On a frigid weekend in January, our board
members gathered to review our past year and plan for the next. There are very
few times we see other board members in person at all, and this yearly retreat
is the only time we everyone all in one place. We have monthly group phone
calls and update each other over email chains, but face to face communication,
commiseration and contemplation yield far richer results.
Our meeting place was D Acres, the 20 years established educational homestead
and hostel run by Josh Trought and his dedicated team in Dorchester, NH. As we
arrived one by one that evening, traveling from near and far, we were welcomed
by a raging hot fire and a bottomless vat of homegrown herbal tea. Josh’s
vision and fruition of this place is really something special. There are quotes
and art up everywhere to remind us the mission of skilling ourselves to the end
of sustainable living and right relationship with the environment. The root
cellar is well stocked with preserved produce and animal products from seasons
past. The library is overwhelmingly abundant with every book you could ask to
turn to to learn how we might live in harmony with the natural world.
As the sun set on that day of arrival, we received word that one of us had to
stay home and care for a child, and then another of us had the flu would be
missed as well, and then yet another had car trouble and was going to arrive
much later than expected. So it turned out to be a smaller portion of us than
intended, and the mood was a bit deflated. Our two longest serving and most
hardworking board members got to talking late that night about the efforts
they’d exerted up to this point that had left them quite beleaguered and
questioning the future relevance of our work. This didn’t seem like the best
foot to start off with as we arrived to an important weekend of effort in our
mission, but it was noted, and fresher minds instructed them to have a drink
and exert themselves at a game of ping pong instead.
In the morning, we were truly able to arrive and be there fully thanks to a
great night’s sleep and a big breakfast by Josh and his right hand man, Will.
Patty led us through a presentation on being a better board which was inspiring
and also instigated thoughts on how this information could assist other groups
working in similar fashion. We reviewed our financials and identified avenues
which didn’t suit our mission anymore and those that we will be putting more
effort into sharing in the future. Mainly, on the downside, we realized we are
not great purveyors of t-shirts. On the upside, our capability to provide
fiscal sponsorship to groups aligned with our values serves the stacked
function of mutual benefit to all. As we went through everything we had done
over the past year such as webinars, the educator’s pledge, and new
partnerships, those who had expressed fatigue the night before were suddenly
shown how much had been accomplished. Well-deserved pride and a sense of
accomplishment began to shine through their eyes, and slowly a wave of enthusiasm
for the future swelled to a crest.
“The problem is the solution!” we exclaimed as we realized the fragmentation of
permaculture in our region was both our undoing and our strength! Through the
power of personal connection, we had all been led to this earth-changing work.
We experienced that connection within our PDC’s, and were here reminded again
that it is by our relationships with one another and the inspiring leaders who
came before us that we are empowered to collectively problem solve and move forward
on this work we feel called to do.
The culmination enunciated itself as a call for Convergence. We will host a
planning retreat this autumn, to bring together those from around the northeast
who wish to help plan the summer of 2020 regional Permaculture Convergence,
which we’ve lacked since 2014. The hope is that all our smaller, locally acting
permaculture partners will find their way to us for a weekend of fun and
function. Meeting each other face to face, realizing common goals and finding
paths to support each other will connect us and grow our movement. Our region
is geologically diverse, resource rich, and full of strong-willed hardy
northerners who aren’t giving up any time soon. The power to create the kind of
world we want to live in lies in our hands, so we hope you’ll join us and stay
connected, reach out and add your unique voice. Please stay tuned to our newsletters, webinars, course listings, allies, and Facebook updates so you can be a part of this
ongoing effort, we can’t do it without you!