The school will be home to an organic farm that will be sowed, cultivated and harvested by teachers, students and the local community. Our goal is to become entirely sustainable on what we produce.
Permaculture is an approach to designing human settlements and agricultural systems that mimic the relationships found in natural ecologies. In practicing permaculture, students will learn the natural rhythms and patterns found within nature and be able to design not only their food systems, but their lives in harmony with natural laws thus reducing conflict and optimizing health, yield and happiness.
In our efforts to control nature rather than understand her cycles, flows and natural patterns, we have created unsustainable food systems that exploit and degenerate the earth and its people.
The practice of permaculture is a metaphor for life where diversity is embraced, and when nurtured, increases the benefits to the individual (or vegetable) and the system as a whole.
Practicing permaculture will not only give us delicious healthy food systems, but will conserve natural resources, water, money and time. And most of all restore the power of one of life’s essentials – food – back to the local scale.
Under the guidance of Permaculture experts, students will learn the fundamental elements to soil care, whole systems design, propagating, food justice, and local flora and fauna to a degree where they will be able to go back out into the world and practice permaculture, as well as share this education with their communities.
Students will also learn how to integrate their food systems into the community by connecting with farmers markets, restaurants and schools.
Many of our students do, or someday will, work on gardens or farms. In working the school’s farm, they will learn cutting edge (and often times ancient), sustainable and regenerative farming practices. Understanding alternative forms of irrigation, natural fertilization, crop rotation.
The food we produce will lower carbon emissions, boost the health of our students and local economies and lessen our dependency on outside food purchases.
School | Self-Reliant Living | Global Community | Social Entrepreneurship | Language | Natural Building | Permaculture | Students | Teachers | Community Development
