This page has links to resources around Austin -
organizations and companies who are also
working to help the people of Austin
through the transition to a post-oil economy.
Austin Comprehensive Plan -
The city is in the process of constructing a new Comprehensive
Plan to guide our development over the next 30 years.
Interestingly enough, that's the same period of time
the fit is going to hit the shan with the end of cheap oil,
global climate change, and world financial instability.
Transition Austin is working with the city groups overseeing
the Plan to make sure it includes these factors in a realistic
manner.
Austin Permaculture Guild -
"The Austin Permaculture Guild is a loose-knit association
of permaculture design course graduates who are dedicated
to teaching and practicing permaculture, a design system
for creating sustainable human environments. You can apply
permaculture principles to home-building and renovation;
transportation and energy; business and economics;
organizations; education; community projects; food
production; landscaping; and all other areas of your life."
Austin Natural / Permaculture / Transition Meetup Group -
This is a virtual group at Meetup.com, dedicated to
Permaculture, Transition, and healthy living.
Its goal is to bring together the local organic and
wholistic communities.
Transition Austin is working with this group to decide
the best ways for the two groups to work together
towards our common goals.
Austin Eco Network -
The Austin Eco Network (AEN) has been working for
ecological sanity in Austin for several years.
Its e-newsletter is recognized as a real force in Austin
activism, and its web site contains an Austin's best
calendar of ecology related events.
Eco XChange Austin -
"Due to the immense challenges facing our city, nation,
and planet, leading environmental groups from around the
city have joined together to advocate for a sustainable
agenda at the local and state level. In the first half
of 2009, we hosted several events to gather the policy
priorities of the new City Council, local environmental
activists and subject experts, as well as concerned
citizens. Now we are working on analyzing the priorities
and synthesizing a master list of community environmental
priorities."
AustinEnvironment -
E-newsletter on Google Groups; sign up to receive regular
news about the Austin environmental movement.
Austin Time Exchange Network -
The Austin Time Exchange Network (ATEN) is a local program
that enables individuals to provide and receive skills and
services within a network of people and organizations in
Greater Austin. Similar to concepts expressed in bartering
and alternative currency systems, this grassroots initiative
lets members exchange labor and assistance without using
the US Dollar. Launched in April of 2006, ATEN currently
has over 400 members.
ATEN values equality and compensates each of its members uniformly for the time and work they provide to others in the network. When an individual completes an hour of service for another member, they earn one Exchange Share, the unit of credit used within the network. All hours of service provided by members of ATEN are considered to be of equal value regardless of the type of skill offered in the exchange. The Exchange Share earned can be spent on receiving an hour of service from any other member of the network.
The Austin Time Exchange serves a significant purpose for Austin on several levels and in many areas of life. It is a common-sense, practical, and useful system that not only theorizes about the way communities should interact, but puts in place the methods and tools to make it happen. It provides an alternative means for its members to meet their everyday needs through promoting a complementary, local economic system. ATEN also creates a web of interaction and support that includes people from different areas and diverse backgrounds in its membership. The Austin Time Exchange works to promote social change and encourage economic self-sufficiency through rebuilding a sense of community and opportunity in greater Austin.
Travis County Master Gardeners Association -
"We are folks who love plants and love to talk to people
about plants. As a program of the Texas AgriLife Extension
Service, we provide non-biased, sound horticultural
information to the community. Our non-profit organization,
Travis County Master Gardeners Association, is not a
garden club, but a service organization of certified
master gardeners - trained volunteers who give their time
in the community to help others garden well and joyfully
in Central Texas."
Austin Urban Gardens -
"Austin Urban Gardens has partnered with Scenery-Solutions
to provide affordable, easy to install, all season, durable
and attractive raised bed garden systems, and sandboxes.
The simple, patented system includes only three components;
wood look timbers, made from sawdust and recycled plastic,
anchor stakes, and stacking stakes."
Citizen Gardener -
"Citizen Gardener is new program that began in August of
2008, designed to engage more Austin area residents in
growing food locally.
The interested student signs up for different educational
opportunities totaling ten hours of gardening course work.
This training comes from a seasoned educator or master
gardener who provides a foundation for the new student to
give back to a Partner or participant ten hours of
volunteer/apprentice work.
Upon completion of the hours, the student is not only
awarded the distinction of being a "Citizen Gardener",
but has been given the tools to create their own garden."
Urban Patchwork -
"The way it works is we'll lease plots of unused yard
from residents in our neighborhoods. Volunteers and
contractors will build up the soil, plant, harvest and
deliver fresh produce and eggs all within the same
neighborhood. Land-owners aren't required to do any of
the work. All you need to do is watch it grow!"
Backyard Food Production -
"If you are interested in growing your own food in your
backyard, or on a small farm, then welcome to our website.
We offer a DVD tutorial that covers the basics of food
production systems for a family or small group. Our
emphasis is on sustainability, so our orientation is
low-tech, with as little 'store bought' inputs as possible.
We sometimes offer workshops that teach skills related to
living sustainably."
This web site and the DVD that's available there are the
same kind of thing that Edible-Yard (below) is all about -
except the couple who run Backyard Food Production have
been at it a lot longer than Edible-Yard, and they have
a lot more land.
The DVD they sell has all kinds of hints and techniques,
and it comes with a CD-ROM full of documents of all
kinds about how to grow your own food crops and raise your
own food animals.
A really good site for the Austin area.
Resolution Gardens -
"Based on the idea that everybody loves fresh food and
will benefit from having their own garden, but not
everyone has the time, tools, know-how and expertise
needed to get one started - Resolution Gardens provides
the missing ingredients to help you get some vegetables
growing in your yard. We offer a full range of sizes
and designs- whether you are starting from scratch or
have an existing garden or landscape design you would
like added to."
They install raised beds, custom gardens, and yard farms,
and also provide gardening services such as tending and
harvesting for those who aren't up to doing that.
The best part is that they will donate 5% of their fees
to Transition Austin for any gardens whose owners say they
were referred by Transition Austin!
For information, send an e-message to
Johnny at ResolutionGardens.com.
The Edible Yard -
This site is about how you can turn your yard into an
"edible landscape."
It offers advice, references, and person-to-person help
for how to grow food on the land around your house in Austin.
It's run by the Transition Austin webmaster, and all fees
collected are donated to the Red Cross of Central Texas.
Austin Area Interreligious Ministries -
This organization is the Austin interfaith organization.
It is comprised of faith communities from all varieties of
religions - Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Baha'i, Wiccan,
and so on.
Its members work together on a variety of activites, and it
is an ideal contact point for Transition into Austin's greater faith
community.
Interfaith Environmental Network -
"Founded in the Winter of 2009, the clergy and lay members
of IEN seek to strengthen each other in our efforts to be
true to the call of our respective faith traditions to be
better stewards of God's Creation through acts of Service,
Education and Advocacy."
Sustainable Food Center -
"From seed to table, SFC creates opportunities for individuals
to make healthy food choices and to participate in a vibrant
local food system. Through organic food gardening,
relationships with area farmers, interactive cooking classes
and nutrition education, children and adults have increased
access to locally grown food and are empowered to improve
the long-term health of Central Texans and our environment."
Wheatsville Co-op -
Long-time food co-op at 3101 Guadalupe in Austin.
They have just fininshed a major expansion of their store
facilities, and offer Austinites a healthy alternative to
corporate grocery stores.
South Austin Food Co-op -
Food co-op being planned and created to be a co-operative
food source for south Austinites.
A location has not been selected yet, but the Board of
Directors is working towards that goal.
The Natural Gardener -
This store is run by John Dromgoole, a plant expert who
also has a weekend radio show in which he answers
listeners' questions about all things planted.
It's southwest out of central Austin, at 8648 Old Bee
Cave Road in Oak Hill, but if you need something for
your garden, they have it.
They also have a weekly e-mailing list of interest to
Austin farmers and gardeners.
Their "Lady Bug" brand of compost, fertilizer, etc., is
one of the most respected brands going.
Even if you never visit the store itself, their web site
is full of useful and helpful information.
For example, their page of
favorite web sites
is a treasure trove of organic gardening information.
The Great Outdoors -
This garden shop is nearly as extensive as The Natural
Gardener, just as commmitted to quality, and best of all,
it's right in in the middle of south Austin -
at 2730 South Congress, across from St. Edward's University.
It has grown from a grounds maintenance business to
one of the premier professional nurseries in Central Texas.