Introduction
to Permaculture Gardening Workshop
with Grover Stock, Kyle Sieck
and the Staff of Big Green
Summer
SATURDAY and SUNDAY MAY 3rd and 4th
2008
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to MyEarthWatchExperience
What is Permaculture? Permaculture
is about designing human habitats that have the stability, diversity and
resilience of natural ecosystems. Permaculture integrates renewable energy
systems, energy efficiency, food/gardening systems, natural building, rainwater
harvesting, urban planning along with the economic, political and social
policies that make sustainable living possible and practical.
This
short course is designed as an introduction to permaculture with a focus on how
to begin applying permaculture systems around your home and in your community.
Workshop
Description: Come
and learn what permaculture is all about. Why is it important to you? What
could it mean to your community? How does permaculture differ from other
approaches to sustainability? Learn the
principles and ethics grounding this practice of sustainability and the vision
it has to offer.
This
introductory class is normally held in Fairfield, Iowa at a cost of
$180/person. Grover Stock of Big Green
Summer is offering this short course in Cedar Rapids at the incredibly reduced rate of $55 per person.
The
instructor will be Grover Stock, Kyle
Sieck and staff members of Big Green Summer. This workshop will be
an intensive 2 day hands-on workshop held on Saturday May 3rd and Sunday May
4th in Cedar Rapids.
The
workshop includes a 100 page course book and will combine indoor classroom time
with hands-on design planning while the potential of the property where the
class is held is discussed.
Grover Stock:
Grover has 35 years experience in organic farming and has
been studying and teaching permaculture for the last 10 years. He maintains a
4.5 acre permaculture site that is off grid and is part of a teaching center
for permaculture and all things sustainable located in Fairfield, Iowa.
He is a co-founder of the Sustainable Living Coalition a non-profit
organization created to carry out goals around education and sustainability and
instructor for the Big Green Summer program in Fairfield. He is also on the Board
of Directors of the International Analog Forestry Network, a group dedicated to
recreating climax forest through analog planting. He also teaches
permaculture in Chiapas, Mexico during the winter months.
Kyle Sieck: Kyle is a graduate of the 2007 Big Green Summer
Permaculture Intern Program and just recently completed his B.A. in Geography
from the University of Iowa. Kyle helped form a community gardening
organization in Iowa City called Food Not Lawns this past winter and he is
currently working on a New Pioneer Co-op urban permaculture site which will
include many types of fruit and other perennial food crops. Kyle is
co-president for the University of Iowa Environmental Coalition and has helped
to improve recycling and promote film screening related to global climate
change. Currently, Kyle is conducting a "Vermiculture Economic Feasability
Report for Iowa City" as his senior thesis and is already propagating
worms for composting in his city apartment. A recent hobby of Kyle's is to design
and create containers for gardening sourced strictly from found or reused
materials, and then to use these containers to grow fast growing
"window" crops such as sprouts and salad greens. Other than nature
stuff, Kyle is an avid Frisbee player, musician, cook, herbalist, and local
foods advocate.
Brian Robbins: Brian
attended his first Permaculture Design Course in the summer of 2002 with Larry
Santoyo in Los Osos, California. He has
lived in Fairfield, Iowa for the last four years and has been practicing what he
learned back in 2002. Brian works
installing and maintaining various systems at Abundance Eco village, a housing
development that is powered by solar and wind energy. The village uses harvested rainwater to meet
its water needs and features a constructed wetland that purifies waste
water. Brian lives on an urban lot in
town with his close friend Kelly Custer were they have created a small
Permaculture site -- a bit of an experiment in urban agriculture. Brian and Kelly grow a great variety of
annuals and perennials which allows them to enjoy lots of berries, grapes,
peaches, perennial greens, edible flowers and even the famed and delicious paw
paw fruit. Brian as a very successful
worm farm in the basement of his home and produces a lot of good compost. The home is equipped with a rain catchment
system that pumps rainwater through drip irrigation lines to water the
gardens. At Abundance Eco village Brian
is working on building a nursery for edible and useful plants; including a
windbreak fence and a small orchard of Heartnuts, Chestnuts, Persimmons, and
Paw Paws. Brian also has experience in
standard light construction including remodels, drywall, framing, concrete, and
stone masonry.
Who is Frank Cicela?
Times are
Approximate
Schedule
Subject to Change
|
Saturday May 3, 2008 DAY ONE AGENDA |
||
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|
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8:30-9:00 |
Welcome and Introductions |
30 Minutes |
|
9:00-9:30 |
Course Overview/Coarse Goals/Student Requests |
30 Minutes |
|
9:30-10:30 |
Definition and Principles of Permaculture |
60 Minutes |
|
10:30-11:30 |
Patterns, Edge, Energy Flow |
45 Minutes |
|
11:30-12:00 |
Lunch Break |
30 Minutes |
|
12:00-12:45 |
Zones and Sectors |
45 minutes |
|
12:45-1:15 |
Soil |
30 Minutes |
|
1:15-2:15 |
Trees, Forests, Wind Breaks and Shelter Belts |
60 Minutes |
|
2:15-2:45 |
Introduction to Analog Forestry |
30 Minutes |
|
2:45-3:30 |
Measuring the Forest/Prairie System Using Agroforestry |
45 Minutes |
|
3:30-3:45 |
Applying the Measurement System to the Land |
15 Minutes |
|
3:45-4:15 |
Creating a Database for your Landscape |
30 Minutes |
|
4:15-5:15 |
Measuring, Mapping, Contours the A-Frame |
60 Minutes |
|
5:15-6:15 |
Hands on Compost |
60 Minutes |
|
6:45-7:00 |
Finish and Review |
15 Minutes |
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Sunday May 4, 2008 DAY TWO AGENDA |
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9:00-9:30 |
Questions and Answers |
30 Minutes |
|
9:30-10:30 |
Making a Bomb Proof Sheet Mulch Bed |
60 Minutes |
|
10:30-11:00 |
Making a Compost Pile |
30 Minutes |
|
11:00-12:00 |
Permaculture and Community |
60 Minutes |
|
12:00-12:30 |
Break |
15 Minutes |
|
12:30-1:00 |
Water and the Landscape |
30 Minutes |
|
1:00-1:45 |
Methods of Design |
45 Minutes |
|
1:45-2:15 |
Invisible Structures |
30 Minutes |
|
2:15-3:45 |
Mapping Exercise |
90 Minutes |
|
3:45-4:45 |
Student Presentations |
60 Minutes |
|
4:45-5:00 |
Wrap-up, Questions and Answers |
15 Minutes |
3409 Seminole Valley Road NE
Cedar Rapids, IA 52411
Register for the Workshop If you wish to take advantage of this wonderful educational opportunity, please email frank@myearthwatchexperience.com with your contact information including: your name, complete address and telephone number.
Your
$55 check checks made out to -- Grover Stock
then send to:
Permaculture Workshop
c/o
Frank Cicela
3409 Seminole Valley Rd NE
Cedar Rapids, IA 52411
Space
is limited, PLEASE register by May 2, 2008 to
insure your spot.
Workshop
will take place rain or shine.
Snacks
and refreshments will be provided.
Lunch
is Pot Luck. We will provide a main course --- please bring a dish to share along
with your own plate, silverware and cup.
Lastly,
please bring a folding chair or stool for the class.
If
you have any questions please send them to: frank@myearthwatchexperience.com
or telephone 319 832 1025
As
the workshop approaches, we will send out e-mails to all registrants with other
pertinent information.
Come
and share in a day of learning, sharing, and networking. Can't wait to see you there!!
About Big Green
Summer: Big Green
Summer grew out of an informal internship program started in 1998 at Surya Nagar Farm
and in 2000 at Abundance
Ecovillage that has served hundreds of students. This program was developed
and directed by Big Green Summer founders Lonnie and Valerie Gamble. Big Green Summer was developed with major
support from Grinnell College, the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation and dozens
of smaller contributors.
Big Green Summer has over 30 faculty members with
specialties that include architecture, biology, natural building, metalworking,
water systems, organic agriculture, renewable energy, tree crops, urban
planning, and much more. More can be
learned about Big Green Summer by Visiting: http://www.biggreensummer.com
Frank Cicela
3409 Seminole Valley Rd NE
Cedar Rapids, IA
52411
frank@myearthwatchexperience.com
or telephone 319 832 1025
