Two Tours in a Week!

This Sunday, Regenerative Landscaping is welcoming the St. Louis Sustainable Backyard Tour to Illinois for the first time ever! There is an open yard June 11th from 11AM to 4PM. Over 40 backyards are open in and around St. Louis.

For more information on the tour and to register to plan your visits, go to SustainableBackyardTour.com. For more information about Regenerative Landscaping, go to RegenerativeLandscaping.com

Also, people wanting to learn more about permaculture up close are invited to attend the Southern Illinois Farming Alliance Field Day in Fairview Heights. Jeffrey Pitts of Regenerative Landscaping will lead a tour of his half acre suburban site showing how he has incorporated permaculture principles.

Pitts has planted herbs, vegetables, and fruit trees including apple, apricot, peach, plum, pear, nectarine, persimmon, pawpaw, along with mulberry, sassafras, 50ft of blackberries, cherry bushes, raspberries, honey berries, currants, hardy kiwi, and goji berries around his home. Pitts’ yard and gardens have been planned using permaculture principles to minimize maintenance and maximize production and efficiency.

“It’s great when your children can walk into their backyard and snack on their favorite fruit”, said Jeffrey Pitts. “They are much more likely to enjoy eating healthy food when they are involved and can watch real food growing in their backyard!”

The Field Day at Regenerative Landscaping is Saturday, June 17th at 1 p.m.. at 29 Roselawn Ave. Fairview Heights, IL 62208. To attend, go to http://www.fwsoil.org/field-days.html or call 618-370-3287.

Field Days are a great opportunity for small farmers, homesteaders, and home gardeners to network and learn from their fellow food growers. During the Field Day, Pitts will lead the group on a short farm tour, focusing in on one element of production that has been a success or challenge that they can share with the group. Participants are encouraged to ask questions and share experiences during the event. Pitts will highlight the success of the use of zones and will discuss the trees that have posed challenges.

The Southern Illinois Farming Alliance is a network of growers and farmers employing sustainable methods to produce food. SIFA is sponsored by the Southern Illinois based nonprofit organization Food Works which works to advance a sustainable food system in the region. Learn more at www.fwsoil.org