Hello Everyone,

For quite some time I have been dreaming of having farm tours so that we can come together as a community of people who want to learn more about local farming, permaculture practices, and to support our local farmers. The idea is that we can visit permaculture farms, earthwork sites and gardens AND to have opportunities for work projects at various sites too.

So, just last week I created the San Luis Obispo Food & Farm Adventures MeetUp group!!! Please join the group!

This platform allows for easy notification of food events, farm tours, and other agriculture educational programs. I will use the platform to both promote events put on by other groups and to host our own events. In Santa Barbara they have a SB Foody & Farm Adventures MeetUp group with over 3000 members. The organizer Gerri French has generously created a “sister group” for us here in San Luis Obispo county!

Here are the first few MeetUps to be promoted:

February 23 – 1:30pm MeetUp at the Inspired Home & Gourmet Expo at Paso Robles Event Center

Farmstead Ed & the newly formed SLO County Farm Trails and San Luis Obispo Food & Farm Adventures are inviting you to sample an entire menu of featured farms along the Farm Trail as a kickoff event.

Join us at the Inspired Home & Gourmet Food Expo on February 23 at 1:30pm for a Taste of the Trail where we'll have more flavor than your taste buds can handle with lots of local flare.

March 16 – 9am to 12noon MeetUp at City Farm SLO for the LOVE SLO Volunteer Day

March 16th is the LOVE SLO Volunteer Day all around the town of SLO. On that day you are invited to come to City Farm SLO to help with projects. Each spring the entire SLO Community has the opportunity to come together in the Mission Plaza, celebrated where we get to call home, and then go to work alongside one another to serve our community.

Here is the link to sign up: https://www.loveslo.com/communityservice

Also, with the help of the 805 Local Carpenters Union we will be working on installing a roof for the children's playhouse made out of mud that day. You can also donate towards the completion of this cob building on GoFund Me: https://www.gofundme.com/mud-hut-cob-building-project

March 30 – 9am to 5pm MeetUp at Sunburst Sanctuary for their Regenerating Earth & Spirit garden workshop

Co-create with nature through a hands-on permaculture workshop about soil-building, composting, and seeding. Learn and practice fruit tree grafting. Facilitated by Sunburst’s own soil-whisperer Sean Fennell.

Contact the Sunburst office 805.736.6528
or email ContactUs@Sunburst.org to register and to find out about the fees for the Permaculture Workshop

And save the date Sunday, April 7^th 12noon to 3pm for a Soil Harmonics Workshop at City Farm with Amanda Smith on how to work with heavy clay soils to transform them into a living soil food web for abundant crops to grow with the aid of an abundance of soil microorganisms.

Here is her website for more information: https://soilharmonics.com/

Let me know if you have some ideas and contacts for local farms and food events (and project sites too) we can MeetUp at!!

Events will also be posted on our Facebook page and group.

Here’s to an abundant future!

Tree Lees

SLO Permaculture Guild (Facebook page): https://www.facebook.com/SLOPermacultureGuild/

Permaculture in SLO County (Facebook group): https://www.facebook.com/groups/permacultureslo/

Here are some other local events:

Biological Ag conference in Santa Maria March 5th https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=29318

20190305 Ag Innivations Conference Agenda Page 1

Dairy Goat keeping Class! February 23 at Atascadero Ag Hall

GOAT keeping 101 - https://www.facebook.com/events/2313802832044943/
Have you ever wanted to have your own source of Fresh Milk? Would you like to give in to your inner goat addiction or just learn more about these charming creatures??

A beginning course in dairy goat keeping is available through the educational outreach of the Atascadero Agriculture Hall of Atascadero,Ca.- Hosted By Kathleen Vieira
Topics covered:dairy goat selection, health care, housing needs, feeding, Ect
Cost is $5 a person collected at the door

Santa Barbara Permaculture Network event on February 22 and 23:

Earth Repair! Ecological Restoration & Bio-Remediation to Heal the Planet

with Leila Darwish and Tom Duncan

Evening Talk - Friday, February 22, 2019

joined by a panel of community members

Moderator - Paul Relis

6:30-9pm

Admission $10 (full time students with i.d. free)

Two Workshops, Saturday, February 23

$30 each (two for $40)

Leila Darwish 9:30am – 12:30pm

Bioremediation 101: Empowering Communities to Deal with the Legacy of Our Toxic World

Tom Duncan – 1:30 – 4:30pm

Restoring Waterways with Floating Islands & Wetlands

All Events: Antioch University

602 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Friday Talk, pay at the door, No reservations required

Saturday workshop, reserve and pay on Eventbrite

Join Santa Barbara Permaculture Network as we host Leila Darwish and Tom Duncan as they share their international work and expertise with ecological restoration using bio-remediation, the process of detoxifying, restoring and revitalizing the land and water by working with nature.

A Community Event Hosted by

Santa Barbara Permaculture Network

Sweetwater Collective in Santa Barbara - https://www.sweetwatercollaborative.org/

Tanks for the Rain hands-on workshop on February 23 10am – 3pm

Laundry to Landscape greywater system on March 2^nd 10am – 3pm

Both workshops will take place at a residence on the Westside of Santa Barbara. The exact address will be given to those who register online for the series. We encourage you to sign up for both workshops; however, it is not required.

They also have a series of classes. Go to https://www.sweetwatercollaborative.org/ to sign up.