Permaculture Design Course

The first module provides an introduction to permaculture, covering its ethical foundations and principles. It also explores strategies for improving our care for the Earth and the wellbeing of all humanity. In this module, you will gain insights into:

• The contrary ethics of modern society
• The ethics and principles of permaculture
• Care of the Earth and of humanity
• Redistribution of surplus
• Nature as a teacher
• Traditional ethics of indigenous peoples

This module delves into the unique design process that distinguishes permaculture from other alternative agricultural movements. It emphasizes the application of design techniques that take into account the land’s inherent qualities and outlines important considerations. In this module, you’re going to learn:

• How design is absent in modern-day land use
• What the land will allow you to do
• Observation techniques 
• Climate and microclimate
• Mapping
• Indigenous design in the Amazon rain forest

Module three focuses on the vitality of soil. It addresses soil conservation as the foundation of sustainable living, emphasizing both current soil practices and the proper treatment of this invaluable resource. In this module, you will acquire knowledge in:

• Soil as a non-renewable resource
• Soil conservation techniques
• How to make soil
• The soil food web of Elaine Ingham
• Slash and burn agriculture of the ancient Mayans

In this module permaculture will show us how to conserve water. It describes how to capture rainwater and store it for your own use.

This is what you will be learning in this section:

• Water shortages worldwide
• Permaculture’s water method: slow it, spread it, sink it
• Techniques for retaining water in the soil:
  • Increase organic matter content
  • Dams
  • Wetlands
• Water-saving irrigation practices:
  • Drip irrigation with bamboo
  • Bottle irrigation
• Watson Wick’s flush toilet system
• Water use on a farm in Africa

In this module, we’re going to explore techniques for planting your crops, examining contemporary planting methods and their impact on biodiversity. It also highlights how permaculture presents more sustainable alternatives to conventional planting practices. This is what you’re going to learn in this module:

• The mindset of monoculture
• Perennial polycultures and the richness of diversity
• The garden without neat rows
• Perennial agricultural systems
• The importance of guilds and nitrogen fixers
• Propagation techniques

This module delves into the integral role of animals in maintaining a sustainable piece of land. It draws comparisons between their treatment within permaculture compared to modern society. You will discover:

• The social and ecological aspects of eating meat
• CAFOs and modern society’s understanding of animals
• What animals offer to the system
• A primer on chickens, goats, and bees

Module 7 explores the concept of constructing eco-friendly homes and integrating them into the sustainable system we are creating. Key learning points include:

• The mortgage as the most important part of modern housing
• Can a house be a sustainable part of the landscape?
• How to heat and cool your home sustainably
• Types of sustainable housing
• Integrating structures other than the house into the system
• The chicken coop over a fishpond: the brilliance of a small farmer from El Salvador

Module 8 demonstrates permaculture’s adaptability to urban settings. Explore how permaculture principles can be seamlessly integrated into urban environments. In this module, you’re going to learn:

• The “unsustainability” of cities in today’s civilization
• The advantages of sustainability in urban areas
• Finding value in waste
• Food production in urban areas
• Creating community
• The town as a trading place in traditional feudal societies

In Module 9, we delve into various sustainable technologies applicable to your permaculture site and explore topics including:

• Our Current Technology Addiction
• What is Appropriate Technology
• Technology and Permaculture
• Some Examples of Appropriate Technologies
• Appropritae Technology and the Smartphone
• How Peasant Societies Get Big Jobs Done Without Relying on Machines

Module 10 provides insight into the essential role of invisible structures in beginning and maintaining a permaculture lifestyle. In this concluding module you learn:

• Who benefits from the current structures of society
• The invisible structures in permaculture
• The local food movement
• Alternative currencies
• Business strategies
• Access to land
• Traditional land management of the Mayans