Western Slope Permaculture Design Course and Farm Practicum

PERMACULTURE DESIGN COURSE AND FARM PRACTICUM- SUSTAINABLE SETTINGS

Instructors: Scott Pittman and Jason Gerhardt

In this course, offered by the Permaculture Institute USA, participants are actively involved with a working ranch/organic farm. Unique hands-on and participation opportunities arise every day. This class is particularly recommended for educators, aspiring homesteaders, ranchers, small scale farmers, teachers, people involved with small scale diverse agricultural settings. In addition to the farm practicum, participants attend 72-hr permaculture design certificate course and receive internationally recognized certificate in the subject of permaculture.

DATES:  July 7-20, 2012 (arrive July 6 - leave July 21)

COURSE LOGISTICS: 

This course takes place at Sustainable Settings, a non-profit whole systems learning center in Carbondale, Colorado. Sustainable Settings is also a working farm & ranch, offering a wide variety of real-life experiences in land-based sustainable living. Classes are held from 9:00 AM to 5:00PM daily and are followed by communally prepared meals, evening circles, permaculture movies and conversation time. 

Students also participate in farm life, harvesting food from the extensive market gardens, assisting with animal and poultry care under the extensive guidance of farm interns. Meals consist of mostly on-site grown fresh produce, eggs, dairy and some meat.

Life at Sustainable Settings if pleasantly full - never a dull moment. Days are hot, nights are cool and filled with sounds of farm animals and the roar of nearby brook. There are no mosquitoes or other pests, and only protection needed is sungear and good boots. Child care is available at an extra cost.

INSTRUCTORS:

SCOTT PITTMAN, founder of the Permaculture Institute, has been teaching permaculture courses since 1985 in over 20 countries on four continents. Scott is known for his foundational work in establishing the permaculture movement in the US Southwest, for which he received a Community Achievement Award from the Permaculture Institute of Australia. For six years Scott co-taught with the founder of permaculture, Bill Mollison.

JASON GERHARDT has been applying permaculture design in diverse bioregions since 2005. As an emerging voice of permaculture in the US, he is known for detailed knowledge of plant ecologies, rainwater harvesting, seed biodiversity preservation, and urban food production. Jason teaches a permaculture design program for Naropa University and operates Real Earth Design: permaculture landscapes and education.

Cost: $1800 

Fee includes class instruction + multiple workshops in farm- and ranch-related permaculture subjects; access to all facilities, daily guidance with farm chores, three meals per day, mostly organic. 

For more information please visit www.permaculture.org