Sepp Holzer - US Tour - Spring 2013 - Workshops and Certification Program

SUMMER? Are all the classes are happening during THIS year? It would be crucial to know as SOON as possible The amount of time given for this spring event was very very short, I need like 6 months to gather that kind of money, again.

If this works out well for anyone I'd be happy to provide a home-cooked meal and a place to sleep along the way. I'm just off of I90 right in the center of southern MN a little over 4 hrs from Duluth. Maybe at that point you'd just want to keep driving, but if it's late or you like to take breaks the offer is there. All I'd ask for in return is that you pass on a bit of what you learned at the workshop. I think that summarizing and trying to teach what you just learned is an excellent way to help remember.

Although I'd love to go, the Duluth, MN Sepp event won't work out for me. I just went to a PDC a couple of years ago and at this time $1000 would go a lot farther to pay for fences and more plants. My best wishes go out to everyone who will be attending, there's nothing I'd love to see more than hundreds of little Krameterhof's pop up all around the midwest!

Roxanne Sterling-Falkenstein wrote:SUMMER? Are all the classes are happening during THIS year? It would be crucial to know as SOON as possible The amount of time given for this spring event was very very short, I need like 6 months to gather that kind of money, again.

I think Roxanne brings up a good consideration. It'd be helpful to know when, at least roughly, the future workshops are going to take place. It would definitely help in regards to planning the funding needed for all of the workshops.

The certification program will run for a full year to experience and talk about the different seasons. The dates for the other workshops are not set in stone yet but the next tour with team Austria will be in June and then again in October.

We will also be taking the first ever course with Sepp at his new farm the Holzerhof, in Austria. The workshop with Sepp will be August 1-5. The trip will be a total of 7-9 days and include quite a few other great learning opportunities. It's rumored that we may even get the chance to make real scnapps with some of Sepp's old neighbors in Ramenstein.

We'll be sure to let you all know when the other dates are confirmed.

Zach,

Looking to secure two spots for the trip abroad in August. Looking forward to more specific details as soon as you guys have it all together. Much logistics to put in place for such a jump across the pond... the more detailed the sooner, the better! See you in a few weeks in Bozeman!

If I remember correctly too, it has been said that we can spread this out over a couple of years, too. I am very interested in seeing the course to completion, but will most likely not be able to swing it $$ all in one year.

Jen Shrock wrote:If I remember correctly too, it has been said that we can spread this out over a couple of years, too. I am very interested in seeing the course to completion, but will most likely not be able to swing it $$ all in one year.

I am hoping that is the case.. Because I will be busy for the rest of the year after I go to Loma Mar. Money is also a major factor, t'was no small miracle that I made the deadline..but I
did

Sepp Holzer Gives Free Presentation in Duluth after Spirit Mountain Project

I am so excited that Sepp is doing this presentation, it's the icing on the cake! Maybe we can bring in a bunch of non-believers and turn them into permaculture advocates! Cant wait.

I would so love to go to this! Got to start networking with all the permaculture orgs in Colorado to make more good stuff go down here!

Just got back from the California Class and wanted to give a big thanks to Mark (our host) and all the people that helped put it on. It was a great class and great group of people that attended. For those in the Montana class, enjoy and have fun!

paul wheaton wrote:I am going to five days in Bozeman thing.

Are you going to the Detroit event, Paul?

I am now home. I arrived at the bozeman event coughing and hacking after being sick for more than a week. And I left the event coughing and hacking about half as much.

Bill Schnieders sent me these pics. I think this is day 4 of 5. Sepp started taking lots of pictures of me. At some point I convinced him to give me the camera and I would take a picture of the two of us (where I hold the camera out, click, and hope for the best). So that's Sepp's camera in my hand.

And then Bill wanted a picture of the two of us and Sepp thought it would be funny to make himself extra small.

I think this one is when he is first handing me the camera and I'm trying to figure out the buttons.

Somebody asked me to take a picture of them with sepp

We looked at three spots on this property. And this is the third spot. On the first spot, Sepp advocated berms and hugelkultur. On the second spot, Sepp advocated putting in a series of lakes. On this spot, Sepp advocated restoring a swamp that he thinks was once there, plus thinning the trees. He felt that this spot had really good energy and great care should be taken to disturb it as little as possible.

He spent a lot of time talking about the energy of this location that he senses. And how he has a similar spot on the krameterhof. Eventually he asked me what I thought of this spot. I had some similar yet different feelings which would take a while to convey, but thought we were running a bit late and should move on to the next thing - so I said that and added that people were here for the Sepp Holzer show and not the Paul Wheaton show. This seems to have pissed him off (unfortunately). I hope to record a podcast with Bill Schnieders to summarize the event and we will talk about this a bit.

Here is a pic from Christy Nieto. This pic is taken at the main chunk of land we were looking at. The food tent was to the right. A double rainbow popped out. by the time the double faded to a single, we were asked to stand still for this pic.

I think there was something like 50 people at the event. So this is a just a small sample.

In the one picture I see a video camera pointed right at Sepp while he is talking. Does that mean there will be some sort of video or dvd available?

Here's one more view of the Bozeman site.

Here are some more from the Bozeman event.

Thank you to everyone who came to Sepp's Spring Tour in California, Montana and Minnesota!

I videotaped most of all three workshops and am working now to make as much of that available as possible.
Most importantly, it has to be worked out with Sepp himself (who appears to be warming up to the idea and even having DVDs of everything made available!), and then there is the much longer process of working through all the footage itself.

The plan so far is to start small with some youtube clips from each site and get to know all the material.
This could be a long process which also will require some amount of funding to at least transfer the footage and make it ready for editing and selecting clips to post online.
However, Sepp himself would like his April 11th Duluth speech about water rights in the US posted to youtube, so that is my top priority.

Perhaps I could get some help in starting a kickstarter campaign?
And would anyone with video experience have an interest in logging hours of footage when the time is right?

When I have more details and some stuff ready to go I will make sure to post an announcement to permies.com as well as to the email list of registered students.

Many thanks to Paul (yay!) and everyone who attended the workshops, especially all the volunteers and people who returned feedback forms so we can make lots of improvements in the future!
cheers,
Mark
Site Host for Loma Mar, CA

a. mark wrote:
Perhaps I could get some help in starting a kickstarter campaign?
And would anyone with video experience have an interest in logging hours of footage when the time is right?

Mark
Site Host for Loma Mar, CA

Mark, thank you for all your work so far, and all that you intend to do! I think a kickstarter campaign is a great idea, let me know if you need any help.

-Kirk

That would be awesome Mark, let us know how it is coming along.

Who is considering a trip to Austria in august? Im also wondering how people felts about the lack of earthworks...I really thought part of our fee was going to pay for excavators?

I appreciate all involved in the event, I just thought it would be fair to at least bring that topic up since no one else seems to want to. I do plan to go to Austria, because the 5 day "intensive" was...not so intense as everyone there could easily agree.
We know the daily cost for workshops like that, and although Im ELATED to have a picture with Sepp and to see him in person and have my books signed, but I dont know how others felt about the apparent lack of planning.

Again, all respect due, just putting some questions out there.
Sepp left before lunch on Day 4 in duluth, which was weird, but Zach saved it with a great greenhouse presentation and the guys did a fun bone sauce demo.
He left to do another consultation...while everyone was there? Couldnt that have happened after everyone left or whenever people arent paying $200 a day to be with him??

But for that price...something needs to be tweaked - I know that they were at the mercy of Sepp's schedule, and mother nature in Minnesota was a cold one while he was there. But with all those people paying serious money to be there...

So much appreciation for those involved, I know its not easy to host 30-40 people on the land at once...good luck with all the permits and redtape nonsense too...I know that these will get better each time they occur.

I just wonder about the excavators...all that money people spent thinking there would be big projects happening...and no mention of a partial refund? Fair share? I heard about Sepp's daily rate, but still.

Not trying to make enemies here, but lets be real - with that letdown the books could at least have been given as an apology...instead of $30 each. It would have been funny if people would have started asking for refunds right there on the first day lol..but I think everyone wanted to still be there and visit with all the other attendees.

Would I tell other people to attend? at this point no...sadly. I would be so happy to say yes, but I would recommend Ben Falk's place instead for real direct experiences in a magical setting. With real earthworks happening. I felt pretty ripped off honestly...happy, soooo happy to meet sepp in person, but some kind of partial refund should have been offered. Sepp didnt even show us his personal plan for the duluth property.

Paul Im just wondering what you thought of the Bozeman event? Anyone? Just trying to be real here about things.

I am considering going to Austria in August. IF I can come up with the money.

As for the lack of earthworks, everyone should have known that there was a chance that weather and temperature could be an issue. I don't think there was any way around it. There should definitely not be any kind of refund or compensation, the wisdom that Sepp offered was worth every penny. I do think that backup plans should always be in place prior to the day of any event, and that materials for the model demonstrations easily could have been acquired or prepared before the workshop began. I know that all this was put together last minute and it was a learn as you go experience for both the students and the organizers. I am grateful to have been able to attend the workshop despite the lack of excavation.

While this workshop wasn't physically intensive in terms of working with the earth and machinery, there was a lot of valuable discussion and theory addressed that may not have happened if we were spending more time outside digging.

Obviously some people who were at the workshop don't worship Sepp like I do, but it's always a gamble when you pay a lot of money for something that is unprecedented. Considering that there is not another opportunity like this in the states, they could charge more money than they did. It is up to the individual to decide if it was worth it for them personally. I think any concerns should be brought up directly to the organizers so they can mitigate these issues for future workshops.

Each site had different obstacles, but shared a similarity in the fact that they were all in the states and that our quest for good environmental policy has set us back in terms of working with nature. I would assume that the future workshops would have more earthworks invovled, and the fact that Sepp won't be there doesn't make them any less valuable. To spend as much time as we did with Sepp and to be able to ask this sage our silly little questions was an opportunity of a lifetime. Worth every penny. Thanks to everyone who made this possible!

I agree on many points. It was a treat beyond belief to be able to simply ask him about things...and he would look you right in the eyes as he spoke - knowing how much he has done and how wise he is, it was really such a great opportunity to ask him things directly.

I think the austria trip is fairly priced, the food there would be unbeatable, plus the inside access to all the good things happening there. I am sure many people will go.

I realize that he may very well not come back to the US for a long while if ever again, so it was really a once in a lifetime chance...and to have the books signed by him! and a photo..with one of your heroes - what a treat. Austria will be amazing for sure though.

Were any hugelbeds built in Montana? Or hi beds with terraces? Its really too bad about the frozen ground and road restrictions at the duluth event.

I think planning takes time and there was a big rush to get all these workshops together. Meeting Sepp and his crew was worth the money to me no question at ALL.
I have never been happier or more inspired in my life. But I went with no agenda..only to be a student and learn what he wanted to tell us. Better site planning in the months before an installation workshop would be smart. Proper equipment on site that fits Sepps requests for size should be a prerequisite to holding a earthworks class in the future. Sepp and Judith also left for a day in Calif for a consultation/meeting with rich investors in LA..I for one supported that use of his time here. He had never been to Calif to my understanding (among the redwoods he was like a kid..it was awesome)
He was inspired by the landscape he saw from the plane, horrified (catastrophe! he said) but he saw the potential. I hope what he saw inspires a return to the states and that the detours during class bear fruit. Crossing my fingers for the possibilities to perform massive landscape changes here in the US with Team Holzer. I welcome classes led by any of the team I met.

Just for the record, no one could have been more disappointed than us about the obstructions we ran into with earthworks. We kept the price of the workshop as low as we could and, as a result, made no money from this. Any earthworks that would have occurred would have come out of our own pocket. This is something we believe in wholeheartedly. We were given one date and what is possibly a once in a lifetime chance to bring Sepp over for everyone to experience and we took it. There was no time for backup plans and we put in hundreds of hours to make it happen. Sepp realized it and thanked us, but said honestly he could not come back unless an American revolution happens in the way people are able to use their land. He gave far and away the most amazing presentation on the last day aimed at American government officials and regulators which had the Army Corp of Engineers approach me and say, "We're ready to work with you, do you have a map with you?" I handed him my new design I worked on the night before which was the full blown through the wetland and degraded waterway that Sepp was hoping for. I'll take it as far as I can. He gave me a handshake that hooked around our thumbs and brought in close to his chest and said, "Never give up, never give in," and that's what I intend to do. If we can set a precedence and complete a model, the gates will be thrown open. There is a mountain in front of me. This is the beginning of my journey to make it happen.

Peace and graditude to all involved and anyone who helped to make this happen, Chad.

Chad,

Your response gave me goosebumps. I look forward to visiting your site again and helping to implement the vision. I hope that Sepp does allow that portion of the video to be made available to the public because I was not able to stay for that portion. Also, kudo's to you for taking the scolding that Sepp gently gave to you about not finishing the vision in the wetlands and then putting the vision to paper. Sounds like it may open some doors for you and then others in the future. We will stand behind you and beside you in this.

Jen

Hello Everyone,

We'd like to thank all participants at the Spring workshops. Many memorable moments and people. There are many great opportunities that we look forward to with the first wave of certified practitioners and want to involve those interested in whatever magnitude it takes on. The momentum is building and seems to be opening to a wider audience for greater potential involving sites and investors.

Video link...

Facebook page with Holzer AgroEcology folks and fans. See more inside pictures and more. Join us at... https://www.facebook.com/Holzeragroecology?ref=hl

Link to Sepp's new website mentioning the Western Hemisphere certification... http://www.seppholzer.at/cms/index.php?id=72

We are working on details for future events including the next level of certification and a trip to Austria which will also count toward certification. We are giving students first preference, then sending out to our waiting list a few days later, and then opening it up to the permies. We plan on having some some solid earthworks learning experiences and much more.

See you soon,
Chad Johnson
Holzer AgroEcology