Introduction to Permaculture Design: August 2025

Learn the fundamentals of the permaculture design model over two consecutive weekends with highly qualified and experienced teachers on an established permaculture property. Exchange your labour for learning and pay nothing.

COURSE DATES:
Saturday August 2
Sunday August 3
Saturday August 9
Sunday August 10

TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT, PLEASE READ THE ENTIRE COURSE DESCRIPTION (easy five minute read)

Is this course for you? Here is a quick check list:

Do you live on the NSW Central Coast, or close enough to travel here each day of the course?
This is not an online course.

Are you available for ALL of the course dates?
If you can't make all four days we recommend waiting for a future course.

Are you committed to attending the course?
We sometimes have "no shows". Please don't be one of them.

Are you keen to learn more about permaculture design?
Our course is suitable for complete beginners, and those already well versed in permaculture.

Are you okay with being around cats?
We have two mostly-inside rescue cats.

Are you physically capable of helping out in the garden for half of the day on each training day
We exchange our teaching time for your labour and you pay nothing. As an alternative, you can pay $300 for the course and leave at lunch time.

We're passionate about spreading permaculture as part of the solution to many of humanity's problems. We think it's a pattern for a better way to be human. Most people begin permaculture to learn an ecologically friendly way to grow food, and then go on to understand that it's a design model that can be applied to anything. 

"I am yet so find a design task that cannot be improved by permaculture" (Rosemary Morrow)

Our course is run from our home, "Adagio" in Matcham and is designed to be friendly, inclusive and relaxed. There are no tests or exams. You'll develop practical skills on a property that has been under permaculture for over 28 years. 

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Our course includes an overview of the entire permaculture design model. We'll give you the big picture, from the goals, ethics and principles through to the design process, and all the way up to the strategies, tools and techniques that we use in permaculture to work with nature rather than against it. 

• Develop a practical understanding of the permaculture design model that you can start using right away

• Learn why permaculture is so much more than just organic gardening

• Get hands-on experience while you learn to build soil, grow healthy food, cycle nutrients, design out the need for irrigation, draw down carbon and create habitat for wildlife all without using synthetic chemicals or lots of expensive trips to the hardware store

• Reconnect to the natural world and remember your part in it

• Join the generous and supportive local permaculture community that is expanding across the Central Coast

FORMAT

All days start at 8.00am and finish at 5.00pm. As a courtesy to those that arrive on time, we always start on time. You are welcome to arrive any time from 7.30am to settle in, have a cuppa and chat with other students. There is a one hour break for lunch and two half hour breaks for morning and afternoon tea.

We will provide fruit, tea, herbal tea and coffee for breaks along with cow's milk and oat milk. Please bring a vegetarian share plate to contribute to lunch each day. We'll send some easy suggestions just before the course. 

This course is stand alone, and can also be used as the foundation for progressing to our part time permaculture design course (PDC). Our PDC is only offered to those that have completed our introductory course or an equivalent. 

YOUR TEACHERS

Meg McGowan is one half of the Permacoach Team. With over 30 years of permaculture design experience and a merit based diploma for her innovative approach to permaculture teaching and practice, Meg is well known to Central Coast people for her generosity and commitment to getting more permaculture happening on the ground. She is a passionate gardener, writer, designer and permaculture advocate. Meg is lead trainer on this course.

Graham King is a permaculture designer, facilitator and practitioner. He is other half of the Permacoach team. Graham seeks to create an adult learning environment that is cooperative, kind, interactive and fun. He obtained his Permaculture Design Certificate with permaculture founder, David Holmgren, and completed his teacher training with permaculture legend, Rowe Morrow. 

Meg and Graham's property, "Adagio" is on three and a half acres at Matcham on the NSW Central Coast. The property has been designed and managed using permaculture for over 29 years and includes food production areas, a forest garden and over an acre of regenerated bushland. Meg and Graham consider the garden to be their greatest teacher, and recognise the benefits to students of learning within this environment. The garden has been described as "vegan friendly" because Meg and Graham don't keep any domestic animals (other than spoilt cats!) or import manures. Learn how all this is possible.

DONATION OPTION

At checkout you will be offered to opportunity to make a donation to Bush Heritage Australia. We love what they do and support them whenever we can. Donations are optional, but please consider supporting their work if you are fortunate enough to be in a position to do so. 

WHAT STUDENTS SAID:

"Thank you both for being so generous with our knowledge and beautiful Adagio. Being here is always very healing and your place gives those of us starting out the inspiration to get going. I like the good mix of practical and discussion - space to work together as a group and really think things through....."

"Fantastic mix of academic learning, visual aids and practical work in the garden. Created a great culture amongst the students. Learning about permaculture in situation is a great way to really bed down the permaculture information you shared...."

"Loved the overviews and how the essence of permaculture is taught through exposure to the two of you. Learning and deepening and understanding of what permaculture means emotionally, spiritually and as a community venture..."

"Different ways of learning. I struggle with classroom settings for too long. I was grateful to see the practical exercises/ hands on work/ videos/ open discussions...."

"I came here thinking I was going to learn how to grow vegetables sustainably and make compost but instead found "my people", a way of living and renewed hope for my kids and their future generations..."