This is the classic permaculture course. It focuses on skills we can put into action in our own lives, in both town and country. It also looks at permaculture in its wider context, as a way of putting many diverse green ideas into a coherent whole. It’s suitable both for beginners and for those in relevant professions - gardeners, farmers, landscape designers, foresters, architects etc - who want to add a permaculture perspective to their skills.
A wide range of teaching methods is used, including talks, slide shows, discussions and exercises, both indoor and outdoor. The main focus of the course is a series of design exercises on the land. Participants can choose between a domestic garden or a smallholding for their permaculture design project. We make full use of the farm as a teaching resource, with outdoor sessions every day. There’s at least one session of practical work in the farm on each course. To get an idea of the full range of subjects covered by the course, please see the example timetable below.
There’s a range of optional evening activities, including a session on healing, campfires and hot tubs. A favourite activity on the weekend is canoeing down the River Wye amid the beautiful wooded scenery (cost approx £15).
The Design Course is recognised by the international permaculture community, and can lead to the informal Diploma of Permaculture Design. Our Design Courses at Ragmans Lane can also lead to a nationally recognised qualification, because they make up two modules of the five-module Sustainable Land Use course, which we also teach at Ragmans Lane.
Special Offer!
The Earth Care Manual, Patrick’s major permaculture book, is available to Design Course participants at half price. It's the ideal companion to the course, full of detailed information on all the subjects covered. You can order your copy in advance or buy it during the course.
Tutors
The main tutors are Patrick and Cathy Whitefield.
Guest tutors include:
Sarah Pugh, urban and community permaculturist
Matt Dunwell, permaculture pioneer and the farmer of Ragmans Lane
Steve Pickup, expert in living willow structures
We also make two visits. One is to Architype, a firm of ecological architects, to see their newly competed office building and for a slide presentation by partner Jonathan Hines
The other is to Oaklands Park, a biodynamic community, to see innovative water and sewage treatment systems and the vegetable gardens, where we’re shown round by Mark Moodie, a pioneer in biological water treatment.
Venue
Ragmans Lane Farm is situated in beautiful countryside in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, on the banks of the River Wye.
The farm is presently in a state of transition. Formerly supporting a rich diversity of permaculture activity, in recent years this has been narrowed down to just two enterprises. One is mushroom log production - innoculating logs with the spawn of shii-take and oyster mushrooms and selling the logs as a source of fresh organic mushrooms. The other is organic apple juice production, and part of the farm has been planted up with orchards to supply the apples. The rest of the land is let out for grazing and the large vegetable garden is not used at present.
With the appointment of a new manager, Freya Davies, the farm is moving into a new phase of activity. One of her first priorities is to bring the vegetable garden back into production and the consideration of a Community Supported Agriculture scheme. Plans are also being considered to start actively managing the two woodlands on the farm.
The farm is also the home of the Willow Bank, which supplies a wide range of willow varieties and installs living willow structures. Many of these can be seen around the farm. In addition, there is an interesting range of ecological building styles on the farm, and there is both mature and newly planted woodland.
For more information on the farm, including a pictorial tour, see http:// www.ragmans.co.uk (Please note that you should use the booking form on this website, not the one on the Ragmans Lane site.)
