Tryon Life Community Farm

Greetings, ReCoders!
Exciting things are on the move, though we've been a bit delayed getting the word out because of the holidays. Thanks for all the interest and input so far – it seems that this is ready to take on a life of its own!

This forum post is mostly the same as the email we just sent out to ReCode folks. To add to the discussion about how best to organize, new ideas, etc., just respond to this post! Once you're a participant or editor, you can create new topics too.

We had a great organizing meeting on December 13 at Laughing Horse Books. To read the detailed minutes, visit the ReCode blog at: http://tryonfarm.org/share/node/556

The next organizing meeting will be on Thursday, January 17 at 7 pm again at Laughing Horse Books (10 NE 12th). Hope to see you there!

Updates since the last meeting:
ReCode in the media: Our first media piece is happening sooner that anticipated. This past Sunday, TLC Farm got a call from Jim Redden asking “what's new?” and we couldn't resist telling him all about ReCode. Look for an article in Friday's Portland Tribune. Also, there is an article about ReCode in the most recent Communities magazine. Both articles focus on TLC Farm's involvement in ReCode, but we're very excited to be broadening the campaign beyond the work and vision of the farm.

Code Research: Amy Tyson wrote a comprehensive 35-page paper about ReCode, which discusses the history of building codes and zoning and details the specific regulatory issues TLC Farm is approaching in ReCode Portland. A great resource! (link to the website: http://tryonfarm.org/share/node/555)

On that front, we're hoping to use TLC Farm's collaborative web site as a tool to coordinate the great research that folk are doing. See http://tryonfarm.org/share/node/557 for further details on how to add to the site, and what our anticipated structure is. Please log in, and email us to be given editorial permissions!

Establishment of working groups:
To move the campaign forward, the folks at the meeting came up with the following five working groups. Each working group is autonomous and focused on its piece of the project, and all groups will come together once a month general meeting, to share resources and ideas and discuss strategy. Point people for the working groups act as catalysts to set meeting times and keep the group focused. If you're interested in getting involved with one (or more) of the working groups, please contact the point people. Some groups still need point people to help them move forward. Might that be you?

1.Code research and development. Point people: Cameron & Julee
Research what code and zoning is existing, and what we want to see. Figure out the process for creating new codes/ easier permitting for sustainable practices.
Folk (already) interested: Cameron, Julee, Matt, Amy, Tim, Jeff

2.Networking group. Point person: Brush
Keep in broader context, bring people in, cross-pollinate, contact allies. Get stakeholders on opposite sides, facilitate roundtables, understand the heart of issue. Networkers talk to people with concerns, not just ready-made allies. Also nationally, to bolster effort.
Folk interested: Brush, Magy, Jenny, Tim

3.Practices and goals. Point people (maybe?): Levin & Magy
What would these code changes look like on the ground? What is the world we want to see built? Work with code folks.
Folk interested: Levin, Magy, Julee, Amanda

4.Public education. Point person: ?
Public education through film, web, print media, etc. Create public awareness of the issues and garner support for regulatory change. Also, make easily accessible info about what the current codes are and how to navigate new ones.
Folk interested: Brenna, Amanda, Matt, Jeff

5.Government Relationships Point Person: Brenna
For both city and state.
Government is not keeping up with the desires/demands of the people. What concerns do they have, what are the hold-ups? Why were codes made in first place, and how can we address those concerns in a more sustainable fashion now?
Folk interested: Brenna, Jeremy

Fundraising: Not yet an established working group; could become so if people are interested. We don't want to wait for funding to get moving on the campaign, but will keep our eyes open for potential sources of funding for a paid organizer. We can write grants through TLC Farm. . .

Take care, and see you soon!

Do you have a passion for working with kids in an outdoor setting? Are you excited to learn about sustainability while passing on your knowledge to the next generation? Then get involved in our Hands-On Sustainability youth education program by becoming a 'Volunteer Educator.'

Volunteer Educator Position Description(possible internship or independent study credit):

Our Hands-on Sustainability Program engages youth ages preschool through college in an interactive farm tour and hands-on activities and lessons on specific sustainability and ecology themes (gardening, natural building, forest ecology, restoration, etc.). There are opportunities for volunteers to develop ongoing relationships with groups that visit regularly.
Volunteer Educators will lead youth field trip activities at Tryon Life Community Farm using activities from TLC Farm's curriculum and their own creativity. Training for each volunteer educator includes a training session, observing / co-teaching two classes before being the primary teacher for visiting students. Each volunteer educator will then lead at least one field trip per month for at least 3 months. Field trips are usually scheduled 9am and 5pm on Tuesdays through Saturdays. For more information, please contact Matt Gordon:

edu (at) tryonfarm.org

503.245.3847

Come share your unique wisdom here at TLC farm.

We welcome all efforts to inspire dialogue, generate workshops, and spawn ceremonies that inter-activate our highest spiritual potential.

• How does your community root itself in its relationship to the earth?
• How do the lessons and teachings of your community connect us deeper with the web of life?
• How can we learn and work together for a healthier, wiser world?

Become a work-trader! Live on the land and work with other volunteers using both mind and body. Become a temporary participant in the life of the land and the communities that live, work, and play here. If you can commit to being here at least one month and devote much of your time to working and learning on the land, please consider applying. Most work-traders prefer to come in the warmer weather, but camping is possible year-round if you're willing to rough it.

Often, work projects are self-directed as we are all volunteers here! Bonsai Matt and Matt Gordon are the current work-trade coordinators. Please contact us at 503.245.3847 for more info.

Work-traders generally live in a tent on the land in exchange for at least 25 hours per week of labor. Food is normally shared with the residential community at cost.

Download the form below and send your application to worktrade [at] tryonfarm.org

Welcome to ReCode Portland!

Next meeting: Thursday, Feb 21, 2008; 7-9pm at Laughing Horse Books, 12 NE 10th St.
Notes from January 17 meeting: http://www.tryonfarm.org/share/node/566 .

See bottom of page to sign up for email announcement list, and download relevant files.

Portland is an amazing place, with thousands of people and dozens of organizations working hard at creating a more sustainable urban future. It's great, but it can often be difficult for everyone to be in touch with what others are doing, and for newcomers or grassroots group to be involved in the process. That's why ReCode Portland is so exciting.

We are a campaign bringing together citizens, planners, builders, activists, and other stakeholders in developing, coordinating, and building the movement for regulations that support grassroots sustainability. We

• facilitate collaboration among the existing organizations and people doing various aspects of the work;
• create space for grassroots groups in the discussion; and
• specifically advocate for acting within a strategy of systemic change.

We're also a work in progress, and invite you to join us in adapting to an ever-changing context. Email recode@tryonfarm.org to get involved.

TLC Farm is currently facilitating the campaign, and we are using this site to collaborate. We're using a working group approach to divide the work:

• Practices and goals.

What are the technologies and practices that we'd really like to encourage? Specifically oriented around grassroots, bottom-up change: how can we unleash the innovation and creativity of inventive people, while ensuring that community values and safety are protected? Let's focus on identifying the details!

• Code research and development.

Coordinate existing research and materials on regulatory obstacles to sustainable practices. Identify various approaches to changes in code, from overall strategy to detailed written form. Coordinate with "Practices and Goals".

• Networking group.

Keep in broader context, bring people in, cross-pollinate, contact allies. Get stakeholders on opposite sides, facilitate roundtables, understand the heart of issue. Networkers talk to people with concerns, not just ready-made allies. Also regionally and nationally, to bolster effort.

• Public education.

Public education through film, web, print media, etc. Create public awareness of the issues and garner support for regulatory change. Also, make easily accessible info about what the current codes are and how to navigate new ones.

• Government Relationships.

Develop relationships with officials and bureaus at all levels. What concerns do they have, what are the hold-ups? Give public support to the many public servants that are working hard to make change; keep the awareness and political strength focused.

For some additional background information, see the documents below. For an introduction to code barriers specific to TLC Farm, as an example, go to Amy Tyson's TLC Farm case study. We are planning on creating space for collaborative work on all the building and zoning approaches we're working on; to see how we're beginning that, go to Technical Research Notes. This site remains skeletal; the networking working group is focused on helping get more information into the public domain here.

ReCode Portland in the blogosphere:

• EcoSpace
• WorldChanging Portland (by Ethan Timm of SERA Architects)

ReCode Email announcement List

ReCode Email announcement List

Please enter your email address (and name, if possible), to automatically sign up for ReCode announcements.

First Name
Last Name
Email (Primary) *

If you have any problems or concerns, please email recode@tryonfarm.org.

     

A meeting, retreat, celebration, or other gathering at TLC Farm is something special. Here, the life of nature is woven into human experience: this place merges indoor and outdoor, living and artificial, wild and domestic.

At TLC Farm, Portland's sustainability movements are creating one example of how urban density human habitat can coexist with thriving food systems and native ecologies. Our demonstration projects, all of which are workshopped and volunteer-run, illustrate how specific technologies and practices work, and how they can interconnect.

To see an up-to-date list of scheduled workshops, see our workshop calendar. From there you can also register.

TLC Farm is an amazing place to learn ideas and practices for growing sustainable culture. We host a wide variety of experienced practitioners who teach in their fields of expertise. Past workshop topics have included:

• Earthen plasters
• Wild fermented foods
• Medicinal plant identification
• Carpentry for women
• Bird language and tracking
  

• "Village Green" open gathering area
• Outdoor kitchen (with earthen ovens)
• Ecological Living Demonstration Projects (gardens, animals, naturally built structures, etc.)
• Trail leading into Tryon Creek State Park (650-acre forest)
• Wood-heated yurt for indoor activities

For further information or to arrange a visit, please contact Matt Gordon @ 503.245.3847 or edu [at] tryonfarm.org