Forest layers, pattern application, dynamic accumulators, nitrogen fixers, pest confusers and insectary plants are primary considerations when designing a food forest and/or doing a guild build. Putting together a food forest is about functional relationships between plants, how many elements can each species support and draw support from when working in cooperation. Diversity isn’t simply how many different things are in one system, but how many each one thing can support. This course will be an introduction to some of the foundation language, functional relationships and match making of plants. Students should come prepared to open up to whole systems thinking. Students should also wear comfortable clothing for our our field trip into the Clifton Park Food Forest.
Tag Archives: permaculture
Forested Forest Garden Tour & Acorn Flour Demo
Tour Forested, a 10-acre research forest garden, just outside the beltway in Maryland. See some of the hundreds of edible and useful species growing in this model agro-ecosystem, and sample some of the fruits. We’ll also have a demonstration of how to make acorn flour, a nutritious, delicious and highly productive forest food.
Teacher Bio:
Lincoln Smith runs Forested, a forest garden company in Bowie, MD (www.forested.us). He helps landowners in the eastern US create successful forest gardens through consultation and through training at the 10-acre Forested demonstration garden. He is working on making and marketing acorn foods through collaboration with Korean acorn food producers. Lincoln spent five years designing and managing high-end residential landscape projects and pushing sustainability at Graham Landscape Architecture in Annapolis. He holds a Master of Arts in Landscape Design from the Conway School, a Permaculture Design Certificate from Wayne Weiseman, and earned LEED certification in 2008.
Volunteer Day at Clifton Park Food Forest
Sept 18 10:00am – Noon & 6:00pm – Dusk
Set up for Mushroom inoculation workshop
-logs
-wood chips and sawdust
-cardboard
-carpet
Lend a hand and get to chattin’ with Clifton Park Food Forest designer Eric Kelly at:
Volunteer Days at the Food Forest
***Please notify us by email if you plan to volunteer for an evening time***
Work Gloves, Sun Hat and Water recommended
If you can bring your own hand tools, shovel and rake that’d be a big help!
Have you read the latest in the Food Forest Journal?
Volunteer Groups give us a holler to let us know want to lend a hand!
Directions to Clifton Park Food Forest
Google Maps to the Food Forest
Volunteer Day at Clifton Park Food Forest
Sept 4 10:00am – Noon & 6:00pm – Dusk
Set up for Mushroom inoculation workshop
-logs
-wood chips and sawdust
-cardboard
-carpet
Lend a hand and get to chattin’ with Clifton Park Food Forest designer Eric Kelly at:
Volunteer Days at the Food Forest
***Please notify us by email if you plan to volunteer for an evening time***
Work Gloves, Sun Hat and Water recommended
If you can bring your own hand tools, shovel and rake that’d be a big help!
Have you read the latest in the Food Forest Journal?
Volunteer Groups give us a holler to let us know want to lend a hand!
Directions to Clifton Park Food Forest
Google Maps to the Food Forest
Volunteer Day at Clifton Park Food Forest
August 21 10:00am – Noon & 6:00pm – Dusk
Go fishing! Seriously
Make fish hydrolysate
Kids challenge and obstacle area
Lend a hand and get to chattin’ with Clifton Park Food Forest designer Eric Kelly at:
Volunteer Days at the Food Forest
***Please notify us by email if you plan to volunteer for an evening time***
Work Gloves, Sun Hat and Water recommended
If you can bring your own hand tools, shovel and rake that’d be a big help!
Have you read the latest in the Food Forest Journal?
Volunteer Groups give us a holler to let us know want to lend a hand!
Directions to Clifton Park Food Forest
Google Maps to the Food Forest
Volunteer Day at Clifton Park Food Forest
August 7 10:00am – Noon & 6:00pm – Dusk
Go fishing! Seriously
Make fish hydrolysate
Kids challenge and obstacle area
Lend a hand and get to chattin’ with Clifton Park Food Forest designer Eric Kelly at:
Volunteer Days at the Food Forest
***Please notify us by email if you plan to volunteer for an evening time***
Work Gloves, Sun Hat and Water recommended
If you can bring your own hand tools, shovel and rake that’d be a big help!
Have you read the latest in the Food Forest Journal?
Volunteer Groups give us a holler to let us know want to lend a hand!
Directions to Clifton Park Food Forest
Google Maps to the Food Forest
Agroecology Urban Gardening Workshop
Agroecology is the study of ecological processes that operate in agricultural production systems. Join Blain as he talks about how important agroecology is to solve the world’s multiple crises, how it is more than just a way to grow food, but is actually a way to organize and a way to live and build movements. He also talks about the special role that youth have, as the new generation responsible for ensuring agroecology is not forgotten as agribusiness dominates the planet.
Teacher
Blain is a small-scale peasant farmer in Preston, Maryland and part of the International Youth Articulation of La Via Campesina (LVC). Blain became involved in La Via Campesina in 2010 through his work with the Rural Coalition. Additionally, Blain is a board member of the Southeast African American Farmers Organic Network (SAFFON) and an agroecological technician for the Farmworkers Association of Florida.
Volunteer Day at Clifton Park Food Forest
July 24 10:00am – Noon
Make insect, bird, bat and amphibian homes
Insect inventory
Green mulch layer
Lend a hand and get to chattin’ with Clifton Park Food Forest designer Eric Kelly at:
Volunteer Days at the Food Forest
***Please notify us by email if you plan to volunteer for an evening time***
Work Gloves, Sun Hat and Water recommended
If you can bring your own hand tools, shovel and rake that’d be a big help!
Have you read the latest in the Food Forest Journal?
Volunteer Groups give us a holler to let us know want to lend a hand!
Directions to Clifton Park Food Forest
Google Maps to the Food Forest
Grow your Own Spirulina
Cultivate an understanding of our blue-green ally. The course begins with a visual presentation accompanied by a disquisition into the history of Spirulina and its potential for food, remediation, and application in permaculture systems. We will have the opportunity to look at a few morphs or “species” of Spirulina Arthrospira platensis, A. maxima, and Spirulina Major under a compound microscope, and through the projector. Near the end of the workshop there will be a demonstration of a few Spirulina recipes for people to enjoy a phycophage “The Eating of Algae”. *** Space is limited to 15 ***
Workshop Date: July 16, 4 – 9pm Cost: $40
Location: Charm City Farms Brick Barn Instructors: William Padilla-Brown
**Notice of cancellation must be given 48-hrs in advance of any of our workshops or events in order to request a refund. Cancellations are subject to a $5 restocking fee.**
About the Instructor
William Padilla-Brown is a social entrepreneur, certified permaculture designer, and multidisciplinary citizen scientist. He has run a non-profit in New Cumberland, Pennsylvania for the past 3 years called Community Compassion, focusing on radical sustainability. He has educated children and adults on topics varying from mushroom cultivation to nutrition via. various workshops and programs. William dropped out of high school at age 16 and has since been pursuing a non-traditional independent approach to his higher education actively promoting alternative education options. William also runs a biology lab/observatory, and mushroom microfarm, MycoSymbiotics, LLC
Volunteer Day at Clifton Park Food Forest
July 10 10:00am – Noon
Make insect, bird, bat and amphibian homes
Insect inventory
Green mulch layer
Lend a hand and get to chattin’ with Clifton Park Food Forest designer Eric Kelly at:
Volunteer Days at the Food Forest
***Please notify us by email if you plan to volunteer for an evening time***
Work Gloves, Sun Hat and Water recommended
If you can bring your own hand tools, shovel and rake that’d be a big help!
Have you read the latest in the Food Forest Journal?
Volunteer Groups give us a holler to let us know want to lend a hand!
Directions to Clifton Park Food Forest
Google Maps to the Food Forest
Intro to Permaculture and Forest Gardens
Learn how people can produce what they need from a garden that resembles a forest. In an era when people have strained the world’s ecosystems to meet their needs, a forest garden provides a critical combination of benefits for people and planet — cleaning water, building soil, and providing a bounty of food and supplies. Come learn about some of the plants and practices of this exciting way of gardening and eating.
Teacher Bio:
Lincoln Smith runs Forested, a forest garden company in Bowie, MD (www.forested.us). He helps landowners in the eastern US create successful forest gardens through consultation and through training at the 10-acre Forested demonstration garden. He is working on making and marketing acorn foods through collaboration with Korean acorn food producers. Lincoln spent five years designing and managing high-end residential landscape projects and pushing sustainability at Graham Landscape Architecture in Annapolis. He holds a Master of Arts in Landscape Design from the Conway School, a Permaculture Design Certificate from Wayne Weiseman, and earned LEED certification in 2008.
Forested Food Forest Evening Tour
See the forest garden growing and learn how it works.
Cost: $15 suggested donation
Description: Enjoy a tour of the forest garden, see productive and ecologically functional plants working together, and taste some seasonal fruits and herbs.
Location: If this will be your first time coming to Forested, please be sure to check the directions so you can easily find your way into the forest garden.
What to Expect: This tour will include 1 to 2 hours of walking. Bring comfortable clothes for being outside and a water bottle.
Registration: Sign up here or just email Lincoln to let us know you’re coming.
Skill Class: Forest Garden Design & Care
Explore forest gardening in depth and learn the tools and methods to help you succeed.
Cost: $100
Description: In this class, we focus on the plants, relationships and design of forest gardens. Topics will include:
- Polyculture or Guild design at the backyard and small farm scale
- Forest garden soil management
- Nitrogen-fixing plants
- Forest garden site analysis
- Forest garden establishment and maintenance techniques
- Forest garden insectaries and pest management
- Growing and tasting of seasonal forest garden fruit, nuts, herbs, greens, mushrooms and more
- Community strategy and impact of forest gardens
The day includes tours of the forest garden, design materials and exercises, coaching sessions, discussions and networking. Our singular goal is to help our students succeed in their forest garden projects.
Lead Instructor: Lincoln Smith
Location: Forested in Bowie, MD. Be sure to read how to get into the site here. Google Maps by itself will not get you here.
Qualifications: Participants should feel comfortable being outside in any weather. Participants under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Sturdy footwear is required as well as appropriate outdoor clothing. Please bring a pair of work gloves if you have them.
Food: Snacks and drinks will be provided, but please bring lunch.
Registration: Pay below or email Lincoln to let us know you’re coming.
Work Trade: Cash is prefered to help us continue to develop the forest garden, but we accept 10 hours of volunteer work, or the $100 class fee, or any combination or the two. Email Lincoln to inquire about a work trade.
Groups: Bring friends and save! Select a number below for group discount price. Email Lincoln if you’d like to bring more than 4 people.
