Eco-logic Books

The best place to find books on landcare, sustainable living, permaculture, good living, death, sheds that look like turtles, and other quintessential texts. Peter Andrews lovingly compiles this smorgasborg of goodies - why go anywhere else?

The Permaculture Association

The Permaculture Association is the hub of the Permaculture network in the UK. As good a place to start as any!

The Permaculture Magazine

The best source of information on what is happening in Permaculture in the UK. Contains course listings, articles, handy tips, and a good set of links.

Transition Culture

Visit only if you are prepared for a journey that starts today and will take you for the rest of your life. This is perhaps the most intriguing website of them all. . . Take a look at the realities of Climate Change and Peak Oil in the warm company of the Transition Movement who offer hope and heart in the form of a massive community response. For such challenges action must start with the individual but then build into grass roots commuinty action. Jump aboard.

The Willow Bank

This is Steve Pickup's willow catalogue site with more details of willow varieties, how, where, and when to plant willow.

Fruiting Bodies

Ragmans Lane has close links with this company who are pioneering the cultivation of medicinal and gourmet mushrooms in the UK. If you are interested in tintures of Shiitake, Reishi, or Trametes, check them out.

Wilderness Discovery

Bushcraft experiences in the Wye Valley and Forest of Dean.

Elemental Solutions

Nick Grant runs elemental. If you are looking for advice on rainwater, greywater, septic water or anything remotely connected with it - go here. Its a good website, and worth a visit.

Seed Savers Network Australia

Jude and Michel Fanton run Seedsavers. They taught our 1996 permaculture course here at Ragmans, and co wrote the Seedsavers Handbook, published by eco-logic books in 1997.

Shift Bristol

Shift Bristol has been formed to support local sustainable community action with useful and innovative training.

Land Reaserch Associates

Land Research Associates specialises in all aspects of soil science, land quality and rural land use.

  • Biofertilisers to build Living Systems Online Course

    Course Postponed until 2021 - sorry for inconvenience

    This course has been postponed, we will post new dates when available.

    Learn how to regenerate farm and garden systems using biofertiliser and mineral broths. 

    We have worked hard to take the benefits of a residential course into an online experience. Theory sessions will have ample time for discussion, slide shows and powerpoint. Practical sessions will be delivered through step by step video clips allowing ample time for interpretation. There will also be exercises for students to do themselves in-between course dates, making this in some ways more interactive than a weekend residential. 

    first session 9.30 - 12.45  Understanding ecosystem function and the role of microbiology, organic matter and minerals within living systems. This session gives the student a good theoretical base in order to understand the practical sessions that follow. In this way the preparations can be adapted to local situations if needed.  There are many biological products coming onto the market, the purpose of this course is to enable growers to make their own inputs saving money and producing superior products. The session will end with a homework practical to make a Lactic Acid Bacteria serum to study next week.

    second session 9.30 - 12.45  Microbes, ferments and biofertilisers. How to collect microbes to make Solid Native Microbe (SNM) mix - the ‘mother’ for many preparations. Using video and discussion we take you through the process of collection, preparation and storage of native microbes. We then use some mature SNM to make a biofertiliser ferment that can be used at any scale as a foliar feed. We end the session with a discussion about applications for biofertilsier use. Students are encouraged to make SNM as the homework for week 2 and there will be time for feedback at the beginning of the third session. 

    Third session 9.30 - 12.45 Plant health, pests, disease and the use of minerals. Enhanced photosynthesis and optimum system health depends on high levels of available organic matter, active microbiology in the soil and a full range of minerals. This session looks in detail at the limiting factors to healthy systems and how this is expressed as disease and pest attack. There will be a mixture of theory of plant metabolism, and video practicals showing how to make hot and cold mineral broths to build resilience in living systems. Students will be encouraged to make their own simple insect repellant as this weeks homework. 

    Fourth Session 9.30 - 12.45 we take time in this session to answer specific questions, using Q&A and breakout groups drawing together learning over the past three weeks. There is also space for two more ‘recipes’; using humus hydrolate and seed coating. We look at resources that are specific to your site and end the course by creating a fertilisation programme that you can tweak to suit your situation. 

    Who should attend: Gardeners,  growers and farmers

     "I have a good basis now on how to and what use can be applied. Excited to try"

    "Great all round picture of soil biology to support understanding of practices"

    "Can't wait to get started"

     

     To register interest - please email info@ragmans.co.uk - thanks!

     

    The Biofertiliser Handbook (ebook) by Juanfran Lopez will be available to all course participants included in course fee. 

    Please see Juanfran's website - https://juanfranlopez.com for examples of his work.


    We also stock Jairo Restrepo's book on biofetilisers

    The ABC of Organic Agriculture by Jairo Restrepo CLICK HERE


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