Permaculture Design - Introduction Course

10 miles from Bedford or Northampton and about 30 miles from Cambridge
or Peterborough on a beautiful farm in the middle of Odell Great Wood
with camping and caravan residential options;

Introduction to permaculture design

A weekend course to introduce the basics of permaculture and show how
this approach can be applied.

Date

Saturday 4th July; 9:30 start - Sunday 5th July 4pm finish.
Venue

Yelnow Organic Farm, Church Lane, Odell, MK43 7AD, North Bedfordshire.
Surrounded by Odell Great Wood             10 miles from Bedford &
Northampton
Course tutor

Hannah Thorogood - Hannah first discovered Permaculture in New Zealand
in 2002. Hannah was the programme co-ordinator for the National
Biennial Permaculture Convergence 2006 & 2008, both of which were a
great success; she also co-ordinates the Permaculture Area at the Big
Green Gathering. Hannah has been an elected member of the Permaculture
Council for Europe since 2006 and is on the Permaculture Diploma
Development team. For more about Hannah click here.
Who is the course for?

The course is open to anyone. No prior knowledge of permaculture is
needed.
What will the course cover?

This is a 12-hour course, which will offer information about, and some
hands-on experience of, the basics of permaculture design; designing
for sustainability in all walks of life. Whether your interest is
gardening, farming, planning, building homes, community work, economic
regeneration, business or green lifestyles, the application of
Permaculture principles empowers you to make a positive contribution
towards a sustainable future. The course will enable you to apply
permaculture principles in your individual circumstance to help move
towards sustainability.

Please note that attending this course does not qualify you to use the
term ‘permaculture’ as part of your work as a professional or with the
public, such as being a gardener, a teacher, a designer, giving talks
about permaculture, etc. In order to do this you need to complete a
full permaculture design course such as our course provisional in
September 2009 (Email us to register interest in the full design
course)
What you will need to bring

• Sun hat & sun screen
• Warm/waterproof clothing & sturdy outdoor footwear
• Warm socks or slippers for indoors
• Gardening gloves if you want to get involved in the practical
demonstrations
• Pens, pencils, notepad
• Water bottle
Tent, bedding, torch, overnight stuff
Learning methods and outcomes

The course will be taught using a variety of methods; group work,
games, presentations, discussion, video and slides. We will also get
out and about on the farm. There will be some linkwork to help you
reflect on what you are learning and put it into practice. By the end
of the course you will have a basic knowledge of some of the
permaculture ethics and principles and how to apply them.
What does this course lead on to?

This course is an ideal starter for anyone interested in a full
permaculture design course. Partaking in the Introduction to
Permaculture Design course can help you to decide if you are
interested in doing the full permaculture design course. We will be
holding a full design course later in the year. Email us to register
interest for the 72 hour full design course; provisional dates
September 2009.
Recommended reading

These books are recommended but it is not necessary for those
attending to buy or read them.
Permaculture In A Nutshell, Patrick Whitefield
Permaculture - A Beginner’s Guide, Graham Burnett
The Permaculture Way, Graham Bell
Introduction to Permaculture, Bill Mollison
Fees

Fees include tuition, ovenight camping, vegetarian meals from Friday
dinner to Sunday lunch, refreshments, handouts and information sheets.
£150 – Generous Benefactor
£115 – Pillar of the community
£75 – Skint but willing
We endeavour to make our courses affordable to all. Unfortunately we
do not receive any external funding and as such rely on large amounts
of voluntary input to run courses. In some circumstances we may be
able to negotiate fee reductions if you can offer significant other
support or facilities.
Food, accommodation and transport

Food will be provided and included in the course fees. It will be
vegetarian and endeavour to be ethically sourced, local and organic.
Please let us know of any dietary requirements, we are happy to
Transport - Attendees are responsible for there own transport, see
below in the “getting there section”.
Accommodation - This is a weekend course. Participants are welcome to
stay on the farm overnight on the Saturday where we can enjoy a fire
and each others company. You will need to bring a tent and bedding
etc. There are a few spaces available in caravans and some local B&Bs
at £37.50 a night
www.bourneendfarm.co.uk or self-catering cottages for up to five
people at http://www.dovecoteselfcatering.co.uk/
Booking

Advanced booking is essential. Places are currently available on this
course. If places are still available then reservations can be made
until midday the Friday before the course/event.

To reserve a place please use the contact details below.

Please do not reserve a place if you are not able to pay for it
immediately. If your circumstances are exceptional we may be able to
make a special arrangement, but please contact us before reserving a
place.
Contact us

For further information or if you have problems with your application/
booking please contact us;

e.  hannah_thorogood at hotmail.com
t. 07801 814086

Also, email us to register interest for the 72 hour full design
course; provisional dates September 2009
Getting there

Lift shares can be arranged via https://www.liftshare.com/uk/ post
your details and join up with others taking the same route.

Cycling takes about an hour from Bedford.

Buses

Those coming from Bedford
In the following section all the buses indicated are from Bedford
station. That said Wellingborough and Northampton train stations are
just as close as Bedford.

The nearest villages are Sharnbrook (2 miles; bus route number mercury/
52/53/124/125/126), Odell (1 mile; bus route 124/125/126/127). The
main routes from Bedford are the 126 stops outside the Bedford train
station, timetable here http://www.stagecoachbus.com/bedford/tim…
and bus 50/mercury timetable here http://www.stagecoachbus.com/bedford/new…
this webpage is quite handy too.
 http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/b…

Which ever way you look at it you’ll have a mile walk down a single
lane road, which becomes a farm track. Anyone preparing to arrive
under their own steam, please do let us know and if you have any
difficulties we can help you with your journey and keep you informed
of any impromptu lifts etc.

By Car
If you’re coming by car, the postcode is MK43 7AD or take a look at
http://tinyurl.com/cpphs9 you’ll see the farm surrounded by beautiful
forest. It’s about 50 miles from London and 10 miles from both Bedford
and Northampton stations.

Those coming from the M1;

1. At junction 14, take the A509 exit to Newport Pagnell/Milton Keynes

(0.2 miles)

2. Don’t go in the direction of Milton Keynes. At the roundabout, take

the 3rd exit onto A509/London Rd About 2 mins go 1.4 miles

3. At Tickford Roundabout, take the 3rd exit onto A509

4. Go through 2 roundabouts About 11 mins go 6.4 miles

5. At Whirly Pit Roundabout, take the 3rd exit onto B565/Lavendon Rd

6. Continue to follow B565 About 3 mins go 1.5 miles

7. Turn left toward Olney Rd go 0.2 miles

8. Continue straight onto Olney Rd 0.4 miles

9. Turn right at A428/High St 0.2 miles

10. Turn left at Harrold Rd 2.6 miles

11. Continue on High St    0.7 miles

12. Turn left at Odell Rd    0.4 miles

13. Turn right at High St     0.9 miles

14. Turn left at Church Ln