South Shore Permaculture’s

PERMACULTURE DESIGN COURSE

PDC 2026

From homesteads to regenerative farms, gain skills that apply directly to homes, gardens, neighborhoods, & more.

Sign Up Today

Welcome to our 4th PDC!

January 29 - June 11, 2026

South Shore Permaculture’s PDC is offered once a year and takes place over the course of six months.

The course’s 72 immersive hours consists of weekly meetings through Google Meet (2 hours/week) and in-person events such as nature walks, permablitzes, and farm tours throughout Eastern Massachusetts.

You’ll graduate with a globally-recognized Permaculture Design Certificate.

Our New Pricing:

$1,499/person

Sign Up Today

About The PDC

Every year since our inception in 2023, South Shore Permaculture has offered the Permaculture Design Course (PDC) as an opportunity to learn from experienced teachers the tools and techniques to create abundant, regenerative landscapes and transform your local community.

Upon completing this globally recognized Permaculture Design Course, you will receive certification and possess the skills to design and implement sustainable systems that honor both people and the planet.

Sign Up Today

The PDC covers a wide range of permaculture principles and practices. Here are a few highlights:

Introduction to Permaculture: You’ll start with the foundations — ethics, principles, and design methodology. Learn how to mimic nature’s patterns in your own space and why working with nature is more effective than against it.

Community Building: Permaculture isn’t just about plants — it’s about people. You’ll learn to create resilient social networks, organize shared projects, and foster collaboration with neighbors and local organizations.

Edible Landscapes: Transform lawns, yards, or communal spaces into productive ecosystems. From perennial guilds to fruit trees, vegetable beds, and herb spirals, you’ll see how small spaces can yield abundance.

Homesteading 101: Explore practical skills like composting, seed starting, natural building, and passive solar techniques. Even if you don’t want livestock or a full homestead, these skills enhance your backyard ecosystem and lifestyle.

Observation and Design: Field trips and in-person exercises will help you observe patterns in your local ecosystem and practice designing productive, regenerative spaces. You’ll leave the course confident to create your own permaculture plan.

Tentative Course Schedule

January 29 - June 11, 2026

Our PDC operates on a Hybrid schedule with a mix of online classes and in-person workshops.

Online Classes

Online classes: Thursday evenings, 6:30-8:30 PM (2 hours/week for 12 weeks = 24 hours)
In-person weekends: 4 strategically timed gatherings spread over 6 months (48 hours)
Total commitment: 72 hours over 6 months

In-Person Weekends

Weekend 1 (March 1-2):

Nature walk at Weir River Farm practicing observation skills
Fox walk exercise to heighten your senses
Movie & potluck night to build community bonds

Weekend 3 (May 3-4):

Food forest tour at Leland Street Cooperative Garden
Earthworks workshop at Nature's Way Health & Wellness
Learn to shape land for water management and soil building

Weekend 2 (April 5-6):

Your first permablitz! Apply design principles to a real South Shore site
Full-day tour of Sirius Community ecovillage
Natural building demonstrations
Farm-to-table lunch grown on-site

Weekend 4 (May 24-25):

Immersive farm tour at Fowl Play Farm (Brett Sovick's working permaculture farm)
Natural building project (cob oven or similar)
Optional overnight camping for deep community connection

“South Shore Permaculture’s PDC program is a major asset to the South Shore community and anyone looking to develop the ability to design ecologically integrated landscapes & food systems that are aligned with permaculture principles. The skills taught in this PDC are valuable to those interested in co-creating a more localized food system while restoring the health of these lands. This PDC program is one-of-a-kind in that it approaches permaculture design with a bioregional focus specific to the Northeast region.”