Cal Poly to Host Session on Lanscape Design System that Regenerates, Restores Soils

SAN LUIS OBISPO - Australian permaculture pioneer Darren Doherty will give a free presentation Thursday, May 3, at Cal Poly on Keyline Design, a system that restores and regenerates soil and landscapes.

The talk will be from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Ag Engineering Building, Room 123.

Permaculture refers to the creation of 'permanent' communities that are sustainable over the long-term. Keyline Design is a complete design system for landscapes, both rural and urban. It is a unique combination of water conservation and soil building, and has the ability to regenerate degraded soils rapidly. The system is of great appeal to anyone involved in land management, especially farmers and ranchers because grazing animals are beneficial to the process, said Hunter Francis of Cal Poly's Sustainable Agriculture Resource Consortium.

Keyline systems were developed by Australian farmer P.A. Yeomans during the 1950s in response to increasing soil desertification and erosion. His book, "Water For Every Farm, A Keyline Plan," describes a set of principles and techniques based on a practical approach that works with natural patterns to restore and increase the depth and fertility of the soil, while increasing its water holding capabilities.

Yeomans is credited with creating a 'sustainable agriculture' system before the term was coined and for developing the first methods to produce rich fertile soils in relatively short periods.

Keyline Design integrates terraces, ponds, trees planted on contour, and a special cultivation technique using the Keyline plow, to infiltrate water into the soil efficiently and to hold it on the land as long as possible. Keyline Design water harvesting strategies provide drought-proofing for farms with very low maintenance gravity-fed irrigation systems.

Doherty is an Australian Keyline Designer. He earned a Whole Farm Planning Certificate -- Train the Trainer from the University of Melbourne in1995. He has designed and developed over 1,100 properties across four continents.

Doherty's talk is hosted by Cal Poly's Sustainable Agriculture Resource Consortium and the Santa Barbara Permaculture Network. For information, contact Hunter Francis at SARC, wfrancis@calpoly.edu or 756-5086.

The lecture is part of a series of workshops and lectures on Keyline Design taking place from April 21 to May 4, in Santa Barbara, Cuyama and San Luis Obispo. For a complete listing of workshops, go to www.sbpermaculture.org and click on Upcoming Events or call (805) 962-2571.

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[NOTE: The Agricultural Engineering Building (#8) is located on North Perimeter Drive next to the Cal Poly police station.]