2025 Permaculture
Design Course
Design your reslilent life and landscape, nurture lasting abundance
and create real community with our local 2-week, in-person, hands-on PDC!
June 02 to 14, Calgary
Get certified
Learn practical strategies
for earth repair
Become an effective change-maker
Get skilled in ways that really matter, and empower yourself with positive and hopeful solutions for addressing some of the challenges we face today
Create Abundance
Learn how you can work harmoniously with natural systems so you can meet your needs while respecting ecosystem health
Get Connected
Understanding your relationship to the natural dynamic allows you to foster meaningful levels of connectivity between all living communities
Reframe your Brain!
Learn to view challenges as opportunities, problems as solutions, and embrace a refreshing, whole-systems mindset
"Permaculture provides a hopeful, whole-systems approach to bringing us back into balanced, reciprocal and responsible relationship with our natural, social and economic ecosystems. We can thus apply mindful design to meet our food, water, energy and shelter needs in ways that are beyond sustainable, and that provide direct and lasting benefits for future generations..."
CARMEN LAMOUREUX, Certified Permaculture Instructor & Founder of Urban Farm School
72 hours of life-changing course content
Meeting international standards for permaculture certification, you will receive at least 72 hours of comprehensive instruction
In-person training
Our small class size will optimize interaction between students and instructor as well as within the student cohort, providing a personalized learning environment tailored to the needs and interests of the students
Hands-on activities
Balancing class time with selected hands-on activities means you can engage in meaningful experiences that enhance your understanding of permaculture
What would it mean to you to design
the life that YOU want?
Our Permaculture Course is perfect for:
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Home gardeners who want to create their own urban homesteading oasis using natural principles
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People who are seeking greater connection with like-minded folks and building community
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Anyone wanting to empower themselves with simple, actionable solutions with big impacts​
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Community organization members who want to foster more resilience in their neighborhoods
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Anyone keen on supporting more localized solutions for living sustainably​
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Rural landowners who want more holistic interaction with their property
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Folks looking to become proficient in producing abundance using regenerative methods
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Those who are feeling confused about what the future holds and are looking for a meaningful path forward
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Anyone seeking to reframe their career using whole-system design
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New homeowners who want to take an ecological approach on their urban lot and create a productive landscape
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Anyone who is considering a career as a permaculture designer
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School and community garden coordinators
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Future-forward thinking city planners
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School teachers
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Young families who want to foster more self-sufficiency and healthy food
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Land developers who are interested in creating more sustainable communities
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Landscape designers who want to offer their clients eco-focused options
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Environmental Science students who want to round out their education
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Landscapers who want to transition to more sustainable practices
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Professionals responsible for promoting sustainability initiatives within their companies
"The only ethical decision is to take responsibility for our own existence and that of our children"
BILL MOLLISON, Co-founder of Permaculture
Some of what you'll learn in our Permaculture Design Course:
How to confidently design a nurturing and resilient urban or rural homestead using whole-system design methodologies and a step-by-step approach
How to apply observational techniques to enhance understanding of the hidden potential of your property or project
How to recognize natural patterns and choose appropriate actions that harmonize with natural systems
How to correctly analyze and diagnose your project for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats and prioritize your efforts correctly
How to deepen your understanding of your climatic, geographic and environmental context so you can choose design and resilience -building strategies that are right for your context
Regenerative pathways toward nurturing and maintaining healthy soils for life
How to apply the key permaculture principles so you have the blueprint for responsibly meeting your needs
Strategies for managing your water resources in ways that enhance water security
How to craft forest garden systems that thrive when you mimic core ecosystem dynamics, providing food, medicine, habitat, sanctuary, and more
How you can become a powerful and positive agent for change in your community
Impactful tools for healing and transforming damaged and vulnerable landscapes
Alternative energy and building strategies
...and so much more!
How to manage the efficient use of available resources and meet your needs hyper-locally
How to support long-term productivity and food security and learn to grow vibrantly healthy, nutrient-dense food
How to open your pathway to success by aligning your vision with your core values and assessing your available personal resources
Learn from a respected permaculture expert
As an experienced international permaculture instructor and the founder of Urban Farm School, Carmen Lamoureux has helped steward and inspire thousands of students towards fulfilling their dreams of attaining resilient lifestyles and livelihoods using whole-systems design.
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Carmen's passion for permaculture and her many years of practical experience means you will have the opportunity to leverage her deep-earth knowledge and wisdom, and her proven strategies for creating thriving ecosystems and incredible abundance in short season cold climates.
"The in-person PDC experience is the ultimate model for empowering individuals and communities with locally-appropriate, actionable solutions. Giving folks the skills and whole-systems mindset to go out and take immediate steps toward effecting change in their own yards, balconies and communities in meaningful ways is incredible for me as a permaculture teacher. Students can be confident that they are receiving real-life, relevant and locally-applicable strategies for building abundance and resilience, instead of AI generated information that is driving many of the plug-and-play online courses available today. There is such incredible, immeasurable value in reclaiming the opportunity and joy of learning in real time with one another, cultivating community, sharing space, sharing stories, sharing challenges, sharing skills and sharing solutions for a hopeful future..."
What our students say...
June K.
"Carmen is a stellar presenter, a shining member of a constellation of permaculture instructors. She has provided all of us with so much inspiration and is truly a guiding light. It is her groundedness and love of the earth and soil, down to the smallest living or inorganic components contained within it, and the importance of relationships that extends to every level, including human systems. She has a depth of knowledge that is impressive, but more importantly, she conveys it with enthusiasm and clarity to a varied audience, welcoming all to the conversation. She uses her visual artistry to illustrate complex ideas through beautiful slides as well as sharing examples from her own garden. Her warmth, openness, and generosity of spirit inspires confidence for us to go and learn more of what inspires us as we take our first steps on our permaculture journey. Thank you for sharing your love of permaculture with us all!"
Roxanne J.
"The training I have received from Carmen during the Permaculture Design Certification course has been invaluable. She is a confident, engaging instructor, who is extremely knowledgeable in her own fields of expertise and beyond. Her presentations are professional and informative, with just the right amount of personal application and humour. I would highly recommend any course taught by Carmen."
Greg L.
"As the lead instructor in the Permaculture Design Certification Course, Carmen’s knowledge is truly impressive and her enthusiasm is contagious. She is patient and an excellent teacher. The sheer volume of information associated with the various subjects far exceeds the limits of what can be taught in a single Permaculture Design course but I can say with confidence that a strong foundation has been laid. I am grateful to Carmen for the role she played in developing that foundation from which I can grow. It is a journey with much to learn and I hope more of that will be from Carmen."
With so many PDCs out there, why choose ours?
There's no doubt that online permaculture courses are super-convenient, and we totally get it. We've taught online resilience-enhancing classes and PDCs for years, as it's an efficient way to deliver content without requiring the effort of showing up in person. So what's the value in taking our IN-PERSON Permaculture Design Course?
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A Permaculture Course is about so much more than information
The value of a permaculture course needs to be measured by more than how much information can be delivered. If we truly embrace the holistic context that is fundamental to permaculture, it's easy to appreciate the the embedded value of the interactive and dynamic quality of the in-person experience. ​
Direct experience is what makes permaculture come alive!
Over and over again, the feedback we've gotten from our students is that NOTHING compares to the in-person experience of direct learning, student interaction, collaborative team projects, and boots-on-the-ground activities. It's also about showing up, taking the time to invest in yourself, and helping hold one another accountable.
The opportunity to learn in cooperation with living ecosystems, experience the incredible abundance and resilience of successful local permaculture properties, immerse yourself in thriving food forest environments, gain direct experience with diagnosing soil health, participate in meaningful hands-on activities for local organizations and more, means that permaculture actually comes ALIVE for you. It's not just about learning permaculture concepts, but also understanding how those are applied to real-life situations, and working with real people. This is where the true value of the in-person permaculture course experience lives!
Contextual learning pathways provide locally appropriate, actionable solutions
This is key to creating abundance where you live. Although it's important to be able to implement permaculture design concepts no matter where you live on this planet, learning from a local permaculture expert and understanding core strategies for designing resilency here in our short-season, cold-climate context is key to inspiring action. You will come away from this course with proven methods for enhancing self-sufficiency in our region.
Our local permaculture community supports your on-going journey
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One of the most valuable takeaways from the in-person course that many students don't expect is the incredible gift of connection with like-minded individuals, of gaining a profound sense of REAL community.​​ Over the 2-week period of this course, many of our students experience a profound sense of relief knowing that there are others who have the same concerns and desire for change as they do, knowing that they have found their place, that they belong to an analog cohort of folks who share similar ways of thinking and who focus on solution-based strategies for building a better world. And, if that wasn't enough, we've got a great local permaculture community already in place to help support you as you move forward on your resilience-building journey!
How is our PDC structured?
Our course content is divided into 10 comprehensive learning modules, each comprised of various sessions. Some sessions are classroom-based, and others include experience-based components. You'll also participate in various activities and collaborative projects to enhance your understanding of the application of permaculture and the process of design.
Module 1
PERMACULTURE
FOUNDATIONS
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Course Introduction and Overview
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Regenerative Solutions for a Resilient Future
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The Ethics & Principles of Permaculture
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Whole-system Design Methodologies and Considerations
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Mapping Techniques
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Pattern Observation and Understanding
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Site Assessment & Analysis Strategies
Module 3
CLIMATE
RESILIENCE
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Understanding Global, Regional & Local Climate Patterns
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Assessing, Leveraging & Creating Microclimates
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Cold-Climate Strategies
Module 4
WATER
RESILIENCE
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Water Patterns in the Landscape
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Water Harvesting Strategies -Urban & Rural
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Waste-Water Management
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Composting Toilets
Module 5
SOIL
RESILIENCE
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Regenerative Soil Health Essentials
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Nutrient Cycling
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Composting Strategies
Module 6
ENERGY
RESILIENCE
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Renewable Energy Resources & Technology
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Structures & Natural Building Techniques
Module 7
FOOD
RESILIENCE
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Trees and Food Forest Systems
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Ecosystem Dynamics & Biomimicry Principles
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Permaculture Gardening Strategies
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Animal and Insect Integration
Module 8
SOCIAL/COMMUNITY
RESILIENCE
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Social Permaculture
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Nurturing Resilient Community Systems
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Urban Permaculture
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Placemaking
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Alternative Strategies for a Resilient Future
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Hands-On Community Project
Module 9
PERSONAL
RESILIENCE
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Clarifying Your Vision and Values
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Exploring the 8 Forms of Capital
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Assessing Your Resources and Determining Your Priorities
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Right Livelihood: Meaningful work through the Permaculture Careers
Module 10
DESIGN
PROJECT
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Design Case Studies
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Final Design Project Guidelines
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Permaculture Property Tours
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Design Presentations
2-Week, In-Person
Permaculture Design Certification Course
$1097
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Over 72 hours of life-changing content
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12 incredible days of active learning with like-minded individuals
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10 comprehensive modules
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Pdf files of all session slides
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In-person, real-time Q & A
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Collaborative cohort assignments
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In-class project time
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Content customized to your context
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Step-by-step guidance from an experienced permaculture expert
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Boots on-the-ground activities
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Tours of thriving local permaculture gardens and food forests
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Internationally-recognized certification
Frequently Asked Questions
Q:​
I'm a total newbie to permaculture. Will this course be too technical for me?
Absolutely not! The beauty of permaculture is that it offers common-sense design strategies that students of all skill and ability levels can learn and apply.
A:
Q:​
I don't have any land of my own, so is there still any value in me taking the course?
A:
The amazing thing about the PDC is that the principles and design methodologies can be applied to anything, from large farms to community gardens to organizations, ec0-village projects, businesses and so much more! We even had one student design her retirement years using the permaculture design process!
Q:​
I understand I need to complete a design for my certification, but I'm not talented artistically at all! Do I need real drawing skills to complete my design?
A:
You absolutely do NOT need to have artistic skills to complete your project. We will take you through a step-by-step process that will enable you to complete your project according to your level of skill. Simple hand-drawn designs are just fine. What's important is that your design reflects YOUR vision for your project!
Q:​
I would rather use a digital design software for my design. Would that be okay?
A:
No problem! Your design may be submitted in any format with which you are comfortable. For those students who would like to learn how to design digitally, we will discuss various options, some of which would be fine for folks who have lower tech-comfort levels.
Q:​
My partner and I would like to take the PDC together. Can we work as a team on our design, or do we each have to complete a separate design?
Yes, you can work on one design together, as long as you are each registered for the PDC. We love when couples and friends collaborate on their design, as you're bringing more ideas and balance to your project! Teamwork rocks!
A:
Q:​
Do I have to know anything about gardening before taking the Permaculture Design Course? I 've heard permaculture described as "gardening on steroids"...
A:
That's actually a common misconception regarding permaculture. Permaculture is really a design methodology that helps us reframe how we see and interact with, relate to and organize all different kinds of systems, including how we meet our needs for food, water, shelter, energy, livelihood, social systems, and so on. We don't actually DO permaculture, but rather we use permaculture within what we do. Having said that, learning how to build more food resilience is a great place to start, but it's not necessary for you to know anything about gardening before you begin your PDC.
Q:​
I already have my Master Gardener's certification. What will I actually get out of taking a PDC?
A:
You'd be surprised at how frequently this question comes up!
Having expert plant knowledge is a fantastic asset for anyone! Permaculture, however, is just so much more than plant systems. It provides us with a framework for designing the relationships between various elements, such as rainwater capture systems, nutrient cycling systems, animals and insect systems, energy capture systems, climatic systems, plant systems, social systems, economic systems, and more. Creating functional connectivity between these elements allows us to mindfully and efficiently use the resources in ways that allow us to meet our needs with minimal to no outside inputs. That's true resilience!
