Midwest Permaculture

8-Day Design Certification Course
Sivananda Ashram Yoga Farm -- Grass Valley, CA
In the Foothills of the Sierra Nevada's
Nov. 8-15, 2008

6 Pre-course Webinars + 8 Very Full Days on Site

The Sivananda Ashram Yoga Farm has invited us to host one of our design certification courses at their beautiful California location. This course will not only deliver the foundational educational experience for understanding permaculture design, but all involved will have the unique opportunity to experience it within the context of a yoga approach to living.

The fundamental objective of this training will be for the students to create a basic permaculture design for the yoga farm which is in alliance with the organizations outlook and work. Because the Yoga Farm is also an Ashram, all of us involved in this design course will be honoring their relatively simple and modest customs (see bottom of page).

About the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Farm

This yoga retreat center has been place of discovery, peace and respite for several decades. People from all over the world, whether they be devoted yoga practitioners or just the interested public, have come here to spend a day, a weekend, a week or even a month or more, to find that place within themselves that is anchored into the essence of life.

The Yoga Farm is located outside Grass Valley in the western foothills of the spectacular Sierra Nevada mountains of California, called the "Range of Light" by the famed American naturalist John Muir (founder of the Sierra Club). It was the Sierra Nevada's, particularly Yosemite, that inspired photographer Ansel Adam (photo below) to attempt to photograph the essence of life itself.

Hopefully, those registering for this course will have the time for a bit of traveling. The Yoga Farm is only, 1-hour from Tahoe National Forest, 2-hours from Lake Tahoe, 3-hours from San Francisco, 4-hours from Yosemite National Park. Click Here for the Yoga Farm Website

Course objective:
The challenge of this course will be to assess the resources available to the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Farm (including, but not limited to, the land, soil, wildlife, sun, rain, wind, water, topography, plants, buildings, people, financial resources, etc.) and create a permaculture design that will harvest the available and abundant resources in a sustainable manner to improve the quality of the soil and the natural environment, while producing a myriad of food, herbs and other useful items. The system should be energy efficient (in terms of labor and the need for outside inputs) and ultimately support the Farms overall vision and mission to help others find health and peace within themselves, their lives, and the greater world.

Key Features of this California Course

Permaculturists Wayne Weiseman and Mark Shepard
Our lead Instructors, Mark Shepard of Viola, WI, and Wayne Weiseman of Carbondale, IL, have been certified by Bill Mollison to deliver this world renowned training and then to grant PIA (Permaculture Institute of Australia) Course Certification to their students upon completion.

Wayne and Mark will bring their years of design and teaching experience to this course.

        About Wayne                                                                    About Mark      

                                      ------------------------------------------

Plus Guest Speaker: Larry Korn of San Francisco
Translator of The One-Straw Revolution
                  by Masanobu Fukuoka of Japan               More on Larry & Mr. Fukuoka

About Larry Korn Following a two-year working residence on Mr. Fukuoka's farm in the early 70's, Larry returned to the States where he spent several years editing the manuscript of The One-Straw Revolution with the assistance of Wendell Berry.  The book was published in 1978 by Rodale Press (Organic Gardening Magazine). Larry shares his knowledge of Mr. Fukuoka's work and many stories from touring him around the United States to meet with Wes Jackson, Wendell Berry, Bill Mollison, Robert Rodale, Gary Snyder and many local farmers and students interested in his philosophy and natural farming techniques. Larry took the first permaculture design course offered in the U.S. by Bill Mollison in the early 1980's. He holds a degree in soil biology and brings a permaculturist's perspective to the subject that few others can.

Further Details of this Course

Webinars:
This full design course actually begins a month or so before Nov. 8th with six, 2-hour webinars.The webinars provide 12 hours of instruction before the on-site portion of a course even begins. The remaining 60 hours is covered within the eight, very-full days. 

Click here for full details on how the webinars work.

The 6 webinars are held on three consecutive Sundays and Wednesdays - Oct. 5, 8, 12, 15, 19 and 22. They all start promptly and run from 6:30 - 8:30pm Central Standard Time ( 4:30 - 6:30 Pacific). All webinars will be recorded so that registered students who miss a class will be able to follow up at anytime.  Some reading and homework will be assigned between classes. 

Schedule
The course officially begins with Lunch on Saturday, Nov. 8, and ends following brunch on Saturday, Nov.15.

Our daily schedule will coinside with the Ashrams adherance to the 'Five Points of Yoga' devised by Swami Vishnu-devananda. Anyone who is interested may participate in the morning Satsang (see below-right) from 6-7:30am. Each day you may choose to participate or not. It is a wonderful way to become acquainted with the ideas behind, and the benefits of, a yoga practice.

As you can see, these will be very full days. This will be necessary to be able to deliver the full Design Certification Course curriculum. Students should come ready and focused to learn and to work. Mark & Wayne keep the days interesting.

Meals
Also, unique to many is the idea of eating two vegetarian meals per day - one at 10:00am and the other at 6:00pm. There will be substantial refreshments served at 7:30am and again at 2:00pm for those who need a more consistent flow of nutrients, but this week will give many of us the opportunity to examine our eating habits.

Two delicious and bountiful buffet-style vegetarian meals are served daily. Absent from the menu are meat, fish, fowl, eggs, garlic, onion and caffeinated beverages. Those desiring an occasional meat dish will find restaurants a modest drive away and a two-hour break each day to fit it in.

Camping and On-site Cabins

Camping is included in the price of the course with some beautiful spots to choose from in which to setup one's tent. It will be November so the nights will be cool (possibly a bit below freezing) but the days should still be quite pleasant. Showers and toilets are a short distance away.

You will be having some very full days and will only be sleeping in your tent so if you have a warm sleeping bag and some padding, you'll be very comfortable. For those who would prefer a roof and a bed, the ashram has some simple and relatively new cabins available for an additional fee.

These cabins sleep 4, 2 or singles. The price to will run between $150 and $600 for the week, respectively. Those who are willing to share save. The cabins will be all men or all women except for couples (singe beds only). Please let Becky know at the time of registration if this is something that you would be interested in.

What to Bring (and your Welcome Packet)
Six weeks before the on-site portion of the course begins, every student receives a welcome packet (by email) which includes a list of things to bring as well as more details about your course, your webinar classes, and your fellow students. We try to be thorough in order to support you in feeling prepared and ready for your course.

Transportation During the webinar portion of the course we encourage students to network and coordinate transportation requirements with one another. For those using mass transit, make your best deal to arrive at a major hub (airport is Sacramento SMF) and be prepared to rent a car if need be. However, many of the students who are driving in have traditionally gone out of their way to pick up air, rail or bus travelers.

Certification
Students who take this courses will receive a Certification of Completion with the Permaculture Institute of Australia and have their names registered with the institution.. This is Bill Mollison’s (founder of permaculture) accrediting organization. Click here for more on certification.

Continuing Support Following Graduation
Students who have completed a Midwest Permaculture design course are then invited to become part of our growing network of graduates. There are three ways we attempt to support our students:

• We have a separate website where all graduates can connect, share ideas and look for some assistance.
• We host an annual reunion during the Midwest Renewable Energy Associations fair in Custer, Wisconsin, each June.
• Graduates may audit any future 72-hour certification courses at half price (provided space is available).

Our objective is to support our students for as long as they need it or want it, and to encourage them to support each other.

Already A Permaculture Design Course Graduate?
We offer a 33% discount to students who have already graduated from another recognized course (from anywhere in the world) who wish to take a Midwest Permaculture course as a refresher.
                             Please email or call (815-256-2215) for details.

Course Textbook Bill Mollison's foundational work, 'Permaculture - A Designer Manual' Free with Early Registration - Before Sept. 8th, 2008 Owning or having access to a copy of Mollison's manual is a required text of the course. Students can purchase the manual at our regular website price of $97.00 (includes shipping) when registering. You may also borrow a copy from a friend or the library if need be, but Mark and Wayne have asked that each student bring a copy with them to the course. Couples or family members participating in the course may share a single copy. Permaculture - A Designers' Manual is a book that is continually referred to by committed permaculturists as 'the' definitive text on the subject. Both Mark and Wayne's manuals are worn out from use.

Hi there

Course Fee & Registration:
The price for this course with Mark and Wayne as full-time instructors is $1,295. A discount of $200 is available for your spouse, significant other, or a second (immediate) family member. A second copy of the text is not required.

	Option 1 Click here to register on-line. We take MasterCard, Visa and Discover.  Option 2 Call Becky at 815-256-2215 to registers with your credit card over the phone.   Option 3 Click below for a registration form which you may print out, fill out, and snail-mail in with your check.         Word Document (.doc)        - or -        .PDF File Form

Down-Payment / Course Reservation
Our simple e-commerce page is not set-up to handle partial or down-payments. If making a partial payment will assist your ability to participate, please call Becky at 815-256-2215 to work out an arrangement.

Cancellation and Refund Policy
Should a student have to cancel their enrollment in the course before the webinars begin, there will be a full refund less $50 as a processing fee (less $150 if they received the free Designer's Manual as an early registration discount).

After the webinars begin, there will be a full refund less $200 -- the student canceling still has access to all remaining webinars and also receives a $165 credit towards any future design course. If a student also received the free Designer's Manual there will be a full refund less $300.

Still Have Questions?
You are welcome to email Bill at Bill@MidwestPermaculture.com or call 815-256-2215.