T enjoying the view from Ben's barn, while touring his permaculture homestead 

My name is Troy, but I go by T, and I live at Dancing Rabbit. I attended the September 2018 Permaculture Design Course just a few weeks after I moved here. Permaculture is a frequent topic of discussion in our village, and in many contexts: gardening, building, and relationships, so I wanted to become conversant with permaculture ideas and real life examples as soon as possible. As a “newbie”, both to Dancing Rabbit and to permaculture, the course was a total immersion for me that exceeded my expectations.

The pace of the course was fast. At times, there was so much information it was like trying to drink from a firehose, but many different teaching modalities made the course all the more interesting and engaging. One segment had us outside working on a permaculture design plan for a real project. Next was a presentation of curated videos on urban gardening. Then we went back outside to watch a demonstration of a solar pathfinder, a special device that maps sun in a particular location over the course of a year. We also made compost tea (I take mine with cream and two sugars), helped dig a swale, which is a type of trench designed to capture rainwater, and toured the neighboring intentional community of Red Earth Farms. We even learned a song — talk about variety! I also looked forward to great food; even the snacks, which were frequent, were delicious.

Losing track of time while taking a course is always a good sign for me, and I could not believe how fast the time went by during the PDC at Dancing Rabbit. If you are new to permaculture, be prepared for long days and intensive engagement with a ton of new information; if you already have some knowledge and experience with permaculture, you can use the expert resources offered in this course to get even more. 

Being around other “permies” was motivating! Folks brought along ideas for projects they are working on back home and Aha! moments were the norm. The education team of Sharon, Olive, and Erik was a great combination. I was particularly inspired by Sharon’s expertise in climate change initiatives related to permaculture; she also has the hands-on experience of developing a homestead at Dancing Rabbit, as well as a small farm in Ecuador, which is based on permaculture principles. The breadth of resources Erik presented, and his professional experience informed by designing projects, was amazing. Olive’s relaxed approach in sharing real life lessons based on her new permaculture homestead in Ohio made for a great class. The instructors solicited feedback every day and adjusted on the fly to meet the needs of the class — that impressed me.

Down the road, I might even take the course again as I get more engaged in my own projects here at Dancing Rabbit. I wholeheartedly recommend the course to anyone who is thinking about attending. For me, it was a very good decision and investment!
 

We have a limited number of slots remaining for the 2019 Permaculture Design Course at Dancing Rabbit, and if you wait to sign up, you could miss out. Go ahead and confirm your slot on our website now, before it’s too late.