Permaculture Classes
These classes are managed by Larkspur Design LLC in partnership with Wild Indigo Guild, Three Sister’s Permaculture Design and Garfield Community Farm.
Soil Health and Compost in the Permaculture System
Learn how to create healthy soil and nutrient dense compost in our one day workshop. This class includes eight hours toward your 80 hour Permaculture Design Certification. It can also be taken as a stand alone class.
Food Forests and Perennial Agriculture
Food forests are created when we mimic natural forests for our gardens, orchards and farms. Unlike an orchard, a food forest is a multilayered perennial system where ground cover crops, shrubs, vines, fungi, and trees all work together to support each other and produce food for people and wildlife.
Permaculture, Climate Change, Disaster Preparedness, Wilderness survival
Climate mitigation, biochar and social permaculture in permaculture design.
Fungi of Western PA and Beyond
Come learn with us from local experts about the native edible and interesting fungi of our region. We’ll learn the basic varieties to safely forage as well as the ones to steer clear of. We will also learn some of the most tried and true approaches to back yard cultivation, where to purchase spawn and how to care for your fungi experiments. This class is can count for three hours toward your Permaculture Design Certification.
Urban Homesteading with Permaculture Design
Learn how to grow perennial food forests and annual gardens that support biodiversity and provide for you and your family. This two day class will include visits to some of PIttsburgh's best examples of home-scale permaculture and homestead design. We'll learn the priciples of creating intensive designs for small spaces for maximum production. This class is part of the permaculture design course taught through Garfield Community Farm and Wild Indigo in partnership with Three Sister's Permaculture.
Season Extension, Bioshelters and Natural Building
Season extension, bioshelter design and management and the basics of natural building in one intensive weekend.
Water Harvesting and Mapping in Permaculture
During day one we will learn the many options and techniques to harvesting rainwater from your home, buildings and landscape. We will explore the ideas of, pond construction and use, keyline design, swale construction, water barrels and cisterns, gravity fed systems and much more. During day two we will learn the basics of mapping for garden design and water management. This class will provide for 16 hours of your 80 hour permaculture design certification.
Permaculture and Sustainable Income Generation
For permaculture to be effective it must support us and our families with a better way of life. That includes financial income and other forms of trade. Join John, Darrell and others in this class where we’ll get into the details of making a living with your sustainable practices!
Regenerative Agriculture Retreat
Learn practices to replicate natural systems for abundance from garden to farm while enjoying a weekend at Lamppost Farm.
Introduction to Permaculture (Class Full!)
In this one day class we explore the foundations of permaculture, its modern history and rootedness in indigenous wisdom. We will learn the principles of permaculture and how they guide the practices and design methodologies. This class includes eight hours of education toward your Permaculture Design Certification and is the perfect first class in the process. It is also a perfect introduction for those exploring gardening, farming and ecological design for the first time. Sign up for this day long class on Eventbrite.
Permaculture Design Certification Cohort - 2024
The permaculture design course has been the foundational hallmark of permaculture education for the past four decades. Permaculture brings together food production and ecological restoration, helping gardeners, farmers and land stewards see how we can create solutions to food inequality, climate change and the ecological crisis. Through permaculture we can all learn to care for the earth, care for other people and do it with justice and equity. With a deep understanding of nature and ecology, permaculturists develop human managed systems to grow more food, support more biodiversity and make positive impacts in their communities.
Beginning in 2024 our permaculture design course will be spread throughout the year with a monthly weekend intensive. This year’s cohort will include eight to fifteen students committed to finishing their PDC in 2024. Instead of doing 80 hours of classwork in an intense two week course we’re spreading the classes throughout the year, giving students time to read, experiment, learn and ask questions between classes. We believe this model for the PDC will create better learning and teaching environments and it will allow students to go deeper into the practices and theory of permaculture throughout the course. The thirteen classes listed below will usually take place on the forth Saturday of each month. Some classes include a full day on the previous Friday and extend throughout Saturday. By completing each of the classes students will complete all other modules necessary to receive their official permaculture design certification through the Permaculture Institute of North America. The lead teachers of these classes are John Creasy of Wild Indigo and Garfield Community Farm, Darrell Frey of Three Sisters Permaculture and Elizabeth Lynch of the Three Sister’s Permaculture. Many other local experts will be included in select classes to augment the course.
The Total cost of the Permaculture Design Course is $2000 minus financial aid. A $200 deposit is due January 10th of 2024 with $500 due in February, April, July and any remainder in October. Financial Aid may be applied for and could cover significant portions of the cost for those in need. The total course includes all of the classes below as well as a design apprenticeship at a local farm or with a local permaculture practitioner where design skills will be developed. For students looking to use permaculture design professionally, a portfolio quality design may be completed by the end of the course through the work of the apprenticeship.
Questions or to become a member of this year’s cohort contact John Creasy