Learn how to design, implement and maintain a forest garden / food forest, with this 15-episode video course. Available as the whole course or as individual subject episodes. Joining this course also enables access to the forest garden forum.

Learn how to design, implement and maintain a forest garden in this 2.5 day course, run by Martin Crawford and based in the forest gardens of the ART in Devon.

A 2.5 day course covering all aspects of forest gardening, from design to implementation and maintenance, based at forest gardens of the ART in Devon.

“Agroforestry is both a traditional practice, and a modern practice. It has undergone a renewal and uptake for modern sustainable farming methods over the last 30-40 years The name of "agroforestry" was created in the 1977 to describe the deliberate use of incorporating trees into farming practice”

Professor Martin Wolfe is one of the world's leading experts on Agroforestry, based on 30 years of experimental work on his farm in Suffolk. He will offer his expert knowledge in Agroforestry, the benefits, and ways in which trees can be combined with arable and livestock systems. The course will equip you with an overview in how to design, implement and manage an agroforestry system. Starting with an introduction to agroforestry and its benefits the course will lead you through designing and planning your own agroforestry system. We will visit four agroforestry systems on the Dartington Hall Estate, incorporating Alley Cropping, the Forest Garden at Martin Crawford’s Agroforestry Research Centre, and the new Agroforestry plots at the Schumacher College and at Huxhams Cross Farm.

Returning to the site where we planted out the first phase of a new forest garden five years ago, we'll be adding to the planting at the lower levels. This is a rare opportunity to participate in the continued development of one, learning both theory and participating in practical activities at an established permaculture venue. The site is quite challenging, being on a steep slope at 400m above sea level and on acidic soil, so also shows what can be achieved, even in difficult conditions. Heathercombe is also very beautiful, being on the edge of wild Dartmoor.
The course includes a visit to Martin Crawford's flagship forest garden near Totnes, where we shall focus specifically on the understory planting.
Please note this is the second of two complementary courses which can be taken either individually or together. Part one will focus on the planting out of the tree and shrub layers of a new forest garden, adjacent to the existing one.

On the island of S.Miguel we will be teaching 3 courses
The SMC Sociocracy Management Course, from 5 to 9 Oct
the PDC Permaculture Design Course from 13 to 22 Oct
and the PFC Permaculture Forest Course, from 24 to 28 Oct
if you want you can be part of the 3 courses to get a deeper experience on Permaculture education.
For people that complete the 3 courses there will be access to the
Permaculture Design Internship certificate

On the PFC you will learn about forest gardening and how to create a stable diverse abundant forest that produces food.
This island has amazing microclimates, you can find plants from cold climates like chestnuts or rhubarb with tropical fruits like mangoes or pineaples all growing very close.

On the PFC you will learn about forest gardening and how to create a stable diverse abundant forest that produces food.

On this course we will talk about the main forestry skills that are needed to design, develop and manage a food forest.

Did you ever asked yourself these questions?

I love trees but how do i plant them and take care of them?
What is the best way to prepare the soil to make trees grow well?
Wen planting trees what is the best distance between them?
What are the best plants to plant together with trees ?
How can i create maximum diversity and stability with my trees.
How can i get maximum production from all the forest elements?
There must be a way to do natural pest control, how can i do that?
I live in the city, how can i create a urban food forest?

The PFC is the course for people that are passionate about forests.
We look at all stages of preparation of a forest, from seed to harvest.
The focus on the most diverse forest topics, tree planting, tree pruning, companion planting, world climates, plants families, permaculture cultivation, natural pest control, using the stars as planting calendar.
Mushrooms dynamics, how to find them and reproduce and its importance on stable forests.
We look at many different systems, fukuoka forests, alley cropping, wood forests, agro forestry and atlantis food forests.

The subjects covered during the PFC include:

Agro ecology
Food Forest creation and management
How to combine fruits and veggies
Plants and tres species
How, when and where to plant
Climate zones
Social forests

The Agroforestry System, also known as Syntropic Agroforestry, was developed by Ernst Götsch and it is today one of the most viable planting techniques regarding environmental, economic and social practices. The planting is done synchronously with agricultural (vegetables & fruit) and forest species. This planting system is inspired by the way forests develop.High density and diversity plantations can only be possible though the use of short, medium and long life cycled species occupying all forest strata (low, medium, high and emergent). Increasingly productive agriculture plantations will be possible by following the stated principles, where sun light and hydric resources are optimised.
During the workshop in Spain you will get the chance to learn directly from one of Ernst Goetsch best long term students and collaborator in over 20 Syntropic Agroforestry workshops. We will get theoretical and practical insights from Namaste Messerschmidts vast experience in Syntropic Agriculture. We also will work together during the course on a Syntropic Agroforestry System for the Temperate Climate context.
About the facilitator:
The Agroforestry consultant, Namastê Messerschmidt, has technical and practical experience in implementation and handling of Syntropic Agrofestry Systems. Namastê has been following Ernst Götsch’s steps for over 18 years and applies on a daily basis Ernst’s teachings as an introductory and advanced Syntropic Agriculture course instructor.He has taught over 20 course together with Ernst Goetsch.Namastê has been supporting valuable projects in Brasil such as:
- Cooperfloresta and Mário Lago’s settlement through content writing and consultancy work.
- Author of Projecto Agroflorestar’s publications such as the book and several flyers.
- Works as a consultant at OCA’s Institute and Fazenda da Toca.
https://www.soilsunsoul.net/syntropic-agroforestry-workshop-june-2018.html

Tomas Remiarz, author of Forest Gardening in Practice, will introduce the theory and practice of creating your own edible ecosystem. We will see many successful examples and create new forest garden guilds at Karuna in Shropshire, one of the leading forest gardens in the UK on a beautiful 18 acre site..

We will go through the basics of setting up your own garden, using a plot on Ty Mawrs land as an example.