We are excited to host Permaculture Design Charrette Weekend - the ultimate learning experience for anyone interested in sustainable agriculture and regenerative design! Hosting the charrette at Elkstone Farm, gives us the opportunity to design on a mature permaculture landscape that is both instructional on what is already in the ground and has a tremendous potential for greater abundance.
Over the course of two days, you'll learn from industry-leading experts in permaculture design, gain hands-on experience in designing and implementing sustainable food systems, and connect with like-minded individuals who have a passion for ecological design.
On Friday night, you will hear from the three experienced permaculture designers on how they work with broad acre strategies to help regenerate landscapes and create ecological and economic health for the land. Our curriculum covers everything from soil health and water management to agroforestry and animal husbandry. You'll discover the latest techniques and best practices for designing integrated systems that promote ecological health and biodiversity, while also providing food, fuel, and fiber for humans.
During the weekend, you'll have the opportunity to participate in a design charrette, where you'll work collaboratively with other attendees to create a permaculture design plan for the evolution of Elkstone Farm. You'll receive personalized feedback from our instructors, and leave the course with a comprehensive understanding of permaculture design principles and gain concrete experience for implementing design in your own projects.
But this isn't just another run-of-the-mill workshop. Our instructors are some of the most respected names in the permaculture world, with decades of experience designing and implementing sustainable food systems. They'll provide you with the knowledge, skills, and inspiration you need to take your permaculture practice to the next level.
So if you're ready to join the growing movement of regenerative agriculture and become a leader in the permaculture community, sign up for the Permaculture Design Charrette Weekend Course today!
Price includes farm-to-table lunches on Saturday and Sunday. There is camping up in nearby National Forrest or at Strawberry Hot springs if you book early!
This course is a prerequisite for our Permaculture Teacher's Training that we will offer in late 2023.
Instructors:
Marco has been practicing and teaching permaculture and sustainable living skills for over twenty five years in diverse climates from the Andes to the Hawaiian islands. Originally trained by the founder of Permaculture, Bill Mollison, Marco’s teaching style moves away from the lecture format and emphasizes getting people’s hands in the Earth. Marco is the founder of the Mandala Integrative Medicine Clinic and a renowned acupuncturist and herbalist who grows many of the herbs used in his practice. His vision is a melding of ecological sustainability and nature-based health care where our personal healing and our land stewardship are deeply intertwined. Marco has been an active creator of new permaculture curriculum and pioneered the “Permaculture through the Seasons” course with Sandy Cruz and through the 9 month permaculture course planted seeds for a more robust permaculture community. Marco created the permaculture curriculum for the Environmental Studies department at Naropa University in 2006 and stewarded the program there for 6 years to become the most popular class on campus. Marco is currently managing a 700 acre permaculture farm in Northern Colorado with his wife Jamie and grows citrus and figs in a 2800 sq ft climate battery greenhouse and helps mountain communities become more self-sufficient. He is passionate and committed to teaching a new generation of earth stewards and healers to show up with their gifts and presence to help regenerate the relationship between people and the Earth.
Avery Ellis is an Ecological Designer with a whole systems approach to life. Avery was raised in New Jersey, the Garden state, by a master gardener. He has always felt a kinship with nature and the natural processes. He spent the past decade pursuing his passion for sustainability with experience ranging from permaculture design to natural building practices, solar installation to biodynamic farming, ecological waste treatment to communication dynamics and he loves to share his knowledge with the world. He holds a Masters degree in Ecological Design and a Bachelors of Science in Biology. He studied permaculture in India in 2006 and in the Rocky Mountains he has been learning and practicing permaculture since 2010. He has earned several Advanced Permaculture Design Certificates (2012-2014), and obtained his Permaculture Teacher’s Certificate in 2012. He was honored in 2017 to receive a Diploma in Permaculture Design from the Permaculture Institute of North America Integrating these skills into diverse businesses, he now focuses on designing ecosystems that serve humanity by mimicking natural processes. As an eco-entrepreneur, his business endeavors include: United Ecology and Colorado Greywater, where he brings science and craftsmanship together in his designs and installations.
Patrick Padden, a graduate of Colorado State University, studied natural systems building design in Namibia and urban food forest implementation in Johannesburg, South Africa (2007). Patrick received his design certificate from the International Permaculture Design Course in Harare, Zimbabwe in 2009 and in 2014 completed a Master’s Degree in Integrative Eco-Social Design with Gaia University. He spent five seasons growing organic food for the community at Sunrise Ranch. Patrick is currently living in Fort Collins with his wife and children. He is a practicing permaculturalist, consultant, public speaker, and educator through his company Padden Permaculture, where he offers residential landscape designs and installations.
Your health and the well-being of our community are important to us. We encourage all participants to be vaccinated before they visit the farm or wear a mask and practice social distancing if they have not yet been vaccinated. We have upgraded sanitation protocols in place, and require that guests follow our policies, which are in compliance with all CDC and county guidelines.
