Agroforestry – Forestry Inspired Agricultural Systems
September 26-27, 2019
Permaculture emphasises the use of perennial plants in a design, for their long term benefits to the ecosystem. Perennial systems can be combined with annuals and animals to create more synergistic, healthy and productive farms and homesteads. Come learn the basics of agroforestry as they are applied to a small scale farming system. Agroforestry practices are considered to be one of the best way to transition our degenerative agricultural model into a regenerative model. We will cover theory, application, strategies and techniques as we learn in a living laboratory as Spiral Ridge.
Agroforesty systems have the potential to:
- Sequester Carbon
- Conserve Natural Resources
- Increase Biodiversity
- Build Topsoil
- Mitigate Drought
- Increase Production
- Model Natural Systems
- Create a just and sustainable food system
- Expand your markets
In this 3 day class you will learn the following…
Intro to Agroforestry
History
Why Agroforestry?
The Practices of Agroforestry: Forest Gardening, Silvopasture, Alley Cropping, Windbreaks, Riparian Buffer Zones, Forest Farming, Bamboo agroforestry and various hybrid systems.
Ecology
Forest Ecology
Ecological Services of Agroforestry
Ecological Aspects of AgroForestry (Plants, Soils, Animals)
Educational Tour
Tour a developing small scale integrated agroforestry system. Find out the secrets of success and the lessons learned. Explore the edge of wild and domestication. Envision how you can create these abundant systems on your own land.
Learn about:
Site Prep
Cover crops and Mulching
Tree Crops
Pruning Techniques
Animal Integrations
Fencing systems
and more….
Instructor:
Cliff has vast experience in the fields of permaculture, food forestry, organics, appropriate technology, natural building, deep nature connection and regenerative agriculture, that allow him to offer an integrative approach to land and culture repair. He empowers others to take a hands-on approach to design in his regular and advanced course offerings. His humor, straight-forward style and determination to make positive change, make him an engaging instructor, consultant and designer. He has taught over 50 courses, and has taken over 26 professional development courses. As a professional designer, he has worked for farms, intentional communities, school campuses and homesteaders. Cliff is the main instructor and curriculum developer for this course. He received his permaculture certificate in 2004 from the International Institute of Ecological Agriculture and his teacher training certificate from Dave Jacke. He later went on to co-teach the teacher training course, with Jacke. He has co-taught Dave Jacke’s 9 day forest gardening intensive, worked as a tree care specialist and has designed agroforestry systems for clients, giving him varied experience in this field. For a detailed look at his experience, training & mentors as well as a list of courses that he has taught, check out his full resume.Course Details: Course venue is Spiral Ridge Permaculture. $260 includes lunch and dinner on day 1 and breakfast/lunch on day 2 and camping for 1-2 nights. Please see Course FAQ’s page for more info. on venue, food and cancellation policy. If you are local and do not need meals or camping, write us for a reduced cost.