This is TLC Farm's fifth year as a Village Building Convergence site, and we're excited to be hosting a number of fun projects and workshops.

The Village Building Convergence (VBC) is a 10-day citywide event from Friday, May 23rd – Sunday, June 1, 2008 in which neighborhoods activate to build shared public places that they have envisioned, designed, funded, and will maintain for themselves. The VBC will include hands-on education in permaculture design and construction, ecological building, and public art.

Each evening, the public is invited to gather for presentations and music at Bossanova, 722 E Burnside, from 5pm to late. For more details about the VBC, visit the City Repair websire at www.cityrepair.org.

TLC Farm is having a more limited project schedule this year, with public projects and workshops on May 24, 25, 29, 30 & 31st. Work parties will run from 10am - 5pm each day and lunch will be provided to volunteers.

VBC 8 Schedule at TLC Farm

Schedule of general projects:
Friday, May 23rd – garden projects & prep for the week
Saturday, May 24th – Earthen plastering on the dragon bench
Sunday, May 25th – Earthen plastering on the dragon bench
Thursday, May 29th – Earthen plastering & burnishing on the dragon bench
Friday 30th – Touch up earthen painting on other projects (bench and cob oven); build & plant herb spiral.
Saturday 31st – garden projects and complete any remaining plastering/earthen painting

Schedule of workshops:
Sheet Mulching Workshop
May 24th, 3-5pm
Living healthy soil is a key for producing healthy plants and nutritious food. Come learn how to build abundant soil through the process of sheet mulching.
Led by: Bonsai Matt

EcoRoof Workshop
Sunday May 25th, 12-4pm - Rain-cancelled: To Be Rescheduled
Install a living roof on one of TLC Farm's educational land signs. The workshop will include: 'a permacultural approach to living roofing -- using what's readily available, low-tech and self-sustaining, resulting in a simple, low-cost DIY model eco-roof.
Led by: Joel Carver

Plant Propagation Workshop
Sunday May 25th, 2-4:00 pm
Led by: Marisha Auerbach (Olympia, WA) and Bonsai Matt

Integrated Animal Stewardship
Sunday May 25th, 3pm-5pm
Examine the role of small livestock in integrated design systems at Tryon Life Community Farm. TLC Farm has goats and chickens and is actively transforming their care and housing to be more in line with permaculture principles. The workshop will discuss some basics of goat and chicken care, examine how animals can be helpful parts of a farm ecosystem, and touch on the many ethical considerations in animal husbandry.
Led by: Brenna Bell & Sue Romas

Art with Nature
Thursday May 29th, 2pm-5pm
Join Nature at TLC Farm to perform what he calls ‘Earth Meditation Consciousness’ and co-create sacred space. Mysteries will be answered by simply listening to the land. Come heal the land and your relationship with her, by immersing yourself fully in the forest.
Led by: Nature Hogan

Water Re-Use Discussion
Friday May 30th, 3-5 pm
Discuss the ins and outs of graywater and rainwater re-use with one of the country's leading experts – Art Ludwig, founder of Oasis Design.
led by: Art Ludwig

Rocket Stove & Workshop
Saturday May 31st, 1-5:00 pm
Join visiting experts from Aprovecho in assembling and installing a one-pot rocket stove in the TLC outdoor kitchen. The workshop will include a history of Aprovecho’s international involvement in the rocket stove movement, and the importance of increasing wood fire efficiency while lessoning harmful emissions. You will also get to build your very own pocket rocket stove. The hands on building portion of the workshop will display in detail the internal functions of a rocket stove, explain combustion basics, and how to efficiently capture heat. In addition you will learn about a great energy-saving cooking technology that everyone can make easily: a haybox!"
Led by: Tao Orion

Zimbabwe House Party!!

** PLEASE NOTE: This event is NOT at TLC Farm.**

A benefit to bring Tryon Life Community Farm to Kufunda Learning Village and the Berkana Exchange.

Join us on Sunday, April 13th from 6-10 pm at 1905 NE Going St to support cross-continental and cross-cultural learning, while eating Zimbabwean food, listening to great traditional Zimbabwean music, and learning more about the sustainability movement in Zimbabwe.

This benefit will support TLC Farm's involvement with the Berkana Exchange (see below) and Zimbabwean activists. TLC Farm needs to raise at least $1,500 to fund travel expenses for representatives of TLC Farm to travel to Kufunda Learning Village in May, and any funds raised in excess of travel needs will help allied activists in Zimbabwe visit TLC Farm in the future.

The benefit will include:

* a traditional Zimbabwean food for dinner, including groundnut stew, sadza, and Zimbabwean-style cooked greens;

* a slide show about Kufunda Learning Village, where TLC Farm volunteer Jenny Leis lived during her travels last year;

* great Zimbabwean music by Pachi Pamwe (http://www.myspace.com/pachipamwe) and Njuzu Mbira (www.cdbaby.com/cd/njuzumbira)

* silent auction items and a raffle!

* beer & wine for donation.

** PLEASE NOTE: This event is NOT at TLC Farm.**

** This will be a house party at 1905 NE Going St., in Portland. For a map click here.**

COST: $10-20 sliding scale donation (includes dinner). Volunteer opportunities available. Come ready to be merry!

For more info please contact: mattg[at]tryonfarm.org or call 503.245.3847.

[Note: if you can't come to the benefit, but want to make a donation to support cross-cultural sharing, please send a check (to TLC Farm, 11640 SW Boones Ferry Road, Portland, OR 97219) or make a donation online (at www.tryonfarm.org) and indicate that it is for the Berkana Learning Journey.]

Global learning opportunity: Berkana Exchange

TLC Farm is honored to be invited to the Berkana Exchange Art of Learning Conference happening this May in Zimbabwe! The Berkana Exchange facilitates connections between 13 "learning centers" located in various countries around the world: Senegal, Zimbabwe, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Greece, Canada, Mexico and Brazil. The centers all share a commitment to grassroots organizing, ecological sustainability, and healthy living and are doing inspiring work in their local communities.

Each year Berkana facilitates an Art of Learning Centering Gathering, which is an opportunity for representatives from each learning center to come together and share ideas and skills, create relationships, and weave together pieces of the global puzzle. The purpose of the gathering is: "To consciously, deliberately and collectively create a field of shared learning around the art of learning centering, which is the practice of hosting local spaces where people gather to explore and invent ways for communities to become healthy and resilient."

The gathering this year is being held from May 4-14 at Kufunda Learning Village, in Harare, Zimbabwea. TLC Farm connected with Kufunda when volunteer Jenny Leis lived there last year. To learn more about Kufunda visit www.kufunda.org or read Jenny's blog at www.journeydejenny.blogspot.com.

We are excited to participate and to explore the possibility of TLC Farm becoming the Berkana Exchange's newest Learning Center, and the only center in the United States. After thoughtful consideration we have selected farm residents Hope Medford and Matt Gordon to make the journey and represent us at the conference and are preparing them to share what we are learning in Portland. Do you have things you'd like Matt and Hope to share about TLC Farm or the wider community in Portland with other Berkana centers? Questions you'd like them to ask? Ideas for them to share? Don't hesitate to email berkana@tryonfarm.org, and stay tuned for stories of their travels and learnings.