2024 Spring Convergence
March 2, 2024 | 9am-9pm
Location: Sweetwater Organic Community Farm
7318 Comanche Ave Tampa, FL 33634
Our inaugural convergence brought together community members across generations for a day of inspiring, life-centered experiences, workshops, and panels.
This gathering was dedicated to engaging our community in conversation about environmental stewardship and community building through the lens of Regenerative Culture.
Photo Gallery
Photos from the convergence capturing the spirit of our gathering.
Opening circle welcoming all participants
Hands-on rainwater harvesting workshop
All-ages fun and intergenerational connection
Community meal and connection
Evening drumming and dancing
What We Explored
All Ages Fun
- Toy Swap! Share your toys and come home with something new (to you)
- Intergenerational workshops for the whole family
- Hands-on workshops including rainwater harvesting and Learning from Nature
- Drumming and Dancing
- Campfire S’Mores
Network & Connect
Network with new people and teachers in our Connections & Tea space, where participants could search and input on a physical map of resources in the region—making visible the regenerative network across Tampa Bay.
Educational Workshops
- Rainwater harvesting demonstrations
- Learning from nature walks
- Permaculture Principles in practice
- Native plant identification
- Community resource mapping
Our Value-for-Value Experiment
We embraced “value for value” pricing—a new way of thinking about exchange that puts relationships and access at the center:
The Pricing Model
We offered:
- 💙 Pay Nothing ($0) - Community support ensured everyone could attend
- 💚 Contribute a Little ($10) - Helped cover basic costs
- 💛 Cover Event Cost ($30) - Standard attendance support
- 🧡 Support the Community ($60) - Fair compensation for speakers and organizers, plus seed funding for future events
Why This Approach?
From our event description:
“We believe in the transformative power of shared experiences and the principle of ‘value for value.’ This event is not just about attendance; it’s about shared experiences and connecting us to life.”
This experimental approach helped us tell a new story of economics—putting life at the center of money. See Regenerative Economics for more on this approach.
Key Learnings
1. People Hunger for Authentic Connection
In a culture of fragmentation, intentional gathering across difference creates something alive. The convergence demonstrated that Regenerative Culture isn’t just theory—it’s lived practice.
2. Intergenerational Exchange Enriches Everyone
From elders sharing wisdom to children reminding us to play, to youth bringing fresh vision—all ages together strengthened the whole.
3. Place-Based Learning Matters
Many attendees had never visited Sweetwater Farm before. Meeting on working land that demonstrates Bioregional Design made regenerative principles tangible and real.
4. Economic Experiments Shift Consciousness
The value-for-value model showed that access and relationship can be prioritized over extraction. Many participants reflected that the pricing approach itself was transformative.
5. Community Wants This
The energy, engagement, and feedback was clear: people are hungry for spaces like this. The convergence planted seeds for ongoing gatherings and deeper connections.
Participant Reflections
“This felt different from other events. People really showed up with their hearts.”
“I loved seeing my kids learning alongside elders. That doesn’t happen enough.”
“The pay-what-you-can approach made me think differently about how we organize events and exchange value.”
“I met so many people doing regenerative work in Tampa Bay I didn’t know about. We need to connect more.”
Looking Forward
This convergence was the beginning, not the end. It showed us:
- The appetite for regenerative gathering in Tampa Bay
- The power of Circle Process and intentional design
- The possibility of [[ Value-for-Value Economics ]] in practice
- The importance of Community Gatherings as foundation for culture shift
Future convergences will build on what we learned here.
Get Involved
Want to participate in future gatherings or help organize?
- Join Us - Connect with the community
- Email: regeneratetb@gmail.com
- Stay tuned for announcements of future events
Explore Further
- Past Events - Archive of gatherings
- Events - Main events page
- Community Gatherings - Our approach to gathering
- Circle Process - How we hold space
- Regenerative Culture - The principles we practice
- [[ Value-for-Value Economics ]] - Our economic experiments
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