Fall 2024
Permaculture Design Course (PDC)
Fall 2024
Permaculture Design Course (PDC)
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Starting
September 6, 2024 |
72-Hour Curriculum
Over 4 weekends |
Hands-on Learning
In-Person in the Shenandoah Valley |
Not Currently Enrolling - Stay Tuned for Details on Fall 2026!
Discover design strategies to work with nature instead of fighting it! You'll get your hands dirty and your wheels turning as we walk through the theory, concepts, tools, and techniques of permaculture design, from observation to execution!
Permaculture is an ethically based design approach to creating sustainable human communities. Although rooted in agriculture, Permaculture design also touches on ecological restoration, community development, urban planning, energy systems, and architecture.
This Permaculture Design Course (PDC) is geared towards serious homesteading and commercial Permaculture farming in the Mid-Atlantic, while leaving plenty of room for the hobbyist and the simply curious. This is an opportunity to learn Permaculture Design from professional farmers who are doing the work!
We base our courses in hands-on, practical Permaculture, and we focus on demystifying foundational concepts to give our students the confidence and skills to jump right into their own projects. We work to hone design skills as a group and as individuals, and we also really lean in to social Permaculture, giving students important framework for success in their communities.
This Permaculture Design Course (PDC) is geared towards serious homesteading and commercial Permaculture farming in the Mid-Atlantic, while leaving plenty of room for the hobbyist and the simply curious. This is an opportunity to learn Permaculture Design from professional farmers who are doing the work!
We base our courses in hands-on, practical Permaculture, and we focus on demystifying foundational concepts to give our students the confidence and skills to jump right into their own projects. We work to hone design skills as a group and as individuals, and we also really lean in to social Permaculture, giving students important framework for success in their communities.
Curriculum Overview
Below are some, but not all, of the topics covered in the course:
Below are some, but not all, of the topics covered in the course:
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Permaculture Foundations
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Soils
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Water
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Food Forests
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The Human Sector
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Livestock
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Fungi
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The Conscious Design Process
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Design Skills
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Permaculture Health
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Earthworks
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Plants
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Permaculture Business
- Market Gardening
- Permaculture Farms at Many Scales
What you should know
Course structure
Our days will run from 9am - 6pm, with an hour off for lunch midday. The course will be taught, in Permaculture fashion, by moving from patterns to details. We will learn foundations and core concepts first, drilling down into the details as we move along. Each day we will spend time both indoors and outdoors as we focus on observational skills and hands-on activities. Field trips and farm tours help cement concepts and allow on-the-ground learning to take place in real time. Typical days will see us both indoors and out, often at multiple locations.
You’ll work in small groups to develop a final design project that applies all of the concepts learned throughout the course. Expect to spend some time outside of class on design homework that will be due weekends two, three and four.
Who should take the course
Anyone interested in developing a productive, efficient, and ecologically sustainable landscape, including backyard gardens, farms, homesteads, and communities. Permaculture Design applies to projects of all sizes and scales! This course will benefit the novice and the seasoned practitioner alike and is open to all regardless of experience. We have had students from many walks of life, including college students, extension agents, professional designers, homesteaders, soon-to-be retirees looking to plan their projects, apartment dwelling professionals, master gardeners and more. If you're uncertain where you fit into a course like this, please reach out to us at [email protected]. Whoever you are, there's a place for you in our Permaculture Design Course.
Location
The course will be held at farms throughout the Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia, with a home base at Project Grows in Staunton, VA. Exact locations and field trips will be announced closer to the start of the course.
Field trips & guest speakers
This course will be packed with field trips to regional permaculture projects and hands-on guest workshops. Students often tell us that these are some of their favorite parts of the course.
Perks
The Shenandoah Permaculture Alumni Network is active, expansive, and growing all the time. You'll be one of many regional Permaculturists who share skills, knowledge, stories, labor and resources to build community and get the good work done!
For more information contact John Thomas at [email protected]
Our days will run from 9am - 6pm, with an hour off for lunch midday. The course will be taught, in Permaculture fashion, by moving from patterns to details. We will learn foundations and core concepts first, drilling down into the details as we move along. Each day we will spend time both indoors and outdoors as we focus on observational skills and hands-on activities. Field trips and farm tours help cement concepts and allow on-the-ground learning to take place in real time. Typical days will see us both indoors and out, often at multiple locations.
You’ll work in small groups to develop a final design project that applies all of the concepts learned throughout the course. Expect to spend some time outside of class on design homework that will be due weekends two, three and four.
Who should take the course
Anyone interested in developing a productive, efficient, and ecologically sustainable landscape, including backyard gardens, farms, homesteads, and communities. Permaculture Design applies to projects of all sizes and scales! This course will benefit the novice and the seasoned practitioner alike and is open to all regardless of experience. We have had students from many walks of life, including college students, extension agents, professional designers, homesteaders, soon-to-be retirees looking to plan their projects, apartment dwelling professionals, master gardeners and more. If you're uncertain where you fit into a course like this, please reach out to us at [email protected]. Whoever you are, there's a place for you in our Permaculture Design Course.
Location
The course will be held at farms throughout the Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia, with a home base at Project Grows in Staunton, VA. Exact locations and field trips will be announced closer to the start of the course.
Field trips & guest speakers
This course will be packed with field trips to regional permaculture projects and hands-on guest workshops. Students often tell us that these are some of their favorite parts of the course.
Perks
- Students receive free plant materials to take home to start their own projects. This varies seasonally, but previous examples include: Elderberry cuttings. Comfrey cuttings. Pawpaw seeds. Scion wood for grafting.
- Students will create and take home some sort of mushroom product. This could be an inoculated log, bucket, cardboard roll, etc.
- We will facilitate a seed swap during the course so that students may learn about new varieties and share their own seeds with the group.
- There will be a potluck on one of the Saturday evenings that students are invited (optionally) to attend. This is always a highlight.
- Students receive a free custom t-shirt.
The Shenandoah Permaculture Alumni Network is active, expansive, and growing all the time. You'll be one of many regional Permaculturists who share skills, knowledge, stories, labor and resources to build community and get the good work done!
For more information contact John Thomas at [email protected]
Meet Your Instructors
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The Shenandoah Permaculture Institute is a collection of competencies whose mission is to "inoculate communities with the tools and strategies for health and resilience, from soil to self." The diverse and enthusiastic teaching team achieves this through teaching, writing, research, and design. We teach real world, hands-on, practical permaculture.
- Trevor Piersol, Emilie Tweardy, Ryan Blosser |
FAQ
What is the attendance policy?
In order to ensure the integrity of the Permaculture Design Certificate, SPI has a strict attendance policy for all PDCs. If students miss more than one full day of the course (8 hours teaching time total), they will not receive their certificates at the end of the course. Instead, they will be given the opportunity to make up curriculum missed by attending future SPI courses free of charge. Students who miss less than 8 hours of teaching time are still required to make up missed material through a written homework assignment, in which case they will still be eligible for certificates. There are no exceptions to this attendance policy and it is up to the student to pursue make up material and coordinate with instructors.
What is the withdrawal policy?
There is a $300 non-refundable deposit required upon registration. This deposit will be retained by SPI in case of cancellation. If you withdrawal on or before August 31, 2023 you will receive a full refund (minus $300 security deposit). Cancellation refunds will not be granted after August 31, 2023.
Is lodging included?
Lodging is not provided with the course.
Are meals included?
Students will be responsible for providing their own lunches. Heavy snacks, coffee, tea, and kombucha will be provided.
