Good Morning Weedeaters,

This e-mail details (2) workshops which I am planning and coteaching.
I am pitching an ad to us as a group, because part of our mission
statement is to be a hub for new projects that put health back in the
hands of the people. These workshops are not officially affiliated
with DHC, but they are tangentially involved by alike motivations and
goals. These workshops are coming up fast and I'd like to hear from
folks interested as soon as ya can respond.

1) Plug and info for POTTING SOIL CREATION WS

At the last meeting there were least 6 or 7 gardeners. We expressed
interest in growing medicinal herbs together as a community, this
spring. The POTTING SOIL CREATION WS is geared towards giving us the
raw material for starting our plant ally seeds.

I asked my friend Charles Griffin, life scientist/biodynamic farmer
extradinaire, to put together a workshop specifically tailored to the
needs of frugal community gardeners with high standards of soil
quality. Maybe the rest of us DHC gardeners at the Village Green will
be interested? On a purely individual level, it's partially so I can
grow herbs for two actual DHC workshops I'm planning to teach later
in the year.

-Time: He would like to offer it Saturday March 15th, from 1:30pm-5
or 6
-Description: This will be useful for anyone who wants to learn the
inexpensive, DIY method and theory for putting together a high quality
potting soil for seed starting in the greenhaus. We're gonna pull
together the best organic soil components (and get 'em on sale,
woot), talk about their funcitons in a balanced nursery soil, and
explain the tricks of the trade that let your seeds explode from a
tiny point of dormant life into impressive arrays of
photosynthesizing tissues, lines and planes, alkaloids,
andtioxidants, helpful spirits and whatever else. You'll leave with
the soil you need to start seeds indoors this spring , and the
understanding to confidentally lead fellow community gardeners in
this task for future seasons.

-Cost We'll all chip in for our materials, which should come to 5-10$
per person if we get the expected 10-12 participants. The total
materials estimate cost is $80 for approximately 180 seed starting
trays worth of soil, and we can divvy up that soil as we all want to.

Also, Charles and I will be doing some ahead of workshop prep time,
digging up topsoil that's been deposited in a vernal stream bed, and
hauling it up to the road and sifting it for our use. Also, we're
buying the materials with our own money. I'm donating my time but I
recommend a solidarity donation of $15+, sliding scale. Bullets are
meant to be bitten, but every bit helps and this will

-Location: We may do this at the Village Green or the Earth Center
Building at Imago Earth Center. I'll be scoping out our Northside
Greenhouse for convenience sake but it might be more condusive to do
it on the big, clear concrete floor at Imago.

The second workshop I'd like to alert you to is

Plug and info for EARTH PLASTERING/COB ONTO STRAWBALE WALLS WS

The type of housing in which one chooses to dwell has a TREMENDOUSLY
underappreciated impact on human wellbeing. How many Native Americans
lived in boxes before they were forced to, by genocide and the
consequential Municipal Building Codes? Anybody here who's not living
in a drywall box right now? This EARTH PLASTERING/COB ONTO STRAWBALE
WALLS WS could be a valuable experience for you! If you like the
sound of using Cincinnati's own mud as finishing on your house's
walls, this is a hands-on introduction to the concept.

-Time: Two days, Sat and Sun 4/26 and 4/27. 9 to 5 April.
-Description: Again, 12 participants plus teachers, so reservations
encouraged. In Enright Eco-Village, Price Hill, Charles Griffin, Nancy
Sullivan and I (with the help of some incredible volunteers) built a
strawbale hut in the fall. Come spring and final thaw, it'll be time
to put cob and earth plaster on da walls and make this hut a home.
Learn sustainble, low-tech, home-finishing skills that are eagerly
getting applied in eco-villages all over the world.
-Cost: $35-40, includes two served lunches of delicious local
ingredients from farmers at Findlay Market, and maybe a Saturday
evening speaker from Mt. Saint Josesph college on their cutting edge
green buildings, if people are interested.
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Spread around, and PLEASE get in touch if you have interest. Vivir
vino veritas!
-Badger Johnson (859) 801-3137