Ever wondered how to patch a bike tire, research local history or bake without gluten? You can learn all these skills and many more during this Saturday’s first-ever HourFest.
The daylong event takes place at Lucid Stage and the University of Southern Maine in Portland, courtesy of Hour Exchange Portland and Portland Maine Permaculture.
Building on skill-sharing events the permaculture community has hosted and the cash-free, barter economy that Hour Exchange Portland cultivates, the event seeks to pass on community knowledge without a lot of cost to those who attend.
“It’s really about building skills, capacity and mutual aid,” said Lisa Fernandes, founder and organizer of Portland Maine Permaculture. “The philosophy behind this is that the whole community becomes more resilient. And we wanted to do it in a way that wasn’t cash-prohibitive.”
To attend this event, Hour Exchange members will pay three hours’ worth of time dollars. The general public can attend for $15.
“If they want to join the Hour Exchange, then we’ll debit their account for three hours that they’ll have to make up during the year,” said Orion Breen, an AmeriCorps Vista volunteer with Hour Exchange Portland.
Members of the Hour Exchange offer services and homemade items to other members and get time dollars in exchange. These time dollars, in turn, can be spent purchasing services or goods from other Hour Exchange participants.
“It’s a great way to get involved and not rely on the cash economy to get all your needs met,” Breen said. “We can all get what we need if we share what we know.”
Those who attend HourFest will choose among 27 sessions offered in four time blocks. In exchange for time dollars, Hour Exchange members will prepare a buffet lunch.
Music will be sprinkled throughout the day, with a Local Musician Showcase taking place at Lucid Stage in the morning, during lunch and at the close of the event.
In between, attendees will learn how to make modular origami, raise backyard ducks and compost.
“We’re doing as much hands-on as we can,” Fernandes said. “A few of the sessions might involve more slides and imagery if we can’t do the demo in the space.”
The goal of the event is to make the local community more resilient and self-sufficient.
“We’re living in an uncertain world and we don’t know what the future holds,” Fernandes said. “People are particularly concerned about the price of energy, food security, global warming and economic volatility. Building resilience at the personal household and community levels, we can better withstand shocks to the system we’ve come to rely on.
“For instance, what would happen to our ability to feed Maine if diesel fuel went to $10 a gallon? Building resilience doesn’t guarantee a good outcome, but it gives you better odds.”
Staff Writer Avery Yale Kamila can be contacted at 791-6297 or at:
akamila@pressherald.com
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