Dave Jack will be running a course at East Devon Forest Garden in June

Our forest garden design was hugely influenced by Dave Jacke’s seminal Book , ‘Edible Forest Gardens.’ From 2008 I spent two winters closely studying these books, after which time I realised I was only just beginning to scratch the surface of the richness of the material contained in these books.   Our land was purchased in 2010 , and so began the slow implementation and embodiment of these principles, to the extent that  we understood them. Last year, when Martin Crawford announced he would be hosting an International Forest Garden symposium in June of this year, I was delighted to see that Dave Jacke was to be one of the main speakers. We wrote him an email to invite him to come and stay with us while he is visiting for the symposium – and also, if he felt so inclined to run a course while he is visiting. He accepted our invitation – so we have spent quite a bit of time exploring what he might want to share us all when he visits. He settled on the theme of  Guilds & Polycultures: Reframing Ecosystem Social Structures Having has quite a few conversations with him on this theme. My imperfect understanding from these conversations are that a correct understanding of Guilds and poly cultures is a key that unlocks   A deeper and truer insight of how ecological systems actually function. This framing invites us apply much more considered and skilful interactions with the Living systems of which we are also a part.  By  Crafting the ideal conditions (ie niche)  for each component of a forest garden system and by placing it in the ideal relation to each other components can lead to a situation where each of the component of the system, rather than competing is  augmenting  every other part of which it is in relationship,  allowing the system as a whole to flourish with maximum heath and abundance.

There will be an evening talk on June 5th (venue: East Devon Forest Garden)

The course will be running 6th - 7th June

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/guilds-polycultures-reframing-ecosystem-social-structures-w-dave-jacke-registration-73382211169