permaculture

["Darrell E. Frey" <defrey@bioshelter.com>]

I have taught Permaculture in University and college settings, in 1987, 
1988. 1997, 1998, and 2005. And I have worked on design teams with 
Architects, Engineers, Landscape Architects, and various other 
professionals. Folks from many of these professions have been my 
students ( though I prefer the phrase "course participants"). I have 
met with permaculture designers making big money consulting on big 
projects, and permaculture designers working for nothing on small 
projects. I have worked with many permaculture teachers and designers 
on various projects. 

 Everyone I have worked with and interacted with have brought a high 
level of ethics and standards to their work. I have always been 
received as a full team member with professional respect. But it has 
been a long slow curve for permaculture to be more widely recognized.  
We are finally coming into our own as a profession. 

 When , in 1987, I asked Bill Mollison permission to teach 
permaculture he said it was time to open up to more teachers and that 
we would sink or swim as per our merits as teachers. The same is true 
about maintaining the standards of permaculture. There is much work to 
be done, and we are starting to be in demand. Those of us who do good 
work and maintain high permaculture ethics and good work ethics will 
ride the wave to success. Those who do not will fade away. 
 There are efforts underway to keep the format of permaculture courses 
and diploma processes fairly consistant, especially folks working on 
the Permaculture Institute of North America. I believe this is a great 
idea. After folks  take a certificate course and perhaps a receive 
diploma, It is market forces and their own work that determine their 
success. Only those with high permaculture standards will prevail. 

Darrell E. Frey
Three Sisters Farm
defrey@bioshelter.com
www.bioshelter.com

Author; Bioshelter Market Garden: A Permaculture Farm. New Society 
Publishing, 2011