[soilhack-announce] Soils Alive! workshop with Joel Williams

Thu Aug 25 11:31:22 CEST 2016

Dear Soil Hack Group,

*Soils alive!  -/Joel Williams/
*Our soils are the most precious asset we have. Explore the world 
beneath our feet and learn how to nurture soil vitality with our 
renowned international expert on soil health. Topics include soil life, 
compost, minerals, natural plant immunity, and what to do and what not 
to do to achieve a healthy soil whatever the size of your plot, be it 
small or large

We have this great workshop and a whole host of other interesting ones 
on offer at our forthcoming event
<https://www.biodynamic.org.uk/conference/>*Biodynamics: Revitalising 
our Earth one Garden at a time 17th - 18th Sept 2016 **
**At*: Garden Organic, Ryton On Dunsmore, Kenilworth CV8 3LG

Anyone growing food or working with soil  are the natural stewards and 
protectors of our Earth, and how we carry out these tasks has never been 
so important. The biodynamic approach is unique; it’s aim is to maximize 
the inherent vitality of our soils and gardens through its use of herbal 
compost and spray preparations, by harnessing the subtle cosmic forces 
of nature, building natural resilience with open pollinated seed, and by 
creating a garden full of harmonious life, which becomes self-sustaining .

Full details about the workshops, key lectures, short talks and special 
evening on the importance of seeds and seed diversity can be found below
Cost £145 ( £120 BDA Members)
To book your ticket 
<https://www.biodynamic.org.uk/magento/biodynamic-workshops.html>
FFI  see www.biodynamic.org.uk/conference/ 
<https://www.biodynamic.org.uk/conference/>
Or Contact Jessica on 01453 759501  email office at biodynamic.org.uk

*Biodynamics, Revitalising our Earth, one garden at a time
The UK’s first Biodynamic Gardening Conference 17^th – 18^th September 2016

**Workshops
*
This year we have an exciting range of in depth workshops covering all 
aspects of biodynamic gardening, and beyond.  Participants get to choose 
one workshop topic and stay with that tutor for the 3 sessions over the 
weekend This offers plenty of time to really get your teeth into a 
subject and also for questions.

*Biodynamic Gardening***

*1. Biodynamic gardening for everyone:revitalising your garden from the 
ground up -
/Rachael O’Kelly
/*Learn all the important principles of biodynamic gardening, how to get 
started, and how to apply them in practice in your own garden. Weather 
permitting, the classroom will be our own Elysia biodynamic 
demonstration garden!  Practical sessions will include: compost making, 
how to make, stir and apply the all- important BD preparations, plus 
advice and tips on using the lunar calendar. Expect to be engaged, 
inspired and to have lots of gardening fun!

*2. A guide to the biodynamic planting calendar/– Ian Bailey
/*Ian will bring his wealth of theoretical and hands- on experience to 
bring you a fascinating exploration into the theory and the astronomy 
and the " celestial mechanics" behind the biodynamic planting calendar 
alongside: how to use and understand the calendar to help you determine 
the most auspicious time to sow, plant, and harvest your fruit, 
vegetables & flowers.

*3. Soils alive!  -/Joel Williams/
*Our soils are the most precious asset we have. Explore the world 
beneath our feet and learn how to nurture soil vitality with our 
renowned international expert on soil health. Topics include soil life, 
compost, minerals, natural plant immunity, and what to do and what not 
to do to achieve a healthy soil whatever the size of your plot, be it 
small or large.

4. *Growing and saving biodynamic vegetable seed workshop*- */Ute 
Kirchgasser/*

This practical workshop is designed for everyone, whether you are a 
commercial grower interested in growing seed crops or a gardener looking 
to save your own seed.

Detailed information and tips will cover the practical know how for 
naturally producing seed, maintaining varieties and breeding new 
varieties, including:

  * selection of plants from which to save seed, with exercises
  * techniques used with self-pollinating plants and cross-pollinating
    plants, and how to know which is which
  * considerations for producing seed from biennials, eg carrots and
    cabbages, and winter storage
  * reaping the harvest: threshing, cleaning and storing seeds

*The Wider Perspective*

*5. **How the bees can help us - Heidi Herrmann & Rachel Hanney
*What bees need is well understood but hard to offer as habitat and 
natural forage sources disappear from our landscapes. We will explore 
what can be done to make space for bees - in the countryside, on farms 
and gardens and in our hearts.As modern beekeeping methods prove 
unsuited to address declining bee health and vitality, ways must be 
found to enable bees to deploy their innate abilities for regeneration 
and healing.
We will explore sensitive methods of bee husbandry as advocated by the 
Natural Trust, with an emphasis on the manifold possibilities for 
“rewilding” the bees.
The bees’ outstanding capacity for bringing grace and healing into our 
lives will be discussed by reference to our project  “Prison Bees”.

*6.  Permaculture & biodynamics: a fortuitous union - /Spencer Christy
/*Permaculture and biodynamic gardening are natural bedfellows and work 
together harmoniously. Explore the many ways they overlap and the extra 
dimension to gardening this can bring with a biodynamic farmer and 
gardener who holds a diploma in applied permaculture design. These 
workshops will include group work and practical exercises. No prior 
knowledge necessary.

*7. Meadow gardening - /Beatrice Krehl/ ( 2 x sessions) &
Practical session on No-dig gardening - /Charles Dowding/ ( 1 x session)
*Former head gardener of stunning Waltham Place biodynamic garden 
introduces you  to the delightfully informal, and ultimate wildlife 
friendly approach to gardening , including  how to garden with dynamic 
plant communities rather than individual plants grouped together for 
their aesthetics.
In the third session of this workshop, popular no-dig guru shares his 
extensive experience including  practical tips  on mulching to kill 
weeds and making compost, and vegetables sown in their best season for 
healthiest harvests.

*8. Meetings with remarkable plants - /Jonathon Code/*
Accomplished author, biodynamic gardener and alchemist reveals how to 
gain deeper understandings of plants and the plant world by drawing on 
ancient wisdoms and inspiration from phenomenology, plant alchemy, 
botany and creative writing.  Come with a notepad or sketch book and 
suitable clothing to work outside. No prior experience necessary.
*

*

*More about our workshop leaders and speakers…

**Ian Bailey*
Ian is a long standing supporter and trustee of the Biodynamic 
Association and lives at The Grange Camphill Community. In 1991, he 
began his biodynamic journey in the garden at The Grange and has become 
an enthusiastic expert in understanding the cosmos: how the 
constellations, the Zodiac and the planets move in relation to the earth 
and its importance for biodynamics, especially the planting calendar.  
As Ian says, there’s a tremendous journey from the thoughts of the 
cosmos to the row of beans one might be hoping to grow, and he looks 
forward to exploring it together.

*Spencer Christy *
Spencer is a biodynamic farmer from Essex, and set up Lauriston Farm – a 
210 acre Demeter certified holding on the Blackwater Estuary.  He has 
extensive practical experience of rare breed cattle, sheep and chickens, 
as well as growing vegetables and fruits, natural beekeeping, and 
managing farmland for wildlife.  He has a degree in Environmental 
Science, a diploma in Applied Permaculture Design and is an active 
member of the Anthroposophical Society.

*Jonathan Code BA, M.Ed
*Jonathan is  a lecturer and co-lead on Crossfield Institute’s 
postgraduate course Researching Holistic Approaches to Agroecology, and 
has a deep interest in Consciousness Studies, Western Esotericism, the 
natural sciences and education. Jonathan’s book /Muck and Mind; 
Encountering Biodynamic Agriculture/ is published and distributed by 
Lindisfarne books (USA) and Floris books (UK).

*Charles Dowding
*Charles is a contemporary pioneer of no dig growing; he crops an 
intensive quarter acre in SW England for local sales of salad leaves 
(over 1 tonne last year) and vegetables. He has written seven books and 
teaches extensively at home and abroad.  After graduating from 
Cambridge, in 1982 he started an organic, no -dig market garden on two 
acres, rising to seven acres by 1987. He is self-taught and learns from 
observation, trialling and comparing different methods of growing. He 
teaches, writes and grows, runs day and weekend courses at home and 
abroad, has seven books published and several films on his You Tube 
channel such as http://youtu.be/HATC3rG6NbQ, see more at 
www.charlesdowding.co.uk <http://www.charlesdowding.co.uk>

*Rachel Hanney
*Rachel is a master skep maker and leads the Natural Beekeeping Trust’s 
sunhive making workshops at Tablehurst Farm, where many bee colonies are 
housed in this innovative and iconic hive. She is a Trustee of the 
Natural Beekeeping Trust

*Heidi Herrmann*
Heidi has been a beekeeper for many years, teaching, lecturing and 
writing about bees, and is a trustee and spokesperson for the Natural 
Beekeeping Trust

*Ute Kirchgasser*
A renowned seed grower and plant breeder, Ute has been an active member 
of Kultursaat, a group of biodynamic plant breeders since 1989.  Based 
in Germany, Kulturesaat have developed over 70 new varieties of 
vegetable that are now used by commercial growers and gardeners across 
Europe.  Ute has been self-employed since 2012 and from her smallholding 
produces vegetable seed as part of the network of seed producers that 
supply Bingenheimer Saatgut, as well as undertaking work on the 
maintenance of existing varieties and breeding new varieties.  Her 
research work includes the influence that sound can have on plants, in 
the form of musical notes.

*Beatrice Krehl *
Beatrice is a Swiss landscape architect with a passion for nature. She 
has worked for over 20 years as a gardener in the Netherlands and the 
UK, including 9 years as head gardener of the inspirational biodynamic 
garden, Waltham Place in Berkshire.

*Rachael O’Kelly
*Rachael is a biodynamic gardener, teacher and mother exploring the 
challenges and joys of fitting small scale biodynamic growing into a 
busy schedule.
Rachael describes her passion as “lighting the fire of biodynamics in 
people's hearts.”
She a trustee of the Biodynamic Association and previously ran a 
biodynamic teaching and market garden.  She currently runs practical 
biodynamic garden workshops for all those interested in learning how to 
revitalise their gardens and take them to a new level of holistic health.

*Tyll van der Voort*
After training in Germany, Tyll has worked for over 30 years in 
biodynamic market gardening, predominantly in the UK and mostly in 
progressive social and educative contexts. He has a deep interest in 
apprentice training and was, for many years, instrumental in setting up 
and running biodynamic apprentice training schemes in the UK. He holds 
an M.Sc. in Organisational Development from the University of Bristol.

*Joel Williams
*Joel is a passionate educator and crop and soil health consultant. For 
the last 12 years he has worked between Australia and the UK, working 
with conventional and organic farms improving biological farming 
practices, as well as providing soil chemical and biological assessments 
to primary producers throughout Europe.
He is currently based back in the UK where he is a full time grower at a 
London University creating an edible campus and growing organic 
vegetables to inspire and educate students on food growing. He has a 
Bachelor of Agricultural Science specialising in crop and soil sciences, 
and a keen interest in managing soil microbial balance and plant and 
soil nutrition to optimise plant immunity, soil health and carbon 
sequestration. He has a passion for teaching and sharing both scientific 
and practical knowledge on sustainable growing practices.

*Short Talks: for all conference participants *Urban gardening: engaging 
audiences on food through urban gardening -Joel Williams My experiences 
with biodynamics -Charles Dowding Vital seeds, vital food, vital people 
- David Price Lauriston farm’s celestial garden: merging people, planets 
and plants - Spencer Christy Biodynamics: a question of research - 
Jonathon Code Bees in prison: the biodynamic sun hive goes to Rye Hill – 
Robin Baxter

*Key Lectures: **Tyll van de Voort  “ Planting a world –a personal approach to biodynamic 
Gardening'” Ute Kirchgasser*  “ “*Open pollination - its importance in 
the origin, evolution and future of our vegetable plants * *Charles 
Dowding “ “ No-dig gardening – healthy abundance and less time needed” *

*“Seeds for Life” 8pm - Sat 17^th September *Our future depends on seeds; 
we cannot grow food, or farm, or grow our own food in our gardens 
without them.To celebrate the launch of our Seed Co-operative share 
initiative, this very special evening event explores why open pollinated 
seeds are vital for all our futures. *Programme*

*/HEAR/*: Guest speakers, Neil Munro of the Heritage Seed Library, Garden 
Organic; Ute Kirschgasser, Biodynamic plant breeder, specialising in 
open-pollinated seeds and, Liz Hosken, Gaia Foundation. Together they 
provide an invaluable UK, european and global perspective of the 
importance of seed diversity, and discuss how the Seed Co-operative’s 
role is crucial to sustainable farming in the UK.

*JOIN*: The Seed Co-operative Community Share Offer – the first of its 
kind in the UK, your chance to be involved in this exciting new venture. 
Meet the directors and discover how you can help safeguard the future of 
our organic and biodynamic seeds.

*WATCH*: Not to be missed! An exclusive pre-release screening of */SEED: 
the untold story./* This multi-award winning new feature-length 
documentary follows dedicated seed keepers working to protect our 
12,000-year old food legacy. The film features world experts including 
Vandana Shiva, and examines issues surrounding the loss of seed 
diversity, climate change, pesticides, GMO labelling, and the patenting 
and corporate takeover of seeds and food.

With special thanks to Jon Taggart at Collective Eye Films for making 
this screening happen.

*FINALE*: Organic bar, music, and fun!

*
*

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