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Food Forest Workshop


This 2 day workshop in Cape Town is an intensive hands-on weekend looking at food forests. While the focus is on urban food forests, all the concepts scale up to rural landscapes as well. We will learn to “think like a forest” and create a cultivated ecosystem that not only provides food but also fuel, medicine, fibre, dye plants and more, and all for a lot less work than a classic vegetable garden.

We start with a basic Introduction to Permaculture as a framework to understanding the patterns of forest ecosystems and how they relate to growing a cultivated edible forest. Understanding ecological succession, biodiversity, stacking, perennials crops and more. We will also cover aspects such as building and maintaining soil fertility, pests, diseases and methods of control, integrating animal systems, pruning,  water & Irrigation, design and construction considerations, guilds “Companion planting”.  As well as the biggest mistakes and pitfalls to avoid. All of this framed in an African and Cape context.

The first day takes place at The Nook, a 4 year old established urban food forest in Kalk Bay and focuses on theory and understanding and unpacking everything that is going on in this small oasis of biodiversity and abundance. The second day we move to Glencairn for a day of complete hands-on practical immersion where we will install a mini food forest (12sqm) from beginning to end. We will also get our hands dirty with redirecting all the home's grey water into the food forest system. Importantly this demonstrates what can be done with very little space and without access to groundwater for irrigation.

Gain all the  experience you need to be able to go back to your home, school, or community garden and create your own.

Who the course is for

Anyone who has done a PDC and wants to deepen their knowledge of food forest systems OR those who have no training in permaculture design but want to create a food forest or simply better understand how the principles and approach can be used with their fruit tree/s.

Calling all home gardeners; permaculture designers; landscapers; horticulturalists; town planners and architects; anyone interested in food production. Whether you already have a food forest or are totally new to the concept, you will definitely benefit from this workshop. The workshop focuses on urban scale food forests but all the principles scale up to small holdings or farms.


About The Teacher

Andy Jamieson is a full-time permaculture designer with more than 5 years experience working in the field designing and installing food forest systems both in urban and rural environments. He has been cultivating an urban food forest of his own for the last 4 yrs in Kalk Bay. His work also includes the built environment and sustainable technology such as rain water harvesting, grey water systems, bio-digestors and natural pools. He has been featured in InsiderSA, Huisgenoot, House & Garden and WaterBear Network and is an internationally certified permaculture teacher having completed the highly regarded “Teach the Teacher Curriculum” - by Rose Morrow. 

What will be covered?

1 Day of theory looking at an established urban food forest

  • What is permaculture / Intro to Permaculture

  • What is a food forest?

    • Succession

    • Resilience in diversity

    • Agroforestry,  syntropic 

  • Design

    • Guilds

    • Pattern & Layout

    • Windbreaks

    • Microclimates

  • Building and Maintaining Soil Fertility

    • Cover crops

    • Chop n Drop / mulching

    • Biochar / clay

    • Sheet mulching

    • Nitrogen Fixers

    • Composting

    • Worm farming

    • fertilisation of food forests

  • pests, diseases and methods of control, integrating animal systems – birds and bees

  • harvest considerations

  • Water

    • How much? Irrigation methods

    • Grey Water

      • Techniques

      • How far can it go?

      • Banana Circles

    • Passive Water Harvesting

      • Swales

      • Mulch Pits

  • Trees

    • Tree Planting

    • Cultivar Selection

    • Pruning Basics

1 Day of Practical - Tiny Food Forest

We will install a brand new food forest only 12 sqm in size that will be irrigated purely from grey water.

  • How to safely redirect grey water to the landscape without any pumps or storage.

  • Passive water harvesting earthworks

  • Sheet Mulching

  • Soil remediation to transform sandy soil. 

  • Tree planting

  • Planting a guild. What do we plant around our fruit tree to form a mini ecosystem of symbiosis?

  • In situ worm composting system

Details

Day 1 Venue 17 Clairvaux Rd, Kalk Bay, Cape Town - March 4th
Day 2 Venue 68 Glen Eagle rd, Welcome Glen, Cape Town - March 5th
Date Sat 4, Sun 5 March 23 | 9am - 5pm
Cost R2800

We provide a simple vegetarian lunch but please bring your own food if you have specific dietary requirements.

Full payment of R2800 is required to reserve a spot BUT I am offering the following refund policy for bookings in case it doesn't work out or you change your mind.

100% refund if you cancel with 60 days to go to the event,
65% refund if you cancel within 30 days to go to the event,
35% refund if you cancel within 15 days to go to the event,
0% refund with 8 days to go. (Unless I am able to get someone to take your place at last notice, then I can refund you 85%) 

Payment Details: Leaf and Stone, Standard Bank, Branch no: 051001, Acc no: 10148864439
Reference: surname-forest