Introduction To Permaculture Course

Wednesdays July 10th & 17th across 2 morning sessions 9.30am-12.30pm

An introduction course, with practical activities in our garden.

Formatted across 2 mornings to be accessible to flexible part-time workers, carers, parents and others.

We also have a single day intro to permaculture course on Saturday 14 September.

We can share lunch together afterwards on each day, to give more space to talk and connect.

What’s in the course?

First of all, you don’t need to know anything about permaculture or gardening to come on this course. We start at the beginning.

You will learn about ethics and principles of permaculture, how to observe deeper, and be introduced to design tools. You will start to see how to apply permaculture in your life.

You’ll learn together in a small group.

Permaculture can be thought of as a holistic design toolkit. A what? Well, it brings everything together, joins the dots. And there’s a whole load of aspects to it – from ethics at the core, to different design tools you can use to help find your way.

Because of this, it’s not just helpful in the garden! It can help you create effective, efficient, healthy systems of any kind. That may be a new compost bin, sure. It might also be a more thriving way of life. What’s very likely is that what you discover on this course will open doors. We hope you’ll leave having learned lots, also leave wanting to learn more.

Part of the course will be focused on practical skills – composting and creating edible and useful polyculture plantings.

About the teaching

The course is led by Ryan Sandford-Blackburn, who worked as Strategic Communications Coordinator for the Permaculture Association for almost 8 years.

Ryan is a director of Earthed Up! growing lots of plants, running workshops, gardening, bookkeeping, and all sorts. He is dad to 2 children, 2 and 5 years old.

Ryan has previously taught 7 such courses since 2019, as well as leading workshops on numerous other topics and talks too. The teaching will be learner-centred, with information-rich input and group learning. There will be a little bit of presenting, plenty of group discussion and styles of activities to suit different people.

We will be together in the garden. We’ll show you around – you can meet our plants (and buy some too if you like). We’ll take on a task together as a group, with the aim of developing practical skills that you can take straight back to your garden space.

What others say

Here’s some honest feedback from participants on previous introduction to permaculture courses with Ryan.

“I loved being on your site and channelling the info you gave us” J, 2019

“I thought the course was really well run and your icebreaker exercises at the beginning were great for making the room feel comfortable and integrate everyone. I feel I have begun to understand the permaculture ethics and principles from what we covered which is great” F, 2019

“I enjoyed the course and learnt a lot (especially practical stuff about gardening / allotments). Some of this was through observation and the Q and As with other participants, most was from your examples in terms of layout, design, composting and mulching etc.” T, 2019

“Everything! Ryan and Lamis are wonderful, knowledgeable and nurturing teachers. This course has really opened up a new world to me, one that feels like the right ‘fit’.” Anon 1, foundations of permaculture online, 2021

“I felt Ryan was such an active permaculture practitioner, and any information or thoughts he imparted came from his lived expereince of this. So I felt fortuante to have him as a teacher.” Anon 2, foundations of permaculture online, 2021

We receive plenty of constructive feedback on all our work – we really value it and invite it! We act on what the feedback is telling us, to improve.

Cost

We ask that you pay £52-£77 for the 2 part course. Choose the amount that feels right for you.

If the cost of the course is a barrier to participating, please get in touch to ask about bursary places. 

Teas, water and soda are provided. Lunch is not provided, please bring your own food to be accompanied by a side salad from us.

Learn together in a group of up to 12 people (and many plants)!

The venue

We will be at our garden at Belper Lane End, DE56 2DL. We have been tending this garden since early 2021, taking on the second half in October 2022. So, we’re still growing! This is our main site and where we propagate our plants for the nursery.

We are off grid but have access to a neighbour’s plumbed in toilet and wash basin.

You will see how we grow peat free, without using harmful chemicals:

• Rainwater harvesting
• Composting including worm baths
• Polytunnels
• Perennial polycultures of veg, fruit and herbs
• Coldframes upcycled from pallets
• Plants for sale
• Insects and other wildlife

We will be outdoors and have some cover from the elements (heat or rain!) in a ventilated polytunnel and gazebo.

The venue is not easily accessible to those in a wheelchair or with mobility issues – there are steps into the garden and the paths in the garden are uneven woodchip.

Children are welcome, accompanying their parent or guardian.

Refunds and cancellations:

Once paid, your place is confirmed. Should you need to cancel your place, we will issue a refund minus £10 administration charge if you let us know by email at least 10 days before the start of the course. If cancelling within 10 days of the course starting, we reserve the right to retain your payment. If we have to change the date and/or location of the course for any reason, we will let you know by email at the earliest opportunity.