Celebrating Homecoming: Save the date for our soft opening

SEPTEMBER 4 | IN THIS ISSUE: Building Naming + Homecoming Block Party - Save the Date!; Fall Nursery Hours; Yearlong PDC Early Bird Deadline + Meet Our Resident Trainee; NKY Candidate Forum; Remembering Wendell Berry

Welcome to CPI’s Corner Commons!

This summer we solicited suggestions for the nickname of our new building at the corner of Enright Ave. and W. Eighth St., and the finalist was selected by our board in August. This name represents our vision for the space: the physical and symbolic intersection of CPI’s educational and ecological initiatives with the neighborhood we inhabit.

It feels good to be home and we want to share that joy & celebration, which is why you need to SAVE THE DATE FOR….

We invite the Cincinnati ecological community (that means you!) to join us in a celebration of resilience and regeneration at this October block party, a soft opening and inaugural fundraiser to help us power our mission. Save the date now and look for more details to come soon!

RSVP

MAKE A DONATION

Growing Value Nursery

Summer isn’t done with us yet, but we’re already thinking about fall plantings. Growing Value will be open Saturdays, 9 AM to 12 PM, between Sept. 12 and Oct. 3. More hours to follow in October. View the 2026 plant list here to get some ideas!

Shopping by Appointment: Get 1:1 help with your plant selections. Contact Howie at (513) 259-3504 to make an appointment.

VOLUNTEER AT THE NURSERY & ICEHOUSE LOT

September Volunteer Times are Wednesdays, 9AM-12PM and Thursdays, 5PM-8PM/Dusk. Tasks include watering, maintaining, and moving plants, removing invasive weeds, and preparing the nursery for fall plant sales. Work side by side with Howie to learn about plants and their care!

Growing Value Nursery is located at 824 Enright Ave. and includes the lot on the corner of Enright and Price. Check both places if you’re coming as a walk-in volunteer!

NKY Candidate Forum - Weds., September 3, 6:00-7:30 PM in Erlanger, KY

Cincinnati Permaculture Institute, in collaboration with Green Umbrella's Greenspace Alliance and partners, invite you to join us for part two of an in-person candidate forum on balancing economic development and greenspace preservation in Northern Kentucky, featuring County Commissioner candidates running for local office in Boone, Kenton, and Campbell counties.

Part 1 of the forum was held before the primary election in May. All county commissioner candidates were invited to attend the initial forum and answer questions relating to greenspace and economic development. Read more about Part 1 here. Topics for Part 2 will be expanded to include pressing concerns such as data centers, eminent domain, agricultural land use, among other topics. All questions will be curated by partners and the public prior to the event.

The forum will take place on Wednesday, September 23rd from 6-7:30 pm in the Anne Room of the Erlanger Branch of the Kenton County Library. RSVP here to reserve your spot!

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Meet Zigi, Our First Residential Trainee!

Zigi and CPI found each other at exactly the right time for both parties, and we’re exciting to welcome him as the first participant in our new residential yearlong permaculture training. Get to know Zigi in his own words! >>Read More

Pre-registration is now open for the 2026-2027 yearlong permaculture design class (PDC) beginning this November. And it pays to be the early bird: you can save $130 off of tuition when you register with a depost before September 7. Avoid the waitlist: we’re already halfway to full enrollment!

(Already taken our PDC? Consider sharing this with someone you know who’d love to take it too!)

This internationally recognized PDC, “Permaculture Through The Seasons,” meets monthly over the course of entire year and takes you to local farms, homesteads, businesses, community centers and other sites to see permaculture practices in action and learn from the people designing and applying it. It’s a uniquely localized PDC that boasts more than 20 guest presenters and hosts for a diverse perspective on local permaculture, spread over 72+ hours of instruction and design project time. We are excited to welcome back lead teacher Doug Crouch for the coming year!

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Remembering Wendell Berry, 1934-2026

Wendell Berry, novelist, poet, farmer and environmentalist, passed away at his home in Henry County, Kentucky at the age of 92 on August 31, 2026. Berry’s writings have long been cherished by nature lovers and philosophers as he explores themes of life and death, patterns in nature, cultivating peace, and loving each other better. His life’s work continues through The Berry Center Farm and Forest Institute, which offers workshops, short courses, and low residency education in low impact forestry, draft animal and livestock management, and agrarian humanities.

The Vision in this poem is one that Cincinnati Permaculture Institute shares and is earnestly working towards. We offer it here as a benediction: May Mr. Berry be singing in the fields of the valley of Forever. >>Read More

September Inputs & Outputs: PC Community Bulletin Board

Triforaging Festival 2026, Sept. 18-20 in Union, KY

Join us for a weekend of foraging! All tickets will include a potluck and keynote Friday night, a foraged meal on Saturday and classes with some great teachers throughout the weekend! Camping onsite for the weekend will be available as an add on. Kids under 12 are free with an adult ticket. We can't wait to see you! >>Read More

Permaculture Career Accelerator from Permaculture Institute of North America

You finished your PDC. Now what? The Permaculture Career Accelerator is a guided cohort for people ready to move beyond inspiration and begin building real experience, a professional network, and a practical path toward paid permaculture work. The first cohort begins September 21-25. >>Learn More

Seeking workshop proposals for the OEFFA Conference: Tending to Resilience February 2027

This event is often shaped by the workshops presented by amazing people involved in organic and sustainable food and farming. From beekeeping to backyard gardens, or food systems to business recordkeeping, we're accepting a wide range of workshop proposals. → Apply by Monday, September 21 at conference.oeffa.org.