Take a moment to consider that 50% of Americans were farming in 1880. Now, less than 2% of the nation is employed in agriculture.
From another perspective, in 1945, Americans grew 45% of their food in their backyard gardens. Now, we grow 0.1% of our food in our backyards.

Growing more food than you ever thought possible on less land than you ever imagined is easily achieved and demonstrated through small-scale, high-yielding, all-organic regenerative gardening methods. This is a hands-on experience!

This 4-part series will cover and offer practical protocols from Shantree’s 50-years research and accomplishments in regenerative gardening.

We will look at what it is NOT:

• Not a Violent Knowledge Paradigm

• Not Chemical Fertilizers

• Not Poisons & Pesticides

• Not Toxic Monocultures

• Not Large-Scale Industrial Farms

• Not Seed Dictatorship

• Not Globalization

• Not Corporations

The Living Centre started as a homestead in 1983 and has since transformed into an educational center that teaches sustainable living and organic gardening practices. We aim to promote the growth of highly-nutritious produce and medicinal plants while sharing knowledge on maintaining soil fertility without relying on chemical fertilizers. Our regenerative approach to farming is designed to prepare us for a future free from carbon emissions constraints.

Today, the centre produces a vast diversity of vegetables, berries, fruit, nuts and herbs using a mix of permaculture, bio-intensive forest gardening and natural ecological practices. It is a well-established permaculture educational centre and an apothecary clinic.

Methodology for Growing a Vegetable Garden  

• Modelling a living system

• Using organic veganic methods

• Using only hand-tools

• On-site fertility mulch, compost and making our weed tea

• Forest gardening practices

• Using a no-till approach

• Growing in All Seasons

• Perennial Plants, Wild Plants

• High-Density Polyculture Planting

• A Change of Scale – Small is Beautiful

Curriculum

Week 1

• A Forest Gardener’s Tool Kit

• The Practical Concept of Small is Beautiful

• Growing nutrition per square meter

• Biointensive Micro-agriculture

Week 2

• Discover Who Feeds the World

• Creating a Four-Season Harvest

• We Are Where We Eat

• The Incredible Edibles

Week 3

• Bio-Abundance for All

• A Step-by-Step Process

• The Seven-Story Garden: Vegetation Layer

• The Polycultural Elements of Forest Gardening

Week 4

• Create Your Miraculous Abundance Landscape

• Discover Who Feeds the World

• Management, Maintenance, and Co-evolution

• Q & A

Includes
*** The Organic Gardener Manual
*** Grow Biointensive Handbook
*** How To Grow More Vegetables ~John Jeavons
*** An Incredible Edibles e-Manual ~Shantree
*** Natural Forest Foraging Guide
*** Articles, Charts, PowerPoint _Shantree
*** Case Studies

Highly Recommended Reading:
How to Grow More Vegetables:
Than You Ever Thought Possible on Less Land with Less Water Than You Can Imagine, John Jeavons

We must collectively invent a new way to live on this planet and profoundly change our relationship with nature. We look forward to having you join us during this hands-on series.

Dates

May 8 –  From Dream to Reality: Seeding the Vision
Pattern & Observation: The Web of Connections

May 15 – Deep Soil Creation & Maintenance
Soil, Building & Fertility of the Future

May 22 – Biointensive Micro-agriculture: Working-by-Hand
Regenerative Polyculture & Companion Planting
Open Pollinating Seeds – Seed Propagation, Close Spacing & Seed Saving

May 29 – Permaculture Case Study – Gardens Site Tour: An Interrelated Food-Growing System
Finding the balance between garden and insect life

Focus Topics: Seed, Steward & Save

Engaging Practices

• 28-Day Transformation Process

• Living the Essential Keys

• Reflections & Insights

• Interactive Format

• Buddy Mate for Change

• Key Lessons

• Q & A

• Recorded Sessions for Future Viewing