Enrollment is open for Module 3 

Module 3: The Permaculture Orchard-Designing & Maintaining Edible Food Forest Gardens
                Jul 20 • Aug 24 • Sep 28 • Oct 26
                Register here  

The Advanced Permaculture Design Practicum is a project-based training that builds on the foundational 72-hour Permaculture Design Course curriculum to enhance your design literacy, knowledge base, and professionalism. The goal of the Practicum is to develop advanced proficiency in Permaculture Design, and to apply these skills in your personal and professional life. 

The first 12-month practicum will feature three 4-month Modules:

Module 1: Design Studio-Communication Through Drawing
Module 2: The Permaculture Garden-Food, Forage & Medicine 
Module 3: The Permaculture Orchard-Designing & Maintaining Edible Forest Gardens

Each module goes in-depth into the theory and practical aspects of the topic, including extensive hands-on work in class, and requiring individual project work outside of class.  

Our instructors bring the tools they have gathered through years of experience working in their respective fields, along with their commitment to permaculture and regenerative design.

The Design Practicum Includes:

• Presentations from experienced permaculture designers and teachers for deep integration of the permaculture principles and exposure to cutting edge techniques;
• Visits to sites which demonstrate applications of the Permaculture principles and introduce students to a broader network of practitioners;
• Hands-on exercises and design practice;
• Identification of knowledge gaps and remediation through focused research;
• Preparation of a base map and to-scale design drawings for each module;
• Presentation of a design project to the group for each module;
• Feedback from peers and teachers;
• Creation of a personal and/or professional mission or vision statement;
• Development of core routines for connecting to your true gifts and transforming blockages;
• Mentoring and support for personal and professional growth;
• Generation of a portfolio that is a compilation of all work during the program. The portfolio includes sketches, designs, journal entries, research, and an articulation of how the theory and practice from the program will be applied personally and/or professionally. 

“But yield who will to their separation, 

My object in living is to unite
My avocation and my vocation

As my two eyes make one in sight.”

~ Robert Frost

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There are two ways to participate in this program:
Sign up for the Yearlong Practicum, or 
for individual 4-month Modules.

Enroll in Individual Modules

Each Module meets one Saturday per month for 4 months 
(4 days total). The individual modules provide an opportunity to choose a particular topic of interest and delve in deep for four sessions. Module topics and schedule are outlined below. 

Entrance Requirements for Individual Modules:
• Graduation from a 72- hour Permaculture Design Course and comfort with the basic PDC curriculum – this advanced course will not necessarily review the PDC basics.

Expectations of Participants for Individual Modules:
• Attendance and participation;
• Design project and presentation optional but encouraged.

Enroll in the Yearlong Design Practicum

The yearlong practicum includes three 4-month Modules that meet one day per month (12 days).  It also includes an additional day at the beginning of each Module and a final day at the end of Module 3 (4 days) dedicated to supporting your personal and professional development. Module topics and schedule are outlined below. 

Drawing on the Ecology of Leadership principles and practices, the additional day sessions will guide you in the clarification and development of your personal and/or professional vision and goals. You will be introduced to tools and core routines for identifying and composting old patterns that no longer serve, and for setting conscious intentions for the future. We call this Designing the Inner Garden. 

You will also be required to develop a portfolio containing designs and documentation of your work in the modules, as well as a personal journal to track and record the journey. Each participant will have an advisor and a peer group for support and feedback in this process, including 2 hours per module of advisor time outside of class. 

Emphasis will be placed on:
• Exploring your sense of purpose & developing clarity on your goals
• Developing core routines that will support you in transforming blockages and the powerful manifestation of your goals
• Support throughout the year in honing your skills, learning to evaluate your successes & challenges, and devleoping the ability to work creatively with constructive feedback.
• Portfolio development 

Program Team: 
James Stark, Erin O'Reilly, Lydia Neilsen, Dave Shaw, and Renee Powers

Entrance Requirements for Yearlong Practicum:
• Graduation from a 72- hour Permaculture Design Course and comfort with the basic PDC curriculum – this advanced course will not necessarily review the PDC basics;
• Access to some area of land or a project for practical development;
• Commitment to personal development and the creation of a portfolio including three design projects.

Expectations of Participants for Yearlong Practicum:
• Attendance and participation;
• Journal and documentation of learning journey;
• Individual research to fill-in gaps in knowledge;
• Design project for each Module;
• Design portfolio - showcasing project work.

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Module 1: Design Studio–Communication Through Drawing  

Instructors: Erin O'Reilly, Lydia Neilsen & Renee Powers
Dates:
1.0 Nov 16 (Friday session = Yearlong Practicum only)
1.1 Nov 17
1.2 Dec 15
1.3 Jan 26
1.4 Feb 23

This course will provide you with the opportunity to gain comfort with the design process, develop drawing skills and learn the language of landscape & architectural drawings. Every person, even if you feel 
you can't draw, can learn to draw and be a good visual communicator. You may simply have to compost an old story about yourself to free you up to the joy of drawing.

The focus in this module will be on hand drawings. There is a freedom and a flow in your thought and design process that happens when you are drawing by hand. This is especially important during the early design stage of the creative process. The skills learned in hand drawing will be fully applicable to computer drawings if you chose that technology later in your design process and/or for final presentations. 

Emphasis will be placed on:
• Comfort in sketching & hand draughting to-scale drawings
• Learning to read and understand landscape and architectural
drawings–plans, elevations, sections, details
• Understanding the design process
• Creating a design proposal
• Design project – from start to finish

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Module 2: The Permaculture Garden–Food, Forage & Medicine

Instructors: Lydia Neilsen, Dave Shaw & special guest instructors  
Dates:
2.0 Mar 22 (Friday session = Yearlong Practicum only)
2.1 Mar 23
2.2 Apr 27

2.3 May 18

2.4 Jun 22

The goal of this course is to learn how to identify and evaluate the needs of a household (3-6 people) and to design a permaculture garden which can provide for as many of those needs as possible.
We will learn to determine what and how much we need to plant to feed ourselves, as well as designing to provide for herbal medicine, animal forage and fodder, fiber, beauty, fun, wildlife habitat and numerous ecological services. 

Emphasis will be placed on:
• Design–each participant will create a to-scale Permaculture Garden design drawing
• Identifying what you need and what your site can support
• Planning and record keeping 
• Plant physiology, seed starting and planting out
• Integrating bees and small animals 
• Pest management
• Soil fertility management
• Water management

Through the application of these skills participants will have a clearer understanding of their needs, ecological footprint, and potential for local reliance. Hands-on exercises will build confidence and aptitude with regionally relevant techniques for integrating the permaculture
principles into a homestead scale enterprise. 

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Module 3: The Permaculture Orchard–Designing & Maintaining Edible Food Forest Gardens

Instructors: Dave Shaw & John Valenzuela  
Dates: 
3.0 Jul 19 (Friday session = Yearlong Practicum only)
3.1 Jul 20 
3.2 Aug 24
3.3 Sep 28
3.4 Oct 26
3.5 Oct 27 (Sunday session = Yearlong Practicum only)

The goal of this course is to learn how to create and maintain edible forest gardens. We will learn what gardeners past and present have
done to build productive multi-layered orchards. Along the way, we
will explore the following questions: What are key design considerations? What perennial foods do I like eating? What species grow well in my home microclimate(s)? Where do I source high quality plants? How may I produce my own heritage, rare, and site-appropriate fruit trees? How do I maintain these systems throughout the year? Where can I visit mature edible forest gardens for inspiration and ideas (and to source plants!)? 

Emphasis will be placed on:
• Design–each participant will create a professional EFG drawing; 
• Temperate zone deciduous fruit trees (such as apples and plums), including selecting nursery stock, grafting and budding, pruning and training, and fruit tasting – each participant will engage in summer pruning on at least 1 apple and 1 plum tree, and graft or bud at least one fruit tree to “make and take home”;
• Understory plants.

We hope that participants will 1) apply these principles and practices at their homes, community gardens, schools, or farms immediately, thereby creating more edible forest gardens in the world, and 2) engage with networks of orchardists, rare fruit growers, and permaculturists for life-long learning, teaching, and advocacy in this field, thereby increasing our collective capacity to shape the future of the sustainable food system. 

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Course Fees

Yearlong Advanced Permaculture Design Practicum (16 days)

$1425  Tuition
$1295  Early bird discount tuition, paid in full before October 5, 2012

4-month Module (4 days)

$ 395   Tuition
$ 350   Early bird discount tuition, paid in full 4 weeks before the start of the Module

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Registration

Click here to register for Module 3: The Permaculture Orchard

Pre-registration is necessary to hold your space and to allow the instructor to adequately prepare course materials. We recommend that you register as early as possible, as many classes fill up in advance. Registration will close two weeks before the beginning of the course.

All fees must be paid in full prior to the start of class.

Refund Policy
Cancellations up to 2 weeks before the course begins will be refunded, excluding a $200 processing fee for the Yearlong course, and a $50 fee for the individual Modules. No refunds are given after that date.

For questions or additional information, contact:
415·868 9681 voicemail or email us.

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What to Know

Please review the What to Know section on our website to be optimally prepared for your stay at Commonweal Garden – it includes information regarding transportation options, site accommodations, and general information about Commonweal Garden and the surrounding area.