Permaculture and Gardening with Nature
| Module title | Permaculture and Gardening with Nature |
|---|---|
| Module code | ANTM002 |
| Academic year | 2019/0 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Professor Harry G West (Lecturer) (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 10 |
|---|
Module description
This module examines different methods of growing food on a small-scale. You will study a variety of food practices originating from different parts of the world—foraging, permaculture, forest gardens, home-gardens—and the crops associated with them. In collaboration with the University of Exeter’s Community Garden you will have ample opportunity to practice these techniques, in combination with more traditional methods such as raised beds and bee keeping. You will also visit exemplary growing sites, in the South West, that have developed or used these approaches.
Module aims - intentions of the module
This is a practical module set within an academic context. To that end, you will apply knowledge you acquire through the study of: agroecology, ethnobotany, soil ecology, nutrition, health and well-being. You will network with food practitioners in public institutions, private enterprises, third sector organisations and social enterprises with an interest in alternative forms and methods of producing food, as well as with academics studying these. The skills acquired will enable you to pursue careers in gardening and/or growing food in public institutions, private enterprises, third sector organisations and social enterprises. You will learn how to use gardening/growing food within a range of contexts, including working with school children; working in community development; or working to promote well-being and support people with mental health challenges.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Develop and perfect practical skills in the design and management of a range of growing techniques.
- 2. Recognize and accurately assess the causes of success and failure associated with particular growing techniques.
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 3. Recognize a range of culturally-variable food sources and food-growing methods and produce informative and insightful accounts of these in a range of media
- 4. Understand how food procurement and production fit within the broader natural environment and provide well-documented and convincing analysis of these.
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 5. Assess with precision both the benefits and difficulties associated with different forms of own-growing, such as promoting well-being, fostering community, or providing education in settings such as schools and forest schools.
- 6. Develop a robust professional network with key individuals and organizations that practice these growing techniques.
Syllabus plan
Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following themes with scope for individual students to focus on elements of their choice:
How to record information than could affect growing food successfully, such as soil testing and using exiting vegetation as a proxy for the land’s status
How to design a food production area
How to build up organic matter in soil, including traditional composting, no-dig, and permaculture methods
How to grow food using various methods, from raised beds to forest gardens
How to obtain food, from foraging, perennial and annual food resources, to typical garden flowers
How to plant particular crops, from annuals to perennials (including trees)
How to care for particular crops and prune perennials (particularly trees)
How to manage a productive area
How to develop a harvest plan
How to manage bee hives
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 75 | 75 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activity | 60 | 30 x 2-hour sessions of supervised practical work in the garden |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | 15 | Fieldtrips |
| Guided Independent Study | 30 | Reading |
| Guided independent study | 45 | Preparation of gardening journal and project presentation |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly gardening journal | 30 x 150-word weekly entries (may be accompanied by illustrations) about planning, designing, managing and observing activities in the garden | 1-6 | Oral feedback on selected entries during teaching times in the garden, with indicative mark upon request |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | 0 | 50 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gardening journal | 50 | 4500 words | 1-6 | Written comments |
| Presentation to class of individual project | 50 | 15-minute presentation | 1-6 | Oral comments followed by written comments |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gardening journal | Gardening journal(4,500 words) | 1-6 | August/September reassessment period |
| Presentation to class of individual project | Presentation to class of individual project(15 minutes) | 1-6 | August/September reassessment period |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Atieri, Miguel (2017) Agroecology in Action website which is a very useful resource including links section (accessed 14.06.2017). Also includes a link to pdf by the the Scientific Society of Agroecology Agroecology: Key concepts, Principles and Practices (accessed 14.06.2017).
Crawford, M. (2010) Creating a forest garden: working with nature to grow edible crops. Green Books, Dartington.
Diacono, M. (2015) The new kitchen garden : how to grow some of what you eat no matter where you live.
Fukuoka, M. (1992) One straw revolution, 14th edn. Other India Press, India.
Hart, R. (1993) The forest garden, 3rd edn. The Institute of Social Innovations, London.
Hart, R.A.d.J. (2001) Forest gardening: Rediscovering nature and community in a post-industrial age., 3rd edn. Green Earth Books, Dartington.
Hathaway, M. (2015) Agroecology and permaculture: addressing key ecological problems by rethinking and redesigning agricultural systems. Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, 6, 239-250.
Kloppenburg, J. R. (2005). First the seed: The political economy of plant biotechnology. Univ of Wisconsin Press.
Mollison, B. & Holmgren, D. (1978) Permaculture one: a perennial agriculture for human settlements. Trasworld Publishers.
Russell Smith, J. (1929) Tree Crops A Permanent Agriculture. Harcourt, Brace and Company, New York.
Wong, J. (2012) James Wong's homegrown revolution:grow your own amazing edibles from saffron to sweet potatoes in any back garden. Weidenfield and Nicolson.
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
Useful LInks:
Incredible Edible Movement http://incredibleediblenetwork.org.uk/
Grow it Yourself https://giy.ie/
The Orchard Project: www.theorchardproject.org.uk
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 7 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 13/12/2017 |
