The Driftless Curiosity workshop, “Perennials in Agriculture” was so much fun! We had a smaller group this time and I’m finding that some of the most meaningful and heartfelt connections happen within a tight knit circle. I presented on the benefits of “The 3 P’s in a Pod”: permaculture, perennials, and polyculture and talked about how different farming practices affect our soil, water, flora, and fauna. Then Rufus led a hike around the farm to our perennial crops, talking about the details of each and answering questions of curiosity along the way. In the afternoon, local aronia grower, Craig Solverson, shared his knowledge of this native super berry. The feedback we’ve gotten from surveys so far is that folks want more hands-on activities, so we gave participants an opportunity to get their hands in the dirt digging up, dividing, and replanting rhubarb and transplanting aronia berries for the edible trails project. They even got to propagate raspberries and harvest asparagus to take home. I love to see the sparkles in the eyes of those who are ready to run with new knowledge.