“This course has been a life-changing, invigorating, and a nurturing experience for me.”
Kathy Crittenden -62- Retiring university professor
Who Would Benefit from Taking a Permaculture Design Course?
Home owners,
Landowners,
Beginning farmers,
Home based
business owners,
Students,
Educators,
Builders,
Planners,
Developers,
Aid workers,
Communitarians,
Problem Solvers,
Environmentalists, Natural health practitioners,
Ranchers,
Farmers,
Foresters,
Landscape designers,
Entrepreneurs,
Architects,
Accountants,
Financiers,
Bankers,
Publishers,
Attorneys,
...and all others concerned about the planet and future generations.
“What permaculturists are doing is the most important activity that any group is doing on the planet.
We don’t know what the details of a truly sustainable future are going to be like, but we need options.
We need people experimenting in all kinds of ways and permaculturists are one of the critical groups that are doing that.”
8-Day Design Certification Course Nov. 6-13, 2010 Sivananda Ashram Yoga Farm -- Grass Valley, CA
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Plus Optional Second Week -- Open to Public
Hands-on Permaculture Work Experience Nov. 13-20, 2010 Useful Permaculture Techniques for Suburban/Urban Dwellers Click Here for Full Details - Bottom of Page
Graduates from Grass Valley, CA, PDC - November 2009 Sivananda Ashram Yoga Farm
"I appreciated working on projects, all the information, the videos, the site visits with such variation, all of it. I was never bored."
Lorna P. - Joliet, IL - Retired (63)
"Showed how permaculture is more than just gardening but a moral, ethical, spiritual lifestyle."
Steve K. - Los Angeles, CA - Contractor & Tai Chi Master (40)
"I learned more than I thought possible. The site visits were amazing. I loved our overall group. Great vibe and life changing teachers. Thank you."
Nate A. - Ann Arbor, MI - Non-Profit Administrator & Musician (33)
Earn Your Permaculture Design Certificate In the Tranquility of the Sivananda Yoga Community
Pre-course Study + 8 Very Full Days on Site
November 6-13, 2010 (Optional Hands-On Second-Week Available Nov. 13-20)
The Sivananda Ashram Yoga Farm has invited us to host another one of our design certification courses at their beautiful California location. This course will not only deliver the foundational educational experience for understanding permaculture design, but all involved will have the unique opportunity to experience it within the context of a practicing yoga community.
Understanding Yoga in Relationship to Place
Each morning students are invited to join in the Ashram's Satsang session if they like (meditation, chanting, lessons - 6:00 a.m.). At 8:00 the training begins with an hour of basic yoga including some breathing and stretching exercises. This will help to prepare students and teachers for a full day of learning and activity. Part of creating an integrated permaculture design includes learning to honor place. Sampling the yoga tradition at this site will help to insure that the permaculture designs that we create together for the farm are done so in harmony with their intention and energy.
About the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Farm
This yoga retreat center has been a place of self-discovery, peace and respite for several decades. People from all over the world, whether they be devoted yoga practitioners or just the interested public, have come here to spend a day, a weekend, or more, to find that place within themselves that is anchored into the essence of life. As permaculture students at the Yoga Farm we are invited to take advantage of this opportunity and as such we will blend in with the schedule and general customs of this place. (see bottom of page).
Course objective:
The challenge of this course will be to assess the resources available to the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Farm (including, but not limited to, the land, soil, wildlife, sun, rain, wind, water, topography, plants, buildings, people, financial resources, etc.) and continue to develop a permaculture design that will support the Ashram's ability to supply its foundational needs while improving the health and vitality of the land.
Bill Wilson
Co-Founder of Midwest Permaculture, Bill has hosted and taught at over 17 design courses, holds two PDC Certifications and has completed Advanced Permaculture Training. He is one of the U.S. Trainers for the permaculture inspired Transition Town Initiative. Read more on Bill or see video...
Bill resides in Stelle, Illinois
Wayne resides in Carbondale, Illinois
Wayne Weiseman
Wayne brings his years of farming, building, designing and teaching experience to this course.
Wayne is registered by Bill Mollison's Permaculture Institute of Australia (PIA) to teach the full permaculture design course (PDC)
and to grant PIA certification to his students. Read more...
Our Design Course Hosts
Swami Sitaramananda (Swami Sita) Director of the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Farm
A gifted speaker and teacher of yoga and meditation, Swami Sitaramananda has been serving for more than twenty-five years worldwide in the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Ashrams & Centers (SYVC). She has been for 15 years the director of the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Farm in Grass Valley, CA.
Students will meet Swami Sita on Sunday morning to hear from her personally and to learn of her permaculture desires for the Yoga Farm.
Vidya Chaitanya
Vidya is a graduate of our fall-2007 course and is the person responsible for bringing our training to the Yoga Farm. She was one of the administrators and teachers at this farm for several years, and is currently Director of the Los Angeles Sivananda Yoga Center.
She will be returning to the farm to support the course and to help with instruction and teaching.
Vidya is a native of Australia spending many of her adult years in the UK. It was her love and devotion to Yoga that brought her to the US 7 years ago.
The Connection Between Yoga and Permaculture To view a great article that she wrote for the LA Yoga Magazine that beautifully explains the connections between yoga and permaculture... Click Here.
Mike Kluk
Mike is a graduate of our 2008 PDC at Sivananda. He and his wife Susan are an immediate neighbors and friends of the Yoga Farm. Mike is a recently retire Public Defense Attorney and has chosen to create a permaculture life with Susan, starting from scratch. Mike will be a contributing teacher and will host several visits to his evolving permaculture homestead.
From Mike:"We grow almost all of our own vegetables and will hopefully have fruit as well once the trees mature. My goal is to be as food independent as possible with a minimum of preserving- so we use low tunnels and a greenhouse in the winter, shade cloth in the summer and eat in season. If you are careful with seeding and rotating beds on time, you can have an unbroken production of vegetables year round in most parts of the US. Of course, the more you can rely on perennials, the less you need to do of that. But most perennials produce in the summer and fall so you still need a healthy crop of annuals in my experience. It could be that varieties I am not aware of would help fill in the gaps.
There is always something new to discover. We are lacto-ovo vegetarians and have not yet reached the point of raising all of our own protein. We are growing dried beans and will have chickens soon for eggs. We are going slowly, adding one piece at a time, learning a lot and enjoying each day. I learned a great deal of useful information from my training with Bill and Wayne. But as important, I learned the benefits of patience and how to appreciate the way natural processes unfold. I look forward to meeting all who join us at this training and sharing our home and permaculture progress with you."
Season Extenders - At Susan & Mike's
The Chicken's New Home - Hotel Kluk
Did you Miss It?
Description of our Full, Permaculture-Design-Certification Courses If you landed on this page and happened to have missed the full course description, you might still be wondering what is actually covered
in a certification course. If so, Click Here.
Further Details of this Course
Begin Immediately:
This full design course actually begins for each student when they register for the training. With registration comes a welcome email that contains access to the recorded webinars, handouts from the course instructors that one can begin reading immediately, and with-in a week or so, the arrival of the design course text book via US Mail.
Course Textbook Included with Registration 'Earth User's Guide to Permaculture'
by Rosemary Morrow
This gem of a text, shipped to students upon registration, is written by Rosemary Morrow, an Australian that has taught permaculture around the world for decades.
The book is straightforward and loaded with illustrations, depth and substance. It covers theory and also focuses on the practical aspects of how to implement permaculture design.
This book is a must read for the serious permaculturist and is a requirement for students of our design certification courses.
150-Question Study Guide
Along with the text comes a study guide with 150-questions that will assist the student in anchoring the information contained in the book. If a student can answer these questions, they can be assured that they have grasped the foundations of the permaculture design certification course.
Webinars: All students receive links to the Foundations of Permaculture Webinar Serieslead by certifying instructor Wayne Weiseman and hosted by Bill Wilson. These complement the course text and give students an even greater understanding of permaculture in preparation for their on-site training.
Also included with this course are two additional webinars that are live.
Sunday, October 17, 2010 - Additional Webinar 1 - Bill Wilson This is an extra session (6:30 - 8:30 CST) with an emphasis on suburban/urban applications. We will explore a smorgasbord of interesting ideas and examples of how a permaculture approach can transform place and lives. This webinar occurs about 3-weeks before the on-site portion of the course begins and will provide the opportunity for students to get to know each other. This webinar launches the final big push of student preparation before the on-site training begins.
Sunday, October 31, 2010 - Additional Webinar 2
Wayne Weisemanand Bill Wilson
This is a 2-hour question and answer period, (6:30 - 8:30 CST) live with Wayne and Bill where the students bring their most pressing questions for exploration. This Q&A session is scheduled in the final days before the on-site portion of a course begins.
Also, these final two webinars will be recorded for those who have to miss a session or wish to review them again and again.
5:30am
Wake-up Bell
6:00am
Satsang
8-9:00
Yoga, Stretching, Breathing
9-10:00
Design Course
10:00am
Brunch
11:00-2:30
Design Course
2:30pm
Refreshments
3:00-5:15
Design Course
5:15-7:15pm
Dinner Break
7:15-9:00pm
Design Course
10:30pm
Lights Out
Arrival & Departure Times The week-long training begins at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 6, and ends following brunch about noon on Saturday, Nov.13.
Daily Schedule
Our schedule will coincide with the Ashrams daily routines. Incorporating yoga into one's day It is a wonderful way to become acquainted with the experience and benefits of this ancient practice.
These will be very full days. This will be necessary to be able to deliver the full Design Certification Course curriculum. Students should come ready to learn and to work. Wayne & Bill keep the days interesting but one's focused energy is important.
Satsang is keeping company with wise and inspired people or teachers. Their thoughts are uplifting. If you meditate for half an hour daily, you will be able to face life with peace and spiritual strength. Chanting is the most powerful way to become joyful through sound vibrations. Readings are from Swami Sivananda and Swami Vishnu-devananda's books.
Meals
Also, unique to many is the idea of eating two vegetarian meals per day - one at 10:00am and the other at 6:00pm. There will be substantial refreshments served at 7:30am and again at 2:30pm for those who need a more consistent flow of nutrients, but this week will give many of us the opportunity to examine our eating habits too.
Two delicious and bountiful buffet-style vegetarian meals are served daily. Absent from the menu are meat, fish, fowl, eggs, garlic, onion and caffeinated beverages. Those desiring an occasional meat dish will find restaurants a modest drive away and a two-hour break each day to fit it in.
Camping is included in the price of the course with some beautiful spots to choose from in which to setup one's tent. It will be November so the nights will be cool (possibly a bit below freezing) but the days should still be quite pleasant.
Showers and toilets are a short distance away.
You will be having some very full days and will only be sleeping in your tent so if you have a warm sleeping bag and some padding, you'll be very comfortable. For those who would prefer a roof and a bed, the ashram has some simple and relatively new cabins available for an additional fee.
These cabins sleep 4, 2 or a single person. Those who are willing to share save. The cabins will be all men or all women except for couples (only single beds available). Check pricing for cabins under 'Fees'.
Lodging options are noted on the on-line registration page or you may call Becky (815-252215) for further details.
Please Note: Specific questions concerning accommodations, food or customs
can be answered directly by Vidya.
Email: vidyachaitanya@sivananda.org Phone: 310-306-0246
What to Bring:
4-5 weeks before the on-site portion of the course begins, every student receives a detailed email which includes a list of things to bring as well as more information about your course and webinar classes.
Transportation
During the webinar portion of the course we encourage students to network and coordinate transportation requirements with one another. There is a convenient place on the course networking site for this.
For those using mass transit, make your best deal to arrive at a major hub (airport is Sacramento SMF) and be prepared to rent a car if need be. However, many of the students who are driving in have traditionally gone out of their way to pick up air, rail or bus travelers.
PDC Certification
Students who complete this design course will receive a 'Certification of Completion' which allows one to use the copyrighted word 'permaculture' in the promotion of their work or business. Graduates may also do teaching, offering workshops, lectures and seminars. Click here for more on certification.
Description of our Full, Permaculture-Design-Certification Courses If you landed on this page and happened to have missed the full course description, you might still be wondering what is actually covered
in a certification course. If so, Click Here.
Continuing Support Following Graduation
Students who have completed a Midwest Permaculture design course are then invited to become part of our growing network of graduates. There are three ways we work to support our students:
We have a separate website where all graduates can connect, share ideas and look for some assistance from each other.
We host occasional permaculture reunions for our graduates only and their families.
Graduates may audit any future 72-hour certification courses at half price (provided space is available).
Our objective is to support our students for as long as they need it or want it, and to encourage them to support each other.
Already A Permaculture Design Certification Course Graduate?
We offer a 33% discount to students who have already graduated from another recognized course (from anywhere in the world) who wish to take a Midwest Permaculture course as a refresher.
Please email or call (815-256-2215) for details.
Course Fee:$1,295 (Includes camping and meals)
The Early Registration Discount - Save $100 before Sept. 6, 2010.
We appreciate knowing ahead of time what sort of attendance we might expect at a design course.
Cost of the Course with Cabin Lodging:
Cabin of 4 (Share with three others) add $130 per person
Cabin of 2 (Share with one other) add $225 per person
Cabin of 1 (Your own cabin) add $555 (each cabin) Note: Cabins are rented on a first come / first served basis as registrations arrive. We cannot guarantee cabin space until a student is registered however, there appears to be ample space for our course participants. Cabins will be filled at random, by gender, and as registrations arrive. Groups or friends may request the sharing of a cabin but we cannot guarantee these accommodations. We will do our best however.
Group Registrations - Save $100 2 or more may register as a group and receive a $100 discount each. We have had friends, family members or couples register together and in the weeks before the course, ended up bringing in several more friends, each saving $100.
Call Becky for either more information, to register with the cabin lodging, or to set up a group (815-256-2215).
How to Register:
Option 1 Click Here to Register on-line. If you are intending to camp, this is a quick link to register. We take MasterCard, Visa and Discover.
Option 2
Register over the phone by calling Becky at 815-256-2215 to use your credit card or send in a check.
Down-Payment / Course Reservation
Our simple e-commerce page is not set-up to handle partial or down-payments. If making a partial payment will assist your ability to participate, please call Becky at 815-256-2215 to work out an arrangement.
Low Risk Cancellation and Refund Policy
Should a student have to cancel their enrollment in the course up to 30-days before the on-site portion of the course begins, there is a full refund less $250. Student retains access to webinars, keeps the course handouts and text book, and receives a full $195 credit towards any future Midwest Permaculture PDC for three years.
If a student cancels within the 30-day period before the course there will be a full refund less $350 and the student still receives a $195 credit towards our design courses. The credit is good for up to three years.
There are no refunds for cancellations or for withdrawals once the course begins. However, in certain circumstances, we may extend partial credit towards a future design course.
Still Have Questions?
You are welcome to email us at Becky@MidwestPermaculture.com or call 815-256-2215 and ask for Becky.
About the Yoga Farm Location
The Yoga Farm is located outside Grass Valley in the western foothills of the spectacular Sierra Nevada mountains of California, called the "Range of Light" by the famed American naturalist John Muir (founder of the Sierra Club).
It was the Sierra Nevada's, particularly Yosemite, that inspired photographer Ansel Adam (photo below) to attempt to photograph the essence of life itself.
Hopefully, those registering for this course will have the time for a bit of traveling.
The Yoga Farm is only,
1-hour from Tahoe National Forest,
2-hours from Lake Tahoe,
3-hours from San Francisco,
4-hours from Yosemite National Park.
No smoking, alcohol, drugs, or nudity are permitted on the Ashram grounds. Please ask for guidance from the Yoga teachers or the resident swami if you wish to understand the principles and the philosophy behind the practice.
Karma Yoga
The Yoga of selfless service. All visitors are encouraged to join our staff (all non-paid volunteers) in an hour of volunteer work daily. (Note: Special permaculture related projects will be coordinated for design course students.)
Pets
There is a no pet policy. Please ask for special authorization to bring pets.
Dress Code
Generally, staff at the ashram wear plain-simple clothing (e.g. T-shirt or sweat shirt and loose, comfortable pants/trousers).
Please note that this is a traditional ashram and all are expected to observe the dress code. We require you to cooperate with this so that everyone maintains the pure energy of the ashram. In satsang we wear clean, light colored clothes - not jeans or work clothes. If you do not comply, we may ask you to change. Clothes are available to buy in the boutique.
This is the dress code for both men/women:
* no nudity or transparent clothes
* no bare shoulders, no tank tops
* no low cut tops
* no tight fitting clothing, no exercise shorts (no Spandex!)
* no bare midriffs (tops should be able to tuck into the trousers)
no tights- trousers should be knee length or longer and loose
Optional Second Week -- Open to Public Nov. 13-20, 2010
Hands-on Permaculture Work Experience Interwoven with Daily Yoga Practices
Includes Practical Permaculture Teachings and Yoga Training
For the Begriming or Experienced Practitioners Essential Permaculture for Suburban/Urban Dwellers
For students interested in a useful and relevant permaculture training who do not want or need a full permaculture design certification course, this week was designed for you.
Help us implement several permaculture design project at the Yoga Farm to help support their long-term vision to care for this beautiful land.
This week includes 5-6 hours daily of hands-on permaculture work, actual design experience along with instruction.
The instruction will focus on just what is important and essential for a suburban or urban resident to know in order to transform their immediate environment and move oneself and one's community towards a more permanent and authentic way of living.
Yoga means Union. Union between the individual self and the Universal Self; union between Body-Mind-Spirit.
Yoga is not just a system of physical exercises. It is a classical system of personal development of body, mind, spirit.
This week at the Yoga Farm will allow students time and the opportunity to explore this integrated path of self-awareness.
5:30am
Wake-up Bell
6:00am
Satsang
8-9:00
Yoga, Stretching, Breathing
9-10:00
Permaculture Instruction
10:00am
Brunch
11:00-3:30
Permaculture Work
4:00-5:30
Yoga - Asana Class
6:00-7:15pm
Dinner Break
7:15-9:00pm
Permaculture Instruction
10:30pm
Lights Out
The permaculture training textbook and over a
dozen handouts are included with registration.
Gaia's Garden The
New Edition by Toby Hemenway
We mail out the text directly to the student shortly after registering for the training. Access to the handouts is received within 24-hours.
Lead Instructor
Bill Wilson
Bill holds two PDC Certifications as well as completing Advanced Permaculture Training.
He is Co-Founder of Midwest Permaculture with his wife Rebecca. They have lived the last 32 years in a sustainably oriented community, being intimately involved in it's daily life and various transitions.
When people ask us what book they should buy to get a good understanding of permaculture, we recommend this book by Toby Hemenway. Even though this one week permaculture training is not just about gardening, Toby does a great job of explaining the basics of permaculture, and in this new addition he has added more information about the urban landscape.
Gaia's Garden goes into great detail on specific permaculture techniques, such as: organizing your garden in to "zones", creating and maintaining your fertile soil, and explanations about companion planting and permaculture plant guilds. The book also contains many helpful charts and illustrations.
All students are asked to read the full text before the week long training begins. This will ensure a greater learning experience for the person taking the training.
Course Fee:$830
(Price Includes text, handouts, free camping and meals.) Early Registration Price $775 (Before Sept. 13 - Save $55)
Already a PDC Graduate?
Join our course for$630. Seating is Limited. Come and get the experience you need to further apply
your PDC education.
Cost of the Course with Cabin Lodging:
Cabin of 4 (Share with three others) add $130 per person
Cabin of 2 (Share with one other) add $225 per person
Cabin of 1 (Your own cabin) add $555 (each cabin) Note: Cabins are rented on a first come / first served basis as registrations arrive. We cannot guarantee cabin space until a student is registered however, there appears to be ample space for our course participants. Cabins will be filled at random, by gender, and as registrations arrive. Groups or friends may request the sharing of a cabin but we cannot guarantee these accommodations. We will do our best however.
Group Registrations - Save $60 per person 2 or more may register as a group and receive a $60 discount each. We have had friends, family members or couples register together and in the weeks before the course, ended up bringing in several more friends, each saving $60.
Call Becky for either more information, to register with the cabin lodging, or to set up a group (815-256-2215).
How to Register:
Option 1 Click Here to Register on-line. If you are intending to camp, this is a quick link to register. We take MasterCard, Visa and Discover.
Option 2
Register over the phone by calling Becky at 815-256-2215 to use your credit card or send in a check.
Down-Payment / Course Reservation
Our simple e-commerce page is not set-up to handle partial or down-payments. If making a partial payment will assist your ability to participate, please call Becky at 815-256-2215 to work out an arrangement.
Cancellation and Refund Policy
Should a student have to cancel their enrollment in a training up to 30-days before it begins, there is a full refund less $75 to cover our book costs and processing fees.
If a student cancels in the 30-day period before the training there will be a full refund less $150.
In both cases, the student keeps the book and access to all handouts.
There are no refunds for cancellations for withdrawals once the training begins. However, in certain circumstances we may extend partial credit towards a future training.
Still Have Questions?
You are welcome to email us at Becky@MidwestPermaculture.com or call 815-256-2215 and ask for Becky.
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