Hi!
We’ve been on a farm on Orcas Island since last Friday, and we just wrapped up week 1 of a two week Permaculture Design Course. Google says permaculture is “the development of agricultural ecosystems intended to be sustainable and self-sufficient.” I think the people we’re learning from would go a little farther and say the intent is also to design systems that are not only sustainable, but also regenerative. The method is to design gardens & farms (and more) that mimic the patterns we see in nature, which are often the most efficient systems. I’m not gonna get too in-depth about it here for lack of time/knowledge; suffice it to say we are loving the course so far and are thrilled to be here. The Bullocks brothers started their homestead in the early 80s and are some of the most well-reputed folks in the permaculture world, so we feel pretty lucky to get to learn from them and their instructors.
The course starts with breakfast at 7 am and including meals, “class” time and field learning, it typically goes until 9 or 930 each night, which make for long days (and a lack of blog updates). Today’s our day off after 7 days of the course so far. 6 more days left after this, then we are certified permaculture designers! It’s a great first step with a lot of learning still ahead of us.
You can learn more about the homestead we’re on at http://permacultureportal.com/. If you’re interested in reading about permaculture design you should check out Practical Permaculture for Home Landscapes, Your Community, and the Whole Earth
Expect more frequent updates… and more pictures… I swear!… once we’re done with the program here.
-Dan