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.

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Librerama in Toscany, Italy

Hi!
We are looking for active people who want to help in what we do here;
We have a self-managed library that serves as a motor for many other projects:
1- we are working in a “secret” valley not reacheble by car
2- we run a free-shop
3- we are preparing a project of urban garden in the village
4- we run the “free hospitality” of th Libereria
5- we run the biblioteque

It is a non-profit initiative, so all the activities carried out are open to all and free.

The main objectives of the project are education of children and adults, antispecisism, the creation of alternative socio-economic and management of environmental resources, annihilation of chauvinism (sexism), communal transport, permaculture, natural cures, search the purpose of life and the true nature, self-sufficiency, etc. ..

We believe that through the work of the earth, you can learn a new way of life, that is more satisfying and offers healthy habits that contrast with the impersonal “modern” lifestyle. Being in contact with nature and fresh air helps us rediscover activities considered “old” such as the importance of healthy eating, the joyous beauty of nature, the proper use of NATURAL resources.

We always cook, organize evenings of poetry and collective readings, multi-ethnic cultural meetings, food preparation with antispecism orientation and run a free shop.

We also do gardening (experimental-sinergic and basic Fukuoka permaculture) and ceramics.
We are open to organize courses, and art, meditation, or any other things you are willing to propose.

The services are “eco-style” – we are creating a sustainable-energetic system!

Area
Tuscany
Type of work
Teaching,
Art project,
Language practise,
Helping with Tourists,
Help in the house,
Help with Eco project,
General Maintenance,
Building,
Gardening
Work
We are looking for active people who want to help in what we do here.

If you want help in the garden you need stay at least 3 weeks and be prepared to use all your entusiasm and capacity spontanusly.
This is different to traditional gardening in that the aim is to get the gardens to the stage where they can flower and produce with minimal help.

At the moment we have three little lands which were donated to us for use. All of them are different in some ways, and we are doing experiments to know how the plants are happier. This is the first time when we do this kind of gardening so we are glad to have someone around with knowledge but if you are a beginner it is also ok. Come and help us make the plants grow.

Gardening is more like a full-time hobby than a job for us. It means that we don’t have any timetables. If it is a nice day and we feel like it we go out and do some work.

However the guest can also participate in the organization of events which concern the defence of the local environment from the speculation of a big electric company. We are organizing many activities like barter market, music, ceramic, street art, art exhibition, and conferences.

But of course we do not only work, we also love trekking, playing music, going to hot spring, relaxing, eating…
Languages spoken
english, italian, spanish.
Accommodation
The ‘600 built house is just in front of the Arcidosso Castle, at the center of the medieval part. This little village is on the middle of the active vulcan Amiata.

In the house there is a living area with a big living room and kitchen which are free to use for all. And downstairs there is a dormitory for the guests with three single and two double beds. We don’t have a TV, but the WI-Fi is free, a computer if it is necessary, and a library with books in many different languages.
What else …
Everybody is very welcome here but if you join our group be aware the fact that this is non-profit place. Which means that we can’t provide you food (beside of course the things we grow in the gardens), only accomodation. There are always many people eat, cook, talk, play music and have a nice time but everyone participate somehow in the life together.

more infos by mail to liberama [AT] inventati [DOT] org or

LIBERAMA.WORDPRESS.COM
FACEBOOK.COM/LIBERAMIATA

Callout: Grow Heathrow is under threat of eviction

Over the last three years, more than 2000 people have travelled to our squatted off-grid community garden. We took direct action to  squat land blocking Heathrow’s third runway because it has now become necessary to break the law to prevent climate crimes like airport expansion, fracking and George Osborne’s dash for gas. We were described as “the heart of the village” by the BBC, “inspirational” by the local MP and “a deterrent for crime” by local police. The Guardian got a bit carried away when it called us “squat-topia”. That’s a bit over-eager. Calm down; it’s just a garden.

Amid chilling threats of a third and fourth runway, Grow Heathrow is under threat of eviction, possibly in summer or autumn 2013. Although we continue to offer to buy the land, the landowner seems to prefer bailiffs to dialogue. We’re asking for bold spirits to occupy Grow Heathrow during these busy summer months. We urgently need help to quickly make a safer space.

We have 11 guest beds, 13 sofas, floor space and enough camping ground for 500 people. When you’re living here, you’ll be skipping, cooking and taking part in our non-hierarchical decisions, as well as taking part in the reasons we’re here – growing food, sharing skills freely, and welcoming newcomers to off-grid living and direct action. Cycle, hitch to J4 M4 or get the train to West Drayton or Hounslow West and then the 222 bus to Harmondsworth Lane. transitionheathrow.com/directions

Get down here to Grow Heathrow, Vineries Close, Sipson, London UB7 0JH

Tell your friends and networks, and if you have any questions we’re here for you on 07890751568 or info@transitionheathrow.com

We can’t wait to see you here – come soon.

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.

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

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.  But now we need people, lots of people, to stand together and say: “Enough is enough, it’s time to protect the countryside”.

See here for maps and directions from the nearest train station (Crowhurst).

Combe Haven is the first of 190 sites at risk of new road development.  If we allow this one, the others will follow and precious habitats all over the country will be lost…

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