Leon Mead

English Language Teacher - Yangjiang, Guangdong Province, China,
Absolutely amazing, I can not speak highly enough about the OSU Permaculture Design Pro course.
I have been on a journey, I developed a business and through the learning process of creating a product and marketing it, I realised that no artificial goods are sustainable, this led me to stop producing my product and researching degrowth, that led me the energy crisis in particular peak oil, both led me to permaculture.  A mitigation strategy that can mitigate the predicaments the planet faces and that we in turn face.  A friend from the Isle of Wight in England introduced me to this course.

The structure of the course is incredibly easy to follow, it strategically takes you through each process of design. The lessons themselves are via recorded videos and the lecturers are incredibly good at explaining the content, it is very easy to engage with the learning material. The book that accompanies the lessons is also incredibly well written and runs along side the course very well. To add to this, within each assignment are more video lessons, helping you and guiding you through the assignments, they are incredibly detailed and also very very easy to follow thanks to Javan’s very smooth and talented teaching methods.  Encompassing all of this content are regular face to face webinars with the teachers, to discuss the assignments and ask questions about the design process. The adoration for permaculture and the different elements within permaculture are very evident through the teachers, they really do make this course, they are splendid and have a wealth of information to learn from.

The PDC also has a very non-pressured feel to it. I am currently a full time teacher and I only had my time at the weekends and free time to work on my assignments. It is very manageable and I can definitely recommend it to people who are currently working full time.

To summarise, I have learnt invaluable information about mapping land, water management, soil management and a deep dive into plant and tree matrixes. I will miss this course dearly and I would go as far to say, that it has significantly changed my outlook on my life, on my knowledge of biodiversity and the wider scope of people and community. Thank you to my teachers and Oregon State University, I will never forget this experience and I’m looking forward to using my newly learnt skills. 

I cannot recommend this course enough, it is immensely important and inspirational! Thank you so much! 

 


Belkis L. Roman Vazquez

Public Servant, Commonwealth of Massachusetts

I enrolled in this course one week late, making the decision hastily just hours before the enrollment deadline. I knew that if I considered the time commitment and the potential impact on my family and myself, I would find numerous reasons not to proceed. Yet, I chose to quiet my rational mind and listen to a deeper, non-rational awareness. I had an inner “knowledge” that this course was exactly what I needed at that precise moment. I obeyed this voiceless wisdom, often ridiculed or belittled as irrational or irresponsible by our Western mindset.

I am utterly happy I took this class. From the moment I decided to enroll, to this juncture of completing the course, I have been excitedly and humbly accepting the fascinating glimpse this course has given me into the permaculture world. I approached all the materials with childlike curiosity, diving into research and rabbit holes that sometimes took me away from the assignments. However, I allowed myself this freedom, understanding it as part of a beautiful web of interconnected information.

I commend you, Javan, and the rest of the OSU and permaculture community for building and sustaining a top-notch course with knowledgeable, meaningful, and comprehensive materials.

In my humble opinion, permaculture principles are applicable to our sites, our jobs, our interpersonal relationships, and especially in our relationship with ourselves. Thank you for gifting me a new set of tools!

 

Land Design, OSU PDC Student, PDC Student

 


 


Linda Danda Nash

Nurse Practitioner - Pennsylvania USA
“The only thing I regret about my PDC experience at OSU is not enrolling in this course earlier. Had I enrolled in this class during my 2019 home purchase, I would have saved both money and time. I gained important knowledge and skills from this course, like water harvesting techniques and planting on slopes, that I wish I had known before.  I also learned about regional challenges and how to incorporate features to mitigate these challenges like fire and flood. Although I had already integrated permaculture features in my garden like rain barrels and composting, the newfound knowledge made me more efficient and organized. For instance, the assignment on watershed and run off calculations highlighted the ineffectiveness of rain barrels on my property, resulting in my instructor suggesting the minimum use of an IBC tank instead.
I received feedback from my classmates and Javan my instructor on all my assignments. He hosted biweekly zoom calls covering important components of assignments and professional aspects of Permaculture design.  Whenever I find myself stuck, I submit my questions,  which are answered on the recorded zoom meeting. The cross section assignment was challenging for me but Javan walked me through it during a one-to-one zoom call. Thanks to his expertise and video links, I can construct a Hugelkultur, draw cross sections even with my lack of drawing skills and improve the soil using the leaves on my property.
I am thrilled to continue this journey and grateful for Javan’s incredible support throughout my OSU Permaculture design course experience. I can’t wait to start implementing my design and delving into topics such as soil building and water harvesting. “
Education, OSU PDC Student, PDC Student

 


 


 


 


 


I’m an agriculture consultant with a passion for sustainable and organic farming, I’ve had the privilege of learning from various platforms and experts. However, taking the Permaculture Pro course at Oregon State University under the guidance of Javan Bernakevitch was nothing short of a transformative experience.

Javan’s teaching style is both comprehensive and engaging, bridging theory and practice seamlessly. He doesn’t just teach permaculture; he lives it, and that authenticity shines through every lesson. His depth of understanding is unparalleled, and he has an innate ability to make even complex topics accessible. Whether it was soil health, water systems, or designing a regenerative landscape, Javan offered practical insights I could immediately implement in my consultancy work and toward my goal of making Nepal an organic nation.

The course material is meticulously curated, keeping in mind not just the ecological but also the economic aspects of farming—something that resonates well with real-world applications. I came into the course with a solid background and high expectations, and I can confidently say that this course exceeded them all. The lessons I’ve learned and the skills I’ve acquired are directly contributing to my efforts to develop a model farm and are indispensable in my consultancy.

If you’re serious about permaculture, sustainable agriculture, or even if you’re a beginner eager to learn, this course is worth every minute and every penny.

Thank you, Javan and Oregon State University, for an unparalleled learning journey. I am excited to apply these permaculture principles in my pursuit of a more sustainable future for all.

Education, Land Design, OSU PDC Student