Local Hero Award
| 13 April 2010
Merritt Hillside wins "Local Hero Award"!
(Taken from Edible East Bay Website)
Local Hero: Organization Merritt College Landscape Horticulture and Permaculture Design Programs
Home gardening is definitely on the rise in the East Bay, as it is everywhere. And while that may show up as more pots of basil on the patio, it also means more people are looking for a solid technical education in traditional horticulture or in the rising field of permaculture gardening. All this comes along as public funds for continuing education have all but disappeared.
Merritt College in Oakland has responded quickly to expanding demand in the past nine years, making their horticulture and permaculture programs accessible to as many people as possible. The permaculture design program, which has come about primarily through the efforts of Christopher Shein, has been especially popular. This hands-on program has blossomed into one of the most affordable and sought-after in the Bay Area.
"What exactly is permaculture?" many people ask. On a recent tour of the Merritt College permaculture garden, Anders Vidstrand, a program staffmember, gave a "short version" definition: "Permaculture is
community, ecology, and culture." He explained that every garden site has many levels of community, from insect, plant, and wild animal communities to the community of people cultivating it, past and present. He spoke eloquently not only about local indigenous practices but also about the farming practices of peoples in other parts of the world, such as the Mediterranean and lower elevations of the Andes, where there is a similar ecology. Plants from these areas grow well in some parts of the Bay Area and include some perennial vegetables that are hardy, nutritious, productive, and tasty.
In order to show some examples, Anders led us through a fruit and nut orchard that the student gardeners have interplanted with perennial vegetables and herbs. He pointed to a comfrey plant that is growing right up against the trunk of a fruit tree, explaining that the deep taproot of the plant brings up nutrients into the comfrey leaves, which, when cut and strewn around the fruit tree, decompose and give the tree's surface feeder roots a boost of essential nutrients. He also pointed out plants that flower in early spring, attracting bees that will also pollinate the fruit tree blossoms. These examples of complex plant community relationships are echoed in the relationships students create with the gardens and each other.
For more information on the Landscape Horticulture and Permaculture Design programs at Merritt College, including other classes offered in the permaculture program, such as Natural Building, Mushroom Cultivation, Regenerative Design, and Beneficial Beasts, call 510.530.4911 or go to merrittlandhort.com.
