Below is a message from Nancy Chase of Shamabala Farm in Stanwood, a part of our growing regional network.
2013 is a great year for Seed Sharing, Cooperative Farming, and so on…
With the busy holiday season over, I welcome the breath of fresh air that January brings heading into a new year, with prospect Spring garden planning. After 4 years of nurturing seed sharing/saving networks here at Shambala, this season began with our first seed-swap exchange at our monthly Sno-Isle Permaculture Network (SIPN) gathering last week. We shared with pride about our past seasons successes, and yes failures, as we gleaned cooperatively our growing strategies, refreshing resource networks, and our seed surpluses.
I love preparing for our first swap, carefully getting out last years half-used envelopes, threshing the last herbs and drying projects, and bagging up our excess collection of miracle seeds that will become once again our organic produce this year, bigger and better than the last. Seeds adapt and evolve remarkably to our unique regional climate and their local, annual collection and distribution is profoundly important for resource preservation. I find seeds bring out in me that child-like fascination for watching plants grow, and I remember the excitement of sprouts bursting forth in the kitchen window egg-carton project. It makes me smile remembering my amazement, and I become even more excited about the process every year.
In these lean times of shifting economies and lifestyle transitions, I find a quiet calm in the prospect of germination, new green shoots popping up, and the harvesting of succulent, sweet, tasty, beloved produce on a warm sunny day (yes they will return again!). Food growing empowerment can be a delicious process, fortuitous, and can be most reassuring during challenging times in its ability to press on and renew better than before. Recycled, open-pollinated seed harvests provide for us more sustainably year after year, whether you grow food yourself or support your local organic farmer utilizing locally sourced seeds. Say no to excess transits for imported, hybridized produce, and yes to cooperative local farming exchanges as we enjoy the evolution of systemic, holistic relationships in food resourcing. We will all be rewarded ten-fold as we create new friendships and food networks, and in doing so improving local seed quality and yields, gleaning/sharing of our excesses, by securing healthy, deliberate, renewable seed stock infrastructure together.
We have also designed weekly work party projects on Mondays, a local progressional rotation helping each other at our farm and/or home garden sites. It is productive and exciting, so much being achieved collaboratively in 4 hours as a group, propelling successful, educational garden projects that will reward us ALL, all season. Frontyard farming is freedom, and it takes a village to make it fun! Come join us, and ignite your winter days by creating sun-kissed visions for coop summer garden projects…together. This Monday 21Jan we begin 10A at Shambala, 28th at Ananda Farm mid island…
Next Resource/Seed Swap at Shambala Permaculture Farm and Edible Nursery , Th. 14Feb @ 5PM (potluck), and please contact us to support CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) garden projects and/or secure your Shambala organic crop share for the season. 360 387 4110. 395E North Camano Dr. Camano Is.
Shambala Farm Winter Workshops and Events:
Jan 26/Sat.- Annual WSU Country Living Expo- Stanwood HS, free permaculture systems, food forest land use and skills education consultations at our demo booth http://skagit.wsu.edu/countrylivingexpo/ - $65 full day event admission with lunch at High School and includes many outstanding class options! Don’t miss it-
Feb 2/Sat.- Part one of 3; Attached Greenhouse System and Foundation design Workshop 10A-4P with lunch, lectures and practical hands on experiential participation. @Shambala, Greg Estes/Nick Chase instructors- $125/RSVP
Feb 9/Sat.- Cold Frame Workshop at Hands on Skills Fair -Seattle, Greg Estes/Nancy Chase instructors http://sustainableneseattle.ning.com/events/handson-skills-fair-2013 -$20 event adsmission, lots of classes!
Feb 10/Sun.- Delicious, fresh Kim Chee for every household 1-4PM-- bring supplies and go home with ferments! @ Shambala, Allie Dercoli/Nancy Chase instructors- $35/RSVP
Feb 14/Th.- Annual Seed Swap and Resource Sharing potluck 5PM @Shambala- bring seeds, plants, tools, excess resources, as well as networking coop seed/potato orders. See details below, please RSVP.
Feb 16/ Sat.- Part two of 3; RE-cycled Structures Greenhouse Construction Workshop 10A-4P with lunch, lectures and practical hands on experienctial participation. @ Shambala, Greg Estes/Nick Chase instructors- $125/RSVP
Feb 23/Sat.- Part three of 3; Greenhouse Glasswork and Glazing Workshop 10A-4P with lunch, lectures and practical hands on experienctial participation. @ Shambala, Greg Estes/Nick Chase instructors- $125/RSVP
Mar 7/Th.-
Mar 9/10 Sa/Su- Part one of 2 weekends; Cob Oven w/Dragon Art Design and heated bench Class- 10A-4PM @Shambala, instructor Allie Dercoli- $250 for weekend to include 4 meals and free camping, or $125 1-day w/lunch- RSVP.
Mar 16/17 Sa/Su- Part one of 6 monthly weekend Permaculture Design Workshops/Cert. Course 10A-4PM @Shambala, instructor Greg Estes/Nancy Chase- $250 for weekend to include 4 meals and free camping, or $125 1-day w/lunch. Call for curriculum details and extended schedule opportunity, RSVP..
Mar 9/10 Sa/Su- Part two of 2 weekends; Cob Oven w/Dragon Art Design and heated bench Class- 10A-4PM @Shambala, instructor Allie Dercoli- $250 for weekend to include 4 meals and free camping, or $125 1-day w/lunch- RSVP.
All queries for class and event details to Nancy Chase, 360 387 4110, nancy@shambalafarm.com -registration and deposits are reccomended, space is limited.
2013 is a great year for Seed Sharing, Cooperative Farming, and so on…
With the busy holiday season over, I welcome the breath of fresh air that January brings heading into a new year, with prospect Spring garden planning. After 4 years of nurturing seed sharing/saving networks here at Shambala, this season began with our first seed-swap exchange at our monthly Sno-Isle Permaculture Network (SIPN) gathering last week. We shared with pride about our past seasons successes, and yes failures, as we gleaned cooperatively our growing strategies, refreshing resource networks, and our seed surpluses.
I love preparing for our first swap, carefully getting out last years half-used envelopes, threshing the last herbs and drying projects, and bagging up our excess collection of miracle seeds that will become once again our organic produce this year, bigger and better than the last. Seeds adapt and evolve remarkably to our unique regional climate and their local, annual collection and distribution is profoundly important for resource preservation. I find seeds bring out in me that child-like fascination for watching plants grow, and I remember the excitement of sprouts bursting forth in the kitchen window egg-carton project. It makes me smile remembering my amazement, and I become even more excited about the process every year.
In these lean times of shifting economies and lifestyle transitions, I find a quiet calm in the prospect of germination, new green shoots popping up, and the harvesting of succulent, sweet, tasty, beloved produce on a warm sunny day (yes they will return again!). Food growing empowerment can be a delicious process, fortuitous, and can be most reassuring during challenging times in its ability to press on and renew better than before. Recycled, open-pollinated seed harvests provide for us more sustainably year after year, whether you grow food yourself or support your local organic farmer utilizing locally sourced seeds. Say no to excess transits for imported, hybridized produce, and yes to cooperative local farming exchanges as we enjoy the evolution of systemic, holistic relationships in food resourcing. We will all be rewarded ten-fold as we create new friendships and food networks, and in doing so improving local seed quality and yields, gleaning/sharing of our excesses, by securing healthy, deliberate, renewable seed stock infrastructure together.
We have also designed weekly work party projects on Mondays, a local progressional rotation helping each other at our farm and/or home garden sites. It is productive and exciting, so much being achieved collaboratively in 4 hours as a group, propelling successful, educational garden projects that will reward us ALL, all season. Frontyard farming is freedom, and it takes a village to make it fun! Come join us, and ignite your winter days by creating sun-kissed visions for coop summer garden projects…together. This Monday 21Jan we begin 10A at Shambala, 28th at Ananda Farm mid island…
Next Resource/Seed Swap at Shambala Permaculture Farm and Edible Nursery , Th. 14Feb @ 5PM (potluck), and please contact us to support CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) garden projects and/or secure your Shambala organic crop share for the season. 360 387 4110. 395E North Camano Dr. Camano Is.
Shambala Farm Winter Workshops and Events:
Jan 26/Sat.- Annual WSU Country Living Expo- Stanwood HS, free permaculture systems, food forest land use and skills education consultations at our demo booth http://skagit.wsu.edu/countrylivingexpo/ - $65 full day event admission with lunch at High School and includes many outstanding class options! Don’t miss it-
Feb 2/Sat.- Part one of 3; Attached Greenhouse System and Foundation design Workshop 10A-4P with lunch, lectures and practical hands on experiential participation. @Shambala, Greg Estes/Nick Chase instructors- $125/RSVP
Feb 9/Sat.- Cold Frame Workshop at Hands on Skills Fair -Seattle, Greg Estes/Nancy Chase instructors http://sustainableneseattle.ning.com/events/handson-skills-fair-2013 -$20 event adsmission, lots of classes!
Feb 10/Sun.- Delicious, fresh Kim Chee for every household 1-4PM-- bring supplies and go home with ferments! @ Shambala, Allie Dercoli/Nancy Chase instructors- $35/RSVP
Feb 14/Th.- Annual Seed Swap and Resource Sharing potluck 5PM @Shambala- bring seeds, plants, tools, excess resources, as well as networking coop seed/potato orders. See details below, please RSVP.
Feb 16/ Sat.- Part two of 3; RE-cycled Structures Greenhouse Construction Workshop 10A-4P with lunch, lectures and practical hands on experienctial participation. @ Shambala, Greg Estes/Nick Chase instructors- $125/RSVP
Feb 23/Sat.- Part three of 3; Greenhouse Glasswork and Glazing Workshop 10A-4P with lunch, lectures and practical hands on experienctial participation. @ Shambala, Greg Estes/Nick Chase instructors- $125/RSVP
Mar 7/Th.-
Mar 9/10 Sa/Su- Part one of 2 weekends; Cob Oven w/Dragon Art Design and heated bench Class- 10A-4PM @Shambala, instructor Allie Dercoli- $250 for weekend to include 4 meals and free camping, or $125 1-day w/lunch- RSVP.
Mar 16/17 Sa/Su- Part one of 6 monthly weekend Permaculture Design Workshops/Cert. Course 10A-4PM @Shambala, instructor Greg Estes/Nancy Chase- $250 for weekend to include 4 meals and free camping, or $125 1-day w/lunch. Call for curriculum details and extended schedule opportunity, RSVP..
Mar 9/10 Sa/Su- Part two of 2 weekends; Cob Oven w/Dragon Art Design and heated bench Class- 10A-4PM @Shambala, instructor Allie Dercoli- $250 for weekend to include 4 meals and free camping, or $125 1-day w/lunch- RSVP.
All queries for class and event details to Nancy Chase, 360 387 4110, nancy@shambalafarm.com -registration and deposits are reccomended, space is limited.
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