I’m really thinking about making this seminar, if anyone else thinks they might like to join me, a) I will carpool if you are local to me and b) willing to share a room, we could all book the same place and have a nice dinner and visit in the evening.. Drop me a note by email if you have it or leave me a comment on the blog.. might a great way to learn lots, get to visit a off-grid home, and have a girls (guys welcome but not in the overnight room part) weekend!

Upcoming Intro-to-Permaculture Courses at Greenshire: May 12th and September 22nd If you are interested in learning how to live sustainably and beyond, if you’d like to learn environmentally friendly ways of providing for your own basic needs, if you’re thinking about taking a permaculture design course but are undecided…Then this is the course for you!

Our two-day course will cover:

The Permaculture Ethics and Principles Observation skills building/Site analysis for both urban and rural environments Design methods – including a group design project, and how to apply these techniques to your situation

 Practical examples of permaculture Forest gardening basics

Plant walk – forest garden tour, plant identification, polyculture and guild examples

 No-tillage, minimum tillage, and minimum/no irrigation techniques

Off-grid power generation, passively heated greenhouse construction

Ecologically friendly building design examples

There will be a mix of classroom and hands-on learning using our 100-acre permaculture farm to showcase permaculture in action.

There will also be a field trip to a nearby off-grid homestead, and a stop on the way to see a straw bale building.

About the Teacher: Travis Philp has been wild-crafting and farming professionally, using permaculture techniques for four years. He has two diplomas from Fleming College: Ecosystems Management Technician and Environmental Technician. He received his Permaculture Design Certificate at the Living Centre near London, Ontario. Spring Course

Times: Saturday May 12, 8 am -12 pm, 1 pm-6 pm Sunday May 13, 8 am -12 pm, 1 pm-6pm Fall Course Times: Saturday Sept. 22, 8 am -12 pm, 1 pm-6 pm Sunday Sept. 23, 8 am -12 pm, 1 pm-6pm COST- $50 (bring your own lunches) or $75 (lunches included for Saturday and Sunday)

If overnight accommodations are required, please inquire. *This is NOT a full Permaculture design course, therefore we cannot award a Permaculture Design Certificate upon completion of the course.