Our Internationally Recognized
Midwest Permaculture PDC Course
On-Demand PDC
You Can Begin Right Now!
- The Full 72-hr. PDC Course, in Video, with all Related Resources
- The Option to Earn your Permaculture Design Certificate (or Not)
- The Option to Our Consultation Time for Your Own Design
- Access to Our Teaching Team in Multiple Ways - You Are Not Alone
- Start Now or Any Time - It is SELF-GUIDED
Experience a full PDC course, at your own pace, on your own schedule.

Why This New Training Option?
A word from Bill…
I’m glad you are considering this training option. If you have been considering taking a PDC for a while, but time or resources have not allowed a commitment to one of our live courses, we made this on-demand recorded option for you.
Having walked over 2000 students and clients through the foundational permaculture design process, we know how to communicate what is genuinely helpful to bring this subject to life. And for those with actual or specific projects, our goal is to support you with specific and practical design solutions.
By offering this course in a recorded format, you get to learn from home, eliminate scheduling conflicts, design your own property (if you have that), and receive a phenomenal permaculture training at a much more reasonable price point. This is a true permaculture model in efficiency.
And we won't hang you out to dry once you purchase the course. We've been at this for 17 years. We aren't going anywhere. We're here to assist you as outlined on this page.
If this course is right for you, we'd love to have you join our family of Midwest Permaculture students and graduates. -Bill
Students and other teachers tell us we have created one of the most enlightening, enjoyable and powerful Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) Courses anywhere. We hope this is true as we have always been focused on continually improving our trainings with each successive course. And we will be delivering our 100th this year.
So, to make this course more readily available to others, we have taken the recordings of one of our recent, online, PDC courses (#93) and enhanced it to be a deeply informative experience.
You will be like a fly on the wall of an actual PDC course yet still have access to us, the teaching team.


A Look Into The Course
Below is exactly how the course is laid out. All of the links, videos, and resources become available to see once a student registers.
Session #1 is available for you to watch right now to get a feel for the training.
Quick Links
Step 1: Watch Now
The Intro – Session #1
The Permaculture Course begins with this 3-hour video which lays out the brilliance of the approach to living well, while caring for all of life as well.

Session #1
Intro to Permaculture,
Patterns, & The Source
of Security & Abundance
Presentation/s (PPTs) Shared in This Session:
- Session #1 – Available to Registered Students
Videos:
Books:
- Permaculture One – Bill Mollison, David Holmgren
- Permaculture Two – Bill Mollison, David Holmgren
- The Biggest Estate on Earth – Bill Gammage
- Collapse – Jared Diamond
- Against the Grain – Richard Manning
- Affluenza – John De Graaf
- The One Straw Revolution – Masanobu Fukuoka
- Biomimicry – Janine M. Benyus
- A Pattern Language – Christopher Alexander
Additional Resources:
Share your Thoughts on This Video
Step 2:
The Foundations
25% of our PDC Course lies within our classic Foundations of Permaculture (FOP) webinar series, including the four cherished interviews that we have shared with our students for over a decade.

Welcome to these Timeless, and now Vintage, Webinars.
Webinars
Once registered, students will be able to stream all 11 FOP webinars here. You will also be able to download all of the webinar’s video, audio, and PDF slides in this one Zip file, or, download specific files individually using the links below each video.
“Hello students. Just so you know, about 40% of the contents of this first webinar, The Case for Permaculture, are covered in the On-Demand PDC Session #1 video which you may have recently watched. We apologize for this overlap but it was necessary to do as we reorganized the information to make the PDC into a home study program. If you are in a hurry, and you are planning to earn your PDC certificate, there is no requirement to take notes on this webinar. There is however still some useful and interesting information contained within. If you don’t mind the review or would like to fast-forward past the duplicated information I think it is still worth listening to. It is up to you.” – Bill
Downloads:
- Video – 1 – The Case for Permaculture
- Audio – 1 – The Case for Permaculture
- PDF Slides – 1 The Case for Permaculture
Downloads:
- Video – 2 – The Story of The One-Straw Revolution
- Audio – 2 – The Story of The One-Straw Revolution
- PDF Slides – 2 – The Story of The One-Straw Revolution
Downloads:
- Video – 3 – Permaculture Ethics, Principles, & Patterns
- Audio – 3 – Ethics, Principles and Patterns
- PDF Slides – 3 – Ethics, Principles and Patterns
Downloads:
- Video – 4 – Your Backyard Farmer
- Audio – 4 – Your Backyard Farmer
- PDF Slides – 4 – Your Backyard Farmer
Downloads:
- Video – 5 – Reading the Land & Methods of Permaculture
- Audio – 5 – Reading the Land & Methods of Design
- PDF Slides – 5 – Reading the Land & Methods of Design
Downloads:
- Video – 6 – An Organic Rooftop Farm
- Audio – 6 – An Organic Rooftop Farm
- PDF Slides – 6 – An Organic Rooftop Farm
Downloads:
- Video – 7 – Climate, Weather, & The Hydrological Cycle
- Audio – 7 – Climate, Weather and Hydrological Cycles
- PDF Slides – 7 – Climate, Weather and Hydrological Cycles
Downloads:
- Video – 8 – Holding Water on the Urban Landscape
- Audio – 8 – Holding Water on the Urban Landscape
- PDF Slides – 8 – Holding Water on the Urban Landscape
Downloads:
- Video – 9 – Suburban-Urban Applications
- Audio – 9 – Suburban-Urban Applications
- PDF Slides – 9 – Suburban-Urban Applications
What is Covered in this Session?
- Learn how to read and apply site data to your designs
- Originally filmed for The Foodscaper Summit in January 2022
- Download Video-Gathering Online Site Data with Bill Wilson
- Design of Home of Midwest Permaculture.pptx
- Holmgren Principles Poster.pdf
- How to Access Online Site Data for Design Work.pdf
What is Covered in this Session?
- Learn the basics of creating a professional permaculture design in Powerpoint or Google Slides
- Originally filmed for The Foodscaper Summit in January 2022
- Download Video-Digital Design Creation With Bill Wilson & Megan Christian
- Plant Vector Images with sample designs.pptx
- Scale of Permanence Checklist.docx
- Toledo Site Visit – Conceptual Design.pptx
- Toledo Site Visit – The Data.docx
- Roger’s Design – First Items.pptx
- Roger’s Site Data.docx
These recorded webinars were assembled in 2010 from various interviews we did with some amazing permaculture-thinking people and also some of our early sessions on foundational permaculture concepts. There are treasures in here that will help build the necessary foundation for one to go more deeply into permaculture design thinking and living. These webinars are available to you to stream or download onto your computer and keep for your personal use indefinitely.
The purpose of these webinars is to cover a basic understanding of this subject and to give students examples of permaculture, applied in the real world. In webinars #10 & #11 we show you, step-by-step, how we gather site data from the internet for almost any property in the US. Then we explore what the data means to you on your own project and how you can take your early design ideas and map them out to create a professional looking, framework permaculture design. As there are many nuggets woven within all of these conversations and presentations, our suggestion is that you watch/listen to them more than once.
If you have any questions or wish to share your thoughts, there are chat forums following every webinar.
Should you encounter any technical issues in accessing the videos or resources, please get in touch with our long-time tech champion, Milton Dixon, at
Permaculture design is real, needed, amazing in its scope, and logical. So glad you are here. Enjoy!
Welcome to this permaculture adventure…
– The Midwest Permaculture Teaching Team
Copyright Note: These webinars are copyrighted by Midwest Permaculture. Posting this webpage on to the internet or copying the material for distribution or sale is not allowed without our written consent. Thank-you for being considerate of this and we hope you will find great value in these sessions.
One of the purposes of this permaculture webinar series is to open important and complementary doors of study to our students–our Webinar Series students and our PDC Course students as well. These links support that. You will find many practical tools as well as meaningful concepts to consider. We are exposed to large amounts of permaculture related information constantly and we feel that our job is to sort through it on behalf of our students to bring you the most useful and relevant pieces. Our intent is to save you time and money by bringing you key pieces.
Most all of these are direct links to the original article or resource we found on the internet.
- 150 Question Study Guide These are questions we formulated to help students anchor key information from Rosemary Morrow’s book, The Earth User’s Guide to Permaculture. These are for self-study purposes. We do no require nor ask for written answers to be turned in.
- Site Data & Design Project Collection Exercise Mentioned in webinar #5 Reading the Landscape and Methods of Design at 9:40
History
- Tasmanian Roots – Story of Mollison & Holmgren (by Russ Grayson and Steve Payne – New Internationalist Magazine) A foundational history of how permaculture began.
- What is Permaculture (by Bill Mollison) What is Permaculture in the words of one of the co-creators himself.
Permaculture Principles, Patterns & Methodologies
- The Essence of Permaculture.pdf (by David Holmgren – Co-founder of Permaculture) A 24 page pamphlet on his 12-design principles.
- Adapting Zones and Sectors for the City (by Bart Anderson, Resilience.org) Using a standard permaculture tool as a pattern for the urban environment where most people live.
- Photo of neuron in the eye – Photo of the galaxy – Similar patterns, both large and small, in the universe. Could all of life be nothing more that the repetition of the same patterns?
- Scientist look to Sunflowers for Solar Panel Design (Earth Sky Website) Biomimicry
Soil – Water – Gardening
- High Plains Aquifer Dwindles – New York Times, May 2013 – “Most of the creeks and rivers that once veined the land have dried up as 60 years of pumping have pulled groundwater levels down by scores and even hundreds of feet. And when the groundwater runs out, it is gone for good. Refilling the aquifer would require hundreds, if not thousands, of years of rains.”
- How to design your Herb Spiral.pdf– From our PDC Grad Student, Ryan Barrett (SlowDownFarm.com) created this two page instruction sheet on a classic permaculture design for creating microclimates.
- The Magical Soils of El Dorado – Terra Preta (by Karen Carmichael-Timson, Cornell.edu and Permaculture Magazine) Can we pull Co2 out of the atmosphere, convert it into pure carbon, and then support the capture and storage nutrients in the soil?
- A Quiet Push to Grow Crops Under Cover of Trees (by Jim Robbins of The New York Times) More and more people are looking into perennial and polycultural agriculture (woody agriculture or agroforestry)
- Rising Acidity in the Ocean: The Other CO2 Problem (Scientific American) CO2 is not just a challenge for our atmosphere, but for our oceans as well.
- Building Community Gardens Manual – AERO (Helena, MT. A 62 page .PDF) For those of you who may be getting into community gardening, we found this manual exceedingly well done.
- Rain Gardens – A How-to Manual for Homeowners (University of Wis.) Again, a very clear and helpful manual on creating beautiful landscapes that hold water. Now, just add perennial foods and herbs to make them even more useful.
- Calculating Area and Volume of Ponds A handy tool to have if/when you need it. Another helpful piece of data: 1-inch of rain that falls on an acre of land is the equivalent of 27,154+ gallons of water. We look at 10 ways to capture that water during the PDC course.
Trees – Plants – Animals
- Dynamic Accumulators – Soil Indicator Weeds- Very interesting and useful information from the Oregon Biodynamic Group.
- Best Vegetables to Grow in the Shade – Vegetable List (Mother Earth News – Colleen Vanderlinden) This question comes up so often we thought you should have a simple list and a useful understanding of techniques to grow some plants in limited-direct sunlight.
- How to Build a Geodesic Chook Dome – (Milkwood Permaculture) A similar dome design to the one we built for our chickens. Works great in an open area…not in an orchard with low branches.
- Woody Agriculture – On the Road to a New Paradigm (Phillip Rutter) A renaissance man when it comes to food security, an economically viable future for farmers, and environmental care. Phil has been doing original and pioneering work in the growing and breeding of hazelnut and chestnut for over 30 years.
Renewable Energy – Green Building
- German Village Achieves Energy Independence… And Then Some – (BioCycle Magazine) An example of how towns and cities can take the lead in creating permanent-cultures. We do not have to wait for leadership of state or federal programs or officials.
- Thermal Mass Rocket Stoves on our Minds… – Wanted to be sure you see this blog Post on our Website.
- Rocket Mass Heater – A helpful cross diagram for the understanding of how a thermal mass rocket stove works. (Ernie & Erica Wisner) (Note: D is missing & E is not completely correct.)
- Emergency Sandbag Shelter (Training Guide) – A three page summary of how to build a superadobe dome from our friends at Cal-Earth.
Social Permaculture
- Conserving Community – (Wendell Berry) We wanted to be sure that everyone was exposed to Wendell and his thoughts–a deep thinking and compassionate man. He as written volumes.
- A Permaculture Love Story – Their Trip to Bountifuly – (New York Times) – Eric Tonesmeier and Jonathan Bates tell the story of how they came to write “Paradise Lot” and how a couple of plant nurds finally found their partners. A fun and inspiring read.
- Women Farmers Ready to Beat Climate Change (inter Press Service -By Keya Acharya) This movement in India was started by a Bill Mollison PDC Grad from early 1980.
- Teachings from Bapu Kuti (Mark DeKay) We found this on the web and found it deeply thoughtful. It’s clear and Mahatma Ghandi thought like a permaculturist– Care of People, Place and Fair Systems.
- Good Karma Gardens – (LAYOGA Magazine) Swami Omkarananda is a PDC Grad of ours and started this practial but inspiring garden project in Los Angeles.
- The Cooperative Way to a Stronger Economy (by Sarah van Gelder for yes! Magazine ) Co-ops—just like people—can get more done together than anyone can do alone. They come in many forms, and are more common than you might imagine.
- Economics of Happiness: The New Economy (by John De Graaf and Linda Sechrist for Natural Awakenings Magazine) A great look at what really makes us happy and feeling secure.
- A Deliciously Resourceful Town Aims for Total Food Self-Sufficiency Within 7 Years (By Vincent Graff, dailymail.co.uk -Wake Up World website) Another example of how towns and cities can take the lead in creating permanent-cultures. We do not have to wait for leadership of state or federal programs or officials.
- 8 Forms of Capital (Ethan Roland, Appleseed Permaculture) A refreshing, brilliant and different way to view our resources and wealth.
- 10 Practical Tools for Building a Resilient Local Economy – A short-clear list from one of our PDC Grads, Rev. Peter Rood, and his associate Joanne Poyourow, author of Legacy: A Story of Hope for a Time of Environmental Crisis.
Reference – Extras
- Case Study: Jordan Valley Permaculture ProJect, Jordan – Results of ‘Greening the Desert’ Project – Geoff Lawton
Step 3:
The ‘Main Course’
75% of our PDC Course resides here with zoom Sessions #2-#18 of a live, online, PDC course, just as we delivered it. You will get to know the live students and enjoy listening in to this authentic learning experience.

Session #2
Student Introductions,
The Oak Savanna Systems,
& Review of 4 Webinar Interviews

Download Session 2
Presentation/s (.PPTs) Shared in This Session:
- Source of Security & Abundance
- Logos and 13 Key Weeds
- Toledo Site Visit – Client’s Vision
- Toledo Site Visit – The Site Data
- Toledo Site Visit – A Conceptual Design
- Site Data & Digital Design Workshop – All Recordings, Presentations, & Resources
- Webinar Review
Handouts:
- Holmgren Poster of Permaculture Principles
- Scale of Permanence Checklist
- MWP Vision Questions for Clients – The document we send to clients to gather information before consulting their design.
Videos:
- Everglades of the North
- Dairy cow trumpet
- Geoff Lawton – Greening the Desert
- Geoff Lawton – Swales
- Hope in a Changing Climate – Swales and Terraces in China
Books:
- Miraculous Abundance – Perriene Hervé-Gruyer
Additional Resources:
- Le Ferme du Bec Hellouin – Miraculous Abundance Farm Video
- Permaculture Principles – David Holmgren’s Website
- Greening the Desert II – Website
- List of Leach Field Plants.doc
- Theodore Payne Foundation – Great Website for Desert Plant Information
- California Native Plant Link Exchange – Website
Available to Registered Students
Session #3
Honoring Bill Mollison,
Water & Earthworks,
& Virtual MWP Yard Tour

Download Session 3
Presentation/s (.PPTs) Shared in This Session:
- Home of Midwest Permaculture
- Earthworks (slides 1-16 shown)
Handouts:
- Scale of Permanence Checklist
Videos:
- Earth Dance Farms Ferguson
Bill Mollison – The Full Global Gardener – PBS Video Series
- Tropics
- Arid Lands
- Cool Climates
- Urban
- 27 minute compilation shown in Course (download, not streaming
- Landfill Harmonic Orchestra
Books:
- Tree Crops: A Permanent Agriculture – J. Russell Smith
Additional Resources:
- Hugelkultur – Timelapse Video – Bill and Becky’s Yard
- ‘How Much Mulch do I Need’ Calculator
Available to Registered Students
Session #4
Earthworks Continued,
Clay Model Demonstration,
& Measuring Contour

Download Session 4
Presentation/s (.PPTs) Shared in This Session:
- Earthworks
- Percolation Test
- A-Frame Build Tutorial
Handouts:
- Design Pyramid
- Ethics, Principles, & Concepts of Permaculture
- Zoe Farms Earthworks Layer
- Habits of a Systems Thinker – Illustrated Handout
Videos:
- Driveway chalk racetrack
- Permaculture Swales Survey After Rain
- Earthworks Clay Model
- Hugelkultured Swale
- Groundwater: Right Under our Nose
- Permaculture Swales Impact Tree Growth
- Geoff Lawton – An Oasis in the American Desert
- Geoff Lawon -Reversing Desertification with Gabions
Books:
- Water For Every Farm – P.A. Yeomans
Additional Resources:
- Pond Volume Calculator
- Keyline Plowing – The Written Keylining Explanation by P.A. Yeomans
- The Challenge of the Landscape – Another works on Keylining by P.A.Yeomans
- 1955 Movie about P.A. Yeomans Work – Video (14 mins.)
- Video of Yeomen Keyline Plow in Action – Our MWP Video
- Hugelkultured Swale Concept – CSC Design – .PPT
- Donella (Dana) Meadows – Author of “Limits to Growth”
- Ways to Intervene in a System
- Dancing With System
Available to Registered Students
Session #5
A Detailed Look at Swales,
Soils OMG (Part 1),
& A Tour of the CSC Design

Download Session 5
Presentation/s (.PPTs) Shared in This Session:
- Swale and Feeder Swale Details
- Soils and Roots (slides 1-37 shown)
- CSC Design Project – 8.7 Acres next to Stelle
- 2021 CSC Design Map
Handouts:
- Zoe Farm Design – Full Map
Videos:
- “The ‘Grand Plan’ is right under our feet.
- “Farming with Nature | ZOE Farms Tour
- Tree People – Miracle on Elmer Avenue
- Flash Flood near Las Vegas
- Miracle Farms – Stefan Sobkowiak in Quebec – Organic Orchard to Polyculture Orchard
Books:
- Walden -Henry David Thoreau (This book inspired the Earth Shelter Cabin)
Additional Resources:
- Know Your Soil – World Bank Handout – .PDF
- CSC’s Hipcamp Page
Available to Registered Students
Session #6
Plant Families/Guilds,
Guild Design Exercise,
& Soils OMG (Part 2)

Download Session 6
Presentation/s (.PPTs) Shared in This Session:
- Plant Families – Milton
- Soils and Roots (slides 38-94 shown)
- Bryce’s Plant Guild Basemap
- Plant Layout Ideas for Rain Gardens
Handouts:
- Midwest Permaculture’s List of 80-Favorite Plants (Temperate Climate)
- 9 Layers of the Food Forest
- Simple First Sketch of Linear Food Forest
- Guild Design Exercise
- The Plant Guild eBooklet – by Bryce Ruddock
- Matt Lebon’s Favorite Edible Landscaping Plants
- Cover Crop Selection Table
- Plant Growth/Health Pyramid – Illustration
Videos:
- Nick Tilsen – Sustainable Community on an Indian Reservation
- Fair Share in Monkeys
- Soil health lessons in a minute: soil stability test
- Cows Spring Frolic!
- Cell Division
Books:
- Botany in a Day -Thomas J. Elpel
- Integrated Forest Gardening -Wayne Weiseman, Dan Halsey, Bryce Ruddock
- The Suburban Micro-Farm – Amy Stross
- Agricultural Testament – Albert Howard
Additional Resources:
- 50 Plant Families – .PDF
- Dynamic Accumulators Plant List .xlsx
- The Resiliency Institute – Website
- Tenth Acre Farm – Permaculture for the Suburbs – Website
- Mineral Rich Soils Allow Plants to Reach Genetic Potential – Blueberries – Video
- How to get samples for soil tests – Simple Video
- Advancing Eco-Agriculture – Source of soil trace elements and more – Website
- Understanding AEA Products & Programs – Informative interview mentioned at the end of the session
- Plant Database – Paula Westmorland and Dan Halsey
Available to Registered Students
Session #7
Plant Propagation/Grafting,
Sepp Holzer,
& Soils (OMG) Part 3

Download Session 7
Presentation/s (.PPTs) Shared in This Session:
- Plant Propagation
- Soils and Roots (slides 95-125 shown)
Videos:
- Shark Hook Removal
- Guide to Whip & Tongue Grafting
- T Bud Grafting
- Guerilla Grafters
- Tree of Forty Fruit
- Farming with Nature – Sepp Holzer (We can no longer find free versions of this video on the internet. The only way to view it now is to purchase it. There is a package that includes 3 of his documentaries: Farming with Nature, Farming with Terraces, & Aquaculture for $15.
- Bear Cub Rescue
- Budnip Potato
Books:
- Seed to Seed: Seed Saving and Growing Techniques -Suzanne Ashworth
- Plant Propagation: Principles and Practices – Hudson T. Hartmann,
Dale E. Kester - The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation -Michael A. Dirr,
Charles W. Heuser - Grow a Little Fruit Tree – Ann Ralph
- Roots Demystified -Robert Kourik
Additional Resources:
- Vegetative Plant Propagation – .PDF
- Blooming Apple Varieties & Bloom Times – .PDF
- Correspondence with Bryce ie.Fruit Trees on South Facing Slopes – .doc
- Seed Saving – .PDF
- AEA Foliar Nutrition Guide – .PDF
- How to Read a Soil Test – Website
- Chapin 4-Gal Backpack Sprayer – Product
- Advancing EcoAg’s Website
- Natural Soil Plant Systems – AEA
Available to Registered Students
Session #8
Gardening, Landscape
Design, & Community
Garden Ideas

Download Session 8
Presentation/s (.PPTs) Shared in This Session:
- Soils and Roots (slides 125-end shown)
- Gardening Ideas
- Nowicki’s and Ruddock’s Permaculture Backyards
- Hugelkutur
- Community Gardening (slides 1-16 shown)
Videos:
- Espalier Fruit Trees
- Dervaes – 1/5 Acre Suburan Farm LA
- Will Allen Growing Power – Aquaponics
- Building a rain tank raised bed
- Self-Wicking Fridge Garden
- Ruth Stout
- Brad Paisley – Free Store
- Ohm Stops Crying Baby
Books:
- 7 Simple Steps to Non-Toxic Gardening – Kasandra Ireland
- How to Grow More Vegetables – John Jeavons
- Agricultural Testament – Albert Howard
- Integrated Forest Gardening -Wayne Weiseman, Dan Halsey, Bryce Ruddock
- The Ruth Stout No-Work Garden Book – Ruth Stout
Additional Resources:
- Urban Homesteaders – Dervaes Family Website
- Electric Polytape for Deer Fencing – Product
- Biodynamic Planting Calendar – Website
- Maddy Harland’s 25-year Perm Garden – Video
- Becky’s Favorite ‘Companion Planting’ Guide – Website
- TURN-KEY GARDEN PROGRAM – NUTRA-LIVE
Available to Registered Students
Session #9
Urban Permaculture,
Example of a Successful
Foodscaping Business,
& The Heart of Permaculture

Download Session 9
Presentation/s (.PPTs) Shared in This Session:
- Urban Permaculture
- Community Gardening (slides 17-end shown)
Handouts:
- Borner Farm Pizza Menu
- The Heart of Permaculture – Highlights from Talk
- The Four Fires of Group Work
- The Four Agreements
Videos:
- Community Food Forest at Leslie Park
- The Slow Money Movement
- Custom Foodscaping – Matt Lebon on Tastemakers
- Sustainable Documentary
Books:
- The Four Agreements – Don Miguel Ruiz
Additional Resources:
- Falling Fruit – International Locater for Free Food – Website
- Dr John Todd’s Website – Living Machine Wastewater Treatment Research
- Retrofitting the Suburbs – Video of David Holmgren Talk
- Fallen Fruit – Video
- Your Own Permaculture Business – Notes from Bill on Starting Your Own Business
Available to Registered Students
Session #10
Healthy Integration of Animals,
Residential Home Design,
& Final Design Resources

Download Session 10
Presentation/s (.PPTs) Shared in This Session:
- Animals – .PPT
Handouts:
- Design – Chicken Characteristics – .jpg
- Design – Chicken Greenhouse – .doc
- Residential Design Exercise
- Final Design Resources, Examples, & Guide
Final Design Resources:
- Sector Analysis Map
- Final Design Project Guide
- Example of Hand-Drawn Design (1)
- Example of Hand-Drawn Design (2)
- Example of Hand-Drawn Design (3)
- Example of Hand-Drawn Design (4)
- Example of Hand-Drawn Design (5)
Videos:
- Judge spends night in jail
- Ron Finley – Gardening in South Los Angeles
- Ron Finley’s Ted Talk – Gangsta Gardeners
- Frank Fekonia – Eating Guinea Pigs
- Novella Carpenter – Urban Livestock
- Intro to Raising Black Solider Fly Larvae
- Black Soldier Fly Larvae eating 2 Trout
Books:
- Farm City – Novella Carpenter
Additional Resources:
- Permaculture Chicken Raising System – Zaytuna Farms
- Lead in Soil – .PDF
- Lead in Vegetables – .PDF
Available to Registered Students
Session #12
Built Environment &
Permaculture Designing in
Different Climates

Download Session 12
Presentation/s (.PPTs) Shared in This Session:
- The Built Environment
- Super-Clean Composting Toilet System
Handouts:
- Homestead Climate Design Exercise
Videos:
- Cyclist vs. Toaster
- Nature – Prescription Rx
- Turbulence Hydroelectric
- Wattle & Daub
- Manual Brick Maker
- Humanure Moldering Toilet in the Suburbs
- Greywater from Laundry
- Amish Barn Raising
Books:
- Farm City – Novella Carpenter
- Complete Book Of Cordwood Masonry Housebuilding – Rob Roy
- Cordwood Building: The State of the Art – Rob Roy
- The Humanure Handbook -Joseph C. Jenkins
- Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond-Volume 1 – Brad Lancaster
- Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond-Volume 1 – Brad Lancaster
- Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond-Volume 2 – Brad Lancaster
- Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond-Volume 3 – Brad Lancaster
Additional Resources:
- Berkey Water Filter
- Midwest Permaculture’s Composting Toilet Design – Blog Post
- Our Favorite Compost Auger – Product
- Brad Lancaster’s Website
- Rain Water Tank Ideas – Website forum
- Papercrete – Video
Available to Registered Students
Session #13
Farming as Permaculturists
& Magic of Mushrooms

Download Session 13
Presentation/s (.PPTs) Shared in This Session:
- Farming as Permaculturists
- Fungal Ecology & Mushroom Foraging
Bonus Mushroom Cultivation Presentation:
- Growing Mushrooms in your Foodscape – Video
- Mushroom Cultivation – .PDF
- Additional Mushroom Resources – .PDF
Handouts:
- Income on 10-acres of Chestnuts.docx
- Cover Crop Periodic Table
Videos:
- Recycled Houses (Texas Country Reporter)
- Land of 10,000 Stories: Huppert Dairy
- Red Fern Farm
- Soil Carbon Cowboys
- Tumblewheel Move
- Under Cover Farmers – Farming with Cover Crops
Books:
- The Independent Farmstead -Beth & Shawn Dougherty
Additional Resources:
- Dan Phillips: Creative houses from reclaimed stuff – TED Talk
- Marty’s (Spence Farm) ‘Stewards of the Land’ Bylaws
- Marty’s (Spence Farm) Sales and Delivery Agreement
- Red Fern Farm – Website
- Chestnuts 10x more profitable than any other nut – Tom Wahl
-Excellent Video Short - Winter Grazing Strategies – Article
- One Cow Revolution – A Grass Fed Homestead – Website
- Soil Health Academy -Website (This course is INCREDIBLE. -Megan)
- Gabe Brown: Keys To Building a Healthy Soil – Video
- Ultimate Pasture Soil Development Strategy – Bill’s Design for Missouri Client
Available to Registered Students
Session #14
Permaculture Farming,
Larger Landscape Design,
& 5-Acre Design Exercise

Download Session 14
Presentation/s (.PPTs) Shared in This Session:
- The Horstmann Cattle Company
- Tree Range Chicken
Handouts:
- 5-Acre Design Exercise
Videos:
- Soil Health Academy
- Food Forest Progression using Chickens – Geoff Lawton Video
- A Forest Garden – Martin Crawford
- Tree Range Chicken
- Reading the Landscape – Geoff Lawton is part of his PDC course and not available for free online
- Property Purchase Checklist – Geoff Lawton
Books:
- In the Shadow of the Green Man – Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin (Founder of Tree Range Chicken’s Story. Incredible read!)
- Creating a Forest Garden – Martin Crawford
Additional Resources:
- Red Fern Farm – Chestnut etc. Nursery
- Groasis – Tree Starter – Video
- Cansolar – Popcan solar collector
- Horstmann Cattle Co.’s Website
- Short Video Tour with Martin Crawford – Video
- Mob Grazing System at Zaytuna Farms – Geoff Lawton in Australia
- Establishing a Food Forest – Geoff Lawton – Free full length video
- AAforesTT – A Food Forest in 10 Years – .PPT
- Starting Your Own Plant Nursery Business – Article
- A Farm for the Future – Rebecca Hosking
- New Farmers – USDA Website – Chock Full of Resources
- Frost Seeding – Example of Creative Farming/Permaculture Technique
- The Wild Farm Alliance – Website with FANTASTIC Resources for ReWilding a Farm
Available to Registered Students
Session #15
Session #15
Aquaculture, Aquaponics, Ponds,
Invisible Structures,
& 10 Forms of Capital

Download Session 15
Presentation/s (.PPTs) Shared in This Session:
- Ponds, Aquaculture & Aquaponics
- 10 Acre Final Design Project Example
Handouts:
- Holmgren’s Permaculture Flower
- Ten Forms of Capital
- Jobs in Permaculture
Videos:
- Top 6 Reasons to Get a Pond – Permaculture Artisans Network
- From Hunter to Farmer – Vertical Ocean Farming
- DIY regenerative ocean farms: The future of food and fuel?
- Sepp Holzer – Water is Life
- Chick-fil-A cashier, deaf customer share special moment
Books:
- Pond Management – The Common Sense Guide – Steve Fender
Additional Resources:
- Fender Fish Hatchery (Ohio – People Bill trusts
- Permitting Process to Build a Pond – Website Article
- Aquaponics System – Apartment Size – .PDF
- Aquaponics System – 55 Gal. Drum Size – Same one Bill made in his yard – .PDF
- 12 Volt DC Water Pump At our Youngstown project, we move 2.5 gallons per minute from a pond to the orchard, a distance of 400 feet with an elevation rise of 10 feet using this pump. We were running off of a 12 volt car battery. Can I get a BDO? This is not a lot of water but for back-up watering for a small garden or orchard it is all that is needed. The pump costs $85 and with a sprinkler attachment and hose our watering needs were met. It can run from a car battery (you may have to run your car to charge after awhile) or get a small solar charger for the battery. For bigger water demands, a 110V pump is more appropriate.
Available to Registered Students
Session #16
Final Design Project Presentations

Download Session 16
Videos:- CNN Hero: Robin Emmons
- Piano-playing Street Performer Brings Audience to Tea
- Abundance Community Farm
- waterwheel pump refurb
- Greenhouse Watermelons – A 55 pounder? Oh Yeah!
- Rooster battles hawk and saves hen’s life.
- Organic Dairy Farmer Takes on NYC Coffee
- The Complete Guide to No-Dig Gardening – Charlie Nardozzi
- Plant List from Tayla’s Presentation
- Joe Gardener – Organic Gardening Podcast – No Dig Gardens with Charles Dowding
Available to Registered Students
Session #17
Agraria,
A Welcome to the Permaculture Community,
& Student Goodbyes

Download Session 17
Presentation/s (.PPTs) Shared in This Session:
- Agraria – The Tiny Village Concept
- International Permaculture
Videos:
- Within Reach Movie Trailer
- Permaculture The Documentary: How it started
- I am part of a lost Generation By Jonathan Reed
- swaYYam 1000 Tree Project
- Where the Hell is Matt?
Books:
- Charles Darwin – Michael Ruse
- A Pattern Language – Christopher Alexander
- Nonviolent Communication – Marshall Rosenberg
- The Four Agreements – Don Miguel Ruiz
- The Sharing Solution – Janelle Orsi Attorney,
Emily Doskow Attorney - Permaculture 1 -Bill Mollison, David Holmgren
- Permaculture 2 – Bill Mollison
- Permaculture: A Designers’ Manual – Bill Mollison
- Introduction to Permaculture – Bill Mollison, Reny Mia Slay
- Permaculture: Principles and Pathways beyond Sustainability – David Holmgren
- Gaia’s Garden – Toby Hemenway
Additional Resources:
- Hunter-gatherers and the mythology of the market – Article
- Mondragón and the System Problem – Article
- Starting a Successful Urban Ecovillage – Diana Leafe Christian – Website
- International Permaculture Convergence – Website
- John Kempf (Advancing EcoAg) Podcast – Website
- swaYYam – Malvikaa’s Project in India – Website
- Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage -Website
- Foundation for Intentional Communities – Website
- WAGE farms – Isaac’s Project in Uganda -Website
- PRI – Permaculture Network Worldwide – Register Yourself as a PDC Graduate
Available to Registered Students
BONUS Session #18
(not required for certification)
Additional Brainstorming of Design Projects

Download Session 18
Available to Registered Students
Course Chat Room
There is a chat room feature in the Home Room of this course for students to introduce themselves, offer comments or ask questions about the training.
There are also additional chat features at the conclusion of each video so students can ask specific questions about that specific video of the course.
Office Hours
We know how important it is to have access to the teachers.
First Monday each month: 9:00-10:30 a.m
Third Monday each month: 5:00-6:30 p.m.
Central Time Zone
& Design Charrettes
Open to the Public
Second Sunday of Every Other Month
2:00-4:30 p.m Central Time Zone

We’ve been there too; taking a training and a nagging question comes up that is not clearly addressed. So, as with college professors, twice a month Bill makes it a point to be at his desk and available to our students over Zoom, to answer questions, discuss concerns or even explore features of a student’s own project or design. If no one shows up…. fine. Bill will be there anyway working with Becky, Megan, Milton, or Will. Poke your head in any time during those 90 minutes, even to just say ‘hi’.
Also Available will be one or more Members of our Experienced MWP Teaching and Design Team
Office Hours Schedule (Central Time)
1st Monday of Each Month
9:00 – 10:30 am
3rd Monday of Each Month
5:00 – 6:30 pm
A Zoom link will be available here for registered students.
Call In Anytime During These Periods
Stay as Long as You'd Like
Ask Questions or Just Listen In
Course Workbook
This course workbook is here for your convenience. It is not a requirement to fill it out. Should you choose to use it, simply download it to your computer and type in your notes, or print and write.

Earning the PDC Certificate
“My husband is laughing because I earned my Bachelors degree from Harvard, my Masters from Yale and my PhD. from Columbia, but the only certificate I have hanging in our home is from my PDC course with you. This course was amazing Bill.”

Requirements to earn the PDC Certificate:
A student has been present/exposed to, and engaged with, the entire PDC curriculum. The goals is that each student understands the foundational permaculture design concepts.
Note Taking
To get there, you will be taking notes on every webinar and training session and submitting them to us for review. You can use the simple digital workbook we have included above or use whatever method of note-taking you prefer. In the end you will share these with us so we can verify your full involvement.
We will not be grading or critiquing these notes. Our obligation to you and the permaculture community is to verify that you viewed and participated in each segment of the course. We can easily determine, when scanning your notes, if you were listening. We have unique juice in our training. 🙂
We do not expect a student to write down everything they hear but please feel free to write/type all that feels significant to you. At a minimum, we are looking for the key subject areas that are being covered during each webinar or session and some of the relevant details related to each. You can request that we check your notes along the way or just wait until you complete the course.
Design Exercises
There are also various design exercises to undertake either by hand or digitally on your computer (your choice). They are not difficult or rigorous but make a big difference in the learning experience you will have. If you can complete the exercises on your computer using whatever sketching software you have, please do. Otherwise, do the exercises with pens or pencils and either scan, or snap a photo, and submit them with your notes.
Final Design Project
Near the end of the course, you will create a final design. There are detailed instructions on the criteria for this project in the course sessions and resources. Not everyone has land they are looking to design so we have several other projects you can choose from if you don’t have a family member to neighbor to design for.
We also encourage collaborative efforts on final designs. So, if you'd like to work with other students on a project, please post your desire to do so in the course comment section and hopefully you can exchange info with other students and work together in small groups. It's up to you, though.
Once you are finished everything (your session notes, design exercises, and final design project), you can submit this to us into a Google Drive folder which we will have created for you. You can also just email us all of your materials if you'd rather not use google Drive or link is to a folder you have in the cloud.
After we review your submissions and can see they are satisfactory for meeting the certificate requirements, we will award you your signed (by Bill Wilson), dated, and numbered PDC Certificate via snail mail.
How Long Will the Course Take?
Our expectation is that most students will complete this training within a month or two, possibly six. However, should someone need it, students can take up to 3-years to earn their certificate.
Warmly… Bill, Becky, and MWP Team
This is a High-Touch, Self-Study Course
We are Available to You in Four Ways
You are not alone during this self-study adventure. If you come up with questions, get stuck, or wish to discuss some aspect of the curriculum, or even some detail of your own project, we are here for you in 4-ways.
- Chat Forum:
There is a live chat forum with this self-study course which we monitor. We aim to respond to inquiries within 24-hours or less. - Office Hours:
Just like college professors, we will be keeping office hours twice a month for students of this On Demand PDC. All of our past PDC Graduates have access to Office Hours as well. With registration, new students receive our office hours zoom link and are invited to stop in anytime during this time-period. Bill will typically be there along with either Milton, Megan, Will or Becky. Office Hours are scheduled for the first Monday of each month from 9:00-10:30 am (Central) and the 3rd Monday from 5:00-6:30 pm. - Monthly Design Charrettes:
We brainstorm a different design project every month. First, we make an assessment of the project and site (soil, climate, topography, watershed) and then make our first stabs at a permaculture design in real time. What are the obvious opportunities related to the project goals? This is typically on the 2nd Sunday of each month from 2:00-4:30 pm Central time. (More on the Charrettes) - One-on-One Consultation Time:
When you have done all you can on your own design, and still feel that you would like to get our input, we offer discounted pricing to our registered students and course graduates (PDC, PDMC & FOP).

And if you haven’t already found this other page, you might be wondering…









Want to Earn the Permaculture Design Certificate Too?
Earning the internationally recognized design course certificate is optional. If you just want the education with some guidance, the full course is available to you and at about half the price of the live courses. But if you’d like to use the word Permaculture in the promotion of your work (teaching/designing/installing), earning the PDC Certificate will be worth the added effort and modest cost.
In a nutshell, the long-standing tradition established by Bill Mollison, states that only those people who have earned the design course certificate can use the name ‘Permaculture’ to provide teaching or design services to others.
This being said, there are no permaculture police out there, but if you are thinking of offering permaculture workshops or design services to others, Mollison requested that you have at least been exposed to the curriculum in its entirety.
This is a large body of work and if someone is going to represent themselves as a permaculturist, it only makes sense that they be familiar with all of it. And to clarify this a bit more, the certificate does not declare you as a ‘Certified Permaculture Teacher’ or a ‘Certified Permaculture Designer’ per se, but it does state to the world that you were exposed to the full curriculum. This is a certificate of completion — not competency.
So, to earn your PDC Certificate with Midwest Permaculture through this new On-Demand option, students are required to take notes on every webinar and training session and submit them to us for a quick review. We will not be grading nor critiquing these notes. Our obligation is to verify that you viewed each segment of the course. The course has unique content. We will know if you listened to a session or not. 🙂
Learn Permaculture Design by Doing Permaculture Design
There are also 7-design exercises that students will undertake throughout the course either writing or sketching by hand or with the use of one’s computer or tablet (your choice). They are not difficult or rigorous but enlightening, and these will be submitted along with the notes. At a minimum, to earn your certificate you will need to be able to connect with us via email, Google Drive, or through our website. It’s simple communication stuff really.
Pricing and Registration
Option 1: Full 72-hour PDC
You’ll receive our entire 72-hour course with all the nuance of being in the classroom with other students. Work at your own pace. Learn. Find clarity and inspiration.
(Return to this page after placing this in your cart if you wish to add earning your PDC Certificate, or a consultation, to your learning objectives.)
Option 2: Add PDC Certificate
Turn in your notes on all webinars, sessions and design exercises for review/verification and earn the Internationally Recognized PDC Certificate, by Midwest Permaculture, signed by Bill Wilson.
(Return to this page if you wish to add a private consultation to your design goals.)
Option 3: Add Consultation
Would you like us to Review your Final Design Project, share our assessment, and make recommendations to you? You can add this now as you register, or later. There is no cost difference. Go through the course and order this consultation later if you are not sure. We offer all students of this On-Demand PDC Course a substantial discount for our design time.
(To all our PDC Graduates, this offer is to you as well. Simply click on one of the consultation options above and we will contact you after purchase to arrange a time.)
- Residential Property up to 1-acre (1.5 hour Consultation):
List $495– Your Price $300 - Homestead Property 1-10 acres (2 hours Consultation):
List $645– Your Price $400 - Small Farm over 10-acres (2.5 hours Consultation):
List $795– Your Price $500
Want to Know what this Course is Really Like?
Watch Session #1 Now.

If you have not already found this introductory video on our website or elsewhere, here is the first session out of a 72-hour learning feast. We offer this session for free so you can become more familiar with what our PDC courses are like and how we teach them.
The PDC course takes a practical and honest look at life, what it is, and what our part in it can be. And we do this with all of the honesty, humor, gratitude, and wonder we have. We believe this is why we have earned a 4.9 out of 5-star student rating.
“This course absolutely grew on me. I started to look forward to every session and did not want it to end when I got there. I learned SO much. I am changed. I am humbled. I am hopeful again. Thank you Bill, and the rest of the MWP team!”
Nicholas J. – EMT (age 37)
And you certainly don't need to own property to take this course!
The PDC provides a fresh understanding of how each of us can significantly contribute to creating a more permanent and compassionate culture, regardless of whether or not we own land. The majority of students in our PDC course are suburban/urban dwellers seeking a greater understanding of how things really work in the natural world, how to create abundance & security possibly around the home they are living in, and how one could be of genuine service in the world to serve the greater good. As one of our students said (a retired US Marine Colonel) “I wish every high school student in the world could take this course!”

Students Get to Review 6 Actual Final-Design Projects
Learn by Seeing Other's Collective Work
As we work our way toward the end of the course, we choose 6 of our student’s submitted properties to use for final design projects. Students without personal projects choose which property they would like to assist with. They are given 5-6 hours of class time to create a final design as a team. They share their final design work with everyone in the class and we as instructors add our comments and make a few additional suggestions to their design if we feel it might be helpful. This goes beyond design theory or exercises; these are real people, with real properties and tangible goals, who have laid out their best design work after gaining the knowledge from the PDC course.