Permaculture “Through the Seasons” Design Course

Food for thought: How do we meet human needswhile preserving ecosystem health?

The sixth Annual Permaculture “Through the Seasons” Design Course, an internationally recognized interactive course based on a 72 hour curriculum, is scheduled to start May 15th. Over six weekends from May through November, D Acres Permaculture Farm and Educational Homestead will provide the space to learn, understand and take part in developing a holistic, integrated design for a sustainable future.

The Permaculture Design Course (PDC) provides students with the ability to follow the seasonal New England rhythm and receive practical learning from eight instructors while designing an effective permaculture system for their own property. The PDC is especially useful for homeowners, planners, design professionals, community organizers, farmers, and gardeners. It is adapted to a wide variety of learning styles and is presented via lecture, images, video, group discussion, hands on experiences, exercises, and design projects.

About the Course

Topics covered will include:

• Permaculture ethics and principles
• The design process
• Food and energy security
• Natural systems and biodiversity
• Site analysis and assessment
• Backyard gardening and sustainable agriculture
• Natural building and appropriate technology
• Sustainable forestry and creating food forests
• Animals in the permaculture system
• Solar greenhouse design
• Village design and local economics
• Sustainable social systems and conflict resolution
• Preserving the harvest
• Mushroom cultivation

Instructors

• Steve Whitman, Planner
• Chris Skoglund, Energy and Climate Analyst
• Molly Messenger and Josh Arnold, G.A.L.A.
• David Wichland, Mycologist
• Bryan Felice, Natural Builder
• Marylena Sevigney, Designer and Maker
• Josh Trought, Author and farmer.

Instructor bios may be found at www.dacres.org

Dates include May 16-17; June 13-15; July New England Permaculture Convergence (optional); August 15-16; September 26-27; October 24-25 and November 14-15.

Six weekends of instruction, field trips, and overnight accommodations. Lunch and dinner is provided featuring nourishing organic meals. Registration includes all six weekends, pre-registration is required and may be done online at www.dacres.org

D Acres Permaculture Farm and Educational Homestead is located at 218 Streeter Woods Road; Dorchester, NH, 03266; info@dacres.org603-786-2366

For more information contact: Steve Whitman at 603-381-1798 or steve@resilienceplanning.net

About D Acres of New Hampshire: Permaculture Farm and Educational Homestead, is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization with nearly two decades of experience in permaculture design located on 180 acres in the Western White Mountains Region of New Hampshire. The infrastructure of the D Acres Homestead includes examples of renewable energy systems, a composting toilet system and other sustainable methodologies. The gardens of D Acres exemplify the no till and edible forest garden system. If you want to learn from people living the permaculture lifestyle, our facilities and way of life are based in this ideology. In early April The Community-Scale Permaculture Farm will be published by Chelsea Green Publishing, written by one of D Acres founders, Josh Trought.