Edible Ecosystems: Introduction to Edible Forest Garden Design

Back by popular demand, SKINC is excited to host another wonderful workshop on edible ecosystem design. Run by Audrey-Josefski Beard, permaculture designer and market gardener, and Lily Aagren from SKINC nursery! Edible forest gardens aim to mimic the structure, diversity and resilience of natural forests, while producing a wide variety of useful crops such as fruits, nuts, berries, herbs, flowers, medicines, and perennial vegetables. By observing nature, we can learn how to create gardens that are as low-maintenance, biodiverse, productive and beautiful as possible, while using far less resources and energy than traditional agricultural systems. When we learn to design harmonious relationships between different plants and organisms, we can create gardens where functions like pest control, soil building, mulching, fertilising and weed control are largely taken care of by elements in the garden itself, rather than by us; thereby reducing our labour and giving us more time to enjoy and learn from our garden ecosystems. This workshop will be an introduction to using permaculture design principles and practices to create diverse, low-maintenance forest gardens that will feed our bellies, delight our eyes, and nourish both our health, and the health of the soil and critters that call it home. We will look at the principles of forest ecology, and the step-by-step process of designing and creating an edible forest garden by mimicking these principles. The workshop will also cover site analysis (understanding your soil, weather patterns, sun/shade/wind sectors, water flows etc), choosing species that suit these conditions and support each others growth, and the practical techniques for implementing and maintaining your forest garden. There will be a special focus on bush foods and other useful native plant species that we can include in our gardens. Workshop participants will receive a comprehensive booklet with all the information we will cover on the day plus more.