Tropical Agroforestry Course
Location: Finca Luna Nueva Lodge
Hosting Organization
The tropical agroforestry course will be hosted by the Porvenir Design team at Finca Luna Nueva Lodge in San Isidro de Penas Blancas, La Fortuna de San Carlos, Alajuela, Costa Rica.
Course Description
Agroforestry is the general term used to describe land management strategies that incorporate trees and shrubs into more traditional crops and animal production in an effort to increase environmental, economic, and social benefits of a given system. Agroforestry systems have tremendous range in their application and can be applied at all sizes and scales. This course will specifically focus on tropical agroforestry, with a particular emphasis on techniques and methods appropriate for the context of Costa Rica.
The Porvenir Design team will be leading this course and using our experience throughout Costa Rica as a baseline for instruction. The six day curriculum will start with planning and basic ecological processes and move through installation, practical application of agroforestry theory, and applied management techniques.
Using the Finca Luna Nueva site as a functional classroom, this course will be both theoretical and practical, with a heavy portion of the class being taught in the field amongst systems that range in maturity from nursery stages to full production.
Who Should Attend This Course?
This is not an introductory level course, and is also open to all experience levels. This course will be most useful to those folks that are working with agroforestry systems already or are planning on converting land or projects towards a more perennial based land management strategy. Generally speaking, this course will appeal to participants that:
Want to deepen their knowledge of agroforestry practice in the tropics
Want to connect with other agroforestry practitioners in Costa Rica
Are keen to start and manage an agroforestry system on their own property
Experience first hand perennial systems with years of growth and at a productive stage
Understand the design and installation process for tropical agroforestry systems as well as the associated logistics for getting to success over time
Learn about novel field techniques such as guild planting, syntropic agriculture, and organic fertilization strategies
Keen to have a hands on learning experience and learn in the field, tools in hand
Experience Finca Luna Nueva and an eco-tourism model featuring agroforestry systems on site
Interested in connecting with the broader Costa Rican community of agro-ecology practitioners
Course Material
Topics covered in this course include but are not limited to:
History of agroforestry
Suitability of agroforestry in various topographies
Design and Planning for agroforestry systems, including tropical food forest design, sylvopastoral systems, and alley cropping techniques
Installation of agroforestry systems and layout techniques in field; explanation of how to work with contour, understand water and nutrient flows, and more
Management strategies short to long term; in field practical from planting to maintenance of existing systems at various stages of succession
Irrigation, water management, and efficiency within systems
Specific project case studies and analysis from Porvenir Design projects throughout Costa Rica
Review of resources available within Costa Rica for agroforestry systems
Nursery work and set up; on site demonstration of techniques
Planning for seasonal production; connection of agroforestry systems to farm to table style management
Pruning techniques and application in various climates within Costa Rica
Language
This course will be taught in English. Translation will be provided as needed by participants. Please share your language needs with instructors upon registering for the class. In the event that majority Spanish speakers are enrolled in the course, the course will be taught in Spanish and translated to English as necessary.
What to Bring
Students should come prepared to take notes in both a classroom and field setting in whatever form suits their needs.
Much of the class will be taught in the field; we recommend considering the following list prior to coming to the course:
Note taking materials: notebook(s), pens, pencils, tablet, as suits your needs
Rubber boots or other sturdy footwear suitable for field work
Sun protection: hat, long sleeves, sunscreen, sunglasses
Water bottle
Not required, and also useful: tools you prefer to use in the field such as machete, hand snips, or small pruning saws
Working gloves as preferred by participants
Instructors
Sam Kenworthy is a water systems enthusiast and landscape manager with over a decade of experience in the tropics. He has experience designing and developing educational curriculum for students of all ages, particularly focused on conservation, practical skill building, and applied research. Originally from the east coast of the United States, Sam currently resides on the southern Pacific coast of the Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica.
Dedicated to continued learning and improving his skill sets, he is passionate about self sufficiency, water management, generating more and better yields, and well executed design for human eco-systems. Experienced in working in a wide variety of environments, he enjoys the challenge and process of designing around problematic landscapes. Sam holds a B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Political Science and Hispanic Studies.
Hugo Soto started down the permaculture path in 2012; Hugo’s study of organic agriculture led him to continue to deepen his ways of relating to people and the place. A native of San Jose, Costa Rica, Hugo began by promoting urban permaculture through projects such as community gardens and creating edible spaces featuring native plants. While developing communal gardening projects Hugo also focuses on leading workshops and courses within communities to shift to better soil management and production strategies.
Hugo compliments his passion for design by tying communal design for living well into his approach to planning; he has been trained in working with several forms of design for invisible social structures. Hugo is a member of the Red Permanezca, which seeks to creatively promote permaculture in Costa Rica with the end goal of inspiring deep societal change. Hugo’s goals include promoting permaculture through education and site visits, having time to swim and hike in the mountains while living in a collaborative eco-community.
Scott Gallant is an agroforestor and food system designer with nearly a decade of experience working in Central America. He is the co-founder of Porvenir Design, a landscape design firm specializing in productive landscapes. He graduated from Wabash College in 2008 with a degree in Economics. He was the farm manager at Rancho Mastatal for nine years, and has worked with diverse projects such as VersaLand, Open Source Ecology, Project Bonafide and many more as he has developed his skill-set in permaculture design.
Passionate about regenerative agriculture, holistic thinking, ethnobotany, community development, and re-skilling, he still makes time to hike and bike, read exhaustively, and work on his basketball jump shot and frisbee throw. He has traveled extensively in Latin America, leading to a love of the culture, food, and language, which he attempts to speak. Scott writes for the Permaculture Research Institute and has been featured on the Permaculture Voices , Abundant Edge, and Making Permaculture Stronger podcasts.
Course Start and Arrival Date
The agroforestry course begins promptly at 9AM on Friday, May 6, 2022.
Participants can arrive the day of the course or the previous night as needed per individual travel logistics. For lodging and meals, please contact info@fincalunanueva.com.
Parking is available on site.
Course Close and Departure Date
The agroforestry course will end at 4PM on Wednesday, May 11, 2022.
Participants are responsible for making arrangements for lodging and meals as needed for the night of May 11th, 2020.
Costs
The course costs $290 for the course alone. Payment can be made through reception at Finca Luna Nueva lodge. Reception can be reached via telephone or email to reserve your place in the course.
Lodging and meals during the course are the responsibility of the participant. We encourage students to take advantage of discounted meal and room rates from Finca Luna Nueva lodge, which is offering packages from $315 and up depending on lodging choice. This cost covers the entire course, May 6-11, 2022.
Participants can stay in group rooms ranging from 3-5 guests, shared accommodation with 2 guests, or in a private room. Ask Finca Luna Nueva reception for details.
If staying at Finca Luna Nueva in the lowest cost accommodation, total course costs are $605. All course and lodging costs will be processed by Finca Luna Nueva Lodge.
In an effort to make the course available to as many potential participants as possible, students are allowed to bring their own meals each day to the course, seek local lodging, or otherwise come up with creative ways to stay in the area. There are no camping opportunities available at Finca Luna Nueva.
Enrollment
To enroll in the Advanced Agroforestry Course, please contact Finca Luna Nueva Lodge via telephone or email using the below information.
There is limited space available for this course, only paid reservations will be
Telephone: (506) 8808-2110
Email: info@fincalunanuevalodge.com
