Forest Garden Immersion Course 2009

DATES: April, 2009

LOCATION: Camp Epworth Permaculture Demonstration & Education Center, High Falls, NY

DESCRIPTION:
Imagine a forest where every single tree is dripping with fresh fruits and ripening nuts. Every shrub ispacked with delicious berries, and every other plantis a medicinal herb, culinary spice, or beautiful edibleflower. Tubers and root crops are abundant underfoot, gourmet mushroom logs sprout in the shade, and hardy kiwi vines climb back up throughthe layers of this multi-functional forest of food. During the 4-day (Thu-Fri-Sat-Sun) course, participants collaborate to learn how to design, establish, and maintain such gardens of Edible Forest Gardens of Eden.
 
The first two days focus on design theory & exercises, exploring ecosystem mimicry, polyculture guild design, bioregional research and a pattern language for forest gardens. During the second two days we'll put our new understanding into action by planting out a mega-diverse 1+ acre multilayered forest garden at the Epworth site. We'll develop our practical gardening vocabulary with skill-building sessions on planting patterns & techniques, low-tech plant propagation, simple water catchment, and mushroom log inoculation — all while creating a new model for community-supported food-forestry.

Course Fee: TBD. Limited "plant-trade" and scholarships will be available.

The course is limited to 28 participants, and many many people have already expressed interest. We will accept participants on a first-come, first-serve basis — A 50% refundable fee of $50 per person is required to reserve your space.