouse 10 years ago and have loved living in it, off grid, spring water, cob rendered strawbales, cob and wood floor, reclaimed windows now we have two kids, dry rot and a bit more money. So we are going to take down our lovely home and rebuild it, green wood concentric frame (two storey) with a raised wooden floor with home made sheeps wool insulation, reusing the strawbales for the walls, hand making wooden window frames, turf and shingle roof.

 

We live in a small permaculture based housing co-op (37 acres) where decisions are make by consensus, we eat together, share childcare, grow our food, have two milking goats, chickhens, ducks, pigs and working pony.

We have decided to hold building camps to get the big jobs done the dates for these are

April 20th – 28th Deconstruction – taking down the roundhouse many hands needed!
June 15 – 23rd Timber framing – Part one roundwood framing funky joints two storey concentirc circle house
August 17 – 25th Timber framing – Part two oak shingles, turf roof leave house happy for winter

We are looking for 10 volunteers for each, we’d ideally like people who come on the timber frame camps to have come here before or come on the april camp.These camps will be catered for there may be some cost for food (organic and vegetarian – gluten free and vegan can be organised)

You can sleep in a heated strawbale bunkhouse/barn or bring a tent. We will have a 18ft yurt as our kitchen/ diner. Please bring a sleepbag, warm clothes, work gloves, hat, wellies, chocolate and beer (there is no nearby shop). Our nearest train staion is Carmarthen with hourly buses to our village. Please dont just turn up as we may have to turn you away. Contact Staci 01267 275960 to book in xx

Shutting down a ‘climate change factory’

13 April & 11 May: The ZAD, France

The ZAD airport squatters in Nantes, north west France, have called for 100,000 activists to join them on 11 May for their biggest mass action ever and for growers to visit to sow seeds on 13 April. The squatted anti-capitalist and non-hierarchical protest site on the proposed zone of a new airport in Nantes saw 40,000 grassroots activists re-occupy it in November 2012. Now they’re working with local farmers to produce their own food.

There are sure to be dozens, hundreds or thousands of UK activists cycling, hitching and even grouping together in vans and trains to visit and support the ZAD. Lots of the residents of Grow Heathrow, the organic community gardeners squatting Heathrow’s proposed third runway, are hoping to visit the ZAD this summer, along with lots of Reclaim the Fields activists and more.

Check out the ZAD’s website:

• ZAD: limited updates in English
• ZAD: lots of updates in French
• ZAD: automatic translation of updates of info in French

and the action’s website:

• chaine-humaine-stop-aeroport.org

The Poosh: Learn eco-building for free

Ben Ward is creating his first cob oven (and first sustainable structure!) in the garden at his family home in Dursely, which is equally distanced between Bristol and Gloucester. He is looking for a volunteer or two to help him step into green self-building right now. Is that person you?

ThePOOSH.org

ThePOOSH.org is a recently founded not-for-profit organisation that provides its UK and global membership base with the opportunity to exchange knowledge, experience and labour associated with traditional, natural and alternative building methods. The free-to-use site lists and connects two different user types: those who are planning to undertake a sustainable self-build project and those willing to volunteer at such a project.

Jane and Andy Wells are one of nine smallholdings that make up Lammas eco village in West Wales. They live completely off grid and grow the majority of their own food. They have recently created a build project profile on thePOOSH.org and are seeking a variety of volunteers to assist them build their timber frame round house with load bearing straw bale extension. With years of experience between them, an arsenal of books and neighbours including the professional green builder Simon Dale, Jane and Andy’s build is likely to be an incredible POOSHing experience.

There is a global trend that is only getting bigger and bigger. People are becoming more contemplative about how they choose to live their lives on this planet. They are considering their consumption habits, lifestyles and values. Buildings account for around 50% of all CO² emissions in the United Kingdom, according to the UK Green Building Council. For a lot of people, you see the convergence of these choices culminating in the building of their homes, should they choose to do so. The oft-asked question is: how do I build my own home?

Sustainable self-build techniques are a serious, rational and innovative response to some of the environmental and economic challenges that face humanity in the 21st century. Having evolved from traditional and proven building methods, sustainable building methods are a viable option for all to self-build their home.

Sustainable self-builds are a fabulous way for individuals and groups across all cultures to share time, energy and experiences by exchanging skills, knowledge and creativity. The sustainable self-build process empowers participants to build their own homes, communities and futures whilst reconnecting with nature.

To view all of the local and global build projects, and to create your free profile, thePOOSH.org and for latest updates, like us on Facebook or follow us and chat on Twitter.

Silent Haven vs. the planners

We are an electricity-free eco-project set on twenty acres of young native woodland, experimenting with self-sufficiency, subsistence living and conservation using permaculture methods. Buildings comprised of our wooden cabin home, storage sheds and compost toilet. Hand tools almost exclusively used. We are 12 miles from Dartmoor and 15 or so miles from Bude and the north Cornwall rugged coastline. Nearest towns are Holsworthy and Okehampton.

Silent Haven

 

  17 – 24 March

Nothing is that planned, but work is likely to include a lot of veggie patch preparation including trench digging, digging over beds etc and hopefully some sowing.
Also scything, sawing up wood, helping us design and make our front patch (for herb tea growing area, fruit bushes etc), bramble bashing, path clearing, and some carpentry if there are any experienced in woodwork amongst you.

Only 6 places left – book now

Email matt.lepley [@] gmail.com – to book your free place at Silent haven from 17 to 24 March.

Wwoofers should bring tent, sleeping bag, wellies, wet weather gear, warm clothes, torch, mug, bowl.

Wwoofers will be camping except for a couple who may be able to sleep indoors. Check out our website for more info about us and click ‘Read more’ below.

Small farmers unite!

UK co-ordination of the international farming organization La Via Campesina to be launched.

On March 3^rd 2013 the inaugural annual general meeting of the international farming organization La Via Campesina UK will be held at Ruskin Mill Farm, Gloucestershire, marking the launch of the organisation’s first UK-wide co-ordination. La Via Campesina was founded in 1993 to represent the rights of small-scale traditional food producers around the world. Today the organisation represents more than 400 million farmers, growers, pastoralists and fishermen and campaigns for their rights to be recognised by national and international policies.

Via Campesina UK is a coalition of producers meaning that membership is open to anyone who is actively involved in farming, fishing or fibre enterprises. The co-ordination will bring together like-minded producers to identify and organise targeted campaigns and lobby UK and European parliaments on issues affecting the livelihoods of small-scale producers. The organisation will also provide a network for producers to share farming skills and knowledge through on-farm training, tours and working groups.

Central to Via Campesina’s identity is the campaign for Food Sovereignty launched in 1996 and defined as – “The right of communities to define their own food and farming systems”. In practice food sovereignty describes the way farm shops, farmers’ markets and local box-schemes already connect producers and consumers across the UK today. While many farmers are associated with existing unions in the UK, Via Campesina is unique in offering a direct link to the activities and experiences of like-minded producers across Europe, and the rest of the world.

The AGM to be held in March is open to anyone who identifies with the principles of food sovereignty and would like to find out more about the proposed work of Via Campesina UK. The AGM is an all-day event starting at 9am, it is free to attend but booking is essential. Please contact membership secretary Jyoti Fernandes to book a place: viacampesinauk@aktivix.org

For more information visit: http://www.viacampesina.org.uk

Press Contact:Ed Hamer 07858 381539, edhamer@riseup.net

For more information on the international work of Via Campesina: viacampesina.org/en/

RTF Spring Gathering Seed Camp

Yorkley Court Farm is hosting this year’s post-post-post-end-of-whatever-that-was-about RTF spring gathering. We are inviting Wwolfers and any one who would like to help set up infrastructure and organisation of the gathering to a seed camp. This camp will begin a week before the start of the gathering on 8^th March with a two day permaculture course hosted by Tomas Remiarz.

The first day of the gathering is Saturday 16th and will end on Monday 25^th. The weekends will be focused on talks, presentations, workshops and discussion. In the week days between there will be lots of practical activities to be getting on with around the farm and the forest.

We will try to get together all resources and equipment we’ll need for the gathering but we will not make any decisions about the organisational structures until the seed camp begins. This is process that offers a great learning opportunity and we want this to be shared with as many people as possible.

If you are interested in attending the permaculture course let us know as the places will be limited. There is a suggested donation of £20 but no one will be turned away for lack of funds. This money will cover costs and everything left over will go towards the camp. (Decision with regard to finances will be taken during the seed camp). Anyone is welcoming to come and join the seed camp at anytime form the 8th onwards but just email us and tell us when you would like to arrive. There are more details, including contact details on this website rtfspring2013.wordpress.com

Wolf wolf.

YCCF

URGENT APPEAL - Defend Combe Haven, Resist the Eviction!

Reblogged from Combe Haven Defenders:

• 

Camp Decoy, the last of three camps standing in the way of the proposed Bexhill – Hastings Link Road (BHLR), faces eviction next Monday (28 Jan). If you have ever thought you might come and take a stand against this horrifying scheme, now’s the time.

We need to do absolutely everything we can to peacefully resist this eviction. We have been truly humbled over the last few weeks by the level of support from the local community, and from well-wishers far and wide. 

Read more… 302 more words

Winter Solstice 2012: biochar revolution

Winter Solstice 2012

Come and volunteer between Fri 21st and Sun 23rd December

Weather permitting, help prepare next years vegetable raised beds, replace a shed wall with cordwood and cob and build a biochar producing cob oven.

Shared accomodation in straw bale guest house.

If too wet to work, there are great beaches and walks round here.

Bring sleeping bags, surfboards if you can and bring wellie boots.

I will feed you with CO2 negative vegetarian food grown here, food contributions welcome.

I will demonstrate ovens and heaters which produce biochar and persuade you that biofuel watch are wrong on this one; cooking and heating with biochar stoves will be part of the shift to food and energy sovereignty.

I will need to know in advance, numbers limited. For more info, see Soil Carbon Regeneration.

Ed, 07765510030