PDC at Inspiration Farm in August

Get prepared for resilient abundance! Announcing the opportunity to get your Permaculture Design Certificate at Inspiration Farm, one of Washington's premier established permaculture sites.

Featured instructors Include: Brian Kerkvliet, Co-steward of Inspiration Farm and P.R.I. Certified Permaculture Designer, Sarah Sullivan, co-founder of Hawaii SEED, David MacLeod from Transition Whatcom. With special guest presenters, Doug Bullock, Washington’s Premier Permaculture Designer and teacher, Larry Dobson, from Northern Light R & D, Alex Winstead from Cascadia Mushrooms, and many more nationally recognized and local experts.

Enrollment includes a camping space and prepared wholesome organic farm meals.
Courses held at an established 12 ac. Permaculture / Biodynamic farm setting!

Course Dates: August 17th-29th
Additional Hands-On opportunities throughout the course and other after hours events

Space is limited- first 10 early students, $1295 regular full tuition $1395 Work-trade & Payment Plans available.
More information can be found at http://www.inspirationfarm.com/

Here is a peek into some of the systems designed to harvest water and nutrients and distribute evenly around Inspiration Farm. Come join us for a in depth look at these and other systems

Permaculture Design Certification Inspiration Farm, Bellingham, Wa. Aug.17th - 29th 2014 Be part of the solution! http://www.inspirationfarm.com



Attending a PDC at Inspiration Farm, participants will be able to experience first hand permaculture in practice through a wide variety of tried and true applications. People will have the opportunity to get hands on experience with many of the functioning systems and eat prepared meals from the numerous established perennial polyculture food forests and take showers in the compost heated outdoor shower.

We will be teaching stuff that works, not just the things you see in books (sometimes it looks cool in the book, but when you try it, it doesn't work). We will share real life successes and failures and discuss the appropriateness of applying specific strategies.

Advanced course material will include learning how to read the landscape in real life situations at Inspiration Farm and neighboring properties. Surveying contour, understanding soil types, appropriate earthwork, finding water, animal integration, plant and site selection and more. We will teach professional practices of working with design clients from interview to implementation.

Our established but still evolving earthworks consists of 8 long swales, 5 ponds, 3 large huglkulture beds and several microclimate sun traps.

Animals we have on the farm include, Dairy cows, Dairy goats, layer chickens, turkeys, ducks and a horse. We have raised pigs, rabbits, geese and sheep in the past.

Lead instructor Brian Kerkvliet, co-steward and PRI certified permaculture designer will show you the many aspects that make Inspiration Farm a thriving resilient abundant system. http://inspirationfarm.com/newif/About.html


Co instructor Sarah Sullivan has taught permaculture and managed various permaculture educational centers. More recently, Sarah directed the award‐winning school-garden and scratch kitchen program. https://edibleschoolyard.org/user/2317

Co instructor David MacLeod will be integrating PatternDynamics within the course. David MacLeod is the first individual outside of Australia to be accredited to lead the PatternDynamics Level 1 workshop, and will integrate this into the Inspiration Farm PDC. Focus will be on several common patterns found in all of nature, and learning to recognize them when they show up in human systems. The next step will be to learn how to balance the patterns that are skewed, and to integrate in the patterns that might add a greater level of resilience and sustainability. David received his Permaculture Design Certificate at Inspiration Farm in 2009, the same year he co-initiated Transition Whatcom and won an “Environmental Hero” award from RE Sources for Sustainable Communities. https://integralpermaculture.wordpress.com/about/


Joining us for the course will be Doug Bullock renowned for his knowledge of plants and one of the premier North American permaculture teachers and practitioners. http://www.permacultureportal.com/

Larry Dobson from northern Light R&D will share many of his appropriate technologies in wind power and gasified wood burners and look at fun-da-mental forms and their building blocks. http://www.fundamentalform.com/


´ Design Methodologies
´ Ethics, Zones, Sectors, Slope
´ Design Principles and Goals
´ Site Evaluation and Mapping
´ Pattern Recognition
´ Water / Nutrient Harvesting
´ Natural Cycles and Processes
´ Plant Identification and Uses
´ Plant Guilds and Food Forests
´ Wild Crafting and Healing
´ Micro Climate Creation
´ Tropical and Dry land Farming
´ Indigenous Land Management
´ Greywater Systems
´ Effective Tera Forming
´ Emergency Preparation
´ Appropriate Technology
´ Natural Building Strategies
´ Animal Integration / Rotations
´ Seed Saving and Storage
´ Nursery Establishment
´ Plant Propagation
´ Food Preservation
´ Local Economics
´ Community Structures
´ Non-Violent Communication
´ PatternDynamics

Course Dates: August 17th-29th
Additional Hands-On opportunities throughout the course and other after hours events

Space is limited- first 10 early students, $1295 regular full tuition $1395
Work-trade & Payment Plans available.


As to the cost of a course. If you look at the big picture, $1000 -$2000 is really a small price compared to how much time an money it will save you as you learn how to work more in unison with nature. Skills and techniques that will allow you to not till the soil, irrigate or fertilize your crops, obtain multiple yields from the same piece of ground, all while you are building soil fertility and sequestering carbon. Techniques to secure multiple income streams from the same amount of work, become a model farm where you can teach classes, give tours, show how designs work and do consultation for other people in your area. It is hard to calculate the payback rate on this kind of investment, but it is large. In the last year I have earned over 10 times what I paid for my PDC in design consultation alone. I can guarantee you there is no shortage of people that want this kind of design work done for them. All of my clients found me with no advertising or outreach on my part. How many people go to collage for 4 years and come out in debt and can't get a job in their field? I could go on and on on how learning these skills will save you time, money and energy over time but you will need to come to the conclusion as to whether you want to take a PDC on your own.

There is also a group that helps people crowd fund the cost of their PDC or Permaculture project. learn more at http://www.WeTheTrees.com/

http://www.permacourses.com/

http://www.WeTheTrees.com/ Fundraise your course tuition with WeTheTrees!

A Cutting Edge Tool for Human Collaboration: PatternDynamics™

“From a singular event all other events are set in motion in recognizable and predictable patterns. This pattern recognition is the core of design in Permaculture” – Bill Mollison

It is not uncommon for Permaculture designers to admit that they have a much easier time with their plants, animals and physical structures than they have when attempting to deal with human interactions. Tim Winton, founder and Director of the 170 acre Permaforest Trust education center in New South Wales, Australia, found much success using pattern recognition in developing food and land use systems. Challenged by ongoing issues with human organizational and social systems, he then proceeded to develop PatternDynamics™, a systems thinking tool based on observation of the most common patterns found in the natural world. These patterns informed the development of high level principles which can be used to address the most complex challenges that human systems face.

David MacLeod is the first individual outside of Australia to be accredited to lead the PatternDynamics Level 1 workshop, and will integrate this workshop experience into the Inspiration Farm PDC occurring in August 2014. Focus will be on several common patterns found in all of nature, and learning to recognize them when they show up in human systems. The next step will be to learn how to balance the patterns that are skewed, and to integrate in the patterns that might add a greater level of resilience and sustainability.

“The key to complexity is systems thinking, and the key to systems thinking is patterns. The key to patterns is using them as a language – an idea I borrowed from architect and mathematician Christopher Alexander’s book ‘Notes on the Synthesis of Form’.” – Tim Winton

PatternDynamics gives us a shared language, from which we gain the ability to collaborate more effectively with others. We believe the facilitation of this kind of collective intelligence is what is needed to effect change at the systems level – for those of us who aspire to make a deeper difference!



Further Resources:
PatternDynamics: Following the Way Nature Organizes Itself to Deal with Complexity by David MacLeod
Visit http://www.patterndynamics.net/ to view a short intro by Tim Winton and to download the free PatternDynamics workbook.

As a participant and resident of Inspiration Farm,
I can't say enough about Brian, his family, and all they have done to help turn their acreage into a vibrant living system. It's amazing. I have earned a PDC at another farmstead in Washington that was far less advanced in regards to experience and development. I wished that I had found Inspiration sooner!
This place is ever changing, and because of that, the land is a great time lapse of working systems. The farm boasts swales and the pond that Brian established years ago coupled with some that are only a few months old and garden beds that are set on contour for maximized water and nutrient caching. There's a newly built hugelkultur berm on it's way to being a food forest line uphill from an orchard full of guilds of towering fruit trees and perennials with ducks running freely and chickens slowly moved across the landscape in moveable paddocks. If you want to experience the stages of a design, it's apparent here.
Brian is an excellent teacher as well. I take advantage of it any time I can. I typically just go find him and prompt him with "what's this?," knowing that he's a walking encyclopedia with experience to boot.
If you want to not just get a certificate but also learn what it takes to homestead and to spearhead abundant and resilient designs, then come join us, the water is fine.

Check out many of the Paul Wheaton podcasts from Inspiration Farm here: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=paul+wheaton+inspiration+farm

See my latest post (which links back to this thread) at Resilience.org: "Survive and Thrive with Permaculture"
http://www.resilience.org/stories/2014-07-02/survive-and-thrive-with-permaculture

David Holmgren, co-originator of Permaculture, and systems analyst Nicole Foss have begun their summer tour of Australia, which is being billed as “Strategies for a Changing Economy: Survive and Thrive” (click here for dates and here for further details about the tour). Foss will outline the links between the converging crises that include economic contraction, peak energy and geopolitical stress. She will also share her thoughts on the implications for how it will impact everyday lives and will share practical solutions. David Holmgren will outline practical strategies drawn from 30 years of permaculture to help households and communities survive, thrive and contribute to a better world. Holmgren will also present an update of his well-known and popular “Retrofitting the Suburbs for Sustainability” presentation...

...I’m hoping to see some of you at the Inspiration Farm PDC course I’ll be a co-instructor at in Northwest Washington state, Aug. 17-29th. Lead instructor Brian Kerkvliet is PRI certified, and Paul Wheaton, of Permies.com, has named Inspiration Farm as the premier Permaculture Farm of the Pacific Northwest. You can learn much more in the Cascadia Forum at Permies.com here.

Here is a recent video that Peak Moment TV put together on scything and other tools we use to get things done here at Inspiration Farm. Hope you can attend the PDC to learn details on these tools and techniques plus a lot more!

Another great video showcasing Inspiration Farm!

We should mention that the registration deadline for the P.D.C. at Inspiration Farm is coming up next Tuesday! July 15th!

If you're considering this, don't delay! Register Today! http://www.inspirationfarm.com/newif/classes/PDC.html or Call 360-398-7061

Well.... after a good effort put in by all we have decided to postpone the PDC offering here at Inspiration Farm. As of the 15th we had a grand total of 3 people signed up, with a minimum of 18 to make it fly. Not wanting to keep the other guest presenters on hold for any longer then necessary we decided to postpone the course and try again next year with more planing and better promotion during the lead up.

We will be doing a 2 day event following the NW permaculture convergence happening during the skill share faire. We are just starting to formulate exactly what kind of event but most likely it will be something simple like a farm tour, meal and social with advanced water and nutrient harvesting explanations and maybe some guild planting hands on or some such thing.

Stay tuned for more on this as things develop! NorthWest Permaculture Convergance

Brian Kerkvliet wrote:We will be doing a 2 day event following the NW permaculture convergence happening during the skill share faire. We are just starting to formulate exactly what kind of event but most likely it will be something simple like a farm tour, meal and social with advanced water and nutrient harvesting explanations and maybe some guild planting hands on or some such thing.

Stay tuned for more on this as things develop! NorthWest Permaculture Convergance

Here is what we are offering as a addition to the SkillShare Faire and NWPC convergence
Announcing an opportunity not to be missed at Inspiration Farm
In conjunction with the Whatcom Sill Share Faire and the NorthWest Permaculture Convergence, Inspiration Farm would like to announce a two day bonus event. Plan to stay a little longer and take it all in!

Monday August 25th
Treat yourself to an extended Inspiration Farm tour tailored to Permaculture veterans and newcomers alike. Witness the advanced earthworks that allow nutrient and water to be passively harvested supporting the whole farm. Walk amongst the food forest and experience the secessional evolution.
Check out the animal rotational systems in place and see the progress that working animals within the landscape can achieve.
Share in the evening pot luck, social event. Bring a dish, your instruments, and Tel-A-Vision around the fire.
All day is available for a suggested $10 donation (no one will be excluded for lack of funds)
Camping is available for those wanting to attend Tuesdays workshops.

Tuesday Aug 26th Preregistration Required $50 each workshop or $125 for the whole day event. Choose from three of the nine subjects
Inspiration Farm will host a series of mini workshops. Schedule subject to change
AM session you can choose from 10-12-am
-Reading the landscape, surveying and earthworks - Brian Kerkvliet
-Processing and cooking with Beans and Grains - Krista Rome
-Bio-char creation, inoculation, and use - Larry Williams
Lunch 12-1pm
Pm sessions you can choose from:
1st session 1-3-pm
-Establishing a food forest nursery - Brian Kerkvliet
-Crafting with wild medicinals from your landscape. - Suki Aufhauser
-WATER: gray water, storage water, and water in the landscape. - Bruce Horowitz
2nd session 3-5-pm
-Micro remediation, Establishing your fungal friends in the landscape -
-An Introduction to PatternDynamics™ - David MacLeod
-SOIL: Soul! Working with natural systems to build soil, composts and compost teas - Brian Kerkvliet

To register call 360-398-7061

Only 1 week away - I'm getting excited for the Whatcom Skillshare Faire, followed by these two days of Permaculture seminars!

David

Brian Kerkvliet wrote:

Here is what we are offering as a addition to the SkillShare Faire and NWPC convergence
Announcing an opportunity not to be missed at Inspiration Farm
In conjunction with the Whatcom Sill Share Faire and the NorthWest Permaculture Convergence, Inspiration Farm would like to announce a two day bonus event. Plan to stay a little longer and take it all in!

Monday August 25th
Treat yourself to an extended Inspiration Farm tour tailored to Permaculture veterans and newcomers alike. Witness the advanced earthworks that allow nutrient and water to be passively harvested supporting the whole farm. Walk amongst the food forest and experience the secessional evolution.
Check out the animal rotational systems in place and see the progress that working animals within the landscape can achieve.
Share in the evening pot luck, social event. Bring a dish, your instruments, and Tel-A-Vision around the fire.
All day is available for a suggested $10 donation (no one will be excluded for lack of funds)
Camping is available for those wanting to attend Tuesdays workshops.

Tuesday Aug 26th Preregistration Required $50 each workshop or $125 for the whole day event. Choose from three of the nine subjects
Inspiration Farm will host a series of mini workshops. Schedule subject to change
AM session you can choose from 10-12-am
-Reading the landscape, surveying and earthworks - Brian Kerkvliet
-Processing and cooking with Beans and Grains - Krista Rome
-Bio-char creation, inoculation, and use - Larry Williams
Lunch 12-1pm
Pm sessions you can choose from:
1st session 1-3-pm
-Establishing a food forest nursery - Brian Kerkvliet
-Crafting with wild medicinals from your landscape. - Suki Aufhauser
-WATER: gray water, storage water, and water in the landscape. - Bruce Horowitz
2nd session 3-5-pm
-Micro remediation, Establishing your fungal friends in the landscape -
-An Introduction to PatternDynamics™ - David MacLeod
-SOIL: Soul! Working with natural systems to build soil, composts and compost teas - Brian Kerkvliet

To register call 360-398-7061