Full w/bios "Springing Good Intentions Into Action"

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THE INAUGURAL WEEKEND CONFERENCE

S PRINGING G OOD I NTENTIONS... … INTO A CTION! MARCH 24-25, 2012 AT THE WILLOW GROVE CAMPUS OF

SPRINGSIDE CHESTNUT HILL ACADEMY PHILADELPHIA, PA

“I’m so excited… it’s all the things I've been wanting to learn more about in one place!”…

THE PROGRAM - MORE THAN WORKSHOPS

ABOUT THE HOME GROWN INSTITUTE

Saturday 8am – 6pm Saturday Evening Reception til 7:30pm Sunday 8am – 6pm

The mission of The Home Grown Institute is to energize the community - through skill-building and connection - to move forward on a sustainable, regenerative path. While the workshop content is focused mainly on food systems and storm water (with a nod to energy), The Home Grown Institute is really about community.

Here are a few of the things beyond workshops you can expect at The Home grown Institute: Community Action Network (CAN) – Is there something you’ve been wanting to do and are looking for people to join you? Reclaiming a vacant lot or starting a chicken-sitting co-op? Write up your vision in three sentences or less and during the morning orientation you’ll have a chance to invite others to join you (at lunch) to get the ball rolling.

WELCOME TO OUR INAUGURAL YEAR! It has been an amazing year launching The Home Grown Institute – a community-centered, skills focused, actiondriven event…

Morning Workshops – Field trips and workshops galore! All morning workshops are two hours and need to be selected in advance on the registration form.

…Beginning with our earliest supporters – Weavers Way Food Co-op, Mt Airy Learning Tree, and Pennsylvania Horticultural Society - through our 35 Community Partners (please see the list at the end of this program) and the 1500 people in our partners’ circles who helped us shape the program, The Home Grown Institute is most definitely community-centered.

Afternoon Workshops – The afternoon workshops are full of variety with two-hour and one-hour workshops, public conversations, demos, film screenings and other surprises. Two hour workshops need to be selected in advance.

Kids Program – We have a special weekend program just for kids! Activities are age-based. Kids age 4 and under (must be potty-trained) will spend the day with professional childcare. Kids 5-13 will be divided into age groups and will stick together throughout the day.

You can read the details of the kids program on pages 11, 13-14 and 17.

…As for our skills focus, our presenters – more than 60 of them – have training, experience and passion for the very topics you told us you are yearning to learn. …Springing Good Intentions into Action is our conference theme. Gone are the days when simply raising awareness was the goal. If you can learn it from the book, read the book. At The Home Grown Institute we know a thing or two about change and the dedicated members of our Planning Committee have thoughtfully designed the whole conference experience with change in mind.

Teens Only Programming – Teens can choose from Culinary Arts, Film-making, and a Building/Construction project. With parental permission, teens are welcome to sign up for any of the adult workshops as well.

Admission to the Saturday evening reception is included in conference registration whether you are coming Saturday or Sunday. Non-conference participants can buy a ticket and join in the celebration.

Ageless/Family Friendly Programming – Look for courses marked with a * indicating Kids programs where adults are invited or adult programs where parents can bring their children.

Community Engagement – Late afternoon matchmaking session between you and the richness of volunteer opportunities in our midst. This is also the place to find service providers to help you spring your good intentions into action.

The Location - Getting There The conference will take place at the Willow Grove Campus of SCH (Springside Chestnut Hill Academy), formerly known as Chestnut Hill Academy. The address is 500 West Willow Grove Avenue, Philadelphia, PA. More detailed directions and parking information will be supplied to all registrants before the conference.

Screening Rooms – In the afternoon, participants can watch TED Talks, video clips and upbeat movies on topics of sustainable and regenerative practices.

Resource Center/Marketplace – Useful Supplies and Services. If you are a vendor and would like information about marketing your products and services at The Home Grown Institute, contact the Marketplace

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Coordinator (admin@thehomgrowninstitute.org) for more information.

ABOUT THE HOME GROWN INSTITUTE

The mission of The Home Grown Institute is to energize the community - through skill-building and connection to move forward on a more sustainable, regenerative path. While the workshop content may seem focused mainly on food systems and storm water issues (with a nod to energy), The Home Grown Institute is really about community.

Saturday Evening Storytelling – Do you have a story about community that you would like to share?

Community projects that have reached a milestone?

Community challenge that has been met with resilience?

We are inviting people to share their stories related to sustainable community to be shared as part of the Saturday Evening reception. Contact Nic Esposito (espo4change@yahoo.com) if you’d like to share a story.

THREE STEPS TO REGISTER

STEP 1: TAKE A LOOK AT THE PROGRAM You are looking at the FULL program. You can download from the website (patience, big file!) or view at issuu.com/thehomegrowninstitute. (slide the button at the top of the page if you need to make it bigger.)

Yoga and Silent Dining – Stretching and breathing and taking some quiet time is an important part of a sustainable lifestyle. Twisters Wellness Center is providing yoga three times a day – 30-minute sessions in the morning (8:30 to 9:00), at the beginning of lunch (12:15 to 12:45) and at the end of the day. There will be a separate section for Silent Dining at Lunch.

STEP 2: FILL OUT A REGISTRATION FORM surveymonkey.com/s/HGI2012Registration is the link to the online registration form. You can also find it at thehomegrowninstitute.org.

STEP 3: THREE WAYS TO PAY Your registration is not complete until payment is received. A delay in payment could result in being closed out of your first choice workshop.

1) SEND A CHECK to The Home Grown Institute, PO Box 4374, Phila, PA 19118 2) USE PAYPAL (link on the website takes you directly to The Home Grown Institute account) 3) MT AIRY LEARNING TREE – Phone: 215-843-6333 or Online: www.mtairylearningtree.org and search for HGI. (If you are registering for more than one person, phone may be easier.)

FINANCIAL AID We have kept registration as low as possible and we know that it may still be out of reach for some people.

We are committed to a socio-economic, age and racial diversity often missing from “green” events, and in that spirit we offer two methods for reducing fees.

Work-study – We have figured out how you can help us fill much-needed roles during the conference without actually having to miss any of the conference! If you are interested in reducing your registration fees using an exchange of service, please contact the office (admin@thehomegrowninstitute.org) and request a work-study application.

DOORS OPEN AT 8:00AM. Please make sure you arrive by 8:30 so you don’t miss the morning program.

REGISTRATION FEES Fees below apply to adults, kids and teens. Sorry, there is no partial day option.

Registration closes Monday March 19.

There is NO drop-in registration. $79 Saturday Only or Sunday Only $129 Saturday and Sunday $49 Second Child $18 Saturday Evening Reception Only* $50 Toddler Childcare $50/child/day (must be potty-trained) $20 Late Fee per registrant after Feb 24

Scholarships – We have established a scholarship fund that we are using mostly to provide reduced fees for small groups from specific communities that otherwise would not be able to attend. If you are a part of a group (community garden, after-school program, book group, faith-based community) that is ordinarily underrepresented at “green” events and would like to attend The Home Grown Institute, please contact us (admin@thehomegrowninstitute.org).

Do you have resources to contribute to our scholarship fund? You can use the registration for to

*Admission to Saturday Evening is included in conference registration whether you are coming Saturday or Sunday. For $18, non-conference participants can join in the celebration.

make a donation or contact us to see how you can help.

Thanks!

CANCELLATIONS Cancellations before February 24 receive a full refund, less $20 admin fee per registration. Cancellations after Feb 24 can receive credit towards Home Grown Institute summer and fall programs, less $20 admin fee per registration.

DOORS OPEN AT 8:00AM. MAKE SURE TO ARRIVE BY 8:30 SO YOU DON’T MISS THE MORNING PROGRAM. 3

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hands-on workshop, students will be introduced to design plans for a handful of styles of coops, and will build small movable tractors that can also double as a coop. Finished products will be available in the Silent Auction - proceeds benefiting The Home Grown Institute Scholarship Fund.

SATURDAY TOUR LEARN & BUILDS Backyard Chickens Extending the Growing Season Rain Water Catchment

The Builders: Nattapon Lohajoti and friends

SUNDAY TOUR, LEARN & BUILDS

Originally from North of Thailand, Nattapon came to the US for computer art school and ended up starting a landscape design and installation business. Nattapon combines different materials in landscape design projects that include rocks, cement and carpentry work. Examples are pergolas, tree houses, wooden garden containers and privacy panels. He is especially happy to use reclaimed materials.

Beekeeping Permaculture Natural Building (morning) Aquaponics (afternoon)

ABOUT THE TOUR, LEARN & BUILD (TLB)

Extending the Growing Season: You can have that fresh-from-the-garden crunch almost year-round!

The Home Grown Institute has programmed six tracks (three on Saturday and three on Sunday), where students have the opportunity to immerse in a topic through field trips and building. Students can participate in the Tour (morning) or the Build (afternoon) or, for the deepest experience, both the morning and afternoon. Field trips will depart from the conference site after our opening program and carpool to sites within a 15-minute drive of our conference space and return to campus in time for lunch.

The Tour: Visit homes where residents are using cold frames, low tunnels, backyard greenhouses and sunrooms to extend the growing season. Plenty of time for Q & A. Tour Guide: Nic Esposito is an urban farm developer, writer and homesteader. He is currently the director of development for The New Growth Project, which operates an urban farm in North Philadelphia and is developing a citywide urban farm CSA. In 2011, he wrote his first novel Seeds of Discent that tells the story of young urban farmers in Philadelphia.

TOUR, LEARN & BUILD (TLB) DETAILS Backyard Chickens - Fresh, local eggs every morning... right in your own backyard!

The Build: Raised Beds & Cold Frames Learn the advantages of raised bed gardening, and experience building them using reclaimed materials. And no matter what the groundhog predicts, you can always get the jump on spring in the garden with cold frames, hoops, and other season extenders--we'll be building them too!

The Tour: Whether you are exploring having chickens or you already have chickens, join the tour to see four very different backyard chicken set-ups. Small, large, do-it-yourself and store bought will all be featured in this show-and-tell-and-learn tour. The tour guide is ready to answer questions at multiple levels. There may even be time to discuss personal planning.

No experience necessary, but we will be using power tools and swinging hammers, so dress accordingly (hair pulled back, no open-toed shoes). Finished products will be available at the Silent Auction, benefiting the

Tour Guide: Diane Diffenderfer Diane is an avid outdoorswoman, photographer, gardener, keeper of chickens and fledgling dog trainer. Years ago she hiked half the Appalachian Trail and hopes to finish it one day! She has degrees in horticulture, plant nutrition and an MBA. This spring, she is planning to add a beehive into the mix.

“This is all stuff I have been wanting but didn't know how to access.�

The Build: Backyard Chicken Coops If you want chickens, you need to give them a home, someplace to come home to roost. In this afternoon

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Scholarship Fund.

Sunday Tour, Learn & Builds

The Builders: Sally McCabe and friends

Beekeeping - This honey of a hobby offers sweet potential for your kitchen and your garden.

Sally has been helping community and school gardens get started for more than 35 years with Penn State Urban Gardening Program and PHS’s Philadelphia Green program.

For 23 years she coordinated Seedy Acres, a community garden that’s now permanently preserved. Having already made every mistake in the book, Sally is uniquely qualified to teach this course and hopes to help new gardens avoid some of these pitfalls.

The Tour: Whether you know beekeeping is your next project, or you are exploring this option, see four very different beekeeping set-ups. Small, large, do-it-yourself and store bought will be featured in this show-and-tell tour. The tour guide will be a seasoned beekeeper with plenty of time for Q&A. There may even be time for personal planning.

She believes that all women should have their own power tools and know how to swing a hammer.

Tour Guide: Members of the Philadelphia Beekeepers Guild

Rainwater Catchment - Get that rain water back where it belongs - into the ground!

The Build: Langstroth Assembly and Top Bar Build This Build will include both assembly of a Langstroth woodenware stacking beehive and constructing a Kenyan style top bar beehive. Come learn the pros and cons of each style and, learn how to construct a top bar beehive from repurposed materials (The hives built in this workshop will be auctioned at The Home Grown Institute silent auction). Plenty of time for questions and answers.

The Tour: Are you concerned about water pooling near your home after a heavy rain? Does it seem like street and stream flooding gets worse every year?

Get that rain water back where it belongs - out of your basement, away from your foundation and out of the sewers and into the ground!

The tour will include a backyard rain garden, rain barrels, flow-through planters, and permeable pavers in a driveway. We may also be wielding a sledgehammers and crowbars in a “depaving” project! Learn how to turn rainwater into a resource rather than a hazard.

The Builders: Matthew Feldman has been keeping Kenyan Top Bar Hives for several years. He is a founding board member of the Philadelphia Beekeepers Guild, and loves warm cookies.

Chad Carnahan is a first year beekeeper that is active with the Philadelphia Beekeepers Guild and maintains hives on the roofs of his home in the Italian Market. Chad is the Director and co-owner of Operations of WAG: Whole Animal Gym, a veterinary rehabilitation facility in Philadelphia.

Tour Guide: Mindy Lemoine Mindy is a geographer with the Environmental Protection Agency. She worked with local governments in the Chesapeake Bay and Delaware Estuary watersheds to improve land use practices to protect streams, and developed a Lawn to Meadows Program for Pennsylvania Environmental Council. She loves to watch water flow, and especially likes to see it sink into the ground.

Permaculture Tour, Learn and Build (Design!) What Would Melissa, Phil and Sean Do? The Tour: Students will start their day at a model site a mature permaculture styled parcel - and get the cliff notes for Permaculture 101. Then, students will proceed to 2 or 3 more sites and be treated to the inner mindwanderings of three master permaculturists answering the question “What could you do with this site and why?” There will be plenty of time for Q & A.

The Build: Build your Own Rain Barrel Participants will get hands-on training as workshop leaders demonstrate every step involved in making a rain barrel. Steps include: marking where to drill, drilling, using a jigsaw to cut, and assembling the final product.

Uses of and care for the rain barrel will be included.

NOTE: This is NOT the workshop to attend to get a free rain barrel. The Free Rain Barrel workshop is offered Saturday and Sunday after the afternoon workshops.

This “Build Your Own” workshop is for people who want to build and install additional barrels on their own.

The Builders: ECA (Energy Coordinating Agency)

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HELP US FILL OUR SILENT AUCTION TABLES! Donate gift certificates, preserved foods, adventures, new and gently used tools and books, csa shares… there’s space on the registration form to let us know. Proceeds benefit the Scholarship Fund. Finished products from the Build projects will be available at the Silent Auction.

The Build (Design): Edible Landscapes and Urban Orchards

“...this is a wonderful opportunity to learn how to be more sustainable and a better caretaker of whatever land you have...”

This introductory workshop will cover the basics of backyard kitchen gardens, berry gardens, orchards, and permaculture-style food forests. Learn what fruits grow best in Philly and plant selections that are as exceptionally ornamental as they are productive and delicious. If you have a yard, community garden plot, or other growing space, bring a sketch and we’ll play!

Phil Forsyth has been an active permaculture designer and urban farmer since 2002. Mr. Forsyth currently serves as Orchard Director of the Philadelphia Orchard Project, a nonprofit organization that plants community orchards and edible forest gardens in the city. He operates Forsyth Gardens, and writes at phigblog.com.

Springing Good Intentions into Action Part 1: First Steps Pat James, the former Director of Education at The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society reflected on people growing food. She said that the hardest, biggest step is to start growing. Once someone grows something even a few plants in a container - it isn’t such a big leap to grow more quantity or variety, or to add raised beds or develop more organic practices. The biggest leap is from not growing anything to growing something.

Melissa Miles is a consulting Permaculture Designer, Environmental Biologist and Conservation Planner. Ms. Miles has served as the Organizer of the Eastern PA Permaculture Guild (meetup) and as the Director of Two Miles Micro-Farm at the Permanent Future Institute in the Philadelphia metropolitan area.

Sean was taught to garden by his Okinawan Grandmother and local Mennonite farmers. With a masters of arts in ecological landscape design and a passion for edible landscapes, beautiful flowers, and regenerating ecosystems and is the lead landscape designer of the Food System Design Group.

Very observant, Pat. And it’s not just about food. It’s about first steps in any practice. I may know everything there is to know about backyard chickens, but when it comes to bees, I may need to take a first step. First steps are, by definition, awkward.

Natural Building - Cob and Straw Bale Morning Off-Site Build Only

At The Home Grown Institute, we lean on the experience of seasoned practitioners to support the first steps of newcomers.

The Morning Tour/Build: Get your hands in the mud with two styles of natural building - straw bale and cob.

We’ll begin with a little learning about cob (a mixture of clay soil, rough sand, and straw mixed together) and straw bale and find out why they are called a thousand year buildings. Then we’ll jump in (literally!) and get building. Projects to be determined. (Because these techniques are done over a long period of time, will not be working on a project from beginning to end.)

plants in water) and aqua culture - is a burgeoning field.

Here in the Philadelphia area, in order to do a Tour, we would need to drive to Reading, Swarthmore, West Chester and West Philly. Instead, this weekend we welcome…

ReVerse Foundation - Mike Belasco has developed a deep appreciation and knowledge for the straw bale building process. Mike received his bachelor's degree from Goddard College and natural building certification from Yestermorrow Design/Build School. The ReVerse Foundation is dedicated to teaching the public about environmentally conscious building ideas and practices.

Meg Stout, Secretary for the US Chapter of the Aquaponics Association, who is driving up from DC/Virginia. She’ll be assembling three types of aquaponics systems for us to learn about - a backyard media-based system, an inside system, and a window garden.

Cob Studio - Cara Graver has been building with cob, including her studio, chicken coop, bread oven, and composting toilet out house. Ms. Graver teaches others to build and she holds bread oven workshops throughout the area.

rzoe tweas, neliircsee Do you know two of the most important goals for sustainability? Unscramble to find out! (answers on page 21)

Aquaponics - Growing Fish and Greens at Home…

Really?

Aquaponics - the convergence of hydroponics (growing

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Please pick a 1st and 2nd choice for the morning and indicate your choices on the registration form. While not cast in concrete, it will help us plan. Thanks!

Springing Good Intentions Into Action Part 2: Freebies

The Chefs:

We know how “access to resources” is to help make change happen. Our hope is to be able to give a gift to every “family” (one per residence) that attends The Home Grown Institute. We are working on getting rain barrels and worm composters. You’ll have the opportunity to let us know your preference on the registration form.

Supplies will be limited. Participants attending for the whole weekend are first in line, with the rest given on a first-registered, first-served basis.

Participants must attend a 30-45 minute demo late afternoon Saturday or Sunday in order to receive the free gift This insures that you know how to use it!

Andy Schloss, cooking teacher, food writer, cookbook author and food industry consultant, is recognized for his ability to explain technical aspects of cooking in easily understandable terms. As the author of 17 cookbooks, currently, he is president of Culinary Generations, Inc and the creator of Chef Salt, a line of artisan seasoning blends, and the culinary muscle behind the baking apps by Cookulus.

Nima Koliwad is chef and owner of Nouriche, a catering company making healthy, savory Indian food more accessible in Mt. Airy/Chestnut Hill. Nima Koliwad has taught cooking classes for more than 4 years in the Philadelphia area. Her approach to cooking is minimalistic to make the flavors become more accessible. Nima lives with her husband and two kids in Oreland.

Rain Barrels –For those who reside in the City of Philadelphia, one rain barrel per residence will be delivered courtesy of The Philadelphia Water Department. For those living outside the city limits who choose a rain barrel, or Philly residents who want to purchase additional rain barrels, you will need to either arrange your own transportation of the 55 gallon barrel from the site

by Sunday evening or, if your live within 10 miles of the campus, schedule a delivery (fee for this service… we are looking into affordable pricing – stay tuned).

Kathy Daddario is a graduate of the Restaurant School in Philadelphia. She apprenticed with Paul Roller in Chestnut Hill at the Flying Fish and with George Perrier at Le Bec. Ms. Daddario studied with Guiliano Bugialle in Florence and Sicily, and has other international experience. She ran a cooking school for 10 years, and is currently involved with Pennypack Farm.

Royer Smith is the Executive Chef at La Salle University. He formerly worked as Executive catering chef, FrogCommissary catering, adjunct professor of culinary arts, Drexel University, and Executive chef, PA Convention Center.

He is a member of PASA and an avid cyclist (got rid of his car 8 years ago!)

SATURDAY PROGRAMMING

Ecosystem Basics: How Humans Have Altered the Landscape, and What We Can Do at Home to Make It Right Again

SATURDAY MORNING WORKSHOPS (all morning workshops are two hours.)

Backyard Chickens Tour, Learn & Build Part I (see description on page 6)

Human dwellings, from apartments to multi-acre parcels, have a tremendous impact on water, soil, plants and the network of life. Focusing on the key elements of natural cycles, we will understand how they have been damaged over time, and discover simple ways to be part of the solution - native plants, soil restoration, composting, green landscaping, and rain harvesting - at your own home. With this knowledge in hand, students will diagram their own homes, capturing key elements to inventory what they have now (yard, view, trees, etc.) and get ideas of where they can start with an easy first project. Lots of time for Q&A.

Extending the Growing Season Tour, Learn & Build Part I (see description on pages 6-7) Rain Water Catchment Tour, Learn & Build Part I (see description on page 7) Cooking for a Crowd - Apprentice with Masters in the Kitchen Take your cooking skills up a notch by apprenticing with four master chefs as they prepare lunch at The Home Grown Institute. Up to 12 students will spend time in the kitchen Saturday or Sunday morning (as the choice for the morning class) taking turns at the chef stations: curry stew, root vegetables, bread and soup. Learn about ingredients and techniques as you work together with the masters.

Antonio F. Federici is Professional Wetlands Scientist at Dewberry-Goodkind, Inc. He lives in Noank, CT and was formerly a Pennsylvania Master Gardener and Germantown resident. Mr. Federici served as the President of the Native Plant Society of New Jersey from 2003-2006, and has worked as a contractor for the Philadelphia Water Department’s Backyard Buffer Program for the last three years.

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son of small-scale organic farmers and food sovereignty organizers. He got involved in food justice while studying anthropology at Howard University. Chris continues to pursue community sovereignty through farming and intentional food system work.

School Gardens as Community Gardens – A Match Made in Heaven?

We’ve got two problems and we think we have found the perfect solution – Neighborhood groups are frustrated in their search for permanent community garden space, and the success of school garden groups is often thwarted by the challenge of the school calendar which has summer vacation at the peak of growing season.

Jade Walker is Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Mill Creek Farm, an educational urban farm in West Philadelphia. She is on the Advisory Board of both Grow Dat youth farm in New Orleans and the Food Organizing Collabortive (FORC) in Philly a citywide organizing effort to build local food sovereignty.

What if we institute a hybrid model of a School/Community Garden? What if schools - one of the largest landowners - open their land to community gardeners? The results could be amazing!

Intergenerational community building, expanded support for school gardens and school programs in general, generating success of “green” curriculum, outdoor activities for our youth, increased food access, food knowledge and ultimately food sovereignty for all!

Beekeeping 101 The beekeeping 101 course will give the would be beekeeper all the tools they'll need to get started in their own beekeeping endeavors. Topics will include an overview of beekeeping, beekeeping history, tools and equipment, managing hives in urban settings, and disease management. Example equipment lists and annual beekeeping timeline will also be shown.

This workshop will be part visioning, part problemsolving and part action-planning. Let’s get this one going!

Don Shump, founder of the Philadelphia Bee Co., has been raising bees in downtown Philadelphia since 2007. He manages hives in Queens Village, West Philadelphia and Kensington and frequently reaches out to Philadelphia residents in an effort to educate them on the importance of bees and other pollinators.

Sally McCabe has been helping community & school gardens get started for more than 35 years, first through the Penn State Urban Gardening Program, then through the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s Philadelphia Green program. For 23 years she coordinated Seedy Acres, a community garden that now is permanently preserved. She is uniquely qualified to teach this course, since she has already made every mistake in the book, and hopes to help new gardens to avoid some of these pitfalls.

Treatment-Free Beekeeping on Natural-Sized Comb- An Intermediate Workshop Manage your bees with zero chemical input - not even organic chemicals! Participants need to already have basic beekeeping knowledge and experience. Discussion is based on the three main components of a treatment-free management style: genetics, environment and proper nutrition. Specific topics include: the advantages of small-cell comb, the concept of an unlimited brood nest, why honey and pollen are the only things you should feed your bees and Housel (Michael Housel) positioning of combs.

She started the PHS Garden Tenders program in 1995, which has since graduated 37 classes of community gardeners. She has also been managing the Green City Teacher training since 2005; she believes that all women should have their own power tools and know how to swing a hammer.

Organic Gardening 101 - Now is the Perfect Time to Start

Adam Schreiber has been keeping bees for three years using a treatment-free management approach. Mr. Schreiber has lived his entire life in a sustainable and “green” way, so "green" beekeeping practices are naturally an extension of his life choices. He is currently the President of The Philadelphia Beekeepers Guild. When Adam is not keeping bees,he is an acupuncturist and Chinese herbalist at his clinic in Fairmount, WellPoint Oriental Medicine.

Are you thinking about starting a garden this spring?

This is the course for you! We will cover all the basics from garden placement, soil testing, “building up” your soil (making it rich and healthy), and tools that you will need. We’ll consider containers versus raised beds, seed selection, and how to manage watering needs, harvesting your food and composting. We’ll even have some time to discuss strategies for dealing with common pests.

There will be plenty of time for questions and answers.

Backyard Seed Saving - Renewing Traditions Farmers have been saving seeds since the beginning of agriculture. Seeds were often the only thing new

Chris Bolden-Newsome grew up in a social justice household,

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immigrants brought from their homeland. In today's world of GMOs, it is more important then ever for even newbies to know how to save seeds from their gardens.

In this workshop you will learn how to thoroughly prepare for saving your own seeds, and overview and history of seed saving and agricultural practices. Lots of time for Q&A. This class and the evening Seed Exchange, sponsored by Philadelphia Seed Exchange.

to understand the huge amount of STUFF that goes to waste every day and will see how everyday items that would otherwise be thrown away or recycled, can be repurposed into something fun and useful! Supplies will be provided.

Joel Fath is the organic garden coordinator and assistant kitchen manager for Pendle Hill. sourceing a mixture of vegetables, fruits, legumes, and seeds from their half-acre plot. Mr. Fath is a certified Permaculture designer and teacher.

Liz Biagioli is the Environmental Science Coordinator as well as the Outdoor Program Coordinator at Wissahickon Charter School.

Kristi Littell is Co-CEO of Wissahickon Charter School, an environmentally focused school. She has been at the school since its inception in 2001.

Rotation C: Awake in Nature Exploring the Wissahickon! A sensory exploration of nature through simple meditative techniques, artifacts, and mindful movements. The students will be guided in “pebble meditation” partner touch exercises, listening, artistic response, walking, smell, and taste. Through mindful attention we can awake the senses and cultivate a deep appreciation for nature’s gifts.

Mira Adornetto is co-founder of BLUEREDYELLOW, a natural dye company. She is a long time gardener and plant enthusiast. Ms. Adornetto is volunteer sourcer for Philly Stake dinners.

Sustainable Practices For the Landless - What you can do in Small Spaces Live in an apartment or condo? If you want to incorporate the basic sustainable practices into your lifestyle (compost, rain water catchment and growing food) but have been deterred by not owning land or property, this workshop is for you! Explore creative and practical solutions to overcoming the challenges to growing your own food presented by apartment, condo, dorm (& even RV/houseboat) living. Even those living in places with NO outdoor space/access to sun can benefit from these solutions. Topics will include: how to grow vegetables/small fruit, make compost, grow edible mushrooms (indoors or out), manage water, and so much more. No more excuses-- Join us and GET GROWING!

Kim Empson of the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education has been an educator for 25 years, an environmental educator for 8 years, and recently begun her own yoga/meditation practice.

Teens Only Tracks Every morning and afternoon, we have three choices for Teens Only: Culinary Arts (a morning of kitchen skills followed by The Great Kitchen Battle of the Teens! in the afternoon), Creative Film-making (working on a story using The Home Grown Institute as the setting), and Sustainable Building (constructing a greenhouse from trash!). Teens can choose to go deep with one track for the whole weekend or use the smorgasbord approach and sample from all! With parental permission, teens are welcome to sign up for any of the adult workshops as well. Additional information on these workshops will be emailed to teens after registering.

Melissa Miles is a consulting Permaculture Designer, Environmental Biologist and Conservation Planner. Ms. Miles has served as the Organizer of the Eastern PA Permaculture Guild (meetup) and as the Director of Two Miles Micro-Farm at the Permanent Future Institute in the Philadelphia metropolitan area.

Teen Track 1: Culinary Arts: Food systems and culinary skills are on the agenda for the morning. Learn how to cut vegetables like a chef, decipher recipes, and create delicious healthy meal in preparation for the afternoon event - The Great Kitchen Battle of the Teens!

To participate in the battle, teens must first attend the morning session.

KIDS SATURDAY MORNING Divided into age groups, kids will spend the morning engaged in a rotation of activities.

Rotation A: Love the Bees! Presented by students and staff from Wissahickon Charter School, kids will learn about the importance of bees to our ecosystem and roles that bees play in their colony. We’ll check out a beehive to learn about how to keep bees and produce honey.

Raina Ainslie has farmed and taught with Pennypack Farm since 2008. She manages the Edible Classroom garden, and teaches cooking and gardening programs for children and adults.

Rotation B: Repurposing - Presented by students and staff from Wissahickon Charter School, kids will begin

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Tara Anastasi has both educational and practical experience with social justice issues and food. She has used her masters degree in agriculture, nutrition and food policy to work in urban and organic farming- managing community food programs, and mentoring youth around race and gender issues.

learn how a rain garden works, how it is designed and the benefits it provides to the environment. Then - in the spirit of shifting good intentions into action - you will actually start to design your own rain garden (finish at home).

If you would like to design your own rain garden at the end of class, you can get pretty far into the design process with the instructor by bringing a sketch of your yard that includes: • Location and dimensions of your home and its downspouts • Sketch the direction your yard slopes and where water runs now • Location of existing trees and shrubs (and if you know the plant names, even better) 2. Photos of your yard

Teen Track 2: Filmmaking: Document the Home Grown Institute! Learn how to film, edit, and visually tell a story. A complete film project will be finished during the HGI weekend and shown at the end of the program.

Mike Reid is a nature enthusiast and the Program Support Specialist for EducationWorks and the Youth Media Initiative.

He works on a daily basis with Philadelphia high school students around the City to help them envision and create innovative media projects. Some of his students, who have presented at conferences nationally, will also teach the workshop.

Antonio F. Federici is Professional Wetlands Scientist at Dewberry-Goodkind, Inc. and was a Pennsylvania Master Gardener. Mr. Federici served as the President of the Native Plant Society of NJ and has worked as a contractor for the Philadelphia Water Department’s Backyard Buffer Program for the last three years.

Teen Track 3: Building from Trash! Hands-on, useful, totally fun project to be determined based on reclaimed/salvaged materials.

Eric Fulks is a practicing green builder and proponent of selfreliance at its finest! As a student of Earthship Biotecture, he has taken his passion for the environment combined with physical labor, to begin building a variety of sustainable, energy-producing structures made of recycled materials. He recently built a greenhouse of tires and soda bottles at the Emerald Street Urban Farm in Philadelphia.

Permaculture 101 "Permaculture" (permanent culture) is an approach to design that focused on sustainable human communities which are diverse, stable, resilient and abundant. Explore the ecological principles around food, water, energy and healthy communities. Topics covered will include: What is permaculture, three ethical underpinnings of permaculture design, regenerative patterns in nature, permaculture techniques such as guilds, zones, sectors, keyline, edible gardens, mandala beds and more.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON PROGRAMS (Two-hour workshops are listed first, followed by onehour workshops Sessions A and B)

TOUR, LEARN & BUILD: THE BUILD PROJECTS

Melissa Miles is a consulting Permaculture Designer, Environmental Biologist and Conservation Planner. Ms. Miles has served as the Organizer of the Eastern PA Permaculture Guild (meetup) and as the Director of Two Miles Micro-Farm at the Permanent Future Institute in the Philadelphia metropolitan area.

Backyard Chicken Tour, Learn and Build Part II: Building Coops (see page 6) Extending the Growing Season Tour, Learn and Build Part II: Raised Beds and Cold Frames (see page 6)

Worms Make THE BEST Fertilizer! Vermicomposting 101 *Ageless/Family-Friendly ($20 materials fee for students who have not chosen the worm farm as their free gift and who want to take home a worm farm

Rainwater Catchment Tour, Learn and Build Part II: Build your Own Rain Barrel (see pages 6-7) Design Your Own Rain Garden Putting that Rain Water Where it Should Be.... In the Ground!

with worms.)

Restore the connection to rain and earth at home and in our neighborhoods by capturing some of the water coming out of our downspouts or off our driveways through a natural feature that is a low-maintenance garden... a rain garden! In this workshop, students will

Don’t say “ick!” Vermicomposting is one of the easiest family-friendly ways you can make a difference. Learn how worms transform your food waste into an all-natural fertilizer for your garden. Do your part to reduce the

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waste going to our landfill, and benefit from enriching your own soil. Topics include: the waste stream, composting, vermicomposting, anatomy and life cycle of worms, how to build a worm bin, how to feed your worms. During the second half of the workshop, build your own worm bin.

Kids Afternoon Rotation: Composting, Catching Rainwater and Growing Food *Ageless/Family Friendly - Grown-ups are welcome.

In the afternoon, the three ages groups (5-7, 8-10 and 1113) will engage in a rotation through our three basic sustainable and regenerative practices - Composting, Catching (and Using!) Rain Water and Growing Food.

Camila Rivera-Tinsley is an environmental educator at The Schuylkill Center. Her experience includes Nature Rambler’s Summer Camp, Green Woods Charter School and the Education Farm. Camila is passionate about soil plants and insects and the interconnectedness of these communities. A graduate of Penn State, she is currently working on a Permaculture Design Certificate.

*Rotation A: Composting - Kids will learn about nature’s process that allows food scraps, leaves, and other organic matter to break down into nutrient-rich soil. This workshop will get kids thinking about nature and the wonders that it can perform all on its own. Kids learn that they too can have a part in making this world a greener place.

Food Preservation 101 - Taking Advantage of Seasonal Abundance

Youth from Teens 4 Good will lead this workshop. Teens 4 Good is a youth entrepreneurship, produce, and nutrition business that transforms vacant lots into urban gardens/farms, improving access to healthy food for communities, creating meaningful jobs for at-risk youth and empowering youth to become healthy responsible young adults and leaders who give back to their communities.

Local and seasonal are two of the most critical factors of a sustainable food lifestyle. Here in Philly, where we are Growing Zone 6 verging on Zone 7, that means slim pickin's in the winter months.

Preserving the harvest at its peak of abundance - by canning, drying, freezing, fermenting and cold storing - are all ways in which we can have local all year round.

This workshop is an introduction to methods of food preservation. The Home Grown Institute will offer longer workshops on food preservation at the peak of harvest.

*Rotation B: Catching (and Using!)

Rain Water - Do you know how water flows across the land to the rivers? Do you know where the clean drinking water in your home comes from? See the watershed model demonstration as rain falls on the land and carries pollution to the rivers.

Choose storm water management practices to help store the water and help clean the water before it gets to the river. Then, go on a walk outside to see these water collecting methods in practice.

Mandel Smith is a family and consumer sciences educator for Penn State Extension in the Bucks, Delaware, and Montgomery District. She delivers programming in the areas of food safety, and nutrition and wellness and is a member of the Penn State Extension Food Preservation program team. Joining Mandel in the presentation are the Montgomery County Master Food Preservers. The information shared by the Master Food Preservers comes from research-based sources approved by the Penn State Master Food Preserver Program.

Dottie Baumgarten, owner of Sustainable Choices, aspires to increase public knowledge about protecting our drinking water through our behavior choices. She is a seasoned science teacher and an education consultant (teacher and tour guide) for the Philadelphia Water Department.

Advanced Organic Gardening Part A: Pest Management

*Rotation C: Growing Food - In this workshop students will learn about germination, the life cycle of flowering plants, different soil types and get a chance to make their very own seed bombs to take home.

Be able to distinguish good insects from bad, what plants attract the good insects and repel the bad ones, and how we can be gardening with the least amount of interventions. We will touch on four legged creatures as well. Prerequisite: One full growing season experience.

Kestrel Frost is the Farm Educator for Weavers Way Community Programs. Kestrel implements farm-based education for urban youth while managing vegetable production the Children’s Garden at the Mort Brooks Memorial Farm in the Awbury Arboretum and the Hope Garden at the Stenton Family Manor.

Andy Andrews is the Farming Director at Pennypack Farm, an organic farm and CSA in Horsham. Prior to coming to Pennypack in 2005, he worked on farms in New Hampshire, Maryland and Nova Scotia where he began his farming career in 1996.

Teens Only Programming See pages 11-12 for a full description of Teens Only programming.

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SATURDAY AFTERNOON 1-HOUR WORKSHOPS SESSION A (1ST AFTERNOON HOUR)

Home energy assessment; 2: Financing 3: Find a contractor. ECA inspects when the work is complete.

Experience Eco-Psychology with a Walk in the Wissahickon

Also, learn how to work with EnergyWorks to create partnerships within your neighborhood associations, civic groups, faith-based and community-based organizations with the goal of accessing energy resources. Bring together available rebates, tax credits, and low-interest financing for home energy improvements through EnergyWorks.

Deepen your connection to the healing and energizing power of nature through guided meditation and gentle experiential exercises drawn from the emerging field of eco-psychology. Learn three easy, repeatable and teachable practices: Nature’s Invitation, The Attraction Walk and I love...because.** Find yourself firmly centered in the web of life, inspired to envision and act for a brighter future. **Based on the work of Dr. Michael Cohen and the Institute for Global Education.

Tanya T. Morris is the Director of Communications and Outreach for the Energy Coordinating Agency. She oversees marketing and outreach and coordinates all community outreach for EnergyWorks. Ms. Morris has a B. A. in Journalism from Temple and a Professional Communication Certificate from LaSalle University.

(Outdoor activity--please dress for the weather.)

The Cholesterol Myth

Susan Saxe is a lifelong progressive activist and non-profit professional currently working on the issue of hydrofracturing in Pennsylvania. She is a student of ecopsychology, an emerging field that addresses personal, societal and political dysfunction through reconnection to living systems.

Is low cholesterol the key to a healthy heart? Most people assume that high cholesterol levels are dangerous, and that by lowering those levels and eating a diet that is low in saturated fat they will live longer and healthier. Physicians prescribe statin drugs and patients avoid butter and meat in the name of good health. But is this true? There is another view that suggests that the high cholesterol foods so many of us avoid are actually necessary for optimum health. Come learn about the many roles that cholesterol plays in human health and why it is not to be feared and avoided.

City Homestead Project Sampler *Ageless/Family-friendly. Registration required.

This workshop will focus on satisfying projects you can do at home. Some - like sub-irrigated seed starting (watering from the bottom up), potato container planting and growing sprouts - are simple to start and easy to maintain. Others - like creating a mason bee habitat, pollinator cover crop seed “bursts,” and building bat boxes- add to a healthy ecology around us. Still others like aquaponics window farming, cob building and cheese making are more involved systems that we develop over time.

Linda Stern MD is a general internist at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center. She has published articles in the New England Journal of Medicine and in the Annals of Internal Medicine on Low Carbohydrate vs. Low Fat Diets. She offers her expertise to patients on nutrition and obesity and serves as an advisor to the weight loss program at the VA.

Making Our Voices Heard: No Fracking in the Delaware River Basin

The intention of The Home Grown Institute is to provide year-round experiences with seasoned Homesteaders to help you reclaim and renew home practices and wisdom of past generations. The format of this workshop is a sampler and introductory - kind of a teaser for what is possible rather than complete mastery of any one practice.

High volume hydrofracturing, or “fracking” is a new method used to extract natural gas from deep rock layers. Fracking injects hundreds of unregulated chemicals into the ground and the consequences threaten to pollute our drinking water and our air. The Delaware River Basin is high on the list of Big Gas. Now rural, suburban and urban Pennsylvanians are successfully coming together to protect air, water, earth and climate from this devastation. Get the cliff notes on the history, clarity on the current challenges and guidance for strategic and effective action. We can make our voices heard!

Anna Herman is a long-time backyard and community gardener, urban egg farmer, cook, and beekeeper.

EnergyWorks Home Energy Audit, Information and Resources Available Many people don't know that there is a local program that offers support and resources for reducing your home energy usage. The Energy Coordinating Agency (ECA)is ready to assist you – from start to finish. Up to 40 percent reduction is possible through home energy improvements. ECA offers free assistance low cost loans. Three ECA steps to energy reduction: include 1:

Iris Marie Bloom is the Director of Protecting Our Waters, a Philadelphia-based grassroots alliance committed to protecting the Delaware River Basin, the state of Pennsylvania, and our region from unconventional gas drilling and other threats to our drinking water, environment, and public health.

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SATURDAY AFTERNOON 1-HOUR WORKSHOPS SESSION B (2ND AFTERNOON HOUR)

primary and secondary nutrition, combining areas of lifestyle and food to bring greater awareness of individual needs and how to best meet them with personal empowerment and flexibility. Hear about the Integrative Nutrition® food pyramid, including balancing vegetables, fruits, grains, proteins, healthy fats and water as part of healthy life choices.

The Way of Love: Strengthening Relationships In this workshop, students will be introduced to a transformative process of being, to help bring more awareness to self and others. Breaking down the barriers to intimate and satisfying relationships helps to build a stronger community. Knowing the self more deeply helps us to feel safe so that we can let down the defenses that keep us separate. You will be invited to participate in “getting to know you” exercises, movement, meditation, and a overview of our evolutionary journey.

Cara Graver has been a certified Holistic Health Coach for seven years. Ms. Graver is a graduate of the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. She works with individuals and groups to empower them to learn and practice what best suits the needs of their unique body, spirit and life circumstances.

Screening Rooms: Running All Afternoon

Marlene Keesler, MSW, has been teaching energy healing for over eleven years. Her work integrates the body-mind-spirit connection and emphasizes relationship as the foundation of healing. She is director of Inner Source Healing, in Malvern, PA.

Need a break from the workshop format? Join us in the screening room for upbeat, inspirational, hand-picked selections including TED Talks, short video clips and full-length movies, TBA.

David Harman, PhD, is committed to fostering a deeper connection to the Divine in himself and in others. He teachers at Inner Source of Healing, and at Immaculata University's and Widener University's Doctoral of Psychology Programs.

Springing Good Intentions Into Action Part 3: The 3 ½ Significant Factors

Both Harman and Kessler trained at The Full Spectrum School Healing Arts Center.

What helps people take first steps? Thirty-five years of research strongly suggests that there are three and a half significant factors that help people go from good intentions to action.

Intrinsic Motivation ‐ You gotta wanna do it. Not because your mother or your best friend said so, but because you really want it for yourself.

Access to Resources ‐ It isn’t gonna happen unless the ways and means needed are available Time, money, valid and valuable information, the right “stuff”, geographic convenience, and a reasonable, do‐able, plan of action.

Social Support ‐ A companion or witness or someone you ask to hold you accountable.

The Half: A good relationship with the provider if there is one - e.g. if you like your teacher, you are more likely to do well in the class...

Upcycling: From Rags to Riches Ageless/Family friendly Using basic weaving and crocheting techniques, turn scraps of fabric and plastic bags (all materials usually thrown away into a land fill) into beautiful hand-made rugs or accessories to adorn and add richness to your home. Students should bring denim, old clothing of all kinds and colorful plastic bags.

Evangeline Bragitikos is a local home-schooling mom of two creative children. An avid gardener, nurse, crafter and chicken owner, Evangeline is committed to education of practical sustainability and mindful co-existence with the earth and humanity.

ECA Green Jobs Training Program

What we know is that if you get these three and half things in place, your likelihood of success - with any goal you set for yourself - skyrockets.

In this workshop, members of ECA Green Jobs Training Center will discuss the Green Jobs Training curriculum they offer through Community College of Philadelphia and the prospects for “green jobs” in the Philadelphia area. Appropriate for state and national certifications, or to build a new career, the ECA training curriculum in residential energy efficiency includes Weatherization and Retrofit, EPA Lead Safety, nationally recognized BPI certifications, OSHA 10 & 30, NATE, and more.

At The Home Grown Institute, the whole experience is designed around activating these three and half factors, and not just for first steps. Starting now, we’ll help you get clear about what it is that you want to do. Our trained presenters will have done the Internet filtering for you and will provide a simple rendering of “best of” resources you can choose from. Our hand-picked vendors will have some of those resources on hand in the Town Square Market. Opportunities for connecting with likeminded people - at whatever level you need - will be the real treasure at The Home Grown Institute.

Eating to Sustain Health and Planet Nutrition isn’t just about food! Healthy relationships, a fulfilling career, regular physical activity and a spiritual awareness are as essential as healthy food as forms of nourishment. Students in the workshop will learn about

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so it could start the week after The Home Grown Institute. Participants learn how to get gardens started and how to keep them going once the garden is in the ground. Come with all your dreams, questions and challenges.

Please pick a 1st and 2nd choice for the morning and indicate your choices on the registration form. While not cast in concrete, it will help us plan. Thanks!

SUNDAY PROGRAMMING

(Find out more about the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society full-length course at http://www.pennsylvaniahorticulturalsociety.org/phlgre en/gardentenders.html)

SUNDAY MORNING PROGRAMS TOUR, LEARN & BUILD Beekeeping Tour, Learn & Build Part I (see description on page 7)

Sally McCabe – See Sally’s awesome bio on page 10 under School and Community Gardens – A Match Made in Heaven?

Permaculture Tour, Learn & Build Part I (see description on page 8)

Backyard Chickens 101 Get started with raising chickens in your own back yard!

Beginning with the big picture of what it looks like year round to tend chickens in your backyard and what kind of “stuff” you need to have, this workshop will cover the basics. Learn about what type of chickens should you purchase for laying eggs and how you make the decision about how many chicken to have. Feeding and basic care will be covered as well as coops and protection from predators. We will have a live chicken in class for you to handle.

Natural Building Tour, Learn & Build (see description on page 8) Cooking for a Crowd – Apprentice with Masters in the Kitchen (see description page 9) Sustainability as a Spiritual Practice: Why Is It So Hard to Be So Environmentally Conscious All The Time?

The practice of Mussar is a Jewish spiritual/mindfulness practice. This course is designed for people of all faiths and/or those on a spiritual path to have the opportunity explore the connection between the world of spirit and the world of the material.

Specifically we will look at the role our ego plays in trying to satisfy the bottomless pit of material cravings and look at the role other people can play in helping us shift our cravings. You will leave this course with specific tools to help you navigate the daily slippery slope of being in relation to others and our desire to serve ourselves first.

Please bring a journal with you (computers are fine).

Ten years ago, John Fiorella and his family moved to a derelict farm in the Roxborough section of the city where he has employed chickens to help in the restoration of the land that was long neglected. Starting with 2 layers in a small tractor and peaking at 75 hens in a mobile coop, the chickens have helped clean and fertilize the 3 acres while providing exceptional nourishment for his family and friends.

John is also a cabinet maker at his own Fiorella Woodworking,Inc., a custom cabinetry and architectural millwork shop in Germantown.

Worms Make THE BEST Fertilizer - Vermicomposting 101 *Ageless/Family-Friendly ($20 materials fee for students who have not chosen the worm farm as their free gift and who want to take home a worm farm with worms.)

Mindy Shapiro has been studying Mussar under the guidance of Rabbi Ira Stone since 2003. She teaches Mussar locally and nationally. Mussar provides her with a framework for leading a more mindful life, something she enjoys helping others to do.

Mindy has a B.A in Women Studies from University of MD. and an M.A. in Women Studies from George Washington University. She is also a papercut artist.

Don’t say “Ick!” Learn how worms can transform your food waste into an all-natural fertilizer and how to harvest compost and compost tea. We’ll talk about worm anatomy, habits and behavior and how to feed worms and keep them happy and productive. Make a vermicomposting farm from plastic tubs using simple tools. Then we’ll furnish it in the finest worm décor and stock it with red wigglers.

Starting Community Gardens – An Introduction Improve your neighborhood by turning vacant lots and other under-utilized spaces (around apartments, churches, other institutions, etc.) into community gardens. This workshop is a sneak peak into the fulllength Garden Tenders course, which was rescheduled

Camila Rivera-Tinsley is an environmental educator at The Schuylkill Center. Her experience includes Nature Rambler’s Summer Camp, Green Woods Charter School and the Education Farm. Camila is passionate about soil plants and

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insects and the interconnectedness of these communities. A graduate of Penn State, she is currently working on a Permaculture Design Certificate.

SUNDAY AFTERNOON WORKSHOPS

Advanced Organic Gardening Part B: Soil Enrichment

Beekeeping Tour, Lean & Build Part II: Beehives: Langstroth Assembly and Kenyan Top Bar Construction (description on page 7)

(Two-hour workshops are listed first, followed by onehour workshops Sessions A and B)

We know that a lot of people have been gardening for a lot of years. This is the course to help you take it up a notch. Soil enrichment, companion planting, crop rotation, no till/cover crop and more will be covered by our experts. Benefit from their long-term scientific research and applied practical experience.

Prerequisite: One full growing season experience.

Permaculture Tour, Lean & Build Part II: Edible Landscapes and Urban Orchards (description on page 7-8) Aquaponics Demonstration: Join our guest presenter, Meg Stout, the US Secretary for the newly born Aquaponics Association. (description on page 8)

Andy Andrews is the Farm Director at Pennypack Farm, a position he has held since coming to the farm in 2005.

Fermentation - So Many Benefits, Who Would’ve Known?

KIDS MORNING Divided by age, kids will spend the morning engaged in a rotation of activities:

[There is a material fee for this class, payable to the instructors]

Rotation 1: Vermicomposting Presented by Green Woods Charter School, kids will learn about the magic power of worms to turn organic waste into “black gold!”

Fermentation is a natural way to store and enhance the nutritional value and taste of food. Find out how some health problems are caused by lack of proper gut flora. Learn the basics of vegetable, grain and even meat fermentation.

Participants will make a jar of sauerkraut and see demonstrations for fermenting African grain porridge and making the refreshing drink kombucha as well as milk and water kefir.

Rotation 2: Presented by Green Woods Charter School Jean Wallace is the CEO of Green Woods Charter School and a member of the State Council for Environmental Education. She earned two post-graduate certifications as well as her MAEd in Environmental Education; a BA in Elementary Education, and an Associate Degree in Health Science.

Jared Blumer is a recent graduate of Penn State who has been fermenting food for two years. He is most interested in the biological, digestive and nutritional aspects of fermenting.

Rotation 3: Awake in Nature: Exploring the Wissahickon! A sensory exploration of nature through simple meditative techniques, artifacts, and mindful movements. The students will be guided in “pebble meditation” partner touch exercises, listening, artistic response, walking, smell, and taste. Through mindful attention we can awake the senses and cultivate a deep appreciation for nature’s gifts.

Mary Himmer, MSW, has been fermenting for the past 4 years.

She has been curious about nutrition for the past 24 years while trying to discover what foods would help her family and now cooks totally gluten free. Mary is active in environmental issues.

A 'Foray' into the Wonderful World of Mushrooms!

Mycology 101

Kim Empson has been an educator for 25 years, an environmental educator for 8 years, and recently begun her own yoga and meditation practice.

Explore the under-examined underground realm of mushrooms. Learn general information about mushrooms and their value to humans: history of foraging, cultivation and use, mushroom ecology, edible, medicinal species. Discover the emerging field of Mycotechnology: using mushrooms to clean up and regenerate toxic and degraded landscapes. Explore cultivation options: home-scaled, farm-scaled,

Teens Only Programming - See Pages 11-12 for a full description of Teens Only program.

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green jobs skills, and has built and installed nearly 600 rain barrels each year.

sustainable, and DIY (Do it yourself). Hear about the advantages and disadvantages of various methods of production. Make and take you own edible mushroom bag to grown and enjoy!

*Kids Afternoon Rotation: Composting, Catching Rainwater and Growing Food Ageless/Family Friendly - Grown-ups are welcome to join. See pages 13-14 for full description

Melissa Miles is a consulting Permaculture Designer, Environmental Biologist and Conservation Planner. Ms. Miles has served as the Organizer of the Eastern PA Permaculture Guild (meetup) and as the Director of Two Miles Micro-Farm at the Permanent Future Institute in the Philadelphia metropolitan area.

Teens Only See pages 11-12 for the full description of the Teens Only programming.

Feed the Birds, Bees, Butterflies and the Gardener, too!

SUNDAY AFTERNOON 1-HOUR WORKSHOPS SESSION A (1ST AFTERNOON HOUR)

Imagine your property not just as place for your house and garden, but also as a “landing pad” for all things flying! Whether you are an experienced gardener or a newbie, you can create a garden that is a haven for birds, bees and butterflies, and grow food that you can enjoy all season long!

Experience Eco-Psychology with a Walk in the Wissahickon Deepen your connection to the healing and energizing power of nature through guided meditation and gentle experiential exercises drawn from the emerging field of eco-psychology. Learn three easy, repeatable and teachable practices: Nature’s Invitation, The Attraction Walk and I love...because.* Find yourself firmly centered in the web of life, inspired to envision and act for a brighter future.

In this workshop, students will learn what plants attract our flying friends, how to make your own garden soil, and collect your own seeds. We’ll also realistically look at how to plan a “habitat garden” one step at a time from scratch (newbies) and by developing an existing garden. You don’t need a green thumb, just a green mind to be one with nature. Students will get to take home their own plans for habitat gardens.

*Based on the work of Dr. Michael Cohen and the Institute for Global Education.

Dennis Burton is sole proprietor of Design by Nature and a lifetime backyard gardener with 20 years experience in urban, suburban and rural agriculture and ecology. He regularly is a consultant to mid-Atlantic municipal parks, garden clubs and civic associations. Mr. Burton is the author of “The Nature Walks of Central Park NYC He writes about local invasive species and environmental issues.

(Outdoor activity--please dress for the weather.)

Hands-On First Steps to Reduce Your Energy Bills!

Sustainable Futures Through Home Energy Conservation

City Homestead Project Sampler *Ageless/Family friendly. Registration required.

Susan Saxe is a lifelong progressive activist and non-profit professional currently working on the issue of hydrofracturing in Pennsylvania. She is a student of ecopsychology, an emerging field that addresses personal, societal and political dysfunction through reconnection to living systems.

This workshop will focus on satisfying projects you can do at home. Some - like sub-irrigated seed starting (watering from the bottom up), potato container planting and growing sprouts - are simple to start and easy to maintain. Others - like creating a mason bee habitat, pollinator cover crop seed “bursts,” and building bat boxes- add to a healthy ecology around us. Still others like aquaponics window farming, cob building and cheese making are more involved systems that we develop over time.

Resource conservation is the most cost effective and environmentally effective way to create sustainable homes and communities. Students will learn air sealing and energy conservation skills including caulking of cracks and joints, applying weather stripping to doors, application of reusable “soft” caulk to windows, application of plastic window covers, education on basic building science of airflow and heat transfer in the home, as well as behavior modifications that can reduce energy consumption and energy related bills.

The intention of The Home Grown Institute is to provide year-round experiences with seasoned Homesteaders to help you reclaim and renew home practices and wisdom of past generations. The format of this workshop is a

ECA has been in the energy and resource conservation field for a quarter century. ECA provides 3,000 homes with weatherization services, 8,000 Philadelphians with energy conservation workshops, has trained nearly 900 students in

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Tara Anastasi has both educational and practical experience with social justice issues and food. She has used her masters degree in agriculture, nutrition and food policy to work in urban and organic farming- managing community food programs, and mentoring youth around race and gender issues.

sampler and introductory - kind of a teaser for what is possible rather than complete mastery of any one practice.

Anna Herman is food consultant and writer with Food Work Resources Inc. She’s been active in farm to table projects since the early 1980's. Current work includes business planning, recipe development, and The Backyard Farm School - edible, medicinal and teaching garden installation, beehive care, as well as tending her own backyard flock of hens.

Chris Bolden-Newsome grew up in a social justice household, the oldest son of small scale organic farmers and food sovereignty organizers Demalda Bolden-Newsome and Rufus Newsome, Sr. Always fascinated by growing food, Chris got involved in food justice (backyard gardens) while studying anthropology at Howard University from 2006-2008. Now in Philadelphia, he continues to pursue community sovereignty through farming and intentional food system work.

Green City, Clean Waters - Green Homes Sneak Preview The Philadelphia Water Department’s Green City, Clean Waters plan envisions transforming the health of the City’s creeks, rivers and urban landscape through primarily a green storm water management approach. In July, PWD will roll out a Green Homes programs, with a dozen projects and approaches residents can use in the their homes. The Green Homes, Clean Waters presentation will provide the latest on the residential initiatives offered by PWD under the Green City, Clean Waters vision. A Green Homes video (11 minutes long) will be shown, as well as a slide show.

“Sustainable Practice boils down to two things - our relationship to consumption and waste and our resilience in the face of adversity, disappointment and change.

Regenerative Practice has a slightly different perspective - an assumption that there is no such thing as waste and a belief that by working with nature instead of against it, we improve all of life.”

Tiffany Ledesma Groll is a public outreach specialist and program coordinator with Trans-Pacific Engineering Corporation, where she is a contract employee with the Philadelphia Water Department, Public Affairs Division and Office of Watersheds. Ms. Ledesma Groll helped to lead Green City, Clean Waters, and currently works to implement this public participation program.

Cleaning Self and Home with Natural Cleaners

SUNDAY AFTERNOON 1-HOUR WORKSHOPS SESSIONS B (2ND AFTERNOON HOUR)

Live without toxic household and personal care products. There are many simple ways to avoid toxic products. A great rule is – don’t put on your skin what you wouldn’t put in your mouth. In this session students will learn how to make and use many common sense and simple solutions to today’s complex and contaminated marketplace.

The Way of Love: Strengthening Relationships In this workshop, students will be introduced to a transformative process of being, to help bring more awareness to self and others. Breaking down the barriers to intimate and satisfying relationships helps to build a stronger community. Knowing the self more deeply helps us to feel safe so that we can let down the defenses that keep us separate. You will be invited to participate in “getting to know you” exercises, movement, meditation, and a overview of our evolutionary journey.

Lynn Landes is a Philadelphia-based writer, researcher, and activist in the fields of politics, health, and the environment.

She has been a commentator for BBC radio, WebMD, radio talk show host, and a community television news reporter.

Lynn is publisher of several websites, including WildFoodies.org, ZeroWasteAmerica.org, and BanVotingMachines.org.

Marlene Keesler, MSW, has been teaching energy healing for over eleven years. Her work integrates the body-mind-spirit connection and emphasizes relationship as the foundation of healing. She is director of Inner Source Healing, in Malvern, PA.

Serving Up Justice Serving Up Justice illustrates where social justice issues lie within the food system, how they came about, and how we can create strategies to address injustice. Like many areas of our society, the structure of the current food system negatively impacts some communities more than others. Learn new strategies that address food access and security issues by creating a sense of food sovereignty within a given community.

David Harman, PhD, is committed to fostering a deeper connection to the Divine in himself and in others. He teachers at Inner Source of Healing, and at Immaculata University's and Widener University's Doctoral of Psychology Programs.

Both Harman and Kessler trained at The Full Spectrum School Healing Arts Center.

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Anna Herman is food consultant and writer with Food Work Resources Inc. She’s been active in farm to table projects since the early 1980's. Current work includes business planning, recipe development, and The Backyard Farm School - edible, medicinal and teaching garden installation, beehive care, as well as tending her own backyard flock of hens.

Upcycling: From Rags to Riches Ageless/Family friendly Using basic weaving and crocheting techniques, turn scraps of fabric and plastic bags (all materials usually thrown away into a land fill) into beautiful hand-made rugs or accessories to adorn and add richness to your home. Students should bring denim, old clothing of all kinds and colorful plastic bags.

Foraging with Wild Foodies (This workshop is weather dependent. Stayed tuned...)

Nutritious and flavorful wild edibles thrive with little to no human intervention and are available to us for feasting! Learn about wild edibles, common plants, “weeds” if you will, that can be used in drinks, salads, stews, and more. Eating wild edibles maximizes selfreliance and minimizes carbon footprint. Learn to use the food beneath your feet!

Evangeline Bragitikos is a local home-schooling mom of two creative children. An avid gardener, nurse, crafter and chicken owner, Evangeline is committed to education of practical sustainability and mindful co-existence with the earth and humanity.

Growing Your Enterprise: Small Business Planning 101

Lynn Landes is a Philadelphia-based writer, researcher, and activist in the fields of politics, health, and the environment.

She has been a commentator for BBC radio, WebMD, radio talk show host, and a community television news reporter.

Lynn is publisher of several websites, including WildFoodies.org, ZeroWasteAmerica.org.

Do you have a visions to start a food truck, a mixed use urban farm, a retail pop-up, or service? How do you actually take this idea and become a micro-enterprise, medium scale business or successful not for profit?

Learn how to strategize, plan, budget, analyze the market, and begin to pay yourself for doing the work you are good at, and believe in. This workshop will explore business basics, explore several creative and sustainable models of micro enterprise endeavors, and offer tangible tools for assessing and planning your own specific next steps.

Screening Rooms: Running All Afternoon Need a break from the workshop format? Join us in the screening room for upbeat, inspirational, hand-picked selections including TED Talks, short video clips and full length movies.

THE HOME GROWN INSTITUTE 2012 PLANNING COMMITTEE Sarah Gabriel, Managing Director Haley Socha, Communications and Planning Assistant Janet Boys, Registration and Planning Assistant Lindsay Stolkey, Youth Program Director Amy Steffen, Presenter Liaison Jessica Justh, Food Planning Amy Saxton, Social Media Joy Cannon, Work-Study Coordinator Amy Hsu, Resource Center, Dana Henry, Resource Center Nancy Dearden, Silent Auction Noelle Dames, Silent Auction Ilene Cohen, Silent Auction Diane Diffenderfer, TLB Coordinator Mindy Lemoine, TLB Coordinator Dottie Baumgarten, Editor/Advisor Betsy Teutsch, Advisor Anna Herman, Advisor

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BIG THANKS TO OUR 2012 SPONSORS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS WEAVERS WAY FOOD CO-OP PENNSYLVANIA HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY MT AIRY LEARNING TREE CHIPOTLE MEXICAN GRILL WHOLE FOODS PLYMOUTH MEETING ENERGY COORDINATING AGENCY PHILADELPHIA WATER DEPARTMENT THE STOCK GROUP PHILADELPHIA SALVAGE FRIENDS OF WISSAHICKON PHILADELPHIA SEED EXCHANGE PHILADELPHIA BEEKEEPERS GUILD EASTERN PA PERMACULTURE GUILD GREEN WOODS CHARTER SCHOOL WISSAHICKON CHARTER SCHOOL MAYOR'S OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY NIM (NEIGHBORHOOD INTERFAITH MOVEMENT)

PASA’s GOOD FOOD NEIGHBORHOOD SUSTAINABILITY SCHOOL

COOP (C HICKENS O WNERS O UTSIDE OF P HILLY ) PENNYPACK FARM AND EDUCATION CENTER LANCASTER FARM FRESH COOPERATIVE PHILADELPHIA ORCHARD PROJECT PENN STATE COOPERATIVE EXTENSION FEDERATION OF NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS TWISTERS WELLNESS CENTER EAST FALLS GOES GREEN TEENS 4 GOOD PHILLY COMPOST FARM TO CITY GRID MAGAZINE WILD FOODIES MEETUP REVERSE FOUNDATION AUDUBON PENNSYLVANIA LA SALLE UNIVERSITY OGONTZ AVE REVITALIZATION CORPORATION SPRINGSIDE CHESTNUT HILL ACADEMY SCHOOL PENNSYLVANIA ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL CREEKSIDE CO-OP

Green Woods Charter Scholl

Philadelphia Salvage Philadelphia Seed Exchange

Eastern PA Permaculture Guild

unscramble answers from p.8: Resilience, Zero Waste

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Wild Foodies