Instruction on all course dates is from 9 AM to 5 PM.
 
Part 1  "Introduction to Permaculture Design"

This first few sessions lays the ground work for permaculture design and can be taken as a single "Introduction to Permaculture" workshop.  This session will include Permaculture Ethics & Principles, Regenerative, Generative & Degenerative Systems, Natural Patternerning, Climatic Pattern Understanding, Site Assessment, Forests & Energy, Permaculture Design Methodologies, and tours of local permaculture sites.  

 

Part 2  "Growing Permaculture"

In the middle sessions we will look at "Growing Permaculture" as we learn about water harvesting (rainwater and greywater), soil building, and using plants in a permaculture setting.  Topics to include hands on rainwater harvesting, tours of functioning and legal greywater systems, compost and composting teas, sheet mulching, plant guilds, garden ecology, and food forestry.  These days will be a very hands on with ample time spent outdoors getting our hands in the earth and applying the permaculture principles and ethics to create a sustainable orchard system.
 

Part 3  "Permaculture for the Farm, Neighborhood and Beyond "

The final weekends build upon the earlier sessions as we learn to apply Permaculture on farms and ranches and into the city.  Topics include Keyline Design, Agroforestry, Animal Husbandry, Appropriate Technology, Home Design, Hands on natural building, Eco-village, and co-cohousing design.  We will apply permaculture on the community scale and learn about Resource Sharing Co-ops, Community Gardens and Land Access, The City Repair Project, Creating a Local/Regional Food Economy, Alternative Economics and Local Currencies, and Right Livelihood.  Culminating the whole course will be student design presentations and the infamous permaculture costume contest and the talent / no talent show and potluck dinner!

$725 for the entire Permaculture Design Course ($650 if paid in full by early bird deadline)

There are opportunities work work trade and payment plans.

Course Instructors:

The course will be led by regional permaculture expert, Josh Robinson, as well as many other local experts TBA.

Josh Robinson is a passionate teacher that loves to share his sense of awe of the natural environment with others while inspiring people to begin their own path towards a regenerative culture.  He has been actively teaching, promoting, and installing water harvesting and permaculture systems throughout the Southwest including courses for Northern Arizona University, Prescott College, The Ecosa Institute, and many others.  He has been the President of Eden on Earth, LLC since its inception in 2007.  Josh has also received a Master's Degree in Ecological Landscape Design from Prescott College.  His gardens have been featured in Toby Hemenway's "Gaia's Garden" and Art Ludwig's "Create an Oasis with Greywater" and have received many awards.   Josh recently relocated to San Diego and is working on setting up a new urban permaculture site called "Higher Elevation Permaculture."

Confirmed Guest Instructors:

Alden Hough

Alden is garden manager and instructor at Sky Mountain Institute; a non-profit organization in Escondido which offers free monthly workshops on different aspects of permaculture and sustainable living.  He is a graduate of the internationally renowned Center for Agro-ecology and Sustainable Food Systems program at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and was the garden manager and lead instructor of the garden apprenticeship program at the Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center in Patagonia, AZ.  He is in the process of developing a water harvesting demonstration garden on his family’s  seven acre homestead.