Biointensive Team Corner:
Matt Drewno, Victory Gardens for Peace Mini-Farm and Seed Bank Manager I first got excited about agriculture when I came across the word permaculture about 14 years ago. It hit me at the right time. I was studying architecture in Rome, Italy, watching the sun rise and set on the beautiful ancient and modern city. For me it was poetic. I saw that man creates monuments to himself and in time it all falls, and Nature reclaims her raw materials: vines cover ruins, soft and gentle plants take back the stone that was once hers. I had visions of my own country in ruins. It was a very powerful experience and led me to ask some deeper questions and some playful ones. As a result, I got into permaculture: care of the Earth, of the people and sharing in the abundance. I started working on organic farms, received a permaculture certificate, and explored community. I was (and still am) seeking the tools and experience to become self-sufficient and an asset to my community. I always look to learn from the master! And so I ended up at EA in 2010 and was lucky enough to find a place at our demonstration, training and research garden at the Stanford Inn in Mendocino, California. For me, what we do is more than just double-digging and close plant spacing. It is a whole-systems approach: it is a real solution. I manage the Victory Gardens for Peace Mini-Farm and Seed Bank on the Mendocino Coast. It's a beautiful site and a great demonstration garden of the Biointensive method. Our main research garden is over 8,000 sq ft and I also manage the gardens at the Stanford Inn, about 1/4 acre, also Biointensively done. It's a fine experience working with the soils, climate and plants here. I believe that the work we do, and the work of Ecology Action, is important because it addresses so many issues: food security, local economies, exercise, nutrition and education. It is therapeutic and stress-relieving; it is ecologically sound and encourages life to thrive in all forms and functions. Biointensive gardening is appropriate. Editor's Note: We are pleased to announce that Matt is now an Advanced-Level Certified instructor of GB. Thank you, Matt, for all your hard work! This year, Ecology Action is offering the following courses and programs at Victory Gardens for Peace: Two 9-Part Saturday Workshop Series 2- and 4-Month Immersion Internships 8-Month Teacher Training Internships
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