Permaculture Design Course

The first module offers an introduction to permaculture and discusses its ethics and principles. In addition, it looks at ways in which we can better care for the Earth and humanity as a whole.

In this module, you’re going to learn about:

• 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 explores the process of design that sets permaculture apart from other back to the land movements. It discusses applying design techniques while considering what the land has to offer, and describes what you need to be aware of.

In this module, you’re going to learn about:

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

Module 3 is about soil and its importance of soil. It discusses how to conserve soil as the basis of any sustainable livelihood, including ways in which the soil is and should be treated.

In this module, you’re going to learn about:

• 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

This module focuses on water, in particular its conservation and how permacultures can help with this. It describes how to capture rainwater and store it for your own use.

In this module, you’re going to learn about:

• 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

Module 5 is about methods of planting your own crops. It outlines how planting is done in the modern world, how this affects biodiversity, and ways in which permaculture offers a better option.

In this module, you’re going to learn about:

• 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 is about how animals are a fundamental part of a sustainable piece of land. It discusses the role of animals in permaculture and compares it to how animals are treated in modern society.

In this module, you’re going to learn about:

• 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 is about how we can build our own houses and have them be part of the sustainable system we are creating.

In this module, you’re going to learn about:

• 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 fish pond: the brilliance of a small farmer from El Salvador

Permaculture isn’t reserved only for those with large acreages but can also be adapted to an urban setting. In Module 8, you’ll learn about permaculture in relation to the urban environment.

In this module, you’re going to learn about:

• 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

Module 9 explores different sustainable technologies that can be implemented on your permaculture site.

In this module, you’re going to learn about:

• 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

Module 10 offers a glimpse into how invisible structures are a vital and important part to beginning and maintaining a permaculture lifestyle.

In this module, you’re going to learn about:

• 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