14 day - PDC1 2023
(Winter)
(Registration Open)
Dates:
June - 10th & 11th, June - 24th & 25th,
July - 8th & 9th, July - 22nd & 23rd
Aug - 5th & 6th, Aug - 19th & 20th,
Sept - 2nd & 3rd
(7x weekends absorbed over 3 months)
Lead teacher > Brett Cooper
10x Specialist Guest Teachers
3x offsite Permaculture Farm Visits
Loads of Demonstration
Hands on Learning
(Please refer to our Refund Policy below)
14 day - PDC1 2023
(Autumn)
(NOW CLOSED)
Dates:
Mar - 4th & 5th, 18th & 19th,
April - 1st & 2nd, 15th & 16th, 29th & 30th
May - 13th & 14th, 27th & 28th,
(7x weekends absorbed over 3 months)
Lead teacher > Brett Cooper
10x Specialist Guest Teachers
3x offsite Permaculture Farm Visits
Loads of Demonstration
Hands on Learning
(Please refer to our Refund Policy below)
14 day Protracted PDC
A Limestone Permaculture Design Certificate course offers real time examples of a successful design process and transitioning
sustainable living systems on a thriving, working
permaculture principled homestead!
This is the backdrop for your PDC learning experience...!
Our course applies the wisdom of Mollison / Morrow & Holmgren as part of our course curriculum and supported by our experiences of over 22years in both Suburban & Rural settings.
Specialising in Warm Temperate / Sub-tropical climates,
the course also covers cool temperate & tropical climates.
We demonstrate the application of Permaculture Principles to food production, water management, passive home design, multi-functional construction, natural energy generation, income from homestead along with practical strategies from tried & tested
Permaculture Solutions.
It is an expectation that you will finish the course with a property 'Concept' design of your
very own to get you started on your Permaculture Journey!!
Venue: Limestone Permaculture Farm > 846 The Bucketts Way, STROUD ROAD. NSW 2415
Includes: - Earth Restorer's Guide to Permaculture (2023 Edition) by Rosemary Morrow
- Seasonally inspired Gourmet Morning tea & lunch .
- Learning onsite at Limestone Permaculture Demonstration Farm.
- Experienced guest teachers and working Permaculture Farm site visits.
- Your very own permaculture property concept design
Cost: PDC 2023 Course fee - $2600
Deposit: $600
If you need to establish a payment plan to pay the course fee by installments over the period leading up to the PDC, please contact us at limestone.permaculture@gmail.com We are more than happy to facilitate this, but ask you to set up this plan prior to the course, so that the full fee is paid by the time the PDC commences.
Course Detail
Our PDC will be taught at Limestone Farm, (Stroud Road Village, NSW) with Guest teachers & Visits to various locations of interest during the course.
Limestone Farm is a working small acre Permaculture demonstration site which provides solid examples of working Permaculture Principles and ensures this course makes for a very immersive experience and one not to be missed...!
Specific topics include:
* Permaculture ... what is it?
* The Ethics & Principles of Permaculture
* Principles of Ecology
* Reading the Landscape
* Patterns & their value in permaculture
* The Holistic Design Process, Strategies & Techniques
* Domestic Water & Water in the Landscape
* Soils - Health, Aliveness, Erosion & Regeneration
* Climatic Factors & their impacts.
* Earth Working and Resources / Appropriate Technology
* Intensive Plant Guilds, Plant Stacking, Diversity & Successive systems
* The importance of Trees, Forests & Shelterbelts
* Designing for Extreme Events & Climate Change
* Urban & Rural Farming & Gardening
* Zone 0 - Home & Hub
* Zone 1 - Home Food Garden
* Zone 2 - Home Orchard & Small Animal Management
* Zone 3 - Cropping, Market Gardening & Medium Animals
* Zone 4 - Regenerative Farming & Large Animals
* Zone 5 - Natural Forest & Wildness
* Weed Ecology - indicators & accumulators
* Integrated Pest Management
* Pond & Dam Aquaculture
* Sustainable Communities / Social Permaculture
* Income from Permaculture / Managing your Permaculture Projects
* Celebrating Permaculture
Whilst the Permaculture Design Certificate is the minimum requirement to work professionally in Permaculture as a designer or consultant, teach Permaculture or do Permaculture work abroad, it is also an important learning curve for designing your very own Urban & Rural Homestead, Community Garden, School Garden and areas that are sustainable, productive, eco-friendly, organic, healthy and low maintenance.
Undertaking a Permaculture Design Certificate with Limestone Permaculture has many benefits:
1/ Economical - generally a full design (snapshot in time) that is customised for you, including site consultation, site sector analysis, bubble diagram, project concept design, animal management information, plant index, etc can set you back at least $4000 (this is basically 'Giving you a Fish'), however undertaking a Limestone Permaculture 14 day PDC over our protracted three month duration (7 weekends) empowers you with the necessary tools to connect with your property, make informed decisions & evolve with your changing landscape.
(This is teaching you 'How to Fish')
This is backed by the support of our Limestone Permaculture educators, your student group and the PDC group Facebook page we create for each class, even after the course has finished!
2/ Slowed & absorbed Learning - Our protracted PDC offers more time to immerse, absorb and test what you have learnt each fortnight on your own farm & garden. It provides the necessary time for you to observe seasonal changes & experience weather events to then understand how permaculture can be integrated to harness or protect from these changes & events.
3/ Experience & Knowledge - our PDC course provide 'hands on' experience with demonstrations, workshops & farm tours at Limestone Permaculture Farm, Yeo Farm, Misty Ridge Permaculture Farm & Rick Barkers Permaculture Demonstration Farm along with our supporting guest teachers!
Our protracted PDC provides awareness & understanding of:
- permaculture as a concept, integrating permaculture ethics and principles into your daily life.
- base mapping of any site
- site assessment, using information obtained from observations, local weather sites, bio-regional information, land form maps, access, local government, local ecology information and soil testing.
- site sector analysis, taking into account the energies that enter & exit the property like wind, sun, shade, water, frost, wildlife, views , noise, micro-climates & aesthetics.
- property assessment, its strength & weakness, its potential resources, boundaries and its limiting factors.
- creating functional connections between elements of your design to reduce labour and eliminate waste.
- mimicking natural patterns in nature to achieve harmony, prosperity & beauty within your property.
- designing for different climatic conditions and adapt to future climate change.
- designing abundant systems with natural solutions.
- designing water capture, retention & dispersal into your landscape for seasonal resilience.
- living & healthy soils & the soil food web
- harnessing the power of trees to modify climate, create habitat and produce food
- the strengths and weakness of various food producing systems
- the benefits of integrating perennial & annual gardens for resilient food production
- designing stable, abundant food forests
- designing animal systems into your property.
- how to use aquaculture to further enhance your designs
- Utilise appropriate technology for thermal comfort, power generation, energy efficiency, food preservation and much more.
- Implement the permaculture design process on your property with smart project management.
- Helping your local community (schools, events etc) through your understanding of permaculture design
Please note:
80% attendance & submission of all design assignments are required to complete this PDC.
Your PDC Lead Teacher
Brett Cooper - Limestone Permaculture
Brett has over 20 years experience in Permaculture Principled Practice and Demonstration, the first 9 years spent as an Urban Permaculturist in Newcastle NSW & the last 12 years on their rural permaculture homestead > Limestone Farm.
Brett has a Cert IV in Permaculture through the Riverina TAFE, undertaken an Advanced Design Process Course with David Holmgren & Dan Palmer, Holistic Management Course with Brian Wellburg, Introduction to Biodynamics with Charlie Arnott, is a Carpenter & Joiner by trade, has years of experience in Building & Landscaping, carries Diplomas in Project Management & Business Management, is certified by Permaculture Research Institute for his PDC undertaken with Allyn River Permaculture and has been an avid gardener for over 35 years.
Brett is currently the President of the Midcoast Growers Network.
In the past, Brett has been a director on the Gloucester Food Hub, coordinator for the Mayfield Community Gardens, manager for the Stroud Growers Market and Chief Steward of the ‘Produce Pavilion’ at the Stroud NSW Show.
Reference Book
The course curriculum is a combination of many acknowledged Permaculture design books including:
Permaculture: A Designers’ Manual by Bill Mollison”
Earth Restorer's Guide to Permaculture (2023 edition) by Rosemary Morrow > supplied with course!
Retrosuburbia by David Holmgren
"All of which are recommended reading."
Certification
On completion of the course, students will be presented with a PDC graduate certificate
