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 MassachusettsLand Design, OSU PDC Student, PDC StudentI 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!
Channa Abeygunawardene
Entrepreneur - Sri LankaEducation, OSU PDC Student, PDC StudentTaking this class has been a truly rewarding experience. You’ve been an exceptional [lecturer/mentor/advisor], and I can honestly say I haven’t encountered a more inspiring teacher. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Linda Danda Nash
Nurse Practitioner - Pennsylvania USAEducation, OSU PDC Student, PDC Student“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. “
Deanne Vincent
Business Developmen & Web Designer - Ottawa, CanadaEducation, General, OSU PDC Student, PDC StudentI chose to do the PDC course through Oregon State University because of the level of professionalism, expertise, and guidance that was offered. It’s an established program that has an abundance of resources to cover everything you need and more. I gained so much knowledge going through it because of how the course was set up; with the online material, office hours, and applicable design project. Having Javan as my course instructor was the best part of this course. The energy he brings to office hours, constructive feedback, and any engagement with students is one of a kind. His use of technology and depth of experience and knowledge really elevates the course and I couldn’t imagine anyone better to learn from. This course was a great mix of being welcoming and challenging you to further your growth in this field. The projects were exactly what you need to learn and well thought out to use moving forward for any other designs. I’m so grateful, thank you Javan and OSU PDC! I highly recommend this course to anyone interested in Permaculture — we need you. Know that what you put into it will be fruitfully returned!
Meera Rajesh
Social Worker - Karnataka, IndiaEducation, OSU PDC Student, PDC StudentThanks to Javan for guiding through the course. It was excellent learning experience, reviewing portfolios of other student it gave me an opportunity to learn other world ecosystems, climate, plants and other public policies.
Concept map designing was a piece of cake! It’s all because of kind of research the course made me to do in earlier assignments. Doing that, everything fell in its place without any hassles. Enjoyed the course as well as felt very challenging with most of assignments asking for ecological data, indigenous people in my country it’s not document properly and had to rely on primary data. Overall it turned out to be good. With this it does not stop i have further many other question which i need to dig into and learning is a never ending process. Finally i am doing this to serve for mother earth and children who are the future. Hopefully one day i will also have farm.
Ashley Paton
United States Postal Service Officer in Charge (OIC) - New York, USAEducation, OSU PDC Student, PDC StudentWow! I can’t believe that it’s over! I’m extremely grateful that I decided to take the leap toward this course because it taught me so many different things, as well as re-framed my thoughts when it came to landscape design. It has been refreshing to learn about permaculture and really challenge myself in terms of design. This is something that I will constantly learn about and grow with and evolve from, so I am very excited to start working on other projects and actually implement this design on our own property.
Thank you for the well thought out coursework and assistance throughout the last twenty weeks! It’s been amazing to hear your perspective and learn from you and I’ve extremely grateful for that.
Tinka Sjögren
Entrepreneur & Transformative coachEducation, Land Design, OSU PDC Student, PDC StudentThe gratitude I feel now is bigger than any word! I am happy that I took this course (even though English really troubled me)! I love all the insights I have had and knowledge I have gain during this year I have spent with this course. I am happy that I had a second chance to complete this with full focus!
I am pretty satisfied with my first design. I know that it is a first attempt and with this little knowledge and experience, I probably already would do things differently. You gave a good tip in last office hour: ask for help! This is a learning journey and by doing, observing nature, talking with the trees and people and asking help we get better.
Thank you Javan for your patience. kindness, helpful feedback and your wisdom! Thank you! I have loved this Journey so much and it has taught me in so many areas of life!
Education, Land Design, OSU PDC StudentI’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.
Tamar Chelidze
Chief Compliance Officer - Tserovani, GeorgiaEducation, OSU PDC Student, PDC StudentThe last six months were the most enjoyable experience and productive time in my life!
This course was the best experience of all online courses I’ve had. I will definitely follow the next courses available and hopefully sign up for them.
It was amazing to observe how the various topics learned throughout the course came together in the last assignment and formed the concept plan for my garden. Each design element is the outcome of new knowledge gained throughout the course and has a function which is well understood and accepted by us owners.
I am really proud of the outcome and grateful for the opportunity to attend this course, and I will miss this time a lot.