• 30 hours online training with lifetime access

• 72 hours internationally recognized PDC

• + 28 hours of extra hands-on content  

• Classes and workshops from our main teacher and guest teachers

• Short homework assignments after each class to consolidate your learning

• The student handbook to prepare for the course

• Teaching material presented during class

• A lifetime online access to various suggested readings, videos, podcasts and other resources for each chapter of the course

• An online platform to access and submit all your homework, share resources and ask additional questions

• An opportunity to meet and practice with actors and actresses of the permaculture network in Quebec

This part-time PDC is held at the FAB, a community center in Chelsea Qc, accessible by bus from Ottawa or Gatineau. 

Our class location will alternate between the Fab, the field and the forest. 

With a swimming hole and 100yr forest within walking distance, students will be able to learn, explore and interact with their environments.

Note, no accommodation is provided during the part-time PDC weekends, however https://www.bnblaviolette.com/ and https://ncc-ccn.gc.ca/places/camping-and-accommodations-in-gatineau-park# provide options that may be suitable for you. 

The 30 hour online training that we ask students to complete prior to the start of the 2 weeks at the farm allows us to make sure students have a shared understanding of the basics of permaculture at the start of the in-person training. This allows us to spend more time in the field and to go deeper on some course topics during our in-person time together. Registered students will get access to the online training on April 17th. Here is a list of the topics covered in the online training:

• Understanding the key parameters to build an ecological garden

• Managing and conserving water

• Creating and maintaining  healthy soil

• Creating diversity and resilience in the garden

• Creating and using maps for your property

• Understanding the key parameters to build an ecological garden

• Conducting Active Observation

• Functional Analysis

• Defining the Root Cause of a Problem

• Defining the Permaculture Zones

• Conducting a Sector Analysis

• Conducting the Designer's Priority

• Applying a SWOT analysis

The curriculum we follow at P3 is one that was developed by the late Bill Mollison in Australia in the 1970’s, and is today regarded as the standard in permaculture education, recognized and respected worldwide. During the 2 weeks intensive training we go over the following 6 sections:

• Part 1: Permaculture Fundamentals ​: The Ethics and Principles of Permaculture, Observation and Design Process, Identifying Patterns.

• Part 2: Understanding Ecosystems : Climates / Water Systems, Trees and their Energy Transactions, Soil Systems

• Part 3: Special Topics: Earthworks and Earth Resources, Aquaculture & Aquaponics

• ​Part 4: Specific Climates: Drylands / Cool Climates / Tropics

• Part 5: Global Strategies: Strategies for an Alternative Paradigm

• Part 6: Final Design Project 

Each day we spend 5 hours exploring permaculture theory either in the field or in class and 2 hours doing some hands-on work related to the learnings of the day.

We have packed this PDC with 28 additional hours of hands-on workshops. Here are some of the topics we will cover:

• Compost (thermophilic, mesophilic, vermi-compost and Johnson-Su Bioreactor)

• Herb spirals

• Lasagna Gardens

• Cold frames

• Water filtration

• Food Forest basics

• Pond maintenance

• Coppice forestry

• Erosion management

• ...and more

• You’ll learn “whole-systems thinking”: Instead of trying to solve problems by addressing individual components which leads to creating new problems down the road that we often refer to as externalities, you’ll be able to analyze how the parts and pieces connect together and how to interact with those relationships to improve the whole system. Systems thinking is key to finding solutions to the complex environmental, economic and social challenges we face today.

• Specifically you will learn how to observe a problem or situation, identify its strengths weaknesses opportunities and threats, with this you will be able to design solutions.  Examples of some solutions we learn are drought prevention, flood control water management passive solar design, alternative architecture, alternative social systems and so much more.

• You’ll acquire a toolbox to create beyond-sustainable and regenerative designs: Although we do go deep in many subjects covered in the PDC (see course content presented above), you won’t become an expert in any of them. The goal of the PDC is to introduce you to all the disciplines required for permaculture design and to show you all the relationships and synergies that exist between them. At the end of the PDC, you’ll have acquired the toolbox that you need to design beyond sustainable systems. You’ll have learned how and when to use each tool and you’ll be able to go deeper into each of them depending on your needs and interests.

• You’ll find a community of people that care: In this course you will meet people that share your concerns and want to be part of the change as much as you do. You’ll be inspired by them and get the chance to form new friendships and collaborative relationships. Based on feedback from our alumni, we’re confident to say that this experience will be life changing for you.

Many participants find the PDC life-changing, they develop new world views, solidify action plans and enhance their social network. Thinking as a permaculturist helps you to make appropriate social and ecological interventions in any field you dedicate yourself to; it may, in fact, completely change your relationship to the areas you have been exploring for years. Taking a PDC allows you to develop new thinking patterns that allow you to create designs that tend to use fewer resources, work more efficiently, and are easier to maintain.

Many P3 alumni choose to start their own business as permaculture designers, consultants, and implementers. Permaculture opens doors to all kinds of paths, including social entrepreneurship, natural building, food forestry, passive-solar building design, natural agriculture, community organizing, research & development, amongst many more.

Here is a non-exhaustive list demonstrating how you can benefit from a PDC (Toby Hemenway, 2019):

Homeowners, gardeners, and farmers learn to increase the value and productivity of their property and to create home and land environments that better support their own needs as well as nature’s.

Real estate, construction, and development professionals are able to better address the public’s growing concern for the environment and to reduce resource use and impacts.

Educators learn to integrate permaculture design into their curriculum in ways that have been proven to raise student performance.

Planners and public officials find holistic solutions to land-use and resource issues, and will identify and solve bottlenecks and impediments to implementing their programs.

Energy, water, and waste-systems workers will learn holistic management strategies for integrating their projects into the larger community.

Very Early Bird | Save 15% by registering and paying in full 4 months or more in advance. | Only 5 spots at this price | Discount code : VERYEARLY15

Early Bird | Save 10% by registering  3 months in advance.  | Only 5 spots at this price | Discount code : EARLY10

Friends with Benefits  | $50.00 each when 2 register together | $100.00 each when 3 register together | $150.00 each when 4 register together | To get the friends with benefit discount, buy 2 or more PDC Deposits and we will automatically apply this discount to your final invoice.

Note that discounts cannot be combined, and the deposit of $250.00 + TX is required to reserve your place. Make sure to enter the code of your desired discount when you buy your PDC spot. If the code has expired it means all the very early bird and/or early bird spot have already been taken.

If you are unable to afford your full tuition you can apply to be accepted as a work-trader to help with the setup of the PDC or other tasks helpful to P3 permaculture. Your acceptance is conditional to having skills we need and these vary in accordance to each course offered. This process will include a video or in-person meeting to assess your ease of integration into the organizational team. 

Upon acceptance your trade is valued at 15$ per hour up to a maximum reduction of 50% of your tuition. The discount will be calculated up to 2 days prior to the PDC start and the remainder will need to be paid before the first day of class. 

To apply, please send us your CV and motivation letter. Please specify in your motivation letter the reasons why you are applying for a work-trade and the skills you could share with the P3 Team.

Skills needed for PDC 2022 

- Physical labour

- Construction

- Farm labour or tasks

- Food forest maintenance

- Pond maintenance

- Photography and video

- General maintenance

- Social media marketing 

Just like we did for our 2020 and 2021 PDCs, we’ll take all the health precautions required to ensure our students and staff safety. Here is a list of the measures that will be in place for this 2022 PDC:

• Everyone is asked to stay at a 1 m distance at all times (classroom, lunch time, etc)

• It is mandatory to wear a mask during group activities and when in the food serving area.

• Hand sanitizer is made available all day and everybody is asked to sanitize their hands before entering the classroom and the food serving area.

• Bathrooms will be washed and disinfected multiple times every day.

• Students presenting covid symptoms prior to the start of the in person training will be required to show negative covid test results before being allowed to join the group.

• Note that the Part-Time PDC is indoors and the venue requires a vaccination passport

Refund requests will follow our regular refund policy: Students asking for a refund should do so at least one month prior to the start of the course, furthermore the  $250 +tax registration fee is non-refundable

Our 2022 PDC will consist of:

• An online theory portion which must be completed prior to the first weekend of the course

• 1 online weekend meet-up and class introduction to answer all your questions and concerns   

• 8 days on site with hands-on learning at The Fab sur Mill

• 1day of hands-on learning at L'Alpakiade (Wakefield, QC). (TBC)

• 1 day of on-site design for a real client