OAEC and Venus Transit

main gardens we were drooling over!

 This week with the June PDC here at RDI, we got to travel up to occidental CA, in Sonoma. There we got to Visit the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center, or OAEC. Previously the Farallons Institute, it was founded by a core of people who call them selves the sowing circle,  who took the 82 acres and turned it into a permaculture, sustainable farming, water shed restoration, and all around garden paradise. complete with nurseries, guest houses, several amazing examples of earth buildings, wild lands tended, and spectacular gardens and orchards. IF you haven't heard of OAEC before, check them out. web site below as well as some words from their own website.  doing some great stuff in conjunction with the whole Northern California Permie scene.

near the residents houses, a herb and mixed perennial garden up a path

lots of cutting flowers and poppies, some beautiful plants

food production and mixed nursery beds for test plants, herbs and flowers.

From the OAEC web site-  "OAEC is a nonprofit organizing and education center and organic farm in Northern California’s Sonoma County. OAEC was founded in 1994 by a group of biologists, horticulturists, educators, activists, and artists seeking innovative and practical approaches to the pressing environmental and economic crises of our day. Much of the Center’s work addresses the challenges of creating democratic communities that are ecologically, economically and culturally sustainable in an increasingly privatized and corporatized economy and culture. OAEC's programs combine research, demonstration, education, and organizing to develop collaborative, community-based strategies for positive social change and effective environmental stewardship.





OAEC is located in western Sonoma County, 65 miles north of San Francisco, on 80 acres that encompass wildlands of meadows and mixed oak, fir and redwood forests. The Center’s bio-intensive organic gardens and orchards have been a source of inspiration and training for thousands of gardeners, farmers and landscapers for over 35 years, first as the Farallones Institute (1974-1990), then as the Center for Seven Generations (1990-1993), and since 1994 as OAEC. In a typical year, the Center receives over 3,000 visitors. Many attend one of our courses, others come to site tours or to volunteer in the garden. Bay Area social justice and environmental organizations use the OAEC facility for strategy retreats and workshops for their staff and boards. Many thousands more benefit from our organizing campaigns, public presentations, heirloom seed swaps, and consulting services." http://www.oaec.org/

more of the food and mixed gardens.

What a place! Brock Dolman was our tour guide as well as the Director of OAEC's water institute www.oaecwater.org
Brock has been the Co- instructor with Penny here at RDI for the June PDC. Big thanks to him and all of OAEC for showing us around, and being so awesome.

on a Final note, yesterday we all witnessed the Venus transit across the sun... a very surreal site of a small dot drifting across the sun... just another planet. thanks mayans for knowing what you did... what a year.