UPDATE:
I am so glad to be able to report more encouraging news regarding the fate of this important project. I went to chat to Martin on Friday 14 March, and felt outraged on his behalf at the Trust’s cavalier treatment of him and of the threat to such a long- established permaculture site and its legacy of training, influence and scientific data. The importance of its longevity cannot be overstated and nor can the inspiration that it has given to tens of thousands of projects, especially now, in the planet’s hour of dire need.
Martin has had a constructive meeting with key figures at the Trust and is hopeful that a way forward can be found which gives the project its essential long-term stability. He will be having further discussions next week.
Until the garden’s future security is confirmed, immutably, please continue to sign the petition. If you feel moved to donate, please keep your money for now – it might be needed for a crowdfunder. Donations on the petition site go to the Change organisation, who do great work enabling petitions like this to exist…but, unless money is no object, you might prefer to donate to the specific cause at a later date.
The original article follows:
In a move which has shocked local people, environmentalists and permaculture advocates, Dartington Hall Trust are ending the Agroforestry Research Trust’s tenancy. This can only be described as an act of eco-vandalism.
“Throwing us off is not the same as giving a tenant in a building notice – they can easily move. This food forest is irreplaceable. It is literally priceless. What the DHT are doing is ecological vandalism driven by greed… we obviously need a secure long term tenancy, and we spent 4 years negotiating this with Dartington Hall Trust and had a verbal agreement to go ahead with the last CEO Alan Bolden. Then with regime change they reneged on that agreement and refused to give us a long term deal.” Garden founder, Martin Crawford.
Please sign this petition. This project is a world-famous, precious and must be preserved. Here is a video to give you a flavour of the vital work being done by Martin Crawford on the site.
look out for an update of this short piece, written to alert readers to the petition.
