Written by Kevin Bayuk | 06 January 2010

The beginning of the calendar year can sometimes be a convenient time to return to the visioning stage of a design process.  While the San Francisco Permaculture Guild has a formal mission statement, as required for the articles of incorporation, as follows...

Permaculture is the harmonious integration of landscape and people providing their food, energy, shelter, and other material and non-material needs in a sustainable way bounded by the ethics of care of people, care of earth and reinvestment of surplus. The San Francisco Permaculture Guild supports a local community of designers and those interested in permaculture by producing educational and social events, enabling permaculture projects and providing opportunities to exchange information related to permaculture design.

...the scope of the purpose for the guild is bounded only by the visionary vistas of the guild designers.  You, and I, and all of us that participate in the guild, have a constant opportunity to revise and leverage our powerful imaginations to enhance the quality, fertility, vitality and productivity of the guild.

So, I invite you to join me in proposing your ideas, thoughts, images, dreams and visions for the guild as you feel comfortable and excited to do so.

Here are some ideas of projects and activities I have been envisioning for the guild (the guild acting as an incubator to germinate such projects and as a supporter to see them implemented and maintained) for a few years that might seed the brainstorm (not ranked):

Written by Jay | 01 January 2010

Last year at 18th and Rhode Island, Tree and I got to talking about fruit trees, pruning, collecting scions for grafting and his new Omega grafting tool, which he was revved up about.  Later that night, he sent me an email with the schedule for the California Rare Fruit Growers (CRFG) Scion Exchange.  The first event caught my eye. Cut/bag scions at Emma Prusch Park, San Jose. Saturday, Jan 3; 8 am till mid-afternoon.

On the drive down the 101, the early morning sun seemed to be right in the middle of the road, blinding all of us who dared to drive in the southbound lanes. Forunately, the park was easy enough to find, it's a pretty big space.  I was greeted by a rooster and hen patrolling the parking lot, or maybe they couldn't remember where they had parked.

Written by David Cody | 18 December 2009

Often I am asked whether or not anyone has adapted Permaculture teaching for kids. I know there many out there who have thought about this, and there are also people who are doing it right now.

Here in San Francisco, the folks at The Ecology Center of San Francisco have been doing an amazing job of introducing Permaculture, natural building, and lots of other cool things to kids. Check out their website for more info.

If you are looking for a way to engage kids and teach Permaculture, the 12 principles of Permaculture as defined by David Holmgren are wonderful lessons and can be incorporated into nearly any curriculum. Whether you you have a school garden or not, try to imagine these principles integrated into your class. They can either be taught directly or used as tools to teach kids, teaching by example.

Written by David Cody | 03 December 2009

The garden at 18^th & Rhode Island in San Francisco started as a class design project created by students in a Permaculture Design course in the summer of 2008. Following the class, the design was modified and revised by David Cody and Kevin Bayuk of the SF Permaculture Guild and implementation began on October 22^nd 2008.

The project was funded completely out of pocket by the volunteers. In the last year we have spent less than $1500 and with the help of volunteers have produced more approximately 1000 pounds of food that has been donated to people who need it most through the Free Farm Stand. In year two we expect to triple the yield and by year 5 we can expect to be producing 6,000+ pounds of food per year.