Wisconsin Permaculture Convergence

Hey, Mike has just about convinced me to attend this summer's Wisconsin Permaculture Convergence. It's just a four hour drive this year. (I was trying to sign up at their web page, but didn't know how to answer the question about free camping so it wouldn't let me buy a ticket leaving that blank...I'll get back to it.)

Anyway, there are a bunch of threads here about various specific years, but but not an overall thread. So here's that.

I'd love to hear, if you've gone in the past, what was it like? What where the sessions, what did you like and dislike? What should I expect? (I know, the web page should tell me all that, but it seems incredibly incomplete for an event that's nine weeks away.)

And what else would you like to say about it? I've never gone to *any* permaculture related thing (other than web pages).

Oh, and hey, here's some info for a weird mix of past and the current events:
https://www.wisconsinpermacultureconvergence.com/

https://www.holidayacres.com/

Thanks Christopher, I'm involved with it a bunch since it's in my neck of the woods this time.  I've only gone once before in 2024 and it was at the Low Tech Institute a half hour south of Madison.  The event is put on by volunteers so that could be why the web site is a bit behind on updates...

I can't speak to the previous years, but last year was great.  I think there were 75-100 people there.  Multiple workshops at any given time slot and about 5 workshop time slots during the weekend.  The potluck welcome dinner was nice and hanging around the fire at night was very fun.  The pizza feed on the second night was really good to.  I attended workshops on keeping chickens, keeping bees, compost and native perennials for bees.  It was really hot that weekend which wasn't great but the location was wonderful.

(shameless update on 2025) This year we're going to have at least 18 workshops (fly fishing, food forests, forest bathing, food storage, survival arts, biochar, seed saving and seed tape, medicinal tinctures, working with swamps and more.  We're also going to have pre convergence workshops and tours the days before the event.  Pig processing and cooking, wild rice harvest, flax processing into fiber, cranberry marsh tour, etc.  Plus Sam Thayer as a keynote on Saturday morning and three local musicians in the evenings.  We're providing the lion's share of 6 meals (Fri night thru Sun lunch) which should make things easier on folks traveling a ways.

Rounding up a quick-reference of directly related threads in one place to see what people have said in the past:

(24 July 2024) https://permies.com/t/261287
(18 August 2022) https://permies.com/t/189920
(2 March 2018) https://permies.com/t/77533
(16 July 2017) https://permies.com/t/68073
(19 June 2016) https://permies.com/t/57153
(2 June 2015) https://permies.com/t/47583
(9 February 2015) https://permies.com/t/44123
(30 June 2014) https://permies.com/t/37071
(20 May 2014) https://permies.com/t/36163

Quick bump for this year's convergence.  Early bird pricing ($75 and up) ends in 7 days.  Get your ticket here

We added a family ticket, kids 12 and under are free and we're working on a "kids activity space".  If you'd rather not spend the weekend in a tent, you can get a discount on a room or cabin at the resort that's hosting the event: Holiday Acres

Thanks for the reminder! I saw earlier this week that there are now finally session listings although I think they’re still a little bit confused.

The website is even more updated.  The final spot(s) in the schedule is getting filled this week and we are working on adding another track of workshops if ticket sales tick up a bit more.

For those who can take some extra time off between Labor Day and the event, we have some awesome preconvergence workshops arranged.  Building a rocket mass heater in a cordwood house, harvesting and processing wild rice, turning flax into fiber, pig cooking luau-style, and using plant dyes.  Plus local area tours on Friday of an organic cranberry farm, intentional village healing nature walk, community garden and a grass fed beef pasture tour.

Tent camping is free all week at the resort.    Get your tickets here

See you there!!!

Mike Haasl wrote:we have some awesome preconvergence workshops arranged.  Building a rocket mass heater in a cordwood house, harvesting and processing wild rice, turning flax into fiber, pig cooking luau-style, and using plant dyes.

I don't see any of that at https://www.wisconsinpermacultureconvergence.com/pre-post-convergence-workshops -- where can I get more info?

Ah, good point!  Our goal has been to get them pinned down this week so we can communicate them on the next social media blast.  They're pinned down but not communicated yet so I'm a bit ahead of the curve telling permies.com about it :)

Crude summary:  
RMH build will likely be a brick stratification bench with cob overlay and j tube.  It will likely run Tue-Fri with a finish cob workshop during the convergence itself.
Wild rice harvest: Wed AM  Only technically legal for WI residents with an $8 DNR permit
Wild rice process: Wed PM
Flax to fiber: Thr AM
Pig slaughter/scald/scrape: Thr AM
Pig roasting: Fri PM
Dye garden and fabric dyeing: Fri PM
Tours Friday

The 2025 Convergence is only two weeks away!!!  The website is fully updated: https://www.wisconsinpermacultureconvergence.com/

Due to healthy ticket sales, we've added a fourth track of workshops so now there are 24 to choose from.  It will be non-stop fun, networking and education at a wonderful resort alongside a lake.  

To recap:
6 meals
3 musicians (Brett Winters, Paco Fralick, Fox)
24 workshops (animal tracking, biochar, survival skills, wool, permaculture planting, mushroom foraging, rope making, food storage, swamp management, etc)
Access to full resort amenities (pool, bar, coffee shop, sauna, beach, 1000 acres of woods)
Free camping
Discounted hotel rooms or cabins if you want a bit more luxury
Sam Thayer (famous forager) keynote
Tours of cranberry farm, healing nature trail, community garden that I helped start, grass fed pasture beef operation
7 pre convergence workshops the week leading up to the event
Only $99

You could even come to Rhinelander for Labor Day and spend the week doing permie stuff in the Northwoods!  

Hey Mike, I have some questions.

How does "potluck breakfast" work? nvm, found it at https://www.wisconsinpermacultureconvergence.com/survival-guide

Is every session open to as many of the participants as want to attend or is there some mechanism in place for load-balancing?

There are sessions on the schedule at the bottom of https://www.wisconsinpermacultureconvergence.com/schedule-2 that aren't described on https://www.wisconsinpermacultureconvergence.com/wpcsessions -- your own "Homesteaders Merit Badges" for instance.

It looks like there's four days of RMH Build before the weekend starts, and then one of the sessions is RMH Build -- is that session only for the participants in the pre-convergence RMH workshop?

On the Saturday schedule, there's a fifteen minute break followed by a 90 minute "Take 5". What's Take 5?

In general, will the meals as planned be satisfying for vegetarians?

The website looks good. Christopher has asked some good questions.

I'm a bit shy to admit how fun this sounds. Especially the convergence weekend. It's coming in hot though and I suspect I will be too busy but hopefully the website can be used next year and just plunk in the new details where needed.

Just in case one finds the time at the last minute to show up, any idea if cash will be accepted for ticket prices in person?

I'm glad to see this happening. It's helping me want to be somewhat social. I tend to avoid other humans as much as possible. Thanks to the volunteers and hosts.

Thanks Christopher and J!  Here are some answers:

All the sessions are open to everyone, we tried to balance the types of workshops at every time slot so hopefully that helps spread the load.

Good catch about session listings, we added a track but didn't put those on the site.  I've asked the web guru to do that.

No, the RMH workshop during the convergence is open to all.  It will likely be more of a cob finish session but it depends on how the build went up to that point.

As I understand it, Take 5 is a thing where people sit in a big circle and they can stand up and talk for up to 5 minutes about something they're working on.  I guess it's a great way to learn who's into what so you can geek out on different subjects during dinner.  I've never been to one so I hope I'm explaining it well.  I also asked the web guru to put something on the site about it :)

Yes, meals are being planned to have options for many diets.

I'm sure there will be a way to pay at the gate if you need to!

Thanks J!  I'm not sure if next year's will be this awesome...  We'd love to have you swing by.  I'm hoping it goes well enough that the convergence will come back north again in the next 5 years.  

8 days to go!!!  I'd love to see all of you in beautiful northern WI next weekend. Some of the workshops include:
Syntropic Agriculture
Rocket Mass Heater project finish
Survival Arts
Wildlife Tracking
SKIP
Rope making
High density/diversity plantings
Seed savings
Swamp utilization
Forest bathing
Profitable permaculture
Biochar
Mushroom foraging
Fly fishing
Confronting elephants
Storing your bounty
Wool
Going low tech

Plus Sam Thayer keynote!!!

I was delaying on my ticket because there were high chances that a family obligation would interrupt and that has come to pass. So I'll have to miss this, but I look forward to hearing highlights from those who attend!

Shoot, I was really hoping to meet you Christopher.  

It looks like Sam Thayer will likely lead a foraging walk as well!  With the tickets sold so far, we're looking at around 100 attendees.  We're even hiring a cook :)

So, Mike, how was it? Anyone else here attend? Let's have some after-action reports to get people excited for next year!

It was great!  We had around 100 attendees and I believe 30+ were from within a 40 mile radius.  I spit roasted a pig, a rocket mass heater was built, 24 workshops, a great keynote, plentiful food and wonderful comradery around the bonfire listing to local music.  People said it was the best one in recent years :)  Rumor has it next year's could be near Viroqua.  If anyone wants to get in on the planning committee, there's contact info HERE