The recent shift in temperature and fast approach of the first day of spring will certainly have gardeners storming their cellars to dig out their rubber boots and gloves, chomping at the bit to get covered in mulch and loam.
Local foodie haus, the Cochrane CookHouse, will be celebrating the passionate gardener through their ‘Organic Food Growing and Permaculture Series’.
“It’s similar to (classes offered) last year, with more emphasis on how to design your garden or space according to permaculture design practices,” explained CookHouse coordinator, Tara Anderson.
Anderson said the spring series is part of the CookHouse’s two-year ‘food connect program’, made possible with a donation of $42,700 from the Calgary Foundation.
Perma what?
Permaculture is an umbrella term for ‘the development of agricultural ecosystems intended to be sustainable and self-sufficient’.
It refers to the holistic approach to gardening, increased food production and the creation of harmonious ecosystems by working with, not against, nature.
All flora and fauna complement other components in the system for the creation of a low-maintenance yard or space that includes food composting, harvesting rainwater, natural food production and the creation of soil systems to improve the natural watering system.
Forget rows, hybrid plants or sod. Think multiple layers, the utilization of vertical spaces and re-purposing anything and everything.
Never mind a landscaping bill of thousands and start thinking in the hundreds.
“It’s care of the earth, care of people and return of surplus,” explained Karla Cox of her Cochrane-based business, Provisions Permaculture.
Cox will be hosting a series of permaculture workshops at the CookHouse, beginning with a one-day workshop on ‘Building Your Own Organic Vegetable Garden’ March 30.
For a full listing of upcoming workshops, visit cochranecookhouse.ca or provisionspermaculture.com.
A practicing paramedic for ten years, Cox transformed her passion for gardening and designing sustainably into a business in 2010.
A pesticide and herbicide-free approach, Cox has transformed the smallest of spaces and largest of yards into perennial food gardens where “no space is wasted”.
With a focus on community, Cox tailors her designs to the needs of her individual clients, while substantially reducing the cost.
“We promote community and working together with neighbours to avoid duplicating resources…you don’t need acres to have a garden — it’s thinking outside the box.”
Once the design phase is complete, Cox encourages her clients to round up friends, family and neighbours to get their gardening grubs on, so that typical installation of a permaculture system takes place in one day.
Since beginning her business, Cox has developed a local network and is able to connect her clients her free or low-cost products that can be repurposed, including soil from local farmers and products that might have gone in the trash.
Cindy Westby bought her Bow Ridge home in early 2012. She hired Cox to design front and backyard spaces based on permaculture design.
Referring to the process as ‘simple and affordable’, Westby said she even reaped the financial benefit by employing permaculture techniques to transform her yard, through a rebate program the Town of Cochrane offers for Cochranites who implement water conservation techniques as part of their ‘Green Cochrane’ initiative; cochrane.ca/262/Rebates.
“Karla organized a ‘permablitz’. I gathered family and friends, she organized us and got it done in one day.”
Westby said she was looking for a low-maintenance space to accommodate her busy traveling schedule and is very pleased with the outcome. She will use Cox’s designs to transform her front yard to match her backyard this spring season.
“It’s amazing how many people don’t know where their food comes from,” said Cox, a vegetarian with no faith in the corporate food production industry who heralds the Cochrane CookHouse as an instrumental resource for foodies and small-business artisans in town.
“I look at everything differently now.”
