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’

  • Regenerative Agriculture

    with Jairo Restrepo

    Agriculture is changing. A new brand of modern agriculture using Agro ecology as it's guiding principle is gaining traction both on the ground and in academic circles.

    Linked to this is the recognition that small farmers across the world need to organise and stand together in order to stand up to industrial food production.

    Jairo Restrepo has been a lead teacher in the field of Chromatography, biofertilisers, bokashi and micro organisms for many years. He also has extensive experience of implementing these at different scales through his consultation work. We are very pleased to be able to offer his expert knowledge at Ragmans as these technologies are increasingly recognised. As Darren Doherty says "this guy is a genius and a tour de force of the first order!"

    Regenerative Agriculture led by Jairo Restrepo, will give farmers and growers the practical tools needed to analyse their soils and create fertile systems using home made bio fertilisers and minimal-cost pest and disease control methods.

    Spanish is Jairo's first language so the course will be delivered through a translator who will be present for the whole course. Jairo has taught extensively in Europe and his teaching is relevant here as well as in South America. You can find a detailed biography on Jairo by clicking here

    A 5 day course 18-22nd July 2015

    (limited residential option available)

    Synopsis
    This course combines the theoretical and practical basis for Jairo Restrepo’s Regenerative Agriculture. The main focus of Regenerative Agriculture is the health of the land and the quality of the food produced on the land. Jairo’s teaching style makes clear the how and why of regenerating biological fertility and mineral agricultural soils; and how this enables the viable production of healthy food that is affordable to consumers and profitable for farmers. His methods allow farmers to disengage from a dependence on external inputs.

    The course has a very practical approach including practical workshops and encouraging sharing between participants whilst providing an opportunity to reflect on the principles, objectives and strategies of Regenerative Agriculture.

    The practical work covers production and application of organic fertilizers, bio-fertilisers, minerals, and micro-organisms (the ‘wines’ and ‘flours’ of Regenerative Agriculture) with a focus on producing these from locally available resources.

    Examples from Jairo’s work provide the evidence base for successful transition from conventional approaches to a regenerative agriculture approach.

    Who should attend:
    Farmers and independent small-scale growers, food producers, food retailers, technicians, students. Anyone interested in sustainable rural development and environmental protection. Students, experienced growers and technicians looking to update and acquire ‘new’ knowledge and methodologies for promoting sustainable development in rural areas.

    For a You Tube video on Regenerative Agriculture with English subtitles click here

    Course Objectives
    After the workshop, participants will be able to:

    • Identify the principles, objectives and basic strategies of Regenerative Agriculture.
    • Discuss the process of transition from a conventional approach to a Regenerative Agriculture approach, taking into consideration the conditions and the state of the resources, time and space available.
    • Recognise the factors and resources available/needed for applying Regenerative Agriculture principles
    • Encourage and support the sharing of such information with other farmers/growers, e.g. via campesina
    • Share appropriate practical tools and methodologies for sharing knowledge about Regenerative Agriculture
    • Provide examples of the successful application of Regenerative Agriculture.

    Course Outline:
    ∗ Introduction: A vision to rescue agriculture. More than 30 years of the farmer’s movement in Latin America and the tools that have been used.
    ∗ Crop nutrition as a tool to prevent pests and diseases.
    ∗ Theory and practice of trophobiosis.
    ∗ Regeneration of our soils. The concept of the 3 M's
    ∗ Using rock flour for re-mineralization
    ∗ How to make adapted bio-fertilizers
    ∗ Hot and cold mineral broths
    ∗ Plant protection and stimulating plant health
    ∗ Quick to build new floor (Bokashi) Composting
    ∗ Reducing the use of copper
    ∗ Seed protection
    ∗ The role of micro-organisms in soil and plants
    ∗ The use of micro-organisms for the regeneration of soil fertility
    ∗ The use of micro-organisms for combating pests and diseases
    ∗ How to identify which micro-organisms are essential for our crops
    ∗ How to produce native micro-organisms

    • Includes a one-day Chromatography session

    For a detailed breakdown of the course please click here

    Please note: this course will be delivered in Spanish with a translator.

    Jairo will also be running a one day course on Chromatography click here for details.

    Concessions available: please email us on info@ragmans.co.uk with details of why you would like to be considered for a concession.

    For information about Jairo's other courses and events whilst in the UK please click here

     


    £650.00

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