Biochar: Ancient Miracle
Biochar doubles crop production, reduces the need for fertilization by half, reduces the need for irrigation by half, and sequesters carbon in soil while building healthy soil that lasts virtually forever. So far, science has proven it can last for 9,000 years in the soil. In this session, Tony will discuss all things biochar and demonstrate how it’s made.
Tony C. Saladino
Tony first dedicated his life to healing the rift between human-kind and nature at the age of seven. Back then, the Fox River that flowed past his back yard into the Green Bay of Lake Michigan was a colloidal suspension. He wondered how large the Great Lakes must be to absorb all that toxic waste. In 1987, Tony rode his bicycle around all five Great Lakes in just 80 days learning, that they are not that big. During that ride, meeting with school and community groups, giving interviews to newspapers, tee vee and radio programs, his outreach was able to share information with over ten million people about the simple, low cost and efficient things we can all do to live more lightly on Earth; what has become known as sustainability, he called living better for less.
Homemade Household Cleaning Products
Learn how to make easy and effective homemade cleaning products created using a few simple ingredients.
Kathy Shaw
Kathy and her husband Pat have been vegetable gardening for over 35 years and live in an underground home that is partially supplied with an on-site solar grid. Their property includes almost all of the berries that can be grown in Wisconsin and a permaculture designed swimming and wildlife pond that is enjoyed by all who visit.
Kathy has been a Wisconsin Master Gardener since 2005 and was an Organic Gardening Magazine test gardener for over ten years. She currently contributes to the Mother Earth News blog.
Kathy’s allergies to most soap products gave her the incentive to find alternatives and create her own business, Island Botanicals, where she produces and sells soaps, bath, body and home cleaning products as well as canned goods and decorative items for the home. Please email island.botanicals@yahoo.com for a catalog
Growing Beautiful, Abundant Ecologies
Patterns for beautiful, productive, low-maintenance landscapes that work with nature to take care of themselves. We'll cover some no-till start-up methods, guild design, and ideas to make nature-friendly landscapes that won't make the neighbors call code enforcement.
Mike Hoag
Michael Hoag has had an adventurous 20+ year career in the army of community-scale change-makers who are transforming the world. He manages Lillie House Permaculture, a full-time urban homestead and community Transformation business, and directs TransformativeAdventures.org, a coop for supporting others building careers in community-level change.
He has forged a rewarding professional path on his own terms as a teacher, Permaculture designer, homesteader, gardener, farmer, plantsman, herbalist, forager, artist, organizer, farmers’ market manager, workforce trainer, and collegiate curriculum designer. He’s an avid natural gardener, plant and ecology geek, food-lover, musician, and bum-philosopher in love with all the exciting opportunities this beautiful world offers.
We are working on the programming schedule for the convergence and hope to have the completed schedule out in the next few weeks. Please help us spread the word about the convergence. Connect us with people you are connect to that might be interested in attending.