Hello everyone, we did our New Season Collaboration seminar last week and the recordings are available. Here's a quick summary & takeaways from the 3 speakers.... “Introduction to Urban Permaculture Gardening” 🔑 Key Points 1. Start small and design gardens around available time, energy, and resources. 2. Core permaculture ethics: earth care, people care, and fair share. 3. Promote closed-loop systems where outputs (e.g., chicken manure) become new inputs. 4. Observe and plan before planting: assess microclimates, sun exposure, and water movement. 5. Celebrate small wins; gardening is a mindful, joyful process, not just food production. “Designing Your Homestead Food System (PERMA‑Garden Concept)” 🔑 Key Points 1. “Perma-Garden” = Permanent garden blocks integrating perennials, annuals, and permaculture design for efficiency. 2. Use digital tools like SmartDraw, suncalc.org and Google Earth for planning layout and sun patterns. 3. Organize material storage using “Home Depot-style” depots with labeled aisles and racks. 4. Implement long-term phased master planning (3–5 years) instead of doing everything at once. 5. Integrate income strategies like open farm days, market gardens, and educational spaces. “Composting Systems and Living Soil” 🔑 Key Points 1. Composting is a guided biological process of decay that feeds soil organisms, not plants directly. 2. Three compost types: static, thermophilic, and vermicomposting; thermophilic requires active heat and turning. 3. Maintain a C:N ratio around 30:1 and pile temperature between 131–150°F (55–65°C) for pathogen control. 4. Compost needs oxygen, moisture, and structure—avoid anaerobic (sour) piles. 5. Vermicompost and partially decomposed compost are valuable as top-dress “living sponges.”