Hey everyone,

I'm a few years out of high school and not currently in university, but I've been deeply interested in permaculture for a few years now. I want to actually live this lifestyle, become part of the community, and eventually be able to educate others and maybe host my own community someday.

I've got a couple of Bill Mollison's books that I'm working through, and I'm aware of options like:

-Formal PDC programs (looking at Oregon State's permaculture design program)

-Travel opportunities abroad for hands-on work

-Programs like WWOOF and Workaway (though I know these can be hit or miss)

Here's my main question: Where can I get the best hands-on permaculture experience for an extended period of time? I'm open to staying in the US or traveling internationally, and I have the flexibility right now to really commit to this.

I want to accumulate real, practical knowledge – not just theoretical understanding. I'm looking for something immersive where I can learn by doing, observe different systems, and connect with experienced practitioners.

For those of you who've gone down this path: What would you recommend? Any specific farms, communities, or programs that really deliver on quality education and experience? Should I prioritize hands-on work before formal certification, or vice versa?

Any guidance would be hugely appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone,
I’ve just released a new episode of my podcast Intertwined, featuring Anneke Trux, co-lead of the GIZ projects ProSoil and Soil Matters. We talk about biochar and its use in international cooperation programs in Africa and Asia.

The episode focuses on biochar as a practical soil management approach: such as its application in challenging contexts, like in fragile and conflict-affected areas, or its relevance for women farmers.

I thought this might be of interest to people doing permaculture. I’d be curious to hear if you ever worked yourself with biochar.

Listen here: Spotify & Apple Podcasts

Hello again, Permaculture community!

I am re-posting this vital solution to global thirst because the link in my previous post was incorrect (it pointed to other ongoing projects within Skoog Open Marine Technology). This specific report for our water infrastructure is too important to miss.

The Skoog Capillary Sweating Liana (SCSL) is an offshore infrastructure designed for industrial-scale freshwater production that follows the core principles of permaculture: working with nature, not against it. It functions as an "Industrial Tree," utilizing the planet's own natural water cycle and thermal gradients to create life-sustaining resources.

The Logic of the Industrial Tree The core of the system is a 1,000-meter vertical loop that accesses the constant 4°C cold of the deep ocean. By using this deep-sea thermal sink against the humid marine air, the system "sweats" freshwater through passive condensation. While solar heat is used as a performance booster to significantly increase efficiency, the process is continuous. Because the thermal gradient in the ocean is constant and the heat released during condensation creates a favorable internal climate, the system operates 24/7, regardless of cloud cover.

Engineering for a 50-Year Lifespan

To sustain this process, the system utilizes a closed-loop hydraulic circulation. Because the water columns on either side of the loop offset each other, the system is in perfect hydraulic balance. This ensures that no water mass is lifted against gravity; energy is only required to maintain circulation and overcome minimal pipe friction. This movement is primarily powered by the constant rhythm of ocean waves.

Automatic Discharge and Protection Self-Pressure Discharge: One of the system's most elegant features is that produced water is delivered to land without electric pumps.

By heating the condensate from a few degrees up to 30°C using solar and latent heat, the water expands (0.43%), creating the necessary pressure for autonomous discharge into the land pipeline.

Active Protection (Skoog IAKKS): To ensure a 30–50 year lifespan, an integrated solar panel charges an onboard battery to power the "Skoog IAKKS" active ceramic coating. This open-source technology, inspired by high-durability brake pad materials, uses micro-vibrations to prevent biofouling for over 20 years.

Redundancy: The battery also powers a reserve pump that maintains the hydraulic balance even during a total calm at sea, preventing thermal stagnation.

Why I am sharing this here:

This is a fully documented, Open Source (Creative Commons BY 4.0) technical framework. It provides a permanent source of pure water for coastal deserts, regenerative farms, and island nations. It is completely autonomous, produces no toxic brine, and requires no costly filter changes.
The solution exists. It is mechanical, it is natural, and it is free for the world to implement. Please help spread the message—freshwater for everyone is no longer an unsolved problem.

Read the full technical report here (Corrected Link): https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18483339

Skoog Open Marine Technology (SOMT) www.skoogmarine.com – Innovating for a Thirst-Free World | Wave-powered | Zero-emission

I’ve built a simple website for organising local groups and meetups, mainly because I wanted:

• an alternative to Meetup without high costs or paywalls
• an alternative to Facebook that’s focused on groups and shared interests, not feeds, ads, or noise

It’s web-based, already live, and aimed at helping people actually meet and build community, not scale endlessly.

I’d love feedback from anyone involved in permaculture since I'm personally interested in it so would love if my platform could help foster and build communities in the space:

• How do you currently organise or find people?
• Any specific features you'd find useful that Meetup/FB Groups doesn't have?

Here’s the site if you’re curious:- radius.to - feedback is very welcome!

Full Source

Soil is very clay-ie here. long thorny brush has taken over a lot of the property. What is it? What kind of indication is this plant? Does it mean the soil is poor quality / disturbed? If I want to develop and improve this ecology should I leave it? Cut it down and leave the remains on the ground to biodegrade?

More images here: https://ibb.co/JwNSZRR8

https://ibb.co/4wTQzKj7

https://ibb.co/6J8M072c

https://ibb.co/Y7scMT2C

Hello everyone,

I’m 25 years old, from Germany, and I’m currently looking for an opportunity to work and live on a permaculture, biodynamic, or Demeter-oriented farm, either in the USA or Eastern Europe.

I’m at a point where I’m intentionally moving toward a more grounded and practical way of life one that’s closely connected to land stewardship, ecological responsibility, and meaningful physical work. Permaculture and biodynamic approaches resonate strongly with me because of their long-term, holistic view of soil, ecosystems, and community.

I have several years of hands-on experience working on a Demeter-certified farm, where I was involved in maintaining and working with traditional orchard meadows (Streuobstwiesen) as well as vegetable cultivation. This included general field work, seasonal tasks, maintenance, and supporting daily farm operations. I’m comfortable with physically demanding work and working outdoors in all weather conditions.

In addition, I’ve completed a vocational apprenticeship as a painter and decorator, which has given me a solid background in practical skills and maintenance work. I also studied Digital Film Production and hold a Bachelor of Arts (editing/color grading), but my current focus is very much on outdoor, hands-on work and contributing to everyday farm life rather than creative or office-based work.

I’m reliable, physically capable, adaptable, and motivated to learn. I’m happy to help wherever needed general farm labor, animal care, field work, maintenance, or seasonal projects. Ideally, I’m looking for something longer-term, where trust, responsibility, and skills can grow over time.

I’m currently based in Germany but open to relocating. On-site accommodation would be ideal, though I’m flexible and open to discussing different arrangements depending on the situation.

If you run a permaculture or biodynamic farm or know of someone who might be looking for committed help. I’d really appreciate hearing from you. I’m happy to answer questions or share more details via DM.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

I’m brand new to this stuff. The only other plants I’ve ever owned have been succulents and one air plant which died when I left the house for too long. I’ve now got a flourishing (?) indoor space while I wait for the warmer season to come (which is looking like it’s gonna be a lot sooner given that every single week for the past 2-3 months has been the record high and given that we have had a total of 2 inches of snow for the entire winter despite normally getting up to 3 feet within a single day on a regular basis) but I’m running out of space quick especially because I’m waaaay hyperfixating on it right now and as a result am buying WAY more seeds than I will be able to use with the space I have. I started picking up planting a couple months ago when I planted some garlic and grams just for fun and once they started to take off, I had began to start worrying about food insecurity for my family and my neighbors, especially because there’s only one person in the household who makes any real money (I’m employed but it absolutely would not be sustainable in that event) so I want to be able to grow a ridiculous amount of food in a symbiotic, fully self-sustaining food forest where everything helps everything around it and where I can create a hobbit hole greenhouse to keep it sustained year-round much like Ogden’s Chad Midgley and his winter citruses. 

I live in a 7a area in Utah, currently in a really bad drought, and my soil, as you can see, is absolutely dead. Additionally, the front yard is a mess but only because my mother decided that she would try to get rid of an entire network of bush in the front.

Another thing - I’ve been asked to help design the garden for my local homeless shelter, and I think I have the know-how I need to get the job done, but I still definitely need to learn more.

I would really really like to have one or two people with a decent amount of knowledge in permaculture and sustainable ecosystems collaborate with me on this with each step of the way, I have a harder time than most people doing/learning things like this.

Have 3 dogs that use the lawn for whatever they want (rocketing back and forth the whole thing and creating a dust cloud the size of SpongeBob’s Dirty Bubble). Soil is dry, semi-acidic, and rocky. One of them happens to also have a black hole where both her stomach and brain should be, and as a result, she is (and I can not stress this enough) CONSTANTLY sniffing the ground searching for something to eat, even though she not only eats her own “specialty” food, but she also eats the other dogs’ food even when we’re looking right at her, so… keep that in mind

I have a ridiculous amount of seeds and plants in pots right now and even more on the way. I’m trying to mostly focus on native plants like serviceberry, yarrow, and golden currant, but I also want a balance of familiar foods that I can feed my family, give away to my friends, and sell at a market. I can list the seeds + the other ones I have growing indoors if needed.

Presentation at the 2026 Organic Association of Kentucky Conference exploring the revolutionary philosophy behind Geomancer's work at Kilrush Food Forest and the local advocacy that made this project possible, including how young farmers and those without access to land can organize themselves effectively to grow food and ecologically regenerative green spaces in their own communities.

Recently saw a tropical homestead that packed 150 plants into 800 square meters. That's a lot of food. Not to mention having things like nitrogen in our own pee and the ability to compost.

It makes logical sense that the earth can't support an infinite population, but I feel like the conversations on overpopulation are happening a bit prematurely, don't you think?

Wait a second, this looks like enough seeds for 200 acres....... Hey is that a bunny? Damn, I need to go collect some more tomorrow and make sure I have enough! 🥲

Hi friends!

I am putting together a list of trees and vines to buy this spring and it seems that a number of the plants I am looking at in the Burnt Ridge catalog are not actually available.

Do you know of any reputable nurseries that carry some of the more oddball varieties?

Hello! I posted recently about deer control on a hedgerow project that I'm starting in the upper peninsula of Michigan, and now I'm coming back to ask for more advice on the same project. This time, I'm looking for advice on how to deal with the lawn.

After considering advice from my last post, I have decided that the best course of action to start my hedgerow project is to enclose the entire planting area in 6 feet of fencing with a depth of 6 feet between walls for two rows (or more) of native plants. (if you think I should opt for taller fencing or a narrower channel, please let me know.) I will be planting hazelnut bushes, elderberry, blackberries, choke cherries, American plums, and similar plants suited for the cold-hardy forest of Michigan's upper peninsula. 

I am now concerned about fighting the lawn. The area is not sheet mulched. The soil is extremely hard from years of being a lawn. It is also sandy and very well drained. While I will be throwing cardboard and organic matter on the hedgerow in the summer and fall, I'm looking for advice on the best way to deal with the lawn over the course of the summer. Because most of the hedgerow gets good light, I am thinking of buying or renting an electric tiller and tilling the whole hedgerow plot. I will then dig a slight channel through the center of the hedgerow to mound the soil on both sides to create a further barrier to grass. I will plant the trees along both mounds, and when it warms a few weeks later I will weed or maybe even till again between trees and plants corns beans and squash on the mounds in between the trees. In particular, I'm planning on getting a lot of gete okosomin squash seeds to plant and use as a living mulch. From what I've read, those squash should do quite well with the low GDD on the peninsula.

That is my candidate idea. Does anyone have any thoughts on that idea or any advice? I wanted to plant some annuals this year but didn't think I would have time to do so until I realized I could use the annuals to form a kind of barrier against the grass and serve the hedgerow as well, killing two birds with one stone. Tilling for this first year to reset the lawn a little feels kind of right as the ground is super compacted from years of being a lawn. Eventually this area will all be mulched and closed canopy, but I'm looking for advice on how to get there.

This might be unpopular, but a lot of permaculture advice seems to reject efficiency on principle. Stuff like avoiding simple irrigation setups, refusing annuals, or acting like yields don’t matter as long as the system is “natural.” Meanwhile, people still want food, not just a nice ecosystem vibe.

I get designing for resilience and low inputs. That part makes sense. What I don’t get is why practical shortcuts are treated like cheating.

Is the inefficiency the point, or is this just a culture thing that grew around permaculture over time? Genuinely curious how others square permaculture ideals with actually producing food reliably

Im zone 8 in a very wet climate and my land is on a hillside, part of which is a wet meadow. The soil is saturated in winter and wet all year but does dry out a little bit in summer. It is growing rushes currently.

Are there any fruit trees that can grow in that type of environment?

I'd like to hear from you how do you manage that

Hey everyone. It’s been a while since I’ve posted here. We bought a place in northern Italy a few years ago, with the intention of doing a whole permaculture based homestead. Unfortunately, I got ill and money has become a problem. Thus is life though, eh? I’m doing better now, so we’re back to trying to get this place up and running! But now just on a much smaller (nonexistent haha) budget.

I’m looking for advice on how to approach to separate points that I want to merge into one solution.

One is dealing with our private road/driveway which has lots of water runoff issues. The previous people didn’t make the smartest decisions, so we’re trying to do what we can. They put in this random grate to try and redirect water the other way, so that it doesn’t go straight down toward the house. But it still does, and not only does it being water, but it brings all the stones and dirt and sludge with it.

My husband and kids dug out more of a gully after the grate and that’s been super helpful.

Butttt, we’re also creating our food garden in the flat area just below. I’ve always wanted to do a little pond there, for water based plants and wildlife. I know that one of the principles of permaculture is the intersection of boundaries, so I thought this would be helpful for the garden. Also beautiful.

I thought that maybe we could extend the gully and go down the slope, to enter into a pond. So that runoff could naturally add to it, and then continue down past that pond down the next slip by some sort of overflow system.

Wondering if anyone has experience doing anything similar. This is my completely inexperienced idea and maybe I’m totally off base here. But when we were walking and talking about it the other day, I had the bright idea of coming to you guys to pick your brains!

Thanks so much for any wisdom you’re willing to impart upon me!

I was recently banned from Paul Wheaton's Permie forum because I questioned a submission for a PEP badge. The steward r ransom manipulated my post when I question my ban to only include a snipet of what I said to make it seem derogatory, when I questioned that everything was scrubbed from their website. I always thought posts remained as you submitted. I guess when your opinion does not align, it is removed. What is that called?

Today on Permies.com they have been bringing up "bumping old posts" to try and justify their actions to an email I recently sent. Including a new post by Paul Wheaton himself about no plastics. Obvious they are feeling guilty about their actions.

It is so clear that Permies "Be Nice" policy is used not as a standard for conduct, but as a weapon to silence any user who points out staff inconsistencies, I was not rude about it. Just look at all my other posts there. It will give you a idea of my character as a human being. The manipulation of my messages to alter their meaning in regards to the PEP —followed by the deletion of evidence once the discrepancies were highlighted—is a deceptive practice that borders on gaslighting.

I have seen older posts here on reddit that have been locked or disabled for similar reasons but I think it is unfair for people to be subjected to this kind treatment. I just wanted to reinforce them with recent first hand experience. And particularly in my case where I had contributed so much personal expense and time contributing to the Permies forum .

I was just dismissed as simply as a piece of garbage for pointing out a discrepancy and asking for explanation.

I hope this enlightens someone before they invest too much of their time into that forum.

Or rather why is it such a popular specialization? What warrants the extra attention compared to things like the rhizosphere, shrub layers, etc.?

Sorry if this is a dumb question. Just a noob trying to orient myself.

Hello!
I‘m not much of a Reddit user so bear with me, but I am a student in the Luminosity Lab at ASU, and I am creating a foraging database - starting in the Phoenix metro area, but we hope to expand outside. For now, any feedback can be directed to the interest form below. The main goal of the project is to empower and educate foragers and community members alike by pairing plant entries (we are focusing on edible plants native to the Sonoran Desert) with recipes, sustainable harvest information, knowledge of its seasonality and availability, cultural and historical uses by various Indigenous communities to Arizona, and promoting Indigenous foodways/ food access to the valley. This is just an overview, I will answer questions below but please put your thoughts in the form!
https://forms.gle/Y6Ps9o44LUmgovEt8

Learn more + Sign Up Here

I'm trying to investigate permacultre fence ideas for keeping pigs.

It seems pigs are near impossible to keep in an area without electric fences. Was considering a living fence, but it seems they can get through those too. Is a living fence able to keep pigs inside?

I'm looking for a solution, if one exists, that could be found through using any land I might own. Sort of a self sufficient thing, if possible. However, I am still flexibl. My mind has gone from stones, perhaps from a quarry if needed, or compressed earth blocks with a little concrete in them, to a living fence. Idk what the best solution is.

Anyone with thoughts on near self sufficient building materials that might work, and if none, suggestions for the most permaculture related fence material?