2025 Convergence Registration is Live & Sam Thayer Keynote

We hope this message finds you all enjoying peak berry season here in Wisconsin. We have some exciting news and updates about the convergence happening September 5th - 7th in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. We have been quietly lining up a diverse and epic lineup for the convergence this year that you will not want to miss!

Keynote with Sam Thayer

We are thrilled to have Sam Thayer open up the convergence this year with what we are sure will be a inspiring, entertaining and educational talk.

Samuel Thayer is an internationally recognized authority on edible wild plants who has been teaching workshops and classes for three decades. He is the author of four highly acclaimed, award-winning books on edible wild plants. His first book, The Forager’s Harvest, has sold over 250,000 copies. His most recent, Sam Thayer’s Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants of Eastern and Central North America, is the winner of the National Outdoor Book Award for best nature guide of 2023. Born in Wausau, Wisconsin, Samuel began gathering wild food in early childhood. At the age of 18 he built a log cabin and began pursuing his dream of homesteading, foraging, and studying Nature. Today he lives in Northern Wisconsin with his wife, Melissa, and their three children. Besides teaching and writing, Sam runs a small organic orchard featuring apples, native fruits and berries, and edible native ground covers; he also harvests wild rice, makes maple and birch syrup, and hickory nut oil.   


Registration

We are proud to announce that registration for the 2025 Wisconsin Permaculture Convergence is live with early bird pricing starting at $75 ending on July 25th. After the 25th the price will go up to $99.


Our Host Site

Holiday Acres Resort

 


Are you Camping During the Convergence?

Camping Details

In the past folks have had the option to park next to their camping spot. This year due to our setup you will need to drop off their camping gear at the camping field and then park in the main parking area. You can do this prior to registering at the registration tent.

Take a look at the map below to find the camping area and commons parking location . Please do not drive onto the field where tents will be up. There is a temporary unloading zone on the map.

Introduction to Permaculture

We are excited to offer this pre-convergence workshop on Friday August 23rd!

Are you wishing to get grounded in the basics of Permaculture? Are you wondering if a Permaculture Design Certification (PDC) course is right for you? Permaculture Works and the Madison Area Permaculture Guild, in concert with WI Permaculture Convergence, will offer 4 introductory sessions to permaculture., lasting 2-hours each:

Friday

10:00am - 12pm Roots, Ethics and Principles of Permaculture

12:30pm - 2:30pm Essential Permaculture: Patterns & Systems Thinking

2:45pm - 4:45pm Permaculture Design Process

Saturday

9:30am - 11:30am Ecology & Observation

The first 3 sessions will be offered on the Friday prior to the convergence for a cost of $90 ($30 per session). The fourth will be offered during the convergence at no additional cost.

These sessions, while a thorough introduction to Permaculture, will also cover 8-hours of the 36-hour, Slow Permaculture Design Certification (SPDC) course. We offer monthly sessions of the SPDC as interest dictates and allow flexibility in completing certification for those with busy schedules, who are unable to give a full week or more, in one go, to an intensive certification immersion.


Susan Hessel

Urban Permaculture Farmer:
DarnFarm urban edible landscape demonstration & experimentation
Permaculture Designer:
Sustainable design coaching and consultation, including rain/pollinator gardens, edible landscapes, water management, soil building and remediation
Permaculture Educator:
Permaculture Design Certification Instruction, Social permaculture coaching and consultation, specializing in non-violent communication, equitable governance (sociocratic/dynamic), mediation.

Masters Degree in Social Innovation and Sustainability Leadership


Amenities
- Camping onsite is available at no cost for Friday night. 
- This will include access to bathrooms & water.
- Please bring a lunch.


Earth Grief Circle

Earth Grief Circle

This session will be a guided visualization to explore, in a deep and personal way, your own earth grief, nestled within the Circle Practice format. Earth grief is a broad term that is associated with the many sorrows we are experiencing due to climate change along with a huge and consistent dose of anticipatory grief for the many losses likely to come. We believe that the unprecedented challenges we face personally and collectively make grief tending essential survival skills. 

Earthen Plasters: Hands-on Demo and Practice

Join this session to learn about earthen plasters, the materials and tools needed, and includes a hands-on demonstration of making as well as applying plasters! Come and get your hands dirty for this informative session.

Amanda Rindal

Amanda Rindal is an Acupuncturist, Herbal Medicine practitioner, a permaculturist, and a natural-building enthusiast. She has experience with cob building, earth-bag building, greenhouse design/building, gardening and, of course, making and applying earthen plasters!