Episode-1124- Geoff Lawton on Permaculture Design Certification
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Geoff Lawton – Managing Director of PRI Australia
Since 1985, Geoff Lawton has undertaken 1,000’s of jobs consulting, designing, teaching and implementing in seventeen different countries around the world. Clients have included private individuals, groups, communities, governments, aid organizations, non government organizations and multinational companies.
In October 1997 Bill Mollison, upon his retirement, asked Geoff to establish and direct a new Permaculture Research Institute on the 147 acre Tagari Farm previously developed by Bill. Geoff Lawton developed the site over three years and established The Permaculture Research Institute as a registered charity and global Networking center for Permaculture projects. Geoff Lawton is the managing director of The Permaculture Research Institute.
Geoff joins us on TSP today to discuss the value of a Permaculture Design Certification, a new look at permaculture ethics, the 14 chapters of the Permaculture Design manual and more. Wait till you hear how much progress has been made in Australia with Permaculture, my hope is now that a world class eduction is available anywhere in the world, we can begin such progress as well here in the US.
Resources for today’s show…
- Members Support Brigade
- Join Our Forum
- Members Support Brigade
- 13Skills.com
- Join Our Forum
- Walking To Freedom
- TSP Mint
- TSP Gear
- The Berkey Guy – (sponsor of the day)
- JM Bullion – (sponsor of the day)
- GeoffLawton.com
- Permaculture Research Center of Australia
- Get All 5 of Geoff’s DVDs
- Permaculture News
- Permaculture Global
Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon. Also please enter our listener appreciation contest and help spread the word about our show. Also remember you can call in your questions and comments to 866-65-THINK and you might hear yourself on the air.
Jack.
I love your podcast, and have been a listener since way way back when you were recording in the Jetta TDI on your trip to work.
I am concerned that this is becoming a podcast about gardening, though, and I’m just not into that (I know it’s a mainstay of preparation and self-reliance, and so tolerate the gardening podcasts occasionally).
I hope we’ll soon get back to some of the foundational topics and away from ALL the gardening stuff.
We cover dozens of subjects, there are over 1100 episodes, if something on one day isn’t your cup of tea listen to one of the 1100 plus in the archives.
Yeah see… That’s what I’m saying. I have listened — to the originals as they came out. Been with you for the long haul Jack.
You’re right, I could go back and re-listen. Okay.
Just not into the gardening stuff and just voicing my opinion, which includes “Love your stuff and thanks for all the effort.”
Peace.
I personally can’t see any other topic more relevant to survivalism/preparedness than permaculture. I actually found Jack because of permaculture over 3 years ago. I think its worth having an open mind and finding the value in everything even though you might not agree.
Same here. I came for the permaculture stuff, liked the rest that I other wise wouldn’t have been exposed to, and now I am an avid listener. Different strokes for different folks.
My favorite TSP stuff is gardening. That’s actually how I’ve stumbled on the TSP. Some of the other topics interest me as well, but I can’t get enough of the gardening and permaculture stuff!!!
Thanks, Jack : )
For me I my favorite episodes are topics around permaculture and gardening. Keep up the good work Jack.
Enjoy the permaculture stuff but miss the older shows about other subjects. I know the new shows still talk about many things but are pretty intense on permaculture. Can’t buy a homestead right now, but am still preparing for whatever may come my way. Used to concentrate on more general things, now that the audience has become larger i guess permaculture is more in. Thank you for all you have taugh us though, I will continue to pick out the bits that apply to my journey. By the way, have listened (and relistened) religiously since episode 4.
What are you talking about? Seriously we covered plenty other then permaculture in the past 30 days.
Guess my perception is off. It seems that I can just hardly wait for you to move on to the next subject more often than not. Still think you have a great podcast, but it just loses my attention when you get going on the subject. Just thought you would want to hear an opinion of someone who has been listening since the beginning. I admire your ability to keep things going and to make this into a business, we need more like you. Keep up the good work and please just take this as input and not a complaint.
Hey I get that but seriously look at the past 30 days and consider the subjects covered. Tactical team skills, economics, investing in silver, a 30 minute tangent about the lies about IRAs in a feedback show, restoration of the milita, two of the women of prepping series, earth sheltered housing, cowboy action shooting, martial arts, the movie Bailout, Saunas for health and the Silver Circle movie.
Also keep in mind my articles are extra not episodes, the videos are extra not episodes and frankly the callins are what the audience asks for. The email shows on Monday are thin on gardening and mostly news and political because that is what you guys send me. The calls are largely homesteading (not necessarily permaculture) but again you guys call in for that.
Thank you for the reply. I understand and will keep listening for sure. Just wanted you to know my thoughts. I realize you have many to consider. By the way, I am one of the women preppers and have been that way for most of my adult life. You actually gave me a niche that i can relate to. Before that I thought I was alone or maybe just crazy. Thanks again
One last thought, maybe your info is so relevant that I just want more. LOL. Can’t get enough!!!
I understand the longing for a homestead. However, there is stuff that you can do on your front or back porch. I’ve planted 40 fruit trees on my suburban lot and still have room to grow jillions of herbs, perennial veggies and annual veggies to give away. If you can, try to grow a few things in some giant pots! Just enjoying growing a few edibles can teach you a lot about growing things. I’m planning to do hugelkultur in my garden beds (8 by 4 feet) when I get some wood. So you don’t need acres to follow some of the principles or to enjoy gardening. In my mind, gardening is at the top of the list for making life better NOW as well as in the future.
Thanks, Jack, for these podcasts with Geoff and all of the other ones regarding self sustainability, especially as regards to Permaculture. You have given me the confidence to go forward with my plans to buy a 5 acre homestead. Whether the SHTF or not, the ability to not only survive, but to thrive is top priority. I disagree with Finnbar. I’m very glad you have been highlighting this topic for the time being. I know I can go back and listen to podcasts regarding other topics, but for now it is important that all of us preppers understand that we can grow food forests to support ourselves and have enough left over to help others. So, thank you very much.
Jack, the video links for the cold climate permaculture are redirected to the sales page for the course. Others are reporting that as well. Are you aware of the issue?
Thanks
Yes they run their site their way man.
Ok, misunderstanding, I was under the impression the emails were for the free videos, since the first or second one was free. But I don’t see that particular one available for purchase.
I was looking for the free one’s as well. Since I couldn’t watching them at the time they were released. The wife and I watch them together. So trying to get on the same schedule was a chore in and of it self.
Thanks
I have the old DVD set with bill & Jeff. Do these cover all the design science as the new online course? Our family of 4 lives on $650 a month and that makes it damn near impossible to buy the new course.
Thank you very much for spending so much time podcasting food forestry and growing food. This is the only way I have food for hard times.. As far as I’m concerned if you can only store food the you can’t stay the course and survive in the long run. Further, it makes life better now!
I just got Dave Jacke’s book on Food Forests from the Library and its deep. I think anyone who reads that book cover to cover twice and takes a stab at it will be better off than 99% of population. It’s not an easy ready though, at least not for me as there is so much new (to me) information.
Anyway, Library is cheap. Hope that helps.
Maybe I missed something, Jack, but I think markl32 was just trying to help out a fellow prepper/permaculturist. In fact, you’ve chewed Mark’s ass twice in the comments for this show alone. What gives? If there’s a backstory, maybe you two need to hash it out via email and not in a public comments section where it can easily look like you are attacking your subscribers.
Thanks, I have both edible forest garden volumes. Talk about a lot of reading, Have yet to start the second book.
It’s spring and many of us are interested in gardening at this time. Looking forward to listening to Geoff tonight. I may also get more of his DVDs. I’m sure it will not cover as much as a PDC, but the good deal of $160 for 5 DVDs is as good a place to start as any.
Jack,
Thanks again for putting out such great info and knowledge! Another great podcast with Geoff, the amount of time and effort you guys are putting into this is really amazing. I think this country could really benefit from more of these ideas. I know my area of SC could! Mostly large acreage tracts with soy, corn or peanuts and LOTS and LOTS of chicken houses! 😉 I really hope to be part of this awesome opportunity Geoff is offering. But we are on a very tight budget currently trying to get our stupid debt paid off. But I’m in the process of trying to sell off everything I don’t need to get signed up for the course. I know it will be worth the investment! Thanks again for all you are doing and will do for this community!
Cant wait to listen. I am hoping that in the future the coarse may be broken up and therefor allowing payments to be broken up for the online pdc. Kinda like semesters at a college.
Aaron, if you need a free permaculture fix RIGHT NOW, check out Prof. Will Hooker’s Introduction to Permaculture Course from North Carolina State University here: http://mediasite.online.ncsu.edu/online/Play/a2e6edb63ab4478d831a0f8a026a2a641d. It will keep you from going into permie withdrawal.;)
I see this resource mentioned here over and over… I watched the first three hours of the videos and what I learned could have been distilled into 15 minutes. This course exemplifies everything that is wrong with Academia. The guy is simply wasting the students time. Its 80% fluff and 20% content. I don’t know what those kids paid to be there, but I they would have saved money by flying to Australia for three weeks instead of taking that class / program.
I could not agree with you more markl32. I was unable to complete that video course on YouTube. Professor Hooker had me wanting to pull my own hair out by session three.
Hey Jack, Great show!
Go check out the UMasspermiculture site on youtube, they have a lot of really well made videos.
Thanks for all you do!
Shannon
I sure hope this online course will be offered again in the future. I absolutely cannot devote the time required to it this year due to other commitments in my life. But I have a 10 acres property and want to develop it with permaculture principles.
Also has anyone figured out how to get tot he previous videos? I missed the one on micro spaces and cannot figure out how to get to it.
@Jerry –
Several of the ‘teaser’ videos seem to be posted here on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/user/PermacultureCourses/videos
Here is the micro-space one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thLNnwTylsQ
Hey brother you can still buy them from the PRI of Austalia website
Thank you. Apology accepted.
Just fyi – apples are one of the coldest hardy tree crops we can grow – zone 4 is their heart, not marginal for them. Zone 3 is no problem for hundreds of varieties, some can take -50F actually.
Indeed we have a harder time in the south. The issue in much of the east though is diseases that don’t exist on the other side of the Rockies. Lee Reich says not to even bother with apples in much of the north east, I don’t agree though at all.
Thanks so much for what you do. I found your site through Paul Wheaten’s site at Permies.com and think you do a great job. Your interviews are top notch. Also, I am looking to buy product from a couple of your sponsors as a direct result of your show as I wouldn’t even have known about, much less trusted them, otherwise. Keep up the good work. Live free and prosper!
Jack, thank you for discussing teaching permaculture to children. We really need to have a simple book for children to teach them this stuff. And I agree it’s the well educated parents/high end school districts taking the lead with school gardens and native plant landscaping, and permaculture needs to be part of the school garden movement. I have a child with ADHD and the symptoms seem to just melt away when playing/working outdoors. This has so much potential for special children. Especially when they are so sensitive to stuff like pesticides and food coloring in foods (as shown by medical research). In fact this is how I got into TSP and permaculture, I saw how the food supply was hurting my child. We are already in survival mode, sh** has already hit the fan for kids with autism/ADHD. Especially when rates of both are increasing at an alarming rate, and our country is ignoring the problem and not giving families the resources to help these kids (like early intervention and help with the extra medical bills). I really believe our country is gonna be in big trouble when these kids grow up and are not able to function independently. Families with special children are under extreme financial and social stress and need community support.
I am teaching my children permaculture by taking them to permablitzes, community gardens, and educational programs at parks. So many times permaculture groups seem to forget the children, they are an afterthought. They are our future and need much more attention. I hope you continue to speak up about this, and perhaps do a podcast on it. A children’s book sounds like a project for a PDC!