EBPG monthly potluck meeting!
New Year, New Home: Intro to Permaculture + Guild Visioning'26 Join the East Bay Permaculture Guild for our first gathering of 2026 and our first ever monthly meeting at McGee Avenue Baptist Church’s social hall (1640 Stuart St, Berkeley, CA) We’ll share food, connect, and root into the question: What is permaculture—and how are we practicing it together this year? This month will feature: A “What is Permaculture?” talk with Jessica Bates (bio at the end!) exploring both land-based and social permaculture, with examples from around the Bay. A short overview of our updated guild structure for 2026 (meetings, partnerships, and project/initiative pathways), plus how you can plug in. An interactive activity where you can share your ideas for: Future meeting topics and speakers Partnerships with aligned groups Skillshares, projects, and initiatives you’d be excited to participate in or co-steward Kitchen Note We cannot use the church stove due to insurance requirement (cost therein), so please bring food ready to serve at room temperature or in containers that don’t require stovetop cooking on site. We’ll have access to the sink and basic cleanup area, and you're welcome to bring a crockpot or hotplate. — Accessibility & Inclusion We warmly welcome folks across all identities—BI/PoC, LGBTQ+, elders, youth, newcomers—and anyone interested in building real community resilience through permaculture and related practices. The social hall is on the church campus; walk through the parking lot and come in the backdoor. Space is wheelchair accessible. Children are welcome Please stay home if you’re feeling sick * Reach out if you have specific access needs and we’ll do our best to accommodate Please put what you're bringing in your RSVP comment (or comment later when you know it!), and also note that the PLACE farewell party is sunday 1/18 1-4p and possibly 1-11p, save the date, more details to come!
what to bring:
A dish to share (if you can) — please label allergens Your own reusable plate, cup, and utensils if possible (we’ll have some backups but want to reduce waste) Flyers or resources from aligned projects Your ideas, questions, and curiosity about permaculture and the future of the guild
About our speaker
Jessica Bates is a transplant from Washington, D.C. who has been establishing her roots in the Bay Area for the last 29 years. She has been gardening for over 30 years, has run multiple gardening education programs, co‑founded Berkeley’s Ashby Community Garden (now returned to the Sogorea Te’ Land Trust), worked with multiple Bay Area landscapers, and is a certified permaculture teacher and designer committed to decolonizing our food system. A Master Composter and former Master Gardener, her specialties include social permaculture, perennial vegetable and annual food production and propagation, as well as California native and “Bay‑friendly” plants. Jessica is also an urban regenerative farmer who teaches urban farmers carbon‑farming and no‑till regenerative production practices. In her own neighborhood, she has helped form the La Colina Hill Community Circle, a growing network of 50+ neighbors building a model of resilience through regular community meetings, crop swaps, a community food forest, a neighborhood disaster preparedness plan, monthly work parties, a tool and book lending library, and a 5,000‑gallon rainwater catchment system for emergency use. She aims to constantly deepen her understanding of what it means to be in community while sharing that learning through her gardening and organizing work.
Get Involved:
Volunteer roles: setup, food table, time-keeping, greeter, cleanup—sign up at https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1xKcfOZa6zYmQPddSWBODfg_t6zxM1H7qq2NyIeVuFXo/edit Help build the guild: We're seeking new leadership energy! If you're curious about organizing, facilitating, partnership-building, or have vision for what a real “guild” could be, reach out onsite or in advance.