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We hear from Lauren Simpson about plans for the Ecological Land Cooperative Summer Gathering & AGM taking place on 14th July on the beautiful Gower Peninsula. Read more

Rowland ran rammed earth building courses with us for years. He said then that a C-shaped, rammed earth house with straw-bales for external insulation, and as much glass on the south side and as little glass on the north side as possible, wouldn’t need any heating. We wanted to catch up with him to learn… Continue reading A south-facing, rammed earth, straw-bale-insulated house doesn’t need heating; why aren’t all new houses built this way? Read more

Bob Ring, or ‘Crayfish Bob’ shares his passion – an effective, and tasty, response to the damage the invasive crayfish species are doing to UK waterways and their native inhabitants. Read more

We’re pleased to announce the launch of NonCorporate.org – our sister site, dedicated to helping people move away from multinational corporations (MNCs) for everything they need. Read more

Pete Blunsdon of Root Cause Organics continues his series of guest posts about how to build your own aquaponics greenhouse. In Part 2, he gets to grips with the all important plumbing. Read more

Roxy Piper tells us all about this year’s Off Grid Festival, taking place from 9-12th August in the historic Tapeley Park and Gardens in North Devon, with the theme of Seven Generation Stewardship. Read more

On the NonCorporate blog, we’ll be interviewing people who are out there building a non-corporate economy on the ground right now. We’ll be finding out exactly what they’re doing, what they’ve achieved, what problems they face and what they’d like to see change – and we’ll be asking them how we might co-ordinate the non-corporate… Continue reading What does the future look like for community energy? Interview with Jon Hallé of Sharenergy Read more

In Part 3 of his how to build your own aquaponics greenhouse adventure, Root Cause Organic’s Pete Blunsdon covers the all important growing media, the plants and the fish. Read more

Another of our interviews, first posted on NonCorporate.org, with people working on providing alternatives to multinational corporations – this time in the health sector. Read more

We hear from yurt and tent builders and suppliers Spirits Intent about their new mission to revive low-impact living and rural economies in southern Europe through the Heartland Association. Read more

In the tenth installment of The Wool Journey with Sue Blacker at The Natural Fibre Company, we learn about the next stage of preparing wool to spin, using traditional carding machines. Read more

Herman Daly has been one of my heroes since I read Steady State Economics as a young man. I’m re-posting a blog article of his, originally posted on the website of the Center for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy (CASSE) in the US, because it’s a simple description of how it concentrates wealth… Continue reading How the corporate banking system transfers wealth from the poor to the wealthy, without anyone noticing Read more

If we are going to use livestock to produce food, we need to work out how to do so sustainably. It has always been a source of frustration to me that so much food is wasted, yet we cannot legally use it to feed our livestock, leaving them munching away on food which could have… Continue reading The case for feeding food waste to pigs Read more

With nine different earth building techniques covered and a whole host of activity planned, this is the place to be for anyone interested in building with earth. Rowland Keable at EBUKI tells us more. Read more

My partner and I have decided that we want to sell our house and come together with other people to create some sort of cohousing / community living project. But how many other people? And where will it be? Will it be a new-build project, or will it involve converting or combining an existing propery… Continue reading Living together 1: exploring the options for starting a cohousing project Read more

The Community Farm is seeking volunteers to help finish their spectacular roundhouse project. Annabel Wallace tells us how you can get involved. Read more

It’s not too late to join the biggest straw-bale building event of the year this August in Swansea. Jeffrey Hart of SBUK tells us about how you can get involved, learning all about building with straw from an impressive line-up of speakers to hands-on workshops. Read more

The Land Justice Network national gathering is your chance to learn about their work campaigning for land reform and to together help plan next steps. Read more

With careful management the orchard floor can become a thriving wildflower meadow, a habitat which is not only good for the wildlife, but also good for the soul.  Read more

As we prepare our smallholder application process for our next sites in East Sussex, the Gower and Somerset (all going well with planning permission!) we would like to find out some more information about our potential smallholders. Read more

This is the first in a series of interviews with people involved in setting up alternative, co-operative living arrangements – cohousing, community land trusts, housing co-ops, intentional communities etc. A group of us in London hope to gather information to help us start our own project. Read more

You can get yourself a co-operative phone and broadband provider – the Phone Co-op. But you can’t get a phone made by a co-operative – not in the UK, anyway. Nithin Coca reports from Indonesia on a co-operative in Jakarta producing low-end, cheap phones for their home market. Read more

In the minds of many people a catapult is nothing more than a child’s toy, or one of the weapons used by the “Beano’s” Dennis the Menace to terrorise the softies (for those of us old enough to remember). Few people these days would ever consider using a catapult for hunting, but not too many years… Continue reading The catapult as a hunting tool Read more

This week we’re talking with Maresa Bossano, who is the co-ordinator for the Community-Supported Agriculture Network in the UK. Read more

This article is the result of a discussion with Martin Prosser of Sunflower Cohousing in France. It’s the third in a series of articles about setting up alternative, co-operative living arrangements – cohousing, community land trusts, housing co-ops, intentional communities etc. Read more

I often trawl the web just speculatively looking for new people or new ideas, clicking on links from interesting sites. TEDx talks are a favourite. A few years ago I came across an intriguing TEDx talk by Professor Jem Bendell called ‘the Money Myth’. Read more

This week we’re talking with Rick Watson, who has been a member of Fireside Housing Co-op in Sheffield since 2010. They’ve purchased and co-operativised 5 adjoining houses on a terraced street. Read more

Richard Phillips of The Soap Kitchen shares how you can make your very own scallop shell candles at home with just three simple ingredients and a bit of elbow grease… Read more

On a low-impact holiday this summer, Kate Williams takes the plunge wild swimming in France to discover why so many prefer it to an indoor swimming pool. Read more

Our woodworker friends at Gate Expectations have put together this great chart of timber durability for anyone working with wood (1 is most durable and 5 is least). Over to Rob from here. Read more

This week we’re talking with Oli Rodker, founder director of the Ecological Land Co-operative and the Landworkers’ Alliance, about his work, and how we might change the nature of land ownership in the UK, where 0.06% of the population own 50% of rural land in England and Wales, according to the Country Land & Business… Continue reading The future of land ownership: interview with Oli Rodker of the Ecological Land Co-op and the Landworkers’ Alliance Read more

In Part 5 of Jo Cartmell’s mini meadow series, she shares news of a surprise in the mini meadow and new arrivals in the orchard meadow. Read more

This is the transcript of a talk given by Paul Jennings to the recent SBUK Big Straw Bale Gathering. Paul has built his straw-bale family home on a ‘One-Planet Development’ smallholding in Wales (costing £12,000). Read more

The starting point for a generative discussion of the deep adaptation agenda is a difficult one. Because to begin to rigorously and imaginatively discuss this topic first requires us to accept the likelihood of near term societal collapse. Read more

We learn from our resident retained heat cooking specialists Jane and Seggy Segaran about how to build an off-grid solar slow cooker. Read more

Calling all London grape growers – you’re invited to join the Community Wine Making Scheme run by OrganicLea. Read more

This week we’re talking with Peter Burke of A Fairer Society, a consultancy for people thinking about setting up some sort of cohousing project, from housing co-ops to community land trusts. Read more

You’re invited to participate in skill shares and farm hacks from 6-7 October 2018 at Tyddyn Teg Co-operative near Caernarfon. A joint event between Farm Hack and the Community Supported Agriculture network in Wales, Frank White tells us more. Read more

We hear from Permaculture Association’s Dan Hurring about the 2018 National Permaculture Convergence, running 20-23 September in Hulme, Manchester. Will you be there? Read more

We hear from Maresa Bossano about the CSA Open Day events promising fun, friendship and the opportunity to learn about your local community farm this autumn. Read more

OrganicLea are planning a woodland classroom but need your help to make it happen. Craig Bayne tells us more about how you can get involved with this fantastic opportunity to create more space for nature-based learning and food growing skills in north east London. Read more

We are sometimes approached by people asking why we provide information on vegetarianism, veganism and keeping animals. Isn’t that a bit incongruous? We don’t think it is Read more

The Landworkers’ Alliance are joining with others to call for an Agriculture Bill that provides access to healthy sustainable food for all. Join them on Sunday 14 October as they head to Westminster for the Good Food Good Farming March. Read more

Digging your own clay – too much hassle or a whole lot of fun? We hear from Ruby Taylor of Native Hands about how to source your own clay, as she does for her wild pottery courses in Sussex. Over to her from here…  Read more

This week we’re talking with Matthew Slater of the Credit Commons Collective, working to build a mutualist, credit-based alternative to the current money system. Read more

If you’re in London on 16th October, don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity to celebrate community supported agriculture at the CSA Network UK AGM and be inspired by the Feed the World photography exhibition. Read more

Today we’re sharing ten tips for running a market stall or craft fayre stall from the folks behind The Soap Kitchen. Read more

Firstly I should state there is no such thing as a permaculture pig, but rather pigs woven in to a permaculture design. Firstly we have to look carefully at every element we are planning on putting in to our design. Read more

The Ecological Land Cooperative opens smallholder applications for future farmers at their East Sussex site, continuing the work of generating ecological farming opportunities and rural enterprise. We hear from Lauren Simpson about how you can apply for this unique opportunity. Read more

Farmer and permaculture practitioner Marit Parker of Just Wild-Garw Teg shares why she chose not to label her farm in Wales as a “permaculture farm”. Read more

Thursday 4th October marked World Animal Day 2018. Here, Brian Czech challenges us to face up to the big-picture, systematic erosion of wild animal welfare in the face of a seemingly continual quest for economic growth. Read more

I’m using the original definition of the word, not its bastardisation that over the years has come to be used as a kind of insult in some circles. I’ve been called ‘too radical’, and I want to show why that’s an absurdity. Read more

We learn from Sigi Koko at Down to Earth Design about how to build a cob oven using local natural materials and firewood as fuel. In this first installment, she covers the preparation stages. Read more

This is a conversation between Dave Darby of NonCorporate.org and Dave King of Breaking the Frame and the New Lucas Plan. Dave (K) is opposed to the ‘technocracy’ that he describes as the root cause of environmental destruction and lack of democracy. Read more

With halogen bulbs being phased out across Europe, the future is looking bright for LED lighting. We learn from Martin Cross at INUI about the benefits it has to offer, particularly for office workers. Read more

Sigi Koko of Down to Earth Design shares a step-by-step building process to help you build your very own outdoor cob oven using local natural materials. Read more

Jo Cartmell of NearbyWild shares Part 6 of her mini meadow series. This time, she has a close encounter with two very special guests to her garden: a wool carder bee and leafcutter bee. Read more

What was it about European cultural development that led to the Scientific and Industrial Revolutions, capitalism and environmental destruction? Why didn’t it happen in the apparently much more fertile ground of China, India or the Arab world? Read more

Dear George, Congratulations on your contribution to the Moral Maze last week – I switched on the radio just as your volley articulating the ideological differentiation between fiscal and legal rationing fairly seared the waves. Read more

We’re working with other groups, including Open.coop, the Credit Commons Collective and author Tom Greco to build a UK-wide mutual credit network. Read more

Sue Blacker of The Natural Fibre Company continues The Wool Journey with the all of important question: which yarn to make? Read more

Are you tempted to give learning to spin or weave a whirl but don’t know where to start? Or maybe you have a friend or family member looking for a new craft challenge? Our new online courses are for you! Read more

Steffi Schaffler lives and works in Scotland, running a horse logging business along with her partner Dave and 3 horses. Read more

We don’t usually blog about petitions – it feels a bit too much like begging, rather than doing things for ourselves and building alternatives from grassroots. However, this petition is too important to ignore, and politicians need to hear it, even though they might not be close to understanding it. Read more

When is soap not really soap? More often than you might think. Bas de Vries of Quincessentials explores why natural soap is naturally better. Read more

Whether it’s for your kitchen walls or your 5 year old’s latest masterpiece, Sigi Koko shares her simple recipes for homemade natural paint with milk. Read more

In Part 12 of The Wool Journey, spinning commences at the Natural Fibre Company mill in Cornwall. Over to Sue Blacker to tell us more… Read more

I’ve often suggested that Western states are beginning to resemble an admin department for the corporate sector. Read more

We share exciting news from Bridport Cohousing CLT in Dorset, as they celebrate a landmark step in their work to build a neighbourhood with a difference. Over to them to tell us more from here. Read more

It’s that time of year when the delicious smell of roasting chestnuts fills the air. Jessie Watson Brown shares her tips for foraging, cooking and storing sweet chestnuts for year-round use. Read more

We’re going to be publishing a range of videos of interviews with key people involved in building the new economy – an economy that is democratic, non-extractive and sustainable.  Read more

From launching Scotland’s first 100% co-operatively-owned wind turbine to supporting community solar and hydro-electricity projects across the country, Sharenergy are working hard to keep UK community-owned wind power and more alive in the UK. Read more

Results show community clean-ups have made a dent in beach litter figures this year but this masks a growing plastic litter trend, according to organisers of the Great British Beach Clean, the Marine Conservation Society. Read more

Mark Simmonds gave us some free advice that saved us hundreds of pounds when we were setting up as a workers’ co-op. We talk about his work, and get deeper into the philosophy of co-operation.  Read more

Sean Fagan of Pioneer Bushcraft explores 7 great reasons why being outdoors and camping in winter can be fun, challenging and ultimately educational – and will greatly improve your overall bushcraft and camping skills. Read more

From growing the trees to selecting the right timber for the job, Andy Reynolds brings a lifetime of experience in forestry, carpentry and innovative thinking to timber for building. Here he explains how to source timber as responsibly as you can. Read more

Energy engineer Dr Andrew Rollinson sets out the case as to why pyrolysis and ‘plastic to fuels’ is not a sustainable solution to the plastics problem. Read more

Dave of Lowimpact.org / Noncorporate.org talks with Duncan McCann of the New Economics Foundation (see video below), about platform co-ops. Duncan is starting a taxi platform co-op called Faircab, to challenge Über. Read more

Leading straw-bale builder Barbara Jones shares news of an exciting opportunity to develop a growing design company in the natural building world. The author of Building with Straw Bales and star of our straw-bale building online course tells us more from here. Read more

This week we’re talking with Maresa Bossano, who is the co-ordinator for the Community-Supported Agriculture Network in the UK. Read more

Natural builder Sigi Koko of Down to Earth Design shares how to build an adobe floor. In Part 1, we learn about the substrate through to the insulation layer critical for any earthen floor. Read more

In Part 2 of how to build an adobe earthen floor, Sigi Koko of Down to Earth Design tackles the all important base layer. Read more

Sigi Koko teaches us the different approaches to the levelling layer in Part 3 of how to build an adobe earthen floor. Read more

A few years ago, I was having a beer in the bar at King’s Cross narrowboat marina, when someone called Fred asked me what I did. When I said that I worked for an environmental organisation, he came up with a classic line that I’ve quoted many times since. Read more

Lesley Anderson learns about the ups and downs of life for crofters Beth and Tim Rose in the Scottish Highlands. Read more

So let’s start the year with a bit of optimism. Our last post was about the fact that there is a general lack of understanding of the implications of biodiversity loss, and the contribution of climate change to it. This post is for people who do understand what’s happening to nature, but can see no… Continue reading What do we do about the coming ecological crash? Read more

Could 2019 be the year you learn how to set up and run a community market garden? Chagfood, a CSA scheme based in Chagford, Devon, is offering two apprenticeship opportunities from April to October. Read more

We speak to Graham Mitchell of Cotech about the co-operativisation of the tech sector and helping people switch to free and open source software. Read more

Natural builder Sigi Koko of Down to Earth Design shares how to perfect the final finishing layer of an adobe earthen floor. Read more

Wholewoods are continuing their fantastic work, offering volunteers on-site learning on a 2019 build camp to construct a roundhouse for OrganicLea. Adrian Leaman has all the details of how to get involved below. Read more

We interview Maresa Bossano of the UK Community-Supported Agriculture Network to see how CSA measures up against corporate supermarkets. Read more

Dave Darby interviews Trevor Hilder of Web of Wealth, who is a specialist in Stafford Beer’s viable system model (VSM). Read more

Working alongside our partners at The Open Co-op, the Open Credit Network, a UK mutual credit network, is starting to win support from organisations like Goodmoney and Finance Lab. Matthew Slater shares how you can get involved. Read more

When his old computer died, Simon Lennane knew exactly what to do to get back up and running, by building a Linux computer from scratch. Read more

North Kensington Community Energy is the first community-owned energy enterprise in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. They are installing solar panels on 2 primary schools and a community centre. Read more

Today I’m talking with Thomas Greco, who taught economics, finance and statistics for 14 years at Rochester Institute of Technology in New York, and is now an activist and consultant working on alternatives to the current money system. He also wrote the End of Money and the Future of Civilisation. I came across this book… Continue reading Why the future of money is mutual credit (and not Bitcoin): Interview with Thomas H Greco Jr. Read more

How can we build a new, non-extractive economy? Dave Darby interviews Lowimpact.org’s Dil Green to find out. Read more

Natural builder Sigi Koko shares her tried and tested method of making natural non-toxic paint from clay. Read more

Jo Cartmell of NearbyWild shares her six easy steps to welcome in the wildlife by turning a garden lawn into a native wildflower meadow. Read more

A great project to try with kids, natural builder Sigi Koko shares her best recipes for how to make natural paints with eggs. Read more