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Course evaluations:
Read comments from participants in the Permaculture course presented in fall 2005.

Read comments from participants in the Permaculture course presented in fall 2006.

Definition of permaculture

On site design consultancy workshop in Mexico - Photo courtesy PRI of Australia.

Permaculture is the conscious design and maintenance of agriculturally productive ecosystems which have the diversity, stability and resilience of natural ecosystems.  It is the harmonious integration of landscape and people providing their food, energy, shelter, and other material and non-material needs in a sustainable way.  Permaculture design is a system of assembling conceptual, material and strategic components in a pattern that functions to benefit life in all its forms. The philosophy behind permaculture is one of working with, rather than against, nature; protracted and thoughtful observation rather than protracted and thoughtless action; of looking at systems in all their functions, rather than asking only one yield of them; and of allowing systems to demonstrate their own evolutions. The word "permaculture" can be used by anybody adhering to the ethics and principles expressed herein.  The only restriction on use is that of teaching; only graduates of a Permaculture Institute can teach "permaculture," and they adhere to agreed-on curricula developed by the College of Graduates of the Institutes of Permaculture.

—Definition adapted from the Permaculture Research Institute

Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC)

Darren Doherty, center, fall 2006 GEM Permaculture course instructor, works with students Eric Frank, left, and Zack Gaugush to turn a compost pile the class built from scratch using local materials.

This is a 72-hour course in sustainable living systems design for all climates and landscapes.This is a hands-on course that includes numerous field activities such as making compost and constructing a portable greenhouse. Field trips will take students to sites that illustrate Permaculture practices, including a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm and organic farms in Wisconsin. Students will complete projects such as sustainable property design and see demonstrations on the keyline plow and roof rainwater catchment systems. The PRI's Permaculture Design Certificate is renowned for producing ecological activists with design skills, and connects students to a global network of Permaculture contacts and projects. Attaining a PDC is the foundation for further learning in this field, and is a pre-requisite to obtaining a Diploma in Permaculture Design, which requires two years of practical application of Permaculture in a range of disciplines. (Scroll down for more information.)

The PDC covers the following:

• Theory and principles of design
• Methods of design
• Climatic factor strategies for humid tropics, dry lands, and temperate zones
• Domestic food security and production: garden, mini-farm and farm design, ecological pest control,
  orchard and tree crops, forestry and bamboo plantations, bush foods and forages
  

  Fall 2006 GEM Permaculture Course instructor Darren Doherty of Australia looks on as Mai Phillips and John Sheffy work on class projects. Near the completion of the 13-day course the wall in the background is papered with the results of group discussions and projects.

• Soil rehabilitation and erosion control
• Livestock, green manures and farmers' trees
• Wildlife
• Design for catastrophe prevention
• Drought-proofing property
• Earthworks
• Water harvesting and management
• Windbreaks and bush fire control
• Aquaculture, aquatic plants and fisheries
• Energy-efficient housing: site selection, appropriate technology, recycling and waste management
• Whole systems design for human settlements - community or village level
• Permaculture Academy
• Invisible structures: trusts, legal strategies, alternative economic structures

General Course Syllabus

Daily Time Blocks

Tuition Information:

$1,000 covers course registration, lunch each class day and morning and afternoon coffee/tea breaks. Textbook purchase is additional; see information below.

Course Location:

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

Click here for information on Stevens Point area lodging options.

Important textbook notes!

The required textbook:

Permaculture: A Designer’s Manual, by Bill Mollison (Tagari Publications, Reprint edition August 1, 1997, 576 pages, ISBN: 0908228015). The book cost is approximately $84 (hard cover) plus shipping. Please obtain a copy of this book prior to the start of the course and bring it with you.

Optional (but not required) textbooks are:

An Introduction to Permaculture, by Bill Mollison and Reny Mia Slay (Permaculture Resources (publisher), Tyalgum, Australia. June 1, 1991, 198 pages, ISBN: 0908228058-paperback).

Permaculture: Principles and Pathways Beyond Sustainability, by David Holmgren (Holmgren Design Services (publisher), December 1, 2002, 286 pages, ISBN: 0646418440-paperback).

Water For Every Farm: Yeomans Keyline Plan, by P.A. Yeomans (Eco-logic Books/Worldly Goods (publisher), 2002, 378 pages, ISBN: 0646129546-paperback).

Textbooks may be found on-line at www.seedsofchange.com; www.amazon.com