Beau Wickbolt

December 2 – 16, 2012 at Rak Tamachat, in the Isan Region of Thailand.

www.raktamachat.org

We invite you to join us for a certified 72-hour Permaculture Design Course (PDC) taught by Panya’s founder, Christian Shearer and the People of Rak Tamachat. Christian brings an energy of excitement and enthusiasm to the subject, keeping the whole two weeks fresh, interesting and engaging. You are also welcome to join in our Permaculture in Practice course for a week of hands on implementation based on your design, including a Dec 21 Mayan calendar party! See details on this at the bottom of the page.

This full 72-hour certified Permaculture Design Course will be held at the site of a new and exciting permaculture project to the NE of Bangkok, in the province of Korat. The project had a full integrated permaculture design drawn up, and will be almost one year in on the implementation of that design. There will be fresh earthworks, recently planted food forest, and rice just coming out of the fields. This backdrops allows for an amazing place to host a PDC course as the work will be happening all around you during the course. You will have the opportunity to participate in a number of aspects of that implementation, including the construction of zone one garden beds, building compost, planting the zone 1 area and mulching the food forest.

The course will consist of a broad range of topics applicable to life anywhere on this planet, yet will be tailored to the needs of the students present as well as the location at hand. As part of the course, participants will help to co-create designs for real world projects that could include elements like tropical food forests, permaculture-style gardens, natural buildings, water catchment and irrigation systems. All will have an opportunity to take part in permaculture activities on the hosting land.

The course will be conducted in the internationally accepted manner. The 72 hours of course work required to receive a Permaculture Design Certificate, will be covered over a two week period, mixing hands-on with plenty of in classroom studies. All students are required to be present for the full two weeks if they wish to receive the certificate.

Permaculture courses are fairly standardized as far as content. We will cover every major topic in Bill Mollisons: Permaculture: a Designers Manual. So quickly what that includes is the following:

1. Philosophies and Ethics underlying permaculture.

2. Basic permaculture principals.

3. Patterns in Nature and how to use that in design.

4. Methods of design. How to go from a damaged piece of land to having an idea for how to move forward with it.

5. Climactic factors. We will cover all the major climates and how to work with them.

6. Trees, forests and why we want to mimic their systems.

7. Water: catchment, usage, importance, and conservation.

8. Soil, minerals, microorganisms, building new soil and preventing erosion.

9. Earthworks: how to shape the land to help it achieve the goals we are aiming for.

10. Aquaculture

11. Natural Building

12. Alternative systems: community living and other ways of choosing to live differently that works well for people and the planet.

Each of these categories has subcategories and each teacher also has their own additions and certain topics that are stressed over others.



We would like to continue to offer half price for people working with NGO’s. We appreciate what you do and this is just one way we can thank and support you. We are looking forward to expanding our own knowledge and depth of permaculture, creating an amazing example of it ourselves and sharing the bounty with the global sustainability community and beyond!

Permaculture in Practice

The crew at Rak Tamachat would also like to welcome you for a Permaculture in Practice course after the PDC. This is a one week opportunity to experience full immersion implementing Permaculture designs with your PDC partners and the Rak community. You will also enjoy with us a Dec 21 party to celebrate a new beginning of the Mayan calendar! The exact projects of the course are not planned, as we hope to decide with all of the participants during the PDC. The schedule concept we have is as follows:

PDC finished Dec 16.
One day off to relax.
One day of planning the systems you will implement.
3 days of work.
Dec 21 Party then optional morning off the next day.
Work until Dec 24, Christmas Eve!
You are also welcome to join us for Christmas at Rak Tamachat, as family is the reason for our celebrations The owner Beau should be back then, and as tradition goes, the feast will include some free-range oven roasted turkey!

We all really look forward to a course like this, more than a PDC because the community is 100% involved. As a result, we don’t wish to charge much for the course, but of course still need to cover costs. The price for the stay and PIP up till Dec 24 is 3000 Baht, basically 100 USD. Really hope you can join in on what is sure to be an amazing experience and a positive start to a new cycle on Earth!

Costs: The two week certified PDC course:

Regular course price: __________29,700Baht (US$990)

NGO special price*:_________14,700Baht (US$490)

These prices include all meals and a place to stay for the duration of the course.

We ask all registrants to make a deposit of US$200 to secure your spot.

*If you work for an NGO and believe that permaculture could help your organization achieve its goals, please contact us about the NGO discounted rate.The intention of the NGO discount is to give back to those folks who have given their life or some portion of their life to better the world or the lives of others. Most NGO workers make very little money, but we would like them to still have the opportunity to learn and apply the skills of the PDC course.

If you simply volunteer for an NGO occasionally, we really appreciate your work as well, but this does not qualify you for the discount. Almost all PDC students volunteer a part of their time. That is just the kind of person who tends to take these courses.

Do you want some hands-on experience while learning the basics of Permaculture without the 72 hours of theory? Permaculture in Practice introduces and covers the principles of permaculture with practical real world experience in the implementation of permaculture techniques and solutions.

Open to all students regardless of prior experience or education. This course is designed to teach you the basic concepts of permaculture and then directly show you how they can be applied to any site. You will leave here knowing, not only how to implement the permaculture techniques but also why and when. A complete package for students wanting to master permaculture or sustainable techniques without having to study a full design course.

See the pics of our planned schedule for the 2 weeks. We strive to be flexible during the course, and if any aspect of the plan doesn't match the interest of the participants, we are happy to adapt. A description of each project can be seen below.

No dig garden methods; We'll spend a couple days in one of our many gardens, and you'll be able to practice with a few methods of weed control and soil preparation that can be applied anywhere, and for any crop.

Seed Saving: Did you know that some countries (USA and New Zealand for example) have made it technically illegal to save seeds and grow organic food?! Although it's not enforced yet, the measure is there for 'security' purposes. Time to fight back and save our precious seeds from the big Ag corporations who fully understand the concept of, " Control the food, and you control the people." - Thomas Jefferson.

Irrigation techniques: Drip irrigation for the gardens, the most efficient way to water.

Composting in all it's glory, both short and long term methods. The essential skill for every gardener. Plus, might as well make a compost shower while we're at it

Soil Fertility - the natural way; ground cover, legumes, Compost teas and EM (effective microorganisms).

Community living - The plural version of self-sufficiency. We'll have workshops in the kitchen on cheese and yoghurt making, kombucha and wine making, fermentation, and if we have time maybe even some soap! Also as part of the course, participants and the farm community will share in cooking and cleaning roles. Sounds like work? Don't worry, it's a lot of fun, and one of our awesome Thai cooks Dtun will teach you some delicious Thai dishes. Oh, and did we mention the Pizza Party?

Vermiculture - Worms your silent partner in soil repair and maintenance. We have one already, and you will help us make a new and improved model of our worm-bin grease trap as part of our grey-water system.

Natural building - Everyone's favorite! Clay, sand, straw, bamboo, and energetic people is all you need to build your dream house! Or in this case, our dream composting toilet stalls! Fun work, artistic, creative, and inspiring. You'll also get to work with bamboo throughout the course on many projects.

Greywater systems - Starts with our worm bin, ends with our banana circles and wetlands. We all gotta clean up after ourselves, fortunately, nature loves to help!

Food Forest establishment - Trees and their community of companions. We have a few areas where food forests are being established, and you'll be able to learn and put into practice the steps to starting a healthy system of food production full of functions.

Wild food foraging -Learn from the best; the Thai's. Some of the members here at Rak Tamachat grew up here their whole life and know everything there is to eat and use. Bet you can't wait to know the difference from that poisonous vine and that delicious green! Or how to make a frog or beetle catcher from a pop bottle? Red ant soup perhaps? Free-range chicken slaughter anyone?

Aquaculture: We have 3 big ponds, and they need more life in them! Help us with rejuvenation of both the vegetation on the edges and in the deep green with introduction of more water plant and fish species, as well as a floating garden! We're in the process of making a practice model, so after observing and interacting and accepting feedback we will plan up any modifications and have the supplies ready for the new version during the course.

For some pics and info of our last Permaculture in Practice, which was not planned but just done for fun after our last PDC, visit http://www.raktamachat.org/july-pip-2/

The cost for this course is 400 USD, or 12,500 Baht. This cost includes transport from Si Khiu on arrival, as well return for departure, 3 meals a day+ snacks, and accommodation in either our dorm or our tents. And of course, a lot of fun, experience, and inspiring people. See the pages below for payment info.

You also have the option of staying on after the course to join our community at a discounted volunteer rate.

Hope to see you here for some fun in the sun!

http://www.raktamachat.org/introduction-to-permaculture-and-permaculture-in-practice-nov-4-17-2012/

Happy to hear that! Enjoy the remainder of your time in Korea, and you can keep updated with our happenings at www.raktamachat.org, or find us on facebook.
peace and happy teaching

Introduction to Permaculture and Permaculture in Practice Nov 4-17 2012


Two permaculture courses in one. This double course offers a Permaculture in Practice introduction and covers the principles of permaculture with an emphasis on the importance of community combined with practical real world experience in implementation of permaculture techniques and solutions.

Open to all students regardless of prior experience or education. This course is designed to teach you the basic concepts of permaculture and then directly show you how they can be applied to any site. You will leave here knowing, not only how to implement the permaculture techniques but also why and when. A complete package for students wanting to master permaculture techniques without having to study a full design course.

More specifics on the course schedule will be posted later, but these elements will be included:

Irrigation techniques, from landscaping to pumps and hoses
No dig garden methods
Composting in all it’s glory, both short and long term
Soil Fertility – the natural way, Compost teas and EM (effective microorganisms)
Community living – The plural version of self-sufficiency
Vermiculture – Worms your silent partner in soil repair and maintenance
Natural building – Dirt it’s not just for walking on anymore. Rak the Adobe
Natural building – Bamboo – Stronger than steel, cheaper than dirt.
Greywater systems – Don’t throw the bathwater out, or the baby.
Food Forest establishment – Trees and their community of companions
Community living – The plural version of self-sufficiency
Wild food foraging – It’s almost like food grows on trees…exactly like that actually.

Full cost for this course is 15,000 Thai Baht, or roughly 500usd. This includes 2 weeks of accommodation, food and an exciting and full-on learning environment.

see www.raktamachat.org for all the info on our project.

Internships
Applications now open for Internships for 2012-2013.

3 month, 6 month and 12 month internships available ... all of this can be seen on our site with colors and pretty pictures at www.raktamachat.org


Rak (Love in Thai) the internships

We are looking for motivated and dynamic individuals who are interested in developing themselves as Permaculture Practitioners, Designers, and Educators. Interns will learn the practical implementation of various permaculture systems, how to design them, and how to teach those systems to others.

Interns are expected to be excited about learning the hands on application of permaculture systems. Any existing knowledge or experience with permaculture systems is great, but no prior course work or experience is required for the Intern program.

Rak the Education Center

Rak Tamachat is a Permaculture Education Center operated by Panya Yamo ltd. The center is located on a 50 acre commercial corn/rice farm, strategically placed in the Korat Plateau of central, rural Thailand. We are a young site that still has ample opportunities to learn about developing all the major elements of an integrated permaculture system.

The Center shares the site with a Thai family practicing traditional subsistence level farming focusing on rice and corn production but also managing a variety of livestock including pigs, chickens, ducks, and fish. As permaculture systems are established and proven to work in this environment the goal is to then assist the Thai family with transitioning to use the new systems. This will create a viable proven plan of transition for local farmers that we can then train at the Education Center.

]Rak the background
The owners of the land Steve and Lin Wickboltd hired Terra Genesis International to draw up an integrated Permaculture Master Plan for the site. It acts as a living document which guides the flow of activity on the land. The design is exciting and ambitious! We look forward to seeing some amazing permaculture happen as the years go by. Educators and Interns are given a large amount of decision making power and flexibility when establishing permaculture systems, though ultimately report to the owner of the land for major decisions.

Rak the Goals

We have two major goals for Rak Tamachat:

1) Create proven profitable permaculture systems that can be transitioned to and used by local Thai families. Allowing them to live in abundance.

2) Develop the staff (interns and volunteers) of the center into capable and experienced teachers and designers of permaculture systems. Helping them achieve their goals in the world of permaculture

Rak the details

Interns work under the direction of the Senior Educators. As you get familiar with the established systems we will encourage you to take more leadership in establishing new systems or adjusting/modifying the current ones to be more efficient.
Interns are expected to work a 5 day work week. Each day we work together on practical implementations of the systems we have designed and the maintenance of already established systems for about 4 hours every morning. After lunch we work towards designing new systems or refining the current systems for better efficiency or development of any personal projects you may want to implement. Keep in mind this is still a working farm and occasionally tasks or repair issues will crop up that demand a little more work to resolve than others.

Practitioners: A 3 month internship. Practitioners will delve into the nitty gritty details of a wide range of established systems here and learn them inside and out. Developing the necessary skills to implement them elsewhere with confidence, sure of their success. Optionally, if you have a desire to focus strongly on a particular system (aquaculture, food forest, vermiculture, etc….) You may study your chosen system and become an expert in its implementation and design. Rak Tamachat is your playground for practical success.

Fee is 6500THB per month.
Opportunity to attend a PDC at half price. (requires payment of Internship in full prior to course)
Opportunity to learn any aspect of permaculture.
Ability to share in the profit of implemented farm systems.
Ability to share in the profit of courses as a facilitator.
Designers: A 6 month internship. Designers will learn not only the practical implementation of systems but also the philosophy and thought processes of how, why, when, and where to implement these systems. As you gain the physical skills of implementation you will also be instructed in the mental skills of design philosophy for each system. Designers will be given a portfolio page on our website where you can document your designs and their implementation and apply them towards your permaculture design diploma. Giving you the knowledge and skills to begin a career of permaculture design or to design and build systems on your own land, where ever you may go from here.

Designers:6 month commitment.
Fee is 6500THB per month.
Opportunity to attend a PDC at no charge. (requires payment of Internship in full prior to course)
Opportunity to learn any aspect of permaculture.
Ability to create and maintain an online portfolio of your work.
Ability to share in the profit of implemented farm systems.
Ability to share in the profit of courses as a facilitator.

Educators: A 6 month internship. Educators are persons who have completed our 6 month designer internship and have elected to stay on another 6 months to learn how to teach classes and operate an International Education Center. Thus becoming a 12 month internship. However, this time does not need to be contiguous. Anyone who has completed our designer internship previously can return to Rak Tamachat and join the educator internship. Anyone who has completed a PDC and has practical experience implementing permaculture systems can apply for the educator internship even if their PDC and experience were gained independantly from Rak Tamachat. Educator interns will learn how to teach classes and be given practical classroom room experience. They will also learn how to operate an International Education Center. Setting up classes, Creating syllabuses, Advertising the class, Managing the students and the details of providing for the students while they are on site. You will leave here capable of independently running your own courses. This internship could open up every continent to you as a teacher of permaculture.

Requires completion of 6 month Designers Internship or equivalent experience.
Fee is 6500THB per month.
Opportunity to attend a PDC or other course at no charge. (requires payment of Internship in full prior to course)
Opportunity to learn any aspect of permaculture.
Opportunity to learn how to operate an International Education Center.
Ability to create and maintain an online portfolio of your work.
Ability to share in the profit of implemented farm systems.
Ability to share in the profit of courses as a facilitator.
Ability to share in the profit of courses as a teacher.

Rak the Benefits

In addition to the listed benefits for each Internship type there are many general benefits that all interns will enjoy while here:

Room and board covered by intern fee.
Stay in a private bungalow. Or a bamboo shelter if no bungalows are available.
Opportunity to Learn the operation of typical farm machinery, like pumps, solar panels, welding, power tools.
Opportunity to learn how to operate farm vehicles, like tractors, the Tuk Tuk and the Tak Tak.
Opportunity to learn how to drive a motorscooter and sidecar safely.
Opportunity to learn Thai.
Opportunity to learn how to document your work.
Opportunity to learn how to blog or publish your work on the web.
re-imbursement of travel expenses for border runs every 90 days.

Rak the Costs:

Our Internships costs 6500THB (approximately $206 US) per month. The first month’s installment is a non-refundable deposit (after you arrive on site). This full amount includes all costs of living such as food and accommodation and also materials for learning and implementing systems. Any personal holidays and items, of course, are at your own expense. The initial month must be paid a minimum of one month before your internship begins. If you cancel the Internship before you arrive on site then the deposit will be refunded to you. The balance of your internship will be due after your first month on site. If you wish to register for a PDC during your internship then your internship fee must be paid in full, in advance of the course date.

The first 30 days of your internship are considered a probationary period where both we and you will be assessing the continuation of the internship. If either party (you or us) decide to terminate the internship for any reason then the balance of any payments will be refunded to you, with the following exceptions: The initial month’s fee is non-refundable once you arrive on site. If the internship is terminated after you have attended our PDC then the full course fee will be subtracted from the full Internship fee and the remainder refunded to you.

Rak Tamachat has progressed from the severe pioneer stage and is now focusing on establishing itself as a Permaculture Education Center. We now have our buildings in place and many systems started. The site is still young (only 8 months old) so there is still a lot to learn and do.

We offer internships from 3 months to 12 months. Our focus on the internships is to use them as a self development opportunity for the interns. So regardless of how long you stay you should have improved your skills or added certifications to your resume (CV) during your stay with us.

Here are some of the benefits of our new Internship program:

Room and board covered by intern fee. Intern fee is 6500 thai Baht per month. About $206 US
Stay in a private bungalow. Only 3 left open at this date, first come first serve. Latecomers will have access to a bamboo shelter and a tent, however they will also be able to customize the next set of bungalows being built for them.
Opportunity to attend a PDC free of charge. 3 month interns can attend at half price, for 6 months and greater commitments the course is free of charge.
Opportunity to learn any aspect of permaculture. The site is still young and you will get hands on practical experience building systems out from the ground up.
Opportunity to learn how to run an education center. Take your skills to the next level with learning how to manage and operate an International Education Center.
Development of teaching skills and experience. 12 month Internships will be groomed and trained as Educators, giving courses and teaching permaculture.
Ability to share in the profit of implemented farm systems. For permaculture to work it has to be profitable in both produce and money. The interns do the work, they deserve the money.
Ability to share in the profit of courses. Interns who teach courses will share in the profit of those courses...just like a teacher. Again if you do the work, you get the money. We think that is fair.

Our new Internship program has something for everyone. If you just want to focus on a particular system (aquaculture, natural building, gardening, etc...), or if you want to learn all elements of a permaculture system. You will develop your practical knowledge, your design skills and you can progress to teach classes and gaining the experience to teach your own PDC's if you want to.

All Interns will receive Certificates of Achievements for the systems they design and implement and an online portfolio of your work that you can apply towards your Permaculture Design Diploma.

All of this in beautiful Thailand, the land of smiles. Come smile with us

More details at www.raktamachat.org

Rak Tamachat has progressed from the severe pioneer stage and is now focusing on establishing itself as a Permaculture Education Center. We now have our buildings in place and many systems started. The site is still young (only 8 months old) so there is still a lot to learn and do.

We offer internships from 3 months to 12 months. Our focus on the internships is to use them as a self development opportunity for the interns. So regardless of how long you stay you should have improved your skills or added certifications to your resume (CV) during your stay with us.

Here are some of the benefits of our new Internship program:

Room and board covered by intern fee. Intern fee is 6500 thai Baht per month. About $206 US
Stay in a private bungalow. Only 3 left open at this date, first come first serve. Latecomers will have access to a bamboo shelter and a tent, however they will also be able to customize the next set of bungalows being built for them.
Opportunity to attend a PDC free of charge. 3 month interns can attend at half price, for 6 months and greater commitments the course is free of charge.
Opportunity to learn any aspect of permaculture. The site is still young and you will get hands on practical experience building systems out from the ground up.
Opportunity to learn how to run an education center. Take your skills to the next level with learning how to manage and operate an International Education Center.
Development of teaching skills and experience. 12 month Internships will be groomed and trained as Educators, giving courses and teaching permaculture.
Ability to share in the profit of implemented farm systems. For permaculture to work it has to be profitable in both produce and money. The interns do the work, they deserve the money.
Ability to share in the profit of courses. Interns who teach courses will share in the profit of those courses...just like a teacher. Again if you do the work, you get the money. We think that is fair.

Our new Internship program has something for everyone. If you just want to focus on a particular system (aquaculture, natural building, gardening, etc...), or if you want to learn all elements of a permaculture system. You will develop your practical knowledge, your design skills and you can progress to teach classes and gaining the experience to teach your own PDC's if you want to.

All Interns will receive Certificates of Achievements for the systems they design and implement and an online portfolio of your work that you can apply towards your Permaculture Design Diploma.

All of this in beautiful Thailand, the land of smiles. Come smile with us.

More details at www.raktamachat.org