Classes (partial list)
Natural Building: Making Mansions with Mudpies
Construction materials include: sand, straw, clay, and happy dirty students. In Portland's only on-site, ongoing natural building classes, students will learn the basics of building with cob, an ancient technique used from Yemen to Wales, and growing rapidly in the Pacific Northwest. In this class, students will discuss different building materials, learn how to make cob, and use it in construction projects at TLC Farm.
Healthy soil is one of the basic building blocks for our food system, but its importance is often overlooked. The objective of this class is to increase understanding of, and appreciation for, soil and the role it plays in the food web. Students will trace the food they eat back to its origins in the soil, then learn what the origins of the soil itself are. With the help of hands-on digging in the garden, students will learn about the decomposition cycle, the role of fungus, bacteria and soil invertebrates, and discuss organic ways to build and maintain agricultural soil health.
Earth Care - an introduction to Permaculture
Permaculture as a design system is based on natural systems. It is about working with nature, not against it - not using natural resources unnecessarily or at a rate at which they cannot be replaced. It also means using outputs from one system as inputs for another (vegetable peelings as compost, for example), and so minimizing wastage. In this class we will explore methods for becoming more friendly to earth, through dialog and action. Participants will leave will an understanding of how their actions and decisions have an impact on the earth and subsequently on their own quality of life.
Students will discover how Oregonians use energy in their homes, and some simple ways to make their home more energy efficient. They will find out where their energy comes from, and will identify renewable and non-renewable sources of energy used in Oregon. Some of the positives and negatives of each energy source will be discussed. Students will then focus on solar energy to discover how solar electricity is produced and used around the world.
Not all plants are beneficial for an ecosystem; some belong and others do not. In this class, students will learn what an invasive specie is and discuss the variety of environmental factors which contribute to the health of native plants and the factors which facilitate invasive species "explosions". Students will also learn to identify local native and invasive species, and brainstorm ideas about environmentally friendly forms of invasive species eradication.