Successful Self-Reliance: Intensive

1111 Turnpike Road,Bedford VA 24523

21 August, 2021

Description

Learn lifelong practices and principles for producing nutrient-dense foods and a more resilient garden, homestead, or farm. Learn lifelong practices and principles for producing nutrient-dense foods and a more resilient garden, homestead, or farm. Become a practical problem-solver during this 2-day (Aug. 21 & 28) hands-on intensive where we’ll explore the principles and practices within 8 key topic areas—helping you to grow a more resilient garden, homestead, or farm. We’ll meld hands-on practical skills with core concepts and principals within the context of the Bedford Area Family YMCA teaching garden. Whether you’re a novice or seasoned gardener, we’ll present novel thought processes and techniques to help you overcome challenges and achieve success on your journey of self-reliance. The workshop includes 2 days of information-packed and hands-on learning as well as a curated hand-out packet with resources for each topic area. The Bedford Area Family YMCA teaching garden is a 2/3rd acre garden that features no-till gardens, rainwater harvesting, raised beds, a food forest, and perennial vegetables, fruits, nuts and berries. It’s a wildly diverse living classroom that teaches growers of all ages principles and practices of regenerative agriculture, permaculture and ecological design, and ecology and natural systems. WHAT TO BRING: Bring your own lunch.Dress for being outside.Bring plenty of water.Come prepared to take notes.This intensive takes place on two separate Saturdays, August 21st and 28th (9am - 3pm). TEACHER BIO: Mark Angelini has been passionate about perennial agriculture and edible forest gardening for well over a decade, exploring the concept across several climate types and experimenting along the way. He planted his first perennial polycultures in 2009 and hasn’t looked back since. Mark is co-owner of Mountain Run Permaculture in Sedalia, VA. Along with his wife Allison, they manage over 10 acres of diverse fruit orchards, gardens, hedges, livestock, and more. They also offer consulting, design, and education services to clients across the region. _____________________ RESKILL (BY LAND & TABLE): ReSkill Workshops from Land & Table are all about reclaiming timeless skills for agrarian and self-reliant living. Land & Table exists to connect and cultivate the local food movement in the Lynchburg/Bedford regional area. SPONSORED BY THE BEDFORD AREA FAMILY YMCA: The Bedford Area Family YMCA teaching garden is a 2/3rd acre garden that features no-till gardens, rainwater harvesting, raised beds, a food forest, and perennial vegetables, fruits, nuts and berries. It’s a wildly diverse living classroom that teaches growers of all ages principles and practices of regenerative agriculture, permaculture and ecological design, and ecology and natural systems. SCHEDULE: Each day of this two day workshop will roughly be broken into a morning session (approx. 2.5 hrs), a break for lunch (approx. 1 hr), and then an afternoon session (approx. 2.5 hrs) ______________________ DAY ONE (AUG. 21: 9 AM - 3 PM)1. GOALS and CONTEXTClarify what you want to achieve, what you have to work with, and create achievable steps toward your goals. 2. CLIMATE and MICRO-CLIMATEUnderstand what the opportunities and limitations are for your growing climate, as well as techniques for maximizing the potential of your site. 3. LANDFORMExplore the potentials embedded in the shape of your land, as well as techniques for modifying it for greater benefit. 4. WATEREasily the most information-packed segment of the day, we’ll explore all aspects of water harvesting, storage, and irrigation. ______________________ DAY TWO (AUG. 28: 9 AM - 3 PM)5. ACCESS and FENCINGWe’ll discuss the importance of access roads and pathways, covering key principles and techniques for developing intuitive and robust access. We’ll also explore some key principles for developing effective fences. 6. PERENNIALS PLANT SYSTEMSPerennials are the metaphorical backbone of any food production system and we’ll explore the myriad of ways to integrate trees, shrubs, and vines into a system to create enduring value, function and food production. 7. HOLISTIC PLANT HEALTH and SOIL FERTILITYPerhaps the most important aspect of the entire course! We’ll uncover novel frameworks and methods for producing robust plant health, pest and disease resistance, nutrient-density, and prolonged soil fertility. Topics will include: soil testing and re-mineralization, composting, and biological inoculation. 8. SEEDS and GENETICSOne of the greatest limiting factors for any grower is the quality of seeds and plant material. To ensure success, we’ll go over best practices for choosing what to grow and where to get it. We’ll also briefly explore simple seed saving and plant propagation tips. Land and Table exists to connect, educate, and inspire the next generation of new agrarians, young farmers, and local food lovers.