I wish there were a module-based Geoff Lawton online PDC

I wish that Geoff or someone else would come up with a more modular based PDC. Not everyone has $1200 to shell out...I wonder if Geoff has a payment plan option? Regardless being able to take a module at a time for $100 or what ever. This allows for more people to get in. The people that can pay all at once get a discount and the ones that pay per module would pay more in total cost but that is how it is.

The pay per module has to offset the cost of increased labor by this method.

I hope Geoff sees this and will consider it.

I'm not sure the $1200 figure is entirely accurate. I know my course last year cost much less than that, even before applying Jack Spirko's MSB discount http://www.thesurvivalpodcast.com/members-brigade which saved me $100.

Regarding payment plans or options, I myself did not use one but I think I remember Geoff mentioning something to that effect. I suspect some accommodation could be made by communicating with the staff to allow for a payments style plan rather than the up front cost only.

I would recommend you take a look next year when the course if offered if you are still interested to confirm that actual pricing and perhaps discuss with the staff payment plan options if they aren't immediately advertised as part of the package.

Erik - I hear you.

However an alternative emerges if we apply permaculture thinking to this issue,:

We know that there is a pattern of Geoff teaching this class once a year. Observation tells us that if he holds true to the timing of the past two sessions he will open up registration in April 2015. Understanding this allows us to build a strategy to harvest the energy (money) that will enable us to bring this beneficial resource into our lives.

Anyone thinking of taking this class now has a year to lay the foundational work that will lead to abundance. There is much freedom to saving for something and paying for it outright.

Best of luck on your journey - Geoff's PDC is transformational.

Jennifer Wadsworth wrote:Erik - I hear you.

However an alternative emerges if we apply permaculture thinking to this issue,:

We know that there is a pattern of Geoff teaching this class once a year. Observation tells us that if he holds true to the timing of the past two sessions he will open up registration in April 2015. Understanding this allows us to build a strategy to harvest the energy (money) that will enable us to bring this beneficial resource into our lives.

Anyone thinking of taking this class now has a year to lay the foundational work that will lead to abundance. There is much freedom to saving for something and paying for it outright.

Best of luck on your journey - Geoff's PDC is transformational.

I hear what you are saying. My thought was to add velocity by adding 1 small change, this change could also bring in a more steady stream of money to PRI in addition to the big lump that comes in around April.

That is not a workable plan for me, a more realistic plan would be a 3 year savings plan, I have other interests besides Permaculture that I nurture with my money.

I have led way to many Financial Peace University classes to not acknowledge my own personal spending habits and impulses.

Erik Little wrote: I hear what you are saying. My thought was to add velocity by adding 1 small change, this change could also bring in a more steady stream of money to PRI in addition to the big lump that comes in around April.

Velocity is awesome. However, I think that what may occur as a small change might not be so small.

Part of Geoff's PDC includes answering participants' questions. Last year he made over 50 hours of QA videos that covered these questions. This took many times that amount of hours to sift through the modules to find the questions, organize those questions, make sure he named the people whose question he was answering (often several people would have the same question so he wanted to acknowledge everyone who asked), find an interesting setting for the video, get the camera and mic people onsite, edit the video...and on and on. He really goes out of his way to make the Online PDC experience as phenomenal as possible. It occurs as very interactive and caring. There's also staff involved in handling billing and tech issues as well as keeping an eye on the forums.

Also Geoff still travels around and teaches at various sites so he might be interested in keeping a part of the year open for doing just his travelling consultations and working on Zaytuna farm.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that the quality of the current OPDC is very high. Not sure if that would translate well into a modular OPDC.

Erik Little wrote: That is not a workable plan for me, a more realistic plan would be a 3 year savings plan, I have other interests besides Permaculture that I nurture with my money.

I understand. I think it's extremely important to nurture one's interests with money, time or both. Living at 160% of the US poverty level (disability) - what I lack in money I make up for in time. I try to spend that time wisely by giving it to organizations that need volunteers to survive and move forward with their mission.

Erik Little wrote: I have led way to many Financial Peace University classes to not acknowledge my own personal spending habits and impulses.

I think that's awesome!

Jennifer Wadsworth wrote: I guess what I'm trying to say is that the quality of the current OPDC is very high. Not sure if that would translate well into a modular OPDC.

With all that you described that does pose an issue. At some point most of the questions will have been asked that the students can be pointed to a FAQ page of each module and watch the video response, no need to address/acknowledge each person that asked a question (I personally don't need my name mentioned each time I ask a question). I think that there could come a day where he could modularize it. I would encourage him to do that because he is still traveling etc.

I can appreciate that Geoff wants to have that level of interaction with people and acknowledge them and all, that's who he is as a person. Its one reason why he is so well received I think. I know that care of people comes into play with this and shouldn't be taken lightly, I just think it can be done without sacrificing that quality.

It doesn't even have to be Geoff that does this. I think there are people that would pay per module for an OPDC.

Jennifer Wadsworth wrote:I try to spend that time wisely by giving it to organizations that need volunteers to survive and move forward with their mission.

I appreciate you taking the time to discuss this!

FWIW, there's a really interesting looking online PDC getting ready to start at www dot brinkoffreedom dot NET. The Instructor is Jack Spirko's intern and assistant instructors include Jack Spirko and a guy who interned w/Geoff Lawton. Should be less than $500. I'm currently enrolled in Geoff's online PDC but am considering signing up for this other one also since it's likely to be more focused on survival/homesteading application in the US...
HTH,
AL

A Le wrote:FWIW, there's a really interesting looking online PDC getting ready to start at www dot brinkoffreedom dot NET. The Instructor is Jack Spirko's intern and assistant instructors include Jack Spirko and a guy who interned w/Geoff Lawton. Should be less than $500. I'm currently enrolled in Geoff's online PDC but am considering signing up for this other one also since it's likely to be more focused on survival/homesteading application in the US...
HTH,
AL

I am waiting on it to start...ever since he talked about doing an online PDC I have been saving for it. I get to take a PDC and the funds will help build Permaethos farm, that's a win-win in my book.

I think Jack, Joe, and all the guys over at the permaethos farm are going to have their hands full when this kicks off.

And I think those 1000 class spots are going to fly off the shelf.

Mike Leo wrote:I think Jack, Joe, and all the guys over at the permaethos farm are going to have their hands full when this kicks off.

And I think those 1000 class spots are going to fly off the shelf.

Thankfully I get up early and will be poised to get my spot. I think going through some exercises will help me cement what I have been reading and hearing from all of these permaculture goofball's

While I like the concept of filming a PDC in action and having questions being answered online (not a new concept - permaculture elder Scott Pittman's PDC in Costa Rica was recently filmed for such a purpose) - for me, the shortfall occurs in comparative climate design. And this is key - because without that, people will think that ANY permaculture method, technique or element will apply anywhere - and this is a fallacy. One of the hardest things I come up against here in the hot desert is people love their raised beds and herb spirals. Raised beds and herb spirals serve a couple of functions - they make soil "well drained" and they heat the soil up for earlier production - great for cool/cold humid climates. However, in a climate where you get 7" of rain and it's between 100 and 122 for 4 months - well - you've just built yourself some serious death traps. Death traps that also use water degeneratively. What a mess.

One of the beauties of a traditional PDC is that it teaches ALL climate types along with best practices and appropriate methods, techniques and elements for each one. Geoff's PDC does this really well, especially as he can draw on his 30 yrs experience in designing across all climate types. Not saying that what Jack is doing is not beneficial - I think it is - especially to folks who live in that same climate zone. It possibly has less value to someone from the tropics or drylands. Speaking as a drylander, we do almost everything opposite of what you all do in humid landscapes - watching someone build a permaculture project in a humid area - while entertaining and educational - is not going to offer much in the way of application for me. It would be the same if I filmed a PDC here in Phoenix and all you saw was water harvesting infiltration basins, sunken beds, shade over everything, anti-evaporation strategies, house designs for banking cool air not hot, food forests as part of the shade feature of houses etc.

Every PDC will have it's strengths and weaknesses. As more and different kinds of PDCs appear on the scene - the more diverse crowd they'll reach. There is certainly strength in diversity.

I'll be interested to see how the PE folks address that issue.

I also think that a course 100% in front of a white board (regardless of how much I enjoy Geoff's lectures) is also missing something and (based on the questions) doesn't seem to be stopping new students from trying to put herb spirals where they don't belong or trying to reinvent the wheel.

Consider how the on-sight PDC students can walk outside and see examples of the water systems in action in a mature system, or how they can be sitting in the gardens and asking about the interactions and design. This is an element that the PEPDC wants to try and include. I have no doubt that they will spend just as much time on other climates and using the white board or infographics. If they are going to skip relevant material because it doesn't apply on the PE site... well that would be a mistake. A mistake that I doubt Jack will allow or that Geoff would be comfortable with (as a member of the PE board).

Geoff's involvement in the PE concept, farm, and PDC helps me feel more comfortable with the idea and knowing Jack as well as I feel I do as a member of his community I have little doubt that this new PDC will be in any way lacking.

Mike - thanks for letting me know that Geoff is part of the board for PE - I didn't know that. And you're right - I don't think climate design will be skipped over if that's the case. In fact, it could provide some really interesting opportunities if Jack et al say - "hey, we're employing this technique and these elements here - but in the tropics, the water table is too high to do this so the solution is to build X (chinampas / animal pens over ponds / etc)" Or, "in the drylands, where water is scarce, we wouldn't plant so many fruit trees right away, we'd build up the soil hydration first by planting natives...blah blah blah."

Mike Leo wrote:I'll be interested to see how the PE folks address that issue.

I also think that a course 100% in front of a white board (regardless of how much I enjoy Geoff's lectures) is also missing something and (based on the questions) doesn't seem to be stopping new students from trying to put herb spirals where they don't belong or trying to reinvent the wheel.

Consider how the on-sight PDC students can walk outside and see examples of the water systems in action in a mature system, or how they can be sitting in the gardens and asking about the interactions and design. This is an element that the PEPDC wants to try and include. I have no doubt that they will spend just as much time on other climates and using the white board or infographics. If they are going to skip relevant material because it doesn't apply on the PE site... well that would be a mistake. A mistake that I doubt Jack will allow or that Geoff would be comfortable with (as a member of the PE board).

Geoff's involvement in the PE concept, farm, and PDC helps me feel more comfortable with the idea and knowing Jack as well as I feel I do as a member of his community I have little doubt that this new PDC will be in any way lacking.

Yeah I don't think Jack or the other board members are going to let it be something they aren't proud of. I am really excited about PE and all the potential of it.