Permaculture Design Course
October 15-22, 2011

Permaculture is about designing regenerative human habitats and sustainable food production systems. It can be applied in virtually any ecosystem, landscape or cityscape at a large or small scale. As a graduate of the PDC, you will attain the knowledge, thought processes and practical application skills to design landscapes and cityscapes that will restore urban, suburban and rural human communities into productive and beautiful habitats.

Areas covered during the 8-day Permaculture course include:

Permaculture principles Concepts and themes in design The local ecosystem Forms of eco-gardening and farming Broad scale site design The application of specific methods, laws and principles to design Pattern understanding Climatic factors Plants and trees and their energy interactions Water, soils, earth-working and earth resources Zone and sector analysis Food forests and small animal husbandry Harvest and natural forests

Aquaculture Planning the homestead Structures Craftwork and chores Equipment, tools and vehicles Renewable energy and energy conservation Waste management and recycling Permaculture strategies for different climates Urban and suburban Permaculture Small farm and garden management and marketing Strategies of an alternative global nation Practical work on design

This training runs Saturday through Saturday and includes required pre-course study materials that must be completed prior to attending classes at Koinonia. You will receive pre-course materials in your confirmation e-mail following registration. Click here to download the registraion form, or click here to register online.

Permaculture is a copyrighted word of the Permaculture Institute of Australia. Upon completion of the course, you will receive a certificate that allows you to use the term Permaculture in your choice of livelihood.

The PDC will be taught by Wayne Weisman (see bio below), Koinonia members, and special guests.

Natural Building Workshop

October 23-26, 2011

Come for the 8-day PDC and stay for four more days of Natural Building instruction. In this seminar we will explore current popular ecological building modalities and techniques: straw bale, cob, earthbags, papercrete, earthships, hybrid buildings, recycled materials, etc. A combination of lecture and hands-on, this concentrated seminar will give you the keys and methods in order to design and implement your building of choice. Passive solar design, natural construction materials, water harvesting & waste reuse, earth sheltered construction, natural disaster resistant construction, owner building and pattern language are some of the many topics we will discuss. The Natural Building Workshop will also be taught by Wayne Weisman. Registration form here, or click here to register online.

Our instructor is Wayne Weisman of the Permaculture Project, LLC.

Wayne is one of a few people in the United States registered by Bill Mollison's Permaculture Institute of Australia to teach the full permaculture design course and to grant certification. He is also certified by the American Institute of Architecture to teach continuing education in Permaculture to licensed architects and landscape architects. Wayne has taught and lectured internationally for many years. He is Director of The Permaculture Project LLC, a full-service, international consulting and educational business promoting the ideas of eco-agriculture, renewable energy resources and eco-construction methods. For many years he managed a land-based, self-reliant community project combining organic crop/food production, ecologically-built shelter, renewable energy, appropriate technologies.

Tuition Costs

The price for the PDC alone is $1100, Natural Building alone is $500, or come for both and pay only $1300 (a $300 savings). Tuition includes on-site lodging and 3 meals a day. Click here to register online. Or call Sarah Prendergast to register by phone 229-924-0391.

Discounts

• Register early and save! Early-bird discount of $50 if you are registered by September 1, 2011.
• In support of some of our close friends, we are offering a special discount to Habitat for Humanity and Fuller Center for Housing employees: Save $100 on the PDC tuition and $50 on Natural Building!
• Group discount If you and a friend (or two or three) register together, you'll each save $100 on PDC tuition and $50 on Natural Building!

Payment Options/ Course Reservation
Space is limited, so please register early to reserve your spot in class. You can pay by credit card online, or contact us if you wish to mail in a check. Tuition in full is expected at the time of registration. However, if payment by installments is an important factor to your ability to participate, please e-mail Sarah Prendergast or call 229-924-0391 to work out the details of your payment plan.

Lodging Options

• Dorm-Style Rooms Registration includes lodging in our Guest House. Please note there are 2-3 beds per room, and we expect to be full. Rooms will be assigned based on gender and space available. If you are attending the course with friends, your party may be split up among available beds. If you are a married couple, both attending the course, please let us know so we can prioritize to give you a room together.
• Tent Camping Campers will have access to a furnished kitchen, indoor bathrooms and showers. Due to limited onsite facilities and our desire to have a light impact on Koinonia's natural landscape, we must limit the number of people camping to 12.
• RV Parking There is also space available for RV's, campers and pop-up tents, with full hookups, bathroom and shower facilities.
• Off-site Lodging This option is for people who reside nearby and will commute to class each day, or for those desiring more privacy/luxury than the Guest House provides. If you would like to stay in a local hotel, please inquire about discounted rates for friends of Koinonia. Meals at the farm are included.

Meals

Simple, healthy meals will be provided three times a day in the Koinonia dining hall. When possible, foods will be organic and/or locally grown (including fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy, pecans and chocolate from our own farm industries!) Vegetarian and vegan options will be available at every meal. We will also provide snacks and beverages throughout the day, to keep you alert and attentive during class!

Cancellation & Refunds
A portion of your tuition is a non-refundable deposit. If you cancel your registration at least 30-days before the on-site portion begins, we will issue a full refund less $250. You will retain access to all of the pre-course materials, and your deposit can be applied to a future visit to Koinonia Farm or a Koinonia Farm Permaculture Design Course for up to three years.

If you cancel your registration in the 30-days before the course there will be a full refund less $350 and your deposit can be applied to a future visit to or PDC at Koinonia for up to three years.

There are no refunds for cancellations or for withdrawals once the course begins. However, in certain circumstances, we may extend partial credit towards a future design course.

Still have questions about the course?
Contact Sarah Prendergast if you have any further questions. You can also reach her by phone 229-924-0391.