Did you know that the FDA allows more than 14,000 chemicals and additives to be present in our food? Or that chemical “agriculture” giant Monsanto has a direct tie to carcinogenic oil spill–dispersant Corexit? Or that tomatoes are spliced with mosquito DNA? Or that the hormones that make chickens grow 200 percent of their normal size might have a cancer connection? It's time to consider designing agricultural ecosystems that are sustainable, self-sufficient and modeled on relationships found in nature. To that end, this year's theme of the SoCal Permaculture Convergence is “Reconnect, Reskill, Regenerate,” and its purpose is to “re-create a village-like atmosphere” with interactive presentation, skill-sharing and discussion. Learn about sowing, beekeeping, seeding, sacred landscape design, oven-building, goat-keeping, pollination and cosmological connections. It's also a heck of a camping trip, with hands-on workshops, nature walks, beach treks, delicious food and interesting camp mates.

Fri., April 29; Sat., April 30; Sun., May 1, 2011

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