Events & Activities

When I was 26 and studying management at the School for International Training Graduate School in Vermont I was invited to attend an introduction to permaculture course at University of Massachusetts Amherst. Despite being in school for my dream career in Non-Profit Management, the two instructors Ethan Roland and Kay Cafasso taught me over the next few hours some of the most life altering and enlightening lessons of my life. It was because of that introduction to permaculture that I started to dedicate my life to regeneration over degeneration, to abundance over scarcity, to solutions over problems and ultimately to creation of life over destruction of life.

Three years later, after studying and practicing permaculture I am ridiculously excited to offer an amazing opportunity to everyone interested in learning the solutions.

"We know the problems, get the tools to design the solutions."

Join David Stockhausen and I on Sunday, May 16th for a our Permaculture Bootcamp, an introduction to urban permaculture design. We will explore the basics of permaculture as applied to the urban setting and in particular the Hayes Valley Farm site.

This introductory class could quite possibly be one of the most important classes you take, because we begin to connect all the disparate dots together to form the kind of solutions everyone is hungry for, everyone is looking for in order to pave a path for a sustainable future.

Time: 10:00am - 1:30pm on Sunday, May 16th
This three-hour Permaculture Bootcamp is open for everyone and will start at 10:00am sharp, please try to arrive between 9:30pm and 9:45pm if you want ensure you are on time. 

Details: An average cost for a permaculture design course costs between $750 and $2000. I want everyone to sample the possibilities before committing to something larger, something more long term. The Permaculture Bootcamp is sliding scale from $50 to $75, for those who can afford it please do so, for those who cannot we are offering 3-5 scholarships at half price($25).

RSVP: We currently have just 12 0 spots left for May 16th, 2010 class. The class is full, but you can sign up for the next course below!

RSVP For An Upcoming Course

Reserve your spot today by filling out our online registration form. We will be announcing our next class date in the coming week.

Questions:
 

1. Q: Who are the instructors?
   
   A: The instructors are Christopher Burley and David Stockhausen. Both have heavy experience in urban agriculture and permaculture as it applies to urban agriculture production and design.
   
   Christopher Burley & David Stockhausen
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Q: Why take an introduction to permaculture course?
   
   A: Permaculture gives us a theoretical and practical framework for how to produce food, build shelter, and approach all other aspects of life in a way that gives back to the planet as much as it takes out. Many times our current "sustainable" solutions sacrifice future generations viability for current generations needs. We want to move beyond sustainability to regenerative agriculture, permaculture can empower us to know how to do this.
   
   
3. Q: Hayes Valley Farm has just started, is there really any permaculture lessons available on site?
   
   A: Yes!, despite only being open for 3 months, we have had an incredible impact at Hayes Valley Farm, from inception to execution we have been visioning, analyzing and executing using permaculture and sustainable agricultural methods. The lessons on the site are everyone and will be a key aspect of the introductory class, the elements that are not visible will be shown using handouts and a whiteboard. All questions will be honored and answered.
   
   
4. Q:  Can I really apply permaculture to my own backyard in San Francisco? Is it for large scale big land areas?
   
   A: From urban backyards, to kitchen windowsills, to big broad-acre sites, to tropical to urban patios permaculture is a design approach which will help YOU have the tools you need to design solutions for the health and prosperity of the future. There are applications in aspects outside of agriculture, in your office and in your home. Come and check it out! 

See you there!

-Chris Burley