Valley Permaculture Alliance is a nonprofit organization doing business in the Greater Phoenix area. I posed ten questions to a representative of Valley Permaculture Alliance in an effort to familiarize Phoenix area residents with the organization. Here are the responses I received.

What is the name of the organization?

Valley Permaculture Alliance (formerly Phoenix Permaculture Guild)

How long has the organization been operating in the Phoenix area?

The VPA grew out of grass roots efforts to educate the public about ways to live green with classes, events and tours of the Urban Farm here in Phoenix over 10 years ago.

The organization officially achieved 501c3 status in 2007.

Does the organization serve a particular geographic area?

We offer educational classes, tours and events throughout the Phoenix Metro Area.

Who is most likely to benefit from services provided by the organization?

Everyone, young or old, home owner or renter, who is interested in building a more sustainable community is welcome. Our events span the spectrum of interests, including small scale container gardening, production gardens, urban orcharding, food forrests, native foods, composting, raising chickens, preserving your harvests, and much more!

Are there requirements or prerequisites for people to access your services?

None, in fact most classes are offered to the public for a fee of $15. We have never turned anyone away for inability to pay.

Three things about Valley Permaculture Alliance that people might not know.

1. VPA is a non-member 501c3 organization, meaning that we do not charge monthly dues to 'belong' to our organization, but we do encourage everyone to join the online community at our website and sign up for our newsletter that includes a calendar of upcoming events. Visit us online for a listing of our events and to read more about how other like-minded people are implementing greener living techniques.

1. VPA offers a Seed Lending Library where people can ‘check-out’ seeds free of charge, with a promise to return seeds after the season’s harvest.
2. Each fall the Tour de Coops is where locals showcase their urban poultry coops and share tips and techniques for harvesting your very own eggs from your own backyard.

What is the local address?

The VPA is located in downtown Phoenix at 1122 E Washington Street, Phoenix, AZ, 85034 and is open Monday – Friday, 9 am - 6 pm.

What is the local phone number?

602- 325-1230

What is the URL of the local web site?

www.phoenixpermaculture.org

Any other comments?

The Valley Permaculture Alliance (VPA) is a thriving non-profit organization serving the Phoenix Metropolitan area. The VPA was established as a volunteer-run, non-member organization with the purpose of inspiring sustainable urban living through community education, involvement and cooperation.

From the beginning, the VPA has been committed to promoting the conscious design of cultivated urban ecosystems to include diversity, stability and resilience. Starting with classes offered to the public in composting, gardening and planting fruit trees 10 years ago, the evolution of the organization has been driven by a commitment to enhance our urban environment through sustainable practices. The VPA is driven by a strong ethical focus on the following principals:

• Care of the earth
• Care of the people
• Share the surplus

Permaculture is a term that combines “permanent” and “agriculture” and addresses sustainability and interdependence of human and natural ecosystems. "Permaculture is about sustainable human settlements. It is a philosophy and an approach to land use which weaves together microclimates, annual and perennial plants, animals, soils, water, management and human needs into intricately connected, productive communities.” (Bill Mollison from Intro to Permaculture).
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