Food Forestry North of the 49th with Richard Walker

With Richard Walker

June 18 - 19, 2016

Date and Time Details: We will start at 9am June 18th and finish by 4pm June 19th. Accommodation options are available if you would like to experience living in community at Clear Sky.

  • CAD $315.00 – 2 day program including lunches, snacks and a copy of Richard Walker's book "Food Forestry North of the 49th"

Not sure? Read on below for more details.

Come have fun and develop hands-on experience with one of Canada’s most experienced forest gardeners in our one-acre cold climate food forest, just 35 minutes from Cranbrook, and 50 minutes from Fernie, BC.

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Learning Outcomes

5 things you’ll take away with you from this workshop:

1) how to properly plant trees
2) how to select quality botanicals
3) pruning fundamentals
4) the key points of building soil
5) a copy of “Food Forestry North of the 49th” by Richard Walker
Food Forest

Bursary

If you are based in the Columbia Valley, you may be eligible for a professional development bursary to attend. Please check here for more details.
Food forest team

Workshop Schedule

DAY ONE

9 am

  • Introduction
  • Food forest structure, description and function
  • Urban and rural applications

10.30 am BREAK

11.00  am

  • Mitigating and repairing site contamination
  • Site improvement and design

12.30 LUNCH

1:30 p.m

  • Brix testing ( hands on )
  • Site visit ( species selection and design)

3.30 pm  BREAK

4 p.m

  • Species selection
  • Conclusion

5 pm

  • Farewell

DAY TWO

9 am

  • Importance of high-quality soil
  • Soil building

10.30 am BREAK

11. 00 am

  • Soil chemistry

12.30 pm  LUNCH

1.30 pm

  • Compost and compost teas
  • Bokashi and essential micro-organisms

3.30 pm

  • Closing circle

4.00 pm

  • Farewell

from the medicinal herb area of the Food Forest

Testimonials from Richard’s past students

“Effective, approachable, engaging, insanely knowledgeable.”

Clear Sky 2011 Food Forest Workshop participant

“Everything talked about was pertinent to our interests and what we are doing in our own backyard.”

Pat and Graham Greenlee, Clear Sky 2013 Food Forest participants

“Richard showed me that growing a food forest can be fun, practical, and even a good idea economically. I’d been intrigued by food forestry for a few years but to listen to Richard speak and share his wealth of experience really helped me to see that this is something I can do and have a lot of fun with. I left with so much information about food plants and had fun trying my hand at grafting. I was so inspired by Richard, his information, and his photos that I’m itching to get my own food forest started! I would recommend this workshop to anyone interested in growing their own food or starting a nursery.”

Elysse Lightpool – Herbal Medicine Practioner and Student

“Unparalleled experience in food forestry with knowledge and techniques that you aren’t going to find in any book. Quirky, funny, passionate, patient. Great person to learn from. I like that he doesn’t have much structure. I want to now spend a year with him.”

Mike Cloutier – OUR Ecovillage Garden Manager

 

About the Leader

Richard Walker

Richard is a food forester, designer, herbalist and teacher with over 30 years experience. He has designed community and private forest gardens throughout BC. He spent his early years as an organic farmer in Alberta. He later moved to Grand Forks BC where over 20 years he transformed his 3 acre property from a bare […]

Learn more about Richard Walker