Here at Birch Farm, we have been pioneering regenerative growing practices based on Natural Farming principles for the last 5 years. Participants on this course will be given an introduction into all of the various aspects that we are developing. We aim for the course to provide a springboard for further research and design work for those attending and will explain the principles behind our decision-making processes for all of the systems we work with.
We are trialling several different perennial systems here on the farm, including a commercial Food Forest based on Wouter Van Eck’s work in the Netherlands, centred around efficient picking at a commercial scale, a less formal edible forest garden based on Martin Crawford’s work in South Devon, and several different iterations of Syntropic Agriculture-inspired systems working to translate the ideas of Ernst Gotsch, but also to match the philosophy of Natural Farming to our temperate climate.
Course content will be delivered by our head gardener, Joshua Sparkes, as well as several of our other growers who have designed the different systems we will work with. We will start the course with an in-depth farm tour, and then classroom-style learning on the principles that guide Birch Farm, including practical demonstrations of our soil amendments and the design of our complex perennial polycultures. You will have the opportunity to learn about all of these systems, how we planned and established them, how we are managing them, and the challenges we have faced so far.
As part of the course, we will be planting up our most ambitious syntropic project yet, planting a fully dedicated nut forest mixed with fruit trees, edible shrubs and native pioneers, embracing undiluted syntropic principles. The second day will consist of an exploration of the guiding principles of this system and how they have driven our design process, followed by a planting session on the final afternoon, which will explore planting density, species selection, and rudimentary management plans. This is an opportunity to help plant a fully syntropic system and to learn from the various different trials that we have experimented with.
The workshop will consist of
- Farm tour looking at all our agroforestry systems
- Looking at ways we have incorporated different agroforestry systems into our food growing
- Lessons on Agroforestry with a strong emphasis on Food Forests both for domestic and commercial use
- Looking at the principles of Syntropic Agriculture
- Discussion on Syntropic tree row design and the different layers within the forest
- Preparing ground for planting using natural farming methods such as Bokashi and biochar
- Planting seed nests from wild collected seeds
- Discussing management such as pruning and mulching
- Develop the skills and knowledge to hopefully start your own agroforestry systems
The course will run over two days and lunch will be provided both days along with refreshments. £150 per person.
A 20% discount will be offered on all accomodations booked at The Collective at Woolsery, our hotel located walking distance to the farm, as well as 5% off at The Farmers Arms, Woolsery Fish & Chips and J Andrew Shop during your visit with us.
