On Saturday I attended a meeting of the newly formed Organic Gardeners Network set up at Growing With Grace in April this year. I was fortunate enough to have attended that initial April gathering too, where about forty people gathered in the beautiful yurt at GWG to establish that yes, folk would like to form a network to share experience and knowledge, and support each other in all things relating to Organic Gardening.
So Saturday was the first time we tried the agreed format of 'a couple of workshops, networking, shared lunch and a meeting to discuss the direction the network was heading in'. Nine folk (and Freya the border collie) turned up and the 4 hours allocated to the above, soon stretched into 5. I loved hearing other's stories about organic food growing here in the North West (ish) and lots of problem solving and the urgency around political influence relating to food production was discussed at length. I was really overwhelmed to the positive response I got from a (very informal) workshop I facilitated around 'a brief introduction to permaculture.' Everyone had so much to offer in their quest for learning about all things permaculture, and there was a big enthusiasm for further workshops to expand on the basics. And of course we ate some great food together, before deciding as a group that the format of the day had worked well and to keep the energy and momentum of the group going, we would aim for a meeting at the same time each month, with a similar format.
Earlier this year I made a decision to really focus on establishing more connections with folk living nearby and attending events and gatherings in my local area, (and this was a key component of my Action Learning Pathway Design). I've made some lovely steps in this mission so far and hoping to make more in the near future. I've loved travelling to different parts of the country and further to meet people, but it feels really grounding and reassuring to learn and confirm how much amazing energy there is so close to home.
Useful Links
Growing With Grace
Organic Gardeners Network @ Growing With Grace Face Book Group
So Saturday was the first time we tried the agreed format of 'a couple of workshops, networking, shared lunch and a meeting to discuss the direction the network was heading in'. Nine folk (and Freya the border collie) turned up and the 4 hours allocated to the above, soon stretched into 5. I loved hearing other's stories about organic food growing here in the North West (ish) and lots of problem solving and the urgency around political influence relating to food production was discussed at length. I was really overwhelmed to the positive response I got from a (very informal) workshop I facilitated around 'a brief introduction to permaculture.' Everyone had so much to offer in their quest for learning about all things permaculture, and there was a big enthusiasm for further workshops to expand on the basics. And of course we ate some great food together, before deciding as a group that the format of the day had worked well and to keep the energy and momentum of the group going, we would aim for a meeting at the same time each month, with a similar format.
Earlier this year I made a decision to really focus on establishing more connections with folk living nearby and attending events and gatherings in my local area, (and this was a key component of my Action Learning Pathway Design). I've made some lovely steps in this mission so far and hoping to make more in the near future. I've loved travelling to different parts of the country and further to meet people, but it feels really grounding and reassuring to learn and confirm how much amazing energy there is so close to home.
Useful Links
Growing With Grace
Organic Gardeners Network @ Growing With Grace Face Book Group