2010 Urban Permaculture Workshop Series

Pre-registration is required for the following 7 workshops. Register by emailing theurbanfarmer@shaw.ca, providing your name(s), and the workshop(s) you would like to attend or click on The Urban Farmer 2009 workshop flyer, complete the registration form and mail it with your cheque to the address below. To confirm your place, non-refundable payment must be mailed in advance to:

The Urban Farmer
10926 93 Street
Edmonton, Alberta
T5H 1Z2.

Drop-ins will be accepted only if space is available. Additional workshop details will be emailed to all participants approximately one week prior to the workshop date.

For more information on any of these workshops, email theurbanfarmer@shaw.ca or call 780 221-4800

Permaculture Series — Backyard Bee Gardens for Beeginers!

Thursday, April 29, 2010, 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Location: Central Edmonton
Cost: $40.00

Are you fascinated by bees but don’t know where to beegin? This workshop will take you through an introduction to the secret life of bees and will provide you with the strategies you need to welcome bees into your yard. Join local beekeeper Patti Milligan (aka Lola Canola) and Ron Berezan in an exploration of the role of bees in the ecosystem, the basics of bee behaviour, creating bee habitat, and possibilities for bee keeping in urban areas.

Transform Your Yard
Creating a Natural, Sustainable and Edible Landscape

Thursday, April 15, 2010, 6:30 – 9:00 pm
Location: Village Lifestyles, 10429 79 Avenue, Edmonton
Cost: $45.00

Thinking of making changes to your yard but not sure how to begin? Are ecological values, aesthetics, and local, organic food production important to you? Drawing on the insights of Permaculture design, nature-scaping, and organic gardening, this workshop will offer a process that helps you to develop a vision for transforming your outdoor space and many practical strategies for making it happen. Handouts for all participants included.

Fungi in The Garden

Saturday May 29, 2010, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Location: 10926 93 Street, Edmonton
Cost: $80.00

The fungal kingdom forms an intricate web that extends throughout the entire landmass of the earth playing a critical role in protecting and generating eco-system health. We can partner with the fungi world by introducing beneficial species into our gardens and yards thereby improving soil and plant health and creating a harvest of nutrient rich edible and medicinal mushrooms for our own consumption. This workshop will be a combination of theory and hands-on activities exploring the basics of backyard mycology including using mycorhyzal species; propagating mushrooms in mulch beds, garden beds and logs; and identifying some local wild edible mushroom species. Participants will take home a log inoculated with shitake mushroom spawn.

No-Till Vegetable Gardening

Wednesday, May 26, 6:30 -9:00 pm
10926 93 Street, Edmonton
Cost: $45.00

Growing food without digging soil may seem like a contradiction in terms, but no-till methods can achieve great results with far less effort. By continually layering up organic waste materials, soil fertility and soil structure are greatly enhanced. This workshop will offer a mix of theory and hands-on no-till preparation and planting at an Edmonton urban garden site.

Edible Forest Gardening

Friday, June 11, 7:00 to 9:00 pm and Saturday, June 12, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Location TBA in Edmonton
Cost: $100.00

Forest gardening is an ancient approach to creating multi-tiered perennial food gardens that are patterned after natural forest eco-systems. With carefully selected and placed fruit and nut trees, berries, edible and medicinal perennials, vines, ground covers and self-seeding annuals, these gardens become largely self-sustaining and highly productive, as well providing excellent habitat for other species. This workshop will explore forest gardening models for urban environments and will include work on the installation of an urban forest garden at a residential site in Edmonton.

Creating an Urban Oasis
An Introduction to Backyard Permaculture

Saturday, June 26, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
10926 93 Street, Edmonton
Cost: $100.00

Tired of Living in the concrete jungle? Your own yard can become an oasis that feeds your body and your soul. Permaculture is a revolutionary approach to working with nature in the design of living systems that provide for human needs such as food, shelter, energy, and health in environmentally sustainable ways. This class will provide an introduction to the wisdom of permaculture and the possibilities for its application in the Edmonton area through a dynamic interplay of theory, site visits and hands-on activities.

Permaculture Design Course (PDC)

July 4 - July 17, 2010
Course Location: Olds, Alberta
Sponsored by The Urban Farmer (Ron Berezan) and Barb Hazenveld

An intensive, 14 day immersion in the theory and practise of permaculture design based on the international curriculum. This course will focus on the principles and strategies for ecological and sustainable design for the city, small holdings and farms. Themes in the course will include
• The Permaculture Principles and Ethics
• Patterns in Nature and Human Settlements
• Climatic Factors and Ecology
• Veggies, Orchards and Pest control.
• Water, Soils and Forests
• Appropriate Technology & Housing
• Specific Cold Climate Gardening methodology, AND Drylands and Tropics.
• Aquaculture, animals and Beekeeping
• Alternative monetary and legal systems.
• Community Strategies and much more!

Please click here for the full course brochure and registration information.

“The Edible Garden Tour”

Saturday, August 14, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Held at various sites around Edmonton
Cost: $25.00

Join us for another year of this increasingly popular “alternative garden tour!” Visit local homes and gardeners who are growing bountiful fresh fruits, berries, vegetables, herbs and medicinal plants in their home yards using organic methods. Meet other keen gardeners and share in the local trust of gardening wisdom. Car-pooling will be available. Most sites will be in central Edmonton locations, accessible by bicycle. Lunch will be outdoors at Giovanni Caboto Park.

For more information on any of these workshops, email theurbanfarmer@shaw.ca or call 780 221-4800

Public Workshops and Classes 2010
Edmonton and Area

Edible Forest Gardening in the City
Supporting Sombrilla and Keiskama’s work in South America and South Africa

Tuesday, April 27th
7:00 PM – 9:30 PM
Bonnie Doon Hall
9240 – 93 st, Edmonton

Spend an evening with Ron Berezan, “The Urban Farmer”, and learn how to grow an “Edible Forest Garden” in your own backyard.

Forest gardening is an ancient approach to creating multi-tiered perennial food gardens that are patterned after natural forest eco-systems. With carefully selected and placed fruit and nut trees, berries, edible and medicinal perennials, vines, ground covers and self-seeding annuals, these gardens become largely self-sustaining and highly productive, as well providing excellent habitat for other species. This workshop will explore forest gardening models for urban environments for our climate.

The cost is $40. To register call Jeff at 780-988-2976, or Wendy at 780-453-8029. You can also register by sending an email to sombrillahome@gmail.com

The Organic Master Gardener Program

February to November, 2010
Stony Plain Multicultural Heritage Centre, Stony Plain Alberta
Visit www.multicentre.org/mastergardener.htm or phone 780 963-2777 for registration information.

The Organic Master Gardener Program is a unique initiative offered in partnership between the Multicultural Heritage Centre and Victoria’s Gaia College. The program includes 78 instructional hours taught by several Edmonton area organic horticulture teachers including Ron Berezan of The Urban Farmer. Following the model of Master Gardener Programs throughout the continent, the program combines classroom instruction, volunteer hours and individual work projects, all within the organic gardening perspective. Participants receive a certificate of completion upon meeting all of the program’s requirements.

Permaculture Gardens – Creating Abundance for People and the Planet

Tuesday, June 1, 2010, 7:00 pm
Stony Plain   Horticultural Society
Contact: Ericka Unterschultz erickau785@gmail.com

How can a garden nurture you while healing and regenerating the natural environment? Permaculture is a unique way of understanding and creating gardens from an ecological design perspective. Whether in towns and cities or on farms or acreages, permaculture provides an holistic vision that is beneficial to all.

Permaculture in the City

April 1, 7:00 – 9:30 pm
Aspen Garden community Hall, 12015 39A Avenue, Edmonton
Contact: Valerie Kennedy, mover@telus.net, 780-436-3156

Permaculture is an ecological design system for  meeting  essential human needs in sustainable ways. This  movement has emerged from its  earliest roots in tropical  and sub-tropical rural  environments to have a  growing and  dynamic impact in the northern  hemisphere and in cities around  the  world. From yard-scale food  production to neighborhood  revitalization and the  creation of  resilient communities,  cities are fertile ground for the   permaculture vision.  This presentation will draw inspiration from  urban   permaculture examples around the world while helping us to   consider the many  possibilities for permaculture work in  our own  urban environment.

Going Organic – Gardening the Natural Way

Tuesday June 1, 9:30 am
Northgate Lions Seniors Recreation Centre
7524  - 139 Ave.  Edmonton, AB  T5C  3H7  
Phone:  780-944-5766

From  creating healthy soil to attracting  beneficial insects to the garden, organic  gardening is good for you  and good for the earth. This presentation will  explore the basics of  organic gardening methods for the residential  gardener.

A Midwinter Garden's Dream

Tuesday, January 12, 2010, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Garneau United Church, 11148 84 Avenue, Edmonton
Contact: Chris Peet, chrispeet@shaw.ca

What's an Edmonton garden to do in the frozen depths of midwinter? It dreams of summer… . Join: Urban Farmer Ron Berezan, 100 Mile Dieter Ivor MacKay, and SPIN gardener Janette Hubka for discussion and ideas as they share their expertise and dreams about community, garden, and the goodness of local food. Admission $5.00

Permaculture in the City

Monday, March 29, 2010, 7:30 pm
Edmonton Horticultural Society
Central Lions Seniors Centre, 11113 113 Street, Edmonton
Contact: www.edmontonhort.com

Permaculture offers us a toolbox of strategies for regenerating eco-system health while meeting essential human needs. This movement has emerged from its earliest roots in tropical and sub-tropical rural environments to have a growing and dynamic impact in cities around the world. From yard-scale food production to neighborhood revitalization and the creation of resilient communities, cities are fertile ground for the permaculture vision. This presentation will draw inspiration from urban permaculture examples around the world while helping us to consider the many possibilities for permaculture work in our own urban environment.

Get Growing!
Everything You’ve Wanted to know about Food Gardening but were Afraid to Ask

Saturday, April 24, 2010
Holy Trinity Riverbend Anglican Church
1428 156 Street, Edmonton
Contact: Arthur Dyck, arthur@htrchurch.ca

Growing your own food can be a very rewarding and worthwhile experience. This workshop will take you through all of the basic planning and skills you need to be able to produce your own fresh organic food, right in your own backyard. We will explore the basics of edible garden design, preparing the soil, easy steps for converting lawn to garden, choosing annual and perennial vegetables, herbs and fruits for Alberta gardens, plant spacings, strategies for low-maintenance gardens, companion planting, community gardens and more.

Backyard Composting

Tuesday, April 13, 7:00 - 8:30 pm and Wednesday, April 21, 6:30 - 8:00 pm (repeated)
Millenium Place, Sherwood Park
For more information: http://www.strathcona.ab.ca/departments/Utilities/Reduce_your_footprint/Green-gardening-workshops.aspx

Composting is the miraculous process where billions of micro-organisms turn waste organic material into rich, living soil. By following some basic principles, we can create a healthy composting system that will handle all of our organic house and yard waste. This workshop will explore a variety of composting models including worm composting, compost piles, pit composting, sheet mulching and more.

“Eco-scaping” – Gardening and Landscaping the Natural Way

Wednesday, April 13, 7:00 – 8:30 pm and Wednesday April 21, 8:15: - 9:45 pm (repeated)
Millenium Place, Sherwood Park
For more information: Phone 464-811 or visit www.strathcona.ab.ca

By understanding and working with the natural processes of soil, water, plants and local bio-diversity, we can create and nurture gardens and landscapes that are beautiful, healthy and sustainable. This workshop will include an introduction to key eco-scaping principles and many practical tools and strategies for use in the home landscape environment.

Public Workshops and Classes 2010
Beyond Edmonton

CAMROSE

Backyard Permaculture Design
Facilitated by Ron Berezan and Maurice Samm

Sponsored by the Bethel Lutheran Church Green Team
Date & Time: Wednesday, July 21st, 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm
Location: Bethel Lutheran Church (corner of 73rd Street and Marler Drive), Camrose, AB
Cost: $50/person, or pre-register with a friend and each pay $45/person

How much food could your yard produce? Imagine being able to share a harvest of apples, cherries, raspberries, strawberries, saskatoons, cranberries, gooseberries, rhubarb. Come join a Permaculture design process that will use the Bethel Lutheran Church yard in Camrose, AB with a goal of transforming the yard into a space that integrates food growing plants, group space, aesthetics, and soil creation while minimizing the amount of maintenance the yard will need.

Drawing on the insights and principles of Permaculture design, nature-scaping and organic gardening, this workshop will offer a process that helps you to develop a vision for transforming your outdoor space and many practical strategies for making it happen. Handouts for all participants included.

For more information or to register, please contact Bethel Lutheran Church in Camrose at 780.672.3659.

ST. PAUL

Transform Your Yard
Creating a Natural, Sustainable and Edible  Landscape

Saturday, April 17, 2010
St. Paul Community Learning Association
Contact Diana Tyler-Moon
780 645-4099

Thinking of making changes to your yard but not sure  how to begin? Are ecological values, beauty, and local, organic food production important to you? Drawing on the insights of Permaculture design, nature-scaping, and organic gardening, this workshop will offer a process that helps you to develop a vision for transforming your outdoor space and many practical strategies for making it happen. We will also explore some key principles of organic landscape and garden design and water conservation, and will consider the wide range of species that can grow well in Central and Northern Alberta. The day will conclude with a seed starting activity focusing on heirloom vegetables, flowers and herbs.

CALGARY, ALBERTA

Water Harvesting
The ultimate in water-wise gardening

Sunday, February 7th, 10:00 am – 2:30pm
Calgary Zoo and Botanical Gardens
Contact: www.calgaryzoo.org 

The use of water in both residential and commercial landscapes continues to be of great concern and this is compounded by an increase in extreme and unpredictable weather conditions where we may experience periods of hot weather and drought followed by extreme rains.  Most people are familiar with the concept of minimizing water use through methods such as mulch, plant selection, drip irrigation systems, and rain barrels.  Water harvesting focuses on retaining any natural precipitation that falls within a property and ensuring that it is used or saved.  Topics to be discussed will include rain harvesters (rain barrels on steroids!), rain gardens, grey water systems, and land contouring for water collection.  Green roofs will also be mentioned.  This course promises to be filled with practical information that should enable you to move forward in your own water harvesting strategies.

WHITEHORSE, YUKON

Permaculture in the City

Tuesday, February 16, 7:30 – 9:30 pm
Alpine Bakery, Whitehorse, Yukon

Permaculture is an ecological design system for meeting essential human needs in sustainable ways. This movement has emerged from its earliest roots in tropical and sub-tropical rural environments to have a growing and dynamic impact in the northern hemisphere and in cities around the world. From yard-scale food production to neighborhood revitalization and the creation of resilient communities, cities are fertile ground for the permaculture vision. This presentation will draw inspiration from urban permaculture examples around the world while helping us to consider the many possibilities for permaculture work in our own urban environment.

LLYODMINSTER, ALBERTA

Transform Your Yard
Creating a Natural, Sustainable and Edible Landscape

Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Time: 7:00 - 10:00 pm
Lloydminster, Alberta
Fee: $25.00
Contact: http://www.lloydlearningcouncil.org/programs.htm#hort

Gardens are the mysterious and wonderful place where human culture and the natural world intersect. Each gardener offers up his or her imagination, vision and skill in partnership with the living, evolving matrix of soil, sun, water, and plants to create these unique and transformative spaces. Our gardening choices can reflect diverse values including environmental sustainability. This workshop will explore a wide range of strategies for creating gardens and landscapes that nurture the planet while providing beauty and sustenance for people and communities. From regenerating soil life, to harvesting water, to creating resilient plant communities that function well together, there is much that gardeners can do to create living, vibrant gardens and landscapes.

SARNIA, ONTARIO REGION

Transform Your Yard
Creating a Natural, Sustainable and Edible Landscape

March 24 - 27

The Urban Farmer will be speaking in a variety of towns and cities in the Sarnia, Ontario region including chatam-Kent, Dresden, Walpole Island, Grand Bend, and others.

For more information contact: The Ontario Environmental Network, oen@oen.ca

On-line Workshops

Learn from the comfort and convenience of your own home! The following three workshops are being offered through Northern Lakes College with “real time” internet conferencing technology. Go to: http://www.northernlakescollege.ca/training_schedule.aspx for more information or to register.

“From the Ground Up – Key Principles for Ecological Design”

Tuesday, March 16, 2010, 6:30 -9:00pm

Thinking of making changes to your yard but not sure how to begin? Are ecological values, aesthetics, and organic food production important to you? Drawing on the insights of permaculture design, nature-scaping, and organic gardening, this workshop will offer a process that helps you to develop a vision for transforming your outdoor space and many practical strategies for making it happen. We will give particular attention to the importance of nurturing a living and vibrant soil as the foundation of all gardens and landscapes.

“Water-Wise Gardening”

Tuesday, March 30. 2010, 6:30-9:00 pm

Does the thought of a lush, multi-storied green landscape appeal to you? Xeriscaping is the perfect approach to creating an interesting, natural and low maintenance landscape with minimal supplemental water demands. By understanding the interrelationships between water, soil and plants, we can implement  simple water harvesting strategies to retain as much rainfall as possible within the landscape.

“Abundant Harvest – Creating an Edible Landscape”

Tuesday, April 20, 2010, 6:30 – 9:00 pm

From patio container gardening to intensive vegetable raised beds to edible forest gardening, this workshop will explore a variety of models for organic and sustainable food production. Discover the rich diversity of foods that we can grow in Alberta including annual and perennial vegetables and herbs, fruits, nuts and berries, mushrooms and more.