Lorraine Sept-Drayer

Thanks for the above links, and although I had not seen the particular Bill Mollison video posted by John above, I have availed myself of the hundreds of available Youtube lectures and lecturers, and online websites, blogs and forums. While I still don't understand the accreditation process in North America yet, nor the perameters on which to evaluate any PDC course offered as to quality, clarity or format, (it seems almost everyone with a certificate can hang out their 'shingle' if they so desire), it's the one-on-one instruction, feedback, coaching, and brainstorming that I realize that I need. Maybe a course, any course, will get me there. While I don't begrudge anyone the opportunity to feed themselves (in the economic sense), I guess I'm just exploring the notion that the 'biggest bang for my buck' also has validity.

Anyone out there know of a low-cost online North American (cold climate) PDC course that I can while away my winter hours completing? I'd ask about no-cost/open source courses, but I honestly don't think any such courses exist...contrary I find, to what I believe permaculture should be all about! Lots of resources out there yes, for which I am grateful, but where's the "all encompassing" paradigm shift in consciousness regarding sharing the surplus (in this case, of information)? Some things are just too slow to evolve, I guess! I am as poor as the next "dirt farmer", but why all the emphasis on the next new "income stream" once that PDC certificate is in hand, and the widely diverse fees for varying courses? Not everyone wants to make a career and income out of it; not every "instructor" may be worth the advertised "fee", either in content, quality or delivery. And how are these North American courses, instructors, or new "graduates" regulated or "certified" anyway? Is there an official "authority"/"governing body" and if so, does every PDC course get a stamp of authority from those bodies? For me, I'd just like to have some guidance in planning, designing and implementing some permaculture applications on my property with the skilled eye and advice of someone who has been there, experienced a few mistakes (or a whole lot of them), and is willing to pass their knowledge forward. I'm just too old and far to uninterested in creating my own flawed "empire", and would be humbled and satisfied in leaving a better footprint behind. Just some thoughts and inadvertent ramblings this morning....


'...to truly own anything we must first of all give it away'. (Bill Mollison)

Hi all. New to this site, but gaining lots of info. Wanting to 'redo' the garden this year with raised hugelbeds and mulched straw walkways...if this latest foot of snow would EVER disappear!!! Not wanting to fork over any $ we don't have for straw, we have access to all the canola straw we want, laying in field since last fall, but it had been sprayed for weed (well, actually oat control from the previous year), with some chemical called 'StartUp'... assumed to be a variation of 'Roundup'. Would there be any possibility of chemical residue in the remaining straw which might affect our garden produce? Or, for that matter, would any type of straw procured from non-organic sources potentially be "tainted"? Thanks for any comments.....