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PERMACULTURE DESIGN CERIFICATION
FARM IMMERSION 2026 A 10-Day Hands-On Permaculture Design & Practice Course |
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Permaculture Design Certification Farm Immersion 2026
A 10-Day Hands-On Permaculture Design & Practice Course at Sun and Bloom Farms September 17–27, 2026 Sun and Bloom Farms | Lebanon, Missouri |
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Learn How to Design Living Systems
Join us on our 46 acres of diversified ecological and permaculture farm and homestead systems for a deeply practical, hands-on Permaculture Design Certification Course created for people who want to learn permaculture by seeing it, touching it, practicing it, and designing with it. This is a land-based learning immersion where we study permaculture design, walk it on the land, practice it through hands-on systems, and apply it each day to real design work. Together, we will explore how to design regenerative homes, gardens, homesteads, farms, community spaces, and livelihood systems that are productive, beautiful, resilient, and deeply rooted in care for people and the earth. |
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This course is not only about learning information. It is about building design capacity. It is about learning how to observe, ask better questions, understand living systems, and create thoughtful designs that support soil, water, plants, animals, people, and future generations.
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A Permaculture Course for a Changing World
Permaculture is more than gardening. It is a whole-systems design approach for creating resilient ways of living with land, food, water, energy, materials, animals, community, and livelihood. At its heart, permaculture asks: "How do we design human systems that work with nature instead of against it?" During this 10-day immersion, we will answer that question together and you will learn how to observe land, understand patterns, read soil and water, design food systems, integrate animals, think about energy and materials, and create a master conceptual permaculture design. This course is for people who are ready to move beyond inspiration and into real design practice. |
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Who This Course Is For
This course is for you if you are designing, dreaming about, or responsible for a home, garden, homestead, farm, community space, retreat center, educational project, or land-based livelihood. It is for people who want to design for themselves, for their families, for clients, or for their communities.
This course is for you if you are designing, dreaming about, or responsible for a home, garden, homestead, farm, community space, retreat center, educational project, or land-based livelihood. It is for people who want to design for themselves, for their families, for clients, or for their communities.
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This is for you if you are:
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What Makes This Course Different
This course is built around a simple idea: "Read before. Practice here. Design as you go. Leave with clarity." Many permaculture courses rely heavily on lectures. We believe lectures matter, but we also believe that permaculture is best learned through direct experience. Before you arrive, you will receive the "Sun and Bloom Permaculture Design Primer" (50 pages of content, lots of infographics), which introduces the core concepts of the course in a clear and accessible way. During the immersion, we will use that primer as a shared guide and expand on it through farm walks, hands-on activities, design exercises, group conversations, and a real final design project. This allows us to spend less time sitting through long lectures and more time practicing the work of permaculture design. You will learn by: Reading before arrival + Walking the farm + Observing & interacting real systems + Testing soil & making compost + Thinking about water and building bioswales + Studying & planting plants and food systems + Exploring animal integration + Discussing and working with energy and natural materials + Working with social and entrepreneurial systems + Practicing design+ Presenting a final conceptual project |
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This is part course, part design studio, part farm immersion, and part temporary learning village. For ten days, we gather to practice building a wiser and more resilient future.
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The Sun & Bloom Permaculture Design Primer
Before the course begins, each participant receives the "Sun and Bloom Permaculture Design Primer" — a simple, practical, beautifully organized guide to the major ideas we will work with during the immersion. The primer is designed to be read before arrival and brought with you during the course. It introduces the full curriculum in a clear and approachable way, with short chapters on the core areas of permaculture design:
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This is not a heavy textbook. It is a grounding guide — short enough to read before the course, but useful enough to keep referring back to as we move through the farm-based learning experience. The primer is also a take-home design tool. It includes reflection questions, observation prompts, and simple design exercises that participants can use during the course and return to afterward. Reading it in advance helps you arrive with shared language, prepared questions, and a stronger ability to be present during the immersion. During the course, we will use the primer as a shared guide. Each day, we will expand on one or more sections through conversation, farm walks, hands-on practice, and design work. After the course, participants can continue using the primer to support their own home, garden, homestead, farm, client, or community design projects.
What You Will Learn
This course follows the structure of a full Permaculture Design Certification curriculum, drawing from the internationally recognized PDC tradition and the foundational work of permaculture educators such as Bill Mollison and David Holmgren, while also being shaped by the practical teaching, design, farming, and community education experience of Sun and Bloom Farms founders, Lucian and Anna Maria.
Our approach is grounded, applied, and embodied. You will study the core concepts through the primer, then explore them directly through farm walks, hands-on activities, design exercises, group conversations, and a real final design project.
This course follows the structure of a full Permaculture Design Certification curriculum, drawing from the internationally recognized PDC tradition and the foundational work of permaculture educators such as Bill Mollison and David Holmgren, while also being shaped by the practical teaching, design, farming, and community education experience of Sun and Bloom Farms founders, Lucian and Anna Maria.
Our approach is grounded, applied, and embodied. You will study the core concepts through the primer, then explore them directly through farm walks, hands-on activities, design exercises, group conversations, and a real final design project.
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1. Basic Knowledge of Permaculture
We begin with the foundations: what permaculture is, why it matters now, and how the ethics and principles guide design decisions. We also explore patterns in nature, ecological succession, climates, bioregions, and human settlement patterns so participants begin learning how to see land and life as interconnected systems. This first part of the course helps create the shared language we will use throughout the entire immersion. |
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2. The Sun and Bloom Permaculture Design Process
Participants learn the full design process from beginning to end: vision, mission, goals, holistic context, regional context, landscape analysis, constraints and opportunities, conceptual overview designs, master conceptual design, design rationale, and final presentation. This process gives students a repeatable framework they can use for home landscapes, farms, community projects, client projects, future professional design. The goal is to learn how to move through a thoughtful design process. |
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3. Soil Building & Fertility Systems
Soil is the foundation of regenerative design. We explore soil as a living system through physical, chemical, and biological lenses, then connect that understanding to compost, vermicompost, mulch, cover crops, biological inputs, fertility cycling, and practical soil-building strategies. Participants will learn how soil systems influence design decisions and how to begin planning for long-term fertility and resilience. |
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4. Water Harvesting & Conservation Systems
Water design begins with understanding how water moves through a landscape. We study watersheds, runoff, infiltration, roof catchment, slope, contour, soil water storage, earthworks, tanks, greywater, and irrigation so participants can begin choosing water strategies that fit real conditions. The goal is to learn how to slow, spread, sink, store, and wisely use water in a way that supports life and reduces fragility. |
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5. Plants & Food Systems
We explore food systems from annual gardens to perennial food systems, orchards, food forests, agroforestry, plant guilds, pollinator plants, medicinal and culinary herbs, mushrooms growing systems and plant selection by function. The goal is to understand plants not as isolated crops, but as part of a living design. Participants will begin to think about how plants provide food, fertility, shade, habitat, medicine, beauty, microclimate, and long-term resilience. |
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6. Animal Integration Systems
Animals can support fertility, food, pest management, disturbance, pollination, and resilience when integrated thoughtfully. We explore ethical animal care, animal needs, chickens, goats or livestock where appropriate, bees, manure and bedding systems, rotational movement, shelter, fencing, shade, water, and matching animals to land and human capacity. The focus is not simply “adding animals.” The focus is designing systems where animals are cared for well and placed where their natural behaviors support the whole system. |
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7. Energy Systems
Energy design begins with reducing unnecessary energy demand. We look at human labor, passive solar thinking, shade, cooling, wind, microclimate, biomass, fuel, tools, appropriate technology, and how energy flows through a site. Participants will learn to think about energy before technology: where energy comes from, where it is wasted, and how design can reduce dependence while increasing comfort and resilience. |
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8. Natural Material Systems
Natural materials help connect design to place. We explore wood, clay, straw, stone, salvaged materials, compostable materials, natural building basics, material sourcing ethics, and how local resources can support beautiful, practical, resilient infrastructure. This topic helps participants think about shelter, structures, tools, materials, repairs, and construction in a way that is more ecological and place-based. |
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9. Regenerative Social & Entrepreneurial Systems
Permaculture also applies to people, families, communities, education, livelihood, and local economies. We explore People Care, community systems, right livelihood, regenerative enterprise, value-added products, food preservation, implementation planning, maintenance, and designing systems that people can actually sustain. Because this course takes place in September, we will also include seasonal food preservation as part of our conversation around household resilience, surplus, community food systems, and farm-based enterprise. |
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10. Master Conceptual Designs, Reports & Project Presentations
This is where the learning becomes applied design. Building on the Sun & Bloom Permaculture Design Process introduced earlier in the course, participants will bring together their observations, analysis, systems knowledge, and design thinking into a real conceptual project through supported design work, mentor check-ins, peer feedback, individual reflection, and group collaboration. |
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Through individual and group work, participants will practice organizing their ideas into a master conceptual design, explaining the reasoning behind their choices, and presenting their project clearly to others. This final design presentation is where the course comes together — not as a performance, but as a practical demonstration of learning, collaboration, and design capacity.
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Certification & Final Design Project
Participants who complete the course and final design presentation will receive a Permaculture Design Certification from Sun and Bloom Farms. This course is rooted in the internationally recognized Permaculture Design Certificate tradition and taught through the lens of more than a decade of professional practice, teaching, farming, consulting, community education, and academic-level instruction. |
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The final design presentation is embedded into the course experience. Rather than asking each participant to design only their own distant property during the immersion, we will work with a real project connected to the Sun and Bloom Farms campus or the local community. This allows participants to practice design in a shared context, observe the same land and systems together, collaborate with others, and experience the community-centered nature of permaculture design. The design process will include both individual and group work. Participants will practice observation, analysis, systems thinking, conceptual design, and presentation while staying true to permaculture ethics and principles.
Certification is awarded on-site during the closing celebration after participants complete the course requirements, participate in the design process, and present their final conceptual design. This certificate reflects completion of a full permaculture design learning experience and the ability to understand and apply permaculture design thinking through a real project at the personal or professional level.
Certification is awarded on-site during the closing celebration after participants complete the course requirements, participate in the design process, and present their final conceptual design. This certificate reflects completion of a full permaculture design learning experience and the ability to understand and apply permaculture design thinking through a real project at the personal or professional level.
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Course Flow
The course follows the same core areas introduced in the Sun & Bloom Permaculture Design Primer. Each day focuses on one major module or design phase, moving from foundations into systems, then into supported design work and final presentations. A detailed day-by-day schedule will be included in the participant welcome packet after registration. Arrival: Thursday, September 17, 2026, after 3:00 PM Day 1 — Friday, September 18 - Basic Knowledge of Permaculture Day 2 — Saturday, September 19 - The Complete Sun & Bloom Permaculture Design Process Day 3 — Sunday, September 20 - Soil Building & Fertility Systems Day 4 — Monday, September 21 - Water Harvesting & Conservation Systems Day 5 — Tuesday, September 22 - Plants & Food Systems Day 6 — Wednesday, September 23 - Animal Integration, Energy Systems & Natural Material Systems Day 7 — Thursday, September 24 - Regenerative Social & Entrepreneurial Permaculture Day 8 — Friday, September 25 - Supported Design Studio Day Day 9 — Saturday, September 26 - Final Presentations, Certificates & Celebration Closing: Sunday, September 27, after lunch. Daily Rhythm
Most full course days follow this rhythm: 7:00 AM — Breakfast 8:00–10:00 AM — Morning teaching and primer debrief 10:00 AM–12:00 PM — Field walk, hands-on observation, demonstrations 12:00–2:00 PM — Lunch and rest 2:00–5:00 PM — Hands-on activities, design exercises, farm practice 5:00–7:00 PM — Dinner and break 7:00–9:00 PM — Evening debrief, design thinking, discussion, and project integration This is a full and immersive experience. We encourage participants to arrive ready to be present, participate, take notes, spend time outdoors, and engage deeply with the learning community. |
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Lodging, Meals & Farm Life
This is an immersive farm-based course. Participants are invited to stay on-site, share meals, and participate in the daily rhythm of the farm learning community. - Tuition includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner during course days, with farm-grown and farm-raised foods used whenever possible. - Meals will be prepared on-site by our course chefs and will reflect the season, the harvest, and the spirit of the learning experience. - Participants may bring their own tent or self-contained RV at no additional cost. A limited number of canvas bell tents and farmhouse rooms are available as lodging upgrades. - The farm includes outdoor showers, composting toilets, and access to regular toilets. Participants should come prepared for a beautiful, rustic, hands-on farm experience. |
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Free Camping
Participants may bring their own tent and camp on the farm at no additional cost.
Free RV Parking
Participants may also bring an RV at no additional cost. Please let us know in advance what type and size of RV you plan to bring so we can make sure we have an appropriate place for you. Please note: we are not able to provide RV hookups for electricity, water, or sewer. RVs must be self-contained.
Participants may bring their own tent and camp on the farm at no additional cost.
Free RV Parking
Participants may also bring an RV at no additional cost. Please let us know in advance what type and size of RV you plan to bring so we can make sure we have an appropriate place for you. Please note: we are not able to provide RV hookups for electricity, water, or sewer. RVs must be self-contained.
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Farm Glamping Canvas Tents
We have a limited number of spacious canvas bell tents available for participants who would like a more comfortable camping experience. They include 1 or 2 twin size beds. Canvas Bell Tent Add-On: $500 Available for the full course stay Maximum: 2 guests per tent Availability: 4 tents, first come, first served These are simple, beautiful farm glamping spaces. Participants should still plan to bring personal bedding, towels, and anything they need to sleep comfortably unless otherwise arranged. |
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Farmhouse Rooms
A limited number of farmhouse rooms may also be available. Farmhouse Room Add-On: $500 Available for the full course stay Maximum: 2 guests per room Availability: 2 rooms, first come, first served These rooms are located inside the farmhouse, where some shared course activities may happen and where the common kitchen is located. Because of this, farmhouse lodging is best for participants who are comfortable being close to the daily flow of the course. |
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Bathrooms & Showers
Participants will have access to outdoor showers, composting toilets, and regular toilets. We have new outdoor showers on the farm. Some showers may be cool or cold depending on conditions, and we are also working with solar-heated and fire-heated water options for warm showers. Composting toilets are part of the farm experience, and regular toilet access will also be available. |
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What to Pack
After registration, participants will receive a welcome packet with detailed packing suggestions, arrival instructions, lodging notes, farm guidelines, and preparation details. In general, participants should be prepared for a full farm-based learning experience, including outdoor time, variable weather, walking, hands-on activities, note-taking, and shared meals.
After registration, participants will receive a welcome packet with detailed packing suggestions, arrival instructions, lodging notes, farm guidelines, and preparation details. In general, participants should be prepared for a full farm-based learning experience, including outdoor time, variable weather, walking, hands-on activities, note-taking, and shared meals.
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What Is Included
Tuition includes:
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For ten days, we gather as a small learning community. We eat together. We observe together. We walk the land together. We ask better questions. We practice design. We imagine what is possible. We learn how to create systems that nourish life. This course is an invitation into a practical and beautiful question: How do we design our homes, gardens, farms, communities, and livelihoods for a more resilient future? If you are ready to learn permaculture through direct experience, thoughtful design, nourishing food, and a living farm environment, we invite you to join us.
Tuition, Discounts & Payment Options
- Standard Tuition: $2,500
- Early Bird Tuition: $2,000 - Register by July 4, 2026 and save $500.
- Early Enrollment Tuition: $2,250 - Available after July 4 through August 15, 2026.
- After August 15, tuition returns to the standard rate of $2,500, if spaces remain.
Deposit
A $500 non-refundable deposit is required to reserve your place. Your deposit:
Balance Due
The remaining tuition balance is due by August 15, 2026.
Registrations after August 15 must be paid in full at the time of registration.
Payment Plans
Participants may reserve their space with a $500 non-refundable deposit and pay the remaining balance in monthly payments. The full balance must be paid by August 15, 2026. The earlier you register, the easier the payment plan.
A $500 non-refundable deposit is required to reserve your place. Your deposit:
- Holds your seat
- Locks in the tuition rate available at the time of registration
- Is applied toward your total tuition
- Is non-refundable because we begin planning food, materials, staffing, and course logistics based on confirmed registrations
Balance Due
The remaining tuition balance is due by August 15, 2026.
Registrations after August 15 must be paid in full at the time of registration.
Payment Plans
Participants may reserve their space with a $500 non-refundable deposit and pay the remaining balance in monthly payments. The full balance must be paid by August 15, 2026. The earlier you register, the easier the payment plan.
Household, Teen & Family Participation
This course is designed as a full and immersive adult learning experience. Teenagers ages 14–17 may participate if they are mature enough to engage with the full course rhythm and attend with a participating parent or guardian.
Pair / Household Discount
Two adults registering together receive an additional 10% off each person’s tuition. This discount applies to tuition only and does not apply to lodging add-ons.
Teen Participant Tuition
Teen participants ages 14–17 attending with a registered adult may join at 50% of the adult tuition rate at the time of registration.
This course is designed as a full and immersive adult learning experience. Teenagers ages 14–17 may participate if they are mature enough to engage with the full course rhythm and attend with a participating parent or guardian.
Pair / Household Discount
Two adults registering together receive an additional 10% off each person’s tuition. This discount applies to tuition only and does not apply to lodging add-ons.
Teen Participant Tuition
Teen participants ages 14–17 attending with a registered adult may join at 50% of the adult tuition rate at the time of registration.
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Younger Children
This course is not designed as a children’s camp, and we are not able to provide childcare or children’s programming at this time. Families who need to bring younger children must arrange their own childcare support. A family may bring a babysitter or support person if needed, but this must be discussed with us in advance so we can make sure the arrangement works with the course, lodging, meals, and farm setting. Younger children will not be able to participate fully in the course activities, and their care and supervision must remain the responsibility of the parent, guardian, or family support person at all times. |
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Meet Your Instructors:
Anna Maria & Lucian Parents • Farmers • Educators • Designers We’ve spent 12+ years designing and delivering community transformation programs within universities, government agencies, businesses, non-profits and our own 3 farms in multiple places in the United States. We designed 100+ private and public landscapes, lead over 400 workshops, and helped over 10,000 people grow abundance. We are partners in life, farming, designing, community building and education, with a deep love and respect for all life, including yours. In our work, we combine lived experience with international practice, from small homesteads to community transformation projects. |
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Together, we have trained and empowered over 10,000 individuals in:
Our passion is making permaculture practical and inspiring — so you leave with a clear plan and the confidence to bring it to life. We look forward to learning, creating, and celebrating regeneration with you.
More About Lucian Toma:
Lucian is an ecological designer, educator, and consultant with over a decade of experience creating regenerative programs in academia, government, business, and nonprofits. He has led 300+ workshops and courses for 7,000+ participants on permaculture, farming, and horticulture. Lucian has taught at the college level and supported underserved farmers through University Extension Offices. His design portfolio spans ~100 projects, from backyard gardens to school and church food forests to larger farms across California, Arizona, Nevada, Missouri, Hawaii, Chile and Romania. He holds a BA in International Relations, an MA in Global Leadership & Sustainable Development, and multiple Permaculture Design Certifications. Lucian’s work bridges hands-on practice with systemic, global perspectives.
More About Anna Maria Desipris:
Anna Maria is a regenerative beekeeper, herbalist, farmer, and educator with over a decade of experience in beekeeping, urban farming, and community food systems. She has led 100+ workshops on regenerative beekeeping, farming, and food sovereignty, and has designed and managed neighborhood farms and educational spaces across several states. She has taught at the college level and holds a BA in Political Science, along with certifications in Permaculture, Master Beekeeping, and Herbalism.
- Permaculture design & consulting
- Regenerative horticulture & small-scale farming
- Small & large scale composting
- Beekeeping & herbalism
- Homesteading & food sovereignty
- Community building & social design
- Farm-To-Table planning & execution
- Entrepreneurial and practical skills for resilient livelihoods
Our passion is making permaculture practical and inspiring — so you leave with a clear plan and the confidence to bring it to life. We look forward to learning, creating, and celebrating regeneration with you.
More About Lucian Toma:
Lucian is an ecological designer, educator, and consultant with over a decade of experience creating regenerative programs in academia, government, business, and nonprofits. He has led 300+ workshops and courses for 7,000+ participants on permaculture, farming, and horticulture. Lucian has taught at the college level and supported underserved farmers through University Extension Offices. His design portfolio spans ~100 projects, from backyard gardens to school and church food forests to larger farms across California, Arizona, Nevada, Missouri, Hawaii, Chile and Romania. He holds a BA in International Relations, an MA in Global Leadership & Sustainable Development, and multiple Permaculture Design Certifications. Lucian’s work bridges hands-on practice with systemic, global perspectives.
More About Anna Maria Desipris:
Anna Maria is a regenerative beekeeper, herbalist, farmer, and educator with over a decade of experience in beekeeping, urban farming, and community food systems. She has led 100+ workshops on regenerative beekeeping, farming, and food sovereignty, and has designed and managed neighborhood farms and educational spaces across several states. She has taught at the college level and holds a BA in Political Science, along with certifications in Permaculture, Master Beekeeping, and Herbalism.
More visuals of our work in practice
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Snapshots from our PDC in 2020
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Snapshots from our PDC in 2019
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Sun & Bloom Market Garden in 2025
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Sun & Bloom in 2023
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Soil session from our 2026 online PDC
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Microstock at Sun & Bloom 2025
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Client 50 Acre Farm Design 2025
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Client Homestead Design 2022
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HighSchool Farm Design 2023
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What Our Graduates Say About Our Work
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PDC: "I was a just starting to dabble in permaculture projects but I didn't have the confidence to lead a project or call myself a pro. I saw Lucian implementing the types of projects I wanted to lead. I also saw him conducting business at a higher level of professionalism that I had not previously seen in my permaculture peers. In the course I learned a lot of cool permaculture stuff, but one of the greatest lessons learned was how to communicate its principles and practices in a way that was relatable to potential clients. This course gave me the confidence to start my design career. Now, I am a licensed contractor with a team of designers, and an installation crew. Aside from the permaculture business, I feel personally fulfilled seeing the changes we are making throughout our community."
~ Benito Olamendi - Permaculture Practitioner and CEO at Elemental Designs ~ |
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PDC: "Lucian and Anna's course has woven into every aspect of my life. From land projects to psychotherapy, this course is applicable in every context. Rather than simply applying what I’ve learned, it has become a way of life and a way of perceiving the world. Over the last few years I have transitioned from full-time farmer to the path of a licensed therapist and I am continually blown away how the material from this course continues to provide a life-giving framework for healing all my relations, as well as stewarding this knowledge to share with others."
~ Nikki Velch - Brain-spotting Practitioner & Marriage and Family Therapist ~ |
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PDC: "Taking Lucian and Anna Maria’s course gave me the courage to finally start sharing my work publicly, even as I continue to build my skills. I’ve always believed that learning never really ends—and that’s a good thing—but before this course I kept telling myself, ‘Once I learn that next tool or software, then I’ll start.’ That mindset kept me stuck. This course helped me break through that hesitation and realize that trial, error, and practice are part of the real learning. The course helped me build a strong first piece of my portfolio and gave me the confidence to start offering my services as a designer."
~ Caleb Howerton - Farm Designer and Consultant ~ |
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PDC: "I was looking to become part of a community and learn how to grow food and build a business around it. I got both of those things from the course I took with Lucian in 2016 and much more: I got a lifelong mentor in Lucian and together we started a micro-greens business which I later grown to be the full-time source of income and passion for me and my wife!"
~ Alex Cummings - CEO, Seas Greens ~ |
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Important Participation Notes
Cancellation & Refund Policy
A $500 non-refundable deposit is required to reserve your place in the course. This deposit holds your seat, locks in your tuition rate at the time of registration, and helps us begin planning staffing, meals, materials, lodging, and course logistics. The remaining tuition balance is due by August 15, 2026. Registrations after August 15 must be paid in full at the time of registration. If you cancel before August 15, 2026, tuition paid beyond the $500 deposit may be refunded or transferred to another eligible Sun & Bloom Farms course or program. After August 15, 2026, tuition is non-refundable because course planning, staffing, food, lodging, and materials will already be committed. If you are unable to attend, you may contact us about transferring your registration to another eligible participant, subject to approval, or a different program we offer.
Liability & Participation Agreement
This is a working farm and hands-on learning environment. Participation is voluntary, and participants attend and engage in farm activities at their own risk. All participants will be required to sign a release of liability and hold harmless agreement upon arrival before participating in course activities. Throughout the course, participants are expected to follow safety instructions, use tools responsibly, respect boundaries, ask for help when needed, and avoid unnecessary risks. We ask everyone to move with care, listen closely during demonstrations, respect the farm, and help maintain a safe learning environment for themselves and others.
Photography, Video & Media
We will take photos and videos during the course for future educational, promotional, and storytelling purposes. Many photos may be taken from behind or from a distance, without clearly showing participants’ faces. Some photos and videos may include participants’ faces, especially during group activities, presentations, and the graduation/certificate celebration. If you prefer not to be photographed or recorded, please let us know. We will do our best to communicate that clearly to anyone helping with photography or videography and to avoid including you in identifiable images. Participants may take personal photos and short videos during the course for their own memories and to share about their experience. However, full recording of the course is not allowed. If you plan to record or photograph course activities for promotional, professional, or public use beyond sharing your personal experience, please discuss that with us first. We will also have a group conversation during the course about respectful photography and video, especially when other participants are included. Our goal is to make sure everyone is on the same page and feels respected.
Farm Participation Expectations
This course includes outdoor learning, hands-on practice, group work, farm walks, design exercises, and time spent in active farm spaces. Participants may be invited to observe or participate in activities such as soil testing, compost building, planting, harvesting, food preservation, water system demonstrations, natural material work, and other farm-based practices. You are not required to physically participate in every activity. If you need to step back, observe, take notes, or rest, that is completely welcome. The goal is learning, not pushing beyond your body’s capacity. We ask participants to respect the land, animals, tools, gardens, buildings, shared spaces, and other participants throughout the course.
Dry Campus
Sun and Bloom Farms is a dry campus during this course. Alcohol and recreational drugs are not permitted during the course experience. This helps us maintain a clear, safe, respectful, and focused learning environment for all participants.
Parking & Vehicle Access
Participant vehicles will be parked in a designated parking area on the property with reasonable access for coming and going as needed. To protect the farm, animals, gardens, teaching areas, and pedestrian spaces, participant vehicles will not be driven throughout the main farm areas or through internal gates unless specifically approved by the hosts.
Accessibility & Physical Requirements
This is an immersive farm-based course. Participants should expect uneven ground, outdoor walking, changing weather, and active learning environments. Some days may include significant walking. Other days may include optional hands-on work such as building compost piles, digging or shaping small water-harvesting features, planting trees, moving mulch or other materials, harvesting, or working with simple tools. Participants should come prepared for a real farm setting. Closed-toe shoes, weather-appropriate clothing, sun protection, water bottles, and a willingness to be outdoors are important. That said, participation can be adapted. If you need to sit, observe, take notes, or participate at a lighter physical level, that is welcome. Please communicate your needs so we can support your learning as best we can.
Meals & Dietary Considerations
This course will include nourishing, seasonal, omnivore meals prepared on the farm. We plan to serve daily salads and vegetable sides using greens and vegetables grown at Sun and Bloom Farms whenever possible. Meat options may also be served, using animals raised on the farm when available. Meals may also include baked breads, grains, soups, stews, eggs, dairy, ferments, preserves, and other seasonal foods. Participants are responsible for making food choices that work for their own needs. We will do our best to clearly share meal ingredients so participants can make informed choices. Because this is a small farm-based course with shared meals and limited kitchen capacity, we may not be able to accommodate all dietary restrictions or highly specialized diets. Participants with serious allergies, medical dietary needs, or strict food requirements should contact us before registering to discuss whether the course food environment will work for them.
Lodging & Rustic Farm Facilities
Participants may camp with their own tent or bring a self-contained RV at no additional cost. A limited number of canvas bell tents and farmhouse rooms may be available as lodging upgrades. This is a rustic farm immersion. Participants will have access to outdoor showers, composting toilets, and regular toilets. Some showers may be cool or cold depending on conditions, though we are working with solar-heated and fire-heated water options when possible. Participants should come prepared for simple, beautiful, practical farm living. Full lodging and packing details will be provided in the participant welcome packet after registration.
Participant Welcome Packet
After registration, participants will receive a welcome packet with course preparation details, arrival instructions, packing suggestions, lodging notes, farm guidelines, payment reminders, and other important information to help prepare for the immersion. This packet is separate from the Sun and Bloom Permaculture Design Primer, which serves as the educational pre-reading and course companion.
Cancellation & Refund Policy
A $500 non-refundable deposit is required to reserve your place in the course. This deposit holds your seat, locks in your tuition rate at the time of registration, and helps us begin planning staffing, meals, materials, lodging, and course logistics. The remaining tuition balance is due by August 15, 2026. Registrations after August 15 must be paid in full at the time of registration. If you cancel before August 15, 2026, tuition paid beyond the $500 deposit may be refunded or transferred to another eligible Sun & Bloom Farms course or program. After August 15, 2026, tuition is non-refundable because course planning, staffing, food, lodging, and materials will already be committed. If you are unable to attend, you may contact us about transferring your registration to another eligible participant, subject to approval, or a different program we offer.
Liability & Participation Agreement
This is a working farm and hands-on learning environment. Participation is voluntary, and participants attend and engage in farm activities at their own risk. All participants will be required to sign a release of liability and hold harmless agreement upon arrival before participating in course activities. Throughout the course, participants are expected to follow safety instructions, use tools responsibly, respect boundaries, ask for help when needed, and avoid unnecessary risks. We ask everyone to move with care, listen closely during demonstrations, respect the farm, and help maintain a safe learning environment for themselves and others.
Photography, Video & Media
We will take photos and videos during the course for future educational, promotional, and storytelling purposes. Many photos may be taken from behind or from a distance, without clearly showing participants’ faces. Some photos and videos may include participants’ faces, especially during group activities, presentations, and the graduation/certificate celebration. If you prefer not to be photographed or recorded, please let us know. We will do our best to communicate that clearly to anyone helping with photography or videography and to avoid including you in identifiable images. Participants may take personal photos and short videos during the course for their own memories and to share about their experience. However, full recording of the course is not allowed. If you plan to record or photograph course activities for promotional, professional, or public use beyond sharing your personal experience, please discuss that with us first. We will also have a group conversation during the course about respectful photography and video, especially when other participants are included. Our goal is to make sure everyone is on the same page and feels respected.
Farm Participation Expectations
This course includes outdoor learning, hands-on practice, group work, farm walks, design exercises, and time spent in active farm spaces. Participants may be invited to observe or participate in activities such as soil testing, compost building, planting, harvesting, food preservation, water system demonstrations, natural material work, and other farm-based practices. You are not required to physically participate in every activity. If you need to step back, observe, take notes, or rest, that is completely welcome. The goal is learning, not pushing beyond your body’s capacity. We ask participants to respect the land, animals, tools, gardens, buildings, shared spaces, and other participants throughout the course.
Dry Campus
Sun and Bloom Farms is a dry campus during this course. Alcohol and recreational drugs are not permitted during the course experience. This helps us maintain a clear, safe, respectful, and focused learning environment for all participants.
Parking & Vehicle Access
Participant vehicles will be parked in a designated parking area on the property with reasonable access for coming and going as needed. To protect the farm, animals, gardens, teaching areas, and pedestrian spaces, participant vehicles will not be driven throughout the main farm areas or through internal gates unless specifically approved by the hosts.
Accessibility & Physical Requirements
This is an immersive farm-based course. Participants should expect uneven ground, outdoor walking, changing weather, and active learning environments. Some days may include significant walking. Other days may include optional hands-on work such as building compost piles, digging or shaping small water-harvesting features, planting trees, moving mulch or other materials, harvesting, or working with simple tools. Participants should come prepared for a real farm setting. Closed-toe shoes, weather-appropriate clothing, sun protection, water bottles, and a willingness to be outdoors are important. That said, participation can be adapted. If you need to sit, observe, take notes, or participate at a lighter physical level, that is welcome. Please communicate your needs so we can support your learning as best we can.
Meals & Dietary Considerations
This course will include nourishing, seasonal, omnivore meals prepared on the farm. We plan to serve daily salads and vegetable sides using greens and vegetables grown at Sun and Bloom Farms whenever possible. Meat options may also be served, using animals raised on the farm when available. Meals may also include baked breads, grains, soups, stews, eggs, dairy, ferments, preserves, and other seasonal foods. Participants are responsible for making food choices that work for their own needs. We will do our best to clearly share meal ingredients so participants can make informed choices. Because this is a small farm-based course with shared meals and limited kitchen capacity, we may not be able to accommodate all dietary restrictions or highly specialized diets. Participants with serious allergies, medical dietary needs, or strict food requirements should contact us before registering to discuss whether the course food environment will work for them.
Lodging & Rustic Farm Facilities
Participants may camp with their own tent or bring a self-contained RV at no additional cost. A limited number of canvas bell tents and farmhouse rooms may be available as lodging upgrades. This is a rustic farm immersion. Participants will have access to outdoor showers, composting toilets, and regular toilets. Some showers may be cool or cold depending on conditions, though we are working with solar-heated and fire-heated water options when possible. Participants should come prepared for simple, beautiful, practical farm living. Full lodging and packing details will be provided in the participant welcome packet after registration.
Participant Welcome Packet
After registration, participants will receive a welcome packet with course preparation details, arrival instructions, packing suggestions, lodging notes, farm guidelines, payment reminders, and other important information to help prepare for the immersion. This packet is separate from the Sun and Bloom Permaculture Design Primer, which serves as the educational pre-reading and course companion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need prior permaculture experience?
No. This course is designed to support both beginners and people with previous permaculture, farming, gardening, or sustainability experience. The primer helps prepare everyone with shared language before arrival.
Do I need to own land to participate?
No. You do not need to own land. The design project during the course will be connected to the Sun and Bloom Farms campus or the local community, and the skills can be taken home afterward. Participants can apply the process later to a backyard, garden, homestead, farm, community project, client project, or future land-based vision.
Will I design my own property during the course?
During the immersion, the certification project will focus on a real project connected to the farm or local community so participants can learn together from a shared context. The primer, course exercises, graduate group, monthly check-ins, and post-course consultation will help participants apply the process to their own homes, farms, gardens, client projects, or community projects afterward.
Is this a full Permaculture Design Certification?
Yes. Participants who complete the course requirements and final design presentation will receive a Permaculture Design Certification from Sun and Bloom Farms.
Are meals included?
Yes. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included during course days, with farm-grown and farm-raised foods used whenever possible.
Is lodging included?
Basic tent camping (you bring yourself) and self-contained RV parking (for your own RV) are included at no extra cost. Canvas bell tents and farmhouse rooms are available as paid add-ons, first come, first served.
Can I bring children?
This course is not designed as a children’s camp, and childcare is not provided. Teens ages 14–17 may participate with a registered adult. Families with younger children must arrange their own childcare and discuss plans with us in advance.
What should I bring?
Participants will receive a welcome packet after registration with a detailed packing list. In general, you should plan for outdoor learning, variable weather, closed-toe shoes, comfortable farm clothes, note-taking materials, water bottle, bedding if camping or staying in a canvas tent, and personal items.
Is there a payment plan?
Yes. Participants may reserve their place with a $500 non-refundable deposit and pay the remaining balance in payments. The full balance must be paid by August 15, 2026. The earlier you register, the easier the payment plan.
What happens after the course?
Graduates will have access to a private online group, monthly online check-ins, and one 90-minute one-on-one consultation with the course instructors. Graduates may also choose to continue into the yearlong Sun and Bloom Permaculture Design Certification & Coaching Program beginning in January 2027 through a special continuation rate.
Do I need prior permaculture experience?
No. This course is designed to support both beginners and people with previous permaculture, farming, gardening, or sustainability experience. The primer helps prepare everyone with shared language before arrival.
Do I need to own land to participate?
No. You do not need to own land. The design project during the course will be connected to the Sun and Bloom Farms campus or the local community, and the skills can be taken home afterward. Participants can apply the process later to a backyard, garden, homestead, farm, community project, client project, or future land-based vision.
Will I design my own property during the course?
During the immersion, the certification project will focus on a real project connected to the farm or local community so participants can learn together from a shared context. The primer, course exercises, graduate group, monthly check-ins, and post-course consultation will help participants apply the process to their own homes, farms, gardens, client projects, or community projects afterward.
Is this a full Permaculture Design Certification?
Yes. Participants who complete the course requirements and final design presentation will receive a Permaculture Design Certification from Sun and Bloom Farms.
Are meals included?
Yes. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included during course days, with farm-grown and farm-raised foods used whenever possible.
Is lodging included?
Basic tent camping (you bring yourself) and self-contained RV parking (for your own RV) are included at no extra cost. Canvas bell tents and farmhouse rooms are available as paid add-ons, first come, first served.
Can I bring children?
This course is not designed as a children’s camp, and childcare is not provided. Teens ages 14–17 may participate with a registered adult. Families with younger children must arrange their own childcare and discuss plans with us in advance.
What should I bring?
Participants will receive a welcome packet after registration with a detailed packing list. In general, you should plan for outdoor learning, variable weather, closed-toe shoes, comfortable farm clothes, note-taking materials, water bottle, bedding if camping or staying in a canvas tent, and personal items.
Is there a payment plan?
Yes. Participants may reserve their place with a $500 non-refundable deposit and pay the remaining balance in payments. The full balance must be paid by August 15, 2026. The earlier you register, the easier the payment plan.
What happens after the course?
Graduates will have access to a private online group, monthly online check-ins, and one 90-minute one-on-one consultation with the course instructors. Graduates may also choose to continue into the yearlong Sun and Bloom Permaculture Design Certification & Coaching Program beginning in January 2027 through a special continuation rate.
Register Now
Space is limited to preserve the quality of the learning experience, design support, meals, lodging, and farm-based container. Join us September 17–27, 2026 at Sun and Bloom Farms for the hands-on Permaculture Design Certification immersion.
Early Bird Tuition: $2,000 through July 4, 2026
Early Enrollment Tuition: $2,250 through August 15, 2026
Standard Tuition: $2,500 after August 15, if spaces remain
$500 non-refundable deposit reserves your place.
Space is limited to preserve the quality of the learning experience, design support, meals, lodging, and farm-based container. Join us September 17–27, 2026 at Sun and Bloom Farms for the hands-on Permaculture Design Certification immersion.
Early Bird Tuition: $2,000 through July 4, 2026
Early Enrollment Tuition: $2,250 through August 15, 2026
Standard Tuition: $2,500 after August 15, if spaces remain
$500 non-refundable deposit reserves your place.