Food, Fuel, & Shelter

Grafting and Plant Propagation | 4 hours | $85
Dates: March 20

Grafting, rooting cuttings and other methods of plant propagation are centuries-old ways of preserving and reproducing the most valuable varieties of perennial plants. Learn the basics of plant propagation including varietal selection, scion-wood cutting, tools, rooting-out environment, and many more ways the homesteader and farmer can rapidly leverage and expand plant biodiversity on their site.    

Designing and Living in a High Performance Building | 3 hours | $150
Dates: March 21

Modern, air-sealed buildings pose unique challenges to the pocketbook, occupant health and long term durability. Despite their popularization, empirical information based in experience rather than building ‘science’ and theory is hard to come by. Geared towards those designing or building a passive solar, well insulated, ultra durable green home, or those planning to, we will use the Whole Systems Design studio/workshop to explore the nuances associated with operating a high performance building, discussing common issues in design and operation, cost-saving design strategies, operational techniques to ensure low maintenance, materials choices, indoor air quality enhancements, daylighting, moisture challenges, window choices and a few dozen other decision-making aspects facing the would-be owner of a high functioning shelter in a cold climate. This is of particular value for those interested in developing a healthy, low-energy and durable whole house system, rather than simply a “green building.”

Multifunctional Hedgerows | 3 hours | $65
Dates: May 2

Despite their use as a central land-use strategy by countless cultures across varied climates for millennia, hedgerows as a farm support element, home garden component and agricultural system in of themselves are absent in much of America’s landscape. In this workshop we inspect and work with the diverse hedgerows at the Whole Systems Research Farm that offer multiple values in the farm ecosystem. These include: windbreak, berries, soil enhancement, water harvesting, nectar (bees), fuelwood, privacy and security, fencing, building materials, and nuts.  Aspects covered include siting, planting, management (coppicing, pollarding, propagating, pruning, etc), and species selection.

Food from Wood: Mushroom Cultivation | 3 hours | $65
Dates: May 22

Mushrooms are an increasingly pivotal food source in northern climates. They can be extremely nutrient-dense, containing 20% to 35% protein, an array of amino acids and micronutrients, and numerous anti-cancer compounds.  Mushrooms also have the unique ability to grow in low light at temperatures as low as 40º F – greatly extending the growing season in cold, cloudy climates. They present a range of unique opportunities for regenerating ecosystem health and soil while offering a way to gain high value food from the abundant and otherwise low-value woody debris and small diameter pole wood in the forested landscapes. Participants will learn how to grow gourmet edible mushrooms on whatever substrate is readily available to them including pole wood, wood chips, sawdust, soil, and compost. Participants will perform log inoculation for forest-based mushrooms like shiitake, and/or propagation for garden-grown wine cap mushrooms using cardboard, woodchips and compost. Increase your peak oil resiliency multi-fold with mushrooms. include siting, planting, management (coppicing, pollarding, propagating, pruning, etc), and species selection.

Beyond Composting: Biochar Production and Aerobic Compost Tea | 1 Day | $150
Dates: June 12

Participants will go through the entire process of making biochar, from assembling the woody materials to putting together the pyrolysis unit. After igniting the biochar burner we’ll collect compost tea materials from the farm and brew a batch of aerobic compost tea in the Whole Systems Research Farm’s brewer. We will spend the last third of the day applying these two components on the farm, inoculating the biochar and incorporating it into vegetable beds.  The compost tea (from a batch made the day before to ensure 24 hours of brew time) will be applied via foliar feeding to fruit trees, nut trees and berries, and used in compost piles to accelerate the growth of beneficial microorganisms.  

Rapid Topsoil Formation | 1 Day | $150
Dates: June 19

New England’s landscape history of abuse and abandonment leaves most of us needing to rapidly develop topsoil during the site establishment phase of projects. Any resilient food and home system is based in healthy, durable soils. This broad intensive offers participants exposure to and hands-on experience with the range of soil building techniques for degraded cold climate landscapes including: swale-mound earthworks, dynamic accumulator and nitrogen-fixing plant guilds for fertility farming, aerobic compost tea, foliar feeding and biological inoculants, biochar and re-mineralization, intensive rotational micro-grazing and keyline water
management. 

Nutrient Density and Super Medicinals | 3/4 Day | $140
Dates: June 20

The most important anti-cancer and health-supporting foods such as seaberry, elderberry, currant, gooseberry, blueberry, aronia berry, and various mushrooms the Whole Systems Research Farm will be worked with in this workshop. We will also overview management practices that increase the nutrient density in of a wide variety of crops from vegetables to fruits, nuts and grasses. Participants will practice and be exposed to: brix testing plant tissues using a refractometer; making and applying compost tea and other inoculants; foliar feeding; testing soil and soil observing; re-mineralization; as well as cover cropping and water management strategies for optimizing nutrient density and overall vigor in food plants.

Beyond Sawlog Silviculture: Multiple-Yield Forest Management | 4 hours | $75
Dates: June 26

This short course will address the establishment and everyday management of a multiple-yield food and fuel forest. Participants will gain knowledge and hands on experience with mushroom cultivation, understory herbs, high-yielding fuelwood management techniques and other strategies for going beyond typical forester recommendations based in veneer-quality sawlog based management goals. The forest-products market will likely value woodland crops in radically different ways in 5-10-15 years. Is your woodland positioned to maximize value for this shift?

Rice in Cold Climates | 4 hours | $85
Dates: July 31

Immerse yourself in the cutting edge of crop diversification research & development. Participants will work with 2nd year research trials of short grain rice as we continue to test and develop the best methods for growing rice in hillside paddy-based duck-rice polyculture. The workshop covers aspects from siting of paddies to earthworks for paddy establishment, waterworks, fertigation, duck and fish integration, growing season management and harvesting.  

Seed Saving | 4 hours | $55
Dates: September 27

Ensuring that a plant can be reproduced from year to year may be as crucial a skill in the future as simply growing a plant for a single year food source. Participants will learn the basics of seed saving including how to plan and plant a seed saving garden with specific varieties appropriate to the unique climate of Vermont. We will explore both new and time-tested techniques for saving seeds including the entire process from identification of seed source to collecting, curing and storage. Participants leave with ancient knowledge and foundational practice necessary to garden in self-sustaining ways from year to year.

Tools

Heavy Machinery Selection and Use | 3 hours | $65
Dates: May 1, May 8

Participants will be exposed to the range of tools available for site establishment and maintenance, including those used in small scale earthworks, grading, ponds, trenching, foundations, rain gardens/infiltration basins, etc. We will cover machine selection and maintenance aspects including cost, size, attachments, soil compaction effects, tracks versus wheels, brands, skill requirements, as well as a detailed exploration of ideal applications per machine type. Due to insurance regulations, participants will observe applications and discuss the merits of a mini-excavator and a tractor-loader-backhoe but will not operate these machines themselves in this course. This course can save the participant thousands of dollars, time, and much frustration. Participants will leave the course able to evaluate their own machinery needs, whether for purchase, rental or in vetting a potential contractor for work.

Knots and Rigging | 3 hours | $55
Dates: May 23, June 25

We’ll explore and practice the essential knots for everyday life on the homestead, farm and in the back country. Knots covered will include the clove hitch, girth hitch, rolling hitch, trucker’s hitch, nail knot, various bowlines, slip knots and the fisherman’s knot. We’ll apply understanding of all of these knots by performing basic rigging operations including: making 3 to 1 tension systems for pulling and hoisting; establishing a rope high in a tree for felling assistance; tensioning lines in fencing, trucking and other applications. We will also touch on basic use of Come-Alongs and ratchet straps. Please bring a short hank of rope from 8 to 16 feet long and ¼” to ½” (5mm to 10mm), along with any other hardware, ratchets or other rigging equipment you want to become more familiar with or share.

Chainsaw Use and Tree Harvesting | 3 hours | $55
Dates: June 5

Whether it be cutting your own fuelwood, performing forest management, yard and house-safety management or clearing your driveway after a storm emergency, chainsaws are an invaluable, but often misused – and dangerous – tool. Techniques covered will include: chainsaw selection, basic operation, directional and safe felling techniques, safety and other gear selection, and maintenance of the chainsaw from sharpening to engine tune ups. While this course will be hands-on for maintenance aspects, due to insurance regulations, operating live chainsaws will only be performed by the instructors.

Design

Homestead Security: Failure Proofing the Basics | 1 Day | $235
Dates: May 28, July 16

While it’s necessary to develop long term, high yielding, and diverse food, fuel and infrastructure systems, those same systems are easily compromised if nearer-term, more acute challenges are not planned for as well. Example: a homestead where nut trees are planted yet there is no backup source established for drinking water that will still function when the electrical grid is down. Resilient habitats can deal easily with both long term and acute challenges. While most other permaculture workshops deal with the “long emergency,” this one deals with those we might face in the very near term. Participants in this training will become literate in the basic strategies for ensuring water, heat, food and security during acute challenges such as grid failure, oil, gas or food supply disruption, major storm, pandemic, or numerous other events that will shut off the water and heat to most homes while posing security challenges due to civil unrest if they persist for more than about a week. Participants will leave with the fundamentals for: establishing failure-proof water and heat systems; evaluating and fixing infrastructure weak points; improving security of the home if crime increases or civil unrest emerges; ensuring a baseline of communications; ensuring a baseline of long term food and medicine; and ensuring that the most needed tools will be on hand to deal with short to medium-term emergencies. This course is of particular use for community and regional emergency planners. Course size will be kept to a minimum so that the varied needs of each participant’s home/project can be addressed.