Participate in an actual urban homestead design at the FARMcurious residential headquarters. Experience what it's like to look at a residential backyard from the perspective of a seasoned permaculture designer and then watch as the plans take shape. Take what you've learned and the resources provided to turn your own landscape into a permaculture-inspired urban homestead-style, food-producing paradise.

Learn the basic concepts of permaculture design, such as organizing homestead elements based on their frequency of use and their synergistic qualities. Come with questions and get answers to your burning questions such as the best placement for your chicken coop, most efficient use of a greywater system, how to grow mushrooms within the confines of your existing garden and so much more.

During this hands-on workshop, David Cody will give a presentation with examples of excellent design components complete with images of inspirational homesteads. We'll then divide into groups to do a quick design exercise then come back together to complete and discuss a mock-up design for the FARMcurious headquarters.

Topics covered will include:

• Layout of the urban homestead based on frequency of use
• Most efficient use of a small space
• Plant guidance to help your favorite food plants grow healthy and beautiful with minimal outside input
• Integration of backyard livestock like chickens, bees and (hey, why not?!) goats
• Best small-scale composting methods
• Benefits of hugulkultur (lasagna beds) and a basic how-to
• Overview of water conservation techniques including greywater, olla use and more

Participants will leave with a firm knowledge of the basics of using permaculture principles to lay out their homestead, regardless of the space they have to work with. You'll take home a list of resources to help guide your decisions about what to plant and where to place it to get the most bang for your backyard buck.