Fw: Lili(8). Low Impact Living Initiatives. N Wales. Jan 28, 08.+jokes

[george at dicenews dot com]

Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2008 1:42 AM
Subject: Lili(8). Low Impact Living Initiatives. N Wales. Jan 28, 08.+jokes


> Important: If I have sent you unwanted email by mistake could you please 
> let me know, thankyou.
>
>  Please forward this email on to other people that you think, might be 
> interested, thankyou.  and  (please could you send any low impact work, & 
> gathering projects you wish to advertise to be included in the diary to 
> me, ) thankyou.  (and jokes too)
>
>
>
>  Low Impact Living Initiatives,   Lili North Wales Diary
>
>    A notice board of Initiatives happening in North Wales, and some 
> initiatives elsewhere which are of interest to the North Wales community.
>  ___________________________________________
>  Lifestyle Change, Not Climate Change
>  ___________________________________________
>
>  Bangor Forest Garden
>  There will be a Forest Gardening Day 2nd Sunday in the month, next one is 
> Sunday 10th February 2008.
>
> An opportunity to learn new skills, make new friends whilst contributing 
> to maintain and develop the Garden!
> Session starts at 11.30am til 4pm.
>
> Wear some outdoor suitable clothing and bring some lunch, tea and coffee 
> provided
>
> Further details: 0845 345 77 16 or e-mail
> contact at thebfg.org.uk
>
>
> If you like to be kept informed of the BFG activities and upcoming event, 
> add your name to our
> 'reminders' e-mail list at forest-gardening at googlegroups.com Join to be 
> kept informed!
>
> Up-coming workdays!
>  10th February
>  9th March
>  13th April
>  11th May
>  (2nd Sunday each month)
>
> * a red star means there will be a guided walk around the garden starting 
> at 11.45am from the main gate
>
> Please contact us if you would like to receive directions.
> Looking forward to see you at the BFG
>
> -- 
>
> Use green imagination to enliven your home, your work your community. 
> Permaculture design is about practical and ecological strategies for land, 
> water, buildings, people and communities. It is based on the philosophy of 
> co-operating with nature and caring for the earth and its people. Find out 
> how you can make a positive contribution towards a sustainable future.
>
> Organised by the Bangor Forest Garden
>
> Bangor Forest Garden, Henfaes Research Centre, Abergwyngregyn, Gwynedd 
> LL33 0LB
>
> For further information, please call: 0845 345 77 16
>
> E-mail: contact at thebfg.org.uk
>
> The BFG is a cooperative not for profit company limited by guarantee no. 
> 5610343
>  ___________________________________________
>
>  Volunteering opportunities with the Bangor Forest Garden
>
>  The BFG is a non-hierarchical not for profit cooperative with the aim of 
> promoting Forest Gardens as a sustainable lifestyle solution in the NW 
> Wales region. Forest Gardening involves creating a multi-storeyed garden, 
> similar to young woodland, with several overlapping canopy layers. All 
> plants have several uses, which may include: edible parts (fruits, nuts, 
> leaves, roots), condiments, medicines, dyes, fibres, wood, fix/accumulate 
> nutrients, attract beneficial insects or promote biodiversity. In addition 
> to plants, forest gardens can include bee keeping, fungi cultivation and 
> the promotion of biodiversity by various practices. Forest gardening 
> focuses on perennials and self-seeders and is a method of producing a wide 
> range of products with low labour and resource inputs. We promote forest 
> gardening by running courses, holding open days, giving guided tours and 
> working with the socially excluded. We have been working with adults with 
> special learning needs, probationers,
> young offenders and family groups. These individuals learn skills and 
> develop personally through therapeutic horticulture and green woodworking 
> activities. The BFG is a thriving social enterprise with the ability to 
> train, educate and act in many cross-cutting themes relating to food, the 
> environment, sustainability and health.
>  The BFG is run by volunteers from wide-ranging backgrounds, and we have 
> several volunteering opportunities:
>
>  GENERAL VOLUNTEERS
>  1) GARDENERS - we would welcome those who wish to develop their gardening 
> skills to help with the hands-on gardening at our site in Abergwyngregyn 
> (around 5 miles from Bangor). Attend monthly workdays (second Sunday of 
> each month) or more frequently if you have the time. Produce from the 
> garden is shared among group members.
>  2) NEWSLETTER OFFICER - for those with a little computer experience that 
> would be willing to compile a periodic newsletter, giving project news, 
> event info, photos, recipes, featured plant info etc... This would involve 
> collating information from group members and writing short articles. This 
> would then be distributed to members by post, posted on our website, 
> circulated on our Google group and e-mailed to our list of interested 
> parties. We have computer facilities available for this work.
>  3) PUBLICITY OFFICER - for someone who would like to develop 
> communication skills. This involves creating posters, flyers and press 
> releases. Once publicity material is approved by the board of directors, 
> this can be circulated. Posters and flyers in the local area (Bangor, 
> Bethesda, Abergwyngregyn etc) will help to bring in new volunteers and 
> interested people, spreading the word about what forest gardening can 
> achieve. Press releases will enhance our presence in the local community.
>
>  DIRECTORS
>  We require directors to determine the strategic direction of the project, 
> decide what we should aim for and how to achieve it. Being a director 
> would require you to attend quarterly meetings that last a few hours. At 
> these meetings, you may take on some tasks to undertake between meetings. 
> Some directors have a particular area of responsibility. For example 
> chairing meetings, funding or health and safety. We especially need a 
> TREASURER, so if you have some experience of simple budgeting and book 
> keeping and would consider this role, please get in touch. We employ a 
> book-keeper, so this role would require only around four hours per month 
> to oversee finances.
>  Interested in making a positive impact in your community?
>
>  Please contact us by e-mail (contact at thebfg.org.uk) or phone Sarah on 
> 01582 516477 (evenings).
>  Membership of the BFG is £5 p.a.
>  ___________________________________________
>
>  WANTED:  People to help bring the freeconomy to Wrexham!.
>
> A number of people in the Wrexham area are working on a project to develop 
> 'freeconomy' ideas - obviously freecycle is one which is already working 
> very successfully.
>
> Some of the things we're looking into are a 'give and take' free shop, a 
> 'give and take' warehouse, and community 'give and take' events, all aimed 
> at keeping more good stuff out of landfill/recycling and in the community 
> for the benefit of local people.
>
> We're also talking with the council about ways of overcoming the current 
> totally unacceptable situation where a perfectly good item (bike for 
> instance) is taken to the household recycling sites and is put into the 
> skips (metal recycling for bikes) even if someone volunteers to take it 
> and re-use it (it can always go to the skips later on when it has no more 
> useful life!)  We know that there are loads of children whose families 
> can't afford bikes and it is a scandal that perfectly good bikes go for 
> scrap metal when they could go to good homes.  Likewise, good furniture 
> and all manner of household items, building materials, etc.
>
> If you'd like to get involved in helping make any of these 'give and take' 
> projects happen, then please get in touch.
>
> We need people to:
>
>   work together on getting one or more of these projects up and running
>   help run the projects once they've started - maybe volunteering to help 
> out weekly or monthly or whatever
>
>   help with driving
>   oh, loads of other stuff - let us know what you might be able to offer
>
> There's a lot to do before we kick off, but it would be really good to 
> know how many local freecyclers are inspired by the idea and might want to 
> be involved in some way.
>
> Also, if you have a big, empty space which you'd like to donate (yard, 
> warehouse, barn, shop etc.) the use of, that would be smashing!
>
> Please reply by email to this message with a bit of info about how you 
> think you might like to get involved, or come along and talk to us at our 
> 'give and take' free stall at the ANIMALS, PEOPLE AND ENVIRONMENT FAYRE at 
> the Vic, 13 Hill Street, Wrexham on Saturday 9 Feb from 11am-3pm.  More 
> info below.
>
> Cheers
>
> Genny
>
>  Want to find out what's going on in Wrexham for animals, people and the 
> environment?
>  Get yerselves down to the Vic on February 9
>
>  Wrexham Veggies, along with a load of other campaigning groups in the 
> Wrexham area, is holding an
>
>  ANIMALS, PEOPLE & ENVIRONMENT FAYRE
>
>  at 'The Vic' Young People's Centre on Hill Street, Wrexham from 11am - 
> 3pm on Saturday 9 February.
>
>     Find out about the benefits of vegetarian and vegan diets
>
>     Sample our vegan refreshments
>
>     Browse at stalls run by local groups working on: animal rights and 
> animal sanctuaries; vegetarianism; peace and justice; alternative news; 
> local campaigns; environmental issues
>
>     Help yourself to anything you like from the free shop - shoplifters 
> will NOT be prosecuted! - or bring along something you no longer need to 
> donate to the shop
>
>     See what's going on; meet like-minded people; get involved!
>
>  If this event is successful, we plan to make it a regular thing.
>  So come along on the 9th - bring your friends and family - tell everyone 
> you know.
>  More information from Wrexham Veggies: info at wrexhamveg.org Tel: 07904 
> 375178
>  Website: www.wrexhamveg.org
>
>
>  _____________________________________________
>    "Reconnecting communities and woodlands"
>
>  A networking and discussion day for Community Woodland Groups, social 
> enterprises, woodland craftspeople, and small woodland managers
>
>  Friday 7th March 2008, 9.30am to 5.00 pm
>
>  This event is co-ordinated by Coed Lleol and the Centre for Alternative 
> Technology (CAT),with support from the Community Woodland Network
>
>  www.coedlleol.org.uk
>  coedlleol at smallwoods.org.uk
>  Tel.: 01970 890441 Mobile: 07811176072
>  Coed Lleol is a partnership aimed at reconnecting people and
>  woods in Wales and is hosted by the Small Woods Association
>
>  Venue: The Centre for Alternative Technology, Machynlleth, Powys
>  Cost: Places cost £10 per person and includes a vegetarian lunch
>  FREE to members of community woodland groups in Wales (one free place per 
> group)
>
>  Please book soon to reserve your place!
>
>  Poster  (PDF 475KB)
>  Booking Form   (doc 29KB)
>
>
>    Woodlands play a key role in supporting and inspiring sustainable
>  communities now and in the future. Woodland projects across Wales are
>  caring for woodlands, promoting social inclusion through woodland
>  activities, keeping woodland crafts alive and passing these skills on to 
> the
>  next generation. Come along to share ideas on how to get more out of
>  Welsh woodlands!
>  Speakers and workshops will cover the following topics:
>  · Cooperative Marketing of Woodland Produce: The example of
>  Bioregional Charcoal
>  · Woodlands as a Resource for Social Inclusion
>  · What next after Cyd Coed? A brainstorming session on the
>  future for community woodlands in Wales
>  · Community engagement and how to increase the membership
>  of your woodland group
>  · Tour of CAT's new CHP woodchip boiler and sustainably
>  managed woodlands
>  · Plenty of time for informal networking and discussion
>  Come and share your own experiences and achievements and be inspired by
>  other woodland projects!
>
>  _____________________________________________
>  _   Defend your rights in the planning system
>  Friends of the Earth are campaigning against proposed government measures 
> to remove your rights to appear in person in planning cases and have your 
> say in a meaningful way.
>  For more information visit: http://tinyurl.com/3xdl35
> _________________________
>
>  freecycle:
>  Ruthin Sweet Chestnut seedlings, and Ruthin and Flint Hazlenuts 08:
>  - offered for free, the trees are going to be  propogated this year, 
> there will be lots, about 1500, so please come and help plant the seeds 
> up, if youd like to, and then around June or July, August come with 
> plantpots or bag and a little compost, and take some to plant up in your 
> garden, farm, school, roadside in North Wales or beyond. The sweet 
> chestnuts are from trees which are unusual, fruiting this far north. 
> (theyre free, not dependant on ur work, i.e., planting em!, its just a way 
> for me to plant 1000s of fruit trees without doing the work.)
>  Contact Frank on 07980 158661 or 07706 589090. 
> greenwomble at googlemail.com
> at Welhealth Ffarm Ffrwythau. Nr Cerrig y Drudion.  Also if people would 
> like to come with a fruit tree to plant here, in the forest garden we'd be 
> very proud of having free food growing here that came for free.
>
>    Give and Take: promotes the gift-economy as the way forward for 
> humanity, and the project aims to demonstrate that this is a workable and 
> vastly preferable alternative to the money/exchange system that is at the 
> root of society's problems. The exchange system causes social exclusion, 
> it causes scarcity, and always works against the interests of those who 
> lack the basic necessities of life, transfers wealth from the many poor to 
> the few rich, making them even richer (in monetary terms) and condemning 
> the many to starvation even though there would be an abundance of 
> resources if they were to be shared fairly. Every piece of work we do for 
> exchange/money helps to perpetuate these injustices, while anything we do 
> within the gift-economy - giving our time, skills and effort for free 
> without expectation of return - helps spread resources more fairly and 
> ultimately makes us all richer and happier."   For more info Tel: V Button 
> 01490 420074 or Frank 07980 158661
>  ________________________________________________
>
>
>  "Give and Take" Camping and Veg growing, on 1.5 acres of land at Melin y 
> Wig.
>  Give and Take is a gift-economy or freecycle association (you are already 
> a member of it) that started off with a totally free stall at Connahs Quay 
> market in 1992, as an alternative to buying and selling, it ran for seven 
> years, and we still run the stall at Hafod, nr Cerrig y Drudion. Well, on 
> that stall, we accepted donations, though anyone was totally free to take 
> that money, but on the whole they didnt! and with that money of £3500 + 
> adding a little of our own, we expanded the size of the stall to 1.5 
> acres. So the "land is ours" free for all of us to use, a bit like we use 
> the beach, but of course we, us, can camp there, and a few of us are 
> planting trees there, and it would be nice to further develop it. At the 
> moment its a fertile south facing field with a sheltered aspect, so if 
> anyone is interested in using it, then please get in touch. Thankyou. 
> Frank, or Vic, Tel 01490 420074 or 07980 158661.
>  ____________________________________________________
>
>  Also, Developing Give and Take in Wrexham. Looking for interested 
> volunteers and supporters and donations for a large project ideally to 
> obtain a warehouse, and central point for people to put their unwanted but 
> still useful goods, instead of trashing them into the Councils skips, for 
> others to re-use. This  is fundamentally wrong and against the Governments 
> re-use policy, which is the prime recycling directive; for the council to 
> allow still useful items to be wasted, especially while there is need for 
> these goods in the community. Genny. Email:   vg at genny.force9.co.uk 
> tel: 0845 330 4505
>
>
>
>
>  Dyfi Valley Seedy Sunday 2008This year's Dyfi Valley Seedy Sunday which 
> is
> taking place in Machynlleth on the Sunday 24th February 10:30 - 4pm and
> along with the seed swapping fun, we'll be having music, stalls, food,
> workshops, kids activities and talks.
> For more information please don't hesitate to
> either email me pod at machynlleth.biz or call me on 07963 858011
> Chris Whitehouse
>
>  ___________________________
>
>  And now heres a joke!
>  ______________________________________________________
>
>    Breaking News (Washington D.C. -November 28, 2006)
>
> A tragic and sad fire has destroyed the personal library of President
> G.W.Bush.
>
> Both of his books have been lost.
>
> The president is devastated, for he had not finished colouring the second 
> one.
>                       _____________________
>
>  What do soy beans, and vibrators have in common?
> They are both meat subsitutes
>                        ______________________
>
>  Man 1 : Hey man, what's up?
> Man 2 : Hey buddy! I just bought this very expensive hearing aid, I'm not 
> deaf anymore!
> Man 1 : Really? How much was it?
> Man 2 : Just yesterday!!
>                       ___________________________
>
>  Two friends at a bar on a cruise ship, one says I'm just going to the 
> loo. When she gets back she finds her friend alone in the bar. "Where's 
> everyone gone?"
> "To see the band," her friend replies, "While you were in the loo there 
> was an announcement , A band on ship!"
>                         ____________________________
>
>  The Presidential advisor crashes into the room and shouts "Mr. President! 
> Mr. President! There's a Brazilian Guerrila Force at the Texas-Mexico 
> border and they are threatening invasion!"
> George W. jumps up and yells "Wait a minute! Wait a minute! How many is a 
> brazillion
>
>
>  ____________________________________________________________________
>
>      Agroforestry and Forest Gardens in North Wales.
>  Wanted and much appreciated: Volunteers for some Forest Gardens and 
> Agroforestry in lovely peaceful locations, all in the process of being 
> developed, in North Wales:
>
>  Hafod, nr Cerrig Y Drudion, central North Wales. 20 acres surrounded by 
> woodland, resevoirs, cycle tracks. forest garden on 1/2 acre. Tel: Vic: 
> 01490 420074. (part of Welhealth)
>
>  Tyn Y Nant, 7 acres, in a little wooded Glen, a developing forest garden. 
> central North Wales, nr Cerrig Y Drudion. Tel or txt: Frank: email 
> frank_bowman at yahoo.co.uk 07980 158661. (part of Welhealth)
>
>  Bangor Forest Garden, The BFG is a non-hierarchical not for profit 
> cooperative with the aim of promoting Forest Gardens as a sustainable 
> lifestyle solution in the NW Wales region.
>  Keep informed on BFG activities and future events, join the e-group at 
> forest-gardening at googlegroups.com
>  For further information, please call: 0845 345 77 16 (answermachine)
> E-mail: contact at thebfg.org.uk
>
>  Plas Nant, Abergwyngregin.(near to the BFG), 1 acre. plus new 1.5 acre 
> plot, currently deing fenced off and starting forest garden development. 
> Tel or txt: John: 07934 336623. Email: johnmcarpenter at btinternet.com
>
>  Gwaun Y Gors, nr Penysarn, Angelsey, near to Parys Mountain, and a forest 
> of Windmills! 3 acres. developing forest garden. Tel or txt: Emma: 07890 
> 569829. email: emma.johns at yahoo.co.uk
>
>  The Permaculture Plot, Llandonna, Angelsey. Nr Beaches, 70 acres in all, 
> 30 of mixed Trees, and large forest garden area. Tel or txt: Mark: 07926 
> 442351. E mail: m_a_buxton at hotmail.com
>
>  Tir Penrhos Isaf, 7 acres, a well developed Permaculture project, with 
> small forest garden, but with extensive planting of fruits and herbs and 
> nuts throughout. Website:   www.konsk.co.uk
>  Tel:  01341 440256.     Email: mawddach at gn.apc.org
>
>  Moelyci Environment Centre. nr Bethesda is a very large Ecology centre 
> near Bethesda, having a wide variety of ecological projects on the go. 
> They are keen on developing a Forest Garden.
>  Moelyci organises events at weekends. Tel: John Harold 01248 361126
>
>  _________________________________________________________________________
>
>
>  Other things happening in North Wales
>
>  Moelyci Environment Centre Moelyci now organises events at weekends, see 
> calendar for details. John Harold 01248 361126. Also Moelyci Bird Hide is 
> now complete and available for use; we request that children be supervised
> in it.
>
>  Green Woodworking Mike Bithell is running free informal workshops at 
> Moelyci on Sundays from 10.00am onward. Please phone him on 01248 602397 
> ( evenings) for further details and to confirm.
>
>  The Eternal Forest Trust needs volunteers to help create and maintain a 
> woodland burial site at Boduan, near Pwllheli. We meet on the last Sunday 
> of every month between 11 and 4, in woodland bordering the B4354, 5 miles 
> west of Y Ffôr and 1.3 miles east of the A 497 ( map reference SH 331392) 
> . Ring 01758 612006 or
> email eft@ port35. freeserve. co. uk for information.
>
>  Field Studies Council at Rhyd- y- Creuau between Llanrwst and Betws- y- 
> coed is running community garden days on a Monsday, Tuesday and Wednesday. 
> This is a great opportunity to get outside, exercise and learn or share 
> gardening tips with others in our beautiful award winning wildlife garden. 
> We have a vegetable plot and a polytunnel. Eve Harvey or Delyth Phillipps 
> 01690 710494.
>
>
>    An 80% cut in carbon emissions by 2050, will be a major engineering 
> challenge.
>  "is the rich anoraks' vogue for covering the whole roof with panels and 
> converting their DC output to match the AC mains just an expensive way to 
> feed an addiction?". Saturday November 24, 2007 The Guardian - Tom Snow
>
>  Renewable Energy Advice and working displays of wind and solar micro 
> generation of electricity for home use. Also solar hot water heating. 
> Modest 12-volt DC solar arrays, and 12-volt small wind mill, alongside but 
> not connected to the mains, charging up batteries, can power hi-fi, 
> laptops and, above all, ever-improving LED lighting, now good enough for 
> reading-light clusters and background ambience. We would welcome people to 
> visit and learn how viable it is. Denbighshire and Conwy, Central North 
> Wales, near Snowdonia. Tel Frank or Vic 07980 158661 0r 01490 420074.
>
>
>  The Porthmadog Freecycle Group is open to all who want to "recycle " that 
> special something rather than throw it away. The group is open to everyone 
> anywhere near Porthmadog.
> Everything posted must be free. This group is part of The Freecycle 
> Network, a non- profit organization and a movement of people interested in 
> keeping good stuff out of landfills, and sharing it rather than chucking 
> it away.
>
> There is also a group for the Caernarfon area: http: / / groups. 
> yahoo.com/ group/ freecyclecaernarfon. The Bangor Freecycle T Group is 
> open to anybody in the area who wants to recycle anything that is still 
> useable. Or maybe you are looking to acquire something? This is the place 
> to post your offers and requests. The main rule is that no money is 
> involved. Go to http: / / groups. yahoo.com/ group/ BangorFreecycle. Part 
> of The Freecycle Network. Check out freecycle. org for other groups and 
> info on the movement.
>
>  BTCV Cymru Regular activites including hedgelaying, tree nursery work, 
> traditional crafts; this month Wednesdays and Thursdays are work days. 
> Sherwood Offices, Holyhead
> Rd, Bangor, 01248 354050, www.btcvcymru. org.
>
> ___________________________________________________________________
>  Other things elsewhere
>
>
>  BRIGHTON PERMACULTURE TRUST COURSES AND EVENTS
>
> For full details and bookings please visit:
> www.brightonpermaculture.co.uk
>
>
> BUILDING SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES - A PERMACULTURE DESIGN COURSE
> The course looks at eco-systems designed for working and living 
> collaboratively with other people whilst caring for the earth.
> - 16 weekend days January - May 2008, details to be announced, not yet 
> taking bookings
>
> GREEN ARCHITECTURE DAY
> An annual day of stalls, exhibitions and illustrated talks by designers, 
> practitioners and professionals.
> - Saturday 1 March 2008, details to be announced, not yet taking bookings
>
> FOREST GARDENING - A two-day course
> How to grow fruit, nuts, salads and perennial vegetables as a low 
> maintenance, highly productive garden ecosystem. Includes a site visit.
> - July 2008, details to be announced, not yet taking bookings
>
> FRUIT TREE GRAFTING - A half-day course
> Learn how to propagate fruit trees by grafting on this half-day practical 
> course.
> - August 2008, details to be announced, not yet taking bookings
>
> For full details and bookings please visit:
> www.brightonpermaculture.co.uk
>
>
>
>  Burma
>  Hi, have you heard about the crisis in Burma? Burma is ruled by one of 
> the worst military dictatorships in the world. This week Buddhist monks 
> and nuns began marching and chanting prayers to call for democracy. The 
> protests spread and hundreds of thousands of Burmese people joined in --  
> they've been brutally attacked by the military regime, but still the 
> protests are spreading. I just signed a petition calling on Burma's 
> powerful ally China and the UN security council to step in and pressure 
> Burma's rulers to stop the killing. The petition has exploded to over 
> 200,000 signatures in a few days and is being advertised in newspapers 
> around the world, delivered to the UN secretary general, and broadcast to 
> the Burmese people by radio. We're trying to get to 1 million signatures 
> this week, please sign below and tell everyone!
>
>  http://www.avaaz.org/en/stand_with_burma/tf.php?CLICK_TF_TRACK
>
>    Thank you for your help! Hope your well johnny
>
>  _________________________________________
>
>    Masuro Emoto Rice Experiments
>  POSTED: 12:20 pm EST December 6, 2005
>  UPDATED: 10:37 am EST March 8, 2006
>
>  The theory that water has feelings. & we are made of water.
>
>  Masuro Emoto believes that since people are 70 percent water, and the 
> Earth is 70 percent water, we can heal our planet and ourselves by 
> consciously expressing love and good will. He says that to try out his 
> theory you can try this experiment:
>
>  Place cooked rice in two identical glass containers. Put one cup of rice 
> in one jar and another cup in a separate jar. Talk to the rice every day 
> for one month at the same time each day. Say "thank you" to one jar and 
> say, "you fool" to the other jar.
>
>  This experiment is based on a picture of Emoto's work summarized in his 
> book "Messages in Water."
>
>  In his experiment (pictured above), Emoto found that the rice that was 
> told "thank you" was nearly fermented and had a nice, mellow, malted-rice 
> aroma.
>  The other bowl of rice that was told, "you fool," turned black, became 
> rotten and smelled disgusting.
>  __________________________________________
>
>
>
>  ___________________________________________________________________
>
>
>
>
>
>  about Forest gardening
>  from www.gburnett.unisonplus.net
>
>
>
>
>                                                    This site is a small 
> celebration of the Forest Garden at Wenlock Edge, Shropshire on the Welsh 
> Borders, created by Robert Hart, who passed away on the 7th March, 2000.
> It consists of photographs taken during a visit in July 1997 by students 
> of the Permaculture Design Course held by Naturewise in North London, and 
> an account of that visit which was published in the newsletter of VOHAN, 
> the Vegan Organic Horticulture and Agriculture Network.
> To me Robert was a true 20th Century hero, whose contribution to our sense 
> of possiblity far, far outstripped the sad, small values my generation 
> have been encouraged to see as aspirational.
> I'm proud to have met him, and hope that I can do the best I can to carry 
> forward the vision that he had of productive city forests and edible 
> landscapes replacing the grey concrete jungles and factory farmed 
> "countrysides" in which so many of us exist.
>
>
>                                SEVEN STOREYS OF ABUNDANCE; A VISIT TO 
> ROBERT HART'S FOREST GARDEN
>
> Robert Hart's Forest Garden.
> Situated at Wenlock Edge on the Welsh borders, Robert began the project 
> over thirty years ago with the intention of providing a healthy and 
> therapuetic environment for himself and his brother Lacon, born with 
> severe learning disabilities.
> Starting as relatively conventional smallholders, Robert soon discovered 
> that maintaining large annual vegetable beds, rearing livestock and taking 
> care of an orchard were tasks beyond their strength. However, he also 
> observed that a small bed of perennial vegetables and herbs they had 
> planted up was looking after itself with little or no intervention. 
> Furthermore, these plants provided interesting and unusual additions to 
> the diet, as well as seeming to promote health and vigour in both body and 
> mind.
> Noting the maxim of Hippocrates to "make food your medicine and medicine 
> your food", Robert adopted a vegan, 90% raw food diet. He also began to 
> examine the interactions and relationships that take place between plants 
> in natural systems, particularly in woodland, the climax eco-system of a 
> cool temperate region such as the British Isles. This led him to evolve 
> the concept of the 'Forest Garden': Based on the observation that the 
> natural forest can be divided into distinct layers or 'storeys', he 
> developed an existing small orchard of apples and pears into an edible 
> landscape consisting of seven dimensions;
>
> I)A 'canopy' layer consisting of the original mature fruit trees.
> 2)A 'low-tree' layer of smaller nut and fruit trees on dwarfing root 
> stocks.
> 3)A 'shrub layer' of fruit bushes such as currants and berries.
> 4)A 'herbaceous layer' of perennial vegetables and herbs.
> 5)A 'ground cover' layer of edible plants that spread horizontally.
> 6)A 'rhizosphere' or 'underground' dimension of plants grown for their 
> roots and tubers.
> 7)A vertical 'layer' of vines and climbers.
>
>                          Stepping into the Forest Garden is like entering 
> another world. All around is lushness and abundance, a sharp contrast to 
> the dust bowl aridity of the surrounding prairie farmed fields and 
> farmlands. At first the sheer profusion of growth is bewildering, like 
> entering a wild wood. We're not used to productive landscapes appearing so 
> disorderly. But it doesn't take long for the true harmony of nature's 
> systems to reveal themselves,  just an eighth of an acre of a garden such 
> as Robert's can output a tremendous variety of yields. Whilst too early in 
> the year for the apples, plums and pears beginning to swell in the trees, 
> we were surrounded by gluts of black, red and whitecurrants, gooseberries, 
> raspberries and loganberries; as well as a profusion of saladings such as 
> sorrel, lovage, tree-onions, wild garlic, borage, lemon balm and many 
> other herbs.
> Foraging a meal for the nine of us was an extremely enjoyable task, not 
> like work at all. Robert, a gentle and erudite man, yet possessed of a 
> great clarity of purpose, joined us for our campfire feast. As we sat and 
> chatted into the evening he explained his motivations and hopes for the 
> future. Of his plans to expand the original Forest Garden, and his dream 
> of a network of such gardens covering not only Britain but the world, 
> bringing an abundance of natural food, and healing to both peoplekind and 
> the planet. He spoke of his philosophical inspiration by figures as 
> diverse as John Seymour, Ghandi, Kropotkin and Kagawa; of the antecedents 
> of the Forest Garden such as the 'home gardens' of Kerala, where most of 
> the land is covered with productive trees; and later sang us songs that he 
> used to share with his late brother Lacon, including those of murdered 
> Chilean land and human rights campaigner Victor Jara.
> This was a magical evening, an illustration that perhaps the primary 
> forces within the Forest Garden are of spirituality and peace. Whilst 
> being highly productive of nuts, fruits, fresh perennial vegetables and 
> medicinal herbs, the most important yield of this place is the reminder 
> that there is much more to how we find sustenance as human beings than 
> what we consume, than looking at our sources of nourishment purely in 
> terms of net tonnes per hectare. The forest garden is an idea whose time 
> has come.
>
> "Obviously, few of us are in a position to restore the forests.. But tens 
> of millions of us have gardens, or access to open spaces such as 
> industrial wastelands, where trees can be planted. and if full advantage 
> can be taken of the potentialities that are available even in heavily 
> built up areas, new 'city forests' can arise..." (Robert A.de J.Hart)
>
>
> GRAHAM BURNETT
>
>
> (Taken from VOHAN News International, issue 2, available from 'Anandavan, 
> 58 High Lane, Chorlton, Manchester, M21 9DZ, UK)
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> Money economy, exchange,  = scarcity,starvation of needs.       exchange 
> is about me,me,me ,  about  winning, it socially excludes people and it 
> physically excludes people.  Its death, death to the body, the spirit, and 
> the soul.
>  Gift economy, sharing, = abundance, all fed.            sharing is about 
> us,   it is
> The gift economy, is community, voluntary work, family, co-operatives, 
> open source, scientific knowledge sharing,matriarchical societies, free 
> cycle, green movement, anarchism,  permaculture, forest gardening, the 
> earth.  www.gift-economy.com
>
>
> ---------------------------------
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