WWOOFing & Permaculture
Community Projects — by Kevin Jarvis April 3, 2013
What is WWOOFing? (Willing Workers On Organic Farms)
- WWOOFing is a worldwide network of organizations, linking volunteers with organic farmers, and helping people share more sustainable ways of living.
- WWOOFing is an exchange – in return for volunteer help, WWOOF hosts offer food, accommodation and opportunities to learn about organic lifestyles.
- WWOOF organizations link people who want to volunteer on organic farms or smallholdings with people who are looking for volunteer help.
The WWOOF program is a program that has been very beneficial to me. Even today, here in Sweden, permaculture is very much in its infancy. In 2008, when I started a permaculture center here, it was very hard to even find a PDC course in the country. The one I did find was in southern Sweden and over 700km away (it was cancelled for lack of interest). What I am trying to say is there was, and still is to some extent, little interest in, or knowledge of, permaculture, so finding local people interested in helping develop a permaculture center has been very difficult.
Comments (0)Aronia in Permaculture
Food Forests, Food Plants - Perennial — by Kevin Jarvis February 20, 2013
Aronia, also known as chokeberry, is a bush with a long history. It seems to have been forgotten for many years as a food source but has recently been “re-discovered”. There are two well-known species, named after their fruit color — red chokeberry and black chokeberry — plus a purple chokeberry whose origin is a natural hybrid of the two (Aronia arbutifolia, Aronia melanocarpa, Aronia prunifolia).
Originally cultivated and used by native Americans in the eastern USA, it is not to be confused with chokecherry — Prunus virginiana. The berries can be used to in a wide variety of uses such as wine, jam, syrup, juice, soft spreads, tea and tinctures and in smoothies. As the properties and uses of this wonderful berry come into light it is becoming more and more popular and these benefits make it especially useful in permaculture design.
Comments (2)Second Annual Nordic Permaculture Festival
Courses/Workshops, Presentations/Demonstrations, Social Gatherings — by Kevin Jarvis August 31, 2012
Last year saw the creation of the Nordic Permaculture Festival in Denmark. The idea is to have the festival alternate between each of the Nordic Countries. This year’s Festival occurred from August 23 – 26, 2012, at Angsbacka, a course farm, located in central Sweden. Over 300 participants attended the festival.
Comments (3)Permaculture & Life at 61° N – The Cycle of Life and Time
General — by Kevin Jarvis June 9, 2012
Life at 61° N here in Sweden can offer some interesting challenges including nearly sunless days in winter to nearly darkless days in summer. Bill Mollison and Geoff Lawton say that local site restrictions on a permaculture design make outside the box possibilities become available or brought into view. So while there are many challenges given us from nature and our environment there are an equal number of solutions and opportunities. In most northern areas villages have much smaller populations and so there is much more free and open land. We have plentiful hunting and fishing and more availability of the vast forest systems. I’ll be writing more about permaculture in other stories here in central Sweden but in this article I’d like to give you an overview of the seasons and life at 61° N.
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