[Editors note 2022: I’ve come to see Eisenstein’s thinking as deeply flawed listen to this podcast for what I agree are many of the problems with his work]

Passing along what looks like a really cool event:

Charles Eisenstein — visionary, philosopher, social critic, and author is speaking Holy Nativity Episcopal Church on Saturday, March 21 at 6:00 P.M. Charles is giving a talk based on his latest book, The More Beautiful World Our Hearts Know is Possible. In it, he sagely describes the emotional, social, civilization-wide “between” that we’re in right now. It’s the space between the old — worn-out, flawed, unfulfilling, and unfulfillable — story of what society and humanity is about and the new story of interconnection.

The talk will be preceded by a vegetarian potluck dinner at 5:00 P.M. in the Community Hall. There are “real/reusable” dishes and utensils as well as cloth napkins. Please help make this a zero-waste event.

In keeping with Charles’s “gift economy” concept, in lieu of an “entrance fee,” we ask that you donate a value equal to what this talk is worth to you. That might be $10 or $20 or $100. All funds will go to support Charles’s ongoing work.

You don’t want to miss this important event.

Holy Nativity is located at:

6700 West 83rd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90045

February 19: An Herbal Mead Making Salon.
More info here.

February 21: Herbal Tinctures with Wild Plants
The workshop will be from 1 – 4 p.m. and will be held at Bailey Canyon in Sierra Madre, a lovely, lush, narrow canyon that extends way up into the San Gabriel Mountains. We will take a walk in the lower canyon, visiting and collecting some of the early spring growth (and possibly roots), then gather at a table in the park below to make tinctures using vinegar, alcohol, and glycerin.

Making tinctures is easy and preserves the essences of the plants for use as food and medicine. Plants have much to give us and so does Nance — you will go home with vinegar mother to make your own vinegars, and several tinctures.

Cost is $45 and space is limited to 15 participants, so put it on your calendar and RSVP now! I will send out directions and address for mailing checks upon confirmation.

CONTACT DELIA : [email protected]

February 22: Urban Forage Walk
More info here.

Bio
Nance Klemn is an ecological systems designer, landscaper, horticultural consultant, and permaculture grower, as well as a consultant, speaker, and teacher. Based in the Midwest, she lives and works in a diverse neighborhood in the heart of Chicago, and is developing a farm on her land outside the city. She is founder of Social Ecologies, a nonprofit that focuses on system regenerating projects, including The Ground Rules, an urban soil- and community-building initiative using local green and food waste. Nance has worked internationally, lectured at art museums (including MOCA and the Hammer Museum here in L.A.), and produced art projects and installations related to soil and earth concepts.

See http://spontaneousvegetation.net/bio/ for more info and links to her work.

Upcoming Classes

• March 27-29 – Joshua Tree Earthen Finishes Class: We have a great Earthen Finishes Workshop coming up just in Pioneertown, California not far from Palm Springs and Joshua Tree National Park.  Taught by Kurt Gardella. the class is will teach clay paints, interior and exterior earthen plasters, stabilizers and clay-based techniques for improving the thermal performance of conventional frame buildings and cabins. Register before March 1st for a $30 discount!
• Various Dates & Locations, Some Real, Some Virtual: The great folks at Adobe in Action more great online classes this spring!  For folks whose lives and locations make on-site learning difficult, Adobe in Action’s online classes are an incredible resource.  For those in New Mexico, head up there and take a live class on adobe conservation and restoration.
• More Classes: Stay tuned for additional classes coming up in the fall – we’re looking to reprise our popular adobe basics class which will cover brick making, codes and basic adobe wall masonry.  We are also looking at having an horno workshop in Los Angeles sometime this summer.

Events

• October 2-4 – EarthUSA 2015, Santa Fe, NM: A reminder that EarthUSA, the premier North American earthbuilding community event is coming up this October. The event brings together expert practitioners, historians and conservation specialists from all over the world for lectures, classes, and field trips in the center of American adobe culture. Interested in presenting?  A call for papers is out… submissions due on April 10th.

Elsewhere in California:

• Buying Adobes in California: As a reminder, San Tan Adobe and New Mexico Earth are both shipping bricks to California. If you need adobe bricks and can’t make your own, both adobe yards will be happy to help!  San Tan’s adobe are also available in some San Diego area masonry yards.  We are also hearing tell of a new possible source near Joshua Tree – stay tuned!

Stuff we’ve recently gotten done:

• Waverly School Oven: Last summer, we finished a very handsome adobe and earthen horno with Pasadena’s Waverly School at their Farm.  All of the adobes were made on site by students using native soil, and they’ve been baking bread and making pizza with ingredients grown on-site!  It was great to work with such an enthusiastic group – cooking with dirt is more than mud pies!

Got something going on?:
Drop us a line!  We’re anxious to hear about new projects, preservation efforts, classes and folks doing recreational or professional adobe work in California.  There’s a lot of people in our community that we have yet to meet!
-AiNS

I’ll be one of the guests tomorrow (Friday January 9) at 9 AM EST on the Charlotte Talks Show on WFAE 90.7. The topic is “urban homesteading.” It’s a call-in show so save up those questions. Guests include:

Matt Kokenes – Founder, MicroFarm Organic Gardens

Laura Denyes – co-owner, Wish We Had Acres Farm

Dr. Dave Hamilton – co-owner, Wish We Had Acres Farm; Naturopathic Doctor, Carolinas Natural Health in Matthews

Erik Knutzen – author, blogger and podcaster, The Urban Homestead, Making It: Radical Home Economics for a Post-Consumer World and Root Simple; co-founder, Los Angeles Bread Bakers

The show will be available for streaming around noon EST here.