Permie group in NJ

Any permie people in south NJ that would like to form a group or association. I am just starting my path on the permie lifestyle, I find it very exciting but am having a horrible time meeting like minded people. The closest group I can find is Philadelphia and that's like an 1.5 hours away. Well I was completing my PDC last night with Geoff Lawton and he made the statement that if there is no permie group available someone has to step forward and do it. Well so I thought I would reach out here and see if I could find anybody. I am in south Jersey down by AC looking for like minded people to form a group. We could get togethor and share ideas, community and possibly help each other on projects.

Hey Steven, I'm in NJ just south of Trenton so not very close to AC but what the heck... I'm interested. I'm a permie novice myself and working to implement what I learn on my property. I'd love to get together somehow and find out how that PDC with Geoff Lawton is going.

Matt

I'm up in South Orange -- not exactly walking distance... I'm also taking Geoff's PDC (working on my design project).

dirk leas wrote:I'm up in South Orange -- not exactly walking distance... I'm also taking Geoff's PDC (working on my design project).

Isn't there a north Jersey permaculture guild based somewhere around Duke Farms? I haven't gone to any of their events but I've seen that they host things fairly often.

I'm another Jersey permie wannabe (on the beginning of the journey ) and located in Jackson, just east of Lakewood - and so also close to 1.5 hours from you down there near AC.

Would be nice if there were some sort of group that was at least talking about our peculiar Jersey environment I'm right on the edges of the Pine Barrens, talk about peculiar...

hey there, been real busy lately. Just got back from a NOFA conference at University Mass. Lots of permies speakers so thought I would check it out. just saw on facebook geoff Lawton will be in NYC aug 27 if anyone is interested.

Vineland NJ in the heart of the Garden State. Although, I am surrounded by gmo corn, soy, and canola. Searching for a decent job so I can have a massive yard that I can transform into a permaculture FOREST!.

Peter Ellis wrote:I'm another Jersey permie wannabe (on the beginning of the journey ) and located in Jackson, just east of Lakewood - and so also close to 1.5 hours from you down there near AC.

Would be nice if there were some sort of group that was at least talking about our peculiar Jersey environment I'm right on the edges of the Pine Barrens, talk about peculiar...

well I am originally from wall twp so of course I know Jackson.

anthony coffee wrote:Vineland NJ in the heart of the Garden State. Although, I am surrounded by gmo corn, soy, and canola. Searching for a decent job so I can have a massive yard that I can transform into a permaculture FOREST!.

Finally another permie in what I would consider south jersey, we are only like 40 minutes apart.

I really dont get it. We are the garden state permaculture here should be the biggest in the USA. Feel free to email me anytime. Anthonycoffee@live.com

Hello from Toms River NJ !
I am just putting the finishing touches on my final design project too.
I really learned how much I don't know after taking Geoffs PDC !

I look forward to meeting lots of like minded people.
-Kevin

Hi All,
I am in Hunterdon County NJ, about as far west as you can get but well North of most of you guys. Duke Farms has some nice programs, they are mostly for new farmers. I have seen 'permaculture class coming soon' on there website for the past few years now but never a mention of it actually ever happening. I was reading another post on here last week about Rutgers having a few permaculture things going on. I'm not sure what that's all about but might be worth investigating.
I've been interested in permaculture for a few years now, so definitely still a newbie as well. The one thing I do have is some land to play with. My small house in the sticks sits on an 8 acre lot so I have had some room to play with. Definitely have been learning by all my mistakes.
It would have been awesome to go see G Lawton. I heard about his online PDC course too late and it was full. Hopefully he has another next year. I hear it is pretty awesome.
Would be pretty cool to get a little NJ permaculture group going here in the garden state. Even it's just in this thread I am sure it would benefit everyone to share questions, concerns, failures, and victories.
Thanks

Ok so there is a bunch of us here in NJ.
What is our next step?
Who is up for forming a Group?

Kevin
Toms River NJ

I am interested. This year felt like there was real progress made getting life into the sandhere. Hoping for more progress next year as composting is underway in earnest, a small hugel bed is underway and I might be able to get a little humus going

Hey everyone! I too am from the pine barrens of NJ, Brick to be exact. I have two friends that live here who are interested as well, one in Brick and one in Toms River. (The one gentleman goes by the name James Prigioni, and has a lot of really cool videos on his efforts on youtube, very inspiring: http://www.youtube.com/user/ThePermaculturGarden) There's also a decent amount of interest more north, specifically in the red bank area (http://www.transitionnetwork.org/initiatives/monmouth-county-nj), the east brunswick area (https://www.facebook.com/EBGLC), and newton (http://transitionnewton.wordpress.com/). I'm sure there's others as well. Also, there's a statewide meetup site that has regular events: http://www.meetup.com/Permaculture-Network-of-NJ/

It's exciting to see so many people in south jersey interested in permaculture too! I would propose that we form our own informal or formal organization, and start organizing workshops/permablitz's as soon as possible! What do you guys think of calling ourselves the Atlantic Coastal Pine Barrens Permaculture Guild, since that seems to be the ecoregion we all reside in, and it is indeed such a unique ecoregion? If you're hazy on what that region is, you can learn about it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_coastal_pine_barrens

In terms of what I know for our region, here are some of the most important things I know:

- Add organic matter to the soil every year, if only in the form of chopped leaves. Our soil is so poor, that if you want to grow anything that isn't native here, adding some sort of organics is essential. I've had moderate success with straw bales and compost, as well as hugelkulture. Also, add lime, since our soil is so acidic.
- Either irrigate or do hugelkulture to keep your plants healthy over the hot summer. Again, since our soil is so sandy, unless you've gotten it to the point where organic matter or wood is storing the water for you, the water will just leach right out.
- Despite how poor our soil is, we can grow lots of stuff you might not expect, as long as you treat the soil right.
- Here's a list of edible/useful perennial plants I've found could work well in our area with the proper care. Some are native, some not, but here they are in no particular order: Peach , blueberry, raspberry, elderberry, fig, horseradish, licorice, comfrey, new jersey tea, partridge pea, redbud, saltbush, seakale, beach plum, walnut, hickory, oak, sweet fern, lupine, rose of sharon, bee balm, yarrow, chicory, birch, rugosa rose, sea buckthorn, hardy pomegranate, pineapple guava (with protection), oregano, thyme, welsh onion, strawberry, asparagus, smilax, huckleberry, juneberry, oregon grape holly, grapes, schizandra, passion fruit, duck potato, water lily, lotus, cattails, wild rice, upland rice, yucca, creeping raspberry, hibiscus, prickly pear, paw paw, spikenard, udo, columbine...and the list goes on.

I'm sure there are many more to add, what else has anyone noticed or tried? I'd really like to start collecting wild rice, south jersey is supposed to be prime territory for that. In any case, we have quite a list of plants and techniques available to us to create an abundance for our region.

If you're all interested in getting together to help each other achieve that abundance, I'm totally game. If you'd all like, I could set up a website/communication platform for us, and we can plan our first meetup. When would be a good day for everyone to get together? I'm free any time really, so whenever anyone is free, let it be known and we'll go from there!

Looking forward to meeting and working with everyone,

Rob

Hi Rob,
Great post. I'm down in Toms River too!
I would love to go to a local meetup.

-Kevin

Hi Rob,
I am a little bit north west of most of you guys but I am all for getting a NJ permaculture group together.
As far as what I am doing/planning: I have put in a few fruit and nut trees with some blueberry bushes over the last few years. I plan to add some more nitrogen fixers in the spring. Despite the snow today if the weather stays warm enough until next weekend I want to put in 2 small swales as well. I'm trying to move to more of a perennial food forest setup as supposed to an annual garden I've had in the past.
Dave

Hi Dave
Jack Spirco just did a workshop in Texas on Swales. I think he put out a few videos documenting what he did and it might be helpful to you.
I have put a few blueberries and some raspberries too. I have not taken the leap to put some trees in yet though.
I took Geoff Lawtons on line PDC over the summer and it has been very useful in helping me with doing design.

I think it would be great if we could put a few meetings together with local folks.

Kevin

Since there's interest from all around the state, maybe we should just stick with the Permaculture Network of NJ meetup platform. That's worked well thus far, and it would save the work/money of setting up something new. Unless you guys want to create something new. A website wouldn't hurt, at least to post techniques and plants that work in our area and post pictures from our events to share knowledge for those who couldn't attend.

In any case, I'm an event organizer (I can create events) on the meetup site, so if anyone has any ideas for events we should have, let me know and I can set it up. What do you guys think we should organize? In the true permaculture spirit, I think it should be as multifunctional as possible, serving as both a general meetup for us to get to know our fellow permaculturists from around the area, as well as a hands on workshop on some specific project. Does anyone have any hugelkulture beds they need help putting in? Does anyone have a bunch of fruit trees they need help planting, or a rain barrel system or rocket mass heater they need help installing? What are your projects you're working on that it would be really helpful to have a bunch of people come help out with? Or, perhaps it would be good to just pick a subject and meet to discuss it/practice it, like mushroom cultivation, tree pruning, or vermicomposting? Or we could watch a movie?

Many options, what does everyone think??

Hi Kevin,
I am a outside salesman so I have had the oppurtunity to listen to most of Jack's podcasts while I am driving between appointments. He is pretty good, I enjoy how he comes across in his podcasts and how he brings in his expert council to answer questions. I like to listen to his stuff and Paul's podcasts. As a person who listens to both of them I get to see a different between Paul with mainly a permaculture mindset and Jack with his survival/permaculture viewpoint. Jack's podcast regarding his earthworks course was pretty good. I know we are in a different zone than Jack but we can still learn from some of the stuff he did at his workshop. As far as scale goes, my little plantings are nothing compared to what Jack is doing with his workshops. But its a similar proccess so I will definately try to watch those videos. Anything that Jack or Paul does is worth getting some knowledge from, although I am trying to do my swales by myself with a shovel and an afternoon this weekend. I can try to post some pictures of before and after. Although they arent going to be as specatuliar as Jack's earthworks they will basically do the same thing on a smaller scale.

Rob,
I like your ideas. As far as a name for our group I dont think it matters what we call ourselves as long as we are acting towards spreading the permaculture message. I know I am north of most of you guys but I think we are growing most of the same stuff. I am down for helping with anyone's projects. As far as personal projects I am currently doing the following: I am planning on making some small scale swales to add to my retrofitted food forest. Probably doing them on my own this weekend if weather permits with a shovel and my own man power. I am also trying to add a berm/hugelculture mound in between my property line and the county road. I am hoping to get a bunch of fill dirt from a nearby construction site, I have most of the wood from a few fallen trees during hurricane Sandy last year. Non permaculture related I am trying to do some pruning to a tulip popular near my house that needs a few branches to be cut back if anyone knows someone local.
As far as a local event for all of us I would be all for a plant swap/seed exchange. Anyone who has does a PDC, like Kevin, who wants to come out and do a design for my property I wouldn't be opposed!!
Sorry I was so long winded.
Dave

Hi Steve, Rob, Dave, and All!

It was great to see this post after being off the forums for a while (thanks to the day job, lol), and find my fellow south Jerseyans already plotting! I am in the process of getting together a group in the Winslow Township area (about 40 mins from A.C., between Rt 73 & Rt 30) that will be meeting the 3rd Thursday of the month at 7pm. Still hashing out the details as to meeting hall access, etc., but I will keep you in the loop if you'd like. Email me at thehavenmaven@gmail.com if you're interested.

We have areas in Winslow that are becoming increasingly urban and dense, yet still have some good earth and farms. I think that is the problem why nobody chats up permaculture here, Anthony - they all take it for granted that growing tomatoes, zucchini and monoculture blueberries is the ultimate in gardening, lol. They ain't seen nothing yet...

As for the urban areas, many of the kids growing up there have no concept of fresh food, where it comes from, etc. Most have immigrated out of the city, and don't have the first clue about being self-supportive, having self-esteem, or community. I'm currently working with two youth groups to fix that, hopefully. These kids could be our next generation farmers, if they only had some guidance. I'm also networking with the Hammonton Green Committee to bring some more bio-aware people into the mix.

We also have free reign on a 3 acre farm that the owner would love to see transformed. I'm doing her PD plan now, beginning with a zone 1 garden specifically for her health issues - a "Gerson Garden", shall we say. It's not a huge step, but it's a start.

I don't care how big or small this planned group becomes - the more the merrier - but I do have some specific agendas that I will be focused on, as well as some education for the public non-permie, "what the hell are those hippies doing now" lot. Basics first, then a PDC when the momentum gets going.

Hi Dave,
I would like to learn more about your Swales. I plan to watch Jacks videos over the holiday break as long as I can find some spare time.
If you like, you can email me some info on your property and I may be able to offer some help in the design.
A large part of the swale design relies on accurate elevation data. How are you mapping your contours?

In the mean time maybe we can use Meetup under that other groups name, but traveling to north west jersey in this winter weather is less than ideal.

Jennifer's location seems easier to get to so maybe we can catch one of her meetings in January.

Sorry I did not reply sooner but this time of year things get kinda crazy.

Kevin
Trimbleman@gmail.com

UPDATE on a South Jersey permaculture group meeting!!

Alrighty, we have secured a meeting place for South Jersey Permaculture for January 15, 2014 & February 19, 2014 at the Camden County Library (35 Cooper Folly Road, Atco, NJ 08004) at 7pm. Right now, it's Wednesday night, but it might get bumped to another weekday if the library has an event and they need the room.

All the details and updates can be seen at the South Jersey Permaculture Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/SouthJerseyPermaculture. I welcome anyone and everyone to come by and share their goals, dreams, questions and answers. I hope to see you all there!

Great job Jen!! I made an event for this on facebook, and also on meetup:

https://www.facebook.com/events/269651873191652/?ref=3&ref_newsfeed_story_type=regular
http://www.meetup.com/Permaculture-Network-of-NJ/events/159627942/

Thanks so much, Rob - I can definitely use the help, and I'm looking forward to making a lot of new friends at the meeting!

Hi Guys,
Having a snow day today so I finally have had a few moments to check out the forums. Polar vortex they are calling it on the news..used to be called a snowstorm but I guess that's old fashioned now.
I hope the meeting had a nice turn out. You guys are probably about 1-1.5 hours so unfortunately I won't be making any of the meetings on week nights.
Kevin,
Regarding the Swales, I never got a chance to dig them before the cold/snow came. I guess it will have to wait until spring now. My buddy and I rebuild my deck over the summer and he used a transit to map contours for me.
Dave

Sorry to hear you won't be able to make any meetings, Dave, but we're planning on networking with any groups in the state, so maybe we'll meet at a future event (provided you aren't knee deep in your swales, of course)

South Jersey Permaculture meeting is tonight, February 19, 2014 at the Camden County Library (35 Cooper Folly Road, Atco, NJ 08004) at 7pm. We'll be showing part of Eric Toensmeier's dvd on perennial vegetables and yapping about starting a seed bank/seed exchange.

All the details and updates can be seen at the South Jersey Permaculture Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/SouthJerseyPermaculture. I welcome anyone and everyone to come by and share their goals, dreams, questions and answers. I hope to see you all there!

Hi Jennifer,
Good luck with your meeting. Although I can't attend because I am in north west NJ, I would definitely be interested in a seed exchange. I would also be interested in a cutting exchange if anyone in your group has interest in that. Keep us posted. We are supposed to get into the 50s this week, so maybe spring is on the way!!
Dave

I shall, Dave - and a cutting exchange or plant exchange is definitely a great idea!

The next meeting of South Jersey Permaculture is this Thursday, June 19th @ 7pm. Topic is "Bee Foods for a Healthier Brood - Plants for Healthy Hives". Meetup info here: http://www.meetup.com/Permaculture-Network-of-NJ/events/189352702/?a=co1.1_grp&rv=co1.1 Hope to see some of you there!

Hello everybody!
I am new to this forum and so far I love it. I am a professional gardener in Mt. Laurel.. (Burlington county) I have been living a permaculture-ish lifestyle for over ten years now without knowing what it even was. I have planted many trees and built a large koi pond I use to water fruits,vegetables and herbs growing in my beds and containers.. I am happy to see other like minded (international) people come together and discuss this lifestyle.

Hi,
I've been lurking on permies for awhile but finally started looking for info on Jersey and this is what I found.

I'm also in ocean county and land challenged at the moment. Still I'm in the searching and learning phases. I'll try to make some meet ups if any are up this way.