Time: June 20, 2011 to June 24, 2011
Location: Fern Road Farm, Outside Corvallis, OR
This class can be taken for credit through Oregon State University http://www.beaverstatepermaculture.com/events/permaculture-farming-for http://hort.oregonstate.edu/2011_Permaculture_Courses For a
transition to a
sustainable culture, we must design and rehabilitate the broad swaths of commercial agricultural lands into ecologically sound and economically
profitable Permaculture systems. How do we shift current farm practices and machinery to work for sustainable organic crop production? How do we build soil and plant diversity on large farms while maintaining profitable yields? How do we regenerate
water resources and
native ecosystems while insuring a farm’s near term economic survival?
These are the questions this course will
answer using the
Permaculture Design system. We will explore the dynamics of hedgerows, broad scale water harvesting, soil regeneration, animal and crop rotations, habitat restoration, income diversification, transition timelines, and farm certifying organizations.
Fern Road Farm is 150 acres located 6 miles from downtown Corvallis, with a half mile of Marys River frontage. This idyllic Willamette Valley location has stunning views of the coast range and is adjacent to one of the oldest organic vegetable farms in the Valley. Onsite camping is available at no additional charge. Organic lunch provided.
Cost: $300
Instructors:
Jason Bradford, Phd
Dr. Bradford leads the farmland management program, including organic certification, sustainability planning, and tenant and operations management, at Farmland LP. Farmland LP is a U.S. private equity fund that acquires conventional farmland and converts it to high-value organic farmland using sustainable agriculture best-practices (www.farmlandlp.com ).
Dr. Bradford is a highly-regarded scientist and expert in sustainability, who applied his understanding of ecology to become a successful organic farmer. After receiving his doctorate, he worked on issues related to species extinction and the overall decline in global ecosystem integrity, funded by the National Science Foundation and the National Geographic Society. Dr. Bradford was a leader of the Tropical Ecosystem team of BioMERGE (www.columbia.edu/cu/biomerge ), a National Science Foundation funded research network of over 100 scientists from 17 countries integrating the study of
biodiversity and ecosystem function. Dr. Bradford also taught Ecology at Washington University.
He is a board member of the Post
Carbon Institute, a staff contributor to The Oil Drum (www.TheOilDrum.com ), and frequent public speaker. Dr. Bradford received his Ph.D. in Evolution and Population Biology from Washington University in St. Louis and his Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of California Davis, with High Honors.
Jude Hobbs
Jude Hobbs is a horticulturist,
Permaculture designer, co-founder of Cascadia
Permaculture Institute and a Field Director for Permaculture USA. She has developed projects in rural, residential, commercial, and institutional settings.
In 1982, Jude founded Cascadia Landscape Design, a business specializing in integrating permaculture techniques that blend function and aesthetics. As part of the design process she works with clients to create a master plan based on whole systems. These systems may include: structure types and locations, water harvesting, soil building, appropriate plant selection, animals, forestry, and
appropriate technology. These elements endeavor to provide year round productivity and beauty.
Jude also works with farmers through Agro-Ecology Northwest, doing consulting, research and site assessments. She offers design
plans that emphasize efficiency and productivity. Her
experience working on farms and ranches allows her an understanding of the challenges that interface farming and economic realities.
Andrew Millison, MA
Andrew Millison has been studying, designing, building, and teaching about Permaculture systems since 1996. He is an instructor in the Department of Horticulture at Oregon State University, teaching the Permaculture Design Certification course. He has taught through other organizations including Prescott College, the Ecosa Institute, and the Cascadia Permaculture Institute. He instructs Advanced Permaculture Courses in Teaching, and has guest instructed for esteemed Permaculture teachers
Toby Hemenway and Michael Pilarski.
Andrew spent years running a design and build Permaculture landscape company, Millison Ecological Inc., where he completed large scale and high profile projects including rockstar Maynard Keenan’s Merkin Vineyard: (
http://www.bloodintowine.com/,
http://www.caduceus.org/ ), initiated the well-known Ecohood project: (
http://www.emagazine.com/view/?3066 ), worked with ecological wastewater pioneer Dr. John Todd: (
http://www.beaverstatepermaculture.com/video/ecomachine-1 ), and worked with Dr. Gary Paul Nabhan on heirloom
fruit tree preservation to earn his Master’s degree: (
http://www.nativeseeds.org/regis-tree/home ). Andrew also worked as a draftsman and designer in an ecological Landscape Architecture office: (
http://tbkadesign.com/rehabitation.php ) where he completed designs at the commercial, municipal, and residential scales.
Andrew currently teaches and does freelance Permaculture design. His recent designs range from 5-25 acres and documentation of his extensive portfolio of hands-on projects, design work, and published articles can be viewed here: (
http://www.beaverstatepermaculture.com/profile/AndrewMillison )
