Soil Building and Water Management Systems

Courses, Workshops & Events

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2008, Living Mandala
creative services by: 360 Degrees

Including

TOPSOIL DEVELOPMENT

INTEGRATED FARM PLANNING

AGROFORESTRY

WATERSHED OVERVIEW

WATER MANAGEMENT

LIVESTOCK MANAGEMENT

KEYLINE DESIGN

LAND COMPONENT ANALYSIS

SURVEY TECHNIQUES & EQUIPMENT

In Association With

Regenerative Design Institute

Accredited through the

Central Coast Water District (5 and 15 Units)

Facilitators & Instructors

Darren Doherty

Penny Livingston-Stark

Lisa Lurie

Ken Oster

Course Description

Integrated farm management, building topsoil, and developing water management systems can all help to increase yields and profitability. In times of drought, these systems can prove to be extremely important in the survival of the farm as well as the eco-system within which it is based.

For more than two decades, Australian agricultural producers have been faced with serious threats of drought and salinity increases in their soil. This intensive three-day course will provide agricultural producers with a solid introduction to a series of innovative soil building and water management techniques originally developed in Australia. Instruction includes an overview of the principles as well as hands-on opportunities in the field to use survey and design tools, test plowing techniques and design individualized systems for one's own farm or ranch.

This is a breakthrough event where permaculture, mainstream agriculture and support agencies are working together to support truly sustainable agriculture strategies for larger-scale agricultural operations. The course is accredited through the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board.

Since these permacultural approaches support estuaries, fisheries and overall ecosystem health, we have received funding from NOAA to present the course to growers in the Salinas Valley and other interested participants for a minimal fee - $35 for the first day and $100 for all three days. The fees include lunch and dinner, and there will be Spanish translation for the course.

Site Details

The course will be held at the Aromas Grange

Corner of Bardue Street and Rose Avenue, Aromas, CA For a map and directions to the site click here.

Contact

For questions and more information regarding the course

e-mail: info@regenerativedesign.org or

call: (415) 868-9681

Soil Building and Water Management Systems

Aromas, California, in the Salinas Valley

November 1-3, 2009

Course Details, Tuition & Registration

1-Day Course

Offered: November 1st, 9am �� 5pm

1-Day course fee: $35

Includes lunch and dinner Sunday evening (5:30pm - 7pm)

-5 Units with the Central Coast Water District

Topics covered:

* Principles of topsoil development

* Principles of integrated farm planning

* Introduction to local watershed

* Principles of mixed species agroforestry

* Principles of water drainage and storage

3-Day Course

Offered: November 1st -3rd, 9am �� 5pm

3-Day course fee: $100

Includes lunch all three days and dinner Sunday and Monday (5:30pm - 7pm)

15 Units with the Central Coast Water District

Topics covered:

* Principles of topsoil development

* Principles of integrated farm planning

* Principles of mixed species agroforestry

* Overview of watershed and water quality management

* Principles of water drainage, harvesting and storage

* Land component analysis

* Survey techniques and equipment

* Use of livestock in soil building and rangeland development

* Keyline plowing techniques and design

* Tree ground preparation and establishment

* Water management techniques, design and construction

Cancellation Policy

Cancellations up to 2 weeks before the start of class (Oct 15) will be refunded, excluding a $25 processing fee. No refunds are given after this date.

Refund Policy

Cancellations up to 1 weeks before the course before Oct 30 will be refunded, excluding a $5 processing fee. No refunds are given after Oct 30.

Facilitators & Instructors

Darren Doherty

Darren Doherty (Australia) is one of the world's most experienced Permaculture Design professionals and Registered PDC Teacher who has designed and developed over 1100 properties across 4 continents and has taught many PDC's, including with both Bill Mollison & David Holmgren (the co-originators of Permaculture). Darren Doherty and David Holmgren co-teach one Permaculture Design Course a year in Darren's home town of Bendigo, Central Victoria, which is the only PDC David teaches on these days. Darren has been a full-time Permaculture Designer since 1993 (at age 24) and focussed the first half of his career on design and development work, to the point where he became the most prolific Permaculture Designer in Australia, designing and developing over 1000 properties in that period, with a large development and management team backing his design efforts. With the births of his two younger children, by 2002 Darren tailed off his emphasis in that regard and is now working on selected "special projects" and teaching about 5 PDC's per year.

Darren spends about 40% of his working time these days in Viet Nam and managing the Viet Nam projects (Permaculture development and education projects for M&M's/Mars Inc. & ACDIVOCA) with the remaining time spent managing a 60ha working research & demonstration farm in Southern Victoria, Australia plus a smattering of broadacre design jobs here and there. He has taught 14 full PDC courses , many Keyline Design courses, as well as developed the working prototype of the world's first Dojo Ripper/Tiller/Mounder in association with the Yeomans Plow ��.

Penny Livingston-Stark

Director & Founder Regenerative Design Institute

Penny Livingston-Stark is internationally recognized as a prominent permaculture teacher, designer, and speaker. She is the founder of: Sustainable Living Designs (SLD) - a professional permaculture design/build firm integrating landscapes and structures with water, soil, plants and energy efficiency; The Permaculture Institute of Northern California (PINC) - an educational and research organization promoting sustainable technologies and methodologies; and Regenerative Design Institute (RDI) - a non-profit education program focusing on hands-on skills development. Penny has been working professionally in the land management and development field for 25 years and has extensive experience in all phases of ecologically sound landscape design and construction as well as the use of natural non-toxic building materials. She specializes in site planning & design of resource-rich landscapes, integrating rainwater collection, edible landscaping, pond and water systems, habitat development and watershed restoration for homes, co-housing communities, businesses and diverse-yield perennial farms. Penny is currently on the board of the Solar Living Institute in Hopland, California and has served on the Redwood Empire Chapter of the Green Building Council. She co-created the Ecological Design Program and its curriculum at the San Francisco Institute of Architecture and co-founded the West Marin Grower's Group, West Marin Farmer's Market, and the Community Land Trust Association of Marin.

Lisa Lurie

Lisa is the Agriculture Water Quality Coordinator at the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, and coordinates and tracks implementation of the Sanctuary's Agriculture and Rural Lands Plan. Lisa has a Master's degree in Environmental Management from Duke University with an emphasis on community-based watershed management. Lisa's experience also includes work with an Ecuadorian conservation commission on projects related to protected areas management, sustainable agriculture, community forestry, and environmental education.

Ken Oster

soil scientist with the USDA National Resource Conservation Service.

Affiliated Organization