The following quote is from the excellent Permaculture Association website 

"Through the observation of the natural world we can see a set of principles at work. Permaculture design uses these principles to develop integrated systems that provide for our needs of food, shelter, energy and community in ways that are healthy and efficient. We can use permaculture design methods to improve the quality and productivity of our individual lives, our society and our environment."

What follows is a collection of quotes that help to describe permaculture. For further reading we would suggest the Permaculture Magazine website

 

“Permaculture is defined as consciously designed landscapes which mimic the patterns and relationships found in nature, while yielding an abundance of food, fibre and energy for the provision of local needs…more precisely I see Permaculture as the use of systems thinking and design principles that provide the organising framework for implementing the above vision”
David Holmgren ‘Pathways to Sustainability’ 2004

 

 

“Permaculture is an integrated, evolving system of perennial and self-perpetuating plants and animal species useful to man.”
Bill Mollison and David Holmgren – 1st definition of Permaculture

 

“Be the change you want to see happen”
Mahatma Gandhi

 

“Adopting permaculture in your garden could be the first step towards limiting your personal consumption and planning your life to become more creative as time goes by”
Graham Bell, ‘The Permaculture Garden’

 

“Is it all worth it? If we do our best to heal the Earth and make our place in her a sustainable one, is there a good chance that we will succeed?…to my mind that’s the wrong question. Even if we could answer it – and we can never know anything about the future for certain, it would beg the question How do I want to live my life? So my answer to the question..is that I want to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem”.
Patrick Whitefield ‘Earth Care Manual’

“It is time for all of us to make changes about how we live our lives and to follow a path of the heart. By following our intuition and inpiration we encourage our own acts of heartfelt genius and boldness. This makes us feel alive and vital, gives us a great purpose and harnesses parts of ourselves we may have neglected or didn’t even know we had. We no longer feel overwhelmed by the way the Earth’s resources are managed, but recognise that change is in our hands, yours and mine, the hands of extraordinary people who have made a leap of understanding and are determined to make a difference. We become part of the change by becoming part of the solution.”
Glennie Kindred ‘Earth Wisdom’

  • 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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