(Newswire.net — April 14, 2014) Pahoa, HAWAII — Participants are flying in for the event from other islands and as far away as the States. Vistors to Pahoa can conveniently fly into nearby Hilo airport. Ecotourists can now decompress to the island’s relaxed pace at Hilo’s new Healing Oasis, located in the new 4.6 star rated accommodation Riverbend House in downtown Hilo.
Ecotourism is a rapidly growing part of the economy in Hawaii. Permafest is the first permanent agricultural festival since the mainstream of humanity abandoned the agrarian way of life. Just over 100 years ago, more than 90% of Americans fed their own families as organic farmers.
With the rapidly increasing awareness of damaging effects of mono-cropping, pesticides and GMOs associated with the corporate ‘Green Revolution’, more and more people are looking to organic growing methods like permaculture, aquaponics, biointensive and traditional indigenous forms of agriculture.
The Shire is no stranger to such celebrations, having hosted a number of non-profit groups in years past. The Shire hosted three regional Rebirth gatherings known as ‘burns’ sponsored by Ka Pilina interactive arts society, the Hawaii affiliate of the Burning Man organization. The modern Burning Man tradition has its cultural roots in agrarian celebrations of the new life of the land each spring.
The April, 2014 issue of Outside Magazine names Pahoa as the world’s second best adventure hub, after Cuenca Ecuador:
“When you go to Hawaii, you expect great access and a mellow vibe. It doesn’t get much more chill than Pahoa… explore black-sand beaches and volcanic caves, hike to burbling lava and geothermal pools, or snorkel with sea turtles and dolphins—often before your first bite of morning mango.”
Former Hawaii County Councilwoman Aunty Emily Naeole and other community elders will be presenting agricultural workshops throughout the weekend.
Jana Bogs, Ph.D., author of the new #1 best-selling book Beyond Organic… Growing for Maximum Nutrition, says of Swartwout, the visionary healer behind Permafest:
“I have worked with Dr. Swartwout for over 20 years in various aspects of the health and nutrition field, mainly as a patient. I consider him an outstanding resource for healing…a true wizard who helps people heal when most doctors have nothing to offer that works. He is exceptionally kind, giving, and understanding–always responsive in the most positive light.”
Swartwout, in his Shire personna as the healing wizard Glendalf, will be presenting tours of The Shire’s agriculture, both in the 20 acres of rehabilitated sugar cane plantation and in the surrounding endangered rainforest. Research is underway to discover why the island’s indigenous Ohia forests are rapidly dieing.
Swartwout’s theory is that a contributing factor comes from China’s increasing use of fossil fuels. Even though Hawaii’s trade winds bring the cleanest air on the planet, the jet stream above Hawaii delivers acid rain directly from China. Swartwout received his undergraduate degree in Environmental Earth Sciences with high honors from Dartmouth College. Dartmouth was rated the #1 undergraduate teaching institution in the States according to U.S. News & World Report this year for the fifth year in a row.
The Beatles Connection
The name Permafest was proposed by Boston Kane, step-son of Denny Lane, singer, song writer and guitarist with The Moody Blues, and later with Paul McCartney and Wings. Coincidentally, the first ground breaking for the gardens at The Shire was by ‘Sandalwood Man’ Mark Hanson, former gardener for George Harrison. The Shire is also a potential future site for the non-profit Island Nutopia. Island Nutopia is seredipidously affiliated with the micronation Nutopia founded in 1973 by John Lennon and Yoko Ono.
The Shire is the topic of the 5 star rated book The Shire: Glendalf’s Guide to Cultivating Your Future Self, which introduces Swartwout’s vision for the plantation as a sustainable artist’s community and experiential learning center. The book also weaves in the author’s innovative Clinical Theory of Everything which is the subject of a public television series just published in DVD format.
