Looking for permies in Hamilton, Ontario

Any permies in Hamilton, Ontario? I'm in the Central East end. I've just started Geoff Lawton's on-line PDC. Looking for people interested in herb farming and selling at the Ottawa Street Farmers' Market on Fridays and Saturdays.

St Catharines not too far from hamilton. Hows it going?

Hi, Jeffrey!

Good, I thought I was the only permie in this neck of the woods. The only permaculture I've seen around here is the Hamillton Aviary, where volunteers from the Royal Botanical Gardens erected a small community garden. But it's always deserted when I'm there. Dundas in the west end of Hamilton is supposed to be an official Transition Town, but nobody answers their e-mail.

I'm the voice crying in the wilderness. My neighbors were OUTRAGED when I removed my backyard lawn and installed a micro permaculture garden. They called Animal Control to take away my two highly dangerous Muscovy ducks (5-month-old female adolescents). They almost foamed at the mouth when they saw me hang a mason bee house, thinking it was a honeybee hive.

Is St. Catharines is more amenable to permies than Hamilton? If yes, I'd consider moving.

Hi Theresa, I've recently moved to Hamilton from Burlington. I was hoping to hear the city was more permie-friendly than your experience indicates. Maybe it's just the nieghbourhood, but I would have thought Hamilton would be more open to such things, given they have such a thriving urban market.

I'd love to hear your feedback on the Lawton PDC. Unfortunately, it came at a bad time for me, so I was forced to pass. I hope there is another opportunity down the road.

Welcome to Hamilton, Cory! I'm so glad to meet another permie here.

If I pass my PDC, I'll approach a local food bank about growing a community garden next year. Would you be interested in joining, if I get the go-ahead? My Horticultural Therapy instructor at the Royal Botanical Gardens encouraged me to ask Hamilton Police Services to donate lights and other equipment confiscated from grow-ops, once they are no longer required as evidence. She told me we're likely to get a lot of equipment we otherwise couldn't afford for free, since it's for charity.

No need to wait for the next Lawton PDC, when you can take Larry Korn's free anytime, here: http://www.permaculturedesigntraining.com/
Geoff Lawton's PDC features spectacular animations and rural landscape footage from drones. He focuses on decades-long development. I'm finding the Regenerative Leadership Institute's urban focus with yields the first growing season is more practical for me at this stage of my development. I like RLI's team teaching approach, too. But I'm sure I'll use Lawton's long-term planning technique for years to come.

Theresa,

That sounds like a wonderful idea, count me in.

Hi all

I'm Rhoda and I'm just east of downtown. It's so nice to know that there are more people here who share my interests.

Thank you Theresa for the link for the free course, I've been looking for an affordable one.

If any of you find a project I'd love to help and learn more.

Rhoda

Hey Everyone,

I'm interested in forming a group to study, discuss, and work out some permaculture designs in Hamilton. Anybody want to join me? Send me an email growinggreenhamilton@gmail.com

Thanks!
Dean

Rhoda, Cory, and Dean:

Are you interested in working with me on the following project?

Last week, I submitted a permaculture design to Geoff Lawton for my PDC course and he commended it. The design is for Scott Park near Cannon and Gage, across from the site of the 2015 Pan-Am Games at the former Ivor Wynne stadium. I would like to make it into a community food forest and a children's learning garden for the students at Prince of Wales, King George, and Parkside schools. I e-mailed the School Trustee for Ward 3 yesterday to ask for his support, and will follow up when school commences in 3 weeks. Meanwhile, I think I will solicit support from the nearest food bank and local churches. I know a church that delivers drinks and wipes to the prostitutes who have a beat in this neighborhood, and they might help, but I'm not of their denomination.

I've downloaded the application forms to make a community garden from the City of Hamilton's Web site. The City insists a minimum of 4 people must ask for the garden. I would like us all to sign the forms and start the process, if this idea appeals to you. We may face opposition from the baseball team that uses the park sometimes, but I don't see why we can't all share it. There is a much better baseball diamond 1.5 km south, at Gage Park. Most of the time, Scott Park is vacant and desolate.

Are you game to try this? Please let me know.

Thanks,
Theresa

Hi, Cory, Rhoda and Jeffrey.

I'm meeting Dean next week in Scott Park to scope out the food forest/school garden plan. Afterwards, we'll go to the Sun Hei restaurant for coffee to discuss it and fill out the application forms, if we decide to proceed. We would really like it if you could join us. Please contact Dean at growinggreenhamilton@gmail.com to arrange a time. I'm flexible and will change my schedule to accommodate yours.

I've sent .PDFs of the Executive Summary, PowerPoint presentation, and application forms for the City of Hamilton to Dean. Would you like to see them before meeting?

Thanks,
Theresa

To any permies interested in developing a school garden/community garden in the Pan-Am Precinct of Hamilton:

I've been in touch with the Manager, Pan-Am Initiatives, Green Venture, and the Superintendent of Student Achievement for the North Cluster at the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board. They are willing to listen to a permaculture proposal. If you would like to take part, please reply to pjmurphy@gmx.us. Thanks!

Hi Rhoda,

I understand your collecting signatures for the community garden application. I will certainly sign it, contact me by email at growinggreenhamilton@gmail.com

Dean

Dean Hale wrote:Hi Rhoda,

I understand your collecting signatures for the community garden application. I will certainly sign it, contact me by email at growinggreenhamilton@gmail.com

Dean

as soon as I get it printed off. Hopefully tomorrow. I will start geting the signatures then hand it off to theresa

Hi there - new to the site and just found this thread abotu Hamilton, wondering what the update is with you guys and the community garden
Any indoor/winter projects on the go?

Dear Emma:

The Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board decided to pave Scott Park as a 165-space parking lot for the new mega-school. For details, please see my blog at theresamccuaigblog.com. Hotlinks to newspaper coverage are provided.

Thanks for your interest.

Hey just wanted to give my salutations from Hamilton to everyone on the board who's from around here.

Please keep me informed of any projects I want to get involved in the local community and learn as much as I can until I can get myself some land up north and take off!

Hi Carmen

There are so few of us but we do what we can. Are you on Facebook? Check out Permaculture Hamilton and Beautifying Hamilton. Anyone else have an FB page?

Rhoda

I was hoping you guys had started a group here in Hamilton!

I think we should turn all of those ugly parking lots downtown into parks, personally.

With the initiative to make downtown a traffic free area why not jump on that bandwagon and find a way to put a forest behind the McNabb bus terminal with a community garden in the middle.

No more super schools and mega lots, give it up for real?

I'd like to try to take over all of the vacant lots and plant trees myself. I know with enough people and enough influence we could make things happen.


I myself spent last summer on the bruce trails and dundas valley in the woods when I wasn't camping out in my wooden hut on the bay! I even lived kind of illegally on the RBC grounds that was awesome!

Hamilton has a lot of great nature to explore but I am starting to hate the grindstone creek cement jungle they've constructed. That used to be an awesome place but in the nature of "conservation" tar paper, plastic and cement were installed everywhere.

Even the RBC has changed. We need to do something to take this city back as the wonder it really is. Come on how can you explore the city of waterfalls when you have to move a shopping cart out of the way to jump off the falls into...who knows what is in that water now. Used to be great places to swim. We need to counter develop.

I'm actually thinking of taking off, I'm looking to buy land up north and just say goodbye to all of this society BS. Start my own thing where no one can bug me or ruin nature.

Either way we should all get organized here in Hamilton. Is there a group started or would you like to start one? I'm sure we have enough people here on this thread alone to pull off a few small feats of wonder.

How say? Yes I'm on FB but I just use that to post pics of my kids not much into the whole techy stuff.

There is permaculture Hamilton. I don't know how many belong to the group at this point. It is Teresa's baby, we communicate quite frequently. So there are some things that are being worked on at this point. In this city unfortunately money talks and we be broke lol. But so far the ideas put forward have been really great and discussions with other groups are imminent. Some money making ideas have been discussed as well to get us in the green (snickers). Any ideas or thoughts are welcome.
Beautifying Hamilton is my baby on FB. It leans more toward urban gardening and gorilla gardening.

As a side... anyone know where to get some decent clay for seed bombs in Hamilton?

I have several people willing to help but no clay

Okay well send the invite I want to get involved with you guys!

Have you looked into Crowd Funding as a resource yet?

https://www.facebook.com/beautifying.hamilton

https://www.facebook.com/permaculturehamilton

Theresa would know about the crowd funding. I've messaged her.

Carmen Cormier, please check your Purple Mooseages. We have meetings scheduled for tomorrow, Wednesday, February 26 at 6:00 P.M. and Friday, March 7 at 3:00 P.M. Maybe you'd like to attend. Details in your Mooseages.

A couple of permie oreinted farms in rural Hamilton: Old 99, and Simpler Thyme Organic Farm

Also, Chef Shawn McCarty of Mortar & Pestle in Jerseyville.

I'm in East Flamborough, near Waterdown / Millgrove, pretty new to the greater Hamilton area. We have 6 1/2 acres, on which I've planted a vineyard, some apples, nuts, etc. I'm interested broadly in permaculture in the broader sense of permanent agriculture, restoration agriculture though not so much that I'd be willing to take a PDC, especially when the focus of many seems so much on urban gardens and food forests and the like.

Anyways, Hamilton has potential to be a great city. It's got a very unique geo location.

Hi Ryan and others,

Just wanted to let you all know about the Hamilton Permaculture Guild list-serv that was started earlier this month as a venue for permie people to share and keep in touch in the Hamilton area.

You can subscribe here: https://lists.riseup.net/www/subscribe/hamilton_permaculture_guild

Cheers,
James