Brian Kerkvliet

Whatcom Permaculture Design Course, Bellingham Washington

Overview:
OVER 4 WEEKENDS AND 1 IMMERSIVE WEEK, WE WILL EXPLORE THE FOUNDATIONS OF REGENERATIVE CULTURE.
at www.inspirationfarm.com/ and Queen Mtn. Homestead

Course content will include:

Permaculture ethics and design principles
Observation and critical thinking
Reading the landscape techniques
Pattern recognition
Basic Earth Science (soils, climate, hydrology)
Water management (earthworks, grey water)
Perennial plants, trees and guilds
Bioremediation
Herbalism and plant allies
Personal and interpersonal skills
Structures and construction
Surveying and mapping
Solar design and appropriate technology
System resilience and disaster preparedness
Community structures and alternative governance
and, more tidbits along the way.

4 Weekends and 5 Days, 2024


Course Format:

The course will be a mix of in-person weekend sessions, a week-long intensive, and some on-line presentations, plus optional mid-week extracurricular work sessions for those hungry for more.

We will learn through lectures, small and large group discussions, reflection/observation exercises and lots of hands-on skills practice. We will also provide suggested reading material, videos and zoom sessions to be viewed on your own time as primers for our in person sessions. Expect some homework toward the end of the course.

The first three weekend sessions will be hosted at Queen Mountain Homestead. Course time will run from Saturday mornings to Sunday evenings. Overnight camping is available onsite and encouraged. Saturday evening we will share potluck feasts (significant others welcome). Bring your own lunches and Sunday morning breakfast . An outdoor kitchenette will be available for simple food prep. Coffee, tea and water will be provided throughout.


Inspiration Farm : July 13th & 14th ; July 29th – Aug. 2nd (5 day Intensive )
We will dive deeper into content during the week-long campout, while giving you an immersive taste of Permaculture living at Inspiration Farm.  In addition to more hands-on practice, you will work with a team of fellow students on a capstone design project. Your team will present your project to the whole learning community at the end of the week. The final day will also include: a certification and closing ceremony; a celebratory feast (loved ones welcome); and, a talent show of epic proportions.

Fresh meals will be prepared on-site by a local chef for lunch and dinner all week. Breakfast will be DIY with seasonal ingredients provided by us. Coffee, tea, water and fruit will be available throughout. Let us know your dietary restrictions on your registration form. We are happy to accommodate.

Click here for all the information!
[url]https://www.whatcompermaculture.com/events/whatcom-pdc-2024/

The Whatcom PDC Core Team:
Queen Mountain Homestead
Paul Kearsley – lead instructor
Jane Campbell – lead instructor

Inspiration Farm
Brian Kerkvliet – lead instructor

Thanks for your Bump Jocelyn!
Although we are starting the course tomorrow the first four weekends are spaced out and they can be attended separately if people like. The full week log portion of the class doesn't start until July When Penny Livingston will be joining us.
We will also be doing an earthworks course in August. All the details are at. www.inspirationfarm.com

Thanks again for helping to get the word out! I hope you are doing well and hope to see you soon.
Brian

Hi Permies ,
I wanted to let you know that we are moving forward with a PDC this year and enrollment is now open!
There are also number of other opportunities scheduled leading up to it. You can find out more about them here.events!
I have attach the poster for the course but you can find out more on the website. www.inspirationfarm.com

We are also still accepting applications for the Skill trade position here for the 2022 season.
Get up front and personal with Permaculture year round and get to participate in all theses events as well. Contact us for more info.

Hope all is well and you are able to attend an event with us this year.

Please feel free to pass this along to your friends and lists.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Brian


May 21 @ 9:00 am - July 22 @ 6:00 pm
Hands on Permaculture Design Certificate Course
With Special Guests! Penny Livingston & Doug Bullock
DATES FOR THE COURSE ARE:
4 weekends, May – July and a 5 day Design Intensive Camp in July.
4 Weekends – May 21,22, June 4,5 & 18,19 July 9,10
Camp out Design Intensive – July 18,19,20,21,22
Inspiration Farm, Bellingham, WA
PERMACULTURE COURSE OUTLINE:
Learn the skills to work with nature to create integrated Permaculture systems of abundance and productivity! Food, Soil, Shelter, Energy, Water and a lot more: Design strategies and methods for truly sustainable, regenerative human integration with that natural systems and our ecosystem.
Curriculum Includes: Permaculture Ethics and Design Principles, Pattern Recognition, Climate Factors and Weather, Water Management, Grey water, Soil, Trees, Earthworks, Bioremediation, Surveying and Mapping, Reading the Landscape. Class format includes lectures, discussions, hands-on activities and videos.
Find out more here Hands on PDC

____________

March 12 @ 11:00 am - 2:00 pm $20
Great Grafting / Propagation Gathering
Inspiration Farm, Bellingham, WA
Create your own Fruit Nursery Stock. Fruit Tree Grafting and Propagation from Cuttings. Pruning season is upon us! Remember to save scion wood for the Grafting Gathering! You can learn how to collect scion wood here. Bring Apple, Pear, Plum to graft your own tree
Read more Plant propagation
___________

March 19 @ 10:00 am - March 20 @ 4:00 pm $150
Practical Permaculture Immersion Weekend
Inspiration Farm, Bellingham, WA
A fun filled Permaculture Immersion Weekend. We will illustrate practical ways to design an integrated living system that that partners with nature and is self regulating, abundant and resilient. Whether you are on an urban lot or a farm homestead,…
Read more Here
__________

April 9 @ 10:00 am - 3:00 pm $40
Scythes the Cutting Edge!
Inspiration Farm, Bellingham, WA
Sell the weed eater and use a scythe! Maintain your body, not your machines. Learn the sharper points of this elegant tool. Thought to be old school, but better blades and an ergonomic set up makes them one of the most efficient tools out there. Find out More!
______________

May 1 @ 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm Free
INTERNATIONAL PERMACULTURE DAY TOUR & PLANT SALE / SWAP
Inspiration Farm, Bellingham, WA
We will celebrate International Permaculture Day May 1st 2022! A day to showcase permaculture around the world.  An opportunity to experience permaculture and meet its practitioners. Visitors can see first hand an established permaculture system and ask questions. See how…
Read more Free!
____________

May 14 @ 10:00 am - 4:00 pm $40
Food Forest & Permaculture Guild Plants
Inspiration farm 619 E laurel Rd, Bellingham, WA
Plant a garden, eat for a year, plant a Food Forest Guild, eat for decades! This hands on workshop shares design elements necessary for a perennial food forest. Learn about fruit and nut trees as well as supper food berries…
Read more Here!
____________

Hi Permies ,
I wanted to let you know that we are moving forward with a PDC this year and enrollment is now open!
There are also number of other opportunities scheduled leading up to it. You can find out more about them here.events!
I have attach the poster for the course but you can find out more on the website. www.inspirationfarm.com

Hope all is well and you are able to attend an event with us this year.

Please feel free to pass this along to your friends and lists.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Brian


May 21 @ 9:00 am - July 22 @ 6:00 pm
Hands on Permaculture Design Certificate Course
With Special Guests! Penny Livingston & Doug Bullock
DATES FOR THE COURSE ARE:
4 weekends, May – July and a 5 day Design Intensive Camp in July.
4 Weekends – May 21,22, June 4,5 & 18,19 July 9,10
Camp out Design Intensive – July 18,19,20,21,22
Inspiration Farm, Bellingham, WA
PERMACULTURE COURSE OUTLINE:
Learn the skills to work with nature to create integrated Permaculture systems of abundance and productivity! Food, Soil, Shelter, Energy, Water and a lot more: Design strategies and methods for truly sustainable, regenerative human integration with that natural systems and our ecosystem.
Curriculum Includes: Permaculture Ethics and Design Principles, Pattern Recognition, Climate Factors and Weather, Water Management, Grey water, Soil, Trees, Earthworks, Bioremediation, Surveying and Mapping, Reading the Landscape. Class format includes lectures, discussions, hands-on activities and videos.
Find out more here Hands on PDC

____________

March 12 @ 11:00 am - 2:00 pm $20
Great Grafting / Propagation Gathering
Inspiration Farm, Bellingham, WA
Create your own Fruit Nursery Stock. Fruit Tree Grafting and Propagation from Cuttings. Pruning season is upon us! Remember to save scion wood for the Grafting Gathering! You can learn how to collect scion wood here. Bring Apple, Pear, Plum to graft your own tree
Read more Plant propagation
___________

March 19 @ 10:00 am - March 20 @ 4:00 pm $150
Practical Permaculture Immersion Weekend
Inspiration Farm, Bellingham, WA
A fun filled Permaculture Immersion Weekend. We will illustrate practical ways to design an integrated living system that that partners with nature and is self regulating, abundant and resilient. Whether you are on an urban lot or a farm homestead,…
Read more Here
__________

April 9 @ 10:00 am - 3:00 pm $40
Scythes the Cutting Edge!
Inspiration Farm, Bellingham, WA
Sell the weed eater and use a scythe! Maintain your body, not your machines. Learn the sharper points of this elegant tool. Thought to be old school, but better blades and an ergonomic set up makes them one of the most efficient tools out there. Find out More!
______________

May 1 @ 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm Free
INTERNATIONAL PERMACULTURE DAY TOUR & PLANT SALE / SWAP
Inspiration Farm, Bellingham, WA
We will celebrate International Permaculture Day May 1st 2022! A day to showcase permaculture around the world.  An opportunity to experience permaculture and meet its practitioners. Visitors can see first hand an established permaculture system and ask questions. See how…
Read more Free!
____________

May 14 @ 10:00 am - 4:00 pm $40
Food Forest & Permaculture Guild Plants
Inspiration farm 619 E laurel Rd, Bellingham, WA
Plant a garden, eat for a year, plant a Food Forest Guild, eat for decades! This hands on workshop shares design elements necessary for a perennial food forest. Learn about fruit and nut trees as well as supper food berries…
Read more Here!
____________

I don't even know where to start with on this. The guy likes to make crazy videos... with bad information content which is in my opinion worse then no content. Because people may get the wrong idea and think this is how it is done.
1- American scythes can not be peened to sharpen, you must use a grind stone. they have different steel and will crack if peened
2 - Never use a ball peen hammer it will distort the blade
3 - Always take the blade off of the snath
4 - Never listen to someone who starts out by saying "this is the first time I have used one"
5 - I can pull a piece of paper through my dullest blade and cut it, it proves nothing

That is just for starters

Brian Kerkvliet wrote:We will be doing a 2 day event following the NW permaculture convergence happening during the skill share faire. We are just starting to formulate exactly what kind of event but most likely it will be something simple like a farm tour, meal and social with advanced water and nutrient harvesting explanations and maybe some guild planting hands on or some such thing.

Stay tuned for more on this as things develop! NorthWest Permaculture Convergance

Here is what we are offering as a addition to the SkillShare Faire and NWPC convergence
Announcing an opportunity not to be missed at Inspiration Farm
In conjunction with the Whatcom Sill Share Faire and the NorthWest Permaculture Convergence, Inspiration Farm would like to announce a two day bonus event. Plan to stay a little longer and take it all in!

Monday August 25th
Treat yourself to an extended Inspiration Farm tour tailored to Permaculture veterans and newcomers alike. Witness the advanced earthworks that allow nutrient and water to be passively harvested supporting the whole farm. Walk amongst the food forest and experience the secessional evolution.
Check out the animal rotational systems in place and see the progress that working animals within the landscape can achieve.
Share in the evening pot luck, social event. Bring a dish, your instruments, and Tel-A-Vision around the fire.
All day is available for a suggested $10 donation (no one will be excluded for lack of funds)
Camping is available for those wanting to attend Tuesdays workshops.

Tuesday Aug 26th Preregistration Required $50 each workshop or $125 for the whole day event. Choose from three of the nine subjects
Inspiration Farm will host a series of mini workshops. Schedule subject to change
AM session you can choose from 10-12-am
-Reading the landscape, surveying and earthworks - Brian Kerkvliet
-Processing and cooking with Beans and Grains - Krista Rome
-Bio-char creation, inoculation, and use - Larry Williams
Lunch 12-1pm
Pm sessions you can choose from:
1st session 1-3-pm
-Establishing a food forest nursery - Brian Kerkvliet
-Crafting with wild medicinals from your landscape. - Suki Aufhauser
-WATER: gray water, storage water, and water in the landscape. - Bruce Horowitz
2nd session 3-5-pm
-Micro remediation, Establishing your fungal friends in the landscape -
-An Introduction to PatternDynamics™ - David MacLeod
-SOIL: Soul! Working with natural systems to build soil, composts and compost teas - Brian Kerkvliet

To register call 360-398-7061

Well.... after a good effort put in by all we have decided to postpone the PDC offering here at Inspiration Farm. As of the 15th we had a grand total of 3 people signed up, with a minimum of 18 to make it fly. Not wanting to keep the other guest presenters on hold for any longer then necessary we decided to postpone the course and try again next year with more planing and better promotion during the lead up.

We will be doing a 2 day event following the NW permaculture convergence happening during the skill share faire. We are just starting to formulate exactly what kind of event but most likely it will be something simple like a farm tour, meal and social with advanced water and nutrient harvesting explanations and maybe some guild planting hands on or some such thing.

Stay tuned for more on this as things develop! NorthWest Permaculture Convergance

Also here is the video that Paul did of me a few years ago. It gives you the basic information on peening scythe blades. One of the most important aspects of sharpening a blade, the most often overlooked and misunderstood.

Here is a recent video that Peak Moment TV put together on scything and other tools we use to get things done here at Inspiration Farm. Hope you can attend the PDC to learn details on these tools and techniques plus a lot more!

Here is a recent video that Peak Moment TV put together on my scything and other tools we use to get things done here at Inspiration Farm.