CHILLICOTHE, ILLINOIS — Summer Camp Music Festival has announced plans for integrated permaculture education into the festival offerings. In collaboration with several educational entities, the music festival will join a short list of events across the nation that are now offering educational and learning opportunities prior to the main event. A goal of the effort is to donate infrastructure to civic organizations supporting community gardens.

From Sunday, May 21st to Tuesday, May 23rd 2017, the Three-Day Permaculture Intensive Experience will host registered guests in Chillicothe, IL for three days of learning; the cost of participation being $333. The action-oriented workshop will address natural building methods, soil health, water design integration, planting techniques, edible food forests, container gardening, and much more. The complete immersion event includes prepared meals, camping, morning ceremony, evening discussions and a dynamic learning environment.

As the ongoing expansion of the festival’s Make a Difference educational programming, the workshop will prepare students with a series of techniques to take action and transform any space after the course. The program will also provide to the local community. On Wednesday, May 24th, students will have the option to guide a Permaculture Action Day, using newfound knowledge and skills in a practical leadership application transforming the landscape of 7 Circles Heritage Center through the principles of permaculture. At the conclusion of the festival, the effort aims to enhance the local food movement, gifting many of the garden displays to civic and educational organizations in the neighboring community.

The intensive will be facilitated by a collective of teachers who have studied the course concepts both internationally and domestically and boast years of applied knowledge, offering a broad and practical perspective. Educators of the 2017 course include contributions from Wake the Farm Up (Indiana) Clear Creek Schoolhouse (Kentucky), thePOOSH.org (Kentucky), Diverse Metamorphosis (Illinois), and the Permaculture Action Network.

Nick Algee, Project Manager for the Permaculture Program and SCMF’s Soulshine Program, states:

“As the cities of America reach for more sustainable methods of day-to-day business, so too should our music festivals which are essentially small temporary cities. Permaculture represents the regenerative capabilities of nature; we are educating our patrons about these concepts but also living them by donating installations to neighboring community organizations to amplify opportunities to grow local food. This is also the inaugural year for a permanent garden space at the event grounds. Our ambition is to create an ongoing learning environment to educate central Illinois about permaculture principles year-round. Annually, Summer Camp Music Festival attendees can witness the progress of the evolving space and share stories about their own ongoing projects at home, learning as a community. Extending into permaculture programing is a natural step for the festival that has been composting post-consumer food waste and paper products for 8 years. In permaculture, organic waste is considered a commodity, a resource that could and should be retained to support the growth of new life.”

Since 2001, Summer Camp Music Festival has transformed the grounds annually, welcoming an increasing number of fans and musical acts. This event now hosts more than 20,000 attendees and 100 bands on seven stages over three days, as well as workshops, live art, and sustainability initiatives. Summer Camp Music Festival is the biggest event in the Midwest every Memorial Day Weekend. For more info and to secure registration for the permaculture learning, visit: Summer Camps Permaculture Corner.

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Written by: Electric Feels Staff