Serving Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and other towns of the North Carolina High Country | Founded 05-05-05

March 20, 2008 issue


The PermiBus—on the Skills for a New Millennium Tour—Arrives April 18

The Earth Activist Training (EAT) PermiBus will be on the road in 2008 visiting communities nationwide to offer community training in practical skills—the Skills for a New Millennium Tour.

The Permibus rolls into the High Country on Friday, April 18. Woodland Harvest Mountain Farm in Ashe County, 25 minutes from Boone, will host three days of ongoing workshops, trainings and discussion—from Friday, April 18, through Sunday, April 20. Shuttles from Boone to the farm will be available, and the public is invited to attend some or all of the event.

This event is a “bring what you can, take what you need” gathering, so admission is by donation, and no one will be turned away for lack of funds. Local organizers will co-create the menu based on registrant numbers and needs. Some indoor housing is available, and camping is offered onsite. To register, email woodlandharvest@riseup.net, or call 336-877-5571 with questions or suggestions. For more info, click to www.permibus.org and www.myspace.com/skillstour.

The PermiBus is a 40-foot mobile permaculture demonstration project bus in progress, complete with solar power, grey water systems, composting toilet, three dogs and a clutch of chickens.

The vision of the Skills for a New Millennium Tour is to shift patterns of consumption, while empowering individuals and communities to engage in political action that strives for a more ecologically sound, economically sustainable and socially just world. Through a series of trainings, discussions and workshops, the skills tour will improve the capacity of individuals and communities to meet basic needs in a more sustainable way. Recognizing that change can be intimidating, the skills training is grounded in decades of activism and spiritual consciousness and emphasizes making marginal lifestyle changes that enhance social, economic and environmental sustainability.

Community needs are diverse, so the variety of program options can be mixed and matched to best meet local needs.

Training is offered in three primary types of empowered learning experiences—trainings, facilitated discussions and workshops in three areas:

Homesteading Skills

• Permaculture Skills (basics, composting, water management)
• Farm Animal Incorporation and Care
• Chickens
• Canning: Vegetables/Fruits/Salsa/ Pressure Cooking
• Home Butchering: Chicken/Goat
• Sausage and Jerky Making
• Baking—Standard/Vegan
• Tool Use and Maintenance
• Cast Iron Use and Care

Life Skills

• Community Conflict Resolution
• Rearing Wild Children
• Writing Radical Poetry
• Basic Archery
• Simple Car Maintenance And Repair
• Dog Training 101
• Animal Health /First Aid

Citizenship Skills

• Nonviolent Direct Action
• Health and Safety
• Community/Protest Medic
• Media and Outreach
• Community Conflict Resolution
• Magical Activism
• Know Your Rights
• Consensus

 

Want To Go?

Dates: Friday to Sunday, April 18 to 20
Time: Various throughout each day
Location: Woodland Harvest Mountain Farm, Ashe County
Cost: By donation