Permaculture Design Certificate & Homesteading Course - Autumn 2025

Our 16 day protracted 'Permaculture Design Certificate & Homesteading Course' over three months provides slowed & absorbed learnings to implement on your Urban & Rural  Homesteads in a wide variety of landscapes & climates within NSW.

3x Lead teachers, supported by 7x guest teachers, two field days and innovative strategies & techniques, a Limestone Permaculture PDCHC provides the knowledge, experience, tools & skills to empower your permaculture journey & act upon your vision! 

For more information, please visit:  https://www.limestonepermaculture.com/permaculture-design-certificate

Course: 16 Day - Permaculture Design Certificate Course (2025 PDCHC1 - Autumn)

Course Fee - $3200  ($800 initial deposit for registration & Payment plans offered)

2025 Dates (8x weekends): 

 March - 1st / 2nd > 15th / 16th > 29th / 30th

  April - 12th / 13th > 26th / 27th,

 May - 10th / 11th > 24th / 25th,

 June - 7th / 8th 

Time:  9am - 4pm

Venue: Limestone Permaculture Farm (846 The Bucketts Way, STROUD ROAD. NSW 2415)

Includes:  - Earth Restorer's Guide to Permaculture (2023 Edition) by Rosemary Morrow

             - Seasonally inspired, nourishing wholefoods morning tea & lunch throughout the course. 

             - Learning onsite at Limestone Permaculture Demonstration Farm. 

             - 3x Lead Teachers, 7x Guest teachers and 2x Permaculture Farm site visits - 

             - Course notes & presentations provided

             - Your very own permaculture property design

             - PDC Group Facebook page, specific to your class for continued learning online throughout and after the course!

            -  Limestone Alumni Facebook Group page for students completing their PDC with Limestone.

Price: $3200 per person > ( $800 deposit with balance $2400 required by 14th Feb 2025)

If you need to establish a payment plan to pay the course fee by installments over the period leading up to & possibly including the first half of the PDC, 

Please contact us at limestone.permaculture@gmail.com

Specific topics include:

PDHC   Intro

Course Schedule / What is Permaculture /   Ecology 101 / Ethics & Principles

Task 1 – Vision

Task 2 – ‘Have Needs Want’ list

Design Process Introduction

Scale of Permanence / Climate & Topography / Patterns / SSA Intro / Zones 0-5 Intro / Assessing Vegetation & Wildlife / Online Tools

Task 3 – Base Map

Water is Life > Domestic & In the Landscape, Freshwater Aquaculture (Pond &   Dam).

Demo = Tank Plumbing (tank installation, 1st flush systems, insect   management, Re-direction)

Task 4 – Water Analysis

Task 5 - Site Sector Analysis

Importance of Trees & Forests

Tree Benefits / Forest / Shelterbelts

Permaculture Farming (Field day)

Farm Layout & SSA / Water Management / Fodder Station / Market Gardening / Sheep & Turkeys

Soil Biology / Roots Assessment / Diverse Pasture Species / Biocast applications

Infrastructure, Access & Earthworks

Homestead Buildings / Access / Spatial Management / Passive Systems + Solar

Earthworks Intro

Design Fundamentals / Drawing Techniques / Regen Farming 

Designing with Zones / Regen Farming Techniques /  

Task 6 – Bubble Concept

Healthy Soils & Composting

Creating Living Soil / Protecting Soils / Thermophilic Compost / Manure tea / Sheet Mulching 101

Protection & Stability

Designing for Disaster / Drought Resilience / Exclusion Systems / Security

Permaculture Homestead (Field Day)

Passive Building / Resource Management / Dam Refurbishment & Ecology / Swale set-out

Plants in Permaculture 

Horticulture / Botany / Propagation / Seedling mixes

Living with Weeds / Integrated Pest Management / Seed Saving

Homestead Harvest

Harvesting Methods / Fruit & Veg Prep Techniques / Harvest & Storage techniques

Outdoor Pantry & Cellar designs / Storing Produce & Seeds

Homestead Shed & Tool Management

Shed Management / Spacial considerations / Tool selection 

Task 7 - Project Concept Homework

The Edible & Medicinal   Gardens

Enhanced Gardening Techniques / Garden Bed Construction / Veg, Herb, Flower & Medicinal Gardens 

Seasonal Planting & Maintenance / Guild Planting / Extending the Season & using Micro-climates.

Homestead Orchard 

Espalier & Free-Range Orchards / Pruning Techniques / Maintenance Strategies

Homestead Animal Management 

Ethical Animal Systems / Nutrition / Support Plants / Protection / Rotational Breeding Systems.

The Homestead Kitchen 

Preserving / Fermenting / Canning   / Mushrooms / Tonics

Waste management / Energy Efficient Nutrient Dense Meals (recipes)

Kitchen & Pantry management / Natural cleaning & Skin products

Homestead Project Management

Permaculture Project Management / Basic Project Scope of Works + Order of Works + Resourcing

Income from Homestead

Considerations & Opportunities / What worked for Limestone.

 Social Permaculture  

Forms of Social Capital / Community Development

Zones of Social Permaculture / Principles Beyond the Landscape

Design presentation discussion

PDC Dinner (Last Saturday Night)

Student Design Presentations + Where to Now + Certificates + Class Farewell

Submission of all design assignments are required to complete this PDC certificate component of this course.