The permaculture design course has been the foundational hallmark of permaculture education for the past four decades. Permaculture brings together food production and ecological restoration, helping gardeners, farmers and land stewards see how we can create solutions to food inequality, climate change and the ecological crisis. Through permaculture we can all learn to care for the earth, care for other people and do it with justice and equity. With a deep understanding of nature and ecology, permaculturists develop human managed systems to grow more food, support more biodiversity and make positive impacts in their communities. Our permaculture course is taught as a partnership with Three Sister’s Permaculture, Garfield Community Farm and Larkspur Design with certification through the Permaculture Institute of North America.
Beginning in 2024 our permaculture design course has been spread throughout the year with a monthly weekend intensive. Each year’s cohort includes eight to fifteen students committed to finishing their PDC on calendar year. Instead of doing 80 hours of classwork in an intense two week course we’re spreading the classes throughout the year, giving students time to read, experiment, learn and ask questions between classes. We believe this model for the PDC will create better learning and teaching environments and it will allow students to go deeper into the practices and theory of permaculture throughout the course. The thirteen classes listed below will usually take place on the forth Saturday of each month. Some classes include a full day on the previous Friday and extend throughout Saturday. By completing each of the classes students will complete all other modules necessary to receive their official permaculture design certification through the Permaculture Institute of North America. The lead teachers of these classes are John Creasy of Wild Indigo and Garfield Community Farm, Darrell Frey of Three Sisters Permaculture and Elizabeth Lynch of the Three Sister’s Permaculture. Many other local experts will be included in select classes to augment the course.
The Total cost of the Permaculture Design Course is $2000 minus financial aid. A $200 deposit can be paid any time before January 10th of 2025 with $450 due in February, April, July and any remainder in October. Financial Aid may be applied for and could cover significant portions of the cost for those in need. The total course includes all of the classes below as well as a design apprenticeship at a local farm or with a local permaculture practitioner where design skills will be developed. For students looking to use permaculture design professionally, a portfolio quality design may be completed by the end of the course through the work of the apprenticeship.
Tentative Class Schedule
January - “Get to know one another” gathering
February - Introduction to Permaculture
March - Permaculture and Care of the Soul
April - Natural Building Workshop
May - Soil and Compost
June - Food Forest Design and Practice
July - Permaculture, Climate Change, Disaster Preparedness, Wilderness survival
August - Fungi in Permaculture Design and Biochar workshop
September - Urban Permaculture Homesteading and field trips to local sites
October - Season Extension, Bioshelters and Natural Building
November - Water Harvesting and Mapping in Permaculture
November/December - Permaculture and Sustainable Income Generation
Questions or to become a member of this year’s cohort, contact John Creasy, larkspurdesignpgh@gmail.com