The Future of Food and Farming
April 13-20, 2012
Teachers: Colin Tudge, Martin Crawford, Peter Harper, Bethan Stagg and Rebecca Laughton
For full course details click here to visit our course page >>
This course will explore food production in an ecological context which involves working with natural and biological cycles rather than imposing high-input systems on environments that they are not suited for. It will examine the vital role that ‘human scale’ horticulture and botanical diversity can play, in intensifying production without increasing environmental degradation, climate change or the consumption of finite resources, and discuss the wider socio-economic context within which this transformation could occur.
Course outline
This course is in two parts, the first focusing on new methods of growing food, crop diversity etc. and the second looking at the food economy. Participants can attend either part or the whole course.
April 13-15 (weekend course): Diversity on the Land
Bethan Stagg, Martin Crawford
Sustainable food production means moving away from monocultures to create farming “polycultures” where diverse crops are grown which build fertility and provide habitat as well as feeding people. This course provides an introduction to the many different techniques, crops and innovations that are being trialled by growers at a variety of scales from farm to smallholding to garden, including:
Grass-fed agriculture, herb-rich pastures and browse
Agroforestry and perennial crops
Fertility-building plant species and botanical diversity
Soil conservation and minimum tillage approaches
April 16-20 (Monday to Friday): Growing the New Food Economy
Colin Tudge, Rebecca Laughton, Peter Harper
What would a truly sustainable food production system look like? This question encompasses a whole range of interconnected issues of scale, markets, diet, lifestyles and resource use, all of which will be addressed during this course. We will investigate the close connection between society’s economic system and its agriculture, and discuss the extent to which the free market is responsible for unsustainable practices. We will look at new models of local food production and distribution and discuss the extent to which they can feed current and future populations in a resource-efficient and carbon-neutral way. What does it take to survive and thrive on the land? Using examples from around the world, we’ll discuss the challenges smallholders face and strategies for making it work.
Course Fees
The Future of Food and Farming (seven day course): £750
Growing the New Food Economy (weekday course): £550
Diversity on the Land (weekend course): £250
Interested in postgraduate study? MSc Sustainable Horticulture and Food Production
Are you ready to join the growers, leaders and change agents at the forefront of new thinking on resilient and healthy food systems of the future?
Schumacher College is delighted to announce this new and cutting-edge MSc programme which is offered in an exciting new partnership with the Eden Project, the Centre for Alternative Technology and Plymouth University. Click here for more details >>
Contact us
Tel: +44 (0)1803 865934
Fax: +44 (0)1803 866899
Email: admin@schumachercollege.org.uk