Fall Workshops: Regeneration in Action
This Fall we partnered up with The Learning Council and Western Slope Conservation Center to bring regeneration to life on local North Fork Valley farms and at our regenerative gardens and classroom, Mariposa Ascendente. Several producers in our community are experimenting with different practices in their operations and we are working with them to help bring their visions to life while providing opportunities for others in the community to learn about, engage with, and get hands-on experience. Sometimes workshop participants provide service in implementing projects on area farms, and then become inspired to start experimenting with these practices by adapting them to their own unique situations.
Our Fall workshop series kicked off with a Beavers on Farms Tour the second weekend of October which consists of a short presentation on how folks are learning to coexist with beavers on their agricultural operations followed by two farm visits to see some of these low tech solutions in action.
Jake Hartter of Western Slope Conservation Center, Carter Keegan who focuses on beaver and promoting healthy ecosystems through community education, and Elizabeth Agee of Colorado Farm and Food Alliance led a discussion that covers beaver ecology, impact to hydrology and low tech solutions for land-owners. From there we carpooled to see a beaver deceiver integrated into a stream and interconnected pond networks on two farm operations.
Our second workshop in the series was a fun activity at our garden classroom. Alicia Michelsen with The Learning Council led a reflective and hands-on workshop: Fall Tonics and Herbal Medicine Cultivation.
At our Fall Tonics workshop, led by Alicia Michelsen, we gathered roots and medicinal plants from the Mariposa Ascendente gardens and classroom that are helpful for fall’s transition into winter. Then we went inside to build a fire, share tea and prepare medicines for winter health.
The final workshop in the series was Water Management Strategies, led by Marta Sanchez and Trace Axtell of Integral Pathways, a discussion featuring design and implementation of water harvesting earthworks including swales, terraces, ponds, infiltration basins, trees and more, at the Colorado Farm & Food Alliance office.
At the water management workshop, participants learned how to approach water management with an ecological and hydrological perspective within drylands and integrated irrigation contexts, and how to implement these practices in their operations.
Keep an eye out on our social media and watch our events page for more fun presentations and workshops over the winter months!
