Frank Cetera

Potentially coming to Cuba in March for a journalism project, looking for potential cooperatives and/or Permaculture sites (in or around Havana preferred), that would trade room for work for a period of time (not looking to work full-time as the research will involve visiting other projects/coops as well as some lounge time on the beach and exploration time in the jungles! Any contacts? I have a PDC, and have taught permaculture, as well as holding a Masters Degree in Forestry and Sustainable Systems.

~ Frank

WEEK 8 UPDATE – 12 DAYS LEFT!

Our goal is a modest $2,000 to get this community resource started (compared to the $100,000 being spent on a 1.7 acre food forest start-up in Seattle that is getting press nationwide). Can you help out by giving as little as $5 to get us closer to our goal on IndieGoGo (it's the difference between IndieGoGo taking 9% versus 4%). Either way, please share!! http://igg.me/p/60978?a=373323 and "like", "tweet" or "+1" from the campaign page. or come out and lend a hand, a tool, a lunch finger food, or a plant on Saturday April 14.

Cheers ~Frank

WEEK 8 UPDATE – 12 DAYS LEFT!

http://www.indiegogo.com/Rahma-Free-Health-Clinic-Edible-Forest-Garden

1] PROGRESS and APPRECIATIONS
2] LOGISTICS FOR APRIL 14
3] VOLUNTEER NEEDS FOR APRIL 14

1] PROGRESS and APPRECIATIONS

We’re at $1,100 in donations, a bit short of our $2,000 goal, but I hear that lots of campaigns see a flurry of funding in the last week. Thanks to Jessica Maxwell, Lilliana Rose Martinho, Kethleen I Henn, Bryan Coleman, Katherine Korba, Lindsay Speer, and Steve Letkowski for their donations this week. If you’ve claimed a perk(s) with your donation, you have the option pick it up on April 14.

2] LOGISTICS FOR APRIL 14

Looking forward to seeing you on Sat April 14 for our first 2012 “Day of Action” (3100 South Salina St). We’ll arrive on site to kick things off by 9:45 AM, break for lunch at 12:30 PM, and continue on until we’re finished with the tasks at hand (trying to finish by 3:00 PM).

Those tasks include trash pickup, black knot brush removal, weeding, trail layout, sheet mulching with cardboard and wood chips, tree and bush planting, watering and protecting, sign making, and cleanup. We’ll have a brief intro to the project, a demo of mushroom inoculation, the Mobile Literacy Arts Bus showcasing Say Yes student work, and Contemplative Video production.

To make the most of our experience and be gentle of our one and only Earth, bring if you are able: dish/bowl/napkin and refillable water bottle for eating lunch, tools that we might be short of (shovel, rakes, cart/wheelbarrow, paints/brushes).

3] VOLUNTEER NEEDS FOR APRIL 14

Yes, this is a 100% volunteer effort. We’re hoping for a great turnout (though no idea how many exactly), but have a few set tasks that we could really use your help with.

> Collect and bring cardboard to the garden site (for sheet mulching).
> Bring a finger food item to share at lunch.
> Volunteer a timeslot to manage the check-in/info/perks tent.
> Volunteer you and your truck to pick up and drop off tools from the CCE office.

To volunteer for a tent timeslot, or the tool pickup and dropoff contact Frank at 315-308-1372 or frcetera@alchemicalnursery.org. If you can bring cardboard or food, do it! Please consider making a donation today, and if you can’t, please share on Facebook or Twitter using the share tools. Thank You :>)



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Frank Raymond Cetera
The Alchemical Nursery
200 S. Geddes St, Syracuse NY 13204
315.308.1372
www.AlchemicalNursery.org

Support the Rahma Edible Forest Garden in Syracuse at http://www.indiegogo.com/Rahma-Free-Health-Clinic-Edible-Forest-Garden

WEEK 5-6 UPDATES
http://www.indiegogo.com/Rahma-Free-Health-Clinic-Edible-Forest-Garden

1] WEEK 6 APPRECIATIONS
2] THE LEGACY OF 3100 SOUTH SALINA ST and A SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY 3] INITIAL PLANT ORDERS
4] WEEK 5 APPRECIATIONS
5] FOREST GARDEN PRIMER
6] GET YOUR PERKS
7] SITE PREP WITH SUNY-ESF FORESTRY STUDENTS

1] WEEK 6 APPRECIATIONS
What a great week of giving. We have had $350 in donations this week. This brings us to $850 online and $225 offline for a total of $1075 - over halfway to our official funding goal of $2,000, but still a bit short of that mark through our online campaign giving. Remember, if we don't meet our full goal online, the nice people at IndieGoGo get a bigger chunk of our pie. So please donate online if you are able.

Thanks to Marcia Rutledge, Rebecca Fuentes-Davis and 1 Anonymous donor.

2] THE LEGACY OF 3100 SOUTH SALINA ST and A SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY The former doctor in residence at 3100 South Salina St, Dr. Jennifer Daniels, was in touch with us recently to express her appreciation for the work we are doing to build upon the landscape she left. Dr. Daniels fondly recalled building up the soil, creating a vegetable garden, and installing many of the trees and shrubs that are still on site. She is particularly fond of the Serviceberry (also known as Juneberry due to their fruiting time) which might even be in full bloom for us when we are on site for our garden blitz day on April 14th! It will be a beautiful site, if so, with two grand specimens on the south side of the site, and another 3 on the north side of the parking lot. These native edible shrub produces yummy berries, and is the starting anchor of the Rahma Forest Garden!

Dr. Daniels also wanted us to remind everyone that she is providing a $2,000 educational scholarship to a graduating senior, as she does every year, either from the 13205 zip code (which surrounds the forest garden site) or someone from Nottingham High School. Applications are due by Saturday March 31st. To learn more and access the online application, please download and view the document file Dr. Daniels provided here.

3] INITIAL PLANT ORDERS
Species ordered yesterday for the Rahma Forest Garden. Donations still welcome to help cover the costs. This order alone was $365.90, but just think, in years to come, we'll be able to divide and/or graft many of these and future purchases from the plant list to share with others. So your donation lasts and lasts and lasts . . . .

Miller Nurseries:
3 Fall Gold Everbearing Raspberries
1 Male Sea Berry
2 Leikora (Female) Sea Berry
1 Chojuro Dwarf Asian Pear
1 Hosui Dwarf Asian Pear
1 Modern ‘’4-on-1’’ AppleTrees
1 Antique ‘’4-on-1’’ Apple Trees
3 Jostaberry

Oikos Tree Crops:
5 Golden Currant
5 Missouri Gooseberry
3 Thimbleberry
3 Pawpaw
2 Applemint

4] WEEK 5 APPRECIATIONS
The bad news is the number of donors this week declined; THE GOOD NEWS is the dollar amount of donations did not! We received $50 online and $100 offline donations (you can send us a check). We passed the 1/3 mark of our goal with $725 total - 36% with 33 days left in the campaign. Thanks M.Sauve, Magda Bayoumi, and 1 Anonymous donor.

5] FOREST GARDEN PRIMER
A favorite website is Appropedia – a wiki for collaborative solutions in sustainability, poverty reduction and international development through sound principles and appropriate technology. This week in my email there was a note about their food forest page. It struck me to share with you as a quick primer on what we are accomplishing at Rahma in case you still have questions or curiosities. Go to
http://www.appropedia.org/Food_forest

6] GET YOUR PERKS
For those of you who have made donations and claimed perks as part of the donation level, you’ll have two choices as to how to receive them.The first option is to receive them mailed to you. This will take place within a few weeks following completion of the campaign.

The second option, and the one we hope you’ll partake in, is to come to our Volunteer Blitz day on Sat April 14 (10 am and 3 pm), and pick up your perk in person.We’ll also be at the site on Sat April 21 doing some follow-up tasks, and we’ll use the 21st as a rain day, so you’ll be able to come by then as well. More details will follow.

7] SITE PREP WITH SUNY-ESF FORESTRY STUDENTS
We just can’t wait for the 14th to get here, but until then, necessary prep work at the Rahma site is taking place. On Sun March 18, two SUNY- ESF students (State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry right here in Syracuse), lent their time and tools to felling and starting removal of the black knot infested plum trees on site.

According to a neighbor who lives a few houses down on W. Newell St, the black knot has been colonizing those three trees for about 10 years! They were well past saving, with the fungus on branches around the whole crown, and even into the main trunk. Thanks to Cory and Jeff! They took home some fire logs, and we left the brush on site to be lopped down in size and removed as part of the tasks on April 14.

Cheers ~ Frank and the Rahma Forest Garden Team
http://www.indiegogo.com/Rahma-Free-Health-Clinic-Edible-Forest-Garden

RAHMA EDIBLE FOREST GARDEN – WEEK 4 UPDATE

APPRECIATIONS

We start off again thanking those of you who made donations to the Rahma Edible Forest Snack Garden in the last week, helping us reach the 29% level of our funding goal with 40 days left in the campaign. That’s almost a 10% increase from last week, putting us at $575 total with $500 online and $75 offline donations. That’s also a mighty appreciation to each of you.

Newest donors include Ann Tiffany, Barbara Humphrey, Rebecca Garden, Peter A Jaros, Kristina Henson, Natalie Dart, Nancy Cetera, and Sandy Lorenzo.

CONTEMPLATIVE VIDEO AT THE FOREST GARDEN
“WITHOUT ATTENTION, EMPATHY HASN’T A CHANCE”

We’re also announcing our newest partnership today. Anne Beffel, Artist and Professor from Syracuse University, will be preparing S.U. student tutors through “Say Yes to Education” as facilitators in her Contemplative Video Project. These tutors will go on to teach the Contemplative Video methodology to high schoolers from the Syracuse City School District, who will then put their empathic and contemplative video recording skills into action at the Rahma Forest Garden during our April 14 Volunteer Day Perma-Blitz!

Here’s a description from Anne: “Sitting Still: the Contemplative Video Project allows the audience to discover different perspectives through the simple act of sitting still and observing videos of daily scenes, ranging from those that inspire awe to those that compel viewers to participate and intervene. It uses fast-paced new media communication forms such as video and Web sites, with an emphasis on slowing down.”

The Alchemical Nursery and the Rahma Forest Garden join a list of collaborators including Syracuse University, the University of Memphis, the Everson Museum of Art, and the Zen Center Hoen-ji. We’re very excited to showcase how the forest garden can lead to not only physical health but also mental health and clarity through. Acknowledging the importance of mindfulness is a clear goal of the Alchemical Nursery’s mission to bring ecovillage lifestyle sensibilities to our urban landscapes.

To view a presentation, please visit http://www.slideshare.net/AlchemicalNursery/say-yes-alchemical-nursery-contemplative-video-project-11965987

If you haven’t yet, please consider a donation by visiting http://www.indiegogo.com/Rahma-Free-Health-Clinic-Edible-Forest-Garden
And please share with your friends.

Have a great week – Frank & the Rahma Forest Garden Team

WEEK THREE UPDATE

FIRST, THANK YOU

First, a thank you to our newest donors who have helped us reach the 20% level of our funding goal, with $375 online and $25 offline donations. We have 47 days left in our campaign.

Appreciation for financial contributions to Marty Butts, Michael Burns, Brandan DeBuono, Ursula Rozum, ldepiano, Diane Emerson, Candee Wadsworth, and Lindsay Speer. Plant donations have been committed by Pete Wirth, Grindstone Farms, Diane Emerson, and Lynda Hamilton.

(To see the plant list, go to: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AojqPrjAiK0HdEp1b01jemJrYkJ4VzJRMUliZ1FhbHc

DAY OF ACTION ANNOUNCEMENT A.K.A. MARK YOUR CALENDARS

Our first spring Day of Action was briefly mentioned in the campaign main page, but I want to make sure everyone is fully aware that we will be coming together on Saturday April 14 from 10 am – 3 pm to get things done! This means planting, sheet mulching, trail layout, and perhaps some sign making.

(Who wants to sign up to bring some finger foods for lunch too? Check out the spread we had back in September with stuffed grape leaves, hummus, pita bread, apples, and corn bread topped with tomatoes!)

We’ll also be out the next Saturday April 21 as it will be the Syracuse Grows Resource Drive day and we can likely expect some items to be provided such as additional mulch, compost, and plants (though we won’t know the details of what me might be able to access until a few weeks from now following the Member Garden meeting we will be attending this Tuesday).

Saturday April 21 will also function as our rain day if April 14 weather is too extreme.

PERKS & PLANTS

April 14th is also the day that you can pick up your perks that your donation entitles you to. We’ve got a wide range, so take a look if you are still considering making a contribution.

Plant ordering of trees and shrubs will commence this week so as to give our suppliers enough notice to provide our order on our date of choice. This is another good reason we hope you’ll make a donation soon – as any funds we are able to access early in the campaign will enable us to most confidently place our orders knowing we will have the money available to pay for the plant materials. Kind of like a CSA model for those familiar with this model in which contributors finance the operation up front – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community-supported_agriculture#Structure

Have a great week everyone – Frank & the Rahma Forest Garden Team

http://www.indiegogo.com/Rahma-Free-Health-Clinic-Edible-Forest-Garden

Thanks for your thoughts Scott.

That language about the population was a cut & paste from a grant application that has also been written and submitted on behalf of this project. Sometimes I grab bits and pieces of info from the various sources we have worked up to share. But I see how outside the context of the grant app, one could get the impression you mention. It does though, definitely make the project "better" in the eyes of the granting foundation ;>) I'll be more careful in the future regarding context.

Best ~ Frank

I thought I would open up the floor to anyone who has questions about the Rahma Forest Garden project. If you've had a chance to look at our project campaign page at http://www.indiegogo.com/Rahma-Free-Health-Clinic-Edible-Forest-Garden and anything occurred to you that you'd like to know more about?

I'll try to update here as new developments occur. For instance, we just finalized a partnership with a local University professor who will be teaching tutors and our local after school high-schoolers about conceptual contemplative video production. And then they will be coming out to the forest garden to make contemplative videos about this project. We also hope then to encourage others to post contemplative videos from their own Permaculture sites and upload them to the website with "Permaculture" tags!! This should be fun. More info will come soon.

Remember, this project is 100% grassroots funded, and no one is personally making a dime off of this. But on the other hand, lots of folks will learn about forest gardening and permaculture and will then have the opportunity to help spread these ideas throughout Central NY. And the forest garden will provide food to neighbors and clients of the free health clinic opening on the site.

Please consider a donation today :>)

Sincerely ~ Frank Cetera

Frank Raymond Cetera
The Alchemical Nursery
200 S. Geddes St, Syracuse NY 13204
315.308.1372
www.AlchemicalNursery.org

Support the Rahma Edible Forest Garden in Syracuse at http://www.indiegogo.com/Rahma-Free-Health-Clinic-Edible-Forest-Garden

http://www.indiegogo.com/Rahma-Free-Health-Clinic-Edible-Forest-Garden

Hi Permies, our urban edible forest garden project in Syracuse NY is underway, and we are in the midst of our crowdfunding campaign to raise money for plants, equipment, and educational signs.

This is a complete volunteer effort, and is exciting in that it is being established on the grounds of new free health clinic, bringing the health care mission outside the doors of the clinic and into the community, and showcasing the benefits of food forests for public nutrition and food security. This could be a great example for other health care agencies and offices to follow in the future!

On top of that, the food forest is located in a section of town that has been depressed socio-economically. The poverty rate for families was at 22.8% in 2000 (2010 data not yet available), much higher than the national average of 11.3%. And this area is commonly referred to as a food desert, without a local full service grocery store.

On the bright side, we will be reaching a high minority population – 55.5% Black/African Americans and 1.4% American Indians (2010 U.S. Census), much higher than the national population averages of 12.6% and 0.9% respectively.

We're asking for the supporrt of the Permaculture community to help fund this effort, and to help seed many more urban food forests to come int he future we hope, with plant propogation from this site!

Please visit our online campaign site at: http://www.indiegogo.com/Rahma-Free-Health-Clinic-Edible-Forest-Garden

Or find us on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/events/185480038224702/

Every little bit helps, even if you only give $1, or if you just register to follow us as receive updates as a "Favorited" campaign on IndieGoGo. Any of these actions will raise our GOGO factor and help us attract additional donors.

Thank you ~ Frank and the Rahma Edible Forest Garden Team

Frank Raymond Cetera
The Alchemical Nursery
200 S. Geddes St, Syracuse NY 13204
315.308.1372
www.AlchemicalNursery.org

Support the Rahma Edible Forest Garden in Syracuse at http://www.indiegogo.com/Rahma-Free-Health-Clinic-Edible-Forest-Garden

Will be held in Rochester NY on Saturday April 9.  Please join us for the second year of regional gathering in Upstate NY.  Full details are available at:
http://www.alchemicalnursery.org/news/363-2011-upstate-new-york-permaculture-gathering-april-9-in-rochester.html

Contact Rochester Green Living for questions or tabling at:
http://www.rochestergreenliving.com/

12:00 - 12:10 WELCOME! by event organizer Peter Turkow, Co-Founder of Rochester Green Living.com

12:20 - 12:50 “Introduction to Permaculture” - Michael Burns, a Co-Founder and Education Director of the
Finger Lakes Permaculture Insititute (FLPCI), will be giving an introduction to the
ideas of permaculture design, including a brief review of FLPCI's programs.

1:00 - 1:30 "What's happening in Rochester Permaculture?" - Patty Love, owner of Barefoot Edible
Landscape and Permaculture and Founder and Program Director of Rochester Permaculture
Institute will talk about permaculture initiatives and opportunities happening in Rochester.

1:40 – 2:00 "Community Permaculture Design Open "Best Design" Award Announced"
Frank Cetera, Director of The Alchemical Nursery and a panel of Permaculture experts will
announce the winner of this ANYONE-can-enter event. For more info: AlchemicalNursery.org

2:00 – 3:00  BREAK - Take a walk through the 30+ vendors and enjoy LIVE music from Serge & Friends

3:00 - 3:30 “Financial Permaculture” - Andrew Leslie Phillips, Founder of Hancock Permaculture
Center (.org) and Permaculture Design Solutions (.com) will be educating on his ideals of
systems thinking approaches, keeping it local, financial ecology and how money can be seen
as a resource like water.

3:40 - 4:10 “Update from the Region" - Steve Gabriel, Program Director for FLPCI and
PINE Board Member will share overview of projects, groups, and permaculture developments
in New York state and the Northeast region.

4:20 - 5:00 “Eco-Villages a.k.a Intentional Communities” - Dr. Nancy Eos (Family & Holistic Medicine)
AND author, natural builder & self-reliance expert Jim Juczak (the Juczak Family live on their
own eco-village, “Woodhenge” in Adams Center, NY) and will present on how to join or start
an Eco-Village and the self reliant living strategies involved.

5:00 - 6:00 “Questions & Answers” with workshop presenters, open networking & idea sharing.

Be part of a crowdsourcing effort to create an urban edible forest garden in the City of Syracuse, NY.

The Best Design, selected by a panel jury, will receive a $250 cash award and be implemented on the property of the Rahma Free Health Clinic at 3100 South Salina St in Syracuse.  Submissions are due by April 1, 2011 with the Best Design and two Honorable Mentions announced at the Upstate NY Glossary Link Permaculture Gathering in Rochester, NY on Saturday April 9, 2011.

2011 Permaculture Community Design Open: Rahma Free Health Clinic Snack Garden, Syracuse, NY

Open Registration Date: 8:00 AM EST - February 16, 2011

Final Submissions Due Date: 5:00 PM EST - April 1, 2011

Winners Announcement: The winners will be announced at the Upstate NY Permaculture Gathering in Rochester NY, on April 9, 2011; and on the Alchemical Nursery website.
Awards for entrants:
  ●     The Overall Best Design will receive $250 cash and be displayed in the Rahma Health Clinic lobby.
  ●     The Overall Best Design and two Honorable mentions will be featured on the Alchemical Nursery website, and be 
         displayed at the Upstate NY Permaculture Gathering in Rochester, NY.
  ●     All entrants will receive acknowledgment for their participation through Alchemical Nursery website and media, 
         and will receive a letter of recognition.

Creative Brief

The Rahma Clinic is a new resource for Syracuse providing free health care services at their 3100 South Salina St. location. An important part of health is nutrition and healthy eating, and it is a well known fact that the Southside of Syracuse currently does not have a grocery store providing fresh produce and healthy food choices.  Young and old are faced with an overabundance of pre-packaged sugar laden snacks and processed “foods”. More healthy food options are needed for Southside residents and visitors.

Creative Task and Criteria

Create a design for a free harvest “Snack Garden” at the Rahma Clinic, based upon an edible forest garden model that demonstrates the following 5 task criteria:
I. Perennial “Snacking”

    * Demonstrate an Understanding of Proper Growing and Site Conditions

    * Feature primarily perennial species that are suited to the Syracuse biosystem

    * Require minimal maintenance

    * Produce food for continuous seasonal harvest that can be “eaten from the vine” - or snacked on raw from the garden.

II. Demonstrate Permaculture Ethics

    * Earthcare, Peoplecare, Fairshare

III. Follow Permaculture and Edible Forest Garden Principles

    * Permaculture is an ecological design system that looks to nature for inspiration to create productive and resilient design solutions. For nutshell descriptions of the principles visit http://permacultureprinciples.com/principles.php

    * Multi-Story and Multi-Product Functionality and Design.  For more information about edible forest gardening visit http://www.edibleforestgardens.com/about_gardening

IV. Construction Criteria and Specifications

    * Designs must be easily implemented by community volunteers.

    * Site specifications (location, square footage, shape, aerial photograph, current vegetation) are available for viewing at http://goo.gl/maps/omCq

    * Material costs should be within a reasonable amount for a grassroots and volunteer driven task, using donated materials and funds.

V. Additional Aspects

    * Originality, Uniqueness, and Aesthetics; Creation of a compelling design story

    * Use of Local, Repurposed and Natural Materials

Background

The Community Permaculture Design Open is a project of The Alchemical Nursery, intended to bring free and innovative Permaculture design to the needs of regional socio-economic and community development. The Design Open also gives an opportunity to Permaculturists, landscape designers, and sustainable agriculture practitioners to showcase their work.

Jury and Evaluation

The Design Open jury will pick an Overall Best Design and two Honorable Mentions from all submissions based upon the criteria above.  Submissions will be evaluated by a jury made up of individuals who are versed in Permaculture, landscape design, and sustainable agriculture.  The jury members are:

    * Emanuel Carter, Associate Professor, Dept of Landscape Architecture at SUNY-ESF
    * Frank Cetera, Board President and Certified Permaculture Designer, The Alchemical Nursery
    * Michael Burns, Certified Permaculture Designer and Co-Founder of the Finger Lakes Permaculture Institute
    * Lindsay Speer, Certified Permaculture Designer, Syracuse, NY
    * Valerie Dawnstar, Certified Permaculture Designer, Oswego, NY
    * Jessi Lyons, Resource Educator, Cornell University Cooperative Extension of Onondaga County

Registration and Submission

Register for the competition starting on Wednesday February 16th by sending your name (or name of all partners if a team) and contact info (email, telephone, and mailing address) to:

permacultureThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it @ alchemicalnurseryThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . orgThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Provide the following materials for submission by April 1st to:
permacultureThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it @ alchemicalnurseryThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . orgThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
The Alchemical Nursery, 200 South Geddes St, Syracuse, NY 13204

1.    Presentation Panel must be submitted both digitally in PDF format, and in hard copy (Printed on paper with board backing optional).

2.    Application Materials must include a supplies/plants list, budget, and a short biography or resume of the team member(s).

3.    Anonymity must be ensured for judging purposes.  Please do not include names/institutions/ or any other identifying information on the panel or PDF file.

http://www.alchemicalnursery.org/news/359-2011-community-permaculture-design-open-announcement.html