Putting Food on the Table, A Permaculture Appoach to Growing Food, March 1-2

2-day Workshop

FAMILY FOOD SECURITY!
LOCAL FOOD SECURITY!

We have canceled the Sahale permaculture design course scheduled for February 16 - March 2. But we have come up with a special workshop on the last two days of the course so that those who were enrolled can get a concentrated dose of useful information. We would like to see many other people there. If things get as bad economically as I think they are going to, then a lot of people will be wanting information on how to grow food.

Early registration price for the Fairy Congress

Sign up by March 1 for the incredibly low price of just $195 for three days of fun, food, camping, workshops and magic. We have 16 wonderful presenters lined up for this year, as well as great music and performances.

Share the magic - tell your friends about the Congress! We have beautiful full-color posters and brochures this year. Let us know if you can help distribute them. You can send an email to register@fairycongress.com to request copies of the poster and/or brochure to be mailed to you.

Primitive Skills Gathering ... and more at Skalitude Retreat

Skalitude is excited to be hosting a Primitive Skills Gathering July 3-6, a week after the Fairy Congress. Learn how to live in harmony with nature using primitive technology.

Evergreen State Permaculture Convergence

Bringing permaculture people together
from around Washington State & beyond.

Planning for the future!
Sharing solutions, inspirations and insights!

Tentative dates: September 11-14, 2008.

Convergence Goals: To discuss how to strengthen information flow and cooperation between permaculturists in the state of Washington (and beyond). To work on a vision of how permaculture can better serve the people and land of Washington state. How can permaculture reach more people? How can more permaculturists make their living doing consulting, installation, teaching, etc? I personally lean towards this convergence being an organizational meeting by people seriously into permaculture and not an educational event for the general public on gardening, water catchments, forest gardens, etc. But what actually is attempted depends on the wishes of those who get involved.

We are still taking nominations for venues in western Washington and can consider a change of dates. Venues need a combination of private rooms, group rooms, camping space, large kitchen, and meeting facilities to accomodate 150 people. Ideally the venue has a permaculture, sustainable or green theme.

This permaculture convergence was first proposed by Michael Pilarski on January 11, 2007. Thirty people have indicated interest so far and a steering committee has been formed. This is the first public announcement outside of the permaculture community.

Okanogan Biodiversity Farming Cooperative & Internships

About a dozen people have contacted me so far about being part of our farming cooperative or interning this year. There are only two of us committed so far, so I a still looking for partners or interns. Interning with me involves wildcrafting and farming in the Okanogan. In addition, interns are needed at the Hood River herb farm, at Cloud View Ecofarm near Vantage in the Columbia Basin, and at Riversong Farm in Hood River. Lots of details on my website.

2nd Annual Singing Alive - Sept 5-7

Lillebakke, Cosmopolis, WA
A Celebration of Ceremonial Song & Dance in Circular Devotion to the Regeneration of Humanity & the Earth.

Hold the date! Stay tuned for more information!

Website - Savvy ? Internet - Savvy?

Website- and internet-savvy tree friends needed to help get Friends of the Trees message out. Here is a mission for a few volunteers who aren't fully engaged in "The Machine". Someone that can navigate the waters of widgets, websites, blogs, My-Spaces, email list-serves, Youtubes, etc.

Donations

Friends of the Trees Society has been doing good work for the world since 1978. Donations will help us accomplish more. Major initiatives at this time are: permaculture, gatherings, education, research and writing on local food security, growing food plants and medicinal plants, tree sales, Sustainable Wildcrafters Guild, internet outreach, a book on weeds, and mending fences with the fairy realm. A donation to Friends of the Trees Society is an investment in a better future. Any size donations are appreciated.
Thank you,
Michael Pilarski

Make checks out to Friends of the Trees Society
Friends of the Trees
PO Box 253
Twisp, WA 98856

Please forward this email to friends, associates or list-serves who you feel would be interested.

Thank you,
Michael "Skeeter" Pilarski

In This Issue:

Article: "A Report on the US Economic Picture"

I did intensive research on the US economy for the two weeks following the January 21-22 drop in the Asian and European stock markets. I found a lot of interesting material. Major trouble is brewing. I have written a lengthy article and reviewed the best website sources, blogs and Youtube videos I found. The article can be found on my website. The US economy affects pretty much everybody. People with their head in the sand just might get a boot in the rear. If you are keeping your eyes open you might be able to dodge.
Here are 2 sources I recommend:

The Year Ahead by Glen Allport
Part 1. December 31, 2007
www.strike-the-root.com/72/allport/allport24.html
Part 2. January 7, 2008
www.strike-the-root.com/81/allport/allport1.html

Mish's Economic Global Trends Analysis.
Mike "Mish" Shedlock.
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/

A Report on the US Economic Picture

Book Review: "Gardening When It Counts: Growing Food in Hard Times" by Steve Solomon

Steve Solomon has written a book on family-scale, vegetable gardening which draws on traditional US gardening prior to rural electrification. This is one of the most important gardening books for our times. It shatters many gardening myths. Eminently practical and clear, down to earth instructions. I highly recommend this book for people wanting to do basic gardening on a tight budget.

2005. New Society
Publishers.
340 pages. $19.95

My personal investment strategy

I don't have enough money to invest in gold, silver, Euros or baskets of foreign currency. So I am following the advice of many market forecasters and am investing in agricultural commodities. I just took all the money I had in the bank ($3,000) and spent it on gardening hand-tools, bulk vegetable seeds, fruit trees, grapes, berries, and food plants. I bought lots for myself and extra as an investment. Perhaps I should mention that I have already accumulated large amounts of all these resources. Friends of the Trees Tree Sale is on April 12 in Tonasket, Washington and April 19 in Twisp (catalog's on the website). When the crunch comes I will be able to offer people a "food growing package" of hand tools, vegetable seeds, berry plants and propagation material. I figure this investment should be able to hold its price in inflationary times quite nicely. Not only that, it is an environmentally-sound, "green" investment. What is your investment strategy?