Workshop: Regenerative Agriculture (Senegal)
Food Forest – Permaculture – Agroforestry
Certification Program in Earth Activist Training
What is a Food Forest?
Food Forests are the key to a healthier planet, life and food system. These forests are carbon sinks and improve soil by increasing its water retention and biodiversity. They cool the landscape, purify the air, produce healthy food, medicinal plants, timber, fibers and much more. And those of us lucky enough to work in one, will quickly see the positive effects on body and mind. Food Forests are resilient, complex, living ecosystems carefully designed by and for humans.
Ready to learn how to create your own Food Forest? We are happy to invite you to our workshops in Senegal!
12.02. 12.02. to 15.02.2024 Workshop followed by a joint planting and construction of a solar dryer at the PermaFoodForest in Bandjikaky, Casamance (tropical savanna climate)
05.03. 05.03. to 09.03.2024: Workshop followed by a joint planting at Ana Fonio in Kelle, Toubab Dialaw (semi-arid tropics)
Workshop topics:
Together we will work out the theoretical basics and then apply what we have learned in practice by planting different plant communities. The pilot projects hosting the workshops are sites of learning and inspiration!
Permaculture, food forest, regenerative agriculture
- Basics, history, benefits
- Ethics & principles, nature’s cycles
Food Forest design
- Planning & design
- Various design principles and methods
Syntropic agroforestry
- Tropical systems & desert greening
Implementation
- Plants, seedlings, nursery
- Maintenance, succession & pruning
- Harvesting, processing & refinement
- Medicinal plants in the permaculture system
- Irrigation
- Market Garden (only in the workshop with Ana Fonio)
Projects and learning sites:
- PermaFoodForest:
Our partner project in Bandjikaky (near Kafountine) in Casamance has been growing and thriving for four years. On an area of 3 hectares, several Food Forest systems are in different succession stages, with a focus on (tropical) fruits and medicinal plants. Part of the concept is to facilitate the processing and refinement of the products directly on site. A tree nursery is also operated. This is an inspiring and visionary place – even more so since it is surrounded by a fairly degraded environment.
- Ana Fonio:
The permaculture farm Ana Fonio was launched in 2017. On 3 hectares in Kelle near Toubab Dialaw, a green oasis in an otherwise barren landscape. The farm produces organic vegetables and fruits for the local market, and we have begun the ground-work for a Food Forest in 2023. Due to the semi-arid climate south of the Sahara, we use “desert greening” and other techniques to increase water efficiency in the reforestation process.
Trainers & Team:
Our team consists of experienced trainers from Europe and Senegal.
Frieda: 
Our team consists of experienced trainers from Europe and Senegal. Her focus is on the management and harvesting of the Food Forest, and the cultivation and establish-ment of tree nurseries. Certified in the cultivation of Artemisia Annua and the Tolou Keur system, Frieda has led many guided farm tours and workshops. Frieda has lived in Senegal for over 20 years.
Miguel: 
Thanks to many years of experience as a permaculture designer and practitioner, Miguel has success-fully implemented many projects in Europe, South America and Africa. As a certified trainer for Tolou Keur systems, he focuses on tropical, subtropical and arid food forest systems. Miguel is not only a co-founder of PermaFoodForest, but also a talented reggae artist.
Almamy: 
In his role as project manager and gardener in the PermaFoodForest, Almamy accompanies the project from the planting of the fields to the harvest. Almamy’s knowledge ranges from traditional ecological knowledge to Food Forest cultivation and management methods. He is also a specialist in working with natural building materials.
Jens: 
“Changemaker for a regenerative future” Jens is co-founder of the FoodForestNetwork – Sarsarale e.V., the Jama-Rek project garden and the PermaFoodForest in Senegal. a-Rek-Projektgartens und des PermaFoodForest im Senegal. With extensive qualifications as an experienced permaculture designer, project manager, carpenter, renewable energy coordinator and systemic trainer, Jens combines practical know-how with a wide range of training, including advanced training in syntropic agroforestry with Ernst Götsch, natural medicine in the tropics and in the work with solar systems and irrigation. Jens has been involved in (tropical) permaculture, food forests, medicinal plants, circular economy and self-sufficient living for over two decades. Besides designing projects in different climate zones, his focus is on syntropic agroforestry, developing replicable blueprints for food forests as well as giving workshops and lectures. He is convinced that all the solutions to the current crises have long been available, and he is passion-ate about establishing regenerative systems worldwide.
Claudia (Maïmouna): 
As an agronomist in international agriculture, Claudia has dedicated herself to tropical agriculture and permaculture for over a decade. Claudia is co-founder and driving force behind Ana Fonio. She has been supporting the work of FoodForestNetwork for many years and is also involved in local and national networks for ecological and regenerative agriculture in Senegal.
Pape: 
As co-founder and project manager of Ana Fonio, Pape has realized his dream of becoming a permacul-ture farmer. He is an allrounder with a green thumb and supervises the daily work on the farm. He has also completed further training in ecological building and is passionate about passing on his knowledge and inspiring other farmers with the benefits of permaculture.
Frieder: 
Syntropy expert with extensive training and diverse experience. Frieder studied ecological agriculture and has designed and implemented syntropic agroforestry sys-tems in temperate, tropical and Mediterranean climates. He has worked for many organic and Demeter farms, including Gut & Bösel. His focus is on the planning and management of syntropic agroforestry systems and food forests. He is co-founder of TilosFoodForest in Ghana
Jasper: 
Jasper: Jasper has recently implemented a syntropic system without irrigation in Spain and is currently writing a thesis on it. His area of expertise ranges from the design and planning of syntropic systems using drones, graphics and GIS programs to their management and plant science.
Course fee & Logistics
With our multifaceted workshop, we offer a unique combination of theory and practice. Register now and become part of the positive change!
The number of possible participants is limited. Please tell us about your motivation to take part in the workshop, whether you already have a project or plot of land, and how you intend to pass on the experience gained in the workshop.
Course fee:
Regular fee: 180.000 CFA
Reduced rate: 30,000 to 50,000 CFA (for nationals without financial support – please contact us so we can discuss the requirements)
The fee covers course participation and written course materials and meals during the workshop (lunch and snack). Participants will receive a certificate and a starter kit for their first plant community. Participants will receive a certificate and a starter kit for their first plant community.
If you cannot afford the course fee, please talk to us – we will try to find a solution.
Language
The course will be held in French or English, depending on the trainer. Translations into English, French and German can be provided on request. The course materials are available in German, English and French. Please indicate your language preferences and skills when registering!
Accommodation
During both workshops, it is possible to camp on the premises. Morning and evening meals are orga-nized by the participants themselves or are to be paid for separately.
If you prefer accommodation in the village, we can provide the contact information of nearby guest-houses or hotels.
Post workshop plantings
The workshops are followed by a 7-day joint planting. At the PermaFoodForest, the construction of a new solar dryer will take place during that week, too. All participants are welcome to join in! Participa-tion is free of charge, a donation to the food fund is welcome.
Contact, registration and inquiries:
Senegal:
PermaFoodForest – Frieda: friedafrique@gmail.com, +221 78 467 1048
Ana Fonio – Claudia (Maïmouna): maimouna@anafonio.sn, +221 76 534 2996
Europe:
Jens – Jens@sarsarale.org – +49 176 55 137 018
About us:
The FoodForestNetwork – Sarsarale e.V. designs, tests and implements Food Forests in different cli-mate zones with the aim of creating principle-based blueprints and pilot projects that inspire and are replicable.
Complex agroforestry systems achieve positive impacts for more than 10 of the 17 SDGs – they therefore have the potential for enormous leverage when considering the scale of agricultural land worldwide. By applying permaculture and forest gardening principles, the productivity of agricul-tural land can be massively increased. This increases food security and income for local stakeholders.
We want to train multipliers who become trainers themselves and spread the idea of Food Forests around the world.