Ever Wondered…

“What can I do with a Permaculture Certificate?”

Meet Our Alumni and Get Inspired By Their Stories!

We have over 500 graduates of our Permaculture Design Certificate course, and they’re doing some extraordinary things. This page is dedicated to showcasing their great work through beautiful videos, clever interviews and profiles of successful student businesses and projects.

VERGE VIDEO SERIES ALUMNI IN ACTION

Two filmmakers set out to document 10 of our grads in action as they start homesteads, businesses, conferences and more. Warning: beautiful footage and inspiring stories will make you want to jump up and follow suit!

This series tells the stories of 10 past students of our Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) course, documenting what they’ve done with the knowledge, skills and inspiration they acquired from the course. Two film makers set out to find these graduates and catch them in action, capturing their successes, struggles, and transformations as they embark on new endeavours – starting gardens, homesteads, community projects, businesses, building sustainable homes and structures, hosting conferences and much more.

At this turning point in human history, where people from all walks of life have begun searching for a more fulfilling and sustainable way of living, these PDC graduates show what is possible, and in doing so demonstrate the essence of the permaculture movement that is sweeping Calgary and the world. We hope that watching these videos inspires you as much as we were inspired by creating them; so kick back, press play, and enjoy watching positive, practical change in action!

10 Part Series Trailer:

 

04.12.2012
The Verge Permaculture Grad Interview series tells the stories of 10 graduates from Verge's Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) Course, documenting what they've done with the knowledge, skills and inspiration they acquired from the course. Two film makers set out to find these graduates and catch them in action, capturing their successes, struggles, and transformations as they embark on new endeavours - starting gardens, homesteads, community projects, businesses, building sustainable homes and structures, hosting conferences and much more. FREE RESOURCES: How To Design Resilient Homes Acreages and Farms: http://bit.ly/2mNPH4s Passive Solar Greenhouse Case Studies: http://bit.ly/2ERJKtY The Verge Blog Book: http://bit.ly/2Dqjg5G UPCOMING VERGE WORKSHOPS: Permaculture Design Certificate: http://bit.ly/2FP47t2 Permaculture Pro Webinar Series: http://bit.ly/2DivD4f Regenerative Business Mentorship: http://bit.ly/2BccBGT SALATIN SEMESTER BOOK: https://salatinsemester.com/ Verge Website: https://vergepermaculture.ca/ DONATE TO THE SHOW!! $5 - http://bit.ly/2mRYEd4 $10 - http://bit.ly/2Deg0Xx $20 - http://bit.ly/2rjHqtM Follow Rob Avis https://www.facebook.com/vergeperma... https://twitter.com/vergepc?lang=en Watch More Rob Avis: Make a Living With Permaculture/Farming: http://bit.ly/2DEOGCR Urban Homesteading Video Series: http://bit.ly/2DilqF3 Verge Grad Interview Series: http://bit.ly/2FM9AAE About Rob Avis and Verge Permaculture: In less than 10 years, Rob & Michelle Avis left Calgary’s oil fields and retooled his engineering career to help clients and students design integrated systems for shelter, energy, water, waste and food, all while supporting local economy and regenerating the land. He’s now leading the next wave of permaculture education, teaching career-changing professionals to become eco-entrepreneurs with successful regenerative businesses. Learn more and connect with Rob & Michelle at https://vergepermaculture.ca/

Watch the Whole Alumni in Action Series:

 

 

VERGE ALUMNI PROFILES

With countless Verge grads launching their own permaculture careers and projects, it’s getting harder and harder to keep up! So each month, we profile at least one PDC grad and their permaculture business or project. If you’ve ever daydreamed about quitting your job and starting a meaningful career healing the earth, these grads will show you how it’s done.

Explore our Verge Alumni Profiles:

 

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VERGE ALUMNI INTERVIEWS

Taking a Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) can be a life-changing experience. Many of our students leave the course so inspired and full of ideas, they end up making dramatic lifestyle changes, sometimes leaving their jobs to pursue careers in permaculture. And not surprisingly. In this exciting, dynamic and earth-healing field, there’s a lot of room for work. So what does life after the PDC look like? Read on, as Sara Haney, a PDC graduate herself, interviews seven of Verge’s PDC graduates about the career and life changes that followed their course.

Life after the PDC Interviews:

 

WHAT STUDENTS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT US & OUR COURSES

  • The course was life changing for me, I learned so many positive solutions in an uncertain world, I was also able to network with an incredible group of people that are interested in sustainability in the same way that I am. I can unreservedly recommend this course – if you want to live in a permanent culture, please consider taking the time to do the Design Certificate course.

    Maurice Samm, Camrose, Alberta
    Maurice Samm, Camrose, Alberta
  • Permaculture offers an exciting and engaging vision for human organization and habitat. The knowledge provided by this course has equipped me with positive alternative solutions to the significant problems our society faces. I hope to apply my experience to food security policy issues. Rob and Michelle have developed an organized and structured course; combined with their knowledgeable instruction, the value of the course far surpasses the course fee. Highly recommended.

    Joel Laforest, Calgary, AB
    Joel Laforest, Calgary, AB
  • Taking the Verge Permaculture courses helped give me the knowledge, connections, and confidence to make real changes in my life.  I was able to start my own business, change my lifestyle, and meet an amazing group of people that helped me every step of the way.

    Jullilynn Gillies
    Jullilynn Gillies Rancho Relaxo
  • Over the past five years I have watched Rob and Michelle build Verge Permaculture from the ground up and I am proud to say that Verge Permaculture is now one of North America's premier permaculture design and education companies.

    Geoff Lawton
    Geoff Lawton Director of The Permaculture Institute
  • I would highly recommend this course to anyone of any age who would like to make a radical change in the way they act in, and perceive the world around them.

    Joshua, Vancouver
    Joshua, Vancouver Gardener/ Mycologist/ Farmer
  • I plan to develop a multi generational permaculture farm and teaching centre where I can apply what I learned and pass it on to others. The instructors were all passionate and helpful. They made it an enjoyable experience. I feel that I got amazing value for the money spent.

    Timothy Skogen, Peace River, AB
    Timothy Skogen, Peace River, AB
  • I honestly feel that with the principles and techniques I learned in the PDC, plus the network of people in the permaculture world, we now have the tools to heal the planet.

    Jeremy Zoller - Calgary
    Jeremy Zoller - Calgary Owner - Sunshine Earth Works
  • This design course really helped to us draw connections to integrate shelter more closely with the landscape.

    Ashley Lubyk & Heather Noakes
    Ashley Lubyk & Heather Noakes Dirt Craft Natural Building
  • Every so often someone comes along who seems to change the game. In this case, Alberta’s good fortune is doubly so, as it is a dynamic husband and wife who have changed people’s lives in service of environmental stewardship. As engineers-turned-sustainability designers, Rob and Michelle Avis have brought back Permaculture from a global learning expedition and innovated—adapted tools to Alberta conditions—sustaining not only their own small business but so much more…

    Adam Gagnon, Calgary, AB
    Adam Gagnon, Calgary, AB
  • Verge delivers on its reputation as "Permaculture for Professionals, Innovators, and Entrepreneurs". Rob teaches in a manner that is familiar to students with post-secondary education - professional, organized, and technology-based. Unlike most instructors though, he's willing to slow down and explain difficult concepts further at the request of his students. For those looking to transition into a permaculture-based career, Rob is chock-full of exciting business ideas and he truly comes alive when his students invite him to share. A Verge PDC - worth every penny.

    Troy McTavish
    Troy McTavish RT Trader

SNAPSHOTS FROM OUR PERMACULTURE DESIGN COURSES

How Permaculture Changed My Life

In this newest blog series, we feature personal stories from past alumni about how how permaculture changed the direction of their outlooks and careers.

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