2010 NW Permaculture Convergence mealtime talks

Hi, all -

At last year's convergence, I scheduled some mealtime "I Have A Question" sessions.  They were published in the program, and tables with signs were designated for the particular topics.  I reminded folks about them during morning circle, and people could add topics and new tables by signing up at a whiteboard outside the meal room. 

Is there interest in this kind of informal forum again?  What would you like to hear a discussion about?  Topics?

I know I am already getting asked about what other topics I might present on, but I wanna catch the other presentations, so I think the table topics would be great.

So it looks like there is three meals on friday and saturday, and just breakfast and dinner on sunday.  Eight opportunities for table topics.

possible table topics (I'm not suggesting these to be listed - more like I am suggesting these to give folks ideas of stuff they might want to suggest):

rocket mass heaters
farm income
pigs
chickens
cattle
guilds
intentional community
farm interns
jean pain techniques
sepp holzer
growing apples from seed
growing grains
fukuoka
composting toilets
organic vs. local
ben law
green woodworking
growing food that animals can self harvest

Go ahead and list the topics you want, and for each topic, you can even specify which people you would like at the table.  There is no guarantee that the person will be there, but we can try to make sure they are aware of the request.

I would really like to have a conversation about Non-Profits and how folks have used them in the past for permaculture.  I just started the non-profit Washington State Permaculture and am still learning about grants and the whole non-profit strategy.  I'd love to chew the fat with others who have been there!

Here's some information on the upcoming RoundTable talks for the Convergence so far:

Friday lunch
Cathy Fulton – Backyard Aquaponics

Friday dinner
Cindi Landreth - Making the Leap: Crossing the chasm between an industrial world lifestyle and a permaculture lifestyle.
Cathy Fulton – Activities at Mariposa Gardens – see mariposagardens.org


Saturday morning
Ruth Callard - planting nut trees

Saturday lunch
Ruth Callard - working with the City to grow on public land
SeaChar –SeaChar volunteers will be working with Convergence volunteers to prepare grilled organic vegetables from Tonemaker Farms, on our simple and clean burning Estufa Finca (Farm Stove) , biochar producing stoves. These are the same stoves currently being used in our pilot project to save lives and trees in Costa Rica.

Saturday dinner


Sunday breakfast
Ruth Callard - community gardening governance

Sunday lunch
Aviva Furman – Community Harvest of SW Seattle – PC Orchard at SSCC

There are two really cute rooms off the main cafeteria that can each seat about 50 people, so I'd like to have at least 2 RoundTables going, one in each room, at each meal.  Any other suggestions?