Permaculture Course in Hindsight

I have just come off of a sixteen day intensive course about ecological design; with sessions on principles, contouring, foraging, pruning, water harvesting and re-use, mushroom growing, passive housing and many field visits: at times my brain felt like an over-filled sponge.

Sixteen days of living cheek by jowl with a bunch of ‘permis’, sharing meals, stories, knowledge and aspirations. The course culminated in a three half day design exercise in which we were asked to utilise what we had learnt.  I’ve now got a Permaculture Design Certificate and am seriously thinking about moving on to do the Diploma.  Here’s our design.

Sixteen days living in a canvas topped gypsy caravan, woken up every night by the patter of raindrops and every morning by birdsong.  From new moon to full moon: sixteen days of not having to think about locking my caravan or van. Learning about the multiple businesses that run out of Keveral: growing micro-greens, running a box scheme (see below), running a campsite, making cider, growing mushrooms and woodland management - and I may not have caught them all. 

Sixteen days of using dry-compost toilets with a view into the woods.  It's strange using water-thirsty, nutrient losing water flush systems again.

Sixteen days at Keveral and two quotes to remember:‘The best fertiliser is the gardener’s shadow’.‘You are endowed with two ears and one mouth. It’s wise to use them in that proportion’.