North Okanagan (BC) Permies?

Hi. Just wondering. How many permies here are from the center of BC?

I just know of one permie business in this Northern Okanagan area.
http://www.elementecodesign.com/

If you know of any others in this general area I'd love to hear about them. (I know of another Grand Forks, BC area guy who does seminars)

Just feeling a little alone in this darn, huge non-permie area.

I live in Kamloops. Does seem to be a pretty limited awareness of permaculture around here as well. I do what I can to spread the ideas around in other 'plant people' circles.

When I was taking a Horticulture program here, we took a tour of Pilgrim's Produce in Armstrong. Permaculture in some sense.. establishing a bit of a food forest in addition to some more conventional farming.

So nice to hear from another permaculture-oriented person! Cheerio!!
Even the 'old organic farmers' don't seem to know. I wish Skeeter or Paul would come up here to teach.

I've read about one guy in Grand Forks, BC. Richard Walker taught about food forests.

And a friend's ex -husband took a permaculture home design/building class in Nelson. That was years ago though and we don't see/talk much because of his messy divorce.

Hi Patrick
Although I am not close by,I am aware of folks in the Slocan Valley using permaculture practices.
Others at Fort Steele. I believe Richard Walker does workshops there.
I guess those would be considered more East Kootenays though.
And, I have a friend in the Creston area becoming more and more interested as I share what I am learning. She's trying wicking gardens,potatoes in straw and wants to do a hugel or two.
Me, I permaculture presently in southern Alberta and hope to settle somewhere out your way in the not too distant future.
I lean more toward the 'sharing and giving freely' of permaculture principles and knowledge rather than using it as a means to an income.
Here on the prairies that counts me out of a great deal of the gatherings/workshops.
So,I hugel and the neighbors ogle and perhaps believe me to be slightly abnormal.
All the best.
Kate

Hi Kate.

Thanks for your info.

Yes, my anal retentive neighbour gardens "conventionally." My messy field and laissez faire attitude must bug him. Oh well.
Nice to make your acquaintance.

Kate- I recommend the Salmon Arm, Enderby, Grindrod, and Armstrong areas. The rest of the OK. Valley is getting so expensive. If I could afford land there I'd move to Naramata, BC in a heartbeat! Such great sun and exposure and the lake right there to enjoy!! Lumby/ Cherryville is nice too.

Google those cities to see 'em.

The organic farm I toured recently in Armstrong has 8 feet of beautiful soil! Man, I'd love that!

Hi Patrick,
This may not be much help, but if you want to come south to the OkanOgan, we have started a Permaculture "Study" Group here in Tonasket and around the US county of Okanogan. We usually meet at Skeeter and Peter's house, I would be happy to put you on our email list, I only email if we are meeting or doing work bees (helping one another on some sort of permi project). My name is Barbara Greene my email is: barbarashortgreene@gmail.com and I took one of Skeeter's PDCs in 2004, had a small organic farm on the coast, did permi stuff there and moved here because of my friendships with several organic farmer friends and of course Skeeter too!
Our next potluck meeting is scheduled for Aug. 9th at Skeeter's house at 4 Western Ave. Tonasket at 6pm, we will be setting up more work bees and talking about what we might want to read or study in the winter when we are too snowed in to do much work outside.
I hope you find fellow permies up in BC, when I looked on "Meet Up" there were several groups that met up in Penticton or nearby and none "down" here, that's why I started this one, 'cause I also have to work and couldn't zoom all over to the really cool things that Paul and Skeeter are always doing
Perhaps "if you start it they will come" put up some fliers around your town and see what happens, I feel we are all students and all teachers on this bus, maybe it will help?
Good luck and I hope to see you sometime down here or up there.
Barbara

Patrick
Thanks for the info.
I have only a small amount of money to spend on land or to join an 'intentional community' so even the areas you mention are out for me.
This 'permanent culture' process, on an acreage, is one I wish to share with an other or others. Having been on acreages before,I miss the greater expanse for food production. One day soon, I'll be there again.
In the meantime, my entire city lot is a 'wild' space of this and that. Tall tansy,hollyhocks,yarrow,ect and herbs everywhere,apples trees, berry bushes and a small veggie patch with the new hugel bed.
What size of place are you on and what are you growing this season?
Kate

Hi Patrick

I'm Jana of the above mentioned Element Eco-Design. My husband Gordon and I would like to welcome you to the area. I understand it's tough to find other like-minded folks in the area, try starting a business around a topic that no one in the area has heard of

Anyways, other than the formal stuff we are part of a fun community group called Vernon Permaculture in which a group of us meet monthly to hang out and chat permaculture. We try to stay busy with simple projects like Mason Bee Houses, Composting Worm Bins and Pemablitzs; in the winter we cozy in and watch documentaries at a local yoga studio. I'm not sure where in the Central Interior you are but you are welcome to join us anytime! Have a peek at the group's Facebook page and if you like what you see come on over.

Hope you find some like-minded folks with dirt under their nails soon

Jana

I'm in Vernon.I was on Facebook for a while and I "liked" you guys. I don't know anyone who does permaculture here but I went to a meeting at the Schubert center maybe , like, 8 months ago. Sponsored by SENS I think.

http://www.sensociety.org/

I know that there's a desire for more green living here. I wish I'd have more time to go to meetings and I'd also like to steer clear of the conspiracy minded kinda folks.
They always seem to be out and about.

I'd like to get involved in your next projects!!

Hi

I took my PDC course with Jesse Lemieux in 2011 at Clear Sky Center near Fort Steele, BC (just up the road from Cranbrook, near the foot of Bull Mountain).

I talked to the people at the Clear Sky Farm, and they have gotten a grant for a food forest - I think it's for 1 acre. They will be starting the planting next year. Nearly $10,000 worth of trees, shrubs, and plants on the list. Looks exciting. I am hoping to drop by and take part.

I will be living most likely in the Cranbrook/Kimberley area this fall. Would love to hear from anyone in the Kootenays.

Geoff

I see they have a website for the food forest project:

http://www.clearskyfarm.com/food-forest-project-at-clear-sky-bc/

It is being guided by Richard Walker - who it looks like some of you know (but I have yet to meet him. Maybe at his course this fall).

Patrick and Geoffrey

We took our first Food Forest Workshop with Richard Walker at Clear Sky and we have had him out to do a workshop with us, he is a great instructor!

We will be doing a community project here in Vernon this week. We will be installing a 1/2 AC Food Forest at the Okanagan College Vernon Campus.

Patrick if you are interested in volunteering on the planting days let us know, it would be great to meet you! Just message us on our Element Facebook page and I can let you know the details.

Hi, My husband and I just bought a few acres in Enderby. We look forward to meeting our nieghbours! Hopefully we will move onto the property in late spring.  We hope to host a few meet and greet pot lucks.  
Fyi, we will be looking for a suitable, like minded person with their own tiny home to rent .25 of a acre from us. Hydro and septic available.

Hi all, coming a little late to this party, but just wanted to post that we are in Vernon, BC now and have a few small scale projects on the go! The best way to connect with other permies in the area seems to be the Vernon Permaculture Facebook Group.