permaculture

[farmer1@gasperfarm.com]

Did Bill allow his students to teach and design because of a sense of
urgency or because of his rejection of the establishment and of systems of
control?

These steps you're taking are a common approach in many industries and are
part and parcel to the fascist economic system. While ostensibly about
ensuring quality or credibility, they are actually forms of economic
warfare wherein you establishing barriers to entry to keep out competition
in order to keep rates high.

This is at odds with the evangelical impulse to spread Permaculture as far
and wide as possible and convert as many acres as possible.

This has occurred many times before in many industries and every time
quality is used as a justification; but in reality it frequently only
establishes an unthinking orthodoxy adverse to change and adaptation and
out of step with reality.

These systems don't improve quality so much as serve to select for the
kind of people who are willing to jump through hoops. Meaning the
innovators will leave the movement.

Pete

> Permaculture Mailing List homepage revision - includes resources from
> Scott
> Pittman and Permaculture Institute mirrored at
> https://sites.google.com/site/permaculturelist/
> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/permaculture
>
> Documents from the Permaculture Institute and Scott Pittman
> https://sites.google.com/site/permaculturelist/home/documents-from-the-permaculture-institute-and-scott-pittman
>
> Documents from the Permaculture Institute and Scott Pittman
> Scott Pittman of The Permaculture Institute writes about Permaculture
> Standards and Principles. This document and others from P.I. can be read
> here:
> Definition of PDC Standard.txt
> https://sites.google.com/site/permaculturelist/home/documents-from-the-permaculture-institute-and-scott-pittman
> And here:
> https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/permaculture/2014-September/045235.html
>
> Permaculture Certificate Course Syllabus
> http://www.permaculture.org/what-is-permaculture/certificate/syllabus/
>
> PDC Outline
> http://www.permaculture.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/PDC-Outline.pdf
>
> <>
>
> Definition Of PDC Standard
>
> Scott Pittman of The Permaculture Institute writes about Permaculture
> Standards and Principles. This document and others from P.I. can be read
> here:
> Definition of PDC Standard.txt
> https://sites.google.com/site/permaculturelist/home/documents-from-the-permaculture-institute-and-scott-pittman
> And here:
> https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/permaculture/2014-September/045235.html
>
> This a a follow up on the North American Permaculture Convergence workshop
> titled “Permaculture Standards and Principals”.  We did not complete
> the
> agenda I had set forth but I would like to elaborate on what was discussed
> with the addition of my thoughts on issues not covered in the workshop.
>
> What is a PDC?
>  A Permaculture Design Certificate Course is the gateway to understanding
> permaculture design.  On completion of this course a certificate is issued
> to acknowledge that the participant is now a permaculture apprentice.
> Following the course one is expected to continue their learning process by
> directly experiencing all of the categories covered in the PDC ie becoming
> pattern literate, understanding the principals and how they relate to
> human
> space, methodologies of design, hands on experience in the techniques of
> gardening, building, site development, and etc.
>
> Who is qualified to teach a PDC?
> Traditionally it was taught that whoever was certified through a PDC was
> qualified to teach the PDC and to engage in professional design.  This was
> established by Bill Mollison in the late seventies in response to his
> feeling of urgency about the deterioration of the world’s ecosystems and
> the break down of human social justice.  While the urgency still exists it
> has become clear to senior teachers of permaculture that a two week course
> is insufficient time to confer on students the authority to teach or
> design.  In no field that I know of is two weeks an adequate amount of
> time
> to turn a novice into a professional.
>
> This tradition still exists with some teachers of permaculture and has
> lead, in my opinion, to a deterioration of the quality of information
> being
> transmitted as well as designs that are not truly representational of
> permaculture design.  Some Permaculture Institutions have established a
> much higher standard for entering into the teaching and design profession.
>
> The Permaculture Institute of North American, a fledgling organization,
> has
> published their standards for teaching and design and it is available on
> their web site at www.permaculturenorthamerica.org.
>
> The Permaculture Institute established in 1997 by Bill Mollison, Scott
> Pittman and Arina Pittman has also published their standards at
> www.permaculture.org.  We only recognize those teachers and designers who
> have completed their Diploma of Permaculture in either teaching or design.
> This is typically a two year process following the PDC and for teachers a
> Teacher Training Course.   We will not accept most PDC certificates for
> Diploma application unless they were issued by a teacher with an existing
> Diploma.
>
> How much time is required for a PDC?
> Traditionally the PDC takes two weeks of instruction to cover the
> curriculum.  According to the “Foundation Yearbook of The Permaculture
> Academy” 1993 edition states that the basic Permaculture Certificate
> Course
> is 72 hours to cover the basic curriculum.  This time does not cover any
> experiential learning, design practicum, field trips, videos, talent show,
> and other extensions beyond the  72 contact hours necessary to cover the
> curriculum material.  I, personally, feel that the original 3 week PDC was
> a more appropriate time period to cover all the material.  I do not
> believe
> that anything less than 12 full days of instruction can adequately cover
> the material necessary for a certificate.  The Permaculture Institute does
> not recognize PDC’s issued for less than 12 days of instruction.
>
> What is the curriculum of the PDC?
> The PDC curriculum was officially endorsed by the International
> Permaculture Convergence in 1994 and most teachers utilize some iteration
> of this curriculum which has remained pretty much the same since the early
> 80’s.  I have posted the Curriculum for Permaculture Institute PDC at
> www.permaculture.org and Robyn Francis’ curriculum is available for
> those
> interested.   I do not have other curricula to share.   Sometime in the
> early 90’s Bill Mollison declared that “Permaculture a Designer’s
> Manual”
> was the official curriculum for the PDC.  Many teachers do not accept this
> change and continue to use the old curriculum with those additions that
> are
> necessary to stay up to date on new scientific data (ie climate change),
> and new information on “invisible structures”.
>
> I think it is critical that teachers of the PDC share a curriculum that
> contains the same material and rigor as the original that was developed by
> Mollison.  There will certainly be some differences depending on the
> ecosystem one is teaching in and the cultural context.
> Overall, all PDC certificates should represent a specific body of
> knowledge
> presented over a minimum period of time.
>
> Part of the curriculum has to include design exercises based on the land
> one is teaching on, hands on exercises of various “techniques”
> practiced by
> permaculture ie swaling.  All courses should include a talent show to wrap
> up the course.  The talent show is the first time many in the course have
> ever faced a group of their peers and given the gift of themselves; they
> are opening their hearts to their fellow classmates and teachers and this
> is part of the community building that has been taking place over the
> duration of the course.  The talent show is as much a part of permaculture
> as is the “herb spiral”!
>
> What exercises are required for a PDC?
> A PDC should have a design practicum as part of the curriculum.
> Traditionally it was a site design of the property on which the course was
> held and came at the end of the PDC.
> This was fully drawn out and presented to the class towards the end of the
> PDC.  Some teachers give several small design assignments based on
> different environmental influences ie mapping out the water shed and
> interventions necessary to conserve runoff and put it to beneficial use.
>
> With the development of the extended classes over a few months there is a
> better opportunity to really develop a design because there is
> considerable
> time between each class and the students have the opportunity to get
> together in design teams and really do the research necessary for a
> complete design.  I have found that without the benefit of good drafting
> skills that most designs coming out of a residential PDC are poorly done.
>
> There should also be several “hands on” exercises to demonstrate
> various
> techniques articulated in the classroom ie pruning, banana circle.  Many
> teachers use the evenings to present more in depth explication of subjects
> with power point presentations and videos.
>
> What is the price of a PDC?
> Most PDCs in the developed world seem to range from US $1,700.00 to
> 2,100.00 but it really depends on the costs to put on the course.  If it
> is
> a residential course then 3 meals a day are provided plus snacks and
> beverage.  Rooms or camping facilities add cost to the course.  PDC
> courses
> that are not residential tend to be less expensive with fewer expenses.
>
> I believe that the PDC is one of the best instructional bargains around;
> it
> is certainly cheaper than a two week yoga retreat!  I follow my own ethics
> when determining the price of my own courses and base it on an annual
> target of what I need to live and raise my family.  I have never expected
> to become rich teaching permaculture nor do I think that I should live in
> poverty.
>
> There are those who teach the PDC who are unapologetic capitalists and
> charge as much as the market will handle or seek large numbers of students
> for each course, some have started to use the internet for conducting the
> PDC on line.  I think a lot is lost with on line courses and the
> Permaculture Institute does not accept the on line PDC as fulfilling the
> requirement of a PDC for Diploma application.
>
> Who may issue the PDC certificate and under what authority?
> Traditionally anyone who completed a PDC was authorized to issue
> certificates and to declare themselves a permaculture designer.  This
> practice was started by Bill Mollison in the 1980’s and was followed for
> many years by his students.  Currently many teachers around the world are
> establishing professional associations to inject more professional
> standards in both teaching and design.  The Permaculture Institute was
> founded for that purpose.  We do not recognize any certificates unless the
> teacher has a Permaculture Diploma.  We do not recognize lead teachers of
> the PDC unless they have a Diploma in education.  For more information on
> our diploma process go to www.permaculture.org.
>
> I believe that those teachers who encourage their students to go out and
> teach after receiving a PDC certificate are doing a disservice to their
> students.  There are few PDC graduates who have sufficient knowledge or
> “experience” following a two week course to teach or design.
>
> The ethics of permaculture are the primary guiding influences in all
> aspects of permaculture and that certainly applies to teaching and design.
> One has to be thoroughly grounded in Earth sciences, as well as the
> invisible structures to adequately convey the incredible diversity of
> permaculture.  Permaculture as a whole has suffered very little
> diminishment of its ethics and principals since its inception but there is
> a disturbing trend developing of bottom feeding marketeers entering the
> ranks that predates on peoples good intentions to profit without providing
> fair value for their clients.  There is a clear need for the old aphorism
> of “buyer beware”.  Fortunately this trend is limited and many of the
> followers of permaculture have started to work to weed out unethical
> predators, it is part of being a good gardener.
>
> <>
>
> What is Permaculture Design Certificate Course
> http://www.permaculture.org/what-is-permaculture/certificate/
>
> Our Permaculture Design Certificate Course (PDC) material was originally
> developed by Bill Mollison, co-founder of permaculture, to teach the
> principles and foundations of sustainable design. All PDC courses offered
> throughout the world must follow the same format (see course syllabus
> <http://www.permaculture.org/what-is-permaculture/certificate/syllabus/>
> and PDC Outline
> <http://www.permaculture.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/PDC-Outline.pdf>)
> to assure that the integrity of the certification process is upheld.
>
> At a minimum, any certificate course shall meet the following criteria:
>
> - The lead instructor is an established permaculture teacher with a
> Diploma
> in Education
> <http://www.permaculture.org/what-is-permaculture/permaculture-diploma/>
> (beginning in 2015) or equal credentials . Lead instructor is present
> *throughout
> the entire course* and course certificate bears his/her signature.
>
> - The course provides a minimum of 72 hours of direct contact with
> instructor(s), in addition to group design time, homework assignments,
> self-study time, hands-on projects, visits to demonstration sites and
> other
> learning activities. *Courses shorter than 12 contact-days are generally
> not offering sufficient time for learning and should be evaluated by
> potential students for their validity.*
>
> - Course material is inclusive of, but not limited to, all subjects listed
> in the PDC Outline
> <http://www.permaculture.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/PDC-Outline.pdf>.
>
> - Course includes at least one design project exercise or multiple design
> vignettes.
>
> - Course includes Talent Show at the end.
>
> Currently, there is no unified oversight for the multitude of permaculture
> courses offered globally. We encourage prospective learners, if in doubt,
> to request course syllabus from the lead instructor and compare it against
> criteria listed above or contact us with further questions.
> Certification
>
> Participants of Permaculture Design Courses that meet the criteria above
> receive Permaculture Design Certificates from their lead instructor(s)
> upon
> completion of the course.The certificate attests that the recipient has
> acquired certain knowledge of the subject, and it enables the recipient to
> start using the word “permaculture” in their livelihood and
> professional
> practice.
>
> When using permaculture strictly in their personal lives, students are
> able
> to begin applying their knowledge right away. Those wanting to use
> permaculture in a professional capacity must complement their certificate
> with an additional two years of acquiring practical knowledge and hands-on
> experience as well as pursuing continuing education
> <http://www.permaculture.org/continuing-education/>. However, those
> students who come to PDC with substantial previous experience might be
> ready for professional practice much sooner. Currently, there are no
> unified criteria to determine when each particular individual might be
> ready for practice. The responsibility of that decision rests with each
> practitioner.
> Diploma
>
> Persons who acquire substantial practical experience, achieve excellence
> in
> their professional permaculture practice and meet certain additional
> education requirements, are ready to apply for the Permaculture Diploma
> <http://www.permaculture.org/what-is-permaculture/permaculture-diploma/>.
> Persons who wish to teach PDC as lead instructors must have a Permaculture
> Diploma to do so. Co-teachers and guest instructors do not need a
> Permaculture Diploma.
>
> Permaculture Design Certificate Courses offered by the Permaculture
> Institute <http://www.permaculture.org/permaculture-design-course/>
>
> PDC Syllabus
> <http://www.permaculture.org/what-is-permaculture/certificate/syllabus/> /
> PDC
> Outline
> <http://www.permaculture.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/PDC-Outline.pdf> /
> PDC Curriculum Links for Permaculture Teachers (coming up)
>
> Continuing Education Suggestions after PDC
> <http://www.permaculture.org/continuing-education/>  / Permaculture
> Diploma
> <http://www.permaculture.org/what-is-permaculture/permaculture-diploma/>/
> Permaculture
> Diplomats <http://www.permaculture.org/people/diplomats/>
> <>
>
> Permaculture Resources
> http://www.permaculture.org/permaculture-resources-2/
> Permaculture Resources
> Ever wonder what  is permaculture <http://www.permaculture.org/what-is/>
> –
> then read this blog post to get started.
>
> *Permaculture is what we use to tell us what to do* – Larry Santoyo
>
> Permaculture is an ecological design system. It is an approach to finding
> solutions for sustainability in all our undertakings – a way of looking
> at
> such questions as “How do I build an ecologically sound home?”, “How
> do I
> decrease my own ecological footprint?”, “How do I direct my money to
> do
> good work that restores communities and local economy?”, “How do I
> grow my
> own food and create life-affirming conditions for other living things,
> instead of relying on commercial food supply and all its vices?” – to
> name
> a few. Permaculture teaches us how to design natural homes,
> <http://www.permaculture.org/permaculture-resources-2/natural-building/>
> how to create abundant gardens,
> <http://www.permaculture.org/permaculture-resources-2/gardens/> plant food
> forests,
> <http://www.permaculture.org/permaculture-resources-2/food-forest/>
> how to include backyard animals
> <http://www.permaculture.org/permaculture-resources-2/backyard-animals/>,
> how to build biodiversity to protect wildlife, regenerate degraded
> landscapes and ecosystems,
> <http://www.permaculture.org/permaculture-resources-2/landscape-regeneration/>
> harvest rainwater
> <http://www.permaculture.org/permaculture-resources/principles/rainwater-harvesting/>,
> develop ethical economies
> <http://www.permaculture.org/permaculture-resources-2/ecological-economics/>and
> communities, and much more. As an ecological design system, permaculture
> focuses on the interconnections between things more than individual parts.
> What Is Permaculture
> http://www.permaculture.org/what-is/
> I have taught permaculture for the past 20+ years and the question of what
> is permaculture is the hardest I am asked to answer; because the depth and
> breadth of permaculture is virtually infinite and the questioner is always
> primed with toe tapping impatience for the quick sound bite – I usually
> take the easy way out.
>
> The easy answer is that permaculture is a design discipline based on the
> foundational ecological principles of nature. One then takes one’s
> observations of natural systems and applies the lessons learned to the
> human based environment. This easy answer is rife with further questions
> and implications and generally doesn’t satisfy the questioner nor does
> it
> instill in them a desire to learn more, even though it is a fairly good
> definition of permaculture.
> Ethics, Spirituality, Politics
>
> I, personally, think of permaculture as a system of ethics and ecological
> principles that, if thoughtfully pursued, leads to a regenerative living
> system that supports the environment and social justice. You could say it
> is a guide to understanding and practicing spiritual Animism.
>
> I know that one of the cardinal rules of permaculture, as taught by Bill
> Mollison, was no “woo-woo”, (read spiritualism), and no politics but I
> have
> found that if one follows the basic ethics and principles of permaculture
> the outcome is to run, smack dab, into spirituality and politics. Not that
> I am going out to form a church or political party, because to me, these
> two institutions have to bear the major responsibility for the
> deteriorating situation we find ourselves in today.
>
> Certainly most religious organizations find Animism an alarming concept,
> even though it is imbedded in their teachings, and it is, after all, only
> teaching that “all” things are sacred. How do you argue with that?
> The
> incredible lack of will to end wars, hunger, poverty, environmental
> destruction, and all the other horrors can be laid directly at the feet of
> the political systems and their cozy partnership with corporate profit.
> The religious establishment tends to walk in lock step with the political
> direction rather than providing a moral and ethical anchor.
> Are Gardening and Ecological Agriculture Permaculture?
>
> The purview of permaculture is often reduced to simply a method of
> gardening, or to ecological agriculture, or organic farming with a twist.
> These elements are only a very small part of designing, creating and
> inhabiting a resilient sustainable environment.
>
> Gardening is definitely one of the tools of permaculture, and so too is
> home building, forestry, soil creation, sustainable waste management and
> so
> forth. It boils down to those many skill sets and technologies we use to
> create our living environment. What is often left out of the answer are
> the
> “invisible structures” of economics, legal structures, and social
> behavior.
> Mollison taught that the visible structures (gardening, building etc.)
> were
> those things we needed to do to be regenerative and the invisible
> structures taught us how to do it. In discovering both the “what” to
> do and
> “how” to do it we use the ethics and principles of permaculture to
> guide
> us.  My friend Larry Santoyo says that, “permaculure is something we
> “*use*”
> to discover what to “*do*“.”
>
> *The bottom line is that permaculture is a road map to finding our small
> place in the world as an integral part of the whole planetary system.*
> <>
>
> Permaculture Ethics
> http://www.permaculture.org/permaculture-ethics/
>
> *Permaculture Touchstone*
>
> Permaculture ethics were presented in my first Permaculture Design Course
> as the touchstone of designing towards sustainability – whether as a
> landscape designer, as an architect, urban planner, as a farmer/gardener,
> as a teacher or activist, as an urban dweller seeking to find balance and
> create an ecologically-sound life.
>
> I was amazed that I hadn’t been presented with a statement of ethics in
> any
> other discipline I had studied; I had known about the Hippocratic oath
> taken by medical practitioners, but not for professions that deal with the
> health of the land, of our communities or our cities and ecosystems.
> Since
> that time I have realized how critical ethics are in my permaculture
> design
> work and my teaching of permaculture.  Ethics guide my work and my daily
> activities.
>
> *The three ethics of permaculture are:*
>
> *1.Care of the Earth, 2. Care of people, and 3. Set limits to consumption
> and reproduction, and redistribute surplus to the benefit of the Earth and
> people.*
>
> At first reading, this seems a simple guide, but, like all things
> permaculture, a little reflection leads us into a morass of implications
> and decisions to be made.
> Care of the Earth
>
> How does one care for the Earth when we have such an elementary level of
> understanding of the Earth’s processes?  Care of the Earth has an
> implication that we are knowledgeable enough to become the caretakers of
> the planetary processes.  We, humans, are just learning the basics of the
> foundational knowledge of life processes!  What mankind has exhibited in
> the last 10,000 years is an incredible ability to lay waste to the Earth
> with little to no care for it!
>
> The first ethic sets a very high bar for those of us aspiring to teach
> about and work with nature-inspired design, striving to achieve resiliency
> that we observe in truly natural systems.
>
> The second and third ethic are, really, a reiteration of the first one,
> but
> with more specificity.
> Care of People
>
> Care of People is also a very grand aspiration especially within our
> culture of individualism, and narcissistic tendencies.  The evolution of
> the Western society into a class system of the “haves” and the
> “have-nots”
> is a  sad testament to a lack of care for the “have-nots”.  This is
> not
> just an economic divide but a social justice issue encompassing health
> care, housing, meaningful work, education, justice, equality between
> genders (not just male and female), racial equality, and the pursuit of
> happiness.
>
> I find caring for people particularly challenging since we have been so
> wounded by a culture that judges one’s worth by the possessions one
> owns,
> and by one’s conformity with cultural norms of beauty, education, income
> and behavior.  Living in a culture that is primarily in corporate hands
> does not allow us to truly explore our humanity or to express it,
> particularly as it pertains to care of others.  To a sociopath this
> humanistic attitude is the ultimate failure in the scrabble to the top
> echelons of the social order.
>
> Anyone who has seriously thought about the implications of permaculture
> soon realizes that herein lie all the answers to the dysfunction of our
> society and yet we continually default to the destructive behavior we have
> been indoctrinated into by an educational system that’s primary purpose
> is
> to engender an attitude of obsequious servitude to the corporate bosses.
> Set Limits to Consumption and Population
>
> The third ethic is a troubling one to me, not because it is unnecessary
> but
> because it is so little understood.  The third ethic does not want to fit
> into a comfortable sound bite, it is wordy and long and that has inspired
> many  generations of permaculture teachers to morph it into something
> simpler, easier to digest.
>
> I often hear that the third ethic is: “a return of all excess to the
> care
> of the earth and people”.  Somewhere along the line “set limits to
> consumption and reproduction” was dropped from the lexicon.  I think
> this
> may have been because of the political climate surrounding birth control
> and the holy rite of consumption.
>
> To be fair, the third ethic is so unwieldy and it does not trip off the
> tongue as poetically as the first two ethics.
>
> It would be great to have one of the pioneers of permaculture shine some
> light on the history of this critical ethic.
>
> More recently the third ethic has further devolved into “fair share”
> which
> is a far cry from the original intent of this ethic.  Fair is an ambiguous
> word that changes with the user, what is fair for me may be totally unfair
> for you.  What is the gold standard of “fair”?  I am certain that this
> misstatement of the third ethic derived from that constant quest for the
> “sound bite” that sounds good but, sadly, conveys very little
> information.
>
> I am much more concerned with the meaning conveyed by the third ethic than
> the meter or prosody of the words.  It is critically important that we
> state the permaculture ethics in non-compromised form so there is no doubt
> in their meaning or necessity.
>
> The ethics of permaculture are the core; around that core everything else
> –
> permaculture methods, approaches, design concepts, practical applications
> –
> converge.  If all our decisions are seen through the lens of the three
> permaculture ethics we will not stray far from our best intentions.
>
>
> FILES FOR DOWNLOAD:
> -------------------------------------
>
>  Definition of PDC Standard.txt
> (10k)
> Sep 16, 2014, 9:16 PM
>
> PDC-Outline.pdf
> <https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxwZXJtYWN1bHR1cmVsaXN0fGd4OjQyM2IyY2U0MjQxOGZjNTA>
> (2226k)
> Sep 16, 2014, 9:10 PM
> <https://sites.google.com/site/permaculturelist/home/documents-from-the-permaculture-institute-and-scott-pittman/PDC-Outline.pdf?attredirects=0&d=1>
>
> Permaculture Certificate Course Syllabus.txt
> (4k)
> Sep 16, 2014, 9:14 PM
>
> Permaculture Ethics.txt
> (5k)
> Sep 16, 2014, 9:35 PM
>
> What Is Permaculture.txt
> (5k)
> Sep 16, 2014, 9:36 PM
>
> What is Permaculture Design Certificate Course.txt
> (3k)
> Sep 16, 2014, 9:31 PM
> _______________________________________________
> permaculture mailing list
> permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
> subscribe/unsubscribe|user config|list info|make a donation toward list
> maintenance:
> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/permaculture
> message archives:  https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/permaculture/
> Google message archive search:
> site: lists.ibiblio.org/pipermail/permaculture [searchstring]
> Permaculture Institute USA http://permaculture.org
> How to permaculture your urban lifestyle
> http://www.ipermie.net
> Avant Geared  http://www.avantgeared.com
> https://plus.google.com/+Avantgeared
> Permaculture: -- portal to an expanding global network of landtech
> pioneers practicing and teaching permaculture
> while designing ecological, biointensive land use systems with integrated
> elements for synergy, sustainability, regeneration and enhanced
> nature-compatible
> human habitat --