What is Permaculture?
Permaculture is the design and application of sustainable and natural habitats. The goal is to create agricultural systems that are permanent, self-sustained, and require no input such as fertilizers and pesticides by mimicking natural ecosystem patterns. This asynchronous online micro-credential will teach you the pillars of permaculture which are:
- Waste to Resource
- Climatology and Energy Efficiency
- Soils and Planting
- Food Sustainability
Micro-credentials are short, concentrated groups of courses that are really flexible. You can take as many as you like, in any order, and because they are asynchronous you can take them at any time it suits you. The cost for each individual course is $70. For more Information email: training@portagecollege.ca or call 780-623-5631 or toll-free at 1-888-745-0719.
Each stream contains 8 courses.
Stream 1: Waste to Resource
Course Objectives: Introduction to permaculture and permaculture principles. Learn about waste on a local, national and global scale. Look at waste as a resource and how the 12 guiding principles of permaculture can be applied.
Course Objectives: Understand the process of composting, and how to control variables. Understand the elements of an anaerobic and aerobic composting system. Understand the range of composting systems available.
Course Outcomes: Community composting and the importance of bringing people together. Looking at decentralized models of processing waste. Review new and upcoming composting methods. Understanding larger scale vermicomposting. Understanding the roles of organisms in compost. Show different ways of using compost. Using compost to grow food.
Course Objectives: Appreciate the large volumes of waste people create and how to deal with waste in a responsible way. Understanding the correct equipment for industrial composting. Explore the regulations of composting industrial waste. Understand how to deal with composting products in a responsible way through various examples.
Course Objectives: By the end of this unit, the participant will be able to define and identify the importance of watersheds and rainwater in permaculture systems. Course Outcomes: The Importance of Water in Permaculture. Identifying Sources of Water. Identifying Your Watershed. Calculating Your Rainfall and Rainfall Budget. Rainwater Storage Systems.
Course Objectives: By the end of this unit, the participant will be able to explain and identify the importance of water harvesting in permaculture systems.
Course Objectives: By the end of this unit, the participant will be able to explain how water conservation is used in the development of permaculture systems.
Course Objectives: At the end of this course, the participant will be able to apply all the material learned from P1B1 to P1B7 and apply it to a final capstone project.Decrease your waste footprint and divert waste from the landfill.
Stream 2: Climatology and Energy Efficiency
Course Description:
Course Objectives:By the end of this unit, the participant will be able to demonstrate and design an active energy system used in permaculture systems.
Course Objective:By the end of this unit, the participant will be able to demonstrate and design a passive energy system used in permaculture systems.
Course Objective:By the end of this unit, the participant will be able to demonstrate and design an electrical system used in permaculture systems.
Course Outcomes: Determine greenhouse orientation and location.Evaluate types, design and structure of greenhouse.Select greenhouse framing materials.Select greenhouse glazing materials.Estimate the cost of construction of greenhouse.
Course Outcomes: Greenhouse heating and heat calculation.Greenhouse ventilation and cooling systems.Greenhouse insulation and shading.Greenhouse lighting and light systems.
Course Outcomes: Understand the parts of a water catchment system including water source, collection, distribution and storage.Determine the various water harvesting earthworks to help slow, spread, and sink water into the landscape.Identify ways to conserve water at multiple scales (home to regional).Hydroponics.
Course Outcome: At the end of this course, the participant will be able to apply all the material learned from P3B1 to P3B7 and apply it to a final capstone project.
Stream 3: Soils and Planting
Permaculture is a planned, efficient, and sustainable design system that replicates natural ecosystems, integrating environmental elements and ethical principles to improve human and ecological well-being. Course readings examine the historical foundations of permaculture, differentiate permaculture and organic practices from conventional agriculture, and explore contemporary principles and methodologies. Apply the foundations of observation, site analysis, and available resources use, coupled with the strategic implementation of zoning strategies to begin planning and preparing your own permaculture site.
Course Outcomes: This course is one of the three courses as part of the Soils micro-credential. Define soil.Understand the processes through which soil is formed.Describe soil horizons and soil profiles.Distinguish between soil types and textures.Describe the physical and chemical properties of soil, including soil nutrients and pH.
Course Outcomes: This course is one of the three courses as part of the Soils micro-credential. Describe the natural characteristics that impact management practices.Describe the environmental risks specific to individual natural characteristics and risks related to combinations of natural characteristics.Describe how management of natural characteristics relate to environmental risk.Explore the importance of organic components in soil.Define soil degradation and related beneficial management practices.Understand practices for sustainable growing systems based on soil type and other natural factors.
Course Outcomes: This course is one of the three courses as part of the Soils micro-credential. By the end of this course, students should be able to: Explain farm ecology and inter-relationships amongst trophic levels in the soil food web.Describe healthy soil and benefits of compost.Demonstrate understanding of compost impact on soil properties and plant growth and harvest quality.
Course Objectives: This course is one of three courses part of the Planting micro credential. Provide comprehensive knowledge of the foundation concepts, principles, methodology and techniques for successful edible outdoors on the Prairies. Course Outcomes: Apply knowledge to create: an audit of your garden area; design the garden to optimize growing conditions; determine best plants to grow and in what structures;Implement soil cultivation, husbandry and conservation methods and techniques to ensure the health of garden soil and optimal harvests; andEncourage in-depth, additional reading and experiential ‘In the Garden’ learning to develop confidence and skills.
Course Description: This course is one of the three courses as part of the Planting micro-credential.
Course Description: This course is one of the three courses as part of the Planting micro-credential Course Outcomes: Understand the importance of seeds, seed saving and impacts seeds have on growing food.Explore the art and science of growing food in smaller spaces like our homes.
Course Objectives: The goal of permaculture design is to create intelligent design that works in harmony with natural forces. Permaculture design is a process that starts with the Permaculture Site Analysis. This capstone course focuses on the permaculture site analysis portion of the permaculture design process. At the end of this course, the participant will be able to apply all the material learned from P3B1 to P3B7 and apply it to a final capstone project.
Stream 4: Food Sustainability
Course Objectives: Review Introduction to permaculture and permaculture principles (Optional).Learn about waste on a local, national and global scale.Introduction to regenerative farming and changing our focus from crop health to soil health.
Course Objectives: Provide comprehensive knowledge for successful edible gardening outdoors on the Prairies based on organic, permaculture and regenerative foundation concepts and principles.Provide detailed information for the various methods, techniques and practices for sustainable gardening and husbandry.Course Outcomes:• Understanding of the concepts, principles and practices of regenerative gardening.• Applying knowledge of methods and techniques that are presented throughout this course, gaining confidence and skill through experiential learning.
Course Outcomes: At the end of this course: The student will be able to identify common weeds and the strategies to prevent and eliminate them.The student will be able to identify common pests and the strategies to prevent and eliminate them.The student will be able to identify the beneficial insects used in gardening and permaculture.
Course Objectives: By the end of this unit, the participant will be able to describe and demonstrate how to integrate wildlife into livestock operations in permaculture systems.
Course Outcomes: After this course, the student will be able to: Explain how numerous factors pre- and post-harvest can influence successful storage of fruits and vegetables.To use their knowledge to be able to successfully store fruits and vegetables for the winter.
Course Outcomes: After this course, the student will be able to: Discuss the history of canning.Perform canning, pickling, and fermenting processes at home.
Course Outcomes: After this course, the student will be able to: Discuss various preservation methodologies.Perform freezing, salting and drying methods for preserving food.
Course Description: