Permaclub at Hawkridge Homestead
Permaclub is a monthly, hands-on learning and labour exchange rooted in permaculture ethics, community care, and shared responsibility.
Once a month, from February through November, people gather at Hawkridge Homestead to work together on timely farm projects—planting, harvesting, building, preserving, and maintaining the systems that sustain us. The focus is not just on how to do the work, but on why it matters: ecologically, socially, and politically.
Permaclub is not a workshop series and not unpaid labour. It is a reciprocal, place-based practice grounded in:
- collective learning and skill-sharing
- shared responsibility for land, food, and care
- equitable access to knowledge and nourishment
During harvest months, participants take home a family share of produce grown through our collective work.
Lineage & Gratitude
Permaclub at Hawkridge Homestead is inspired by Perma Club HK, a community-based permaculture collective active in Hong Kong in the early 2010s. I was fortunate to work alongside the Perma Club HK community while living in Asia around 2014, and that experience deeply shaped how I understand collective labour, reciprocal learning, and place-based food systems.
In particular, I want to acknowledge Sacha Van Damme and the wider Perma Club HK crew for modeling a form of permaculture practice that centred relationships, skill-sharing, and mutual care—not expertise, extraction, or productivity for its own sake.
Permaclub at Hawkridge Homestead is not a replica of that work, but a local adaptation: shaped by different land, climate, community, and responsibilities. It carries forward the same core commitments to shared labour, knowledge exchange, and building community through doing—together.
What to Expect
Permaclub runs for one full day per month (approximately 5–6 hours, with breaks). Each day includes:
- clearly framed tasks connected to real farm needs
- time for explanation, questions, and shared reflection
- a shared meal and intentional rest
- work adapted to a wide range of abilities and capacities
No prior farming experience is required. Learning is co-created: there is no single expert or instructor. Everyone is encouraged to share skills, experiences, and knowledge—whether that’s farming, food preservation, caregiving, building, organizing, or simply noticing what’s happening on the land.
Permaclub is family-friendly. Children are welcome, and care work is understood as part of the system, not a distraction from it.
Shared Values & Participation Agreement
By participating in Permaclub, you agree to help uphold the following shared commitments:
Care comes first
We prioritize physical safety, accessibility, consent, and rest. You are encouraged to work within your limits, take breaks, and communicate your needs without apology.
Learning is collective and co-created
No one is expected to know everything. Everyone is expected to contribute what they do know. Permaclub works because skills and knowledge circulate horizontally—not top-down.
Labour is reciprocal
Permaclub is an exchange, not free labour. Work is paired with learning, food, shared benefit, and relationship-building.
Respect for land and animals
We follow humane, low-stress practices with animals and avoid extractive approaches to land use. Care, patience, and attentiveness matter more than speed.
Active commitment to justice and inclusion
Permaclub is an explicitly anti-oppressive space. We affirm trans, non-binary, and gender-diverse people and encourage participants to share their pronouns. Racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, and other forms of harm are not tolerated. This is not a “neutral” space—we are actively practicing a more just way of being together, and we look forward to co-creating this supportive community together.
Shared responsibility
Everyone contributes in ways that are realistic for them. This may include physical farm work, food preparation, caregiving, clean-up, or support roles. All contributions are valued.
Practical Notes
- Biosecurity: Please do not wear footwear or farm work clothing that has been used on other farms, to help protect animal and soil health.
- Weather: We work in all weather conditions. Please dress appropriately.
- Seasonal flexibility: On fair-weather days, Permaclub may extend into the evening with a campfire and shared meal.
RSVP
Our Permaclub dates have been set for 2026! You’ll find more information on each month’s event and the projects we’ll be tackling on our Events page. Please RSVP if you are able to join us.