permaculture

286 Facilitator’s Handbook for Permaculture Workshops

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ILITATOR

Presentation : Making integrated animal rotation systems

Method : Facilitator presentation and discussion

Tools : Images, black/white board, markers

References : PC Book MOD 10 – Animal Systems; PC Book MOD 7 – Farming;

PC Book MOD 6 – Home and Community Gardens;

PC Book MOD 8 – Forests, Tree Crops, and Bamboo

Objective : Participants design a productive, sustainable animal rotation system

Ideally, if time during the workshop allows, the 7 following activities in this module

which relate to animal rotation systems can all be conducted during the workshop as an

integrated exercise. If time does not allow for this, then the facilitator can choose the

most relevant components.

The animal rotation system exercises include:

• Design an animal rotation systems (Animal Ex. 1)


• Plan chicken/duck and vegetables (Animal Ex. 2)


• Fences for chicken/duck and vegetables (Animal Ex. 3)


• Integrate the chickens/ducks (Animal Ex. 4)


• Plan goat/cow/buffalo and trees (Animal Ex. 5)


• Fences and swales for goat/cow/buffalo (Animal Ex. 6)


• Integrate the goat/cow/buffalo (Animal Ex. 7)

Develop a different aspect of the system project on different days so that over the

duration of the course the system will be added to step-by-step and the participants will

gain a full understanding of the process of how to design, implement and maintain an

integrated animal rotation system.

Preparation

• Identify land to use – The components developed should be able to be
  maintained as an ongoing demonstration site, not just for the time of the
  workshop, therefore the land that is used needs to be available long-term. It will
  take around 2 years to show the real results of how the rotation system benefits
  the land, crops, and animals.


• Prepare other materials and tools needed – There should be enough
  materials and tools for all of the workshop participants to be actively involved in
  all of the hands-on activities. If needed, participants can be asked to bring their
  own tools to use for various exercises.


• The importance of the design step – The following exercise ‘Design an animal
  rotation system’ is essential no matter how many of the other exercises are used.

Running this exercise

• Introduce to the participants each of the activities that will be part of the ‘Animal
  rotation system exercises’ process over the duration of the workshop.


• Answer any questions they may have about the process that will be undertaken.


• Encourage them to participate by preparing the tools, animals, and other
  materials that can be used later as the process unfolds.