Earth Day Workshops 2008

Afternoon Workshops:

In permaculture everything is considered a resource. These common daylilies are a resource not often considered. Their tasty flowers add pizzazz to a green salad and can fetch a hefty price when sold to upscale restaurants.

1:30 Introduction to Permaculture - with Mark Hoffman

This presentation will give an overview of the principles of permaculture design and show examples of permaculture systems you can use on your own property. As the highlight of the talk, Mark will give a tour of the yard at the Greenhouse B&B where he and his wife Guia have built permaculture principles into their organic-gardening system. Click here to see some of their permaculture applications. While the examples exhibited in the tour are focused on garden and orchard applications, the talk will cover permaculture principles as applied to many other aspects of an ecosystem, especially on our role in that ecosystem. Handout provided.

Wild Violets

3:30 Benefits of Native Plants - with Carroll English
Carroll will guide a tour of the land, identifying many common 'weeds' and wild plants. She will explain their nutritional and medicinal values and suggest ways to utilize them. We can expect to see wild carrot (a natural contraceptive), chicory (a nutritive that is used as a coffee substitute), dandelion (a nutritive liver and blood tonic), violet (a nutritive high in Vitamin C), and juniper berries (a kidney and stomach tonic) as well as many other native “weeds”.

6:00 Dinner - prepared by chef Guia Hoffman - featuring local and organic ingredients

7:00 Community Living Discussion - moderated by Bill Land
Cooperation instead of competition can be a valuable goal, but is it attainable? Is living and sharing with others going to invade a person's privacy and erode their independence? Bill Land will use his 2-decade experience of living in Community to moderate a discussion of the benefits of living in an Intentional Community. Come join the fascinating discussion with other Stelle residents, and see how and why community living can be a blessing of living close with those who have shared values.

The Greenhouse B&B

Location: The Greenhouse Bed and Breakfast (two miles from Stelle)

Cost for both workshops, meal, and community living discussion: $55 per adult.
Children (ages 3 -12): $25
No charge for children under age 3.

Afternoon sessions only (not including meal): $45 per adult, $20 per child

Dinner and discussion only: $20 per adult, $7.50 per child.

Registration deadline: April 30, 2008

Note: This program is available to be scehduled for private groups (minimum of 12 attendees) and can include dinner or lunch or both. To schedule this program for your group please e-mail us or call Julie at 708-828-4325.

Overnight lodging is available at the Greenhouse Bed and Breakfast, in the homes of Stelle residents, or in area hotels. Camping space is also available. Click here for further details on lodging.

Register online, or send payment to:
Center for Sustainable Community
127 Sun Street
Stelle/Cabery, Illinois 60919

Cancellation Policy: Cancellations made prior to May 1, 2008 will receive full refund.

For more information please e-mail us ……..
or call Julie at 708-828-4325.

Our Presenters:

Carroll English

Carroll English

Carroll English has lived in the Stelle community for almost 35 years and is a native plant expert. Carroll’s love of the land began as a toddler, following her grandparents around their farm. Their knowledge and use of numerous plants was passed along, and Carroll became well-versed on the nutritional and medicinal value of plants.

Carroll has traveled and taught extensively. She holds a master’s degree in Education, and speaks Spanish fluently. Carroll also authored a booklet, “Health Values of Our Most Common Local Weeds,” describing the benefits of 20 native plants.

Guia Hoffman
Guia enjoys the challenge of preparing simple and creative – yet nourishing – culinary delights. She co-owns and operates The Greenhouse Bed and Breakfast located two miles from Stelle. Guia received culinary art training at Joliet Junior College in Joliet, Illinois, and is a member of the American Culinary Federation. She has been involved with the Stelle community for over 20 years and is known for her healthful, delectable culinary masterpieces.

Guia and Mark Hoffman

Guia’s attention shifted to cooking after she moved to the United States and realized that despite America's wealth, there were many deficiencies in the American diet. Prior to this, Guia had received a Bachelor’s degree from the University of the East, Manila, Philippines, majoring in Accounting with a minor in Banking and Finance.

Mark Hoffman
Mark serves on the Board of Directors for the Center for Sustainable Community and has been engaged in the Stelle Community for over 25 years. Mark grew up on a wheat and cattle farm in central Kansas, and his farm-boy roots provide the foundation for a number of agricultural pursuits include beekeeping, raising poultry, and operating the permaculture-oriented orchard and gardens at the Greenhouse Bed and Breakfast two miles from Stelle. Professionally, Mark works as a technical writer, trainer, and engineer, and serves as the webmaster for the CSC web site.

Bill Land

Bill Land

Bill has over 2 decades of experience of living in Community. For over 8 years he was a council member of the Kneadmore land trust in Indiana. In 1980 he helped to start the Intentional Community called Chrysalis, which became one of the core communities of the Federation of Egalitarian Communities. For a couple of years he was a national board member of the Fellowship of Intentional Communities. He also started the Network of Virginia Communities and lived for over a year at the Twin Oaks Community in Virginia.

A resident of the Stelle community, Bill has assumed the role of CSC Project Manager including the management and stewardship of over 120 fruit apple, peach and pear trees as well as the CSC's community gardens.