PermablitzHIhui members Justin Franzmeier and Matt Lynch were featured on a news segment that aired nationally:

• click here to view story.

GROW YOUR OWN! (...chk out the lengthy disclaimer the presenters give at the end)...

Aloha Blitzers!  It is wonderful to see the spirit of reciprocity taking root.  Brilana Silva has volunteered at her 3rd blitz and we are excited to bring our radical gardening party to her home in Pearl City.

Shovels are go for Sunday, May 6th, which is also International Permaculture Day:

By participating in next Sunday's blitz you join thousands of people across the globe who are also passionate about helping change the world, by helping each other grow food, one backyard at a time...

One aim of permaculture is to grow food where people are... besides it just makes sense, and tastes more ono that way!

Space is limited in suburbia, so we will be squeezing in as much gardening space as possible with garden beds, mini banana circles, and a trellis.  However, we can only squeeze in about 20 smiling faces so RSVP quickly to attend.

Photo: (Part of) da plan...

Photo: Don't worry, we're not gonna blitz the whole campus.... yet.

Did you know there is a Student Garden, Banana Patch, and even a dryland Taro Patch at HPU's Hawaii Loa Campus?

Photos: Student garden, Banana patch, Dryland taro patch.

HPU student Julie Bertone is the next blitzer to qualify for the Permablitz network to come blitz her backyard - so she asked if we could blitz her school instead!

HPU MA-GLSD (Master of Arts in Global Leadership & Sustainable Development) Program Chair Dr. Art Whatley caught wind of a potential blitz and enthusastically offered his support (and permission!)...

...so we're planning to blitz the entire campus implement some permacultural elements into the 3 existing gardens, including installing a living fence, no-dig gardening, an awful lot of mulching, and more...

Space is limited to 20 blitzers because there is a small army of student volunteers waiting to get down 'n' dirty with us this Saturday.  RSVP quickly to reserve your spot!

Compared to the retaining walls, rasied beds, concrete rubble, and logs we've been throwing around during the last few blitzes, this blitz was a lazy Sunday afternoon...harvesting, barbecuing, swimming, grafting, and even a surprise backyard jam session courtesy of Paul Izak and Lucie Voelcker!

Photos: Garden beds prepped & planted.

Photos: Grindz from da garden: Chayote-coconut curry, Purple-sweet-potato patties, Steamed white sweet potato..

Photos: Makin' new friends: Pigeon-pea seed saving, Kaleo is happy about the potluck table, Paul & Kelly grinding ono local food,  Ekolu makes a friend...

Photos: Pool party: Jason doin' laps, Undawata races, The Creature from the Blue Lagoon...

Photo: Hunter hard @ work.

Photo: Paul, Allen & Justin hard @ work.

Photos: Grafting workshop: Justin sharing his mana'o; Matt, Nick & Kelly pretend to be trees...

Photos: New terraced gardenbeds installed.

Aloha blitzers, I hope your getting excited about next Sunday's blitz (March 18th) because its gonna be eXtremely fun! Our mailing list has grown to over 200 potential blitzers, so you will need to RSVP quickly to reserve your spot.

Photo: Lone `ulu tree awaits the transformation.

The location is pretty much right across from Kailua Beach Park, so you might want to think of bringing your boardshorts and bikinis:).  

HOSTS:  The Franzmeier Residence is stoked about hosting the blitz and letting everyone see what has been brewing in their Permacultural Foodscape over the last couple of years.  As always heavy snacks will be provided but please feel free to bring some of your favorite foods as well.

Since one of the projects of the day will be harvesting multiple sweet potato patches, a pressure cooker will be on-site instantly preparing the fresh, homegrown, organic produce we find :)

Special thanks to Mikey Broady & friends for this awesome video, featuring music by PermablitzHI's own Paul Izak!

 

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To keep informed of upcoming blitzes (where you can volunteer, learn-by-doing and make new friends along the way), join the Edible Garden Revolution here.

PermablitzHI hui members Hunter Heaivilin and Matt Lynch will lead Oahu's first Permaculture Design Course beginning March 10-11, 2012.

Photo: The road to Reppun's Farm in Waihole...

Taught over 6 alternating weekends at varying locations around the Island, this course has been designed to fit into local's busy schedules, and will include topics such as: Ethics, Permaculture Design Principles, Functional Analysis, Methods of Design, Basics of Soils & Soil Ecology, Micro/macroclimates, Watersheds & waterharvesting, Agroforestry, Seed raising & seedsaving, Integrating animals into crop production systems, Buildings & structures, Appropriate design, Community design, Regenerative Business, The Transition Movement, Food Culture, The Village Economy, Permaculture Around the World, Community Engagement Strategies, and more...

Locations & site visits include:

• Reppun's Farm (Waihole)
• Kahumana Farm (Waianae Valley)
• Ailani Gardens (Waianae Valley)
• Naked Cow Dairy (Waianae Valley)
• Hawaii Agrcultural Research Center (Kunia)
• Meleana's Farm (NShore)
• Kolea Farm (NShore)
• UH Magoon Center (Manoa)
• Lyon Arboretum (Manoa)
• Sweet Home Waimanalo (Nalo) 
• and more...

For more details visit Transition Oahu's website.

Unfortunately this class is full, but there is talk of a 2-week intensive PDC being offered on Oahu this summer.  Join the Edible Garden Revolution here to keep informed of upcoming workshops & blitzes, where you can learn-by-doing, make awesome new friends, and have lots of fun!

 

What a great little short, filmed at PermablitzHI#4 in Manoa, by Joyous Waters of Positive Media... the day really was as fun as it looks:

Stay tuned for a full 'after' report of Permablitzes 4 and 5, and be sure to support Joy's awesome work by checking out her YouTube channel. 

See ya at the next blitz!

 

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To keep informed of upcoming blitzes (where you can volunteer, learn-by-doing and make new friends along the way), join the Edible Garden Revolution here.

Photo: Permablitz - a mind-expanding experience... with Michael Broady Jr.

PermablitzHI#5 went off.

We capped attendance at 15, and 20+ people showed up anyways - including a perfectly timed (and completely unplanned, we promise) appearance by a curious neighbor firing off questions as she walked up the driveway into our preblitz briefing:

1. Is permablitz a German word?
   
2. What are you all doing here? 
3. Are all of you getting paid to be here?
4. Are any of you getting paid to be here?
5. Why the heck are you all here?
   
6. Really, nobody is getting paid??

Before.

After.

Hunter Heavilin led workshops on Banana Circles, How to Make Worm Tea, and No-dig Gardening, while Matt Lynch led a group in Building a Bamboo Garden Trellis and workshops in Soil Basics and Simple Soil Testing.

Before.

After.

Scrap rebar was used to anchor the bamboo (harvested locally), and 3 varieties of citrus trees were planted at the base of the trellis to begin the proposed espelier, while giving the family the option of using it to support the Malabar spinach already in place, or other climbers such as cucumbers, squash or beans.

Before.

After.

A central gathering space was kept in the backyard, with raised beds constructed from re-used concrete and rubble - the family can stil host backyard BBQs only now they can pluck fresh herbs & veggies by leaning back on their lawnchairs!

Photo: 'Molokai' raised bed constructed from re-used concrete rubble.

Photo: Banana circle, expanded.

Photo: Matt & 2nd-time blitzer Genta with locally harvested bamboo ready to create trellis.

Special thanks to Justin Franzmeier of Island Foodscaping for donating tools, materials, design time, and bamboo!

Oh yes, and a very special thanks to our curious neighbor Lily, who generously gave us a tour of her beautiful (and adundant) edible backyard at the end of the day.  Neighbors sharing with neighbors: inspirational.

Hawaii's Edible Garden Revolution is coming to a backyard near you!

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For more pics and details, check out our facebook page.

To keep informed of upcoming blitzes and workshops, join Hawaii's Edible Garden Revolution here.