Permaculture and Self Sufficiency courses

Take your Design Skills to a Higher Level

This course provides advanced training for:

• people with prior experience in permaculture
• graduates of either a PDC or our Permaculture Systems course
• anyone with sound knowledge of garden or farm design
  

Learn to become less reliant on the electricity and gas companies and save money through alternative energy sources.

Alternative Energy is a growth industry, and career opportunities are opening up all the time; from sales and marketing positions in retail outlets and manufacturing businesses through to technical assistants, developmental scientists and entrepeneurial businessmen. Some people get a start in this industry as a hobby, others with a short course like this. Some are lucky enough to get a position where they can train on the job, and others undertake a more substantial certificate, diploma or degree course.

This is not an industry where you necessarily need a high qualification; but you do need to understand the industry, be technically minded and have a creative and open mind that can apply lateral thinking to problem solving. This course aims to encourage and develop these characteristics as a foundation for working in alternative energy.

Agriculture has seen massive changes in most developed countries over recent decades due to changes in global economics, technology and environmental conscerns. This course provides an foundation for dealing with those changes, whether on your  own farm, or in a broader sense. A suitable course for:

• Farmers or land owners who seek to adapt to a changing world
• Anyone wanting to develop career opportunities in rural industries
• Anyone working on farms or farm supply businesses

This course develops skills to determine the impact of building construction characteristics upon human health, and to recommend innovations in building design to improve habitability. It covers building materials, construction techniques, electrical wiring, temperature & light control, ventilation, plumbing, ergonomics and psychological factors.

Who should do this?

• Architects, builders, developers
• Building and health inspectors
• Engineers, landscape designers
• Building supply and manufacturing companies
• Health practitioners, wellbeing consultants
• Environmental consultants
• Anyone else concerned with how building structures affect human health

Have you ever wondered why most people who work indoors can't wait to get out of doors as often as possible into the sun or amongst the trees? In past centuries, people worked mostly outside. Life was simpler, and pollution was not the issue it is today. Modern technology has brought many changes. Machines now do much of the hard work and new building materials have been developed. Many of us now have to work in offices. This can be a real health risk. Just think about it: when you walk into an office, which is the most familiar scene:

• People running late and with red eyes, coughs, sniffs, or yawns.
• A row of desks occupied by bronzed, muscular, relaxed, happy people.

This course develops skills to evaluate, describe and explain how physical characteristics of a building and its surrounds have an impact upon human health. Studying this complements Healthy Buildings I, and is an ideal follow on for anyone who has studied that course.

Permaculture Design Course

Learn to prepare plans for permaculture systems. (ie A unique landscape where plants and animals live balanced in a self sustaining ecosystem). It commonly involves developing a garden or farm where the plants and animals are put together in such a way that they support each others growth and development. The garden or farm may change over years, but always remains productive, requires little input once established, and is environmentally sound. This is an "intensive" foundation course. If you are only going to do "one" permaculture course do this! If you do this, do not do Permaculture I, II, III or IV as well (Permaculture Systems contains parts from the others).

Learn to Design and Build Sustainable, Productive Landscapes

This course provides training for people working or wishing to work in farming or horticulture with a particular emphasis on the design, development and management of productive natural garden systems and productive landscapes. Graduates may find employment in either general horticulture, or in areas servicing permaculture or natural gardening (eg. Garden/system design, plant nurseries, teaching, consulting, etc). Half of the course is identical to the Permaculture courses outlined previously, and the other half provides a broad, general foundation in horticultural practices.

WANT TO BE MORE SELF SUFFICIENT?

• Live healthier
• Take control of your own destiny
• Reduce reliance upon money and services beyond your control

Learn how to live self sufficently in this modern age and tech other people! With this course, develop your understanding of self sufficiency. Learn about food and nutrition, and making the right decisions about changes in lifestyle; as well as showing you how to do a whole range of practical things such as mud brick building, making crafts, growing fruit, vegetables, herbs, and other crops; raising poultry, sheep & goats, extending the life of clothing, conserving energy, recycling, simple home medical care and first aid, and lots more.self sufficiency, food and nutrition, and making the right decisions about changes in lifestyle; as well as showing you how to do a whole range of practical things such as mud brick building, making crafts, growing fruit, vegetables, herbs, and other crops; raising poultry, sheep & goats, extending the life of clothing, conserving energy, recycling, simple home medical care and first aid, and lots more.

Save on food bills and ensure a higher quality and healthier diet fort you and your family.

Learn to be self sufficient with your food.You learn about nutrition and how to balance your diet, as well as how to produce, process, store, and use different types of food. This includes berries, nuts, milk, cheese, eggs, bread making, preserves, & dried food. Cooking, freezing, drying, bottling, making bread, planning a vegetable garden to give produce all year round, and lots more are covered during the ten lessons.