Permaculture: Earthworks Weekend Workshop

Permaculture:
Earthworks Weekend Workshop

Creating the environment for Nature to
produce edible landscapes
Establish a natural pond, berms of all sizes, terraces, planting the berm, cover crops, mulching and more!

With Mona Lewis of Paradise Permaculture &
Zach Weiss of Perpetual Green Gardens

in Livingston, Montana
August 17th & August 18th, 2013
9:00 – 1:00pm and 2:00 – 6:00pm
Alternating 2 hours in classroom & 2 hours on site
$300 or $120 for work trade (12 hrs during next 3 days)
Includes handouts and a Permaculture notebook
Contact: Mona at 406-222-9999 monaleelewis@gmail.com

Here are some more details for people interested in the workshop:

We have a Case cx300 (60,000lbs) being delivered today that we'll be using for the Phase 1 Installation of a 4 Phase project to create Paradise Permaculture. This will be an education center and demonstration site for Holzer Permaculture methods and all things natural living; how to live in synergy with our planet.

The workshop will take place over the weekend in the middle of the installation. This will give people the best opportunity to see as many of the details of the earth moving as possible. The Phase 1 installation includes the primary berm for the property (a 15' berm for the prevailing wind) and the first water and garden areas. This will include natural pond building, terrace building, crater gardens, and any other aspects of Holzer Permaculture that people would like me to elaborate on.

I've just returned from a visit with Sepp Holzer in Austria and I have lots of information and stories to share. It was an absolute blessing to visit both the Krameterhof and the Holzerhof. Most people know how wonderful the Krameterhof is, what I was more blown away with was the Holzerhof. Sepp did some work there 10 years ago when it was owned by someone else. It hasn't been touched since. Nothing, Nichts, Nada.

The growth and abundance there now is absolutely astounding. When Sepp say's think ahead, let time and nature work for you I beginning to really understand what he means.

The Holzerhof is in the hottest driest part of Austria. It was sold because the farmer believed it was too dry and too degraded to produce anything anymore.

Sepp built a spring there with his terrace systems; you have to stop and think how truly incredible that is. With just one step, 10 years ago and nothing since, he was able to reinvigorate the water household so much that it now gives him 5 liters per minute of the best quality spring water from the earth body. I can only image what his 10,000 hectare projects in Russia and Kazakstan are like...

This shows the scope of the Phase 1 Earthworks

The excavator and operator are busy pulling up the top soil as I type. We get a loader later today to help move the top soil around. There is some wonderfully beautiful clay layers, and it is amazing how nice the topsoil is for the vegetation currently growing on it (degraded old horse pasture). This is going to be quite the installation, I'm very fortunate to be part of it. There are sure to be lots of tips and tricks that will be shared during the workshop and we should have some time to help people with ideas for their own site.