Edible Forest Gardens with Dave Jacke in K'zoo Mich.

Edible Forest Gardens with Dave Jacke
New Food Plants, Wild Edibles, Perennial Vegetables, Native Nuts and Fruits, Design Ideas, Applied Ecology-Horticulture
Saturday, September 13 - 14, 2008.

Workshop One

ECOSYSTEM FOUNDATIONS:
Architecture and Social Structure.
How are forest ecosytems put together, and how can we use that information to design our gardens? We'll dive into those aspects of designed ecologies making visible the hidden connections between species. Dave will show us how harness the synergy naturally found in all living systems. We will use our extensive plantings at our farm for field observation and experiential classes. Taste test many different plants from around the world. From this class you will gain design ideas for your own Edible Forest Garden and new plants you can grow for your own health.
Saturday, September 13, 2008.
9:00-4:00 Lunch Included. Vegetarian Style. Includes 2 pawpaw trees, 2 beach plums, plus 4 organic fertilizer packets for completion of the workshop ($36.00 Value).>Register at our website: www.oikostreecrops.com
Call or email questions or registration: customerservice@oikostreecrops.com Cost: $90.00

Workshop Two
GARDEN LIKE THE FOREST: Self Renewing Fertility and Perennial Polyculture.

This workshop will help you think like a forest. Using the rather starchy knowledge of soil ecosystems, Dave will aid us in ways of creating self renewing fertility, boredom free. Through this whole-system approach practical solutions for site assessment, site preparation, plant selection and planting techniques will be found. "Will this grow at my place?" will be answered in full detail through interactive exercises and discussion. Design techniques that will minimize input and improve yields will be demonstrated. Here we will look at many mature specimens of fruit, nut and forage plants and taste test them along the way. New perennial vegetables will be highlighted as well showing the infinite possibilities of a forest garden. Sunday, September 14, 2008.

9:00-4:00 Lunch Included. Vegetarian Style. Includes 2 Wild Yellow Sweet Cherry trees, 2 Very Wild Asparagus plants, plus 4 organic fertilizer packets for completion of the workshop($36.00 Value).

Register at our website:www.oikostreecrops.com

Call or email questions or registration: customerservice@oikostreecrops.com

Phone 269-624-6233

Cost: $90.00 Register for both $160.00 - a savings of $20!Preregistration is highly encouraged. Late registration the day of the workshop can be done between 8:30-8:45.

Come prepared for a day of learning and fun. No rain dates.

Sorry, No plant sales on the workshop days.

Essentially, edible forest gardening is the art and science of putting plants together in woodland-like patterns that forge mutually beneficial relationships, creating a garden ecosystem that is more than the sum of its parts. You can grow fruits, nuts, vegetables, herbs, mushrooms, other useful plants, and animals in a way that mimics natural ecosystems. You can create a beautiful, diverse, high-yield garden that is largely self-maintained.


Edible Forest Gardens is a groundbreaking two-volume work that spells out and explores the key concepts of forest ecology and applies them to the needs of natural gardeners in temperate climates. Volume I lays out the vision of the forest garden and explains the basic ecological principles that make it work. In Volume II, Dave Jacke and Eric Toensmeier move on to practical considerations: concrete ways to design, establish, and maintain your own forest garden. Along the way they present case studies and examples, as well as tables, illustrations, and a uniquely valuable “plant matrix” that lists hundreds of the best edible and useful species.

Taken together, the two volumes of Edible ForestGardens offer an advanced course in ecological gardening—one that will forever change the way you look at plants and your environment.

About the Authors: Dave Jacke is the owner of Dynamics Ecological Design Associates and a longtime permaculture teacher and designer. He lives in Keene, New Hampshire. Eric Toensmeier is a plant researcher, agricultural educator, and permaculturist who lives in Holyoke, Massachusetts.