2017 Homesteaders PDC (permaculture design course) & ATC (appropriate technology course) in Montana

Hey y'all!  

For context, I'm probably 150-200 episodes deep into the Wheaton Labs podcast.  There is no other operation, to my knowledge, that so well blends experimentation, community, and pure belief in utmost sustainability, and I've taken this to be a sort of working model for our fledgling efforts here in the Midwest.

I tried and tried to make PDC/ATC attendance a reality this year - but having a baby due the end of May kind of makes that a non-possibility.  Hence my enthusiasm when the course became open to live-streaming and download.  Thanks thanks thanks for making this a reality.

I have two questions concerning online participation:
1) Will there be avenues for participation in the hands-on aspects of the course?  I am aware I will not be able to remotely put my hands into cob and plaster, but feel this is a crucial part of the learning experience, and am interested in staging work-alongs at our homestead in Greenwood, Missouri.  For the future, I would think this could be a great way to extend the reach of this event - live-stream teaching from Wheaton Labs, and hands-on application in various remotes sites nationally and internationally.  Perhaps if there are other participants in the Kansas-Missouri region, we could combine forces toward this end.
2) Will there be an avenue for online participants to receive the certificate upon completion?  I know this would likely require extra elements to ensure completion.  While it is not a deal-breaker, as learning and community building are my priorities, it would be nice to check the ol' PDC off my list toward future endeavors.

Again, very excited to be joining the event.  

cheers!

Bryant John wrote:This looks amazing! I would buy a ticket in a heartbeat if I had not just started a new business. I read that you might stream it online I would be very interested in that if you do end up making it available online!

Yes!

Here is the kickstarter:



http://kck.st/2q6Ycay




And a permies.com thread on the topic:

https://permies.com/t/65247/permaculture-design/permaculture-design-alternative-technology-live

Beau Davidson wrote:I have two questions concerning online participation:

I hope you don't mind, but could you, by any chance, pretty please, copy and past your questions into the thread for that?  Here is the the thread:

https://permies.com/t/65247/permaculture-design/permaculture-design-alternative-technology-live

There was a time that we had no tickets left.  And then we found a way to squeeze in a few more.  And then we had just had 2 of those tickets left.  And then there was comedy and ... as odd as it sounds ... after the dust settled, there will still, mysteriously 2 tickets left.    And now ....




there is only 1 ticket left!

Paul asked me to post an image of the certificate I painted. This is the certificate students will receive upon completion of the permaculture design course.

Due to comedy, we still have one ticket left.  It seems like this is way too late notice for anybody to buy a ticket to somthing like this, but it does seem that for every event we have, there is always one person that buys a ticket at the last minute.

Lots of people are showing up.  Things are crazy.  

We have one more atc ticket left.  You can buy it here.

Now selling super early bird tickets to the 2018 PDC (july 1-14, 2018) and the 2018 ATC (july 16-27, 2018)

2018 super early bird ticket prices through October 31, 2017

PDC: $1400
ATC: $1400
Both: $2450

2018 early bird ticket prices through January 31, 2018

PDC: $1650
ATC: $1650
Both: $2950

2018 prices through October 31, 2017

PDC: $1850
ATC: $1850
Both: $3400

Buy the tickets here.


You can watch the streaming of this years PDC here.

It begins! Here's a side shot of Tim and the class, while Paul was making some opening announcements this morning. I'm sure others will post better photos, but I just wanted to report this this is an AWESOME group of people with some mad skills, experience and interests! Pretty cool right here.

It's so cool to be able to watch and listen in on this course. I enjoy Tim's style, and he has a very pleasant voice. This is going to be an awesome couple of weeks!

Day Two of the Wheaton Labs PDC was amazing! We learned more about site analysis, using some survey tools, the magic of poo and Ernie and Erica heat it up for us.

Here is Nick Fouch's summary of Day One of the PDC in the form of a ten minute video. We're doing these each day. He's not an expert in permaculture, but it can be fun to see someone fresh to things you really care about. Also some folks might want to hit the comments over there.

Here is Nick Fouch's summary of Day Two of the PDC, in video form, including Lane drawing a chicken.

Day 3 in Photos: Paul introduces a look at opportunities at Wheaton Labs, students explore the dynamic range of connections, acknowledging the astounding web of resilience.

Lunch three and hungry by design

Making cookies with the rocket mass oven.

Day 4 in Photos includes teeny, tiny composting toilets, designing and solving holistically and a permaculture signature found on-site.

Here is Nick Fouch's summary of PDC day 3. With TONS of information.

And here is Nick Fouch's summary of Day 4. With cookies.

Day 5 in Photos! For context - we have been building up a set of critical thinking, design and surveying tools to assess a property. Today we launched an extensive romp through the bush in search of points defining our fantastical permaculture home creations. Here is a set of photos from that exploration.

Site Analysis continued!

Never ate so good at summer camp...

Fred and I set up the projector for teams to visit the board and trace their selection of site(s).

It was a success!

Client interviews followed, with on-site measurements thereafter!

Day 6 in Photos: Wow, an incredible day with Zach Weiss of Elemental Ecosystems! After lunch we crammed into vehicles and headed up to the lab to make tiny mud models of a hypothetical sustainable site. After many mud pies and gallons of water we saw whose place would wash away in a flood. Here are some images of the mud models and their lovely ponds and terraces, sort of.

The  Mighty Rain Gods Deluge Begins!

Day 5 on the Fouch-o-matic YouTube channel! Esther didn't get to see much of the workshop on day five, so Nick and Esther did a processing sort of chat, but it still hits the highlights of day five.  

Nick Fouch's video recap of Day 6 of the PDC -- our favorite day so far. Enjoy!

Day 8 in Photos!
Tree Ecology and Soils take us up into the forest where we framed out the ecology of discrete sections,Erica and Ernie take a look at tree ecology from looking up to digging down into mycelium. Helen Atthowe gives us the dirt on a commercial forest garden, soils and how to tame the blackberry monster.

Day 8 in Photos!
Tree Ecology and Soils take us up into the forest where we framed out the ecology of discrete sections,Erica and Ernie take a look at tree ecology from looking up to digging down into mycelium. Helen Atthowe gives us the dirt on a commercial forest garden, soils and how to tame the blackberry monster.

Day 9 in Photos: We get MORE dirt on dirt from Helen of Woodleaf Farm: the amazing world of microbes; rhizomes and fungi; we tromp around the sites and look for signs of a past and scour the potential for a future 5 tiny houses!

More Photos from Day 9!:

Hello! If I wanted to send some snail mail to one of the PDC/ATC attendees is there an address I can use that will get it to them?

Catching up on Week Two in videos! Here is Day 8, with trees and soils.

Day 10 (Ten!) in Photos brings: Honey and Bunny. How to stay sweet with the bees in your hive. How to lovingly raise and harvest meat rabbits.

Jessica teaches the PDC students about her meat rabbits. She raises them for food and treats them with respect and care. While she demonstrated her centered, loving, calm method of culling, I noticed observers spoke in hushed voices.

More catching up with Nick's daily videos. Here is day 9.

And Nick Fouch's summary video day 10 -- animals with Jacqueline and Joseph Freeman.

Amy Weaver wrote:Hello! If I wanted to send some snail mail to one of the PDC/ATC attendees is there an address I can use that will get it to them?

Send it to:

student name
c/o paul wheaton
2120 s reserve #351
missoula, mt 59801

Day in Photos!: The teams work through the connections and translate to an evolving plan.

Looks exciting! But I didn't subscribe to the kickstarter in time. I thought I had more time. Am I too late to get the $120 DOWNLOAD package, somehow someway?