Subject: message to April Sampson-Kelly

From: Andrew Erb <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 21 Nov 1997 17:26:26 -0600 (CST)

April I tried and tried to send this to your email address but it just 
would not work so I'm sending it out to the list, maybe others will 
have an interest in helping to create a permaculture videoconference to 
train sustainable ag people.

April, Hi!

I have recently been communicating with Damon Lesjack through the perm 
list about putting together a proposal (in response to a call for 
proposals see attachment #1) to request funding to bring permaculture 
training to persons involved in Sustainable Agriculture (see attachments 
#2+3).  After reading your recent post I wanted to ask you if you and/or 
your organization would consider teaching some of the courses (if the 
proposal gets funded).  So far we (Damon and I) have been discussing the 
idea of using outside consultants such as yourself to do the teaching via 
videoconferencing.  Do you have videoconferencing equipment? (this is a 
little beyond my technological capabilities, but I will investigate 
further, one sepcific question in my mind is whether or not Personal 
Computer based videoconferencing software would be compatible with the 
stand alone units).  Here in the U.S. you can buy a connetix quick cam 
for around $100 U.S. which comes with software.  I'm really excited about 
this possibility and beleive that this could become something big.  It 
would be a way for permaculturalists to teach the academics crowd, yet 
remain outside the system to retain the freedom.

Andrew Erb [email-masked]

--------------------------------------------------------------
Attachment #1 (below)  THIS IS THE ORIGINAL CALL FOR PROPOSALS
---------------------------------------------------------------
Thought this might be of interest as an opportunity to promote
permaculture. It specifically mentions permaculture as one of the
"alternatives."

North Central Sustainable Agriculture Extension Prof Dev Consortium
 Sustainable Agriculture Professional Development Grants

Dr. G. W. Bird, Coordinator
Department of Entomology
243 Natural Science Building
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI  48824
Phone: (517)353-3890  Fax: (517)353-4354
E-mail: [email-masked]
Web Site: http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/san/ncrsare/

ACTIVITIES SUPPORTED:         Provision of Training Programs
LAST REVIEWED:                10/28/97
ACADEMIC BACKGROUND REQUIRED: Not Specified in Sponsor Literature
CITIZENSHIP REQUIRED:         U.S. Citizens
AGENCY TYPE:                  Other
DEADLINES ANNOUNCED:          02/14/98

The North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education
Professional Development Program (NCR SARE PDP) is seeking proposals for
professional development initiatives in sustainable agriculture. Projects
should focus on professional development for Cooperative Extension System
(CES), Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), and other
appropriate agency and private sector personnel within the region, in the
concepts, systems, and practices of sustainable agriculture. Successful
projects will be part of the NCR SARE PDP. Priority project categories
are: alternative farming system projects (e.g. grazing, organic, HRM,
permaculture); socio-economic and quality of life education-based
activities; and consumer education. Projects can include educational
activities that will take place on commercial farms, workshops, or
conferences: including use of satellite or other interactive TV
technologies; development of materials and fact sheets, handbooks and
manuals, videos, ect.; or innovative combinations of these or other
activities. Projects having a scope beyond a single state are encouraged.
Projects that involve farmers-ranchers as meaningful participants
(instructors or providers of information, reviewers of materials, etc.)
are also strongly encouraged; as are those that foster partnerships
between public and private sector not-for-profit organizations,
sustainable agriculture associations, and efforts between 1862 and 1890
institutions. The proposed outcome of professional development projects
must include participants that are knowledgeable in sustainable
agriculture and capable of conducting adult education programs at state
and local levels. It is anticipated that most training initiative can be
undertaken as one-year projects. Two-year proposals, however, will be
considered.

*******************************************************************
Liz Ackermann
Program Support Technician (WebWeaver)
Program Development Office, Research and Graduate Studies
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
[email-masked]         Phone: (540) 231-2455

--------------------------
END ATTACHMENT #1
-------------------------

--------------------------
ATTACHMENT #2
--------------------------
Yes this does seem like a good opportunity 
to promote permaculture.  Is there anyone who is allready teaching 
permacultue that would like to participate (lead a discussion or specific 
workshop)?  A prposal could be written to provide 
permaculture/sustainable ag. education to cooperative extensions and 
other interested parties (nation or world wide) via video conferencing.  
I'm at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri, there is a video 
conferencing center here, as well as at the University of Missouri, in 
Columbia and several other sites throughout the state.  I do not 
personally have the expertise to teach, but would be glad to help set up 
a multiple site video conference.  

Andrew Erb [email-masked]  (573) 681-5530

-----------------
END ATTACHMET #2
-----------------
ATTACHMENT #3
-----------------
To: [email-masked]
From: [email-masked] (Damon R. Lesjack)
Subject: re: funding opportunity

Andrew:

My name is Damon Lesjack and I am a graduate student at Ohio State.  I
would also like to participate in setting up a multiple site video
conference here at OSU.  We have a "Sustainable Agriculture Team" that
would be very interested in this issue.  I am a recent PC grad, and don't
have the experience to teach something like this yet.  Have you heard
anything else regarding video conferencing, the grant, or someone who would
lead the discussion?

Thank you,

Damon Lesjack

-----------------
To: Andrew Erb <[email-masked]>
From: [email-masked] (Damon R. Lesjack)
Subject: re: funding opportunity

Andrew

Yes, sustainable ag people could very much benefit from the expanded view
of permaculture.  I experienced this first-hand at a presentation about
sustainable grazing practices.  The professor was talking about using
several different varieties of herbaceous plants in a pasture grazing
system.  She then went on about the cost of housing animals indoors during
the winter, and how that would need to change somehow.  I remarked on the
diversity of plants she referred to, and asked about the possibility of
having a wider diversity, such as woody trees and shrubs that could be used
for forage as well as shelter.  She began to name some plants that would
work in such a situation.  She opened the question up to the other
professors and farmers in the room, who had nothing to add.  Apparently,
there is nobody known at universities in the midwest who is working on this
type of essential research.

I'm glad you know where to begin with the grant funding, as I am new at
graduate level funding issues.  I need to learn more about the process,
though.  No better time to learn about it for a project as valuable as
this.  I do know a guy named Mark Cohen who lives in Ohio and has been
involved in pc for many years.  He does a lot of travelling and teaching.
It would be interesting to get a pc teacher at each site participating in
the link-up.  They would most certainly come to the calling of a few
hundred bucks.  I'm sure Akiva could find someone to bring the west coast
into it.  Virginia is also interested, as Liz Ackermann posted the info.
I'll drop Liz and Dr. Bird at Michigan an email and see what happens.  You
may want to do the same.  Hope to hear from you soon.

Damon Lesjack