• Two-thirds of the earth is experiencing desertification.
• Bare earth creates a microclimate. Enough bare earth impacts the macroclimate.
• Livestock mimicing nature can, inexpensively, lock up enough carbon in the soil to return us to pre-industrial levels of atmospheric CO2.

These are a few of the powerful points made by Allan Savory and his work to holistically manage grazing. Watch the video, hear his powerful message, and then use this new knowledge to make a difference in the world.

This show veers off the path some from usual episodes as I’m here to toss a question out, as the rather long title of this episode suggests, about what you, in particular, would expect or want out of an online Permaculture Design Course.

Before getting to the student side of things, a question to the other permaculture teachers who listen to the program, as I know at least a few of you do: how would you model the online experience to meet the 72-hours of instruction, as set forth by Mollison, and considered the bare minimum standard for a PDC?

Since I mentioned wanting to put together an online PDC a few months ago, I’ve mulled over the idea of what an online PDC would look like. After putting together the show on “What to look for when looking for a PDC”, I feel I can more than deliver on the requirements outlined in that material. You know who I am, who my teachers are, their teachers, and know my understanding of permaculture curriculum in every conversation with a guest or through the topical episodes assembled from my own notes.

Based on messages received after announcing the possibility of an online PDC, the core thread of desire was about having the depth of knowledge necessary to lead to a design certificate, and that the certificate is accepted by the Permaculture community. Given my teachers, the variety of people in the community who know me, and the very public format of this website and podcast, a PDC certificate from me, Scott Mann, won’t be a problem.

Now then, for the listeners who are students of permaculture, what would you want the class to look like? Before trying to answer that kind of a big, broad question, here’s what I mean: I’ve taken several online classes and talked to friends who have as well. That pool of experiences leads to some overarching examples. In some cases, the online classes were large seminars with minimal access to the instructor, and the bulk of the course work was self-directed based on a syllabus that included all activities for the semester with what chapters to read and assignment due dates. You know, read this book, do this homework, take this test, wash, lather, and repeat until you’re done. Other classes were previous recorded lectures the students watched or listened to, and then posted to a discussion forum, with homework, and 2-3 exams. One class I took consisted of a series of small assignments that built towards a final project, with instructor feedback provided on each piece building towards the final whole.

With those kinds of thoughts in mind, I come to the following questions to fill out the discussion.

How would you want to cover the PDC material? Video lectures you can watch online? A series of PDC oriented in-depth audio to download and listen to on the go? Or would you rather read the necessary material? There’s definitely reading involved however we do this, but what portion of the course would you want covered in text?

Do you want to be graded on the material? To receive scores like you might in school to determine where your work is at and where you can improve. Or would non-scored written and/or verbal feedback on assignments be enough?

How much access would you want to the instrutor? What’s your preferred method of contact? Email? Phone? Online forum? Should I have regular office hours to call and discuss questions as they arise?

Do you want a “classical” selection of Permaculture Design Course material, as outlined in Permaculture: A Designers’ Manual? Or something up-to-date and relevant to the skills, techniques, and information available now?

I know that’s a rapid fire succession of questions coming from me, but however you found this show, you continue to listen because there’s something of value in what I do. I want to honor that value by providing a course you want to take. If the majority of the feedback presents a desire for something outside my ability to properly deliver I won’t try to put together a PDC. If, however, there is a way to make it work, then we’ll have something this year.

One piece of feedback I received during the first round of conversation is that some listeners don’t want to have to sit in front of a computer all the time to cover the material, which I can understand completely. That leads me to two paths in the road, both of which I feel can be addressed, but require different ways to make it happen.

Option 1, for those who are comfortable with more time at a computer, is to do the on-line course in a way where students can meet and interact with one another and myself, and to post projects on-line as both a proof of work and for further discussion. We get more of a teacher in the classroom experience.

Option 2, to reduce the time spent on-line, is to make the interaction more of a mentor and student relationship that relies more heavily on a project based curriculum with regular one-on-one homework, and ongoing contact between myself and the student to provide feedback via email and phone calls.

Anyway, those are my thoughts right now as I chew through the details. I’d love to hear your ideas. Begin by choosing which course you’d rather participate in, 1 – a digital classroom, 2 – mentor lead learning, and leave a note in the comments for this show, or you know the usual ways to contact me:

show (at) thepermaculturepodcast (dot) com

717.827.6266.

Until the next time, take care of the earth, your self, and each other.

With all the information in, every comment, email, and download counted, here are the top 5 episodes of 2012, in no particular order.

If you recently began listening these shows represent a broad overview of the guests interviewed and topics covered at The Permaculture Podcast. If you wanted a place to “start here” these episodes provide a perspective from the beginning, and show where we will go together in the future.

The Permaculture Handbook: An Interview with Peter Bane
Radical Possibilities with Ethan Hughes
Nutrient Dense Foods with Dan Kittredge
Carbon Farming: Soils with Connor Stedman
Eric Toensmeier on Perennials, Broadscale Permaculture, and Food Forests

To start the New Year, I look back over 2012 and consider the year ahead: the growth of the show, support, technology changes, website changes, and upcoming topics and guests.

I say unequivocally: 2012 was a great year. After relaunching in mid-June, the show grew beyond my expectations. At that beginning 300 of you tuned in regularly to find out the happenings in the world of Permaculture. By the end of the year, conservatively, since figuring out the number of people who hear a podcast is a bit tricky, over 1,100 of you join for any given show, a number that grows with every new episode. If nothing changes, and you and I keep doing what we do, me producing shows and you sharing with like-minded folks, in 2013 the show is on track to top 3,000 listeners. 18 months from 300 to 3000. A 10-fold increase. Amazing!

This couldn’t happen without your support, which allowed the show to keep going in a meaningful way, including the award of a scholarship to a permaculture presentation, and to perform several minor technology upgrades, with more of both planned in the upcoming year. Though I still search for where to give more scholarships, I did narrow the field on the next technology upgrade, now I finished building the desktop computer for editing the show that includes a monitor large enough to ease my aging eyes, comes in the form of a new microphone.

If you can assist with that project in particular, or the show in general, go to The Permaculture Podcast and click on the Support tab to make a donation. While there you’ll find you can make a one-time contribution or, at the request of a listener, sign up for the recurring monthly option. Either way, great good comes from your generosity and I deeply appreciate any way you choose to help.

In addition to that change expect several more from this show forward. First: news, updates, and other information no longer get separated into standalone monthly episodes. Seminars, classes, courses, and similar pieces in the future get posted to the website, not included in the podcasts, with other notes added to the intro or ending of an interview or topical show, with a quick note reminding everyone about new website content.

Another change coming to the show stems from my going back to school. A few short weeks from now I enter a program for a Masters of Science in Parks, Resources, and Environmental Education, the non-M.Ed version of an M.Ed. in Environmental Education. After considerable soul searching, and my ongoing desire to take permaculture further within the credentialed society in the United States, returning to school for an advanced degree became the best option forward. Not everyone needs to walk down the road of more education, considering the great work so many of you already do, but some of people need to possess the alphabet soup after our names to take the next step, push the boundaries, and continue to grow permaculture as a whole.

Thankfully, after several discussions with my advisor and looking over my schedule, both school and personal, nothing negative happens to the show; only positive. The quantity of shows stays the same, 6-8 a month while I work towards the ideal of 2 per week without interruption. The quality improves from what I learn in class and more high quality non-podcast material gets posted to the website. Win-win for all of us.

Another change comes from additional content. Streamlining my production process over the past few months, which felt like blind luck though others might kindly call gaining experience, frees up time not only for school but also to read and, especially, write more about the myriad of topics available in the world of regenerative design.

Possible Topics and Guests

The link above contains my current catalog of potential standalone show content, as well as people and organization to speak with and their areas of specialization. Though by no means exhaustive, take a few minutes to download and review the contents. If any of ideas or people listed stick out for me to write about or contact sooner rather than later, please let me know. Also, if you see a glaring hole that needs filled, someone or something for me to cover, or, if you prefer for a past guest to return and expand on what they already shared, I want to hear from you.

That takes a look at the past of 2012 and into the future of 2013, what about right now? At the moment the upcoming guest list includes Rafter Sass-Ferguson and his work on documenting self-identified permaculture projects about the United States. Christopher Shein and I, after missing each other due to the holidays, sit down to talk about his forthcoming book, The Vegetable Gardeners Guide to Permaculture. My friend Erin Harvey join me later in the month to talk about her experiences as a beginning farmer. And Dan Kittredge returns to further the conversation on rock dusts and nutrient dense farming. Plus, put another half-dozen or so people in the process of setting up interviews.

So much good ahead for all of us. If I can help you on your permaculture path in any way, give me a call: 717.827.6266 or send me an email: 717.827.6266.

Until the next time, take care of the Earth, your self, and each other.

The permaculture update for December 2012. Updates about the show, upcoming interviews, classes, and episodes.

First, let me thank everyone who listens to the show or connects with it via the website or elsewhere. I couldn’t do this without that encouragement.

Second, for everyone who’s made a donation or supported the show by spreading the word, thank you again. You help the show reach more people and continue to grow. If you haven’t, find out how at: thepermaculturepodcast.com/support

In trying to give back to the permaculture community at large, the forum is live with incoming moderators. Stop in, check it out, and add your thoughts and knowledge so this community space can contain the knowledge for anyone to practice permaculture:

http://www.thepermaculturepodcast.com/forum

Peter Bane’s book tour begins on December 7th, the day this episode goes live. Listen to my interview with him and then check out the updated tour schedule at permaculturehandbook.com.

On December 11th, Dan Kittredge joins the show for an interview about nutrient dense farming and re-mineralizing soil.
His work can be found at: http://bionutrient.org/

Christopher Shein, author of the forthcoming book “The Vegetable Gardener’s Guide to Permaculture” from Timber Press sits down with me across the continent on December 14th. We’ll talk about his background, as always, his work, and the book.

If you have questions for either guest, or the show in general contact me:

E-mail: show (at) thepermaculturepodcast (dot) com.
Phone: 717.827.6266
Twitter: @permaculturecst
Facebook: The Permaculture Podcast

Upcoming Classes and Permaculture Seminars
Sunrise Ranch Permaculture Course (April 2013)
Permaculture Design Course from One World Permaculture at the Austin Community College. Follow the Austin Community College link to register for the Spring 2013 semester.
Permaculture Course list from Permaculture Magazine: http://www.permaculture.co.uk/courses

The November Update includes:

• Please support the show. Go to the support page to learn more.
• A Call for Moderators. The forum project continues to evolve. If you’d like to be involved from the get go, send me an email with the subject “Forum Moderator”.
• Questions. If you have any about permaculture in general or a specific topic, let me know. Contact information below.
• Upcoming classes from:
1. Cascadia Permaculture
2. Spiral Ridge Permaculture
3. Rico Zook
• Upcoming Episode Preview:
1. Hugelkultur
2. Thoughts from a Farm Tour
3. Notes from Nigeria: Susan Godwin. She is the 2012 Oxfam Nigeria Female Food Hero
4. Urban Permaculture
5. Cold Climate Permaculture: Hardiness Zones 2 through 6.
6. Re-Mineralizing Soils and Nutrient Dense Farming. A multi-episode series.

Contact the Show:
E-mail: show (at) thepermaculturepodcast (dot) com
Voicemail: 717.827.6266

What’s in store for this update?

• Permaculture Forum call for Help: I need moderators! E-mail me for details!
• Ruminations on Weird Weather and the Impact on Design
• Urban Agriculture in Harrisburg
• Let’s Get Dirty! PDC

Sponsors and Supporters
Nancy Grove and everyone at Old Path Farm
Tony Murlin
Clinton Whitney
Evan Fannin
Eli Mailey
Ben Karpin
Matthew Cone

Resources
Let’s Get Dirty Permaculture Design Course Pictures
Urban Agriculture Site

Contact:
E-mail: show (at) thepermaculturepodcast (dot) com
Phone: 717-827-6266

I need your help. I am asking you to help me crowdfund the podcast. This means that you can help me, through small donations, keep the show on the air, as well as continue to grow and expand.

I said in an earlier update episode that as of September I would be in a place to work on the show full time. That time finally arrived. However, as happens to be my recurring theme with Permaculture, I now have the time, but am at the limits of what I can accomplish by self funding the show. This world of podcasts and the new media, is still working out ways to make this work viable, but given the ethics of Permaculture and sharing our abundances with one another, I feel that asking for your direct assistance and contributions is the better option. To that end I’m asking you to consider making a donation to the show. There are some standard thank you gifts available, but make sure you read the whole page, as I can also put together a custom thank you just for you. There are also non-financial ways that you can help the show. You will find full details about these donations at thepermaculturepodcast.com/support.

In addition to keeping the show going, these funds allow for upgrades that improve the sound quality both for in studio shows, such as this, as well as with interviews guests. I also want to invest in a redesign of the website. If you are listening to the show and are a web designer and would consider lending me a hand, please let me know.

I pledge to use 20% of all donations to create Permaculture Scholarships so that others may attend classes in both Permaculture Design Courses and advanced permaculture trainings. Though the details need to be ironed out, I’m looking at two paths. One is to work with a permaculture teacher and provide them with open scholarship money for a course, with the caveat being that the instructor makes a matching contribution. The other is for students to apply directly for a scholarship, and funds will then be distributed directly to the organization offering the class. In return, I ask the student for a copy of their final portfolio or other personal materials, pictures, sketches, etc, from a class so that in turn it can be shared with the world so more people can see what happens in these classes.

Please, help me continue to share the work of permaculture with the world. Donate now/a>.

Upcoming Permaculture Design Course:
Sivananda Yoga Farm. Grass Valley, California. November 4-11.
http://sivanandayogafarm.org/program/permaculture

Upcoming Permaculture Convergences
Northern California Permaculture Convergence. October 12-14, 2012 in Castro Valley, CA. This will be held at the Greenfields Farm. Early bird registration is good through Saturday, September 22, and is $150. After that the price will be $175. Camping, from Friday at 3pm until Sunday at Noon is $30. There are also single day, PDC graduate, Teen, and student pricing options. While you are checking out the registration choices, there is an option to contribute any amount you would like to the scholarship fund.

The website for this event is:
http://permacultureconvergence.com/

South East Asian Permaculture Convergence. November 19-22, 2012 in Hong Kong. Rosemary Morrow will be the Patron for this event. The theme is Food, Water, and Energy against a background of Climate Change. The cost for the event, which does not appear to include lodging, is HK$1200, which is around US$155. There are many many options when registering for this convergence to cover lodging, food, tours, and so on. You can find out more at: http://www.seapn.org

[strong]Articles from Around the Web[/strong]
Creating a Permaculture Food Forest. A presentation by Josh Robinson

http://permaculturenews.org/2012/09/10/creating-a-permaculture-food-forest-presentation/

PRI Fall Fertility Practicum
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/news/2012/09/10/permaculture-research-institute-workshop-educates-plants-and-soil

Gardeners on the Edge Harvesting More than Veggies
http://www.gazette.com/news/vogrin-144025-organic-permaculture.html

Bringing it Home – Permaculture on Marthas Vineyard
http://www.mvmagazine.com/article.php?46588

LIFT Economy Articles on Permaculture
http://lifteconomy.com/tag/permaculture/

The Joys of Hugelkultur by Alys Fowler.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2012/sep/07/hugelkultur-permaculture-gardening-alys-fowler

Permaculture Comes to Reading (Massachusetts)
http://www.wickedlocal.com/reading/news/x1606940332/Permaculture-comes-to-Reading

Resilience in Suburban Anchorage (Alaska)

http://www.countercurrents.org/logan270812.htm

EcoHouse proposes new design for historic Whitney Garden

http://www.dailycampus.com/news/ecohouse-proposes-new-design-for-historic-whitney-garden

My wife and I spent the weekend talking about gray water systems and gray water reuse when the question came up, “Is that even legal?” So today I made a series of phone calls to find out.

I regret to report: No. In Pennsylvania they are not.

Now, I can’t point to a specific piece of legislation outlawing gray water systems. No directly worded document like that exists. However, the source of this information is Martin Ferry, the Permits Chief and an environmental engineer for the the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. During the conversation he made it very clear that Pennsylvania does not distinguish between gray and black water. Both are sewage and must be processed to state standards.

PA DEP views gray water as a health hazard and no longer issues permits for residential systems involving any kind of gray water reuse. Mr. Ferry referenced DEP studies and examples of constructed wetlands for grey water reuse that did not perform as required, which ended permitting.

Another barrier to a better designed world, but now the barrier is identified, gray water reuse advocates can work within their community and with legislators to get this changed.

Permaculture Training

Heathcote Botanical Gardens in Fort Pierce, Florida is holding a one day hand-on Permaculture class with Tia Meer and Adina Lehrman on July 21 from 9am to 3pm. The fee is $50. You can reserve a spot by calling 772-464-4672 or emailing: info [at] heathcotebotanicalgardens [dot] org.

Daily Acts PDC Taught by Toby Hemenway, author of Gaia’s Garden. Guest instructors include: Penny Livingston, Larry Santoyo, Brock Dolman, Erik Ohlsen, John Valenzuela, and others. The course takes place over 6 weekends over 6 months, starting September 1st, 2012, and ending February 16-17, 2013. This PDC is certified by the Permaculture Institute USA. The Cost is $950 if you pay a non-refundable deposit of $250 by July 15th, 2012, after that the full cost for the course is $1100. Find out more by going to dailyacts.org.

P3Permaculture PDC Quebec Oct 13-27, 2012, followed by an optional Advcanced Permaculture course running October 29-Nov 2nd. IThe instructors look to be Graham Calder, Wen Rolland, France Bedard Robert, and Claudi Latulippe. Pre-booking is $304.35 CAD, with the full course either 1190 or 1400 CAD. Contact them for more information:

http://www.p3permaculture.ca/ and scroll about halfway down the page for more information.

Or: booking [at] p3permaculture [dot] ca.

Teacher Training
Cascadia Permaculture Teacher Training Cottage Grove, Oregon. July 29th – August 4th, 2012, with Jude Hobbs and Andrew Millison. As some of you know, I attended this course in 2011 and enjoyed it. If an advanced certificate in teaching: Go! Meet Jude and Andrew, and learn, learn, learn! With 40, or more, hours of class room time and evening lectures and presentations, you get plenty of information and practice time in the week while you are there. The cost is $900 and includes camping in a Permie-wonderland and some delicious food. You can read more about it by going to cascadiapermaculture.com and clicking on courses.

If you’d like to see what I look like, download the brochure and you can see a picture of my graduating class. I’m the guy in the back right.

Permaculture Diploma
The Permaculture Institute USA is again offering Permaculture Diplomas.

http://www.permaculture.org/nm/index.php/site/professional_practise_pages
Or send them an email: info [at] permaculture [dot] org.

Convergences
8th Annual Northeast Permaculture Convergence is going to be held at the Soule Homestead Education center in Middleborough, MA, July 13th-15th. Ticket prices are sliding scale from as little as $90 for the whole weekend if you are commuting, $10 for children, or between $120-180 if camping onsite. Day passes are $35 for adults, $5 for children 12 and under. The website and schedule have been updated with copious amounts of information. Looks to be a good one. If you are anywhere near MA, get yourself to this convergence. northeastconvergence.wordpress.com

Western Canada Permaculture Convergence is planned for August 24th, 25th, and 26th in Millarville, Alberta. A full pass is $125Canadian, with a non-camping pass at $75. Also Canadian. Right now they have Jeff and Julilynn Gilles of Rancho Relaxo presenting on How to Create Permaculture Awareness in Your Community. abconvergence2012.blogspot.com

Regional Permaculture Convergence 2012 in Izmir, Turkey to be held at the Marmaric Permaculture Village from the 17th-21st of July. Camping spaces will be provided or you can rent space in a yurt, dormitory, or bungalow for an additional fee of 4 or 10 Euros a night depending on the accommodations. Three vegetarian meals as well as tea and coffee breaks are provided in the overall fee of 150 Euros.

Something Odd (and Amazing!)
In North Kohala, Hawai’i, there is a Permaculture Farm for sale. Located on 15 gorgeous acres, with an incredible view it includes 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, plus three additional small cottages and other outbuildings. The current asking price is $2.6 million. If there is a non-profit permaculture group that would consider buying this place to turn it into an educational space, let me know so I can come visit in person.

http://www.bigislandreale.com/owning-a-permaculture-farm
http://www.bigislandreale.com/254041-Huahua-Condo-Kaauhuhu-Hmstds

Books and DVDS
There is a new book out, well at least new to me, on Permaculture Design. Permaculture Design: A step-by-step guide to the Process by the UK permaculture instructor Aranya. I’ve read some of his blog posts and articles the past and enjoyed them, so give his book a read and let me know what you think.

http://www.green-shopping.co.uk/permaculture-design.html

Permaculture.co.uk is now carrying the Animate Earth DVD, a 45 minute film that takes it’s title from Stephan Harding’s book of the same name. Stephen Harding is an ecologist at Schumacher college and holds a doctorate in behavioral ecology and since that time has developed the ideas of holistic science.

http://www.permaculture.co.uk/book-reviews/animate-earth-dvd

Other Media
Hope for a New Era: Before/After Examples of Permaculture Earth Restoration

A photolog and article showing the transformation of permaculture in the landscape. If you have someone asking you for “what will permaculture look like?” , show them this article.

http://permaculture.org.au/2012/06/28/hope-for-a-new-era-before-after-examples-of-permaculture-earth-restoration-solving-our-problems-from-the-ground-up/

Live Local. Live Small.

An introductory article on permaculture and Gwenyfar Rohler’s thoughts on it, including some issues with the pre-dominance of source material focusing on the climates of Australia, the UK, or Pacific Northwest.

http://www.encorepub.com/welcome/live-local-live-small-70/

Discovering Permaculture

Another overview of permaculture comes from the blog “8 acres”, that includes several nice videos with Penny Livingston, Bill Mollison, and David Holmgren.

http://eight-acres.blogspot.com/2012/06/discovering-permaculture.html

Wolf Gulch Farm and the work of Tom Ward. The 10 minutes video provides a virtual tour of the property.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=rhATikyzLOo

Home Grown Help

From the Fraser Coast Chronicle in Australia, about Tim Lang’s work with some basic tips on building your own garden of eden for foodies. If you’ve been involved in Permaculture for a while, the content is familiar, but I’m always looking for new voices to share this information and here’s a good one to send to that friend or local gardening club member who shakes their head at you when you bring up Permaculture.

http://www.frasercoastchronicle.com.au/story/2012/06/29/tims-home-grown-help/

Practicing Permaculture In Los Angeles

Covering the work of the Edendale Farm CSA and Learning Center where a farmer named David, and others, are practicing urban permaculture to build community with food and alternative economics at the core.

http://blogs.bard.edu/civicengagement/2012/07/01/practicing-permaculture-in-the-heart-of-los-angeles/

In this episode:

Connect with the Show:
E-mail: show [at] thepermaculturepodcast.com
Twitter: @permaculturecst
Skype: permaculturepodcast
Voicemail: 717-827-6266

Permaculture Teacher Training
July 29 – August 4, 2012 in Cottage Grove Oregon with Jude Hobbs and Andrew Millison
http://www.cascadiapermaculture.com/courses

Permaculture Institute USA Permaculture Diploma
The Professional Practice Pages where you can download all the information on the Diploma from the left-hand sidebar.
http://www.permaculture.org/nm/index.php/site/professional_practise_pages

Contact them via email or phone:
info [at] permaculture.org
505.455.0514

8th Annual Northeastern Permaculture Convergence in Middleborough, MA, USA from July 13th-15th, 2012.
Western Canada Permaculture Convergence in Millarville, Alberta, Canada from August 24-26th, 2012.
Regional Permaculture Convergence in Izmir, Turkey from July 17th-21st, 2012.

Farming for Life Webinar Choose the webinar from the sidebar of recorded webinars on the right side of the page.

She’s a great teacher.   Really, if you get a chance to, take a course with her.

This is a 4 part video series with Rico Zook.  Having spent some time with him for my Teacher Training, I want to help support his work around the world.  Having seen a personal slide show of the places he travels, classes he’s taught, and project work, he is seriously out on the ground and getting it done.

He will also be delivering a presentation at the 2011 Internation Permaculture Convergence in Jordan.  If you are going to be there, stop by, check it out, and tell him Scott Mann says hello.

Part 2 of 4

Part 3 of 4

Part 4 of 4

Depending on where you live finding a Permaculture Design Course to attend can be difficult enough.  Knowing whether or not it is worth your time and money to attend, even more so.  There are so many details that the answer isn’t always clear.  This episode is to help you find your way through what is on a website or advertised in a magazine so that you can find a class that is worthwhile by examining these points:

• Ask for the Teacher’s name.
• Ask for the Teacher’s course history and former instructors.
• What are their projects? I.e. What Permaculture work are they doing?
• How long is the class?
• What material is included in the class curriculum?
• What textbook should they use?
• Buyer beware.
• There are no Permaculture police.

Lastly, if you have any questions at any time, please feel free to contact me via email (show (at) thepermaculturepodcast.com), telephone (717.798.8100), or leave a comment on the website (www.thepermaculturepodcast.com).

Punks singing about Permaculture working to build eco-villages and bring about an ecological revolution in Mexico City and helping to spread it around the world.

There is a nice writeup from PBS on this group as well:

Eco-Punks: A Model for Sustainability

Aiden, a 7th grader from New York, won a 2011 Young Naturalist Award for his work on the effect the arrangement of limbs and leaves has on a tree during photosynthesis.  He this by building a solar collector, to act as an analogue for the tree, that was modeled after the pattern that he saw among the limbs.  This pattern conforms to the Fibonnaci number where Fn = (Fn-1) + (Fn -2) so the numbers progress like this: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, …  Not only is was this a good observation on his part, but it also lead to a solar system that is more effective at capturing sunlight than a similarly sized linear array. On the order of 20% in the summer and 50% in the winter.

Great job Aiden!

Read the full article and learn more:

http://www.amnh.org/nationalcenter/youngnaturalistawards/2011/aidan.html

A pleasant little video made with material from the International Permaculture Convergence 8 in held in Brazil.  You get to see several permaculture installations throughout the are, of various sizes, learn more about the various issues at hand, hear a description of permaculture concepts and techniques, and see the faces of some names you’ve probably heard about while reading, researching, and learning about Permaculture.

Permaculture – A Quiet Revolution from Spread Knowledge on Vimeo

A slide-show of pictures from The New York Times about Permaculture, some of it’s participants, and some of the techniques that are used.

Permies At Work (Slideshow)

I like this article because it welcomes the idea that Permaculture is finally coming into the mainstream and that folks here in the United States and elsewhere can turn it into a more broadly available career option.

Permaculture Emerges from the Underground

Saskia Esslinger and her husband, Matt Oster, are taking part in the Alaska Food Challenge and aiming to eat locally for a year.  To that end, they have converted their property into a garden, while both practice Permaculture.

Farmers On The Block: One Couple Aims to Eat Local All Year.

I’ve been doing some research lately into Aquaculture and Aquaponics lately because of my involvement with urban agriculture here in Harrisburg. The group who is overseeing the project has an opportunity to obtain a large commercial greenhouse for use and is considering what the options are for generating revenue and employment opportunities. One such possibility that has been discussed is raising fish for sale. Though there are many books and resources available on how to do so, in the context of operating and running a setup, we didn’t know what the legal and other requirements are.

Thankfully, there are not many hurdles to overcome if you want to raise fish commercially. The exact details of wanting to sell them for food is another question that has yet to be answered.

The requirements are an Artificial Propogation License, and to follow the laws governing what fish are appopriate to raise in which systems. In order to get the license, as of this writing (25.July.2011), the person to contact is Mary Bates at the Bureau of Animal Health and Diagnostic Services. Her phone number is 717.772.2852. In addition to the license she can get you any other paperwork you may need. My experience when walking with Mary was very pleasant; she was extremely knowledgable and helpful within her area of work, and thoroughly explained the process of working to get a license, where on the web to find additional information, and so on.

In addition to the license, you will also want to get copies of the approved species lists. They are currently being updated and only the older regulations are available.

The process for getting the APL:

1. Call Mary and ask her for the license form and the approved species lists. If you, and she, have the time, discuss your project. She can then point you to any other paperwork specific to your needs.

2. Fill out the license. For the site information include GPS coordinates. This helps the inspecting officer.

3. Submit the form. Though there is a $150 fee, you do not pay it until you are approved.

4. Your form will be reviewed and then handed over to the Fish and Boat Commission, who will assign it to one of their officers to come out and inspect the site with you and insure everything meets the appropraite requirements.

5. The report from the Fish and Boat officer will be passed back to the Bureau of Animal Health and Diagnostic Services for approval or denial.

6. You will be informed of the decision, at which time you will submit payment for the license, which is good for 5 years.

7. The total process can be expected to take 2-3 months, so please consider that when planning your project.

Lastly, you do not need a license to raise fish at home. It is only needed for commercial operations.

Anthony Anderson, who contributes to The Huffington Post and a practices permaculture in Minnesota, advocates that we begin rebuilding paradise by planting large scale food-forests in order to combat rising food prices, our emerging health care issues, energy decline, and climate change.  Like Bill Mollison in the Designers’ Handbook, he implores us to take this action NOW.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anthony-anderson/replanting-paradise-is-th_b_905314.html

Laura Fryer, current VP and General Manager of WB Games and a former executive producer on the wildly successful Gears of War franchise, is looking to bring Permaculture to the video game business.  She sees the model used by many companies at this time, of hiring a team to produce a game, putting them under incredible pressures until they burn out, then fire them and move onto a new group of fresh and willing employees, to be unsustainable and wants to build something better.

I come from an IT background and understand the disconnect between company ownership and the technical side of the house.  For reasons that have yet to be fully revealed to me, Information Technology, Programming, and Computer Science are only one step removed from witchcraft and sorcery.  Those in the know are expected to do whatever is necessary to complete the job while meeting the deadlines of people who don’t understand.  No wonder these folks burn out.

Something better can be built and Ms. Fryer is starting that conversation.

Develop: WB Games’ Fryer Calls Slash And Burn Management ‘Unsustainable’

If you are not familiar with these two, they were behind the excellent BBC Documentary A Farm for The Future.  Since that time, they have gone back to her father’s small farm in Devon and begun taking up the call to reskill, implement permaculture on the farm, and prepare for energy descent.  An admirable plan, it has lead to many articles from them at Permaculture Magazine where you can read their thoughts, get recommendations, and check in on various experiments.

Articles at Permaculture Magazine by Rebecca and Tim

This program is being offered by The World in a Garden in Vancouver from August 8-12, 2011.  Cost is $250 per child.  In addition to looking like a great program, at a fair price, the The World in a Garden website is inspiring for those of us concerned about urban agriculture and children.  If you are in Vancouver, whether you have children or not, see if there is a way you can support this program or consider contacting them about starting one where you live.

http://theworldinagarden.wordpress.com/workshop-series/

A well rounded, 5 minute, introduction to many of the techniques that have been developed  and used by permaculture practitioners: swales, polyculture, composting, mulches, grey water recycling, composting toilets, and recycling of resources.  This is another nice example one can use to answer the question, “What does Permaculture look like?”

And, at the 2:16 mark, you will see a black composting unit.  I have a similar model in my composting arsenal.  Due to the shape, color, and my being a geek, it is the Darth Composter.

The Permaculture Garden: Restoring Your Yard, Sustaining Your Life!

There is an art exhibit that opened recently in Berlin called Permaculture.  Seven international artists are taking their different  views of low-tech, recycled sustainable art off of the street and into the gallery.

CultureLab: The art of sustainability.

Permaculture College Australia has registered their PDC with the Farm Ready Reimbursement Grants program.  This allows farmers, their immediate family, managers, and employees to have a large part of their course fees paid back through the program.  I wonder if something like this is available for American farmers?

http://www.echonews.com.au/story/2011/06/30/course-helps-farmers-start-permaculture/

This is a beautiful example of what can be done with a living roof.  In this case, three different ecosystems are integrated into the space, with an eye towards permaculture.

If you are in the Jacksonville, FL area it is accessible by appointment.

http://www.greenroofs.com/blog/2011/07/03/gpw-breaking-ground-contracting-green-roof-rooftop-garden/

Citizens of Cairo are finding ways to integrate agriculture into their city.  They are being assisted by the South African Permaculture practitioner Dominique De Bruin and focusing on how to make the best use of the vertical spaces and rooftops.  A Non-US, UK, or Australian look at design in a rapidly changing social and political environment.

http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/node/474171

A nice short film documentary on the impact of genetically modified crops a decade after widespread introduction.

<iframe width=”560″ height=”349″ src=”http://www.youtube.com/embed/jEX654gN3c4″ frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen></iframe>

As someone who comes from a computer science background, I have an affinity for the transition Rishi and his family have made.  Whether you have a large amount of space or a little, the passion and dedication to the process can guide you through.

This video is well produced and talks with Rishi and Ro about the project, their accomplishments, and possibilities for the future.

http://diamondbar.patch.com/articles/diamond-bar-home-goes-green#video-6688242
You can learn and see more about the projet at:

http://thegrowinghome.net/

The Australian Centre for Regenerative Agriculture is to be established on 150 hectares of degraded town land.  It is going to be used to showcase a number of agricultural techniques including Permaculture.  If you are near this area, please consider lending your support to the project.  We need more projects like this to show the viability of old systems that are now considered “alternative” to the mainstream.

http://theland.farmonline.com.au/news/state/agribusiness-and-general/general/bingaras-living-classroom/2203824.aspx?storypage=0

A great little video introducing Permaculture using the ethics and Holmgren’s 12 Principles.

The Permaculture Song

This is a sensuous article about what we can learn from the land through permaculture. Beneficial relationships, observation, community, and the wisdom of children.  Oh, if I could write this well.  Reading the words within will take but a few minutes, but the lessons you can take from it will carry with you.

http://augustafreepress.com/2011/06/20/shepherd-bliss-learning-from-the-community-of-the-land/

This is an article that mentions two of my favorite things: permaculture and Steve Solomon.  I was a bit skeptical about the author’s supposition that the NPK of compost was around 1:1:1, but some further research on the web (Google), revealed it to appear to be accurate as a Back of the Envelope calculation.

You can read this article here:

http://www.vancouversun.com/health/Meal+time+your+garden/4969377/story.html

For a long debate on the NPK of Compost, here is a thread from the Garden Web forum:

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/soil/msg062204286359.html?71

And my favorite compost:

Dig My Earth

Learning To Live Well With The Earth : Andrew Faust : Permaculture Design on Vimeo

This is a video with Andrew Faust where he discusses much of the “Why?” of Permaculture and some of the “What?”.  From there he moves to what his Permaculture Design Course is like.  Take 5 minutes watch it, relax, and reconnect with the basics.

This is part of my ongoing documentation of my local bio-region to have a clear view of what is and is not happening around me.  While taking these pictures there was the trilling and calls of frogs in the background.  April, so far, has been one of the wettest on record and they are

You can find the latest pictures here:

While researching desertification for a comment in an upcoming episode, I came across this article from Salon about the West African agricultural technique of Zai.  It is one of the many lessons we can take from different systems of agriculture to build a more sustainable world that is appropriate to the places where they are needed, rather than forcing a particular method developed elsewhere that isn’t adapted for the imported region.

A tree grows in the Sahel – How the World Works – Salon.com.

If you would like to learn more about Yacouba Sawadago, check out the documentary “The Man Who Stopped the Desert“.

The trailer for the film:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dzah_5y65AU

The new this time around are articles from around the web.

Why a Truly Green World Must Be Beautiful Too Photos.

This is an article on the work of Cecelia Maccauley and her work to bring more aesthetic beauty to Permaculture design so we can have our food forest and find it beautiful too.  There are many many links to other sites on this page.  Of them, my favorite is:

Cecelia’s 13 Steps to Creating Beauty In the Permaculture Garden

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Permaculture: Deconstructing a Definition

Lisa Fernandes begins by explaining what Permaculture is not and then provides a short definition which requires a long explanation.  If you’ve ever tried to explain what Permaculture “Is”, here is another article for your arsenal.

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Cincinnati’s Children’s Permaculture Garden

An announcement about the garden and the wonderful learning environment it provides for children.

To help keep the word going and provide a place to find news of what is happening in the world of permaculture, here is another post with the latest from around the web.

The Edible Yard: Landscaping and Permaculture
This is the second article in as many days I’ve run across from Epoch Times.  This one features Chandra Hartman, who provides an overview of Permaculture, as well as a discussion of the difference between where landscape design begins: walk the land, draw a map, and study sun exposure, versus permaculture: determine the customer’s needs and availability to be involved with the finished product.  The end of the article is about Serenbe, a 1000 acre community south of Atlanta, GA, and Seed Savers Exchange.

High Schoolers Bitten by Permaculture Bug
A column about the impact of Permaculture on High School students in California.  They are doing some great work.

Permaculture in city squares, school auditoriums and neighborhood meeting places
An interview with Killian O’Brien and the work being done to ReNew, ReVision, and ReDesign Detroit using permaculture.  Killian’s perspective is refreshing and cuts to the point.

Happenings around the world in Permaculture.

Education:

21 Acres Farms, 13701 NE 171st Ave. Woodinville, WA 98072, is holding an Orchard Mason Bees and Introduction to Permaculture Classes on Saturday March 19th, 2011. Bees are in the morning from 10:30am-12pm, with Permaculture after lunch from 1pm-3pm.

The Belfast Bay Watershed Coalition is holding their meeting at theBelfast Free Library, Belfast, ME, USA, March 17 at 6:30pm, is hosting Permaculture Designer Jesse Labbe-Watson to discuss to apply Permaculture for the home gardener to civil engineers.

May 8-17, Sept. 5-15, 2011. Patika, Turkey. Combined Permaculture Design Course and Yoga class.

The Permaculture side of this looks solid, but I’m always hesitant about combined classes. You know how I feel about choosing a course if you’ve listened to the show. Check it out and decide for your self. -Scott

Articles:
O’Brien: Permaculture Teaches Sustainable Life
Commentary piece about permaculture and sustainability, including talking with Jude Hobbs and her PDC class.

This is New York – Claudia Joseph: Gardener and Educator

Interview with Claudia Joseph about permaculture and her work.

If you haven’t heard of it yet, Starbucks Coffee Company has a composting program which packages up used grounds for people to take and add to their garden or compost bin. Clean, easy to acquire and use composting materials are always a benefit, especially as I try to build the less than wonderful soil at my home site. I usually see the can for this program located near the door so it’s easy to sweep in and pick up any that are there. At the local stores they are popular and get picked up quickly so there’s a bit of luck grabbing them. I grab them whenever I am near one and get a chance to go check.

Even if you don’t have a Starbucks nearby, consider talking with your local coffee shop and see if they have, or would consider starting, a similar program. It doesn’t hurt to ask and the benefits you can reap are high.

From what I remember of Starbucks packaging for the program, the PH of the grounds are essentially neutral, 6.9, with a C/N ratio of 20/1 making them a “green” when added to the pile, and containing trace nutrients. I don’t have a label on hand at the moment, but nearly identical information comes from this Garden Web article:

http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/lists/soil/2002015354019975.html

Quick update to let you know there is now a Facebook page for the podcast. You can find it here:

http://www.facebook.com/thepermaculturepodcast

There are also several photo albums with pictures from my personal walks and observation exercises as well as some from my property. Now you can see what I mean when I talk about the ridge, stream, and mountain. Blueberries and maple will be added when they are more interesting to look at.

I see this kind of design work presented by the students in this video as fundamental to being able to better utilize our resources. The amount of electronic waste (e-waste) created through the purchase, use, and disposal of consumer electronics in the United States alone is around 2.25 million short tons (EPA) with 414,000 of it being recycled. That’s a long way to go before our society makes use of the principle of Make No Waste. Until then, I am waiting for the day when someone starts a company that begins mining landfills for materials.

http://www.smartplanet.com/technology/video/fighting-e-waste-with-recyclable-laptops/496473/