2022 CONFERENCE SESSIONS

Skip to the schedule and full speaker bios & schedule…

8:00 – 9:00 am MT

2022 Permaculture Design Conference Kick-Off

Meet your hosts, the Verge team, as they introduce the summit, and provide an overview of the weekend to come!

9:15 – 10:45 am MT

Dr. Elaine Ingham: Inviting the Right Microbes Into Your Soil

What is the soil food web? How does this web of life function to grow plants that do not succumb to diseases or pests? What is the mechanism that out-compete weeds? How can all the nutrients that plants need can be obtained from soil without any applications of inorganic fertilizers? How is it the Green Revolution converts soil into dirt? How can farmers reverse that damage in a short period of time? What are the steps to start growing plants in conjunction with nature, instead of fighting nature? The five overarching principles that govern the natural, biological approach to plant production will be explained, along with examples of successful case studies.

11:00 am – 12:30 pm MT

Garden Jane: How to impact “Earth Care” in the City – Strategic approaches to being an urban permaculturist

Jane has been active in the urban and regional food systems world since 1994. In 2007, she founded Garden Jane to provide services around growing healthy food and gardens for all. Through Garden Jane, she works with people across North America who want to grow food gardens, food sovereignty and equity within their communities, not-for profits, businesses or spheres of influence. This presentation will share case studies of urban permaculture, built and woven together with communities over two decades, and its impacts on neighbourhoods, organizations, urban development and planning in the Greater Toronto Area. We’ll share practical lessons on starting where you are at, and growing an urban permaculture practice and projects that honour your efforts, the land and communities. We’ll offer thoughts on earning a living, and strategic approaches to business, developers and municipalities.

12:45 – 2:15 pm MT

Sean Dembrosky of Edible Acres: Permaculture Nurseries 101

A Permaculture Nursery can be integrated into any farm or garden…this can be a great way to generate extra income or increase huge numbers of high value plants for the home landscape. We’ll explore techniques and ideas on how to get started with a limited budget and resources that can be fully integrated into systems already in place.

2:30 – 4:00 pm MT

Stefan Sobkowiak: How to Design a Permaculture ‘Lab’ at ANY scale

Biologist, landscape architect, educator, Film Maker, farm manager, husband, father of 3. Sobkowiak wears many hats and is a highly influential Permaculturalist in his region. He has lectured with McGill University,  is a special guest in the Verge PDC and is the current director of Miracle Farms: the renowned Permaculture Orchard in Quebec. 

4:15 – 5:45 pm MT

Carmen Lamoureux: Leveraging Seasonal Abundance with Urban Permaculture

Owner and founder of Calgary’s Urban Farm School and the Urban Permaculture Project, Carmen is dedicated to helping emerging gardeners and permaculture enthusiasts gain the freedom, confidence and skills they need to live more abundant and resilient lives. Having grown food organically for almost 5 decades, Carmen gets excited about helping others cultivate great food, and in turn, great selves, as she believes this is “key to bringing each of us up to a level of responsible maturity and wisdom necessary for creating a more beautiful and connected world”.

6:00 – 7:30 pm MT

Earth Care Panel Discussion with Keynote Speakers Dan Chiras, Garden Jane, and Zach Weiss

Our speakers will come together to discuss the Permaculture ethic of “Earth Care” in a conversation guided by our resident emcee, Ben Dunn.

7:45 – 9:15 pm MT

Dan Chiras: DIY Renewable Home-Scale Energy Solutions

Dan Chiras is a long-time practitioner of self-sufficiency and sustainability. He lives on a 60-acre, solar- and wind-powered farm where he and his wife have dedicated their lives to living by the principles and practices of Permaculture. Dan has published 40 books and hundreds of articles that cover a wide range of topics focused largely on self-sufficiency and sustainability. Dan’s most popular books are The Solar House, The Natural House, The Homeowner’s Guide to Renewable Energy, Power from the Sun, and Solar Electricity Basics. His most recent titles are The Chinese Greenhouse and Grow Lettuce in Your Bedroom, a guide on indoor LED gardening.

8:30 – 9:00 am MT

Dr. Ian Macdonald, Ben Dunn, Sage Gibbons: Cultural Variation Within The Permaculture Movement

Their research project seeks to deepen our understanding of the Permaculture movement as realized across the English-speaking world (i.e. those residing in AUS, CAN, NZ, UK, US). Through partnership with regional hubs, individuals who have completed a Permaculture Design Course are being invited to participate in the largest, systematic canvassing of English-speaking permaculturalists to date. The project is grounded in contemporary cultural evolutionary science, i.e. the science of cultural change, viewing permaculture as a form of value-guided cultural niche construction, and focuses on how permaculturalists conceptualize, practice, and learn about permaculture in their everyday lives.

9:00 – 10:30 am MT

Bonita Ford, M.A.: Tools for Disconnected Communities and Burnt-Out Organizers

Bonita is the author of the book “Embers of Hope” She supports people in coping with and addressing ecological breakdowns using permaculture, Nonviolent Communication, and Reiki. Bonita has a B.Sc. in Biochemistry from Queen’s University, a M.A. in Holistic Health Education from John F. Kennedy University in California, and a diploma in Permaculture from l’Université Populaire de Permaculture in France. The land she calls home is on unceded Anishinabe-Algonquin Territory. There, she loves to eat wild foods and dance barefoot on the Earth.

10:45 am – 12:15 pm MT

Derrick + Paige Jackson: How We Quit Our Jobs and Started a Farm in the Country

Derrick + Paige run a pasture-based farm called Grass Grazed in Durham NC. Their farm focuses on soil health and sustainable farming practices to raise heritage pastured pork,  poultry, and grass-fed cattle. Derrick previously served with the US Army, Special Operations, for 14 years prior to launching Grass Grazed. He and his wife Paige own and operate the full farm time alongside their five children. They strive to offer transparency, from farm to table, for their customers.  

12:30 – 2:00 pm MT

Zach Weiss: Permaculture Earthwork Strategies for Cold Climates and Beyond

More details coming soon…

2:15 – 3:45 pm MT

Dr. Peter Coombes & Michelle Avis: The Essentials for Safe & Simple Rainwater Harvesting

Michelle, together with her husband Rob, founded Verge Permaculture and has helped over 2000 students and a growing number of clients design and/or create integrated systems for shelter, energy, water, waste and food, all while supporting local economy and regenerating the land. Over the years she has specialized on Rainwater Harvesting systems, and is actively working on research projects with Dr. Coombes to raise public awareness on the benefits of rainwater harvesting.

Professor Coombes is a Systems Thinker, Scientist, Engineer, Economist, Problem Solver and Policy Analyst, a Provider of Alternative Perspective and a Designer of sustainable cities, projects and buildings. He is a director of Urban Water Cycle Solutions that operates as an independent research, policy and consulting group, a Fellow of Engineers Australia, a member of the National Engineering Register (NER) and a Certified Practising Engineer (CPeng) at the highest level (EngExec).

4:00 – 5:30 pm MT

Sandor Katz: Fermentation Demystified

Sandor Katz is a fermentation revivalist. He is the author of five books: Wild Fermentation; The Art of Fermentation; The Revolution Will Not Be Microwaved; Fermentation as Metaphor; and his latest, Fermentation Journeys. Sandor’s books, along with the hundreds of fermentation workshops he has taught around the world, have helped to catalyze a broad revival of the fermentation arts. The New York Times calls him “one of the unlikely rock stars of the American food scene.” Sandor is the recipient of a James Beard award and other honors. Photo credit: Laura Arredondo. 

5:45 – 7:15 pm MT

People Care Panel Discussion with Keynote Speakers Bonita Ford, Sandor Katz, and Carmen Lamoureux

Our speakers will come together to discuss the Permaculture ethic of “People Care” in a conversation guided by our resident emcee, Ben Dunn.

7:30 – 9:00 pm MT

Mitch Rawlyk: Discovering Microclimates – Physics Based Principles for an Eclectic Abundance in Zone 1

Mitch comes to us with a BSc. in Earth Systems and an MSc. in physical geography (applied meteorology) where he researched the utilization of machine learning for frost prediction in complex terrain, and the controlling meteorological variables of frost events. He is now applying all those skills in permaculture design at Moose’s Groovy Grove, and he strives to empower people with an understanding of meteorological and physics-based principles for cultivating abundance. You can download Mitch’s microclimate diagnostic worksheet here.

8:00 – 9:30 am MT

Private VIP Q&A with Rob Avis, Carmen Lamoureux, and Andrew Millison

Attendance available only to those who have purchased a Very Inquisitive Permie (VIP) Conference Pass. Obtaining a VIP Pass will get you into a room of your choice with either Rob Avis, Carmen Lamoureux, OR Andrew Millison where you can get your burning questions answered!

9:45 am – 11:15 am MT

Journey to Resilience with Ben Falk

Ben will cover his personal journey from encountering the crisis state of world as a young student, to developing solutions through a resilient and abundant homestead lifestyle, what he dubs a ‘land freedom system’. The development of such systems did not happen overnight…Ben will shed light on processes he’s developed, hardships he’s endured, and principles of success that he’s uncovered through experimentation for the past 20 years.

11:30 am – 12:15 pm MT

Lindsay Brandon: Life as a Professional Permaculture Designer

Lindsay Brandon is a permaculture designer (Verge PDC graduate 2022), entrepreneur, and farmer located in southern Alberta. At Conjunction Gardens, her and her partner farm 2 acres vegetable garden and are currently doing research and development with hemp fibre and grain. After her studies with Verge Permaculture, he career in food forest design was instantly catapulted working with Food Forest Abundance where she currently manages a team of designers and designs food forests around North America. She is currently studying soil microbiology with Elaine Ingham to have a greater understanding of the foundation of where life begins and how we can amend and harmonize our relationship to the earth and ultimately ourselves. A willingness to make connection, explore new territory and jump in without hesitation has led her down this exciting path of limitless potential. Join Lindsay to hear about the various ways one can approach the world after obtaining their PDC from Verge. The options are greater than you think!

12:30 – 2:00 pm MT

Mark Krawczyk: On the Fundamentals of Coppice Agroforestry

Mark Krawczyk is an applied ecologist, educator, and grower with a background in permaculture design, agroforestry, natural building, traditional woodworking, and small-scale forestry. He co-owns and operates Keyline Vermont LLC, teaching, designing, and consulting for farmers, homeowners, and homesteaders.  Since 2008, Mark has taught over 30 Permaculture Design Courses and been a specialist guest instructor in dozens more, including the Verge PDC.  He holds Diplomas in Permaculture Design and Education from the Permaculture Institute of North America.  He and his wife also co-manage Valley Clayplain Forest Farm – 52 acres of field and forest in New Haven, Vermont, USA.

2:15 – 3:45 pm MT

Gord Baird: Introducing the Eco-Sense Home and Lifestyle

Gord is the co-owner/designer/builder of the Eco-Sense project, the first Living Building recognized project internationally. Gord is an ASSE certified international Rainwater system designer, co-author of the Essential Compost Toilets, elected municipal councillor, Vice Chair of the CRD Regional water Supply Commission, Water Commissioner for the JDF Water Distribution Commission, past president of the BC Fruit Testers Association, and co-farmer of the Eco-Sense farm and nursery.

4:00 – 5:30 pm MT

Rob Avis: On the Future of Global Ecosystem Regeneration

After pursuing international training and certifications in renewable energy and regenerative design Rob, along with his wife and business partner Michelle, began Verge Permaculture, now a globally-recognized and award-winning design, consulting, and education company. In the last decade, he has helped more than 2000 students and a hundreds of clients to design and/or create integrated systems for shelter, energy, water, waste and food, all while supporting local economy and regenerating the land.

5:45 – 7:15 pm MT

Future Care Panel Discussion: More details coming soon…

Our speakers will come together to discuss the Permaculture ethic of “Future Care” in a conversation guided by our resident emcee, Ben Dunn.

7:30 – 9:00 pm MT

Peter McCoy: MycoPermaculture 101

Peter McCoy is a world renowned applied mycology researcher and educator who has endeavored to understand and share the world of fungi with others for over 20 years. He is the author of Radical Mycology: A Treatise on Seeing and Working with Fungi (Chthaeus Press, 2016), the founder of the mycology advocacy organization Radical Mycology , a co-founder of the Fungi Film Festival, and the founder and lead instructor at MYCOLOGOS, an applied mycology school and experimental fungi farm based in Portland, Oregon. Alongside his work with fungi, Peter can be often found making art or music, pondering mysteries, or wandering the great forests of the Pacific Northwest.