Year-Round Food: Backyard Bioshelter Greenhouse Workshop
With Jonathan Bates of Food Forest Farm & Special Guest Eric Toensmeier
Forget the cold! Come learn with us in the sub-tropics of Western Massachusetts! That’s right we have a piece of Florida in our backyard and we’d love to share it with you.
During the October 2011 snow storm, a tree fell on our greenhouse. Instead of mourning the loss, we realized an opportunity to build a bigger better BIOSHELTER!
Bioshelters are passive solar greenhouses, that produce year-round food, and incorporate whole ecologies into their design. Well-insulated from the cold, they grow subtropical plants like guavas, figs and citrus. A thousand gallons of water supports thriving aquaponics systems with fish, shrimp, clams, aquatic plants and vegetables. Hardy greens sweeten up during the winter months to supplement an early Spring diet. All powered by the sun.
Here is a short video to introduce you to the bioshelter, and get us pumped for the event! (more registration information at bottom of page):
…The focus of the day will be a presentation by Jonathan Bates, who will share his story of the garden and bioshelter he’s built in Holyoke, MA
Eric Toensmeier will join us for part of the day to discuss our sub-tropical planting design and seasonal growing techniques.
We will be touring the bioshelter’s internal systems like fish tanks, solar electric, worm composting, black soldier flies, rain catchment, ventilation system, climate battery, and our planting design.
Come join us for an exciting and inspirational day of learning and fun !
We will be learning in Holyoke
COST: $97, 10am to 4pm (does not include meals or accommodations)
The Backyard Bioshelter is part of an internationally recognized urban food paradise the holyoke edible forest garden, aka “Paradise Lot”, designed by nurseryman Jonathan Bates of FoodForestFarm.com, and author Eric Toensmeier, of PerennialSolutions.org. The garden is a highlighted case study in the award winning two volume book set, “Edible Forest Gardens”, and is the focus of the Amazon.com best selling book “Paradise Lot”. Jonathan and Eric and their families have been living and eating in this garden for 12 years and currently own and operate profitable eco-businesses from their home and garden.
