SUNDERLAND — Farmer Daniel Botkin will discuss gardening tactics in the time of climate chaos during a Dec. 2 event at the Sunderland Public Library. The event, “Opportunistic Gardening Tactics in the Time of Climate Chaos,” will take place at 2 p.m.
Botkin will tell stories and show slides illustrating the key strategies and tactics he has used for 28 years at Laughing Dog Farm in Gill.
Botkin describes himself as a “guerrilla gardener.” He was attracted early on by the do-it-yourself ethos, making do with whatever one can scrounge up from one’s surroundings. Dumpster-diving, gleaning, recycling, and repurposing all sorts of materials marked his early years as a young man growing up amidst the counterculture of the 60s and 70s.
Nowadays, guerrilla gardening is no longer fun and games. In his presentation, which will include a slide show, Botkin will describe his robust, no-till, mulch-centric style of four-season growing, featuring a diversity of seasonal annual and perennial food crops. This approach has served him well over 28 years on his 5-acre, hand-powered, permaculture-style farm.
Botkin’s presentation will be part of the library’s series on “Biodiversity & Home: Gardening, Agriculture, and Climate Change.” The series is funded by a grant from the Sunderland Cultural Council, a local agency, which is funded by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. It is free and open to the public. Registration is not required.