July, 9-Day Certification Course
Focus on Farming Scale Permaculture
Insights for Setting-up Your Own Permaculture Farm July 17-25, 2008 - Steuben Green Resource Center, Steuben, WI
First 4-Days Features Mark Shepard's
Permaculture Farming Intensive Seminar - Open to Public
Students Learn from Mark Shepard's 14-Years of Permaculture Experience, Study his 100 Acre Permaculture Farm,
and Learn Permaculture Fundamentals.
Course Includes a
Site Tour of the
Varney's 5-acre Permaculture Farm
What Mark Did... Why he did it... How he did it...
What worked... ...and what didn't.
Advanced Training Course - August 2-9, 2008
An Advanced Training Course will be held in August at the Midwest Renewable Energy Association in Custer, WI. The students and instructors (Mark Shepard and Wayne Weiseman) will be charged with the creation of a full permaculture design for the MREA. Students who wish to be involved in this second course must have already completed a 72-hour permaculture design course (from Midwest Permaculture or any such course from around the world) or have life skills commensurate with this type of training. There is an application process for this advanced training course.
Completing this permaculture design certification course qualifies the graduate to participate in the
August Advanced Training
at the MREA, (See Right ---->)
Wayne Weiseman to join Mark for the second-half of this July course should we reach a minimal enrollment of 20 students.
Before and After Photos
This is how Mark's farm looked when he and his wife Jen purchased it in 1994. It was a dairy farm that had been over cropped and over grazed. Much of the topsoil had be eroded away and most of the fertility gone. The only thing that grew well were the weeds that were desperately trying to repair the soil and hold it in place.
Fourteen years later, with the use of swales to hold moisture on the land, the elimination of plowing and tilling, no chemical fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides, the soil is not only recovering, it is beginning transformed.
These are hazelnut bushes on the left and some young chestnut trees on the right.
Key Features of the 4-Day Intensive Seminar
Over the first 4-Days, Mark will cover the following in the classroom and while on tour of his 100-acre permaculture farm:
A history, overview of the farm
How to reclaim damaged soils and build fertility naturally
Using the sun, wind, rain, topography, plants and even the winter to their greatest advantages
Farm layout and design
Farm hydrology and earth works
Plant selection for a successional future
Successfully tried and tested plant guilds
Plant propagation, pruning and grafting
Natural pest controls
Using animals with care and caring for animals, with optimal integration and with minimal expense
Students will also be invited to bring maps, drawings and pictures of their own land or property (should they have any) for a cursory-permaculture assessment by the class and Mark, of what is possible to do with their land.
About 60% of the instruction will occur in the classroom, 40% on the tours.
About Mark and New Forest Farm
Mark Shepard is one of the first (and still the few) to take the principles and concepts of permaculture and apply them on a farming scale in the U.S.
Some of Mark's Chestnuts
Mark asked the insightful question when he took his permaculture training 14 years ago, "where are we going to get all of the carbohydrates and proteins that this nation consumes, if the modern model of raising soybeans and corn is ever to be replaced by more ecologically sound farming practices?"
Upon
further study, Mark realized that much of north america was once covered by the mighty oak-savana successional brushlands, one of the most biologically diverse and productive bio-regions on the planet.
Two of the dominant species - the hazelnut and the chestnut - have a remarkably similar protein and carbohydrate profile to corn
...and Hazelnuts
and soybean, and you get 3-times as much oil with the nuts -- a perfect replacement. The biggest advantage however was the fact that the hazelnut and chestnut plants are perennials. Once planted, they can live for hundreds of years. The soil beneath them will never need plowing, tilling or exposure to water and wind erosion again.
Mark's farm now consists of thousands of hazelnut and chestnuts trees/shrub along with 2 dozen other kinds of perennials including hawthorn, mulberry, apple, pear, cherry, raspberry, asparagus and more.
Also Included - A Site Tour of One Sun Farm Dave & Erin Varney's 5-Acre Permaculture Farm
Sunday Morning - July 20th, 2008
We will end this permaculture farming weekend seminar at one of Mark's favorite spots, Dave and Erin Varney's - One Sun Farm. Dave studied permaculture with Mark, helping on Mark's farm in the earlier days, and launched off on his own. What the Varney's are doing is a great permaculture-farming experiment on just 5-acres. They will share much about their successes and challenges as they have built this farm up from almost nothing over the last 7 years.
If you haven't seen the other photos yet, this link will take you to our June 2007 course that includes many pictures of the Varney's farm and a greater description of what they are doing on it (pictures #53-63). Click Here for More Pictures of One Sun Farm
Further Details of this Weekend Intensive
and the continuing Full-Design Certification Course
Description of our Full, Permaculture-Design-Certification Courses: If you have come this farm and happened to have missed the full course description elsewhere on our website, you might be wondering what is actually covered in a certification course. If so, Click Here.
Webinars:
Due to the unique nature of the special weekend and continuing course training, there will be no separate webinars hosted. Students registering for the weekend farming intensive and/or the full design course will be given access to the the recordings from the May-MREA design course. The weekend students will be invited, and the full design course student will be required, to listen to all 12 hours before attending these farming trainings.
Schedule:
For the Weekend Seminar
The course begins immediately after lunch on Thursday, July 17th and runs through lunch on Sunday, July 20th. Come prepared to work... we will go all day and into the evenings. Click here for the weekend schedule (.pdf). For the Full Course
Following lunch on Sunday the 20th, design course students may either take the afternoon off or join the afternoon tour that is open to the public for another tour of Mark's farm. The course continue with Sunday evening dinner and the class following, and runs thru Friday lunch, July 20th. To complete design course certification, students will be in class mornings, afternoons, and some of the remaining evenings. Come prepared to soak up lots of information and to work.
Texts:
No Required Text for Weekend Seminar Upon registration, students will be sent several .PDF files via email as preparatory reading.
However, for students who are planning to apply a permaculture farm design to a piece of property (today or in the future) there are a pair of books that are unequaled in information for permaculture related farming in the temperate climate zone. When Mark first found these books he almost cried when he realized how helpful they would have been when he was starting his own farm. They are relatively expensive, but are priceless when it comes to creating your own permaculture design for your land or farm and for avoiding unnecessary set-backs.
Edible Forest Gardens (Two Vol. Set) by Dave Jacke - $150 (More Detail)
Set is available for $135 to our students if registered for the weekend.
We will pay the shipping.
Owning or having access to a copy of Mollison's manual is a required text of the full course. Those who complete registration by May 17th, 2008, will receive a copy of this classic text at no charge as an early registration discount. After May 17th, students can purchase the manual at the retail price when registering ($97 - shipping is still free). You may also borrow a copy from a friend or the library if need be, but Mark has asked that each student bring a copy with them to the course. Couples or family members participating in the course may share a copy.
The Designers Manual is mailed out to students shortly after they register for the full course. This is a book that is continually referred to by committed permaculturists as 'the definitive text' in permaculture design. Both Mark and Wayne Weiseman's manuals are worn out from use.
Meals All meals are provided as part of the
workshop and the design course beginning with Thursday dinner July 17. Meals will be made with mostly organic and/or locally grown foods. There will be a vegetarian option with each meal. Please notify us of other dietary concerns or restrictions you might have. We will do our best to accommodate but we might ask students to bring some of their own specialty foods. Morning and afternoon snacks will be provided at break times. Coffee, water and tea available throughout the day.
Camping & On-Site Accommodations
The entire 9-days will be hosted at the Steuben Green Resource Center. Recently started by Bob and Rosa Samuelson, the center consists of 1000 acres beautiful rolling hills located in SW Wisconsin's Driftless Area. Property includes frontage along the Kickapoo river, marshlands, meadow, forest, crevassed hillsides, year-round springs and more. The Mississippi River is within a 30 minute drive.
Camping space is available for all students as part of the tuition. Warm showers and bathrooms are provided close at hand.
Lodging: For the camping challenged, there are lodging options available at a reasonable fee ($18 - $40/night depending on accommodations). Please contact Becky by email or phone (815-256-2215) to make these reservations - singles, doubles and 3-to-an-appartment are all available.
What to Bring:
4-6 weeks before the Seminar/Course begins, every student receives a welcome packet (by email) which includes a list of things to bring as well as more details about your course and your fellow students. There are no surprises here ...you'll just to pack the obvious for an extended stay and for classroom note-taking.
Transportation Students are responsible to make their own plans for transportation. However, during the weeks leading up to the course, we will set-up a blog site where students can communicate with each other to arrange ride-share options. Flying? For students flying in, the best airport option is Madison, WI. Our hope is that students traveling by car can pick up our air travelers. We will arrange airport runs at very reasonable rates if need be.
Weekend Seminar Fee & Registration: Price for 4-Day Mark Shepard Seminar... $495
For spouse, significant other or immediate family member... $395
For Midwest Permaculture Design Course Graduates... $395
Registration Process
Option 1 Click Here to register on-line (MC/Visa/Discover). Option 2
Call Becky at 815-256-2215 to register over the phone for options other than those posted on our e-commerce site. Option 3
Click below for a registration form that you can print-out, fill-out and mail in with your personal check or money order. Word Document (.doc) - or - .PDF File Form
Full Design Course Fee & Registration:
Price for the full, 72-Hour Design Certification Course... $1,295
Register by 5/17/08 and receive the $97 Designers Manual at no charge as an early registration discount. A discount of $200 is available for your spouse, significant other, or a second (immediate) family member. (second copy of text not included, nor required)
Registration Process Option 1 Click Here to register on-line (MC/Visa/Discover). Option 2 Call Becky at 815-256-2215 to register over the phone for options other than those posted on our e-commerce site. Option 3
Click below for a registration form that you can print-out, fill-out and mail in with your personal check or money order. Word Document (.doc) - or - .PDF File Form
Down-Payment / Course Reservation
Our simple e-commerce page is not set-up to handle partial or down-payments. If making a partial payment is an important factor to your ability to participate in either the 4-day seminar or the full design course, we invite you to call Becky at 815-256-2215 to work out these arrangements.
Cancellation and Refund Policy:
For the Weekend There is a $200 cancellation charge for the weekend seminar. You always have access to the 12 hours of webinars ($165 value) and will also receive a $165 credit for any future 4-day seminar or full design course (good for 3 years). For the Full Design Course: There is a $200 cancellation charge for the full-design course. Students still has access to all remaining webinars and receives a $165 credit towards any future design course. If a student also received the free Designer's Manual with early registration, there will be a full refund less $300.
Continuing Support Following Certification
Students who have completed the full design course are invited to become part of our growing network of graduates. We have a separate website where all our most recent and past students can connect, share ideas and look for some assistance. We also host an annual reunion up at our friend Alice's farm (another graduate) during the Midwest Renewable Energy Associations fair in Custer, Wisconsin, each June. This is wonderful way to network with fellow permaculturists who have been through a similar learning experience.
Our graduates are also invited to audit any future 72-hour certification courses at half price (provided that there is room). Our objective is to support our students for as long as they need it or want it, and to encourage them to support each other.
by Edson Freeman (A review of Mark Shepard's OEFFA workshop presentation - March 2007)
Growing up in New England, Mark Shepard's influences included his father, who planted a wide variety of fruit trees and berry bushes in the back yard, and "some grouchy old guy" down the road - who turned out to be none other than Scott Nearing (The Good Life).
Now, after a lifetime of studying and growing plants, some permaculture training, authoring a book or two, helping to establish Midwest Permaculture, and living the life he believes in, some fortunate series of events led him to the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) conference which I attended last weekend (March 2007). [I've written about my thoughts on the conference in general over here.]
Mark has probably told these stories and given these speeches hundreds of times before, but he brings so much energy and humor and brightness to the material that makes it downright infectious. He went through so many ideas that made me say, "wow," that I haven't come close to remembering everything, nor have I had time to look up the things I do remember so I can see how it all works. I hope I'm getting the details right, or at least close.
One of his main themes was what he calls the savanna model. The natural habitat in much of North America was once oak savanna - a mix of grassland and woodland. He said because the savanna takes advantage of three dimensions, vegetation high, low, and everywhere in between, you can get sixty vertical feet of photosynthesis, pull water and nutrients up from much deeper in the soil, and over time, build up some of the richest soil on earth. The savanna model can support more total biomass than almost any other system - seven times more biomass than a cornfield. In addition to large amounts of vegetation, African savannas can support very large fauna, just
as the North American savanna used to. He quizzed us on what large animals used to roam these parts, and we all replied "bison." No, he said, bison were merely the medium to small fauna. The large fauna were things like the mastodons and woolly mammoths.
So that was the kind of potential for biomass this part of the country could support, if we adopted the savanna model. How? By using the concept of stacking to grow more plants and animals in less space, even while improving the ecosystem. The savanna model can be imitated in a highly productive way by growing more woody plants and trees that bear useful products, interspersed with grazing animals on pasture or more perennial food crops like asparagus. The beauty of this approach is that it reduces to almost zero the amount of tilling, seed starting, planting, and cultivating. And once established, labor decreases and output increases over time.
He discussed the fact that every civilization that took the majority of its carbohydrates, fats, and calories from annual crops eventually failed. Soil erosion, soil depletion, and energy costs for annual crops do not scale up well. At least not unless you have a cheap, abundant energy source, like fossil fuels, to prop the system up with.
At that point, he asked for a show of hands of how many people were familiar with the concept of Peak Oil. Even among that eco-savvy crowd, only handful out of several hundred raised their hands. He showed a couple graphs that would probably be familiar to anybody who has looked into Peak Oil, but didn't delve into it much further.
Turning back to the topic at hand, he said that the most useful oak-savanna crops fall into the following families:
Fagacae: Oaks, chestnuts, beeches
Malus: Apples
Prunus: Plums, cherries, peaches, apricots, and other stone fruits
Corylus: Hazelnuts
Vitis: Grapes
Rubus: Blackberries & raspberries
Ribes: Currants & gooseberries
All grow well together, so they can be planted in various combinations, as needed. For example, imagine a chestnut tree, with a grapevine climbing up it, flanked by an apple tree on one side and a peach tree on the other, with a bramble of blackberries and gooseberries underneath. This could be done on a suburban lot. It could even be surrounded by daffodils to deter mice from chewing the bark, and to make it look pretty.
Now imagine the same arrangement, expanded into rows running north-south, with animals rotationally grazed on the pasture between the rows. (This kind of arrangement is sometimes called "alley cropping.") Think of the food potential and diversity for just a single acre!
The way he pays for these large plantings of trees is to buy twice or even three times as many trees as he needs at wholesale prices, and then he sells the extras at retail prices, which amounts to free trees for him.
He went into more detail on a couple of trees that caught my attention. The first was the chestnut tree. [Because of chestnut blight, only Chinese chestnuts can be grown in most of the U.S. at this time.] Chestnuts are nutritionally similar to corn, but take no plowing or chemicals or fertilizers or pesticides to produce. The crop almost literally falls from the sky, where it can be easily harvested for human consumption, or fed to livestock. And at the end of the chestnut tree's life, it provides straight-grained, rot-resistant lumber.
The second tree of interest was the hazelnut. Hazelnuts are nutritionally similar to soy, but with three times the oil content. Their hulls burn with the properties of anthracite coal. And every ten years, the trees can be coppiced - cut down to the ground and used for lumber - after which the stump re-sprouts to grow a whole new tree.
Even the lowly apple tree, he pointed out, could produce 25% more ethanol per acre than a cornfield, without nearly as much processing, or for that matter, farming. Another interesting comment he made was that if you mix hard cider and hazelnut oil, and wait a while, you get biodiesel. No fancy chemistry needed.
One of the core ideas of permaculture is that waste product from one system should ideally become the input of another system. Another key concept is to minimize work by keeping the things that need the most attention closest to the living space. He gave an elaborately detailed example from his morning routine.
He takes his kitchen scraps from the night before out toward his chicken coop. There, the meat scraps are separated from the vegetative material by a fully automated no-maintenance system - a system so advanced, it also deters mice, rats, foxes, coyotes, and raccoons. The system consists of the family dogs and cats racing each other to the kitchen scrap pail, with first prize being the meat scraps. While the meat sorting system is functioning, he has time to use the facilities - a composting toilet, of course. Once the animal products have been removed from the kitchen scraps, they get dumped on
the downhill slope behind the chicken coop. Off the back of the coop, above ground, is a bat box. The bats help minimize insect problems. Also on the back of the chicken coop, above ground, is a rabbit hutch, with an open mesh floor. The rabbit droppings fall onto the same slope as the table scraps. Rainwater collected from the roof of the coop is used to provide drinking water for both the rabbits and the chickens. After he feeds the chickens and lets them out of the coop, they dig through the table scraps for tasty morsels, and scratch the remaining scraps and the rabbit manure and any bat guano. Downhill from the chicken coop is a compost pit, dug into the ground. Chicken scratching plus gravity helps the scraps and manure gradually move downhill until they end up in the pit. The chickens will literally burrow through the compost looking for worms, while at the same time aerating the pile to keep the composting process moving along. After feeding the chickens and rabbits, and collecting eggs from the coop, he feeds his cattle and hogs, who have access to feed troughs attached to the coop. The animals funnel in from adjacent teardrop-shaped pastures. From there, he picks veggies from the garden, and mushrooms from a nearby shiitake log. By the time he steps back in the house, he's fed his dogs, cats, chickens, rabbits, cattle, and hogs, he's harvested the garden, and he's got the makings of a nice breakfast omelet, as he says, "all because I had to poop."
The Circle of Life, it seems, is more of an elaborate, three-dimensional, interwoven tapestry - and a beautiful tapestry at that - even if it does involve a surprising diversity of poop.
