Permaculture Design Course Thailand

Permaculture Design Course Thailand

September 2nd to September 14th, 2019

Daruma Eco Farm, Bang Phra, Si Racha District, Chon Buri 20110, Thailand

In the early days of permaculture, Bill Mollison’s Designer’s Manual was the stated standard for most PDC’s. Sometimes a PDC description would state that it officially covered the “14 chapters” which are listed here:

Introduction (to permaculture)
Concepts and Themes in Design
Methods of Design
Pattern Understanding
Climatic Factors
Trees and their Energy Transactions
Water
Soils
Earthworking and Earth Resources
The Humid Tropics
Dryland Strategies
Humid Cool to Cold Climates
Aquaculture
The Strategies of an Alternative Global Nation

In a few places, these chapters can serve as a guide for a PDC that will wind through the maze of design concepts and supporting background material. The Daruma PDC definitely covers the topics in these 14 chapters but this is not the order (or format) it is presented.

Every PDC course here at Daruma begins with an orientation tour of the farm to give you an overall impression of how individual elements integrate with each other. This often generates a broad range of questions. We will, however, hold off on answering most of these questions initially but don’t worry, if the course material doesn’t answer them, they will be answered in time. We also spend some time getting to know each other and sharing our goals.

One reason for not answering all the questions in the beginning is the most common answer in permaculture courses is, “it depends.” So it takes a little time to establish the basic foundations which we start on right away. That foundation begins with two important topics: The state of the world (why we need permaculture design thinking) and what is permaculture and where did it come from (a comprehensive overview). The overview includes a good discussion on ‘influences’ on permaculture.

Permaculture has been influenced by, incorporat