NEW AGE PENSIONER DEFIES WORLD GLOOM !!

At the grand old age of 71, I find that all the experience and skills I have gathered during a working life of guitar-making, kitchen design and fitting, property development, eco-adventuring, farm joinery and complementary therapy are now most satisfyingly relevant to our crazy times...

I've built up a business over the last six or seven years running courses in skills for sustainable living - simple woodwork with hand tools only and organic gardening. It's inspiring and heartening to see people with no previous experience make something from scratch or take those first vital steps in their own gardens.

In spite of the awful news from around the world I feel hopeful about the future. My business is part of a growing network of small holders, farmers, gardeners, healthcare workers and many others, working away out of the mainstream media spotlight, people getting together at a local level, building up food security and resilience, making friends, helping each other, developing and exploring how to live a more Earth-friendly and people-friendly way of life… or just getting out and having fun.

ANOTHER BATCH OF COURSES HATCHES OUT :-)

PRACTICAL WORKSHOPS FOR CRAZY TIMES
It's brilliant that our courses - all centred around the nuts and bolts of everyday sustainable living - have been so busy, building up over the last couple of years. It's great for me too that pretty much all the practical experience I've picked up over the years is now so relevant in our crazy times.

SHED MAKING SKILLS COURSE

There's obviously not enough sheds in the area... this course sold out twice really quickly so I've set up another date for it SHED MAKING SKILLS 22nd/23rd FEB 25

** BRAND NEW COURSE ** MAKE YOUR OWN WORKTABLE **
This is another whole weekend course, students will make their own worktable to take home with them, all materials supplied, an improved version of the 2x trestle and top set up which has been so versatile and useful over the years at Perth Community Farm and at Inverquiech, strong but light enough to pop in the back of the car. Course cost of £279 includes all new quality wood for everyone: WORKTABLES 8th/9th MARCH 25

SHED MAKING SKILLS - LINKS AND STUFF

SHED MAKING SKILLS - new course at Perth Community Farm

This was a brilliant weekend - great to see people without much experience working together to make a sound structure - then feeling competent to start planning and building their own sheds and extra rooms. Well done everyone!

!! EXCELLENT FOOD GROWING OPPORTUNITY IN THE HIGHLANDS !!

There's a fantastic opportunity for someone to takeover and develop what is currently a market garden at Tombreck Farm at Loch Tay - possibly into a community garden, CSA or  workers' co-op. 

I know this farm and the wonderful people living and working in this very beautiful neck of the woods as I did lots of voluntary work there some years ago: Ian's Eco Blog - Tombreck.

Here's a bit more about the current garden - there's contact details on there for Sue Manning who can give you more information.

Featured Post - Landing Page

Landing Page

Eventbrite Link

CO2 levels

Carbon Dioxide (CO₂ ppm)

Global CO₂ Levels

PRACTICAL SKILLS - COURSES SPRING 24

I've been developing a range of courses over the last few years to show people the practical skills that are really helpful whether you want to live more sustainably, be more self-sufficient, grow some food or just generally want to live life with a closer connection to the natural world. I pack a lot into these courses and make them light-hearted and fun too :-) They're all at great venues where you can see many different aspects of sustainable living in action. Coming up soon:

DRAWING SCALE PLANS made easy - and fun :-) 
at Cottage Three, Bridge of Earn, Saturday 11th May, 10.30am to 2.30pm

BASIC WOODWORK for complete beginners, women and men welcome
at Inverquiech Farm, Sunday 12th May, 10.30am to 2.30pm

GARDENING FOR BEGINNERS at Perth Community Farm, Sunday 19th May, 10.30am - 2.00pm

LOTS MORE COURSES coming up, including a second level of woodwork and woodcarving:
FULL COLLECTION HERE

We pack in as much practical stuff as we can...