Recent Posts
The 2009 winter issue of Permaculture Magazine is out now and as always is hugely refreshing and inspirational. If you had to limit yourself to just one read per season then this would be it. In this issue are articles on sustainable beekeeping, winter allotments, apple juicing and cider making, zero carbon counties, a fascinating survey of UK towns in transition and many others.
Given the times we are living in the lead article is right on the money with a positive account of life without money - a prospect that more and more of us are coming to terms every day. According to the author, however, this may be good for us, our communities and the planet. The article is by Mark Boyle, founder of the Freeconomy Community and below the fold is a short extract.
To coincide with Clonmel Transition Town’s “Feeding Clonmel” event this weekend and as a follow-up to our own “Sound Bites and Food for Thought” learning lunch, I have posted this lecture on food security given by Bruce Darrel of Feasta at the New Emergency conference earlier this year.
Bruce began with an observation that given our recent experience of famine on this island it is bizarre that Ireland is not at the vanguard of sustainable food production. Indeed without a rapid transition away from industrial agriculture it is likely that the experience of the Irish famine will be repeated on a global scale.
Citing a report called “Food Futures and Rethinking UK Strategy” Bruce described in detail how our current food system will come under multiple coincident pressures in the years ahead. This include population growth, increased meat consumption, decline oil supply and increasing costs of fossil fuel based fertilisers, land use change and biofuels, fresh water availability, labor and lack of skilled growers, climate change impacts on food productivity and finally, lack of credit.
Although there are no solutions presented here it is a good primer for understanding the bigger picture and why local food systems such as allotments and community supported agriculture are long over due.
You can see other recordings from the New Emergency conference here.
Clonmel Transition Town are holding a seminar this coming Saturday 7th November called “Feeding Clonmel”. It runs from 10am to 1pm at St. Peter & Pauls school hall and begins with a keynote address by Dr. Colin Sage of UCC.
I heard Colin speak at last year’s Terra Madre conference where he gave an excellent workshop on how peak oil will affect our food supply and why we urgently need to build more local resilient food systems.
His address will be followed by a series of shorter talks by growers and activists who are already addressing the issue with local positive solutions such as allotments, community gardens, community supported agriculture and other initiatives. The event is free and well worth attending. Full details below the fold.
Despite the weather last Saturday’sapple day in Rothe house gardens was a great success and sure to become an annual event. Some of the activities included traditional pressing, the fender blender, apple games, hot apple juice, the longest peel competition, garden tours, expert advice from Irish Seed Savers and a beautiful traditional puppet show called The Golden Apple from members of Camphill communities. We have put some of the pictures together into a short clip which you can view below. Many thanks to everyone who turned up on the day and especially to the volunteers.
We are delighted to announce our third season of films and documentary screenings examining the global issues of sustainability, justice, equality and the environment.
Courtesy of the Mayor this year the screenings take place in the historic Tholsel building on High street. You read that right – this year the Green Screen is happening in the Town Hall!
The program kicks off on Thursday 5th November with the fabulous King Corn and continues every second week till Christmas. See the full program here.