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An orchard in your backyard – think of it!  A virtual grocery aisle, providing a ready crop of fruit and livestock to provide your family with healthy, nutritious, free food, enough to enjoy in [...]

If you’re looking to cut your landfill waste, undo the effects of erosion, reduce your climate footprint, and fall in love with the regenerative magic of soil, your best first step is a simple [...]

“Produce No Waste.” This core permaculture principle sounds like a green ideal to reduce pollution, yes? But that’s just the beginning: this principle also reminds us that nature transforms its [...]

Technical support will be available through our online platform. You can also reach out to our support team via email for assistance with any technical issues.

Yes, the course includes practical exercises that you can perform at your own site. These activities are designed to help you apply the concepts learned in the course and gain hands-on experience.

Course materials will be provided through our online platform. Participants will receive login details upon registration, allowing access to all course content, recordings, and supplementary resources.

The live sessions will be conducted via a video conferencing platform called Zoom. Participants will receive a link to join the sessions before the start of the course. You will also have access [...]

No, we do not offer a certificate upon completion. The focus of this course is on practical knowledge and skills that you can apply directly to your forest garden project.

There will be designated Q&A sessions during the live course, and you can also reach out via email or through the course platform for additional support. The recorded version will include [...]

Yes, during the live delivery of the course, you will have opportunities to ask questions and interact with the instructor. For the recorded version, there will be additional resources and [...]

The course consists of 12 hours of live content, with additional time set aside for live Q&A sessions. Additionally, you will need to set aside at least an hour or two per week to spend time [...]

You will need basic gardening tools and materials, such as: • Measuring tape • Notebook and pen • Camera or smartphone • Sunlight tracker app Students should ideally have access to the site of [...]

No prior experience is required. This course is designed to be accessible to beginners, while also offering valuable insights for experienced gardeners looking to expand their knowledge into [...]

The course is delivered live on Zoom. The live sessions are interactive, and participants will have opportunities to ask questions and engage with the instructor.

The course consists of approximately 12 hours of content, spread over 6 modules. These modules cover the entire process from site assessment to long-term stewardship. Additional time will be set [...]

You will learn how to design, implement, and steward a forest garden. Key topics include: • Conducting a site assessment • Understanding and applying design principles (layering, plant guilds, [...]

This course is designed for beginners and experienced gardeners alike who are interested in creating their own forest garden. It is suitable for those with varied motivations, including [...]

A forest garden, also known as a food forest, is a low-maintenance, regenerative food production system modeled after natural woodland ecosystems. It integrates diverse plant and animal species [...]

Cruise through suburbia one spring or fall day, and you’ll see them: rows upon rows of paper bags of leaves, lawn clippings, and yard waste, waiting for municipal pickup. Ironically,  the [...]

Early in the spring of your gardening life, when your herbs and veggies are still small, there’s a certain parent-like charm about trotting around with a watering can or hose, tenderly pouring a [...]

In our last blog, we looked at how water and soil interact in assuring the success of your permaculture property. In this post, we’re going to take a look at how you can revive the soil ecosystem [...]

It’s been a number of years since we moved from our first homestead in suburban Calgary, but we still love to hear the gasps of awe and admiration as we show its Before and After pictures: from a [...]

If you listen to conventional wisdom, you might begin to think that planting fruit trees on your property is a terrible idea – they’re prone to diseases and pests, and demand endless spraying and [...]

“Food forest” – “forest garden” – “agroforestry” – if you grew up seeing farms with single-crop fields stretching away into the distance, these terms may provoke some cognitive dissonance. [...]

(A Quick Summary of Rob Avis’ in-depth article on Mainframe Design, published in Permaculture Magazine)  When you’re face to face with your new property, how can you set priorities in beginning [...]

You’ll find the terms & conditions for our products and services here. Please be sure to read them before you complete your purchase! If you still have questions after reading our [...]

If you are unable to attend the in-person portion of the course, we recommend that you only register for the Foundational package now. We will have upgrade options available in Fall 2024, for you [...]

Bring yourself a writing utensil and a notebook for your notes (or your preferred means of taking notes).  We recommend you also bring a reusable water bottle & coffee mug as well.   If you [...]

Accommodations are not included with your course purchase. There are many options available to accommodate a variety of budgets, including group or individual airbnb rentals; hostels, university [...]

40+ Hours of instruction You will be provided with a light breakfast, lunch & afternoon snack and we will be able to accommodate most dietary restrictions. You will be responsible to provide [...]

Google Roadmap to Calgary Calgary International Airport

Event will be hosted in Calgary, Alberta, Canada Venue: (Tentative) Hull Services Campus: 2266 Woodpark Avenue SW Campus Map Featuring Permaculture installations: Passive Solar Greenhouse, market [...]

July 22 – 27, 2024 Class from 9am – 6pm daily (with regular breaks) Link to detailed class schedule

If you have any technical issues related to accessing your course or the portal, please reach out to customercare@vergepermaculture.ca If you have course specific questions please reach out to [...]

There are lots of books that have been published on the subject. To find out about the roots of Permaculture, get hold of a copy of Permaculture One, Mollison and Holmgren, 1978. Our other [...]

Sure you can! Let’s Calgary as an example. The climate in Calgary is notably variable and challenging for gardening due to its proximity to the mountains. The region, often referred to as the [...]

No way! First, permaculture principles apply to more areas of life than just gardening. Still, the best part is, anyone can learn gardening. And if you think you don’t naturally have a green [...]

The most significant limitation is a lack of knowledge and, therefore, a lack of funding. First, people simply don’t know about permaculture. You can’t implement a system that you don’t know [...]

Anywhere! The principles apply to more than just agriculture. They become a way of life. Since you create your design, you can work with what you’ve got. Some people will have a simple backyard [...]

Absolutely not! Here’s the thing: every design is different and individually tailored based on your needs, resources, time and space. You design the system, so with a little bit of research and [...]

At the simplest level, permaculture’s purpose is to ensure the continued longevity of the Earth and everything on it. In his book “Introduction to Permaculture,” Bill Mollison states, [...]

Permaculture is more than just gardening. It’s a system based on relationships supporting communities’ ability to thrive through vulnerability. Permaculture combines permanent + culture + [...]

For the Passive Solar Greenhouse Design course, we have structured the payment options to align with the two levels of enrollment, corresponding to the distinct curriculums within the course. [...]

The knowledge and skills you acquire from the Passive Solar Greenhouse Design course can be seamlessly integrated into your existing gardening or farming practices in several impactful ways: [...]

The course’s approach to sustainability and regenerative practices in greenhouse design is deeply rooted in the core principles of permaculture design, which is central to Verge [...]

The Passive Solar Greenhouse Design (PSGD) Tool is a specialized spreadsheet-based tool developed specifically for the Passive Solar Greenhouse Design course. It plays a pivotal role in the [...]

Absolutely! Our online Portal, where the course materials and lectures are hosted, is mobile-friendly. This means you can conveniently access the course content, including videos and readings, [...]

As a student who has purchased the Passive Solar Greenhouse Design course, you are entitled to perpetual access to not only the course materials and recordings but also the course community. This [...]

There are no strict prerequisites for enrolling in the Passive Solar Greenhouse Design course. However, to maximize the benefits of the course, there are a couple of areas where some foundational [...]

To keep up effectively with the Passive Solar Greenhouse Design course, here’s a breakdown of the time commitment you should consider: Live Course Sessions: During the first 4 weeks of the [...]

Upon successfully completing the Comprehensive curriculum of our Passive Solar Greenhouse Design course, we are pleased to offer a digital certificate of completion. This certificate will be [...]

The primary focus of the Passive Solar Greenhouse Design course is on the design principles and technologies essential for effectively designing a Passive Solar Greenhouse (PSG) using [...]

The Passive Solar Greenhouse Design course includes several practical assignments, although they are structured differently from conventional design and build projects. Here’s what you can [...]

Our live lectures are designed to be highly interactive, providing ample opportunities for you to actively participate, ask questions, and engage with others. Here’s how interactivity is [...]

To ensure a smooth and engaging experience in our live online sessions via Zoom, there are several technical requirements that you should be prepared to meet: Stable Internet Connection: A [...]

Throughout the Passive Solar Greenhouse Design course, you will receive comprehensive support to enhance your learning experience, including opportunities for direct interaction with our [...]

Absolutely! We understand that schedules can be busy, and it might not always be possible to attend every live session. To accommodate this, we ensure that all our live lectures are recorded and [...]

Our live online lectures are a key component of the Passive Solar Greenhouse Design course, providing an interactive and engaging learning experience. We conduct these sessions using Zoom, a [...]

A passive solar greenhouse is a greenhouse designed to utilize sunlight for heating and lighting as efficiently as possible, reducing or eliminating the need for additional electrical or heating [...]

Specialized design strategies are essential for passive solar greenhouses in cold climates to maximize efficiency and sustainability. We’re looking for robust insulation, particularly on the [...]

The distinction between active and passive solar greenhouses hinges on their heating mechanisms: passive greenhouses maximize heat from natural sunlight using design techniques like proper [...]

Some disadvantages of passive solar greenhouses include limited climate control due to reliance on external weather conditions, the risk of overheating without precise management of ventilation [...]

Verge Permaculture, a leading provider of practical and useful educational courses for permaculture design and sustainability, has announced its merger with 5th World, a renowned consulting firm [...]

One of the fascinating concepts in biology is the microbial infallibility hypothesis. In his 1951 textbook, British microbiologist Ernest Gale put forward a hypothesis which stated: “If [...]

When the Problem Becomes the Solution When Jill invited Rob to come on the podcast, she thought they would be talking about food forests and garden design. Little did she know they would be [...]

The instructor may offer you optional practice exercises that are designed to hone the skills and knowledge being taught. These are not required to complete the course.