2024 Verge Permaculture Design Certification (PDC)
Course Details
Scroll down to meet the teaching team, for a peek inside our student portal and for FAQs
What’s Included in Your Package
Foundational Package | Practitioner Package | Professional Package | |
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24-hour live-online Foundational course |
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Five on-demand elective modules |
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Office hours for final project support |
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Advanced permaculture planning and design course |
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Live-online Food Forest masterclass |
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Full year access to course library including 8 on-demand masterclasses |
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Access to foundational and on-demand course recordings |
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(1-year access) |
(lifetime access) |
Permaculture Institute of North America accredited Permaculture Design Certification |
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PRICE |
$499CAD(est. $369 USD) |
$1,799CAD(est. $1,301 USD) |
$2,799CAD (est. $2,049 USD) |
*** Early Bird Price Ends May 7 ***
Foundational Course Details & Schedule
We meet two times per week live-online, Mondays and Thursdays ⇒ 2:00 – 5:00 pm PT | 3:00 – 6:00 pm MT | 5:00 – 8:00 pm ET
Dates | High-Level Topics Covered |
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Thursday, May 30 |
Welcome & Methods of Design |
Monday, June 3 Thursday, June 6 |
Leveraging Climate & Microclimate
Essentials of Landscape Water Management |
Monday, June 10 Thursday, June 13 |
Soil Health and Practical Composting
Cultivating Food Forests & Perennial Gardening |
Monday, June 17 Thursday, June 20 |
Annual Permaculture Gardening Strategies
Integrating Beneficial Animals & Insects |
Monday, June 24 |
Permaculture Mapping Tools |
Practitioner & Professional Course Details & Schedule
Module | High-Level Topics Covered |
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May 30-June 24 |
The complete Foundational Course | Live-onlineSee full schedule in the table above |
June 6-August 5 |
Five on-demand modules | Learn at your own paceSee full details in the table below |
July 22-July 27 |
On-Site Learning Intensive | CalgarySee full schedule in the table below |
August 5, 8, 12, 15, 19 & 22 |
Office HoursDrop in office hours and additional group time with your design mentor for Q&A and direct feedback / support with your final project |
August 26, 2024 |
Final Projects DueComplete your final project and receive personalized feedback from one of your design project mentor. |
On-Demand Module Details
Take at your own pace and complete the modules to receive your Permaculture Design Certification.
Designing Alternative Structures and Energy Systems
Explore the benefits of incorporating alternative structures and energy (like passive solar, straw bale, solar, wind, etc) into your permaculture designs. Understand that energy efficiency is achieved through optimizing energy use and production.
Livestock Integration
All ecosystems require animal integration to fully thrive. Explore broad-acre holistic management practices and the methods of integrating different types of livestock to yield maximum land regeneration.
Permaculture Careers
Explore pathways to transitioning your career with a permaculture focus. Understand how to best leverage your existing skills, education and available resources within the evolving permaculture career landscape.
Agroforestry/Keyline
Explore the details and benefits of incorporating agroforestry systems into your permaculture design. Understanding Keyline design basics, how it compares to on-contour design and what contexts this approach is most relevant.
Rainwater Harvesting 101
Explore & debunk the myths around rainwater harvesting. Learn how to calculate your rainwater harvesting budget and best practices for designing your system.
On-Site Learning Intensive Details
Date | High-Level Topics Covered |
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July 22 | Morning: Welcome, Vision & Values
Afternoon: Applied Learning – Soil |
July 23 | Morning: Vision & Values Group Project, Community Design
Afternoon: Applied Learning – Food Forests |
July 24 | Morning: Community Design Group Project
Afternoon: Applied learning – Annual Gardening |
July 25 | Morning: Alternative Strategies & Group Project
Afternoon: Permablitz → Work together to implement a local permaculture design |
July 26 | Morning: Design Case Studies & Design Project Overview
Afternoon: Group project Evening: Community Party & BBQ |
July 27 | All day Permie tour → Local Permaculture Properties Tour |
Professional Package Details
The Food Forest Masterclass | September 2024
Designed to guide homeowners, contractors, and aspiring professionals in converting conventional gardens lawns into productive, low-maintenance food forests. Learn from leading experts in regenerative agriculture and permaculture design, gaining practical skills and insights to create resilient landscapes and nurture biodiversity, enhance your food security, and support ecosystem health. This course is your gateway to not only beautifying your space but also actively contributing to a healthier planet and strengthen your eco-resilience.
- 6 weeks | Live-online or watch the Recordings at your own pace
- 24 hours, 6-weeks x 4-hour of lecture and interactive/Q&A sessions
![Calgary Mature front yard food forest.](https://vergepermaculture.ca/wp-content/uploads/verge-083116-gya-258.jpg)
![drone-5 aerial view of avis farm](https://vergepermaculture.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/drone-5-800x500.jpg)
Advanced Permaculture Planning & Design | Late Fall 2024
This course has been built as the essential next step for those who have completed a Permaculture Design Certification Course, addressing the common challenge of feeling overwhelmed by the possibilities post-certification. This live, online course leverages an engineering approach to permaculture, focusing on practical, technology-driven planning and implementation strategies across five key steps: clarifying vision, values, and resources; diagnosing needs; designing or revising projects; implementing improvements; and monitoring progress. Learn more…
*** Dates are subject to change. ***
The Verge Course Library | One-year access starting September 1, 2024
A full year access to the Verge course library through the Verge Permaculture Academy.
- Over a hundred of hours on-demand lectures, Q&As, webinars and other recordings you can watch at your own pace presented by permaculture experts including Bill Mollison, Toby Hemenway, Mark Krawczyk, Morag Gamble, Starhawk, Dr. Peter Coombes, Stefan Sobkowiak, Michelle Avis, Dan Chiras, Carmen Lamoureux and many more
- 8 on-demand masterclass recordings including:
![2023.11_resilient-garden-fundamentals_masterclass-feature-1280x720 resilient garden fundamentals with carmen lamoureux and soil with shovel in background](https://vergepermaculture.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/2023.11_resilient-garden-fundamentals_masterclass-feature-1280x720-2-300x170.jpg)
![2023.erwh-ondmnd-feature rainwater storage tanks on the side of a building while featuring michelle avis and dr. peter coombes](https://vergepermaculture.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/2023.erwh-ondmnd-feature-300x170.jpg)
![2023.09_vpa_renewable-home-energy-solutions_on-demand-course-1280x720 renewable home energy solutions with dan chiras on-demand course](https://vergepermaculture.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/2023.09_vpa_renewable-home-energy-solutions_on-demand-course-1280x720-1-300x170.jpg)
![building an educational garden program course](https://vergepermaculture.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/2024.02_building-an-educational-garden-program_masterclass-feature-1280x720-1-300x170.jpg)
![2023_vpa_ppp_ondmnd-feature perennial plant propagation on-demand course presented by Sean Dembrosky](https://vergepermaculture.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/2023_vpa_ppp_ondmnd-feature-300x170.jpg)
![2023_vpa_gfsc_ondmnd_product_image-web Garden Design Strategies for Year-Round Nutrition On-Demand Course](https://vergepermaculture.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/2023_vpa_gfsc_ondmnd_product_image-web-300x170.jpg)
![2023.07_vpa_aho_ondmnd-feature advance home orcharding with stefan sobkowiak](https://vergepermaculture.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/2023.07_vpa_aho_ondmnd-feature-300x170.jpg)
![2023_creating_gaias_garden_ondmnd-feature 2023_creating_gaias_garden_ondmnd-feature](https://vergepermaculture.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2023_creating_gaias_garden_ondmnd-feature-300x170.png)
Take your first, foundational step into life as a permaculturist.
The path to becoming a permaculturist is anything but clear. The Verge Permaculture Design Certification course gives you the structure and support you need to make sense of it all and partner with nature to build a more hopeful tomorrow.
Verge’s Permaculture Design Course Teaching Team
With Special Guests
PLUS, Design Mentors and Support team that help us pull this off!
Find full bios of our core teaching team on our About Page.
Peek inside our student portal in our 2024 PDC on-boarding video.
COURSE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
ON-SITE LEARNING INTENSIVE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- July 22 – 27, 2024
- Class from 9am – 6pm daily (with regular breaks)
- Link to detailed class schedule
- 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 garden, food forest and pond.
- Site is accessible via public transit.
- 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 your own dinner. We will be following up with a survey to gather this detailed information from our registered students before July.
- Hands-on experience completing a permaculture project installation (Permablitz)
- Tour of various permaculture properties/projects in the Calgary area
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 dorms, hotels, local hosts, etc. A more detailed list of available & recommended accommodations will be provided as part of your course package.
- 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 are coming from out of town, you will want clothing suited for a warm/dry climate (approximately 23 to 26 C or 73 to 79 F).
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 to complete the remaining coursework to receive your certification.
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 policy, send an email with the details of your situation to customercare@5thworld.farm and we will evaluate on a case-by-case basis.