SouthWoods Urban Homestead

SouthWoods Urban Homestead 

and Harvest Design Series

The urban landscape is filled with possibilities. Locked in your lot may be the means to sustain an abundant lifestyle for growing your food, collecting fresh rain water for drinking and reducing your dependence on purchased resources. This series will unlock the ecological capital that abounds within your yard or the neighborhood that surrounds you. It will give you the skills and foresight needed to assess, concept and design your property into a perpetual harvest garden.  Learn ecological landscape design language and technique while using the permaculture design process to create a ecologically balanced residence and abundant lifestyle.

Small intensive design classes are limited to 12 tables. Register early. Five on-line national webinar seats are available for each session. Most classes will be held at the Great River School in St. Paul, MN, others at SouthWoods in Prior Lake, MN, or On-line as a webinar. See details below.

Any class can be taken individually, however the Urban Design series is a progressive learning format building from all sessions. The Assessment workshop and Urban Design Series will culminate with each participant completing a personal homestead design, ready for implementation.

 

Instructor: Daniel Halsey, designer and teacher of 

SouthWoods Center for Permaculture Design

Biography: 

4 / 18 and 25 /11  6:30-9 PM    Introduction to Permaculture 1&2 (PI2)  GRS Monday
5/2/11  6:30-9:30 PM          Urban Design I: Base Plan and Residential Site Assessment (UD1) GRS Monday
5/7/11 1:00-4 PM              Computer Aided Site Assessment and Permaculture Design with Internet Resources (PE1) WEB Sat
5/9/11 6:30-9:30 PM           Human-Centric Design and Site Assessment Workshop (PE2) GRS Monday
5/16/11   6:30-9:30 PM       Urban Design II: Permaculture Concepts for the Urban Homestead (UD2) GRS Monday
5/21/11 9:00-12 PM            Soil Health, Fertility, and the Underground Economy (PE3) SW Saturday
5/21/11 1:00-4 PM              Water Collection, Storage, Distribution and Cycling (PE4) SW Saturday
5/23/11 6:30-9:30 PM         Urban Design III: The Design Progression (UD3) GRS Monday
5/28/11 9.00-5 PM              Building a Home Orchard and Forest Ecology, Polycultures, and Plant Guilds (PE5) SW Saturday
5/30/11 6:30-9:30 PM         Urban Design IV: Draft Design Workshop - Spaces, Plants and Abundance (UD4) GRS Monday
6/2/11 6:30-9:30 PM          Building Plant Polycultures and Guilds using a Plant Database (PE6) WEB Thursday
6/4/11 1:00-4 PM+             Urban Design V: Final Design and Supervised Work Session (UD5) SW Saturday
TBD                                   Computer Aided Permaculture Design: ProLandscape Software Training (PE7) SW

In Chronological Order

Introduction to Permaculture I & II (PI1), (PI2)
This is where we start. The principles, ethics, and paradigm that makes permaculture the solution to many of our ecological and economic issues.  We will study the reasons, the options, and working with natures mechanisms to develop a more abundant and healthy lifestyle.


Urban Design 1: Base Plan and Residential Site Assessment (UD1)
Overview- Paper Language, Bubble Maps, Concept, Draft, Final Draft, Final Design
Assignment - Homestead Base Mapping Measurements
Demonstration: Site Assessment and Base Mapping

 Webinar: Computer Aided Site Assessment and Permaculture Design with Internet Resources (PE1)
 Paper and pencil is the tool of choice for outdoor base-maps and site assessments, but a great amount of information about our properties is on the Internet. Aerial Photos and surveys are just a small portion of what you have available. Plugging in all that information to a computer does not have to be tedious. Designing a well thought out plan is fun and easy to adjust with inexpensive software. This workshop will open the data mines of the web to serious Permaculture and Polyculture designers. Basic site assessment, plant databases, aerial imagery, and standard graphic design tools will help you break into the next level of Permaculture design.

Human-Centric Design and Site Assessment Workshop (PE2)

Discovery session using the Permaculture Site Assessment Workbook (to be completed for use in the UD series). Site Assessment, Self Assessment, Niche Analysis, Goals, Human Needs, and Vision.

Urban Design 2: Permaculture Concepts for the Urban Homestead (UD2) 

Classroom Pencil Practice: Tools, Landscape Symbols, Complete Your Base Map, and using Bum Wad. Assignment - Finish base map and start bubble maps. Demonstration: Access and Water Works

Soil Biology, Fertility, and the Underground Economy (PE3) 

Everything comes from the soil. We need healthy soils and we can build nutrient cycling into our properties to ensure soil health and good harvests. The urban landscape supplies all the nutrients and minerals we need.  

Water Collection, Storage, Distribution and Cycling (PE4) 

From sky and well, spring and pond, water is our most precious resource that supports all the others. Reusing, purifying, and distributing water allows all its benefits. Used wisely designers can use the same water for multiple functions.

Urban Design 3: The Design Progression - Hardscapes, Uses, Access, Plant Patches (UD3)
Classroom Pencil Practice: Tools, Landscape Symbols, Drawing a Base Map, and using Bum Wad.                    
Assignment - Finish base map and start bubble maps.  Demonstration: Access and Water Works

Building a Home Orchard with Forest Ecology, Polycultures, and Plant Guilds (PE5)
Every home should have a personal orchard, with fruiting trees, shrubs, and vines. The smallest back yard can have a bountiful harvest for fresh summer food and winter stores. Using forest ecology participants will gain the knowledge to design and plant their own forest garden in an urban lot. Plant lists, sources and consulting included.  Full Day On-Site at SouthWoods

Urban Design 4: Draft Design Workshop Spaces, Plants and Abundance (UD4)

Style Demo, Practice and Supervised Work Session. Transfer of Bum Wad concepts to Draft Design. Plant Size and Placement.
Assignment - Complete draft design
Demonstration: Hardscapes: Retaining Walls, Terracing, Rock, Decks and Pavers

Webinar: Building Plant Polycultures and Guilds using a Plant Database (PE6)
The key to regenerative ecology and truly sustainable design, is working with the natures and allowing plants to work with each other. Polycultures and plant guilds are groups of plants that support each other,supplying all the needed nutrients and services that nature can provide. Like a forest, established polycultures need nothing from us except moderate harvesting.Seasonal access to the Temperate Climate Plant Database is included. 

Urban Design 5: Final Design Process and Supervised Work Session (UD5) 

The final steps to a sustainable design: Plant Selection, Ground Covers, Material Calculations, Implementation Notes and Logistics
Demonstration: Plant Database Queries and Internet Resources


Urban Design student materials list is provided below; some items will need to be purchased at a specialty art or office supply store. Design kits may be rented during the course. See below.
Materials List
T-square 36”
Drafting tape
Triangles: 45-90 degree & 30-60 degree
Scissors
Compass

Drafting pencils – HB, B, 2H, 4H
8 Scale Ruler
Small and Large French curve
Small and Small circle templates
Tube for carrying drawings
8-scale graph paper; sheet size 24” x 36” (approx. 4 sheets)
24'x36' vellum paper  -2 sheets
Bum wad paper
Glue stick or double-stick tape
Eraser
Black ink pens – minimum of 3 tips: narrow, medium, bold

When:  Monday evenings between 6:30-9:30pm Starting April 18th
             Saturday Mornings, Afternoons,  and Thursday Nights

Venues:    Great River School, Energy Park Dr., St. Paul, MN
                 SouthWoods Forest Gardens, 17766 Langford Blvd, Prior Lake, MN 55372
                 Webinar Webcasts, high speed internet suggested

How to Register: Go to  Southwoodscenter.com education page
            (Checks Preferred)    Limited tables so design classes are limited to 12 people.


Call SouthWoods with questions.  612-720-5001   Space is limited, non-refundable payment reserves seat in sessions.)