In-person
Permaculture Design Course
at the Santa Cruz Permaculture Farm & surrounding region
Expert Educators
& Community Network
Learn from seasoned instructors with over 10 years of teaching experience and deep ties to UCSC, the permaculture movement, and a vast alumni network.
Comprehensive, In Person Curriculum
Internationally recognized 72-hour curriculum plus additional 38-hours of hands on practice and field trips.
Working Regenerative Farm by the Coast as the Classroom
Experience hands-on learning at our farm within walking distance of the California coastline, surrounded by vibrant ecosystems.
Community Rooted in the Land
Whether you camp on-site or commute, you’ll collaborate, share experiences, and form connections that last well beyond the course.
Whole-Systems Thinking for Real-World Change
Permaculture is an ethically based whole-systems design approach that uses concepts, principles, and methods derived from ecosystems, nature connected communities, and other time-tested systems to create human settlements and institutions.
In this hands-on course, you’ll learn directly from leading permaculture teachers and practitioners across California. Each instructor brings unique expertise—from water management and soil health to community design and sustainable economics.
Working in design teams, participants apply what they learn to create a comprehensive permaculture plan for a real client site. Through workshops, field trips, and design exercises, you’ll gain the knowledge, practical skills, and systems-thinking mindset to create thriving, resilient environments anywhere in the world.
What You Can Do with Your Permaculture Design Certificate
Design Regenerative Systems
Create water-harvesting landscapes, edible gardens, and food forests that restore soil and biodiversity.
Manage Sustainable Farms & Homesteads
Design efficient systems for food production, composting, and animal care on any scale.
Consult on Community Projects
Collaborate with schools, nonprofits, and neighborhoods to build gardens and restoration projects.
Start Land-Based Businesses
Launch regenerative farms, nurseries, design studios, or ecological landscaping services.
Apply Permaculture in Your Career
Integrate systems thinking into architecture, education, urban planning, and environmental design.
Teach & Facilitate Change
Lead workshops and programs that empower others in regenerative living.
Learn by the Coast
Learn within walking distance of the ocean, just across from Año Nuevo State Park. It’s an inspiring place to study, observe wildlife, surf before class, or walk over for sunset after a full day of hands-on learning.
Class Formats, Pricing & Schedules
Full Series: 6 Weekends over 6 Months
Sessions typically run 9am – 5:30pm both days, with a lunch break. Full series registration is available up until the day before the first session. Late registration is available and you can make up any missed weekends with the next session. Use the next cohort registration and select the class you’d like to join on our registration form. Email info.santacruzpermaculture@gmail.com with questions.
Pricing
- Full Tuition: $1395
- Early Bird Discount: $1295 (Register more than 30 days in advance)
- Super Early Bird Discount: $1195 (Register more than 60 days in advance)
- Partner / Spouse Tuition: $1095 (When one partner pays regular tuition, the second gets a discount)
- Teachers: $1195 (Special price for teachers at accredited K-12, Colleges and Universities)
- Youth: $795 (Special price for ages 13-18)
Fall 2025 – Winter 2026
- Session 1: October 4-5, 2025
- Session 2: November 1-2, 2025
- Session 3: December 6-7, 2025
- Session 4: January 3-4, 2026
- Session 5: February 7-8, 2026
- Session 6: March 7-8, 2026
Spring 2026 – Summer 2026
- Session 1: April 2026
- Session 2: May 2026
- Session 3: June 2026
- Session 4: June 2026
- Session 5: August 2026
- Session 6: August 2026
Full Series: 2 Week Summer Intensive
Pricing
Tuition includes catered meals and on-site camping
- Full Tuition: $2195
- Early Bird Discount: $2095 (Register more than 30 days in advance)
- Super Early Bird Discount: $1995 (Register more than 60 days in advance)
- Partner / Spouse Tuition: $1995 (When one partner pays for regular tuition, the second gets a discount)
- Teachers: $1895 (Special price for teachers at accredited K-12, Colleges and Universities)
- Youth: $1695 (Special price for ages 13-18)
Two Week Summer Intensive Dates
September 12-25, 2026
Saturday, September 12th is arrival day, with a farm orientation in the evening. The course begins Sunday, September 13th.
Our 2-week intensive covers the same curriculum as our 6-month course. Tuition includes catered meals and on-site camping.
The 2-week intensive is followed by our 8-day Advanced Permaculture Design Course. Please consider joining us for both courses.
Individual Sessions
If you don’t want to sign up for the full course but would like to sign up for an individual weekend, you’re welcome to do so! The tuition is $295 per weekend.
See “What You’ll Learn” for descriptions of the 6 sessions.
What You'll Learn
session 1
Regenerative Design & Nature Awareness
- Explore the principles and ethics of permaculture
- Learn design processes and methods for articulating client goals and desired outcomes, and site analysis
- Study ecology and employ natural patterns as a design tool
- Participate in a World Cafe with fellow students to access the collective intelligence of the community
- Practice nature awareness and observation
- Learn to add value to current systems and practices through the lens of regenerative design
session 2
Regenerating Watersheds & Soils
- Learn about watersheds, climate, and the importance of slowing, spreading, and sinking rainfall to rehydrate the earth
- Study simple water harvesting systems from home to broadacre scale, including rainwater catchment methods and greywater design
- Explore the characteristics and management of healthy soil ecology with hands-on lessons and time in the garden
- Build a compost pile and prepare the garden soil for planting
- Find contour by making a-frame levels and build a berm and swale to slow and sink water into the soil
session 3
Personal & Economic Permaculture
- Learn and practice nonviolent communication
- Participate in a Work that Reconnects workshop and learn about the Spiral of the Work That Reconnects
- Discuss and reflect on Right Livelihood and your role in the Great Turning
- Explore strategies for mitigating disaster through community resilience, permaculture design, and creating disaster plans
- Gain an understanding of financial permaculture, challenges with our current economic system, and concepts like money and banking
- Learn about topics like alternative currencies, public banking, and ways to align your investments with your values
- Discuss how to translate ecological principles to a variety of social, economic, and educational settings
- Discuss public placemaking examples like City Repair in Portland
session 4
Home Scale Permaculture: Creating Natural Homes & Edible Landscapes
- Learn about natural building techniques
- Gain hands-on experience building a small structure with cob
- Learn about crop planning strategies
- Tour the UC Santa Cruz Farm and Chadwick Garden
- Explore the application of permaculture methods to educational curriculum design and the creation of school garden programs
- Study food forests and fruit trees
- Define and design “guilds” or constructed plant communities
- Discuss local food issues and the importance of localization
session 5
Broad Scale Permaculture for Ecosystem Regeneration: Integrated Animal Husbandry & Forest Management
- Tour local broadacre ranches that are applying permaculture principles to their animal husbandry practices, such as holistic grazing
- Learn about Traditional Ecological Knowledge and stewardship practices of the first peoples
- Learn about forest management practices, including Sudden Oak Life, and how to implement Sudden Oak Life strategies
- Study and practice fruit tree selection and care
session 6
Home Scale Permaculture: Creating Natural Homes & Edible Landscapes
- Explore the principles of social permaculture
- Learn about community designs and programs that foster resilient neighborhoods
- Explore best practices for starting and sustaining intentional communities and Ecovillages
- Visit urban gardens and orchards in Santa Cruz
- Present final permaculture design projects
What is Permaculture & Whole Systems Design?
Permaculture is an ethically based whole-systems design approach that uses concepts, principles, and methods derived from ecosystems, nature connected communities, and other time-tested systems to create human settlements and institutions. It’s also been called “saving the planet while throwing a better party.” Learn more about permaculture.
Grounded in the context of Permaculture & Whole Systems Design, this course covers a wide range of topics, including:
- Food Forests
- Fruit Tree Care
- Agroforestry
- Nature Awareness
- Rehydrating the Earth
- Creating Water
- Retention Landscapes
- Rainwater Catchment
- Gabions
- Berms and Swales
- Greywater
- No-Till Agriculture & Carbon Farming
- Preparing Garden Beds for Planting
- Cover Cropping
- Mycorrhizal Network & Fungi
- Soil Ecology
- Composting
- Natural Building & Cob Construction
- Plant Guilds
- Crop Planning
- School Gardens
- Urban Gardens & Orchards
- Traditional Ecological Knowledge
- Sudden Oak Life
- Integrated Animal Husbandry
- Holistic Management & Rotational Grazing
- Local Food Systems
- Designing to Mitigate Disaster
- Bioregional Networks
- The World Café
- The Work That Reconnects
- Nonviolent Communication
- Financial Permaculture
- Alternative Currencies
- Economic Permaculture
- Public Banking
- Community Development
- City Repair
- Transition Towns
- Social Permaculture
- Intentional Communities & Ecovillages
- Neighborhood Resilience
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can make up material you missed during the next session.
Please use the registration button above.
Cancellations up to two weeks before the course begins will be refunded, excluding a $150 processing fee. No refunds are given after that date.
Participants are welcome to defer their enrollment to the next session of the course.
Most classes are held on our 26-acre farm north of Davenport, CA, 20 minutes north of the Westside of Santa Cruz and 1 hour from San Jose or San Francisco. Participants are welcome to camp onsite for the weekend of the course and enjoy the gorgeous natural surroundings and beach access.
Some weekends will include regional field trips.
Course participants are very welcome to camp at the farm Saturday of the course weekends. Our facilities are rustic, but comfortable. Building community around the campfire is a wonderful bonus! The farm is a gorgeous place where you will feel immersed in nature and enjoy spectacular stars at night and walkable beach access. There are restaurants and markets nearby in Davenport and Costanoa.
Yes. We provide a very comprehensive course reader for free to our students, and recommend you purchase the 2nd Edition of Earth User’s Guide to Permaculture by Rosemary Morrow.
Class meets Saturday and Sunday 9am-5:30pm with a lunch break. We typically have potluck lunches both days. On rare occasions the group may decide to begin earlier to catch a particular field trip and/or end earlier. We never end after 5:30pm.
Many participants in the course have dietary restrictions. Our caterer can accommodate vegetarians, vegans, gluten free, and allergies. Please inquire by emailing us at info.santacruzpermaculture@gmail.com if you have more specific restrictions.
Your Guides For This Course
David Shaw
John Valenzuela
Lydia Neilson
Miles Taylor
Lee Klinger
Della Duncan
Kanyon Sayers-Roods
