Natures Gift Permaculture is pleased to announce its first series of 6 weekend sessions designed for busy people who would like to grow their own fruits and vegetables without the use of expensive and toxic synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides.

ABOUT PERMACULTURE FOOD GARDENS

An abundance of diverse foods are grown in a way that mimics the relationships observed in natural ecosystems. This means that the soil fertility is always enriched without need for chemical fertilizers, healthy plants grow in a balanced ecosystem where chemical pesticides are not necessary and there are no negative effects on the environment or the people that consume the produce. We benefit from working with nature and not against it, all the while conserving natural resources, water, money and a lot of time!

ABOUT THE WEEKEND SERIES

This series has been designed so that you may attend all 6 days, just a few days, or even just one! It is intended for experienced gardeners as well as those who are just getting started. There is a strong emphasis on hands-on practicals that will enable participants to return to their gardens and implement the principles and techniques learnt as soon as possible.

JANUARY 22nd : INTRODUCTION TO PERMACULTURE

• why permaculture?
• a brief history of permaculture, the world’s fastest growing grassroots movement
• ecosystems: the foundation of life
• how to get started in the garden: nursery establishment, propagation and soil fertility systems

FEBRUARY 5th : ‘PLANTING’ THE WATER AND ‘PLANTING’ THE SOIL

• the nature and importance of soil and water
• how to manage, conserve and store water
• healing the soil and creating abundant fertility
• swale construction and contour garden beds
• composting methods (pits, heaps, using indigenous micro-organisms, humanure)
• making new garden beds and improving existing ones

FEBRUARY 26th : THE NATURE OF PLANS, ORGANIC GROWING AND CROP ROTATION

• what does ‘organic’ mean and why we go beyond organics
• plants: knowing their needs, yields and characteristics
• climate, micro-climate and seasons: how they affect successful growing
• crop rotation systems and soil pH
• preparing garden beds for the different needs in a rotation system

March 12th : SUCCESSIONAL PLANTING, IPM AND SEED SAVING

• nursery management and successional planting for regular cropping
• integrated pest management strategies; how and when to use bio pesticides and fungicides
• why is seed saving important: improving the present, securing our future
• howto harvest, dry, and store seeds

APRIL 2nd : FOOD FORESTS & ORCHARDS, MAINTENANCE AND PRUNING

• introduction to orchard and food forest design
• water and soil management, maintenance and pruning for orchards and food forests
• species selection for climate, micro-climate and space
• companion planting and windbreaks

APRIL 23rd : ANIMAL INTEGRATION AND GROWING RAID-FED CROPS

• how to integrate animals into the garden
• fish ponds, chicken tractors and rotation yards
• no till, no burn maize and rain-fed crop production
• transition strategies for chemically dependant fields

TIMES

All sessions will start promptly at 8:30am and end at 4pm

LANGUAGE

Sessions will be conducted in English, with Chichewa translations for clarifications

CERTIFICATION

Participants who attend all six sessions will receive a certificate of attendance for our Permaculture for Gardeners Course, which follows the same curriculum.

COSTS

Listed below in US$ (payable in MK at bank rate of exchange at time of payment)

• US$ 35 per session, includes a healthy lunch and two tea breaks with nutritious snack

• US$ 190 for the whole series with pre-registration for all sessions in advance