Three Sisters Permaculture Education Programs

Our education programs range from one hour speaking engagements to 80 hour permaculture design courses.  We address various learning styles, providing for a variety of learner needs, by merging hands-on activities with traditional classroom teaching and experiential group projects.

Topics include permaculture design, food forest design and management, solar design, bioshelter design and management, alternative energy, water management, natural building, gardening, and more.

Past offerings have included two week intensive Permaculture Design Courses, hosted at Three Sisters Farm in Sandy Lake, PA, Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh, PA,  Slippery Rock University, Penn State University, and a variety of other places and venues.  Other educational programs have also included day-long workshops, lectures, and presentations at conferences and other events.

Permaculture Design Course

A Permaculture Design Course is an intensive training in permaculture design, and is intended to be the first step towards a diploma of Permaculture Design or Permaculture Education. There are many reasons why people participate in a permaculture design course. Some people have land or property they want to develop. For them permaculture training can help to frame and inform a process for designing and planning their project. Others wish to broaden their knowledge of ecological design and add basic permaculture training to their resume. Some plan to pursue a career in Permaculture Design. For them, a permaculture course is the beginning of a long term training program.

Our permaculture design courses are recognized by the Permaculture Institute on North America (www.pina.in).

For more information on our Permaculture Design Certification Course format click here!

Advanced Permaculture Training

We offer a number of advanced permaculture training programs. These programs run three to eight days and provide in-depth and hands on experiential learning.

Hosting a Permaculture Training

When you host a permaculture training, you can receive valuable design services and training on your site. Host organizations or individuals need to work with us to address the host’s goals, planning and promotion and logistical issues such as food and lodging for participants and teachers. We have a long experience in producing permaculture events and can work with you to create a fun, healthful and productive education program.  If you would like to host a lecture or workshop please let us know.

Upcoming Programs

Permaculture Design Certification Course

Weekend Permaculture Course, Spring 2023

Discover our permaculture course and realize your potential in restorative design. Course begins February 2023 in Pittsburgh, PA in partnership with Garfield Community Farm, Lamppost Farm and Three Sister’s Permaculture. Feb 25th thru May 20th 2023

check this link for details: https://www.garfieldfarm.com/permaculturehttps://www.garfieldfarm.com/permaculture

This year’s weekend course will be held on Saturdays throughout the late winter and spring of 2023 beginning in warm classroom space and transitioning to outdoor experiential learning at Garfield Community Farm in Pittsburgh, PA and Lamppost Farm in Columbiana, Ohio. The total cost is $1400. The $200 deposit will offset that cost.

Scholarships are available upon request. Email john @ garfieldfarm.com for info on applying for a partial or full scholarship. Through our diverse teaching methods and settings we’ll delve into permaculture application from urban home scale design to broad acre landscape design. Our course is certified through the Permaculture Institute of North America and will cover all the learning objectives of the permaculture design certification course as outlined by PINA. These learning objectives will not only be covered through classroom education but also through hands on experiences in both urban and rural settings and with a diverse group of lead teachers and expert special guests.