About This Course

Study and practice permaculture design at the Sowing Solutions Permaculture Community Hub, along Salmon Falls and the Bridge of Flowers in the Village of Shelburne Falls.

A fermentation class at the Sowing Solutions Community Permaculture Hub in Shelburne Falls

Peaceful dorms for overnight guests

Gathering around a delicious and nourishing meal prepared for us at Nine Mountain

Watch Our Introductory Course Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIc4O0-A2Qk
This brief video is made by Emmett Brennan, one of our course graduates ~ He is one of the filmmakers who created the film 'Inhabit, A Permaculture Perspective'!!!!  

A Summary of This Educational Event:
 The permaculture course is a training for people of all ages who are interested in designing their own home and  community landscapes so that they are abundant, healthy, diverse, and contribute to a beneficial legacy for the future.  During the course we share extensive resources about creating landscapes and habitats that grow medicine, food, building products, etc, and that are also capable of sequestering carbon so that carbon returns back to our soil and our living earth systems where it belongs, rather than in the atmosphere.  Our teaching staff is a team of leading professional designers and educators from the northeastern USA.  The students who attend our program are typically between the ages of 17 and 80+, and the experience and background of each person contributes a unique perspective to the learning group that we form over the three weekends.   This permaculture course is an educational event full of information sharing, skill-sharing, hands-on learning, and empowerment. These skills of permaculture are one effective way that we can act on behalf of this ecosystem and home that we call Earth.

Our Course Dates:
The Permaculture Design Certification Course is offered twice a year with Sowing Solutions Permaculture Design & Education in Western MA, USA.  We meet for three weekends in total to complete your PDC. Choose either weekend series course:  

• Spring (April-June)  OR  Fall  (Sept-Nov)​

Visit Western MA Permaculture Demonstration Sites: Studying permaculture while visiting permaculture homes, homesteads, a world-renowned ecovillage, and local farm sites offers you a chance to witness existing and proven permaculture strategies and techniques. You'll learn first hand about: four-season greenhouses, naturally built homes, forest gardens, annual & perennial raised bed vegetable gardens, community decision making, conflict resolution practices, food storage, renewable energy systems, soil improvement, compost strategies, waste recycling, and more! Our permaculture course offers you an opportunity to observe & evaluate numerous well-established permaculture systems, and learn from them.

Course Topics:
* Mapmaking *Site Analysis of Sunlight/ Water/ Access/ Soil/ Microclimate/ Experience of Place/ etc. *Ecological Design Process *Permaculture Ethics and Principles  *Rainwater Harvesting *Soil Improvement Techniques and Strategies *Deep Ecology *Agroforestry Systems *Forest Gardening with Perennial Foods/ Medicines/ Fuel/ Habitat/ etc *Medicine Making *Fungi Inoculation *EcoVillage and Community Life *Seeding and Greenhouse Tasks *Natural Building *Carbon Farming *New Garden Creation *Practical Skills for Permaculture in Your Home *Fermentation and Food Preservation *Nature Connection, etc....

The Certification:
A Permaculture Design Certificate signifies that one has completed a 72 hour design course, a study of the ethics, principles, and design practice of Permaculture. It means the holder of the certificate holds applied permaculture experience and a profound toolbox of permaculture techniques, strategies, solutions, resources, and skills.  

Our Course Locations:
We are thrilled to be offering our course at the following local and inspiring location:

• Sowing Solutions Permaculture Community Hub in downtown Shelburne Falls is a new studio and meeting space along the river! This is the home of Sowing Solutions Design & Education, and will be the design studio where students conduct their work for clients during the guided permaculture design process.  Shelburne Falls is famous for the Bridge of Flowers and is home to many avid gardeners, artists, farmers, and craftspeople.  There are a number of community and residential sites where our PDC students will have an opportunity to design and install permaculture projects!​

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Learning Environment:
We offer extensive design time and practice, as well as skill shares.  In this course you may be: mapping, working with solar light reading tools, sheet mulching, preserving and fermenting food, mixing earth plaster, designing a forest garden guild, making oxygenated compost tea, preparing herbal medicine, tending to a masonry stove or cob oven, etc. During class time we will integrate the methods of storytelling, slide shows, films, discussions, hands-on design activities, etc. During breaks are yoga classes, meditations, dancing, hiking trails, permaculture films, etc.  

College Credit is Available:
Our course qualifies for 3 or 4 college credits from UMASS Amherst, available to all students who are enrolled in the 5 College Consortium.

Watch this introductory video about our course ~ This brief video is made by Emmett Brennan, one of our course graduates ~ He is one of the filmmakers who created the film 'Inhabit, A Permaculture Perspective'!!!!