The Kaw Permaculture Collaborative (KPC)is a grassroots organization dedicated to networking people in the North Eastern Kansas region to develop a community engaged in the permaculture ethic and who share responsibility for restoring a sustainable and ecologically viable way of life. Our focus as a community of farmers and urban gardeners is the development of ecologically sustainable agriculture practices, production of healthy food, conservation of energy, mutual education, sharing of skills and labor, and creation of community self-reliance.
The KPC is a project of the Sustainabiliity Action Network (S.A.N), a 501 (C)(3) tax exempt organization whose mission is to advocate local solutions for a transition to a sustainable economy. S.A.N. is committed to building a relocalized economy-ecology in concert with the Transition Town movement occurring in many other communities. In addition, other S.A.N. projects include “Transition Kaw Valley”, “Energy Conservation & Renewables”, “Growers’ Land Consortium”, “Electric & Human Powered Vehicles”, “Water Rights & Watersheds”, and “Weekly Sustainability Announcements”.
The KPC consists of members in form Kansas City community, the Lawrence and Topeka areas.
Kansas City Permaculture Guild
The Kansas City permaculture guild was organized in 2008 after members of the KC community participated in a permaculture design certification course. To channel their enthusiasm they teamed with other local food advocates and groups including, KC Food Not Lawns and TWIG to start the Kansas City permaculture guild. The guild has organized meetings for community members to learn about possible projects and share expertise. After holding a few initial meetings the guild merged their efforts with Kaw Permaculture Collaborative. The Kansas City guild would like to focus on a number of hands-on projects, which includes collaborating with the Kansas City Center for Urban Agriculture on different projects, work with Burroughs Audubon and UMKC Department of Architecture, Urban Planning and Design on the 21st Century Green Block in the Washington Wheatley neighborhood. The goal of this project is to help redevelop an urban area and the guild will help by designing and implementing a permaculture demonstration site on a vacant lot. The group also would like to engage a larger group of home gardeners, homesteaders and community activists to expand the knowledge base, resources and projects.
Contact info: Hilary Noonan, 816-309-0655, hilaryk@sunflower.com . Hilary is a landscape architect with a permaculture emphasis.
Kansas City Center for Urban Agriculture (KCCUA)
KCCUA is a 501c3 nonprofit promoting urban agriculture. We operate the Kansas City Community Farm, a 2-acre certified organic vegetable farm in Kansas City, KS. The farm is intensively managed and highly productive with six high tunnels and a large greenhouse. Recently, we have started looking for ways to introduce permaculture methods such as no- or low-till methods, perennial crops, insectiary plantings, surface water management, solar-heated high tunnels, etc. Like most market gardeners, we must balance the need for large volumes of consistent marketable product with the diverse and probably lower yields of more sustainable permaculture systems. If you are interested in how to apply permaculture methods in market gardens, please contact us.
Contact: Daniel Dermitzel, 913-231-4484, daniel@kccua.org. Daniel holds a permaculture design certificate from the Central Rocky Mountain Permaculture Institute.
Vajra Farm Permaculture Project
The Mandala Garden
Vajra Farm is a 45 acre farm owned by Steve and Nancy Moring that is located 15 miles Northwest of Lawrence. The farm has been engaged in permaculture for over ten years, is a registered botanical sanctuary. We are involved with the cultivation of organic produce, medicinal herbs and implementing various permaculture design projects including passive solar buildings, keyhole gardens, healing gardens and creating food forests. As a member of the United Plant Savers Botanical Sanctuary Network, we have restored a portion of the land to tall grass prairie, established open herb gardens and terraced woodland gardens for at-risk medicinal plants.
Contact Steve Moring, 785-691-7305, smoring@grasshoppernet.com, Steve has holds a permaculture design certificate from Midwest Permaculture.
Forest Floor Permaculture Forest
Students in the Garden
Forest Floor Permaculture – Students in the GardenFloor Permaculture is an organically operated nut and fruit centered forest garden, established in 1980 on a one-half acre urban site located in the Brook Creek watershed on the east side of Lawrence, KS. It is a locally adapted working food forest using a diverse perennial polyculture designed in patterns of plant communities that mimic natural ecosystems. The key objective of the plant and soil relationships is to maintain the soil horizon through no-till practices and sheet mulching, while maximizing absorption and retention of water through swales and accumulated organic matter, and the positioning of plants by size, type and proximity so as to create healthy and symbiotic relationships. Principal crops are: Kingnut Hickory, Kansas Pecan, Filazel & Hazelbert, Chestnut, and Carpathian Walnut; heritage apples (Blue Pearmain, York Imperial, Calville Blanc), a summer apple, Bartlett pear, Seckel pear, Ya Li pear, Hosui pear, Paw Paw, Munich persimmon, Roy Ott tart cherry, local Mulberry; Edible Dogwood (Cornus Mas), Smoky Saskatoon, Clove currant (Ribes Oderata), Gooseberry, Goumi Berry, Brown Turkey fig; Chester blackberry, local black raspberry, Latham red raspberry, Mars seedless grape, Stevens cranberry; typical annual vegetables Contact: Michael Almon, (785)832-1300, paradigm@ixks.com
The Light Center is a farmstead and retreat center dedicated to spiritual development and healing. It is located near Baldwin City, KS, just over one hour from K.C. and 30 minutes
Meeting Centersouth of Lawrence.
The center is situated on 10 acres being which includes the retreat center barn, organic vegetable gardens and chicken paddocks. The center also stewards 25 additional acres of totally natural wildlife sanctuary. The center has expanded to incorporate the area’s first eco-village project, and has began a projects that will implement the permaculture practice and ethics. It is also seeking partners who can invest in shared ownership of the property and build their own small portable cabins. The center wants participants who are dedicated to sustainability and have some knowledge about alternative energy and construction, organic gardening and/or raising food animals. Additionally it seeks people of strong body, heart and soul who can work cooperatively with others and share space respectfully.
Contact: Robin Goff, 785 255 4583, info@lightcenter.info
Chestnut Charlie’s Food Forest
Charlie & Debra in the Orchard
- Chestnut Charlie’s is a tree crops experiment. Since 1995, over 1,500 nut trees have been planted on 20 acres of previously over-worked and exhausted farm land. Most are chestnuts, a sustainable and traditional tree food source for millennia in Europe, Asia, and eastern North America. Today, chestnuts remain, world-wide, a larger crop than walnuts and almonds combined. Also planted are pecans, walnuts, and a handful of other specialty food trees. Field grafting is practiced using existing named cultivars and also locally developed, experimental trees. Each plantation tree is numbered and observations are recorded in order to identify promising cultivars. Also, the shelterbelt/buffer contains hundreds more berry, nut, and acorn trees for human and wildlife food. Chestnut Charlie’s is a non-residential project, privately owned and operated by Charles NovoGradac and Deborah Milks. It aspires to be a commercial chestnut orchard and model/demonstration for supplemental agricultural income. Following organic and low-input principles from the beginning, it has been certified organic since 1998. The plantation is just 3 miles north of downtown Lawrence, Kansas, and one mile off I-70. Working-apprentice arrangements are possible. Visits by appointment.
Byron’s Urban Garden
Byron has transformed his urban yard from a ‘mowed flat’ landscape, to one that is filled with fruiting plants that include hazel nut, persimmon, an apple, pears, buffalo berry, medlar, small berry bushes, container grown figs, container grown blueberries, some vegetables, grapes, highbush cranberry, wild plum, elderberry, lots of roses, etc. There are interesting and exciting pathways throughout the small yard. He can be contacted at bwiley (at) sbcglobal.net Two pictures are included showing the before and after look of the yard which actually showed a great amount of change after only a few years. See the Lawrence Fruit Tree Project’s resourceful website that he has been developing http://lawrencefruittreeproject.wordpress.com/
Before - 1996, mowed flat
After - 2008, filled with fruiting plants
Administrative Contacts:
Steve Moring, Director, moringse@gmail.com
David Yates, Webmaster