Permiculture Class Offered at Mountaintop Montessori School
Posted by Paige
Gardening Like the Forest Workshop with Dave Jacke author of Edible Forest Gardens,
February 4-6, 2011
At the Mountaintop Montessori School on Pantops Mtn. in Charlottesville, VA
Friday Evening Public Talk
February 4, 2011, 7-9 PM
Gardening Like the Forest: Home-Scale Ecological Food Production
Suggested donation $10 at the door.
Healthy forests maintain, fertilize, and renew themselves, naturally. Wouldn’t you like to grow an abundant food-producing ecosystem like this in your back yard? You can! Edible forest gardens mimic the structure and function of natural forests through all their stages of development and grow food, fuel, fiber, fodder, fertilizers, farmaceuticals, and fun. We can meet our own needs and regenerate healthy ecosystems at the same time! This talk introduces the vision of forest gardening with some scientific background, a few living examples, and a sampling of some useful perennial edibles you can use in your own garden. The ecology of forest gardening can also teach us some interesting things about how we might organize human societies. Contact Terry Lilley at tygerlilley@gmail.com for more information.
Weekend Workshop with Dave Jacke:
February 5-6, 2011, 9 AM – 5 PM, with a Saturday evening lecture.
Gardening Like the Forest: Designing Perennial Polycultures
Effective perennial polycultures combine useful perennial plants into vegetation patches that minimize competition, create additive yields, and minimize the gardener’s work and outside inputs. Guild and polyculture design are the most interesting and challenging part of the forest garden design process. This in-depth, intermediate-to-advanced workshop explores the specific ecological theories behind polyculture design through experiential exercises and games. Participants will design perennial polycultures together using a variety of design processes. We’ll also explore the implications of what we learn for the design of ecological human cultures. No prior experience necessary!
The cost for the weekend is a sliding scale of $250-$295. A few work trade positions are available for partial tuition; inquire soon about work trade guidelines and availability. Contact Terry Lilley at tygerlilley@gmail.com for more information.
