Midwest Permaculture

Permaculture Certification Course
8-Day Design Certification Course at the MREA
May 16-23, 2009
Focus: Small Farm / Rural / Suburban
                           and Sustainable Educational-Facility Design

Graduates of this Permaculture Design Certification Course

Review Below for Course Description
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7 Pre-course Webinars + 8 Very-Full Days on Site

Midwest Permaculture and the Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA) of Custer, Wisconsin, are jointly offering this full design certification course.

This will be the full, 72-hour Design Certification Course as originally outlined by Australian, Bill Mollison, the founder of permaculture. (This link will explain the specifics in more detail if you haven't seen them already.) About our 72-hour Design Certification Courses.

                  Pictured - ReNew the Earth Institute at the MREA

The emphasis of this course:
   1. Small farm / Rural / Suburban productivity and profitability
      2. Increasing the natural health and vitality of our lands
         3. Designing in long-term sustainability and security
            4. Minimizing work and fossil fuel requirements
                5. Using our permaculture sites as educational,                             inspirational and sustainable models.

Please Note: As always, the full-design course curriculum will be covered to provide students with their permaculture PDC certification.

Unique to the May Course
In addition to the full-design-course curriculum which includes one or more design projects, the students attending this course will be given the opportunity to review the 2008 permaculture design project and begin the hands-on process of implementing the early stages of it. Be sure to bring your gloves and your favorite shovel.

About the MREA

The Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA) has done an excellent job over the last 18 years of promoting renewable energy, energy efficiency, and sustainable living, through a variety of educational programming. More importantly, members have done it by demonstration, by walking the talk. 

Starting as a handful of friends with a simple desire to share their love and knowledge of renewable energy, the MREA was born and has grown to over 3,200 active members (some from other countries) with over 20,000 visitors attending their Renewable Energy and Sustainable Living Fair in 2008.

MREA Renewable Energy Fairgrounds	Fair Exhibitor

Certifying Instructor - Wayne Weiseman Permaculturists Wayne Weiseman brings his years of design and teaching experience to this certification course. Wayne is register by Bill Mollison's Permaculture Institute of Australia to teach the full permaculture design course and to grant certification.     Read more...   Wayne resides in Carbondale, Illinois Contact Wayne via Email

Further Details of the Course

This full design course actually begins for each student when they register. With registration comes a welcome email that contains attached handouts to read from the course instructors and with-in a week or so, the arrival of the design course text book via US Mail.

Course Textbook    Included with Registration 'Earth User's Guide to Permaculture' by Rosemary Morrow This gem of a text, shipped to students upon registration, is written by Rosemary Morrow, an Australian, that has taught permaculture around the world for decades. The book is straightforward and loaded with illustrations, depth and substance. It covers theory and also focuses on the practical aspects of how to implement permaculture design. This book is a must read for the serious permaculturist and is a requirement for students of our design certification courses.

Webinars:
Join us live or listen to the recordings afterwards... or both.
This full design course actually begins on Wednesday, April 22, with the Introductory & Set-up Webinar with Bill Wilson. Click here for full details on how the webinars work. The 6 remaining webinars are held on the consecutive Sunday and Wednesdays immediately preceding the on-site portion of the course and are taught by lead instructor Wayne Weiseman.
Webinar Dates:
Wednesdays:      April 22         April 29          May  6           May 13
Sundays:             April 26          May 3           May 10
They all start promptly at 6:30 p.m.(Central Time Zone) and run until 8:30. All webinars will be recorded so that registered students who miss a class will be able to follow up at anytime. Reading and homework is assigned for each session. The webinars provide up to 14-hours of instruction before the on-site portion of a course begins. The remaining 58 hours are covered within the eight, very-full days. We ask students to come ready to work.

Benefit from the Self-Study and Webinars...    ...without Committing to Certification Course If one is seriously interested in learning about permaculture but cannot commit to a certification course, the webinars and self-study features of our design courses can be enjoyed as stand along experiences. Student will learn an amazing amount about permaculture and design just by joining in on these aspects of a course. Webinar / Self-Study Package: $195      - The Bill Wilson's Introduction to Permaculture webinar                (Includes permission to use teaching slides)      - The 6-Wayne Weiseman Webinars      - A copy of text 'Earth User's Guide to Permaculture' with reading assignments      - A copy of the 150 Permaculture Questions               (These solidify your permaculture comprehension and understanding) The Best Part...!!! Receive Full $ Credit Toward Design Certification Course Should a student decide to take one of Midwest Permaculture's full design course in the future the $195 is fully credited toward their design course registration fee. This credit will be carried forward for up to 3 years. Click Here to Purchase Webinars and Self-Study

Schedule of MREA Course
The on-site portion of this course begins on Saturday afternoon, May 16, 2009, at 1:00p.m. and runs through Saturday noon, May 23. The classroom time runs from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. daily with 1 to 1.5 hours off for lunch.

Evening Site Tours & Permaculture Videos Although our days will be very full, those with more energy and a prolonged interest will be invited to partake in extra evening activities. Students can see first hand how a permaculture approach to design and living has been applied by attending one or both of the tours we will be hosting. We will also have available on other evenings some excellent permaculture videos.

Meals
Students are responsible for arranging their own breakfast and dinner. Lunch will be provided from Sunday, May 17th, through Friday, May 22nd, as well as coffee, tea, water and light snacks daily (for morning and afternoon breaks). Most of the lunch food will be organic and as often as possible locally grown. There will be a meat and vegetarian option at each meal. Those with other food requirements may be asked to supply some of their own needs.

Camping & Local accommodations
Students will be responsible for their own accommodations during the course. The MREA does have plenty of camping space available at a modest fee ($10/night)either near the educational center or at the 'Back 40' just a mile or so away.

Camping arrangements can be made directly with the MREA before arrival to the course and students choose their space on a first come, first served, basis. Students may arrive Friday afternoon or Saturday morning. For more on camping and cooking options ...click here. For motel options in the Custer/Stevens Point area click here.

       (Pictured - Camping on the 'Back 40')

What to Bring - Welcome Packet
4-6 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.

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 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 complete this design course will receive a 'Certification of Completion' which allows one to use the copyrighted word 'permaculture' in the promotion of their work or business. Graduates may also do teaching, offering workshops, lectures and seminars. However, offering full design certification courses and awarding certification to others requires further training and documentation. 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 from each other.
• We host an annual permaculture reunion for our graduates only and their families.
• 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 for details.

Course Fee & Registration:
The price for this course is $1,250.  

Group Registrations - Save $100
2 or more may register as a group and receive a $100 discount each. We've had friends, family members or couples register together and in the weeks before the course, ended up bringing in several more friends, each saving $100.

Call Becky for either more information or to set up a group (815-256-2215).

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	Registration      Option 1 Click here to register on-line. We take MasterCard, Discover and Visa.       Option 2 Call Becky to register over the phone at 815-256-2215 with credit card or personal check.      Option 3 Click below for a registration form which you may print out, fill out, and snail-mail in with your personal 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 with your ability to participate, please call Becky at 815-256-2215 to work out an arrangement.

Low Risk Cancellation and Refund Policy
Should a student have to cancel their enrollment in the course up to 30-days before the on-site portion of the course begins, there is a full refund less $250. Student retains access to webinars, keeps the course handouts and text book, and receives a full $195 credit towards any future Midwest Permaculture design certification course.

If a student cancels within the 30-day period before the course there will be a full refund less $350 and the student still receives a $195 credit towards our design courses. The credit is good for up to three years.

There are no refunds for cancellations or for withdrawals once the course begins. However, in certain circumstances, we may extend partial credit towards a future design course.

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

O. K. Permaculture Designers... What can be done with a field that must remain available for parking, once a year?	We will explore alternative building methods during the design course. Here is a strawbale building demonstration area at the MREA.