Permaculture Design Course Autumn 2026 at The Food Forest, Gawler SA

Permaculture Design Certificate Autumn 2026

Where: The Food Forest, Gawler, South Australia

When: April 22-26, May 8-10 & 23-24

10-day course, spread out over three teaching blocks during April & May.

In person/face to face.

This course is fully catered but is non-residential. Sessions run from 8.30am-5.15pm

With David Holmgren, Graham and Annemarie Brookman & Others

Costs:

Earlybird prices (if fully paid by COB March 27th, 2026): 

Early bird price: $1995pp (Incl GST)

Early bird price, partner/group booking: $1945pp (incl GST)

Standard prices (from March 27th COB, 2026)

Standard price: $2300pp (incl GST)

Standard Price, partner/group bookings: $2250pp (incl GST)

Booking your spot: 

$300 +BF deposit payment secures your spot. Once we have received your registration and deposit payment, we will be in touch via email with detailed information about options for the payment of the balance owing.

For the full course description, you can download the pdf from The Food Forest website: Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) with David Holmgren » The Food Forest

Permaculture Design Certificate

Join us for internationally-recognised permaculture training that will help you design sustainable, abundant homes, businesses, professions and communities.

Every action and choice we make can make a difference, no matter how small, and can influence the world around us. Discover the power of small and practical acts of care to create good lives, livelihoods and landscapes!

This 10 day intensive design course, taught at The Food Forest focusses on exploring how you can integrate permaculture principles into all areas of life – it doesn’t have to be on a piece of land. This course will present you with an opportunity to consider your life in a new light and give you increased confidence and many skills needed to design a sustainable and meaningful place for your future. David Holmgren’s participation will be face-to-face during the first teaching block to lay the foundation. In addition to the Brookmans, the course is supported by an experienced team of tutors, each with their own specialities.

You will work face-to-face with a group of motivated fellow students with diverse skills and backgrounds and learn through a wide range of teaching styles which include lectures, practical activities, small group work,case studies, films, field trips, games and from each other. In addition to our teaching team, you will have access to a wide range of printed and digital resources. Extensive course notes are provided.

The format of the course is designed to cause minimum disruption to other parts of your life. It will allow you to absorb and practise skills from one learning block before moving on to the next.

Please note that the first teaching block of 5 days starts on Wednesday April 22nd, and will include Anzac Day April 25th on the Saturday. Over the 3 teaching blocks, there are some weekdays and these may need some planning to have off. The program starts each day at 8.30am and we finish 5.15pm, apart from the first teaching day on the 22nd , when we finish the day with a ‘happy hour’ welcome drinks (5pm- 6pm). On the last Saturday of the course, May 23rd, we also include dinner and a final night party.

Whilst this extended format may seem less than ideal if you are from a distant location, many participants from further away use it as an opportunity to visit friends, permaculture projects or to WWOOF between teaching blocks.

As part of the The Food Forest PDC you will work on a major design project of your choice. We will take you through the design process, from the initial brief, to completion and the final presentation. Many of the excellent designs created during our PDCs have been implemented around the world. Please note, ‘Homework’ will be required outside the course hours & between teaching blocks.

Whilst many people study permaculture as a design system for their personal and/or professional lives, successful completion of the course will qualify you for a Permaculture Design Certificate which makes you eligible to practice or teach permaculture commercially. The course may also be recognised as relevant prior learning towards the completion of requirements for the nationally accredited VET Certificate IV in Permaculture.

You will need to attend at least 80% of the course and complete your part in the design project, in order to attain a PDC certificate.

Topics

The course at The Food Forest will cover such topics as:

· Permaculture ethics and principles

· Mapping, reading landscape, land capability assessment

· Personal, family and community strategies

· Social Permaculture

· Architecture: Passive solar design for houses and structures

· Appropriate human settlements and planning

· Sustainable energy sources, ‘waste’ and recycling

· Soil Health: improvements and maintenance

· Urban and rural farming and gardening

· Food forests

· Alternative social and economic models & legal structures

· Water management (at home, urban & rural) & catchments

· Animals in permaculture

· Biodiversity in both urban and rural settings

· Application of Permaculture Design in businesses, professions & trades

· And more……

Principal Tutors

David Holmgren, is the co-originator of the permaculture concept and co-authored ‘Permaculture One’, with Bill Mollison in 1978. David is globally recognised as a leading ecological thinker, teacher, speaker and writer. David will be presenting face-to-face during the first part of the course, providing a unique opportunity to revisit your values and techniques or start your permaculture career at the cutting edge. In 2003 David published “Permaculture: Principles & Pathways Beyond Sustainability”, a book which was the first significant development on the permaculture concept since Bill Mollison’s “Permaculture Designers’ Manual” (1988). David continues to refine permaculture in his writings and research. His book, ‘RetroSuburbia’ was launched in 2018 and is a key reference for practical urban design. Late 2020 he and Beck Lowe launched “Our Street”, a permaculture story book for kids.

Annemarie Brookman began her permaculture journey in 1983 and is the co-owner of The Food Forest and runs its organic market garden and busy office. She organises the educational programs, The Food Forest’s stall at the Adelaide Farmers Market and coordinates staff at the property. She has observed societies, crafts and cuisines in many countries. Her passion for local, wholesome, delicious and visually beautiful food and her skills as a designer are expressed in a direct and practical manner. She is expert in the integration of poultry and vegetable production and is a keen observer & photographer of insect ecosystems. Time management, making community connections, small scale marketing, engaging children in gardening and the natural environment, mentoring to empower people to get involved with the future of their food and sustainable home-building are included in her talents. She is a qualified teacher in permaculture design & training, art and craft, and is a strong contributor to the permaculture movement in SA.

Graham Brookman has experienced land use all over the world and his search for ecologically sustainable farming systems led him to the permaculture model devised by Mollison and Holmgren. Graham has put the model to the test and teaches his findings in an energetic, interactive and practical style. Discovering how to build with straw bales has given Graham free rein with the construction of a series of beautiful and environmentally responsible structures. He has taught hundreds of others how simple it is to use straw bales in building anything from a garden bench to a house. He is a qualified horticulturalist, teacher and permaculture designer and was founding chairman of the Adelaide Showground Farmers Market and the Gawler Environment Centre. Though first a farmer and horticulturalist, he has been involved in town planning and has made numerous educational films. He is passionate about water and sunshine, their capture and efficient use. He has created a new breed of mini sheep for use in orchards, vineyards and farms and dedicates much time and effort to the repair of the Gawler River.

Guest Tutors and Field Visits

A wide range of guest tutors, selected for skills and qualifications in their particular field and their commitment to sustainable living and permaculture, will also teach in the course. Tours will visit a wide variety of outstanding examples of permaculture and the people who are making it work, in & near Adelaide. 

COVID

This course will be managed in accordance with the government guidelines in place at the time of the course dates. If you are/become unwell leading up to or during the course, please contact us to discuss options for your participation.

The Venue

Our land is on the country of the Kaurna people, and we respect their connection to this land, water and community. We are celebrating more than 20 years of running PDCs at The Food Forest with Graham & Annemarie Brookman, David Holmgren and other amazing guest presenters. The property is a remarkable 20 hectare, certified organic permaculture farm and learning centre that is the result of the passion and vision of owners Graham & Annemarie. From its buzzing biodiversity come over 150 varieties of organically grown fruit and nuts (including pistachios, pecans, macadamias), cereals and vegetables, honey and carob beans, as well as free range eggs, livestock, nursery plants and timber. Most of The Food Forest’s produce is sold at the Adelaide Farmers Market. We’ll be harvesting and eating some of the products during the PDC!

The campus demonstrates strawbale building technology, active and passive solar design, food value-adding, running a permaculture business and successful collaboration with local government, Landscape Boards, refugee groups and educational institutions at all levels.

Broadband Wi-Fi access is available in the extensive teaching area.

Logistics

Food

Lunch, morning & afternoon tea each day, and the final night dinner (Sat May 23rd) are included in the registration and include vegetarian, vegan and some omnivorous options. 

Accommodation

This course is non-residential. No accommodation or camping available at The Food Forest. See the full PDC brochure for some local accommodation information.

Transport

It is about a 45-minute drive from Adelaide. There is a good train connection from Adelaide. It is a 20 min walk from Tambelin Railway station on the Gawler line.

Come Prepared

We strongly recommend that you read some Permaculture texts. See the reading list and a permaculture resources list on the downloadable PDC brochure. 

For the full course description including info about the course fee, you can download the pdf from The Food Forest website: Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) with David Holmgren » The Food Forest

Need more details that you can't find in the brochure?

Contact Annemarie on: info@foodforest.com.au