What you will learn

Permaculture ("permanent culture and permanent agriculture") is a creative design process that takes the patterns and relationships found in nature and applies them to all aspects of human habitation, from agriculture and building to technology and education, and even economics. With a permaculture tool kit, you will learn how to overcome most barriers in the design phase. It is possible to apply permaculture ethics, principles, and design methodologies to projects of any scale, from a home garden to a neighborhood, or an entire village.

Here is a brief summary of what you will learn: 

• Community building: For us, community means living and working together daily. This requires us to reflect on our weak points, use compassionate communication, and practice conflict resolution. We often say ‘living in community teaches you more about yourself than others.’ Social sustainability techniques taught in this course are one of the most transferable skills to all our relationships including family, partners, and coworkers.

• Reading and creating maps: Maps are one of the most useful tools to visualize projects and transition a project from an idea to a plan that is easy to communicate. Final presentations for group design projects will solidify what you’ve learned and allow you to apply it to a local project or a project you are developing.

• Permaculture ethics, principles, and tools: This includes some of permaculture’s most influential practices including zone and sector analyses, pattern language, the scale of permanence, and techniques that can be applied in most climates around the world.

• Natural building techniques: One of our strong points, we have been building with locally available materials like bamboo, wood, volcanic rock, and clay for almost a decade now. We are focused on create low-impact structures that are elegant and interactive, so we can really appreciate our private and shared living spaces.

• Soil care: Understand how to improve soil quality, protect it, and create biodiverse ecosystems on human-impacted areas.

• Water capture and storage: The farm has many examples of different tank building techniques, terracing, berms and swales, efficient watering techniques, and greywater recycling.

• Growing organic food: Finca Sol y Valle is a certified organic producer. Organic guidelines are strict in Costa Rica and the natural pressures from wildlife, pests and fungi are intense. We like to say 'if you can grow organically in the tropics, you can grow anywhere.'

• Farm to Table Management: We plant over 400 species on the farm including vegetables, roots, vines, fruits, bamboo, woods, and natives. We teach and learn how to utilize biodiversity to develop more resilient and productive food systems. Plant, care for, harvest, clean and cook farm produce to create delicious local meals.

• Food preservation and fermentation: Process foods when they are abundant to avoid losing them. Create brines, dried plants, medicinal infusions, as well as elaborate fermentations like sourdough, sauerkraut, kombucha and kimchi.

All students will receive a digital learning manual before the course.​