Curriculum Resources for Teachers

Biointensive Self-Teaching Handbook

Click a link below to download a presentation that you can use
to teach the GROW BIOINTENSIVE method more easily and accurately.

NOTE: To use these presentations, you will need to download the compressed PowerPoint files before viewing. To view the presentations, you should install the PowerPoint app or PowerPoint viewer.

Presentations
IMPORTANT NOTE: Before using these presentations or submitting presentations of your own for potential inclusion on this page, please download and read Ecology Action's Description of Terminology, which explains the proper use of the terms "biointensive", "Biointensive" and "GROW BIOINTENSIVE®".
Basic Terms Used in Seed Production and Saving A presentation from Samuel Nderitu (G-BIACK Co-Director) that outlines basic terms necessary to gain an understanding of seeds and seed production. Click here to download (107KB PPT File)
Biointensive Spacing A presentation from Samuel Nderitu (G-BIACK Co-Director) that describes how to use intensive planting to achieve enhanced and uninterrupted root and plant growth. Click here to download (1.32MB PPT File)
Composting A presentation from Samuel Nderitu (G-BIACK Co-Director) that describes how to use intensive planting to achieve enhanced and uninterrupted root and plant growth. Click here to download (233KB PPT File)
Intro to GROW BIOINTENSIVE Agriculture- Part 1 The first part of a two-part series from Samuel Nderitu (G-BIACK Co-Director) that outlines the basics of the GROW BIOINTENSIVE method. Click here to download (~1MB PPT File)
Intro to GROW BIOINTENSIVE Agriculture- Part 2 The second part of a two-part series from Samuel Nderitu (G-BIACK Co-Director) that outlines the basics of the GROW BIOINTENSIVE method. Click here to download (1.20MB PPT File)
Introduction to Seed Production and Preservation The second part of a two-part series from Samuel Nderitu (G-BIACK Co-Director) that outlines the basics of the GROW BIOINTENSIVE method. Click here to download (178KB PPT File)

GROW BIOINTENSIVE: A Beginner's Guide

Self-teaching series now playing online:
Session 1: Introduction
Session 2: Growing Seedlings
Session 3, Part A: Garden Bed Preparation
Session 3, Part B: Garden Bed Preparation
Session 4: Transplanting
Session 5, Parts A and B: Composting
Session 6, Part A: Harvesting
Session 6, Part B: Harvesting
Session 7: Seeds
Session 8, Part A: Choosing Your Crops
Session 8, Part B: Choosing Your Crops
Session 9: Maintaining Your Garden

NEW: Our self-teaching videos are now available with Spanish subtitles! Click here to view them.

(Thanks to Jorge Mariner for his excellent work creating the subtitles!)

Session 1: Introduction

Thanks to John Jeavons and Cynthia Raiser Jeavons for making this wonderful series available online! The full-length series is also available on DVD and as a gift pack with How to Grow More Vegetables from www.johnjeavons.org

Edible Education:
A GROW BIOINTENSIVE® Primer

A Sixth Grade Curriculum Resource
Developed for Ecology Action's
Common Ground Garden Project

This curriculum has three main foci:

1. Restoring the soil and environment through the GROW BIOINTENSIVE® Sustainable MiniFarming method

2. Engaging students in California science and Common Core standards in an outdoor, handson learning setting

3. Providing teachers with a clear, straightforward parallel unit that can be integrated into existing units.

Click here to download the GROW BIOINTENSIVE Primer (~1MB PDF)

NOTE: Before using this curriculum, please download and read Ecology Action's Description of Terminology (138kb PDF),
which explains the proper use of the terms
"biointensive", "Biointensive" and "GROW BIOINTENSIVE®".

The GROW BIOINTENSIVE® method is a way of growing food that revitalizes the soil and all that springs out of the surrounding ecosystem. In terms of youth garden education, this curriculum then serves as a paradigm shift. While organic food and healthy living are important, this unit focuses on both good choices in healthful eating for students and also good choices for the garden's ecosystem.

The curriculum is also flexible to the students' needs. It can be used on campus with raised garden beds, or it can be used offcampus at local community garden workshops, etc. It can be extended to ninetyminute blocks, but it is designed for the traditional fiftyminute period. It aligns to specifically sixth grade standards used in California, but it can be modified for other grades, depending on the need.

This curriculum is also written for teachers who have little time to plan out a gardening unit. While the lessons are fully designed, we encourage teachers to modify the lessons to what is best for individual classes and a teacher's personal teaching style. While there is some spiraling of standards in the unit, many lessons can stand alone, which allows a teacher to go in whatever order seems best.

We hope this GROW BIOINTENSIVE® Primer supports teachers, invigorates students, and creates environmental stewardship. If you have any questions or suggestions for the curriculum, we welcome you to email education[at]commongroundgarden.org

Enjoy!

ABOUT GROW BIOINTENSIVE^® TERMINOLOGY

For the purposes of the educational materials and presentations on the Curriculum Resources and Self-Teaching Tools pages, as well as other learning and teaching resources available on this website, it is useful to have alternative terms to use when discussing biologically intensive practices that may differ from the officially certified GROW BIOINTENSIVE processes developed by Ecology Action.

Before using GROW BIOINTENSIVE presentations or other material please download and read Ecology Action's Description of Terminology, which explains the proper use of the terms "biointensive", "Biointensive" and "GROW BIOINTENSIVE®".

Thank you!

Standards for GROW BIOINTENSIVE^® Sustainable Mini-Farming

GROW BIOINTENSIVE^® Sustainable Mini-Farming is a remarkable method for increasing yields, decreasing resource use, and building soil fertility at very low cost. When used properly, it has the potential to change our world for the better. However, when putting this method into practice, it is important to be aware that GROW BIOINTENSIVE is a whole system, and that the components of the system must all be used together to be sustainable.

If you are using GROW BIOINTENSIVE, be aware that if you do not use all of the components of the system together, the method’s high yields can rapidly deplete the soil, and can potentially cause as much damage to your land as conventional farming practices.

If you use all of the components of the system together, the method can build up the soil rapidly while producing higher yields and conserving resources.

We are eager for people to put GROW BIOINTENSIVE into practice, but we want to make certain that each farmer is aware that their garden or mini-farm is only as sustainable the techniques used by the farmer. For this reason, we have created the following “check-list” to help you keep track of your progress away from soil-depletion and ecosystem destruction, and towards true, abundant sustainability.

To be considered as a true GROW BIOINTENSIVE Sustainable Mini-Farm, the garden, mini-farm, or farm of an individual, project, program, or organization must be using a specific group of practices in a specific way. These practices are grouped in three levels of increasing involvement:

1. Basic GROW BIOINTENSIVE Mini-Farmer
2. Transitional GROW BIOINTENSIVE Mini-Farmer
3. Full GROW BIOINTENSIVE Mini-Farmer

To see what level of sustainability your farm or garden has achieved,
please download and read the following checklist, and check off the practices which apply to your garden, mini-farm or farm at this time.

Checklist for GROW BIOINTENSIVE Sustainable Mini-Farming (~43MB PDF)