9/10/2014 Agroecology | An Enlightened Agriculture | Schumacher College http://www.schumachercollege.org.uk/courses/agroecology 1/2 Google+ Agroecology - The Future of Farming? September 23-27 2013 With Colin Tudge, John Letts, Tim Crabtree, Jane Pickard, and Ed Hamer Contributions from John Crisp (Farm visit), and Ruth West This course is kindly supported by GAEIA Fee – £795 Click here to book this course >> It should be easy to ensure that everyone who is ever born onto this Earth is fed to the highest standards of nutrition and gastronomy – and without destroying our fellow creatures or wrecking the fabric of the planet. This would be the case, argues Colin Tudge, if we adopted what he calls “Enlightened Agriculture” – farming methods based on Agroecology which treats each farm as an ecosystem, with many different kinds of crops and livestock interacting synergistically. But agroecology is complicated – it is “skills intensive”. To do the job properly Britain would need about a million more farmers (about eight times the present number) and roughly as many artisanal processors (bakers, charcutiers, etc) and retailers to provide local markets. Could you become an agroecological farmer? This course details the ‘agroecological’ road back to the land, should you chose to hear the call. It is for all those who would like to learn more or get involved in the agrarian renaissance. What you can expect to learn How agriculture works worldwide. Why we could feed everyone — 7 billion now and 9.5 billion by 2050 – yet a billion are still going hungry! The principles of Enlightened Agriculture and Agroecology – with special reference to “Regenerative Agriculture” (restoring the soil through pasture management and and Agroforestry) Agroecology, and low-input Permaculture How to make a living from small farms that conform to the principles of agroecology – from some of the people who are doing it Why community groups are vital and what they can look like How to find finance and land access for new farm businesses Teachers Colin Tudge Colin Tudge studied zoology and has since then made a living as a broadcaster and writer. He is the author of many books on birds, agriculture, natural history and economics, including most recently Good Food for Everyone Forever, Feeding People is Easy and The Secret Life of Trees . In 2009, he launched, with his wife Ruth, The Campaign for Real Farming (www.campaignforrealfarming.org), which incorporates the College for Enlightened Agriculture Then in January 2010, together with Graham Harvey, they organized the first Oxford Real Farming Conference, which now has become an annual event. Tim Crabtree – Senior Lecturer in Economics Tim Crabtree has 25 years experience in the third sector, working in policy development and business advisor roles before becoming the chief executive of Local Food Links Ltd, a successful Dorset-based social enterprise which provides vocational training and community education, and delivers user-led catering services in partnership with 23 schools and a range of older people’s organisations. Tim stepped down as chief executive in May 2010, and worked for Cardiff University, researching the future direction of the community food sector, with Wessex Community Assets, researching the links between renewable energy and food production, and for a number of other clients as a business advisor. Tim has worked with international organisations such as the Resource Centre for Philippine Concerns and the International Institute for Environment and Development, for national organisations such as the New Economics Foundation, and for South West based organisations such as the Bristol & Avon Community Enterprise Network, Dorset Community Action and Wessex Reinvestment Trust group. Dr Jane Pickard – Head of Ecological Horticulture Jane completed a BSc in Marine Biology and Oceanography from Bangor University and was then awarded a Commonwealth Scholarship to study for her PhD in Zoology from the University of Tasmania. She worked for ten years in applied freshwater research in Australia before moving into permaculture consulting and teaching. Since returning to the UK in 2010 she has worked with community groups developing food growing projects and was Head Gardener for the Sharpham Trust. She completed the Level 3 Sustainable Horticulture Diploma at