Simple Living Institute at Orlando Disney's Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival 2013

Attended Saturday, May 18, 2013

Thank you Simple Living Fans! We loved talking with you, answering your questions and enjoyed your stories!

Many of you have already begun the "Simple Living" journey all over the world and many more we're very thankful for SLI providing information on how to take the next steps.

With more than 300 people, a few hours felt like mere minutes, it was a blast!
After answering questions and hearing what Simple Living Institute is all about, a lot of folks asked if SLI was in other states, even other countries because they wanted to attend workshops, classes and to just learn more. The excitement was really high.

 We all want to enjoy a more creative and just life. If we're all to enjoy Living Simply, more regeneratively, it will take more than a few individuals steps, it will take communities, towns, whole bio regions sharing and caring.
Join SLI, find out how you can truly be a part of designing our future.
Simple Living Institute
SLI Membership

We thank you Simple Living Institute and Disney for helping our community and for sharing with the world at such a great event!

And a special thank you to the little girl that promised to share her worms!

Love Ann n Jogey

Upcoming Permaculture Immersion

Simple Living Institute is hosting a Permaculture Immersion Program with Tia and Terry Meer at their Econ Farm this winter.


Join us January 3-6 at the Econ Farm in Orlando, Florida for a 4-day immersion into permaculture principals, food production, natural building, and community experience.
Cost: $350 per person. $50 discount for Simple Living Institute members.

Our Permaculture Immersion Program is structured using Permaculture’s concept of zones: zones of interaction and influence starting with your self and your home, and moving out into the garden, orchard, pasture, production forest, wild lands, and political and financial structures. Our teachers bring their experience to the table to help students best design and integrate the dynamic components of a sustainable lifestyle.

The Econ Farm is a permaculture homestead with the mission of being a living model of sustainability. As a well-established yet ever evolving 10-year-old site, The Econ Farm is an excellent working classroom for the development of hands-on skills.  You will learn about living off the grid, grow food in the garden, foraging for wild edibles, tending a fruit orchard, building alternative structures, solar power, community living, worm composting, humanure, whole foods and nutrition, cooking and more.

This all-inclusive 4-day immersion program includes workshops, healthy meals, and on-site camping. For more info contact Tia Meer, certified permaculturalist, at 321-217-8492 or email tiameer@gmail.com.

More at http://www.homegrowndelightsllc.com/classes.html

Volunteers needed!

Happy fall!

Simple Living Institute has an increasing number of requests from our community to promote sustainability, assist with new garden start-ups, and educational events.  Please consider helping us in our work by joining as a volunteer for our programs, helping to steer our organization as a board member or advisor, or helping with our monthly program the 3rd Wednesday of each month at Leu Gardens.  More info on our volunteer page at http://www.simplelivinginstitute.org/volunteer.html

Simple Living President, Tia Meer, just returned from teaching in Colorado.

Central Rocky Mountain Permaculture Institute was just blessed with a wonderful Introduction to Permaculture Workshop taught by Tia Meer from Orlando, Florida. The day started with a group discussion of the history and definition permaculture. Tia emphasized how permaculture is a design process and as permaculture designers it is up to us to put all the elements in the right place to maximize the functions and relationships of each element. We talked about permaculture principals by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren and the ethics of permaculture, which are earth care, people care, and the concept of fair share. Next, Tia presented on zone and sector planning and stressed how important it is to put the high maintenance areas such a vegetable gardens close to the house and also the importance of having a zone 5 where we can learn from nature and be inspired.

In the afternoon we learned about plant guilds and the benefits of perennial polycultures, which is basically companion planting of plants that live for a long time. Tia created a very useful plant list that highlighted the functions of the plants found in this region of Colorado showing if they were edible, nitrogen fixers, or dynamic accumulators (plants that bring up nutrients from deep in the soil).

The day ended with a chop and drop activity where we helped the cherry, apple, and plum fruit trees grow by mulching with fresh trimmings from nitrogen fixers, carbonaceous materials, and dynamic accumulators of Siberian pea shrub, cattail harvested from the pond and comfrey respectively. We had a great day, an awesome lunch, and everyone learned a lot. The feedback from the students was great. CRMPI intern Sarah Morehouse said “Tia’s teaching technique is very inviting and informative. “

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Tags: CRMPI, Forest, Gardens, Guilds, Meer,Organic, Permaculture, Tia, workshop

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Simple Living Update with Tia Meer

Natalie Costa recently interviewed Simple Living Institute's president, Tia Meer.  Check out her Backpackers Journal blog at http://www.backpackjourna.com/human-interest-profiles/simple-living-update-with-tia-meer/ to learn more.  The interview covers what Simple Living is going, other community organizations to get involved with, and a little Simple Living philosophy.

Central Florida Fair

With Spring in full swing around Central Florida I was truly looking forward to the Central Florida Fair.
It was an unusually rainy day for us (of late), but we headed out on the last day of the fair to see what this year's festivities brought.

Okay I think I've officially become a Floridian, as the rain made it cold!
Especially inside at the table, where we sat and greeted folks who came in from the yukky weather to take a look around. We were positioned at the far end of the hall. The weather made it a light-traffic day, but we spent our timing talking with a number of interesting people. One was a women who was a master gardener and enthusiastic about Simple Living's display, especially the food guide and our classes for kids. Another gentleman came to get information about the Organic Grower's meetings, as he and his wife have been inspired by successfully growing tomatoes, to find others who they can talk with about growing Florida friendly plants.

The best part for me, was after more than a year of growing plants here in CFL, I was able to share my personal experience's, not just those of my fellow Simple Liver's. I made lists for a number of people of my favorite heirloom plants that are/were flourishing in my growing space. It was a very relaxed day of talking butterflies, plants and recommending places to get seeds/ plants that work well here.

Thank you for those who set up the display it was great; from the irrigation, the sweet potato, the butterfly sheets, the Central Florida Food Guide and the kids classes board - there was definitely something for everyone to be interested in.

I love being inside this hall with the stamp collectors, wood turners, stone polishers and various other crafters. It reminds me that the time for all these important arts is still NOW. That the knowledge is alive and being shared with those willing to take a moment out of their busy world to slow down and enjoy a quiet rain free room with many passionate folks to explain their wares.

If you missed this year's fair, mark 2013 for early March and head out. It's a great way to spend an afternoon enjoying Florida and all the variety we have to offer.  Make certain to stop by the Simple Living table and take a look.

We hope to see you there!
Until next time.
Ann S

Thank you Simple Living Volunteers!

I would like to thank all the people who contribute to the existence of Simple Living Institute! To all of our volunteers, members, educational partners, and people who attend our events, THANK YOU! We recently celebrated and showed our appreciation of our volunteers at our Volunteer Appreciation Dinner hosted by Ethos Vegan Kitchen. Visit our photo gallery on our website at www.simplelivinginstitute.org to view the photos of the event. We are always accepting new volunteers too! Please email us at volunteer@simplelivinginstitute.org and learn more about our volunteer opportunities. We are currently in need of volunteers to help with administration, garden start-ups, outreach events, and our Organic Growers Meeting.